#it's the fastest growing religion but like

[house-rat]

If your reaction to someone who’s experienced abuse is to silence them because it’s “bad PR”, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate things.

Pointing out that some Jewish and Muslim people have religious trauma inflicted on them by their own religious communities isn’t antisemitism or Islamophobia, it’s a statement of fact. Denying that non-Christian communities can cause religious trauma, silencing the victims because you don’t want them to “feed stereotypes”, insinuating that they’re lying because “well I’ve had nothing but good experiences with this community”, or telling them that if they left the religion over it then they obviously never understood it properly in the first place sure is doing a huge amount of harm to the very people you claim to be trying to protect though!

[lazycats-stuff]

Hello, hope you're having a good day/night

I was wondering if I could request Bruce x Bat Dad (and some bat fam)

What if reader knew about the darker things in the world like demons and horrors unimaginable from the time he was small and that's why he doesn't talk about things like growing up or his family.

What if reader gets captured by a cult that torture him in order to force reader to translate strange eldritch books and artifacts.

You can choose how long it takes for Bruce to find reader

(What if Bruce and the batfam find out that reader has been hunting and investigating the supernatural like a small base of operations that looks more like a library with hidden weapons)

Hi, I hope you have a good day or night too. Of course you can request. Hehe. Lets go. Also, I'm sorry for taking so long... I hope you like it! And yes, the ending may be rushed, but it's not that bad.

Summary: (Y/N) gets taken for his knowledge.

Warnings: cult, fight, implications of torture... Nothing is really direct per say.

(Y/N) sighed as he closed his old leather book. He wished he didn't have this knowledge, this... (Y/N) swallowed as he put his book back and left the room, closing the fake bookcase. He rubbed his face as he was tired from this life. He wished he didn't have this knowledge. He knows the things that would turn the world upside down.

He met with hell's worst demons and he saw some of the other unspeakable horrors. (Y/N) never had a good life. He grew up in a satanic cult, the one who was genuinely believing that Satan is coming and that they are going to be his loyal servants.

He was apparently marked by Satan when he was born, but then again, when you are in a cult, you believe what they tell you. (Y/N) escaped when he was 16 years old, running like the devil himself was chasing him. (Y/N) came to Gotham with only clothes on his back.

Soon he met a nice guy who helped him. (Y/N) is smart and intelligent and he managed to start high school. He graduated after 3 years and went on to study history and religion at college. He was always interested in those things and soon enough, he found himself working in a museum.

It was a nice change of pace for once. Learning about old things and older religions and he liked it when he could teach someone something new. Of course, he was vigilant of new people and people in general. He was careful when meeting someone new, hoping that the cult didn't go after him. He could only hope so.

Dating after being in a cult it's difficult. Always suspicious of any one coming into his life romantically. Men or women, being suspicious from the get go was a certified way to see if someone was from the cult. It was also one of the fastest ways to get your relationship destroyed.

Then Bruce Wayne came into his life.

It was a coincidence. Bruce saw an interesting exhibition and decided to treat Damian to a little treat. (Y/N) was making his way through the museum, just enjoying his day and making sure every visitor was taken care of. He saw Bruce and Damian, looking in confusion.

(Y/N) walked over and asked if everything was okay and the rest was history. He lead the two through the museum, enjoying the fact that Damian knew a lot about history and it was actually fun to debate a child who knew something over a fact.

Bruce was quiet, enjoying the tour and well... Love at first sight for Bruce. He was chatting with (Y/N) and saw how guarded he was. Sure, everyone is guarded around strangers, but this is a whole another level of being guarded.

Bruce was rather intrigued, but he didn't want to push any boundaries. So he left (Y/N) his number, saying no pressure to say yes, but do call.

To say (Y/N) was a nervous wreck is an understatement. What the hell was Bruce Wayne doing with him? Was he just looking for a one night stand? Or was just flirting to keep with the playboy persona? He came home and stared at the card for 10 minutes, thinking about it.

Should he?

Should he not?

You know what? He's not made from glass. He will go for it and whatever happens, happens. He texted Bruce, he wasn't really brave enough to call. He really wasn't.

He jumped when he saw that Bruce responded.

To cut a very long story short, Bruce and (Y/N) are together to this day. The date went very well and (Y/N) was happy for the first time. He has never been happier. Together with a man who loves him and the kids who love him.

(Y/N) may love the kids more than Bruce, but Bruce won't complain. Anyone who accepted his kids, he was more than happy and if that person loved the kids more than Bruce...

Of course, in platonic way.

But there was something that bothered the family, well, not bothered, but it was interesting to them. It was (Y/N)'s past. It was something he hid and refused to talk about. He would get closed off and cold and soon enough they learnt to not ask about it.

Of course, in a family full of detectives, they wanted to investigate, but they knew that they shouldn't have because it was an invasion of privacy. So, they have decided to leave (Y/N)'s past alone.

Also, one thing that they loved about (Y/N) was the fact that he was teaching them history, something they all loved. Jason was a fan of Egypt and Sumerians. Dick loved European history, more so medieval times. Tim loved the Enigma and the making of a first computer?

And Damian? World War Two and Arabic history.

Alfred loved (Y/N) too and he would love nothing more for Bruce to marry that man. God knows that this household needs another emotionally stable person. Somewhat...

Alfred was not the one to complain.

He saw how (Y/N) and Bruce complimented one another and Bruce gave (Y/N) a push to write his book about history of religion. (Y/N) has always wanted to write that and Bruce gave him a push he needed. But not financially.

(Y/N) said he would do it all on his own. Bruce had no problem with that statement. He agreed to not pull connections with anyone or any publishing house. But he wasn't against getting (Y/N) his materials. He had no problem delivering the materials right to his door or at his work.

(Y/N) knew that Bruce was Batman so he knew that Bruce was in front of his apartment or in his office. (Y/N) enjoyed and was happy to see them.

(Y/N) entered his apartment and went to the kitchen. He was completely oblivious to the fact that there was a dark figure in his living room. (Y/N) took a sip of the water before he heard a creak on the floor board. He acted like it was nothing before throwing the glass in the direction on the sound. He hit the figure and (Y/N) grabbed a knife.

(Y/N) watched as the figure doubled down in pain, before recovering. The figure has stepped into the light and (Y/N) recognized the face.

" You motherfucker... " (Y/N) said as he gripped the handle of the knife tighter.

" That's no way to talk to your leader. " The deep male voice said and (Y/N) sized him up.

Maybe he can make it out. But the leader is strong and full of muscles. He has to evade him. Somehow.

That plan went down to shit when he saw two more figures. Sure, the leader needs to have protection. (Y/N) glanced between the trio. Someone is going to attack first.

Which one is the question.

(Y/N) ducked a punch and tried to stab the incoming one, but he was hurled over the couch, taking it with him. (Y/N) grunted as he hit the floor and he stood up after a few moments. He didn't have his knife with him.

Shit.

He nearly died when there was a fourth figure picking him up, before throwing him into his glass coffee table. (Y/N) grunted as he hit his head. He hissed as he tried to get up, but a kick to his face sent him flying back and he was dazed.

" I'm not coming with you. " (Y/N) said as he wiped the blood from his face.

" Oh you are. We know you can translate the demon transcriptions. And we need those translations. " The leader said and (Y/N) glared at them.

He won't go out without a fight.

" You are outnumbered. There is no way out. " The leader said and (Y/N) glanced at the other two. They were blocking the exit. They only way is to fight out or at least try.

But there was no weapon in sight. So he was screwed. Kicking and punching his way out can only take him so far.

But he had to try.

So he did just that. He tried to fight, but he was punched in the jaw quickly that he was nearly knocked. He fell down, hitting his head hard once more.

His vision was swimming and he couldn't see who was where anymore. His only hope now was Bruce. He knew Bruce would drop by later in the night and that he would find him. Bruce would never stop looking for him.

The kiddos too...

His jaw got punched once more and he blacked out. Now the cult had him where they wanted him. They could do what they pleased.

And if that meant torture... Well, then so be it.

Two fucking months. Bruce was losing his mind as he was looking for his boyfriend. He was horrified when he learnt of (Y/N)'s past, who wouldn't be terrified? Learning and growing up in a cult?

Bruce remembers the first time he entered the apartment and he will always wonder about a lot of things. More so that (Y/N) is somewhat normal.

Bruce was shocked that (Y/N) turned out normal. The trauma he must have went through... He was even more shocked when they found out the secret library in his apartment... Bruce had to call John Constantine to see what the hell was happening here.

John knew exactly what this was. (Y/N) was a hunter who hunted demons and banished them back to hell. Bruce was officially in the dark now. His beloved, his significant other was a hunter? Who went after demons?

Bruce didn't know how the hell he was going to explain this to his kids. How can you explain something like this? Bruce analyzed every part of the apartment, trying to figure out what happened.

He saw that (Y/N) had a knife, but was threw around the room. Then he was put through his glass coffee table. Bruce sighed quietly as John looked through the books.

" This is an amazing collection. " John commented as he looked through the books and the weapons.

" Is that really important right now? " Bruce snapped at the man and John just shrugged his shoulders.

" I guess not, but I know people who would kill for this collection. Bruce, he has knowledge of the single handedly one of the most ancient languages in the world. I can only count people on one hand that know this language. " John explained.

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

" I think I know why they kidnapped your partner. " John said as he picked up a book. Bruce raised his brow in question.

" The cult that took him wanted some translations it seems. " John said as he opened and old, leather bound book, more interested in the book at the moment.

" That's not good. I'm assuming he will resist... They are going to torture him. " Bruce said solemnly, eyes darting around the apartment.

" We will put the bookshelf the way it was. Maybe they were after the books and weapons. " Bruce said and John sighed as he put the book where he found it and then did what Bruce asked from him.

From that day, two months passed. Bruce and everyone else worked tirelessly to find their favorite person. Bruce his boyfriend, soon to be a fiancé, the boys their second dad, one that is more emotionally open and Alfred needed one person who is going to be somewhat normal.

Bruce nearly jumped out of his skin when he got a location. They boys and him piled into the batmobile and drove as fast as the car allowed it.

To say that they had to fight their way in was an understatement. Alfred was anxiously waiting in the cave.

Bruce nearly died when he saw (Y/N). Bloodied, bruised... Bruce didn't want to know the specifics. He picked his beloved up and moved to the car and he made sure to call the SWAT team from GCPD, alongside a few more organizations.

The cult deserves it, okay? Was he over reacting? Maybe.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered is the fact that (Y/N) is taken care of and is alive and well.

To say he drove like a madman... Would be the biggest understatement of the century. Once they came, they rushed their favorite person to Alfred.

Time was of the essence.

Bruce waited for his boys to finish talking to their second dad. (Y/N) had awoken and although still weak, he still talked to his sons. After 20 minutes, Bruce ushered them out, making them all protest a bit, but in the end they knew that they need to go.

Jason hugged his dad, very carefully and left. Dick kissed his dad's cheek and Tim squeezed his hand. Damian hugged his second dad before leaving and the two partners are soon left alone.

" I'm sorry for not telling you the truth... But it was too difficult. " (Y/N) said and Bruce kissed his cheek softly.

" Don't apologize. I understand that. "

" I'm assuming you found my base? " (Y/N) asked and Bruce nodded.

" John said you have a collection people would kill for... This is such shit timing, but would you like to move in? " Bruce said and (Y/N) snorted, but stopped because of his ribs.

" Yes, I would love nothing more. "

Bruce kissed (Y/N)'s cheek again. " Good. I'll leave you to rest. "

" Can you stay with me? "

Bruce smiled and nodded, changing into his PJs before gently laying down next to (Y/N), wrapping him into blankets and the two quickly feel asleep.

The two were finally reunited.

[skrunksthatwunk]

actually i'm still thinking about the moral orel finale.

he has a cross on his wall. do you know how much i think about that bc it's a lot.

a lot of stories ((auto)biographical or fictional) centering escape from abusive/fundamentalist christianity result in the lead characters leaving behind christianity entirely. and that makes complete sense! people often grow disillusioned with the associated systems and beliefs, and when it was something used to hurt them or something so inseparable from their abuse that they can't engage with it without hurting, it makes total sense that they would disengage entirely. and sometimes they just figure out that they don't really believe in god/a christian god/etc. a healthy deconstruction process can sometimes look like becoming an atheist or converting to another religion. it's all case by case. (note: i'm sure this happens with other religions as well, i'm just most familiar with christian versions of this phenomenon).

but in orel's case, his faith was one of the few things that actually brought him comfort and joy. he loved god, y'know? genuinely. and he felt loved by god and supported by him when he had no one else. and the abuses he faced were in how the people in his life twisted religion to control others, to run away from themselves, to shield them from others, etc. and often, orel's conflicts with how they acted out christianity come as a direct result of his purer understanding of god/jesus/whatever ("aren't we supposed to be like this/do that?" met with an adult's excuse for their own behavior or the fastest way they could think of to get orel to leave them alone (i.e. orel saying i thought we weren't supposed to lie? and clay saying uhhh it doesn't count if you're lying to yourself)). the little guy played catch with god instead of his dad, like.. his faith was real, and his love was real. and i think it's a good choice to have orel maintain something that was so important to him and such a grounding, comforting force in the midst of. All That Stuff Moralton Was Up To/Put Him Through. being all about jesus was not the problem, in orel's case.

and i know i'm mostly assuming that orel ended up in a healthier, less rigid version of christianity, but i feel like that's something that was hinted at a lot through the series, that that's the direction he'd go. when he meditates during the prayer bee and accepts stephanie's different way to communicate, incorporating elements of buddhism into his faith; when he has his I AM A CHURCH breakdown (removing himself from the institution and realizing he can be like,, the center of his own faith? taking a more individualistic approach? but Truly Going Through It at the same time), his acceptance (...sometimes) of those who are different from him and condemned by the adults of moralton (stephanie (lesbian icon stephanie my beloved), christina (who's like. just a slightly different form of fundie protestant from him), dr chosenberg (the jewish doctor from otherton in holy visage)). his track record on this isn't perfect, but it gets better as orel starts maturing and picking up on what an absolute shitfest moralton is. it's all ways of questioning the things he's been taught, and it makes sense that it would lead to a bigger questioning as he puts those pieces together more. anyway i think part of his growth is weeding out all the lost commandments of his upbringing and focusing on what faith means to him, and what he thinks it should mean. how he wants to see the world and how he wants to treat people and what he thinks is okay and right, and looking to religion for guidance in that, not as like. a way to justify hurting those he's afraid or resentful of, as his role models did.

he's coming to his own conclusions rather than obediently, unquestioningly taking in what others say. but he's still listening to pick out the parts that make sense to him. (edit/note: and it's his compassion and his faith that are the primary motivations for this questioning and revisal process, both of individual cases and, eventually, the final boss that is christianity.) it makes perfect sense as the conclusion to his character arc and it fits the overall approach of the show far better. it's good is what i'm saying.

and i think it's important to show that kind of ending, because that's a pretty common and equally valid result of deconstruction. and i think it cements the show's treatment of christianity as something that's often (and maybe even easily) exploited, but not something inherently bad. something that can be very positive, even. guys he even has a dog he's not afraid of loving anymore. he's not afraid of loving anyone more than jesus and i don't think it's because he loves this dog less than bartholomew (though he was probably far more desperate for healthy affection and companionship when he was younger). i think it's because he figures god would want him to love that dog. he's choosing to believe that god would want him to love and to be happy and to be kind. he's not afraid of loving in the wrong way do you know how cool that is he's taking back control he's taking back something he loves from his abusers im so normal

[katz-chow]

Coming from puff puffs blog 🤧🤥 hope you don't mind 😝🙈🙉 ur also totally gaining a new follower..

WHAT ARE YOUR HEADCANONS ON SOAP? 🥰🥰🥰 unless you've already done this before then I am so sorry 😓

relationship with soap headcanons

warnings: sfw, fluff, some angst, relationship arguments, family trauma mentioned, religious trauma, homophobia, bad dad

a/n: my fav cod man is soap so this took my top priority!!! i think about this man a lot, 09 and reboot version. reboot is my fav though, realistically, he's who i would actually get with. here’s all the things i’ve thought about him, there’s probably more tbh… OK OK HERE :))

childhood hcs

johnny soap mactavish comes from a large family of 5 siblings, he's the second oldest. it's elsie, him, blair, callum, and olivia.

growing up in a family of mainly girls got him on that respect women juice. he would always have to make sure his younger siblings are ok and aren't you know, being bullied. his parents were adamant on 2 year age gaps between them all.

his cousin, jack, was an sas operator and that was what made him want to join. they had to call security forces to arrest him out at some point because he kept sneaking in to watch them do stuff lol

elsie left for uni with her bf to live in soho when johnny was 16, the same year he would talk to recruiters around his hometown, driving hours and then getting rejected the same day due to his age

9th grade (year 10) chemistry got him obsessed with stem and its *explosive* results. he aced chemistry and then took advanced chemistry and physics just because he loved it so much

after this, as soon as he turned 18, he went to sign his papers THEN graduated school (he's just like me fr). his mom was so worried for him, especially when her sister told her about the danger that jack would get himself into. in the end, he promised he'll always call her and his siblings

his dad's an ass, hes an alcoholic, a cheater, a *bitch*... he would always take the kids to church on sundays and twisted the religion into a reason for his behavior. claiming that johnny's mom being at home was just "their culture"

she makes a killer shepherd's pie though

always had had some sort of love-hate relationship with the catholic faith. on one hand, it was nice to know there's always at least someone watching out for him, but after hearing the constant belittlement from his father, claiming he wasn't "manly enough" for not willing to give his life up in the service, he started to resent the “all merciful”.

he ended up blaming god for all his faults, letting him take accountability. this especially happened when he got diagnosed with adhd when he was 17, his dad didn’t believe in mental health. his mom was only a bit better about it, they both refused meds for him.

he's bisexual, leans towards women though. found this out after a truth or dare game in junior year (year 12) and some beers in a closet

at one point, callum acccidently let it slip at dinner when johnny had first moved out that he had met a cute guy and their dad screamed and yelled at the whole family, especially their mom, about "raising a fucking whore of a son, dragging the family down to shite"

blair called and told johnny a few days later and johnny rushed his work as quickly as possible and begged his chain of command for a few days off to go back home to his family

his family gets loud…like really loud. there’s 7 people what do you expect?

it gets especially bad when it’s sunday morning and you gotta get 7 people awake and looking their church best for an hour and a half 😔

johnny is the quickest everything there is, which has its downsides too. he could run and swim the fastest in the family, but he was also the quickest eater…meaning he’s on dish washing duty. he’s quick at that too so by the time everyone’s finished, he’s washed all the other dishes that took to make dinner

broke his arm chasing a cat through someone’s yard (he was 14)

had a goat scream and kicked him because he wanted to give it a hug

he got a part time job at a local bakery in 10th grade (year 11). the pay wasn’t much but neither was the work really. olivia, who was 9 at the time, made him promise that he’ll get her a doll to have tea with. her tea set had 4 cups but only one of her, so she must get another one to join her! he kept his promise; he ended up getting three dolls for her

he can make amazing soda bread and brioche loafs now too, still keeps a starter from the owner of the bakery to this day

he had a mountain bicycle that he would take everywhere. had room behind his seat for packages and his backpack, which he would tie down. that thing had such a loud bell too, would ring constantly to “let people know hes coming and get ready”

was terrified of selkies for some reason, always had the window closed and made callum sleep by it while he slept by the door

wasn’t much of a troublemaker, but would get into trouble with his adventurous heart.

got lost in the woods once and after a while of fake courage, he sat down and cried until elsie found him. he was 20 yards (13 meters) away from the clearing 😭😭

laugh at that guys, mf was 15

personality & relationship hcs

johnny is such a fun lover. he’s handsome yeah, but what makes ppl flaunt over him is his humor. he’s what jessica rabbit said “he makes me laugh”

such a charismatic and charming person, gets it from his dad. he could talk about just about anything, also the type to strike up a conversation with a stranger at the grocery store. then end up with their number and a date or helping them dog sit

this isn’t always a good thing though, one time before he was medicated, he would talk on and on, his story becoming incoherent due to the amount of self-interruptions he made, that a group of guys got so annoyed at that pub, they punched him.

he was young, 19, and couldn’t fight, so he didn’t win and came back to the barracks with a nasty black eye

he likes to be the big spoon, has to hold something in order to sleep

feel like he’s the type to wrap his arms around a pillow and lay on his stomach to sleep

speaking of sleeping, he HATES sleeping with socks on. he tried it one day and he just shivered at the feel of it, woke up and his socks were missing (he found them under the bed)

i also feel like he sleeps like a log, unmoving once he finds his comfort, i also think it's because he had to sleep in the same bed as his siblings at one point and he didn't want to wake them by moving, so he got accustomed to being a still sleeper

one time he accidentally got into a fight at a bar when a guy kept being misogynistic and was arrested and kept in jail for the whole night until one of his civilian friends bailed him out

johnny's the type to race you in the rain to the car. again, he's quick so he's always ahead of you but then he slips from the rain and ends up all wet and muddy and in the car.

his favorite thing to do is hear you laugh. he'll do anything to hear you laugh.

whenever you're sad, he'll purposely stub his toe or trip down the stairs or make you kiss his "owie" (a papercut) to get you to cheer up. like yeah it hurts like a fucking bitch but seeing you sad hurts more than a silly tumble

number one date event is city exploring and hopping. like cafe hopping, pub hopping, museum hopping, restaurant hopping, anything that makes you get up and get going with time to sit and chill at the same time.

feels like he can eat a lot, he's the type to eat your food if you end up not liking it or being too full

when he gets home from missions and the initial excitement of seeing you dies down, he also dies down and nap for hours until it's the middle of the night and he gets up to eat something.

he loves naps. feels like he needs a nap time every day if it was possible

he's a very kind lover, he's easy going so its not hard that sometimes people take advantage of this and push his buttons until he can't take it anymore

causes a huge blowup because he can have a nasty temper whenever he bottles stuff up and pushes things aside

not a physical manifestation of anger, but definitely a verbal anger, will say things he doesn't really mean just to say it and realize right after the words leave his lips that he fucked up

but he'll stake out in front of the guest bedroom in which you've locked yourself in until you come out and he gets the chance to forgive you

the type to stand in the rain and hold a sign saying sorry right outside your window, a very cheesy romcom style (gaz made him watch them)

he loves you more than anything and loves you even more than you can keep up with him and laugh at his jokes, no matter how awful they are

he wants 4 kids by the way

[m1d-45]

remorse

-> warnings: spoilers for kazuha story quest as well as general kazuha lore, kazuha’s friend is named tomo for convenience, mention of blood near the end, kazuha attacks you but it’s a brief memory, standard issue imposter sagau things

-> lowercase intended!

tomo was an avid believer in the creator.

most people are to an extent, kazuha included, but it’s more of a soft reverence for him rather than the burning devotion for tomo, whose belief is that the creator didn’t make inazuma for it to be hidden! they didn’t make the shogun for her to do this to her nation!

that combined with his other beliefs sent him to face her. ever a man of faith, he held firm that he was doing the right thing. even as his body fell to the floor and his vision flew into the awaiting grasp of his friend, his heart stood strong.

kazuha carries that faith with his memory, and does his best to honor it just as well. if he finds a pretty flower he’ll drop it at a shrine, always murmuring his friend’s name as he does so. he doesn’t hold you to as high a bar as other do, as high as tomo did, but it’s hard not to be religious in teyvat, where the gods literally walk the earth. he settles for a quiet reverence, and perhaps a prayer that his friend may find peace at your side when the storm winds howl and lightning strikes close.

and then beidou.

who thanks you daily for calm seas, for large hauls, thanks for the life created for her anew.

and he thinks. and thinks a bit more, and decides that well, his life has been remade too, hasn’t it? and like beidou says, he’s a poet, he’s been gifted with a form of creation, hasn’t he? so he starts leaving more than a few folded poems at the on-ship shrine—it’s kept in the back, a little tucked away both for safety and in case the crew has problems with religion or just doesn’t follow, but that just makes it all the easier to slip things onto it.

and he thinks that maybe tomo had the right idea.

so when he hears of an impersonator, somebody who utilizes both magic and their mind to take the place of the highest of gods…. he’s more than upset.

how dare you? how dare you try to take the place of his god- if the entire of teyvat’s god? how dare you try and swindle your way to the top, try to trick and scheme and deceive the innocent beleivers into serving you instead of the creator you fail to even imitate? he hasn’t even met you and he knows that you’re a stale copy, a fragile semblance even with your spells and alchemy, a careful house of cards that he longs to topple.

the alcor is docked in liyue, waiting for a shipment. he’s sitting on an empty crate while beidou leans on it, groaning about the merchant.

”come on! we’re gonna be late, and he had a week to prepare! who is this guy, even, thinking he can do shit like that?”

he’s about to speak—likely to admonish her for swearing when there’s children playing along the docks—when he spots you approaching. you have messy, shaggy hair and a face covered by a blue mask, dressed oddly for somebody in liyue. he doesn’t spot either vision nor weapon on you, but it’s hard to tell. at the very least, you don’t look hostile.

he decides not to get beidous attention, letting you do so as you walk up to her.

“pardon me?”

your voice is rough and coarse, like ore dragged into the light of the sun after growing underground for millennia.

she looks you up and down, deciding that you aren’t the merchant she needs. “what can i do for ya?”

“i w-as told you could provide passage to inazuma?”

she tilts her head. “huh? but the saokoku decree was lifted recently, there should be proper passenger boats leaving every hour.”

you swallow, and kazuha listens to the wind around you.

it’s afraid. apprehensive. tense, like you expect them to turn you down.

which he’s pretty sure beidou’s about to if you can’t save this.

“theyre full, and i heard you were leaving immediately. and besides, everybody knows the alcor’s one of the fastest boats on the waves.”

ah. you’re smart.

beidou laughs. “you’re right about that, kid, we certainly can get you there the fastest! but it ain’t gonna be cheap…”

you brightened, standing a little straighter. the wind lifted into a gentle breeze. “i have mora! na-ame your price.”

while they sorted that out, kazuha inspected your odd character. your voice was rough, strained over certain syllables, and occasionally you’d scratch at the side of your neck. he’d initially assumed that the mask was for anonymity, like shinobu from the arataki clan, but now he thinks it’s more for an illness.

one that could spread throughout the crew.

“well, you’ve got yourself a deal! any problems?” she turned back to kazuha for his verdict, and he checked over you once more.

dirt on your boots, but hands in the pockets of your jacket. you were more relaxed now, the air speaking of possibility.

“you sound sick,” he says simply, and your eyes widen.

“a-ah, i- it’s just disuse. i d-ont really talk often.” the mask lifted in a weak smile, your hand coming up again. the skin there was quickly turning red.

“then if there’s nothing else, welcome aboard, uh- whats your name, again?”

you give a name and dip your head in thanks. “thank you for your k-indness.”

kazuha took up the task of showing you around the boat, for no reason he could explain. you were nice to talk to, funny, and your voice was smooth after youd taken some of the medicine you carried.

you were easy to be around. it was like reuniting with a friend he hadn’t seen in years, an indescribable sense of comfort filling him at your side. you felt like home, like campfire chats around crackling wood, or the soft sound of waves on a shore. a clear sky, a cool breeze over a sun-warmed rock.

he was almost- no, he was sad to see you off, waving goodbye as you rushed onto the docks of ritou.

you would go far. whatever you wanted to do, kazuha was sure you would succeed, and extended you his blessings in your endeavors.

now imagine his reaction when, after settling the deal, beidou brings him a flyer. her jaw is set and her shoulders are tight, and he’s quick to see what irritated her.

it’s you.

the flyer has your posture more intimidating, a long staff in hand, eyes cold and calculated instead of the warm glow he remembered.

but it’s you. undoubtedly. even your picture tries to pull a smile from him- and then he sees the charges below.

and he wants to shiver despite the comfortable air.

how?

how can this be?

how can such a kind soul be so deceptive?

but isn’t that the thing? it says you utilize spellwork- that has to be it, right?

(but how can the wind lie?)

he leaps from the side of the alcor, barely able to tell beidou not to wait for him before he’s gone.

he’s in a confused daze for the next few weeks, constantly on your trail- but the wind guides him in loops.

you’re everywhere.

your aura is permanently in the air, giving him a shot of nothing short of pure bliss before he gets his wits about him.

he’s almost afraid, because the wind doesn’t lie- but it has to be, because you can’t enchant the air- but that’s the only way-

his mind is confused, constantly in a state of conflict, his instincts saying you’re a friend while rational thinking says youre foe. his heart calls for your safety whilst the careful shell around it reminds him of your crimes. of the way you’ve tarnished his god’s name, of the way you’ve disrespected captain beidou and her crew, of the way you took advantage of kindness to serve yourself.

of the way you took advantage of people like tomo.

he’s on a beach, preparing up some fish for dinner in a cave, when the wind suddenly smells sweeter.

it’s the scent he’s been following.

he stands and rushes onto the shore, unsure why he’s not reaching for his blade but not thinking too much about it, looking around. sand slides beneath his feet as he races towards a familiar figure: you.

you—his mind supplies him with the name you gave, but is it even yours? or was it just another layer to the lie?—jump as he approaches, but quickly relax. you slip down the mask to sip at the medicine the same shade as the sky, smiling at him.

“kazuha.”

his skin prickles, suddenly feeling hot just at the way you say his name. it’s so kind, so loving, almost, and any response flies from his mind. it’s so hard to be mad when your voice sounds like silk and the light…

the sun shines on your skin, nearly glowing, outlining every curve and angle of you and with a gentle hand. if you catch the light just right he can catch lines of something yellowed across your skin. it’s odd, he didn’t remember that on the… boat…

the flyer.

right.

you were a criminal.

a criminal of the worst kind.

a fraud, somebody who tried to take advantage of the people, using spells to try and garner attention and wealth from people-

people like tomo.

he grit his teeth and ignored the stab of pain in his chest as he drew his sword.

instantly, every ounce of happiness drains from your figure, replaced by an ice-cold tension that makes him want to shiver despite the warm breeze. “ka..zu…?”

the nickname falling from your lips begs him to reconsider, to stop.

its his last chance to.

“how dare you disgrace the kaedehara name?”

your eyes turn glossy and you back away, shrinking in on yourself. a choked-off sound crosses the short distance between them, and kazuha forced himself to ignore it.

you are not an innocent. the beautiful sunlight across your skin did not mean that you yourself were as good as it, the lovely scenery around you no indication of whatever rot lied in your soul; something that had to be there, for you to try and imitate the creator.

and it was rot. you were rotten, bitter, deceitful, using the magic you’d have to have bought—for no being could grant somebody like you that power—to try and warp mildew into meadows. he had to remember that.

he was being charmed.

and then he’s in liyue.

he’s going to a meeting with ningguang with beidou, where the news is broken.

the normally ever-steady tianquan looks shaken up, asking beidou first for her promise to utilize her crew and connections to spread what she’s about to say as far across liyue as she can.

and then she says it.

and kazuha leaves.

he’s in the crows nest of the alcor—it hasn’t left the harbor in months due to the awful storms over teyvat and the cruel waves—and curled into a ball, hands tangled into his white hair, undoing his ponytail in the process.

he tried to kill you.

he’d had you pinned to the beach- you didn’t even fight back. you’d just laid there, tears beading in your eyes, just staring up at him even as his sword was resting in the hollow of your throat.

he’d-

he’d nearly drawn blood.

he’d almost killed the very god he worshipped.

the shining light in his best friend’s life, the new beginning he’d found alongside his new home with the crux, the-

the flush across his skin whenever you were close, that sense of calm and serenity- of course. it all made sense, now that he put aside his blade.

you were a god.

his god.

and he’d tried to kill you.

he tries to soothe himself—you’re okay, you didn’t hurt them too bad, did you? imagine how the killer feels—but it’s in vain. the very wind turns against him, biting and cold despite the warm sun, and he’s shivering.

shaking, about to cry, because you… you were only seeking a new opportunity. you wanted another chance. you just wanted to live- ningguang had said your memory was likely damaged if even there at all, you didn’t even know you were a god at all. you didn’t even understand the nature of your sins, you didn’t understand the world you were in in any form, you didn’t understand why you were being chased, persecuted, hunted.

and kazuha, alongside the entire world, had decided that was a crime punishable by death.

[secular-jew]

Far-leftists are pitching about "zionists" being colonizer and genocidal. Meanwhile, Arabic conquered the entire MENA, eradicated entire ethnicities, and forced other ethnicities to take in their religion, languages, and cultures. Far-leftists said this is only in the past, yet many Arabic still committed genocide contemporarily like the Darfur and Yazidi, and Ba'athism is just an Arabic version of Nazism

100% true. The Caliphate (although not entirely unified) is alive and well, and waging demographic jihad, which is painstakingly playing out across the world. Islam, the devil's cult, is the fastest growing (so-called) religion on the planet and will surpass Christianity (in terms of numbers). Christianity is another proselytizing religion, fraught with deceit and a wildly supremacist history - which for 2 thousand years, also took no prisoners (and murdered millions of Jews in the process) as it spread, by force, throughout the world.

[cbs-scorpion-coffee-shop]

Your iteration of Jesus is complete fanfic ripped off from the bible and you reduce him to a hype man for your favorite rapist. He wouldn't support your pedophile prophet who married 6 year old Aisha and raped her when she was 9. Also Muhammad was white (not in ethnicity, but in skin tone, with auburn beard and marshmellow in his hair, and liked white/lighter skinned women and girls.) That rapist, pillaging, murderer could never be a true prophet, Allah is his Original Character. He is in hell like his mother and his father. POLICE BE UPON HIM, Ham lalala

The story of how prophet Mohammad PBUH got the Qur'an is literally told in detail in the bible.

The sayings about him and Aisha are baseless sayings with no real evidence. All we know is that he didn't marry her at an alarmingly young age, because if he did then all his enemies would attack him for it the way you are now.

He is because that's the color of the people in the area he lives in. Same way Jesus PBUH is light brown because that's the color of the people in the area he lives in.

If he was just some murderer/warmonger then his religion wouldn't be the fastest growing one. 2 billion people wouldn't be muslim. One in every four people wouldn't be on his religion.

"Allah" is the word for God or Deity in all the Semitic languages including Aramaic (The language Jesus PBUH spoke)

You've spoken of Jesus multiple times yet not once did you say PBUH or give him a shred of the respect he deserves. Seems to me you just enjoy hating Islam because you were taught so from youth.

Sheeesh. Seems like hate speech is always wrong until it's about Muslims.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that Palestine will be free in case you're a zionist or something.

[mariacallous]

Editor's note: This is an adapted excerpt from “The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion,” which will be published by New York University Press in August 2024. Data cited in this article is from the cumulative file of the 1972-2022 General Social Survey.

In recent decades, we have witnessed major structural transformations and cultural developments that have profoundly impacted the Black Church, and these changes have strongly influenced political attitudes and political affiliations among African Americans. Today’s Black Church is primarily comprised of four traditions: Baptists, Methodists, Holiness/Pentecostals, and non-denominational Protestants. Some quick religious history and demographic information sets the tone for understanding changing politics among African Americans; the former traditions were established more than a century ago, while non-denominationals (i.e., nondenoms) were nearly nonexistent but have multiplied their flock several times over since the late 1980s.

Data from the 1972-2022 General Social Survey (GSS) indicates that Baptists comprise the largest Christian tradition in Black America by far at 43%, and they along with Methodists (five percent) help to comprise the “mainline” branch of the Black Church’s denominational family tree. Conversely, Holiness/Pentecostals (six percent) and nondenoms (12%) comprise the “evangelical” branch of the tree. It’s also worth mentioning that the percentage of religious nonaffiliates (or African Americans who do not claim to follow any particular faith) has sharply risen to 20%. In today’s world, religious “nones” are now the second largest religious classification of Black America, and it continues to grow as mainliners (in particular) lose members.

African American political alignments have changed along with their religious affiliations, and this helps to explain a burgeoning diversity within Black America. Black America is not the political monolith that many people inaccurately believe that it is. For example, recent GSS data shows that there has been a double-digit decline—by as much as 43%—in the percentage of self-described political “liberals” among Baptists, Holiness/Pentecostals, nondenoms, and religious nonaffiliates. Most of these ideological switchers now describe themselves as political “moderates.” Furthermore, there has been a double-digit increase in the percentage of African Americans who claim to be political “conservatives” among nondenoms, Black followers of historically white evangelical traditions, Catholics, and religious “nones.” Indeed, only 13% of Black nondenoms claimed to be politically “conservative” in the early 1980s. However, at least 25% do so today, and there is no reason to believe that this slow but steady trend will reverse course any time soon due to changing ideological alignments among African Americans overall.

A driving assumption in the study of U.S. politics is that African Americans overwhelmingly identify as Democrats and consistently vote for Democratic candidates when exercising their right to vote. However, these expectations—like those for Blacks’ political ideologies—can no longer be accepted at face value. It is true that nearly 70% of African Americans across most religious classifications align themselves with the Democratic Party. However, there are some notable exceptions. No less than 77% of Methodists and 74% of Baptists think of themselves as “Democrats,” while only 60% of nondenominational Protestants do so. Moreover, one-third of nondenoms view themselves as “independents,” while more than half of religious nonaffiliates do so. These latter findings are especially important considering that nondenoms and “nones” are the two fastest-growing religious categories among African Americans in the post-Civil Rights era.

To be sure, the strength of African Americans’ affiliation with the Democratic Party has substantially weakened over the decades. In the early 1970s, 78% of Baptists viewed themselves as Democrats. However, only 68% do so now. Nondenoms and Catholics also experienced double-digit declines in alignments with the Democratic Party, while Holiness/Pentecostals, Baptists, and “nones” experienced double-digit increases among members who view themselves as independents. Although a whopping 90% of Methodists affiliate with the Democratic Party today, only 43% of religious nonaffiliates do so. This is by far the lowest percentage for any religious classification in Black America.

It is important to note that while many African Americans are moving away from the Democratic Party, they are not moving towards the Republican Party in any meaningful way. The percentage of Black Catholics who view themselves as Republicans increased by nine percent, while nondenoms and “nones” respectively increased by four percent and three percent. A multifaceted explanation for this boils down to the fact that many African Americans still don’t “trust” the Republican Party to address persistent racial discrimination and inequality. Nevertheless, Blacks’ commitment to social conservativism on various issues (such as homosexuality, for example) remains resolute, and affluent African Americans increasingly believe that they personally stand to benefit from conservative Republicans’ attention to lower taxes and other financial incentives that enhance their earning power. Thus, there is strong reason to believe that Black support for the Republican Party could expand with the passage of time.

What does all of this mean for the upcoming 2024 presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump? In short, we cannot presume that the Black vote will automatically go to President Biden. In an election that will likely be decided at the margins, Biden will have to work to garner segments of the Black vote—particularly nondenominational Protestants and religious nonaffiliates. For instance, (1) Baptists and Methodists are statistically more likely to vote in presidential elections, and when they do vote, they do so overwhelmingly for Democrats. This is primarily because clergy within these mainline denominations led the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s (remember, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was Baptist). However, (2) nondenominational Protestants are significantly less likely to vote for Democratic candidates than Baptists and Methodists and are twice as likely to vote for Republicans. And finally, (3) while religious “nones” tend to vote for Democrats, they don’t turn out to vote nearly as consistently as Baptists and Methodists. Thus, if the Democratic Party wants to garner the support of these different blocs in Black America, it must figure out a way to bridge a gap between believers who comprise the backbone of the Black vote and nonaffiliates who require an additional layer of motivation to cast their vote since they consider themselves to be “independents.”

So, while President Biden has some work to do, there is room for former President Trump to make gains among the fastest-growing Christian tradition within the contemporary Black Church—those nondenominational Protestant voters who identify as “conservative” and/or might vote for Republicans on the basis of their privileged pocketbook rather than what could seemingly be beneficial for Blacks in general. Trump must also hope that the “nones” sit out this election cycle.

[djuvlipen]

Religion, Roma and Misogyny

So I've been meaning to make a post on Roma and religion but I don't know how to properly put my thoughts into words. But basically:

The Evangelical Christian faith is the fastest growing religious movement among Roma

Nowadays, about a third of European Roma are Evangelical Christians (x)

The movement is particularly popular in Spain and in France (x, x), but also in the UK (x,x) and in the Balkan (x, x)

Evangelical missionaries convert Roma by spreading lies about our origin. A common talking point is that Roma actually don't come from India but from Israel. That kind of misinformation is pretty bad because Roma should be aware of our actual history if we want to fight for our rights and for properly educating our children about our past. This talking point also often comes accompanied with anti-Indian racism and anti-Palestinian racism. It also leads to images like these, which are not statements of solidarity but rather, an attempt at blurring Romani identity and conceiling our true origins:

Evangelical missionaries are one of the leading causes of the disappearance of traditional Romani beliefs and cultural practices: fortune telling, saints worship (including the worship of Saint Sara e Kali, a protective figure whose worship among Roma can be traced back to the year 1000, when we left India)

Evangelical missionaries are not only setting back Romani rights by promoting cultural assimilation, they are also actively spreading homophobia and misogyny among Romani communities...

which is clearly bad considering LGB Roma and Romani women are already treated so bad in the community

Here is a list of things I have personally heard or read from Romani evangelical (straight) men:

Homosexuality is an abomination and homosexual Roma should be stoned to death

No self respecting Romani person can be homosexual, if you are both Romani and gay you have to be thrown out of your community

Self respecting Romani girls and women can't wear skirts or shorts or show their knees

Romani girls and women shouldn't be allowed to wear swimsuits in front of men, including in front of their brothers, father and grandfather, lest they be labelled "whores"

Romani women should listen to their husbands and not take decisions. They should cook for their husband, clean for their husband, and remain in the household while their Romani husband works

If you are a Romani woman or an LGB Roma and you want to assert your rights, then you're not really Romani, you are actually white or you have been corrupted by white culture. No Romani woman or LGB would be so assertive or stand up for themself

Here is a list of behaviour and events I have personally seen and witnessed from Evangelical Roma:

An effeminate Romani traveler (male teenager) was making tiktoks about his life as a Romani traveler, pretty casual and chill videos. His comment section got flooded by comments from Evangelical Roma saying: if I were your mother I would be ashamed; if I were your dad I would beat you up so badly; your parents should throw you out; your behaviour is so shameful, I'm ashamed by the youngest generations of Roma. They also spammed homophobic slurs in Sinti language and in my country's official language. Please note that there was no indication this teenager was homosexual, he just had an effeminate voice and mannerisms.

Last summer, a young gitana (Spanish Romani) woman posted a tiktok in which she was wearing a bikini. She was harassed by young Romani men for a week, calling her a whore, a slut, and shameful. They said her father and brother must be feeling so ashamed by her behaviour. That woman eventually made a tiktok defending her right to wear a bikini because she was still unmarried, thus implicitly conceding that a married Romani woman should cover herself.

An old Sinti woman and Holocaust survivor was testifying about her time in Auschwitz. She described the behaviour of some of the Sinti women she was sharing her barrack with. She said some of them had lesbian relationships. She then said, "that behaviour was so disgusting, and is not something we do in Sinti culture. If us, Sinti, ever catch one of our women doing this, we would rightfully beat her up. These people should be lynched and dealt with". That woman became an Evangelical after the Holocaust and said that God helped her and our people survived the genocide.

TL;Dr, I hate Evangelical Christians. They are homophobes and misogynists that make the lives of Romani women and LGB even harder. They are advocating for restricting Romani women's rights and for the murder of LGB Roma. This is happening all over Europe – including in Western Europe, where it is supposedly soooo easy to be gay or a woman. The Evangelical faith is a disaster for us. Yet it is one of the most widespread religion among Roma, and no one knows it because it's barely documented or covered by media. You can't support Romani women's and LGB rights if you support religion, and the evangelical one first and foremost

[xgenesisrei]

D' Pope, K. Barth, & an Ojibwa Chieftain

Pope Francis was on top of the headlines the past days due to this controversial remark he made in his visit to Singapore.

Social media erupted with a loud chorus of 'heresy!' especially from the more conservative wing of Christianity as an expression of their deep cause of concern (or disagreement) with the Pope's perspective. In fairness, the pope didn't specify whether the paths he has in mind are humanity's best attempts to make sense of God or was it paths that are of divine origin (the technical term in theology is God's own self-revelation). That is a critical point to consider in the debate about exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism.

A more interesting possible response to what the Pope said can be found in this anecdote:

Karl Barth was lecturing to a group of students at Princeton. One student asked the German theologian "Sir, don’t you think that God has revealed himself in other religions and not only in Christianity?" Barth’s answer stunned the crowd. With a modest thunder he answered, "No, God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. He has revealed himself in His Son."

Yes, Jesus is God's most vivid expression of who He is and what He is like as per the testimony of the Christian Scriptures:

“Jesus is the image of the invisible God...” -Colossians 1:15 (NCV)

“The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like.” -Hebrews 1:3 (NCV)

Still yet, one has to ask the ways Jesus has manifested himself and continues to do so in other peopleS, other places, and peculiar points of contact? Consider for example the numerous stories of supernatural encounters with Jesus which serves as the bedrock of why Iran today has one of the fastest growing number of Christians despite a strict ban to proliferation and display of the Bible.

Pushing the envelope further, what is more interesting for me is how Barth's pointed remark can be taken even further in the realm of decolonial theologizing. Consider for example another story, one retold by Randy Woodley, an indigenous Cherokee theologian, about a conversation he had with much respected elder from the Ojibwa tribe:

“You know, my uncle told me to 'never disrespect Jesus, because Jesus is a great spirit and I talk to him.' And he would go on and he’d tell us more and more, and then he would say this thing about his uncle again... We sat there for maybe two hours, and at least six or seven times he said this thing about his uncle and respecting Jesus. Then at one point he said, “My uncle trained most of the spiritual leaders around this area. He lived to be over a hundred years old, and my uncle would tell me all these stories about Jesus. So I asked my uncle one time, I said, ‘Uncle, how do you know all this about Jesus? Did you go to residential school?’ He said, ‘Oh no! No! I never did that.’ Then I asked him, ‘Did the priest teach you?’ And he says, ‘No, I have never been to church.’ Then I said, ‘But you tell me all the stuff about Jesus. Have you been reading the Bible?’ My uncle said, ‘No, just remember what I told you in the past: don’t disrespect Jesus ’cause he’s a great spirit, and I talk to him.’ I said to my uncle, ‘Well yeah, you talk to him, but how do you know all these things he’s done?’ You know my uncle looked at me so quizzically, and then he said, ‘Well, when I talk to him, of course he talks back.’ And then the elder said, ‘I’m going to pray for you now,’ and then our time was over.” ...If you understood the story I just told about the visit with this elder, you understand my message, because it holds the core of it."*

What is clear here is that those who have no idea about how these points of 'contact' can transpire are better off taking a listening and learning posture rather than a judging and dismissive stance.

-Rants by Rei Lemuel Crizaldo (September 16, 2024)

*Note: quoted from R. Woodley, Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview (Baker, 2022)

[thekaykery]

Kooju

Ruler: Jeon Jeongguk

Crystal: Red Beryl

Capital: Beryle (Ber-rul-luh)

Society

Economy

Like Joonia, which is home to the dragons, Kooju is the realm of werewolves. Like wolves themselves, Kooju are independent and powerful. Though they may have a bad rep, they are not heathens. They are strong and fierce, cooperative and peaceful; even harmonious. Every wolf has a purpose: Protect, farm, harvest, and other roles. Koojun wolves are energetic and passionate lovers, and they are famous for their savagery in bed. This is why sex is not a taboo topic in Kooju. It is a concept often spoken about. Because of this, love houses sprang up. The most popular houses are in Beryle. Humans are an uncommon sight in Kooju. If there are any, they keep themselves hidden. They were the cause of the Cleansing, so the relationship between wolves and humans are tenuous at best.

Environment & Climate

Lumber is Kooju's main source of income. The three common woods exported to other countries are oak, pine, and cedar. In addition to wood, the forests of Kooju provide berries and a variety of prey. Livestock is not imported because of the wolves' ravenous appetites, but grain is due to the frozen ground. Saltwater and freshwater are additional sources of welcome, along with iron and steel from mines. The pelts from hunts are made into cloaks for warmth and are exported to Thysta as well.

Jeongguk as High Alpha

Sister land to Traetos, Kooju is the other most northern country in the Continent. Temperatures are just as cold – if not colder – which means frequent snowstorms and high winds. Ground and water are frozen all year round, and thanks to Joonian technology, electricity and greenhouses were built. Water towers were also constructed to keep water warm thanks to High Lord Taehyung's generosity. Like Traetos, Kooju sees the Deep Frost as well, so these water towers will be extremely helpful.

Background

As a young pup, Jeongguk lost his parents to an ambush. He was nowhere near being High Alpha at this point in time, so he was powerless against the attacking camp. Many lives were lost that day. Jeongguk had sworn himself that it would never happen again. He trained long and hard every single day, proving himself in fights, both professional and impromptu. He ascended the ranks in his pack quite quickly, and at the ripe age of 19, he claimed the spot of High Alpha. It was a ruthless skirmish, full of tooth and claw, but Jeongguk won. He has protected his role and his pack ever since. He claimed Beryle as his city, where he and his pack now live and thrive.

Personality

Despite being "young" according to the older wolves, Jeongguk is mature and firm. He does not tolerate insolence or unsolicited violence, which is often caused by younger males. Even without a mate, Jeongguk is protective of the females in his pack. Their pups are the future. One of them may even take his place someday. Being the High Alpha, Jeongguk is the strongest and the fastest. The largest too, in stature and girth. He is kind and seductive at the same time. His handsomeness often causes females to fall to their knees at the sight of him. He is stern when he needs to be, even deadly when it comes to the safety of the pack and his position. Jeongguk is also energetic and silly, still just a boy at heart who had to grow up too fast.

Hierarchy of the Pack

High Alpha

Alpha

Beta

Delta

Omega

Strongest branch of militia

Although the Continent is at peace, each country has prepared forces ready for battle. These forces are for external invasion rather than internal.

Kooju’s strongest branch is the armia (army). Werewolves are lethal and fierce, protective of their pack and land. They are confident of their combat abilities. There are stations spread across Kooju where patrols are held for the security of the country.

Religion

Koojun werewolves do not follow a deity. They believe themselves to be unworthy of such heavenly ideas. Humans, though sparse in Kooju, practice armina, along with catallia, lukana, ismala, and jedwa, much like the other humans in the Continent.

Important locations

Will be added

thekaykery © 2023

portrait done by @winterofherdiscontent

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: Atheists Day | Real Time with Bill Maher

New rule: You shouldn't be able to talk about DEI anymore in America - DEI, that's diversity, equity and inclusion - without including atheists.

Atheists. We're approaching a third of the population now, I shouldn't have to beg for this, for God's sake. it's outrageous there are this many of us and there are still zero representation in government

Congress has 535 members and only a handful will even sheepishly admit they're "religiously unaffiliated."

The Supreme Court is two Protestants, one Jew, and six people more Catholic than the Pope.

And even intellectual presidents like Obama who admit to being secular humanists have to pretend to be religious. No one has been able to admit their shameful secret: "I don't believe in ghosts."

Next Sunday is Easter, so enjoy. Enjoy, if that's your thing, bunny rabbits that shit eggs to celebrate the Son of God. Whatever floats your Ark.

But it's not fair that people who belong to one of the big religions, they all get this cosmic personal day, where the world revolves around them. I mean, here we are in the middle of the great egg shortage, and yet next Sunday we're going to take the few eggs we have and hide them in the yard?

There's also now a movement for schools to officially recognize Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and I'm all for it or anything that gets our fat kids to eat less.

But while approximately three million Americans celebrate Ramadan, 100 million say they have no religion at all. What the fuck? Where's our day?

Is that really so much to ask that this many people get one day a year when we recommit ourselves to observable reality? One day with no atonement, no corpse reanimation, no fasting, no tree in your house, no big rock to circle, no dirt on your forehead, no candles to light and, please God, no fruitcakes.

Just a yearly three-day weekend to celebrate your deeply held belief that with Monday off you can drink on Sunday night. And get to sleep in because there is no place to gather to affirm we all believe the same shit, we know what we believe and what we don't believe. We don't need to rub elbows with other people who don't believe it too.

And we don't need to commercialize our holiday like all the other religions do. Atheist Day is about not buying something. Like virgin birth. I'm not buying it.

We have the numbers. We can do this. The fastest growing religious group in the United States are nones. No not the kind who used to beat you with a ruler for being left-handed. I mean people who, when asked how much they want to be involved with a religion, say none.

The unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular, has risen from five percent in 1972, to 15 percent in 2005, to 32 percent today. You're welcome.

And lest you think it's only young educated white liberals, no. Just about everybody is losing their religion. Or as I call it, holy ghosting.

The average age of a none is 43. A third are people of color. A quarter voted for Trump. 70 percent don't have a four-year college degree. Millennials are the first generation that are less than a majority Christian. Their idea of hell is a coffee shop with no Wi-Fi.

When asked how often they go to church, 34 percent of younger Millennials answered "seldom/never" or "don't know." Don't know? Hey kids, going to church is like having an orgasm. If you didn't know you did, you didn't.

And that's another great thing about Atheist Day. You don't have to fake it. You don't even have to be an atheist to enjoy it, just like you don't have to be Christian to enjoy Christmas, I still love Christmas.

You don't have to be an atheist to celebrate Atheist Day. I'd like it to be the one day a year that the devout can get a little taste of what it's like to live your life without some mythical daddy figure judging and condemning you for being the exact person he made you.

Atheist Day should be a day for believers to stop and ask yourselves, why? Why? Why make up a being who's constantly disappointed in you? Yyou don't need it - you've got your wife. And your parents, your siblings, your co-workers, your trainer when you don't give a hundred and ten percent. There are plenty of people right here on Earth who will gladly make you feel like a lame, incompetent fuck up. Why make up one more? It's like adding an extra mother-in-law.

Why always be tormented? I better not make Baby Jesus cry. Why? Is he sitting behind you on a plane?

Wouldn't you like one day, one goddamn day in the year when, for 24 hours, you can tell your God to climb down off your ass? Because trying to please a man who's not there sets you up for a lifetime of misery. Just ask Tiffany Trump.

[sudexro]

lol I see you are anti islam. No wonder you get only 1 or 0 likes on your useless posts.

You must be crying in your pathetic corner to the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. I can't fathom why people in the world muster up so much hate against something people love.

Shame on you and may God deal with you accordingly.

But then ofc, low lives like you think I'm talking crap.

Bravo! I'm glad you've seen that! Well spotted! Anyway, I don't get the likes or dislikes in here as a few people are using this website, but hey, is good for coming up in searches. Never mind and don't worry about me, I'm an atheist & don't have the primate need of imaginary friends or barbaric cults let alone the one that's been made up by a criminal and a pedophile! PS: allah don't exist ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIaGWURONRU&t=18s&ab_channel=PatCondell

[cristellove4321]

Thought to share this little au I have.uwu, i have alot more au's, especially of star palace and welcome to dreamworld, but this one, well-

okie so this au is called the morning star palace au, or MSPC for short, I made this au cuz-, well-, one, I REALLY don't like how modern bad churchs (like the ones in stories and such) are always have to be positive activity and perfect, thus no sins and hense no flaws some how, two, this fandom, me and fry especially, N E E D S I T cuz ACK- :>, and three, churchs just looks hot.:>, so here's what i did-

I was raised to be Christian, so while I'm not completely Christian I still have knowledge from what I learned when growing up, graduated in a church from after my first year of first grade to the last year of high school, from a lil tradition during Halloween and easter my family and other familys do in Alabama.(yes I am from Alabama.:>), and from video games that involves churches somehow.:>

So, for mirage and ery actually references a roleplay i had with a friend, where ery is kept in a glass casket by mirage so that anyone meeting her won't break her.(in this au shes a porsaline puppet.), for them, mirage is the bible reader.(aka the person/robot that reminds others of what the bible says like as if it was a story.), their also still a story teller, but they read church story's you'll normally find in the library sometimes.(needless to say they like that more and the most is they'll do is give "or yeet" a bible at zavy to get to it.uwu)

for zavy, hes the priest hes-, pratically himself.(frazzybear im looking at you-), and well, we heard basically it all by now, the priest performs the Sacraments Eucharist, Reconciliation, Baptism, Funerals, Marriages, Sacrament of the Sick and spreads/proclaim the word of god, I believe the most he would like to do was to help or physically be near someone as much as possible due to his original coding, so for the "Sacrament of the Sick" may be his favorite, cuz it takes the priest to put a lil oil on the sick/ill, in order to fight off whatever sickness they may have (idk me either-) and take care of them, hense he'll be there for a person 24/7 until their better.

for fairy floss is a nun of the church, besides cricket and doc, she's the only nun there, like them she does the same thing, spend an hour and a half daily in mental prayer, do spiritual reading for at least a half hour a day, observe silence except during Recreation which is after dinner and supper and engage in a variety of work maintenance of the monastery, gardening, correspondence, art work, computer projects, kitchen and sacristy work, needlework, and crafts.(im literally looking the rest of the details up at this damn point.:>), She does all that, but except the part where it means "lights out" aka sleep, she charges like zavy and mirage, but the three of them gets up when zavy gets up due to the one being the fastest to charge, they begin being themselves when its night time, due to it being the only time they can be themselves without being yelled at (mainly by doc like in the og star palace story/audio book), these three and every other character has at least one sin from the 7 deadly and more well known ones.(hence why it's called "Morning star" palace church au, cuz that star is indeed part of the sign of jesus's birth and hense the birth of Christmas, Hanukkah and so forth.(the robots, like their language translations, their programed to learn every religion in the world but mainly the USA so it won't overload them), but the morning star is also by a sword that was made in heaven but was sent down to hell with a certaint someone took.(if you called Lucifer than your right as hell.>:3), and before anyone else asks, yes their sexualities are the same as their original counterparts.:3

this is an ask blog so you can ask the characters questions and I'll try to answer in character as best as my dumbass can, either on bid post here or on the ask questions button everyone has on here.uwu

Hope everyone has a good day and a summer!!! ^^

[bloodymarls]

˙    ⭐  profile .

BIRTH NAME :  marlene louise mckinnon.

ALIAS  /  NICKNAME :  marls, louis.

TITLES :  the shooting star.

AGE :  20.

DATE  OF  BIRTH : 5/8/60.

PLACE OF BIRTH :  cork.

BLOOD STATUS : pureblood.

RESIDENCE :  london.

EDUCATION :  graduated from hogwarts (gryffindor, quidditch team).

OCCUPATION :  beater for the montrose magpies.

SIDED : order of the phoenix.

˙    ⭐  personal details .

GENDER :   cis woman.

RELIGION :  none.

SEXUALITY :  lesbian.

FACECLAIM :  sophie thatcher.

POSITIVE  TRAITS :  passionate, free spirited.

NEGATIVE TRAITS :  stubborn, confrontational.

HOBBIES :  she plays the electric guitar and will not hesitate before saying “i’m totally writing you a song right now” but it won’t be a song at all, it’ll be a shitty guitar riff. 

INSPIRATIONS :  katniss everdeen, nana osaki, robin buckley. 

----     CHILDHOOD     ,    oh, i don’t wanna grow up, wish i’ve never grown up    .

A tiny little storm with feet, Mckinnon learned to fly before she even learned to crawl. Unstoppable, there was little she couldn’t do, fiercely against her afflictions and defensively fiery, — a trait inherited from her older brothers —, she had her eyes on the prize right from the womb.

The prize? The Quidditch World Cup hanging in her living room just like a deer in a hunter’s nest. She was, afterall, her clan’s best flyer. Strongest climber. Fastest thinker— Oh, no. That was Myles… But still! She was the best thing to hit a quidditch court since Eunice Murray!

She was the man.

And she was about to prove it to everyone.

----     TEEN YEARS     ,    ‘cause if i was the man then i’d be the man    .

It took her just a few years to rise through the ranks of the infamous Gryffindor team, becoming a star player in the blink of an eye. But it took her way less to get herself a nemesis.

Dorcas Meadowes. Beater for the Slytherin team. The creator of all evil. The demon whisperer. The prettiest gi— Nope, none of that. Whatever Dorcas was, she gave Marlene the focus she needed to be stronger. More motivated. Ready to do whatever it took. So that she did. She woke up at five to train. She broke rules. She found loopholes. She became more aggressive. She begged and stole to win a place at the podium.

And when Gryffindor won the ‘78 cup she got her girl, too.

----     CURRENT YEARS     ,    somewhere in the haze got a sense i’ve been betrayed   .

Once school was over and threats started running out of the woods towards everything she had ever held dear, Marlene was forced to work double.

During daylight she was a celebrity the youngest beater for the Magpies in a good while, the face of a new revolution of quidditch. Meanwhile, when the moon came to visit, she was a jack of all trades for the Order of the Phoenix.

And in the odd hours, she was a loving fiance to a woman she once despised.

With no time to smell the roses, it wasn’t surprising she wouldn’t realise they had rotten long ago. 

It took her so long to see the mark in Dorcas’ arm that when it hit, it struck lightning. There was nothing that could savage them, not promises, not sweet words, not what they used to have. When it came down to it, she wouldn’t betray her cause. She would not betray herself. Not even for the one she loved since the first time she laid eyes upon her.

The hit came right after she left Meadowes, straight for the house she grew up in. At the end of it, no one could be saved. Not the quick-minded Myles. Not her favourite older sister. Not her baby brother, who was so excited for quidditch try-outs next fall.

There was nothing she could do. No one she could turn to. And there was nothing she wanted more than to go back and choose to never join that cursed Gryffindor team.

[swaggypsyduck]

I wonder if people much like that anon who thought it was okay to shame Hakim for his past mistakes and call him a bad Muslim. I hope they realize judgement is a sin too

yah as a mutual @brazilnt said in the comments of that post the haram police are the biggest problems. they actually dont care about religion lol they just want the powertrip that they think comes w it.

i dont think any of them have read the ahadith of the prophet(pbuh) or his sahaba's teachings because they never acted like that. ever.

if they did act like the haram police, islam wouldn't be so wide spread or the fastest growing religion in the world despite all the bad media attention.

plus their policing is so conditional. ive seen ppl irl shame hijabis for wearing pants and in the same breath praise and*ew t*te for "reverting" even tho he continues to do all the haram things he used to do before.

i can go on forever on this topic but this post would be pages long lol😭😭