#obsequium

[twincaptains]

a scene from chapter 10 of my fic. after writing everyone being miserable for so long, i really fixated on this image and needed to make it real.

[somos-deseos]

[pinespinespines]

my favorite scene from Obsequium Ch 13. by @twincaptains

[basementbugnest]

ayo, are you available to beta read chapter 13 of Obsequium for me? i have a beta reader, but they already know way too much about what comes next to be able to look at this chapter objectively. i need someone in the audience at large to look at it and tell me whether or not it fits.

i should be finishing a very rough first pass today or tomorrow. fair warning, this one's gonna be a doozy ... but my hope is that it's worth it. if not, i want to be able to rework it into something that flows a lot better.

hope your 2025 is starting out on a good foot!

-tc

I’d be more than happy to—just DM me here on Tumblr. And likewise on wishing you a good 2025!

[v1ktim]

OBSCURA: Trailer Analysis

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

In the trailer/video that goes with Chapter One of OBSCURA (Here. Watch it on your own, sub to Rotten Raccons) is PACKED with details and all sorts of information. Let's start with the first thing we see when the video starts.

Cirrus:

This is a snippet of Cirrus' CG in game with some things added. The text in the top left is what we're interested in. "18. presbyter//ecclesia lunaris" What does the number mean? Well if we take it in terms of Major Arcana for Tarot cards. the moon in number 18.(XVIII) Fitting for the lunar priest, but the deeper meaning also fits. Usually meaning hidden danger or enemies, deception to darker forces at play. Then we have the Latin. If we take the dashes and an indication of a break, then the translation is roughly "Preist// height of the moon" But if we take it as one sentence it translates to "Priest of the Lunar Church" Keir:

Again, staring with the number. 20 (XX) is Judgement. I find this fascinating. With obvious associations to justice, scales, balance etc it;s an interesting connection that I wouldn't have originally thought of to Keir but it fits well. The card itself means reflection, reckoning and awakening. Usually taking a look at oneself to see where an imbalance lies so you can fix it and move forwards while reversed can mean a lack of self-awareness, doubt and self-loathing. (yikes) The latin here is interesting too. Instead of having the dashes like everyone else, he had the latin next to the number and then a separate, less visible one at the bottom center of the screen. "Cavilator Fur" translates to "Scornful thief" and the dimmer, less noticeable word is "Cultelluss" or "knife" and it's pointing to where his dagger in on his belt.

Oleander:

The Number 11 (XI) is Justice. Meaning cause and effect, clarity and truth and the reverse meaning opposite. Oleander is a character who knows the effects of his actions. They are measures and precise. He is aware of the cause and effect. And in his neutral and good endings we see him bring his own form of 'justice' or balance. When Lord Valentine tried to have him killed, he simply returned the favor personally, and succeded. "Nerii//periculosum scurra" when translated as a sentence means "A dangerous clown". This obviously references the way Vesper calls him a clown when they first meet and telling us directly that he is dangerous. Francesco:

The Wheel of Fortune is what is assigned to Francesco, meaning change, cycles and inevitable fate, greater forces as play that are pushing towards and ultimate and unavoidable end. This theme goes along with theming that he is running out of time. THere is a reason for him coming to the underground, for rushing Vesper and the tailor so he can experience as much as he can. There is something pushing him forwards.

"Francisium//innocentes nobiles" At a first glance it looks like a latin version of his name, and "innocent nobiles." The second part is correct but the whole phrase means "The innocent nobles of France" which is FACINATING to say the least. The connection to France is interesting to me and brings my mind to the French revolution. Another detail I think is interesting is that his secondary outfit we see him in, the jewelry that is around his neck is right where a beheading would happen and once I saw it I couldn't unsee it.

Thats the first portion. Later in the video we get some images that flash across the screen with more latin and numbers. The numbers correspond with the numbers we were given previously. Again, in the order of how they appear in the video: Cirrus: Snake Skeleton

Latin first. "Obsequium// ducit as caelum" means "compliance leads to heaven" This connects to his entire theme. To get the best end with Cirrus, you don't question him. You don't question his motives or hesitate, you just comply. The imagery of a snake skeleton is interesting too. The obvious imagery and symbolism with snakes, deceit, lies, danger. But also connections to the story of Adam and Eve. The snake that tempts Eve, causing her fall from grace.

Keir: Scales

The Latin here is obscured a bit but it says "Fatum// vestrum vel extaneus" meaning "Your fate is at stake". This one leaves me wondering quite a bit. It says 'your' as if it's talking to the player, to us. To Vesper. This could tie into how Vesper is roped into Mouse Hole, how they are forced to get a noose around their neck like the rest of those living in Mouse Hole. They have to perform well in the heist that happens otherwise they risk death that comes a lot sooner than would be caused by fractum anima. They also risk the lives of Keir and those in Mouse Hole.

The imagery here is super interesting too. Scales are usually associated with justice which happens to be Oleander's tarot card. Scales, are obviously associated with balance, with equilibrium, and fair deals. While we mostly see one side of the scale it seems to be balanced. And in combination with the Latin, I think it's referring to the delicate balance that is Keir's life. A balance of his line of work being risky but lucrative, but if it's too much of a risk, he not only risks his life but all the others in Mouse Hole.

Oleander: Human Skull

"Pantiantur// sicut habes" roughly translates to "Let them suffer as you have" which, WOW. OKAY. Again, Oleander delivers his own form of justice to Lord Valentine by delivering the same thing Valentine tried to do to Oleander, but more personal. Let them suffer as you have. It brings to mind the "eye for an eye" metaphor. An eye for an eye and the world goes blind. But Justice is blind is she not? The skull imagery is interesting as well. This is all painting Oleander as a very dangerous man. Charming and witty, with a flair for the dramatic, yes, but dangerous all the same. A man who can kill. In the neutral ending he says, "For now you are safe with me. If you want to stay like that, you need to follow my lead." If he doesn't have the same attachment to you as he does in the good ending, you are an asset to him and he doesn't spare you the same kindness.

Francesco: Hour Glass

"Tempus//decurrit" means "time is running out". His is the shortest and simplest of the secondary ones. He is running out of time. He rushes you at the tailor to get an outfit made because he can't afford to wait. He wants to get as much as he can, done in the time he has left. No time to waste. The hourglass is the same message. Time is running out. It makes me wonder what is causing his time to run out. Here's the thing, Vesper's time is also running out with Fractum Anima, and interesting connection and it would be interesting if he also had it or something similar but I don't think that's the case with the other things we have seen. With the other things, the "innocent nobles of France" bit and the Wheel of Fortune, It feels like it's alluding to an execution to something similar. But that's purely speculation. That's it! That's what I have! (Thanks to Atlas on discord for great resources and helping me connect the dots with the numbers and tarot!!)

[obscured-everything]

​​OBSCURA trailer analysis & theories

The OBSCURA trailer is very pretty (watch it if you haven’t already <3) and is also full of interesting symbolism and snippets of Latin. In this post I’m going to be manually translating and providing notes on the Latin, as well as discussing what the numbers mean and giving my own plot speculations. SPOILERS for OBSCURA’s Chapter 1 with every love interest. 

I’m going to be working with the theory that the numbers correspond to the Major Arcana in a Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck. I’ll be pulling tarot card information from A.E. Waite’s 1910 book ‘The Pictorial Key to the Tarot’, where he discusses the symbolism of the images in the cards and provides divinatory meanings. 

Shoutout to @/starlitmanta and @/mostlygayrage for posting their own analyses before me! I got inspired by both of them to both write down my thoughts and then actually finish the post after leaving it for months lol. @/mostlygayrage has some interesting stuff on the imagery and also delved into the Latin! Although he took it as one sentence which I won’t be doing – I’m going to take the double forward slashes as an indication of a break. 

Disclaimer that I haven’t formally studied Latin in years so if there are any errors feel free to point it out in the notes! 

Cirrus

18. Presbyter // Ecclesiae lunaris XVII: The Moon. Priest // Lunar churches 

18. Obsequium // ducit ad caelum Obedience // he leads to heaven TL notes N/A Tarot meaning To quote Waite, “The moon is increasing on what is called the side of mercy… the path between the towers is the issue into the unknown. The dog and wolf are the fears of the natural mind in the presence of that place of exit, when there is only reflected light to guide it…the message is: Peace, be still; and it may be that there shall come a calm upon the animal nature...” 

Upright: Hidden enemies, danger, darkness, terror, deception, occult forces, error. Reversed: Instability, inconstancy, silence, lesser degrees of deception and error. Speculation I think we can all agree that Cirrus is not trustworthy, hence danger, deception, occult forces etc. Nevertheless, Vesper (if you’ve got a good ending, at least) puts great degrees of trust in him. ‘A calm upon the animal nature’ calls to mind his odd ability to influence Vesper’s choices and force them into saying ‘yes’, but I also thought it might reference something about Vesper putting aside their instinctive reservations about Cirrus’ suspicious character to follow him into an unknown future. 

Leading to heaven is, to me, a bit double-edged; it could mean death or paradise. Very fitting, I think. 

Keir

20. Keir // Cavillatur fur XX: Judgement. Keir // Mocking thief 

20. Fatum // vestrum vel extraneus [Destiny / (calamitous) death] // yours or a stranger TL notes I’m inclined to believe that Keir’s name being his plain name rather than an epithet is probably just part of his blunt kind of character, and ‘mocking thief’ is probably related to his personality too. Also, there is another piece of Latin on that first screen – ‘cultellus’, which means ‘dagger’ and points downwards towards where his dagger is held. Also, ‘fatum’ is a very interesting word in that it carries an intriguing potential double meaning. Tarot meaning Upright: Change of position, renewal, outcome. Reversed: Weakness, pusillanimity, simplicity; also deliberation, decision, sentence. Speculation Waite’s initial discussion of Judgement is very Biblical which I doubt has much to do with OBSCURA’s use of it. I do think the divinatory meanings are very interesting – I think that at a good/best end of Keir’s route, he’ll be able to come out on top and secure a good and/or stable future for himself and/or Mouse Hole. 

My current theory is that, since we have had mentions of Keir and Oleander in each others’ routes, that they have direct effects on each others’ fates. This fits with ‘yours or a stranger’ of course, but also the double-edged ‘destiny or (calamitous) death’ – I’ll speculate more in Oleander’s route, but I think he and potentially most of Mouse Hole will not fare well if Vesper picks Oleander. 

I’m interested in why his dagger was explicitly pointed out and labelled. I’m kind of shooting in the dark here but I think it’ll be significant in the future – either as a symbol of his history (specifically with Oleander, perhaps?) or as a plot device of some sort. 

Oleander

11. Nerii // Periculosum scurra XI: Justice. Of oleander // Dangerous clown 

11. Patiuntur // sicut habes They are suffering // just like you are TL notes More technically, ‘nerii’ is the genitive of ‘nerium’, which means oleander. This makes sense to me when I think about how he’s had a history of changing names – he’s moreso embodying the qualities of oleander (a pretty but dangerous plant) rather than taking it as a definitive name. 

‘Patiuntur’ is in the plural, and suffering might be a strong word depending on how you look at it – the original word is like enduring through something difficult or unpleasant. Tarot meaning Waite basically says that the card has ‘obvious meanings’ so I don’t think I need to look too closely into it. 

Upright: Equity, rightness, probity, executive; triumph of the deserving side in law. Reversed: Law in all its departments, legal complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity Speculation The second half of the second piece of Latin, ‘sicut habes’, is in the second-person and I’m assuming that this is meant to address Vesper/MC. Maybe Oleander is also looking for something that he can’t find or afford, although the plural throws me off a bit if that’s the case. Maybe it’s referencing Oleander’s previous Vigils (since Vesper is currently holding that position, ‘just like’ they have) or something…? 

Now, here is my plot theory which may or may not be insane. We know that Oleander has committed murder, and was very blasé about it; presumably he’s done this sort of thing before. We know that in his route, Keir has been alluded to, Griff has shown up and Keir is presumably going to show up at some point. I think that Oleander’s involvement with Keir is going to end very poorly for Keir, even leading to the calamity insinuated in Judgement. Specifically, I think that Oleander and Keir are going to be caught up in a serious crime and Keir is going to take the fall, leading to a permanent end for him (death, probably) and the following collapse of Mouse Hole. Oleander will get off lightly or scot-free (Justice’s ‘triumph of the deserving side in law’, ‘deserving’ as opposed to Keir who is indisputably a criminal and receives ‘excessive severity’). 

This could be from Keir and his group failing the burglary since Vesper isn’t there to cover for the injured lookout, or it could be something else that brings in the dagger which was pointed out in Keir's portion of the trailer. I’m thinking murder, honestly. 

Francesco

10. Franciscum // innocentes nobiles X: Wheel of Fortune. Francisco // innocent nobles 

10. Tempus // decurrit Time // runs out TL notes Grammatically, ‘Franciscum’ is in the accusative (the case used to mark the ‘object’ on which a verb acts). This could be a stylistic thing or it could allude to how he’s being ‘acted upon’ by whatever power/influence his family have. 

‘Decurrit’ is literally ‘runs down’ which fits with the hourglass imagery, but I imagine that the spirit of the phrase is ‘runs out’ especially since his route already alludes to that. Tarot meaning To quote Waite, “the symbolic picture stands for the perpetual motion of a fluidic universe and for the flux of human life … the essential idea of stability amidst movement. Behind the general notion expressed in the symbol there lies the denial of chance and the fatality which is implied therein.” 

Upright: destiny, fortune, elevation, luck, felicity. Reversed: increase, abundance, superfluity. Speculation I think that at some point within Francesco’s route, his family is going to be further involved. I assume that these are the ‘innocent nobles’, which makes me think that whatever state or situation that they find Francesco in won’t be very innocent at all. Alternatively, it could be that his family is more innocent/harmless than they present themselves as – depending on circumstance, this could be a big win for Vesper or a big loss because they don’t have the family backing that they thought they did. 

The Wheel of Fortune carries connotations of luck and change in fortune. I assume that Vesper provides Francesco with some degree of ‘stability amidst movement’ and that any ‘denial of chance’ involves Francesco leaving the marketplace and returning to the very clearly mapped out future that his family has for him, thus leading to a bad end. ——————————

Thanks for reading to the end!

[sleep0-0]

Pater satanas, honora nos servi tuse pacis, ut dubitationem portemus ubi credunt, отчаяние ubi sperant, patiendo ubi gaudent, odium ubi amant. Ostende nobis veritatem in qua erramus, lumen Luciferi in tenebris revela. O satana, pater, meretur condere,non credere,agere et consequi,non sperare,amari,non amare: nam quisquis agit,assequitur,qui novit odium,lucra,secretam scientiam habens,regnat,quisquis moritur tibi serviens. renascamur in aeternae lucis tuae obsequium.

[crazy-so-na-sega]

reddito di cittadinanza stile impero

Bisogna tener presente una cosa: come in ogni società preindustriale, anche nell'Impero il lavoro produttivo era l'agricoltura, e l'agricoltura, come si sa, si pratica in campagna. Cosa facevano allora quelli che abitavano in città? Non molto, appunto. vivevano di assistenza. I ricchi, proprietari terrieri che accumulavano enormi profitti, offrivano ai poveri cibo e divertimento - panem e circenses, secondo la formula di Giovenale - per evitare che la fame e l'ozio facessero venire loro l'idea di ribellarsi. Due giorni su tre erano festivi. Le terme erano gratuite. Infine, siccome per vivere serve comunque un po' di denaro, la società urbana era divisa, non tra datori di lavoro e dipendenti, con i primi che pagavano il lavoro dei secondi, ma fra patroni e clienti, con i primi che mantenevano i secondi per non far niente, se non mostrare la propria gratitudine. Oltre che terre e schiavi, il ricco aveva a sua disposizione una clientela, cioè un numero di individui meno ricchi di lui che ogni mattina andavano a casa sua per ricevere una piccola somma chiamata sportula, minimo sei sesterzi, che in un mese faceva l'equivalente del salario minimo in Francia, mille euro e rotti. I romani poveri vivevano di questo - e anche i meno poveri, solo a un livello più elevato: avevano patroni più ricchi, che erano a loro volta clienti di patroni ancora più ricchi. Marziale era un poeta noto, piuttosto soddisfatto della propria vita, ma ogni mattina dei quarant'anni che ha vissuto a Roma ha dovuto piegarsi a quel rituale - e Dio solo sa quanto gli pesi. Alzarsi presto è una cosa che odia. Avvolgersi nella toga - odia anche questo: la toga è rigida, pesante, scomoda, e in più gli costa una fortuna di tintoria, ma per andare a salutare il patrono tocca mettersela, come per andare in ufficio ci si mette la cravatta. Scapicollarsi, a piedi, perché Marziale non ha soldi per pagarsi una lettiga, su stradine strette, sconnesse, fangose, dove può capitare di tutto, come minimo sporcarsi la toga. Dal patrono, fare anticamera con tutta la banda degli altri parassiti e guardarli con disprezzo e diffidenza. Quando finalmente il patrono si degna di farsi vedere, non meno seccato dei suoi clienti, aspettare il proprio turno per sussurrargli qualche parola con il tono giusto - questo tono si chiamava obsequium, termine che non ha bisogno di commenti. Alla fine, passare alla cassa gestita da una specie di usciere, e soltanto allora, con la propria magra sportula, cominciare una giornata di ozio più o meno produttivo. Si può pensare che non sia un prezzo molto alto per il diritto di non fare niente, ma si può pensarlo anche dell'indennità di disoccupazione, che pochi riscuotono senza un senso di avvilimento. Quel rito mattutino era una schiavitù e un'umiliazione, ed è uno dei motivi per cui, ormai vicino ai sessanta, Marziale ha preferito tornarsene nella natia Spagna, dov'è morto di noia. Roma era fantastica, ma lui non sopportava più la sportula, gli ingorghi, i discorsi vacui: riteneva di non averne più l'età.

Emmanuel Carrère -Il Regno

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Obsequium

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/VkZAND5

by Galstelperion

The richest man in the world takes a young wife not many would deem to be proper, but Tar-Mairon did not gain such power by listening to ill-informed advice. What he wanted, he got, and Galadriel was at the very center of his temptation from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. And no matter how hard her stubbornness was to break, he would mold her to his liking as he pleased.

  "No, sir, please don’t. I will be good now, I promise." She began to plead with him, sinking her fingers into the back of his head, yanking at his hair to pull him away.

  "Mine," He repeated again, a low growl that sounded feral.

  He took hold of her wrists and moved his lips down to press against her pulse point. Her sweet scent hardened his cock and filled him with new strength. He ran his tongue all over her neck, sinking his teeth in to lay claim to her when she wept.

  He rested his forehead against hers. She squeezed her eyes shut but knew better now than to fight against him.

  "I will have you know who you serve one way or another."

Words: 2621, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Categories: F/M

Characters: Galadriel | Artanis, Sauron | Mairon

Relationships: Galadriel | Artanis/Sauron | Mairon, Galadriel | Artanis & Halbrand (The Rings of Power)

Additional Tags: DDLG, M/s dynamic, Arranged Marriage, Succession AU if you squint, CEO Tar-mairon, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Smut, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Non-Consensual Bondage, Non-Consensual Kissing, Rape/Non-con Elements, Non-Consensual Touching, BDSM, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/VkZAND5

[louismontielt]

A Glitch "Actum Obsequium (πράξη υποβολής) ~ Ètude I”

This art piece were created for my PhD and based on a Digital and Analog Aesthetic Research on "Artistic Practices, Digital Art in Social Networks and Net Art", some digital techniques used of artistic diversity, such as the re-mixed appropriation of image or video, also work conceived as original data work called creative altered binary code, datamoshing, generative art and glitch art worked in all its forms and expressions; works of art with a strong focus decoding the i-frames of images and videos (also known as key frames and altered or distorted creative binary code) mixed with seductive techniques of Pixelsorting Art; making it seem extremely sensitive and abstract; created exclusively for the virtual gallery on-line.

by ™℗®© Louis M o n t i e l

NFT Crypto Digital Art

Marketplace on qurable.co : Buy, Shell & Explore Digital Assets

https://app.qurable.co/c-louis-montiel

~ FOLLOW ME & SUBSCRIBE ~

Instagram ~ louismontielt

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#visualartists #glitchart #glitch #glitché #pixelsorting #glitchartistscollective #glitchvideo #datamosh #digitalglitch #nfts #hyperspektiv #minimalart #videoart #dfkt #pixelsorter #artistsvisual #nftart #glitchartbr #glitcharts #nftartist #glitchartwork #glitchartisdead #glitchartists #nftcommunity #nft #glitchartist #pixelsortingart #nftartists #creativecodeart #glitchportrait

[twincaptains]

chapter 12 is happening.

fun fact: for raccon wife's e-mails, her text starts out fairly normal but then i use a utility to run it through google translate several times to make it a little janky.

[coldcoldlampin]

[duinoelegies]

The promised bride is hoping, quietly and gently, that something dreadful will happen to her. Murder, or lightning-strike, or simply sinking accidentally into the silt. Something, anything, needs to happen to her to stop what’s coming for her tomorrow.

The Silt Verses: Chapter 6

Of all conceiv­able luxuries, death, in its fatal and inexorable form, is undoubtedly the most costly. The fragility, the complexity, of the animal body already exhibits its luxurious quality, but this fragility and lux­ury culminate in death.

Georges Bataille, The Accursed Share

“Then become something else,” the Trawler-man says, with the first of his two faces. “My currents are kind, and your flesh is pliant. I will make you something that cannot be bound.” “But I am afraid,” the promised bride replies. “I have seen the bodies that come back from below. I have seen the obscene outcomes of the dreadful river.” The Trawler-man laughs, and says, “They send you to their factories and fields to harden your palms, burden your back and choke your lungs. They strip you of your dignity and they turn your hair white and your gums bloody as they rot you from within. Why should their outcomes be natural, and mine obscene?”

The Silt Verses: Chapter 6

When the indignation that gets people moving prevails over the obsequium that makes them stay put, a new affective vector is formed, and individuals who used to be determined to respect institutional norms (for example, those of the employment relation) are suddenly determined to sedition. People do not however cease to be determined, even for a moment, when they cross their threshold of anger. The only difference is that they are now determined to do something else.

Frédéric Lordon, Willing Slaves of Capital

The young bride says, “But either way I become a vessel - for your purposes or for theirs.” The Trawler-man tells her, and his smile is kind, “You are a vessel, no more than that; to be anything else would be in excess of your own nature. Come. Bear me a gift, and I shall leave you something in return.”

The Silt Verses: Chapter 6

The death of an individual can be considered one of the most alarming expenditures for human beings united in a group. The corpse is treated, in fact, as a reality that could threaten to spread.

Georges Bataille, “Attraction And Repulsion II”

The bridegroom topples. Thick delta-mud soaks his vestments. His eyes are wide and helpless. The shadow of the river falls over him. The river fills every inch of him. And when it’s done with him, it passes on. Presently, the bridegroom gets to his feet. With freshly stumbling, uncertain steps, silt and water oozing from his trouser-legs and empty sockets, he staggers after the procession. The wedding marches gloriously on, making its way inland, meeting new guests in the hills and the flatlands, growing as it goes.

The Silt Verses: Chapter 6

Moreover, as the counterpart of the tendency to limit expending forces, there exists a tendency to expend, even to expend as much force as possible and eventually to the point of complete loss.

Georges Bataille, “Attraction And Repulsion II”

[diavolosthots]

I think I'm just gonna post a chapter a night?

DARK DECEPTION - CHAPTER 3

READ CHAPTER 2 here

Pairing(s): Diavolo x reader, mentions of Lucifer, Leviathan, and Barbatos

Warnings: none

Everything was quite literally breathtaking. The whole ballroom had been transformed into shades of white and deep purple. Flowers were neatly arranged and formed into hearts; the red carpet was covered in white rose petals and the lights were dimmed to golden hour. If you didn't know any better, you'd almost call this your dream wedding. Guests were seating, staring at your beautiful form walking down the aisle, ready to begin your new future. 

That's when your eyes met his and the spell was broken. He was smiling, standing proudly in a flashy white suit and a rose tucked neatly into his chest pocket. You could feel the aura of power, a deep sense of pride as he looked at you, his future wife. He was feeling no ounce of guilt; no remorse or pain. Unlike you. Your eyes couldn't stay on his for long and wouldn't dare meet Lucifer's, his best man, who was standing beside him and who's pain you felt from a mile away. The fallen angel almost died at your beauty; so pure, so innocent, so… wrong. He wanted to object, he really did but he knew it would just get him kicked out. He knew Diavolo wasn't one to reason with. Whatever the Demon wanted, he would get.

Finally, your eyes fell on Levi who was dressed up in an equally white suit. You almost laughed at the sight of him looking so uncomfortable but still quite attractive. He tried to give you a comforting smile and you tried to return it. It would be okay… you prayed to God it would be, still hoping that Simeon would sweep down from the Heavens and save you, but of course he never did and the aisle suddenly came to an end. 

You viewed the hand that was outstretched in front of you; the tanned skin suddenly becoming the only thing in your vision and you felt Barbatos slowly prying your hand off his arm. Reluctantly, you let go of it and placed your hand in Diavolo's, letting yourself be pulled to stand in front of him. You hated how warm his hand felt in yours, hated how, once you looked up, all you saw was a smile and an act of love in his eyes. It was so rude, so mischievous, so… evil. 

You swallowed hard, trying not to be intimidated by his stare and the dominance radiating off of him. His aura was so different than Lucifer's. You found comfort in him and his dominance. You found his pride and confidence attractive and secure, but Diavolo's was so… threatening… so… overwhelming.

And then it started. The Demon Lord even managed to get a pastor, which was irony in itself. Honestly you don't remember much of what the guy was saying. All you could see was Lucifer's pained expression behind Diavolo and your heart broke more with each moment passing, but you couldn't cry. You wouldn't let him see you that weak. You couldn't. You had to show Lucifer that you'd be strong, for him. 

While you were debating on how to keep the tears from falling, you heard the word "vows" and immediately got pulled back into reality. The vows! You couldn't even have been bothered to write some lies on a piece of paper. Your eyes met Diavolo's in shock but you quickly recovered, knowing that no matter what words you would throw at the man, it would just fly over his head and be loved by the people of the Devildom regardless. You swallowed thickly before putting on the fakest smile you could muster, "Diavolo…" you started softly, trying so hard to keep your voice under control; slow, steady… like Lucifer taught you. "Over the past few months I have spent in the Devildom,... The months I got to know everyone, and most importantly meet and spend time with you, I started to fall deeper than I've ever fallen… for you…" you took a deep breath, trying so hard to keep the tears in the corners of your eyes, "it happened so fast, and i fell so hard, that I wasn't quite sure how it would end… but you caught me… and I… I have never felt safer, more at home, with anyone else, and I know that… for a lack of better words,... You are meant for me… a-and… I can't wait.. T-to spend the rest of my life… with you…" by the end of it, you couldn't help the tears from falling but Diavolo caught them with his thumbs, gently cupping your face while the whole Devildom was in awe. Silly humans don't know how to control their emotions; how sweet. The demon smiled down at you, ever so gently, before starting his own vows, "(Y/N)... Where do I even start? Bringing you here into my home, choosing you to step into my world, was the best decision I ever made. I always knew you were special, but I never knew how special you'd become to me. It was so sudden, so strong, so unexpected, that i almost didn't know how to handle it. Almost." You knew what he meant with that. And your eyes hardened at his words, the tears stopping from falling and his eyes glimmered with a smirk, "but I knew that I had to have you in my life, by my side. I knew I wanted to hold you, cherish you, love! You… until the end of time. I knew I needed you by my side for there is no one else better fit to be Queen, not only for my Kingdom, but for my heart. I love you, (Y/N)." The words dripped like poisoned honey from his tongue and the crowd went wild. Their king, may he be blessed with nothing but fortune, prosperity, and love, had found himself someone. Someone to lead them all into greatness, alongside him. You were so disgusted. Disgusted at how easily he could lie to his people, his "best" friend, and most importantly you, all while holding eye contact. 

The pastor cleared his throat with a smile and nodded to the two best men, "the rings." Levi was the first to take a step toward you, holding out the cushion that the ring, Diavolo's ring, was laid upon. You took it, taking a moment to analyze it. It was pure gold and a single small amethyst was placed in the middle. You also noticed a small engravement inside: fide, regium, potentia; trust…  royalty…  power. You laughed internally at how ironic it was. Meanwhile, Lucifer also stepped forward with his cushion; he didn't want to meet Diavolo's yet, but he was not about to show any weakness; he had too much pride for that. So with a stern expression and hatred in his eyes, he matched Diavolo's stare. The Demon King smirked at his friend for only a moment before taking the ring. It was equally as gold, a bigger amethyst in the middle surrounded by diamonds. Yours also had something engraved in it: Fiducia, regium, obsequium; trust… royalty… submission. 

You both turned back at each other, holding up the rings and the pastor continued, "(Y/N).. Repeat after me; with this Ring.." You took a deep breath and spoke, "with this Ring…" "I promise to keep by your side, to protect you, to stay loyal to you, to be honest with you, and to love you, through thick and thin, through good and bad, through sickness and health, until death do us apart." 

You took a deep breath and repeated after him, "until death do us apart." You finished before placing the ring on his finger, hating how he smiled so lovingly down at you. 

"Lord Diavolo, repeat after me." His smile only grew and you wanted to crawl into a hole away from his fake love. "With this Ring…" he looked at you and you could have sworn his eyes pierced straight through your soul. "With this Ring.. I promise to keep by your side, to protect you, to stay loyal to you, to be honest with you, and to love you, through thick and thin, through good and bad, through sickness and health, until death do us apart." He said it so softly, so sincerely that you almost believed him and then you felt the heavy band slide onto your finger and you glanced downward. It was a beautiful ring, you had to admit that, but no amount of beauty could fix the sadness in your heart. 

"(Y/N) (L/N), do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? If so, please say 'I do'". You took a deep breath and mustered a smile, "I do." Diavolo returned your smile before the pastor continued, "and do you, Lord Diavolo, take (Y/N) (L/N) to be your lawfully wedded wife?" He was grinning at you now, knowing that with those two words he had ultimately won. He had succeeded in betraying his best friend, being on his way to unite the realms and be more powerful than anyone on them, and in securing his spot as ruler. With those few words, he had the worlds at his fingertips. 

"I do." The pastor smiled and looked between you two, "then I announce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride." It was like music to his ears. Nothing could keep you apart now; you were officially and humanly legally his and no one could take that from him. He felt like a winner when he lifted your veil from your face and his gaze fixated onto your pink lips. He smirked as he saw your eyes wander over his shoulders to meet Lucifer's, who couldn't bear to look at the sight, and he pulled you flush against him as his lips met yours all while hearing the Kingdom erupt over you. 

The kiss was nothing like you've ever experienced; nothing like Lucifer had ever given you. It was hungry, obsessive, superior, and you hated how much you liked the feeling of his lips against yours, hated how, once he pulled away, it left you longing for more. 

[giographixnola]

[sartorialadventure]

Knights and Dames of Malta

1. Knight of Grace and Devotion, Order of Malta 5.  His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I became the first African leader to be knighted into the Ecumenical Order of the Knights of Malta, Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, in 2009. King Adamtey, who is known in private life as Dr. Kingsley Fletcher, is the Suapolor of the Se (Shai) Traditional Area of Ghana. He is also a citizen of the United States.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, commonly known as the Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalric and noble nature. The order has been called "the smallest sovereign state in the world".

SMOM claims continuity with the Knights Hospitaller, a chivalric order that was founded c. 1099 by the Blessed Gerard in medieval Jerusalem. In terms of international law, it is an establishment of the 19th century, recognized at the Congress of Verona of 1822, and since 1834 headquartered in Palazzo Malta in Rome. The order is led by an elected Prince and Grand Master. Its motto is Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum ('defence of the faith and assistance to the poor'). The order venerates the Virgin Mary as its patroness, under the title of Our Lady of Mount Philermos.

The headquarters of the Order of Saint John had been located in Malta from 1530 until 1798. It was technically a vassal of the Kingdom of Sicily, holding Malta in exchange for a nominal fee, but declared independence in 1753.

The Holy See was established as a subject of international law in the Lateran Treaty of 1929. In the following decades, the connection between the Holy See and the Order of Malta was seen as so close as to call into question the actual sovereignty of the order as a separate entity. This has prompted constitutional changes on the part of the Order, which were implemented in 1997. Since then, the Order has been widely recognized as a sovereign subject of international law in its own right.

It maintains diplomatic relations with 110 states, has permanent observer status at the United Nations, enters into treaties and issues its own passports, coins and postage stamps. Its two headquarters buildings in Rome enjoy extraterritoriality, similar to embassies, and it maintains embassies in other countries. The three principal officers are counted as citizens.

The Order has 13,500 Knights, Dames and auxiliary members. A few dozen of these are professed religious. Until the 1990s, the highest classes of membership, including officers, required proof of noble lineage. More recently, a path was created for Knights and Dames of the lowest class (of whom proof of aristocratic lineage is not required) to be specially elevated to the highest class, making them eligible for office in the order.

The order employs about 42,000 doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and paramedics assisted by 80,000 volunteers in more than 120 countries, assisting children, homeless, handicapped, elderly, and terminally ill people, refugees, and lepers around the world without distinction of ethnicity or religion. Through its worldwide relief corps, Malteser International, the order aids victims of natural disasters, epidemics and war. In several countries, including France, Germany and Ireland, local associations of the order are important providers of medical emergency services and training.