#rare harold w

[haroldherald]

harold working in a bookstore and being loved by one half of the customers and hated by the other for infodumping about what HE likes no matter what you ask him for. even if you don't ask him anything at all

[leviathans-watching]

hello🥰

can you make a headcanons with satan + solomon and maybe any character you want to add with mc who likes doodling cats/stars or anything during the day or maybe even in class on the (character) hands and they find it cute ??

love you❤️ .

drawing cats on lucifer, satan, solomon, and diavolo

includes: lucifer, satan, solomon, diavolo x/& gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)

wc: .5k | rated g | m.list

a/n: ugh this was adorable, i hope you enjoy! thanks for requesting and ly2!! my inbox is open to chat, req, or leave feedback so come talk w me

please like, reply, and reblog!!

grabbing a pen from your bag, you take your seatmate’s hand in yours, double-checking to make sure the lecturer isn’t looking.

“what are you doing?” he hisses, but you only flash him a grin, putting the pen to his hand. gently, you draw out a design, taking care to make it neat and cute.

patiently, he waits for you to finish, taking notes with his other hand. you should be taking notes. it’s fine, you’ll get them from him later.

once you’re finally done, you pull back, letting him admire your work.

➳ lucifer looks down at his hand, eyebrows raised. “a cat? really?”

you let out a quiet giggle, leaning your head on his shoulder. “i made it grumpy, just like you!” you take his hand again, admiring your beautiful art, and can’t help but laugh again.

“i should go wash my hands,” he whispers idly, a half-threat. hopefully, he doesn't–you put effort into that cat! you even tried to make the eyebrows match!

unbeknownst to you, however, lucifer secretly quite enjoys the drawing and doesn’t plan to wash it off any time soon.

➳ satan look down at his hand, breaking into a rare smile. “a cat? oh, mc, you know me so well.”

“of course i do,” you return, and he chuckles quietly.

“here, give me the pen.” you do as he says, and he takes your hand. “i’m going to draw a cat to match.”

he��s so serious and focused, which is honest perfect, because it gives you a moment to stare at his face, unabashed. after a few moments, he pulls back, revealing his masterpiece. it’s honestly not that well done, but you’ll cherish it all the same.

➳ solomon squints down at his hand. “what in the world is that supposed to be?”

“a cat!” you hiss, scowling. “isn’t it obvious?”

“a cat?” he turns his hand this way and that, trying to see a cat in the squiggle of lines you’d drawn. “no, not at all.”

“you suck,” you inform him, and he laughs.

“here, give me the pen. i’ll show you how a real cat is drawn!” the mess he leaves on your hand isn’t any better than your attempts, something you continue to rib him over for the next few days.

➳ diavolo preens as he examines the drawing. “i like the hearts around its head,” he whispers. “what’s its name?”

“harold,” you whisper, and his shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. it wouldn’t do for the lord of the devildom to be caught slacking off in class.

“the name suits him,” diavolo praises, and you smile, satisfied. “perhaps i should get this tattooed here. i’ll even draw you one to match”

“i wouldn’t go that far,” you say quickly, not wanting him to do something stupid, “but i don’t hate the idea of matching tattoos.”

leviathans-watching's works - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

[nerdygaymormon]

Idk if you'd know this, but has the Word of Wisdom been properly canonized in the Church or are we just... Trusting it? Not that God hasnt asked people to change their diets before, but I'm curious to know how vetted it is.

The short answer is if it is in the scriptures, then it has been canonized. Since the Word of Wisdom is in the Doctrine & Covenants, it is considered part of the LDS canon.

In the LDS Church, usually something is considered canonized if it is included in the scriptures (there's two notable exceptions, each regarding the Bible). The LDS Church currently has 4 books in its scriptural canon:

1. Authorized King James Version as the official scriptural text of the Bible (other versions of the Bible are used in non-English-speaking countries). Although there's two exceptions to this:

a) The manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible states that "the Songs of Solomon are not inspired scripture," and therefore it is not included in LDS canon and rarely studied by members of the LDS Church. However, it is still printed in every version of the King James Bible published by the church.

b) Although the Apocrypha was part of the 1611 edition of the KJV, the LDS Church does not use the Apocrypha as part of its canon. Joseph Smith taught that while the Apocrypha was not to be relied on for doctrine, it was potentially useful when read with a spirit of discernment.

2. Book of Mormon

3. Doctrine and Covenants (D&C)

4. Pearl of Great Price (containing the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith–Matthew, Joseph Smith–History, and the Articles of Faith)

The LDS Church's scriptures are printed together with several non-canonized study aids, including the maps, photographs, a Bible Dictionary, a gazetteer, summaries at the beginning of each chapter, a topical guide, an index, footnotes, cross references, and excerpts from Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible

LDS Church president Harold B. Lee taught "The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church." Here is the history of this happening in the LDS Church:

June 9, 1830: First conference of the church, The Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, now known as D&C 20. If the Bible and Book of Mormon were not sustained on April 6th at the first meeting of the Church, then they were by default when the Articles and Covenants were sustained. (see D&C 20:8-11)

August 17, 1835: Select revelations from Joseph Smith were unanimously accepted as scripture. These were later printed in the D&C. (this includes the Word of Wisdom)

October 10, 1880: The Pearl of Great Price was unanimously sustained as scripture. Also at that time, other revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants – which had not been accepted as scripture in 1835 because they were received after that date – were unanimously accepted as scripture.

October 6, 1890: Official Declaration 1 was accepted unanimously as scripture. It later began to be published in the Doctrine and Covenants.

April 3, 1976: Two visions (one received by Joseph Smith and the other by Joseph F. Smith) were sustained as scripture and added to the Pearl of Great Price. (The two visions were later moved to the D&C as sections 137 and 138.)

September 30, 1978: Official Declaration 2 was sustained unanimously as scripture. It immediately was added to the Doctrine and Covenants.

————————————————————

The revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was received in 1833 and first published by the Church in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, it was viewed as scripture but wasn't seen as binding for many years. The original revelation was given “not by commandment or constraint,” but rather as a “word of wisdom.” It would take decades for it to be accepted as a requirement for Latter-day Saints

In 1834, the Kirtland high council decided that those who were taught the Word of Wisdom but didn't follow it were unworthy to hold an office in the Church. A few years later the Missouri high council made a similar decision. Records indicate there were some members who were reprimanded for not following the Word of Wisdom, and even excommunicated for a pattern of disobedience. Which is interesting since the revelation only describes blessings for keeping it and does not give punishments for not following it.

During the Nauvoo period, the Word of Wisdom was not emphasized and there seems to have been a more relaxed attitude about it.

In 1842, Hyrum Smith said that 'hot drinks' refers to coffee and tea. Ever since this has been the accepted interpretation.

After the Saints moved to Utah, in the 1851 General Conference, Church patriarch John Smith spoke on the Word of Wisdom and Brigham Young proposed all Saints formally covenant to abstain from those things prohibited in the Word of Wisdom. (This seems to be where the attitude of only those parts of the Word of Wisdom, what to avoid, are emphasized but not the parts of what we should eat). Despite this, it seems even Brigham Young didn't completely follow this instruction until 1862.

In the 1860s and 70s, there was a renewed emphasis on the Word of Wisdom, but it was not required as a test of membership.

In 1883, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve commit to more fully live the Word of Wisdom, and others are encouraged to follow their example. By 1900, the majority of general and local leaders were following it.

In 1902, leaders were being instructed to refuse temple recommends to flagrant violators of the Word of Wisdom, though to still be lenient with others.

In 1905, it was taught that following the Word of Wisdom is a requirement to hold leadership positions.

In 1906, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve began using water instead of wine in their sacrament meetings.

By 1915, living the Word of Wisdom was required for young or middle-aged men to be ordained to the priesthood or be given a temple recommend.

In 1921, adherence to the Word of Wisdom was required to be admitted to the temple.

————————————————————

For me, personally, I'm fine with the Word of Wisdom. Dietary rules are common in religion. Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism also have dietary codes.

In a way, such codes can feel like a parent who is concerned about what you're eating for lunch, it's a way of showing concern for us. However, I think there are two main purposes to such codes.

One is to implement health rules about what to eat, including sanitary measures, and how to ethically/morally approach eating meat (or forbidding meat) because it requires the death of another living creature.

The other purpose of these codes is they are a way to distinguish us as a group, to separate us from other people amongst whom we live. If we're at a company meeting where food is served, Mormons may notice who else has chosen not to have coffee or tea and wonder if they're also members of the LDS church, while non-members are unaware of this shibboleth.

To go along with these codes as cultural markers, I have observed that when someone is separating themselves from the LDS church, often one of the first things they'll do is have their first beer or cup of coffee. It’s s way of breaking that identity marker.

It is interesting that the Word of Wisdom includes prohibitions against alcohol when the consumption of wine is widely reported in the Bible. It highlights that there isn't consistency among these different religious dietary codes.

I think of Peter's vision in the New Testament where he is commanded to eat animals which were prohibited under Jewish law. God declares that all these animals are clean, meaning they are okay to eat. And the apostle Paul taught that non-Jewish converts were not required to eat kosher, however it would be helpful if they'd abstain from eating unkosher foods around their Jewish fellows so as not to offend them.

These two stories inform my opinion about the Word of Wisdom. I am LDS and follow our traditions against coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, however I don't view breaking these norms as a sin. The revelation specifically says this is not a commandment, so it seems to me to be more of a cultural marker. One reason I choose to not drink coffee is it would concern or offend my fellow LDS friends, some because they think of it as a sin and others because they see it as me separating myself from this community

[elvisvideos]

Elvis hanging out with fans at Vickers gas station in Memphis. October 4, 1976. Copy & pasted article as told by eyewitness Larry Blong:

There were quite a few fans there, maybe fifty or so, knowing that Elvis was home and hoping of course that Elvis would decide to go out. It was a mild evening in Memphis that night. Around midnight we were joined by Kathy, whose parents owned the Hickory Log Restaurant, which was located right across the street from Graceland. The place had a jukebox, loaded with Elvis records natch, and specialized in making burgers and other fast foods. It was open all night, which was great for Steve and I, since we usually hung out at the gate until Elvis hit the sack, around 5 am or so. The joint also had a gambling machine that Charlie Hodge used to play. Elvis' cousin and guard Harold Lloyd was also hooked on this game which required knocking silver pinball sized balls into certain holes. It was only for entertainment but they paid you off on the side.

Around 3 am or so Elvis ventured outside and fired up his Harley. Shortly thereafter, Elvis came motoring down the drive with a few of the boys in tow. We caught a great glimpse of Elvis as he always slowed down at the gate in order to acknowledge and wave to the fans. Kathy, Steve and I didn't bother to follow Elvis on his Harley, I guess because we had seen him so many times in and out of the gates.

So, for some reason I guess that time has erased, we all ventured up the back gate to talk with Ozie, a guard who was on duty that night. While there, Lisa Marie came out and I heard her ask, 'Hey Ozie, who are they'? Ozie told her that we were just fans. Lisa wasn't allowed to associate with the fans. I guess her parents didn't want Lisa to hear too many extraordinary stories about her famous father at such a young age.

Little did Kathy, Steve and I realize that in just a few minutes our lives would be catapulted into a different dimension, standing face to face with Elvis Presley himself. Running up the hill from the street, from the front gate was Elvis' cousin Harold Loyd. Harold was on duty this night and seemed to have something important to say. Harold was a few years older than Elvis and told me once that Elvis was best man when he married. He said that when Elvis was a teenager he used to come over his house and raid the refrigerator. Anyway, Harold blurted out that Elvis was in the Vickers gas station, and had been in there for fifteen minutes.

So the three of us scampered down the hill and got into Kathy's Trans Am. In less than a minute we pulled into the Vickers. Standing in the middle of a semi- circle was the 'King' himself.

I couldn't really believe what was happening. I mean how do you walk up to Elvis Presley? But it was real. I walked up to Elvis and he actually stuck his hand out to shake hands with me before I put mine out to greet him. To me this just showed how humble and gracious Elvis Presley was, despite the fact that he is the greatest entertainer this world will ever know. Elvis carried the burden of having to be 'Elvis' for everyone else, a task that would eventually weigh him down. I immediately focused on Elvis' face. He had on pink shades and a helmet. I was amazed at how full Elvis' lips were. Also the inside of Elvis' sideburns were gray.

Elvis took a glove off and showed us a black diamond that he said was very rare. While talking to Memphis resident Alan Wade, I think his name was, Elvis said that whoever did the painting on his Harley 'did a fantastic job'. Elvis signed a credit card for 83 cents worth of gas.

I guess that's all the Harley could hold. Elvis was drinking a Coke and a fan asked if she could have the empty bottle. Of course Elvis obliged. Elvis asked the boys for a cigar, and when they came up empty Elvis slapped his chest with both hands several times and said, 'What is this, what exactly is this'? Then they must have made a motion to leave and Elvis said, 'You don't say when to go man, you don't say when to go'.

After Elvis got back on the bike, Steve and I got our second handshakes of the night. Just then a girl, Cindy VanPlew from Michigan, asked Elvis if she could have a ride back to the gate. Without a helmet Elvis couldn't say yes, but at the same time didn't want to hurt her feelings. Elvis humorously responded, 'Well honey, I'm not going right back to the gate, I gotta go throw my 5:30 paper route'.

And with that the King and his Court pulled out of the Vickers. There was a 15 minute color film taken that night by 'Buttons'. We were promised a copy by her but never did get it. A short version was on You Tube for awhile under the title 'Elvis dressed as a cop' but has since disappeared. Someone sent me five color pics of that night, where I fortunately am behind Elvis in the one where Elvis is holding the Coke bottle. It was an incredible night and one I will never forget. However that was only part one, because six months later in April of 1977, Steve and I would be the 'only' fans in the world in the Vickers again with Elvis, his girlfriend Ginger, his cousin Billy Smith and his wife Jo. Another story for another day.

One more detail about that Fall night in October of 1976. Before we got there I heard that Elvis had said something about it being a shame that he had to carry all this stuff in here while pointing to his stomach. A lady asked what was in there, under Elvis' leather jacket, and Elvis said it was a gun. Trying to be funny the lady asked Elvis, 'what happens if it goes off?' Elvis responded, 'well honey, then I'll be singing tenor'. So as Walter Cronkite used to say, 'that's the way it was October the 4th 1976' and for me a night that will live forever!

[total-headcannon-island]

maybe zekehar (ezekielxharold) if it doesnt contradict anything??? they have to keep it super low-key cuz parents but the others slowly find out and it ends w like zeke getting outed against his will and being too scared to go home so he lives with harold (idk abt the last part but ja)

I read this as Ezekiel x Heather and I almost lost it.

I’ve never thought about it but I really like the idea Zekehar now?? I cant get addicted to another rare pair 😭😭😭

[majachee]

HIIII ok so I have a question about the power ranger TD au!!

Are there gonna be any ships? (I’m mostly interested in Noah ships (totally not my favorite character)) likeee is there gonna be Noco? Nowen? Is duncey gonna be canon?

(Also is Gwen gonna show up? IF SOO will there be gwourtney or gwent instead? Is the Duncan, Courtney and Gwen triangle gonna come?)

ALSO I CANT WAIT UNTIL THE DRAMA BROTHERS SHOW UP GANSNKSBAKAKAAH

ok that was all thank you very much good person 🫡

CRAWFISH SPOTTED YEAHEAHHHHHHHH

As for relationships... 😈

Since this is a self-indulgent AU made primarily for enjoyment, I'm pretty lenient when it comes to romantic pairings! If someone suggests a ship and I feel fine towards it, I'll give them some crumbs to work with lmao

Focusing on the pairings you brought up, though...

Noah - I headcanon Noah as being on the aroace spectrum, meaning he rarely feels attraction towards others. This identity is brought up several times in the AU, though not exactly by name (I don't think Noah would use specific labels, tbh)...

HOWEVER, he is not immune to the ship-bait crumbs! Noah and Owen are close in this AU, and can be read as romantic or queerplatonic. Nowen is explicitly canon in this AU, and most TD related things I'll write or draw! But, whether they're romantic or queerplatonic is up to the readers, I've decided. I love both interpretations equally, and I love Nowen because of how both interpretations work almost perfectly!

As for NoCo... I have mixed feelings towards this ship, but that's usually because nobody ever interprets it the way I interpret it: and that's Cody fucking sucks /aff /derogatory.

He had a weird one-sided situationship with Noah for 3 days in October of freshman year, said something FOUL and KINDA CRINGE about rizz and women, and Noah just got up and left. No hesitation.

Let Cody be a loser... genuinely. He gets mauled by a bear at least once. Other than that, no hints of NoCo in the main plot. Cody's out there freakin it loser style, and Noah is gay married to Owen in every universe.

Now for the questions about Gwen and Courtney - No for the love triangle, I felt that entire thing ruined all three characters. Like, Duncanis suppose to be a "punk with a heart of gold" and yet he's down to cheat??? Gwen, the anxious yet very progressive goth who's like... genuinely nice??? And bro what'd Courtney do to deserve that??? ... She did help carry WT tho

As for Duncey and Gwent? I'm on the fence. I don't think Duncan and Courtney are good for eachother. And Gwent was really cute in season 1, but the way they handled Trent's breakdown in Action just felt... off. I think I prefer both of them being single, unfortunately. Might have Trent and Gwen be exes on really good terms though? For world building and lore? Because both characters are revelant to the plot due to their connections with Courtney, Duncan, and Harold (primarily Trent for that last one but yk)

Qwourtney is a maybe, I did promise some Heather/Courtney crumbs for an anon so I'm down for that lmao

Honestly, if you wanna write or draw ship art for this AU, even if ifs not explicitly "canon" then go for it. I'd love to see it! This is a self-indulgent AU, and I'm chill w/ letting you guys get self-indulgent with my self-indulgent AU lmaoooooo

And to finish this off...

I'M GONNA USE THE DRAMA BROTHERS AS AN EXCUSE TO REFERENCE BUFFY, LET ME TELL YOU... DUDE. THE SCENES AT THE BRONZE AND THE COLLEGE HOUSE PARTIES WHERE INDIE/ROCK BANDS ARE PLAYING LIVE AND SMTH INSANE HAPPENS... CHANGED ME FUNDAMENTALLY. Omg i love buffy the vampire slayer hashtag feminism

[td-rarepairs]

Do you have any specific rare pairs you like?

this has been in the inbox for a WHILE because i DO but my memory goes blank every time i try to think of examples gjsjdjfwjd

sometimes what's really appealing to me is characters that could have had really interesting dynamics if given the screentime.... and sometimes it's about. i like these guys individually so i think they should kiss ^_^

off the top of my head, i really like lesheather (with fanon heather </3), the h-bombs, harlightning, harold w anyone out of his league lol. i guess i'm just partial to dynamics involving my favorite characters <3

[darklxdy]

And so I sneaked back and caught her with my man

STILLWATER | SKELETON | PINTEREST | PLAYLIST

ABOUT NANCY

BASICS Full Name: Nancy Marion Gallagher (nee Dean) Nicknames: Nance, Gallagher Gender: cisfemale Pronouns: she/her/hers Sexual Orientation: heterosexual Romantic Orientation: heteroromantic Birthdate: November 14th, 1933 Birthplace: Stillwater, California Neighborhood: Willowdale Occupation: cashier at Crawford's supermarket Ethnic Background: white Religious Views: christian Language(s) Spoken: English

PHYSICALITY Face Claim: Billie Piper Hair Color: naturally brunette, dyed some shade of blonde Eye Color: hazel Height: 5’5” Build: petite; slender. Tattoos: n/a Piercings: ears (standard lobes) Style/Aesthetic: Nancy's style exudes a captivating blend of understated elegance and a touch of edginess. She often opts for a monochromatic palette, favouring timeless neutrals like black, white and shades of grey. To inject a hint of rebellion into her style, Nancy incorporates unexpected accessories and unconventional pairings. A statement leather jacket, adorned with unique zippers and hardware, adds a touch of rebellious charm to her otherwise polished ensemble. She pairs this with a flowing, feminine dress or a sleek pencil skirt, creating an intriguing contrast that catches the eye. Usual Expression: a smile that seems somewhat too forced. Distinguishing Features: a slight overbite.

HEALTH & WELLNESS Physical Ailments: n/a Neurological Conditions: PTSD (mild) Allergies: peanuts (severe) Sleeping Habits: averages a few hours per night due to insomnia caused by her PTSD. Exercise Habits: Nancy enjoys going swimming when she can, it's one of the few activities she used to do with her children that she can still enjoy. Emotional Stability: 4/10–Nancy tends to lean towards being unstable, erratic. She can go from extreme happiness to extreme unhappiness in what seems like a click of a finger. Sociability: 6/10–Nancy definitely tries to be social but the paranoia of everyone thinking that she's guilty still gets the better of her. Body Temperature: cold. Addictions: n/a Alcohol Usage: social; will enjoy a drink or two when she is with others. Drug Usage: marijuana; to help with controlling her mental health.

PERSONALITY Positive Traits: resilient; observant; protective; resourceful; empathetic. Negative Traits: wallflower; vengeful; distrustful; stubborn; isolated. Goals/Desires: to reconnect with her children Fears: carcerophobia (the fear of going back to or being trapped in prison) Hobbies: gardening; reading; painting Habits: negative self-talk; daily journaling

FAVORITES Season: autumn Color: pale blue Music: classic rock Movie: gone with the wind Food: jello Beverage: tab Animal: red panda

FAMILY Father: Harold Dean Mother: Polly Dean Sibling(s): n/a Children: Justin Daniel Gallagher; Elodie Grace Gallagher Pet(s): n/a Family Financial Status: working class Relationship: Nancy used to be incredibly close with her parents, until the incident. While her mother wanted to show her unconditional support, her father prohibited it. Insisting that they had to do the honorable thing and raise the children away from the monster they had created. As such, she hasn't seen or heard from her parents since going to prison.

EXTRAS Astrological Placements: scorpio sun, capricorn moon, cancer rising. MBTI: INFJ Enneagram: 6– the loyalist Moral Alignment: chaotic good Primary Vice: fear Primary Virtue: patience Element: wind

BIOGRAPHY Born and raised in the close-knit town of Stillwater, Nancy Gallagher grew up in a family that cherished traditional values and taught her the importance of integrity and loyalty.

Throughout her youth, Nancy was known as the quiet observer, always present but rarely in the spotlight. She had an uncanny ability to blend into the background, becoming a confidante to those around her. People would unknowingly reveal their deepest secrets while Nancy listened intently, offering solace without needing to speak a word.

In high school, Nancy’s life took an unexpected twist when she found herself entangled in a captivating game of love with the star quarterback. Their courtship was a whirlwind of emotions, with Nancy playing hard to get, relishing in the chase. Against all odds, they defied expectations and tied the knot, creating a life together that seemed destined for happiness.

However, the fairy tale crumbled when Nancy discovered her spouse’s infidelity. Unfazed by embarrassment, she struck a deal, promising to keep the affair a secret if they would leave the family home, allowing Nancy and their children to remain undisturbed. Nancy’s strength and determination to protect her babies prevailing over her shattered heart.

The day of their departure was etched in Nancy’s memory like a haunting spectre. She took her children out for ice cream, attempting to distract them from the turmoil within their home. Returning to an empty house, Nancy was perplexed to find her former spouse’s car still parked in the driveway. Annoyance quickly turned to shock as she discovered their lifeless body in the foyer.

The gut-wrenching scream that escaped Nancy’s lips was a testament to the depths of her anguish. The town was stunned when the police arrived, not to console her, but to arrest her for a crime she had not committed. No matter how she fought, pleaded, and begged, the wheels of justice seemed determined to crush her spirit.

For ten long, agonising years, Nancy languished in prison, her innocence a burden she carried with unwavering resolve. She was a skeleton of her former self, her spirit tested with the harsh realities of confinement. But even in the darkest moments, Nancy clung to the flickering hope of redemption; of seeing her babies again.

Finally, a glimmer of light emerged as new evidence came to light, exposing the truth. Nancy was released, but the scars of the past remained. She emerged from prison with nothing more than a plastic bag containing the clothes she wore on her first day of incarceration. 

Now “free”, Nancy faces the daunting challenge of rebuilding her life in a town that still views her as guilty. Her children, once innocent and carefree, had grown up in her absence, and reconnecting with them proves to be both a joyous and painful process.

[denimbex1986]

'Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's sweeping new biographical thriller about the "father of the atomic bomb", has opened to a glowing reception around the world. In India, it's been a hit too but some have protested against a scene depicting the scientist reading the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism's holiest books, after sex. Oppenheimer learnt the ancient Sanskrit language and counted the book as one of his favourites.

In July 1945, two days before the explosion of the first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert, Robert Oppenheimer recited a stanza from the Bhagavad Gita, or The Lord's Song.

Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist, had been introduced to Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language, and subsequently the Gita, as a teacher in Berkeley years before. More than 2,000-year-old, Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata - one of Hinduism's greatest epics - and at 700 verses, the world's longest poem.

Now, hours before an event that would change history, the "father of the atomic bomb" relieved his tension by reciting a stanza he had translated from Sanskrit:

In battle, in forest, at the precipice of the mountains

On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows,

In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame,

The good deeds a man has done before defend him

As Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin write in their authoritative 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer, a young Oppenheimer was introduced to Sanskrit by Arthur W Ryder, a professor of Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley. The precocious physicist had arrived there as a 25-year-old assistant professor. Over the next few decades, he helped build one of the "greatest schools of theoretical physics" in the US.

Ryder, a Republican and a "sharp tongued iconoclast", was fascinated by Oppenheimer. For his part, Oppenheimer regarded Ryder as a "quintessential intellectual", a scholar who "felt and thought and talked as a stoic". The young scientist's textile importer father agreed, saying Ryder was a "remarkable combination of austereness through which peeps the gentlest soul".

Oppenheimer - played by actor Cillian Murphy in the biopic - also regarded Ryder as a rare person who had "a tragic sense of life, in that they attribute to human actions the completely decisive role in the difference between salvation and damnation".

Soon, Ryder was giving Oppenheimer private lessons in Sanskrit on Thursday evenings. "I am learning Sanskrit," the scientist wrote to his brother Frank, "enjoying it very much and enjoying again the sweet luxury of being taught".

Many of his friends found his new obsession with an Indian language odd, Oppenheimer's biographers noted. One of them, Harold F Cherniss, who introduced the scientist to the scholar, thought it made "perfect sense" because Oppenheimer had a "taste of the mystical and the cryptic".

So Oppenheimer's knowledge of Sanskrit and the Gita is clearly germane to telling his story. But some right wing Hindus have complained - particularly about the sex scene with lover Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh - saying the film is an attack on their religion and demanding cuts.

But India's film censors found no problem with it and at the box office it's the Hollywood hit of the year in India, faring better than Barbie since the two blockbusters opened on Friday.

There's no doubt Oppenheimer was a widely well-read man - he took courses in philosophy, French literature, English, history, and briefly considered studying architecture, and even becoming a classicist, poet or painter. He wrote poems on "themes of sadness and loneliness", and identified with TS Eliot's "sparse existentialism" in The Waste Land.

"He liked things that were difficult. And since almost everything was easy for him, the things that really would attract his attention were essentially the difficult," Cherniss said.

With his facility for languages - Oppenheimer had studied Greek, Latin, French and German and learned Dutch in six weeks - it "wasn't really long before" he was reading the Bhagavad Gita. He found it "very easy and quite marvellous" and told friends that it was the "most beautiful philosophical song existing in any known tongue". In his bookshelf was a pink-covered copy of the book that Ryder had gifted him; and Oppenheimer himself gifted copies to his friends.

The biographers write that the scientist was so "enraptured by his Sanskrit studies" that in 1933 when his father brought him a Chrysler, he named it Garuda, after the giant bird God in Hindu mythology.

In spring of that year, Oppenheimer had written a rather florid letter to his brother explaining why discipline and work had always been his guiding principles. It pointed to the fact that he was enthralled by eastern philosophy.

He wrote: "through discipline, though not through discipline alone, we can achieve serenity, and a certain small but precious measure of freedom from the accidents of incarnation… and that detachment which preserves the world it renounces". Only through discipline, he added, is it possible to "see the world without the gross distraction of personal desire, and in seeing so, accept more easily our earthly privation and its earthly horror".

"In the late twenties, Oppenheimer seemed to be searching for an earthly detachment; he wished, in other words to be engaged as a scientist with the physical world, and yet detached from it," his biographers write.

"He was not seeking to escape to a purely spiritual realm. He was not seeking religion. What he sought was peace of mind. The Gita seemed to provide precisely the right philosophy for an intellectual keenly attuned to the affairs of men and the pleasures of the senses."

One of his favourite Sanskrit texts was the Meghaduta, a lyric poem written by Kalidasa, one of the greatest poets in the language. "The Meghaduta I read with Ryder, with delight, some ease and great enchantment," he wrote to his brother, Frank.

Why did Oppenheimer turn to Gita and its notions of karma, destiny and earthly duty so fervently? His biographers hazard a guess: "Perhaps the attraction Robert felt to the fatalism of the Gita was at least stimulated by a late blooming rebellion against what he had been taught as a youth", alluding to his early association with the Ethical Culture Society, an "uniquely American offshoot of Judaism that celebrated rationalism and a progressive brand of secular humanism".

To be sure, Oppenheimer was not alone in admiring the Hindu text. Henry David Thoreau wrote about immersing himself in the "stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial". Heinrich Himmler was an admirer. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent follower. And WB Yeats and TS Eliot, two poets Oppenheimer admired, had read the Mahabharata.

The sight of the giant orange mushroom cloud rising in the skies after the first atomic bomb test had led Oppenheimer to return to the Gita again. The bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II had killed tens of thousands of people.

"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent," he told NBC in a 1965 documentary.

"I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu [a principal Hindu deity] is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I have become death, the destroyer of the worlds'. I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."

A friend of the scientist said the quote sounded like one of Oppenheimer's "priestly exaggerations".

Yet, the enigmatic scientist remained profoundly influenced by it.

When the editors of The Christian Century asked the scientist once to share the books that most profoundly influenced his philosophical outlook, Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal held the top spot. And the Bhagavad Gita took the second position.'

[tickle-page]

Total Dramarama tickle Headcanons

A/N: Yh… I didn’t know where to start on this.

Cody Anderson:

Lee:

He’s so fucking cute, you don’t even know

His laugh is 10x more adorable then his voice

By that he just giggles, never laughs. Only if you get his worst spot, then he’ll start pleading.

Boiiiii, You better say your prayers if you hit his death spot.

He likes getting tickled, more so loves it to be exact, but he hates it if you touch his armpits.

That’s his worst spot right there.

He’s a 5 on the ticklish scale, he wishes he was more tbh.

Tickling puts him in his feels, like a fever dream.

He’ll ask the other kids to tickle him, and they’ll do it.

The girls usually team up on him, whenever he asks to get tickled.

He may be the one that no one cares about, but tell care if he’s in a Lee mood.

Which is every other day, tbf.

Ler:

He’s revengeful after someone tickles him.

So be prepared to run if you tickle him, or don’t [as].

He’s not very fast, nor is he strong.

He will try to tickle you back tho, even if he enjoyed the moment.

He seeks ppls laughs and attention

He’s not gonna stop till he achieves his goal.

And if he does manage to tickle you back, all you have to do is say stop and he will.

He’s shy when it comes to revenge, but he also has a ler mood, so it doesn’t stop him.

His usual target is everyone he catches.

Since he’s bad at getting revenge, anyone will do, really.

Duncan:

Lee:

Boi, is he ticklish, or what?!

Like the most ticklish kid in the daycare!!

Can we go above the ticklish scale on him?!

And it made everyone’s mission to exploit this weakness.

It’s a weakness Duncan wish he never had.

He hates being tickled, and he hates ppl teasing him abt how sensitive he is.

One little poke and a smirk, and he starts begging.

It goes like:

“Don’t do ANYTHING you’re thinking of right now!”

“Please, don’t do this! I’m way too ticklish!”

“Stop, stopstopstopstop!!!! STAHAHAHP!!! Please!! Have mercy. Don’t touch me, idiots!”

Yeah, he has anxiety giggles, but more like anxiety laughs.

You better know how to pin this bull down.

Hinting to Owen, he’s the only one who can successfully pin him down

Then he calls for back up getting everyone to tickle team up on Duncan

Poor him😞

Not to mention his worst spot is his neck

Twinsies!!!

He’s canonically ticklish, when his parents came to the daycare dressed as cheese and bannas

And they sang a song about him, with a line that goes “We love to tickle his two feet”

Ler:

This boy is ruthless!!

He will catch you and tickle you back.

Wether it be for revenge or not.

He usually is way too busy trying to escape the daycare

So it’s really rare for him to just randomly tickle people

He would also tickle anyone who gets on his nerves

So, don’t. And I mean don’t, mess with him if you wanna live.

It’s a must and a do!

Don’t even test his limits

If he says:

“Mess with me again, and you’ll regret it”

“*Name* Quit interfering with my breakout, or I’ll make you!”

Or

“One more silly remark, and your toast.”

Then you should stop

That’s his warnings

And he’ll only give you one warning till he tickles you.

Don’t even try asking for help.

They won’t.

For someone who is extremely ticklish, he’ll manage to get anyone back who helps you

So they learned their lesson.

Oh, and his usual target(s) are, Noah and Jude, god he has it out for him.

Harold:

Lee:

He’s not ticklish, like…at all.

And even if he was, he knows way too many ninja moves to be taken down by tickles

You’ll have to be on edge with him.

I don’t think this counts as being “a lee”, but I’ll put it down anyways.

Ler:

As I was saying for the lee part, he’s a ninja, so he’s good at tickling people

If you’re hiding from his ler mood, he knows how to find you, and where to.

Under the couch?

He’s waiting on it, to pounce on you when you get out.

In the bathroom?

He’s got that covered.

(Only for the boys though. Gotta be respectful✊)

Basically, there is no spot that you tried hiding, w/o him finding you.

Never.

Ever.

Ever.

He won’t let you go even if you start begging.

But if it’s a girl, he will respect you, and stop.

Though, if it’s a boy, he won’t let you go, even if you start begging.

Sometimes Duncan, or any boys at that, has to call on Chef to help them, and this predicament.

In which Chef pulls him off, sometimes resulting to time out.

Depending on how severe it gets.

Yh, Harold’s not the brightest when he’s in a ler mood.

Jude:

Lee:

Lazy boyo!!

He doesn’t like getting tickled, because it’s such a drag to get tickled

He’s a 10, on the dot!

Idk, it just ruins his vibes.

He’s the second ticklish kid.

Him and Duncan always fights over who’s more ticklish.

It results in Duncan losing, obviously.

They both really hate being tickled, but they also hate being the most sensitive.

It started off with the class crowding the both of them, saying:

“Wow, you guys are so ticklish, Idk who’s more ticklish though.”

And Duncan obviously wouldn’t take that:

“What do you mean?! It’s Jude! He’s the most ticklish, obviously.”

And Jude wouldn’t let that slide:

“Nah, dudes. It’s Duncan, totally!”

And Cortney says:

“Only one way to find out, TICKLE FIGHT!!”

“No way I’m doing a tickle fig-“

Duncan was cut off by Jude pouncing on him.

He knew he was gonna win, so he tickled the other one.

Though, it resulted in a tickle fight, with Duncan begging for mercy.

His worst spot is his knees.

Go for the knees, if you wanna win

*cough* Duncan *cough cough*

But yh, his laugh is very mello, but loud if you do anything to his death spot.

Please!!

Don’t do anything to them😭

I’m pretty sure he’s canonically ticklish.

I see a vid on YouTube abt him getting tickled by bugs, it wasn’t long though.

But I can’t find the vid anymore

And I didn’t finish the show, so I don’t know what episode it was. *Sad emoji*.

Ler:

He’s not one to be in a ler mood, only if he’s trynna prove to everyone that Duncan is the most ticklish person.

Then he’ll absolutely destroy him!

And you bet everyone, including Chef, will be on the sidelines watching.

Making Duncan embarrassed, aging on Jude, making him ruthless

Basically telling him to keep going, if he sees that embarrassed look on Duncan

Maybe Duncan will learn twice before tickling him!

But yeah, if you tickle him, he’ll be way too tired to get revenge.

So you’re safe

Well, until he is in a mood to get revenge

Which is mostly never with his macho attitude.

With this information, everyone will tickle him.

But for some reason, he always makes space in his brain, to tickle Duncan back.

Something abt the boy tickling him, just pisses him off.

Noah:

Lee:

This guy has to be the third ticklish, though he’s not extremely ticklish

Like a 7 at best.

Though, this doesn’t prevent ppl from tickling him.

He doesn’t mind it, but prefers to not get tickled, if there was an option.

Like if he sees a tickle fight break lose, he won’t join in.

But if somebody tickles him, he won’t fight back.

He’ll mostly just beg and plead, like:

“Stohohohop”

“Plehehehehase”

“Please, stop!”

He’s just too busy to be tickled.

Always working on something

That something has to do with being smart😭.

He will fight back if you touch any where on his thighs.

Like the spot where his thighs meet his inner thighs.

Like he’ll do anything in his power to fight back

Mostly resorting to Chef, if there doesn’t seem like any hope for him.

It’s always Owen who tickles him all the time.

Considering they’re besties.

But even besties need to know someone’s limits.

So Owen knows not to touch his death spot.

Ler:

He doesn’t care abt being a ler.

He loves tickling Owen though.

Because that’s what besties do.

They tickle each other!

Resulting to a tickle fight.

Noah likes to exploit his weaknesses, tickling his worst spot, then tickling his least worst spot

“It’s all about strategy, my friend”

As Noah literally goes ham on Owen.

Noah will listen to Owen when he says stop, not trying to be the big b-word to his best friend.

Just couple of dudes knowing each other’s boundaries and limits.

Owen:

Lee:

He’s a 6 on the ticklish scale.

Not as worse as his best friend, Noah, but still giggles when being tickled.

Please, he’s so cute when being tickled

You don’t even know.

Like have mercy on him, why don’t you, Noah?!

Ofc, Noah will stop when Owen says to

They actually have their very own safe word, it being “pizza”

Considering that’s Owen’s favorite food.

Owen loves being tickled

Usually going to his best friend for some tickles

God forbid, he asks anyone else though

Even though Cody asks to be tickled, by literally everyone

Owen will be too embarrassed to even ask someone who he knows won’t judge him

Like, Izzy, or Beth, or Bridgette, or even Cody himself.

He gets all red when he thinks about asking anyone else.

His worst spot is his tummy, Ofc!!

Noah thinks it’s cute when he swirls his finger in Owen’s belly button

Making him shriek and giggle.

But like anywhere on his stomach is a killer spot for him

Ler:

He’s really good at tickling people

Tickling Noah, but stopping when he says the safe word, ofc.

He’s not a dick

He’s also really merciful when it comes to him tickling someone else

Always making sure they have a safeword

Asking if they’re ok in between tickling sessions

Though, if he knows for sure you don’t like being tickled, he won’t tickle you

Respecting your boundaries.

[oldthymefarm]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Home Geography for Primary Grades Harold W. Fairbanks 1915 HB.

[skydinzeal]

🌟England, Angel-land (Anglo) before it was the Britons therein... The Anglo Saxons go back to Denmark. They merged w. the Britons & others naturally. These "English" fought off invasions/interests of the Pope, the Vikings & Normans simultaneously! 🔭🌠💜👽✨🌠💜👽✨ King Harold Godwinson, the story hidden, was assassinated, he was the rightful heir... Our past is brutal, since then England has only had Norman ancestry in the castle. 🔭🌠💜👽✨🌠💜👽✨ 😇°`• I hand-make talismans, paintings/sculptures for you or your loved ones!🌷All of my creations are made of 100s of ancient, powerful symbols! I've tested and taught Spiritual practices via my classes at NYCs Edgar Cayce Center for 10 years. 🌷🔥🌟💥⚡☀️✨ I have been trying to rebuild all my jewelry & art that was stolen when I was assaulted & robbed (10 times past few years) I am looking for a quality SPIRITUAL STORE or ART GALLERY to TRULY help with sales/marketing their work & mine! I am a rare, tireless entertainer, salesperson and psychic. I have huge internet reach and can work day and night continuously! I don't even need to eat. I have got by on hard work & skill alone, not cheating & it shows! If you would like to make a connection happen contact me. If it works out I will pay you! 🌟 A very modest GoFundMe here! Please spread the word! https://gofund.me/82ac1c5b Thank you!🌟💜🗽💜🎿💜❄️💜🦌 . . . . . #Norsemythology #norsepaganism #dutchancestry #Druid #haroldgodwinson #Sorcerer #Tarot #williamtheconquerer #Spells #magick #celtic #magicalsymbols #metaphysical #metaphysicalart #Divination #healingart #battleofhastings #Newage #Occult #ParanormalART #anglosaxons #normaninvasion #newageart #runes #Spiritualart #paganart #spiritualjewelry #paganism #occultsymbols http://dlvr.it/SyQdR1

[loserchildhotpants]

I have no organization for my readings lmao and I can never choose favorites of anything, but I can recommend some recent reads! But be warned, i rarely read fiction and so i know my recs might be v boring to some lol

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

2. Education of a Coroner by John Bateson

3. The Final Leap by John Bateson

4. Life on the Edge by Suzanne Bea Slover Leahy

5. Deranged by Harold Schetcher

6. The Science of False Memory by Brainerd Reyna

7. Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

8. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

9. Never Whistle At Night (an indigenous dark fiction anthology) edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Ive forgotten everyone I’ve ever known so if you wanna be tagged by me in future stuff like this, reblog w your recs!

Top 9 Books

thanks for the tag @thewolvesof1998 - I hope your move is going well!!

According to my StoryGraph I read 97 books last year and my Goodreads says I read 121 in 2021, and who knows how many more before I started counting so I've got a lot of books to choose from.

In no particular order

1. The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater

2. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

3. The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacobs

4. The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

6. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

8. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

9. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Bonus #10 - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sanez

This is literally just nine random books from my 'books to rec' list. They're all pretty different, but I love them for so many different reasons.

Tagging (no pressure) @monsterrae1 @spotsandsocks @acountrygirlsfun @loserdiaz @loserchildhotpants @rosieposiepuddingnpie @generatorcat @forthewolves @ladiekatie @eddiebabygirldiaz and anyone else who wants to share their book recs!

[harrisonarchive]

The Beatles in Hamburg, November 1962; photos by Astrid Kirchherr.

On October 5, 1962, “Love Me Do” c/w "P.S. I Love You" was released as a single in the UK.

“First hearing ‘Love Me Do’ on the radio sent me shivery all over. It was the best buzz of all time.” - George Harrison, The Beatles Anthology (2000)

“I remember when they did ‘Love Me Do,’ their first record, and George told us it *might* be going to be on Radio Luxembourg. We all stayed up till two o’clock, glued to the set, and nothing happened. Harold went to bed, as he had to be up at five for the early shift on the buses. In the end, I went up to bed as well. I was just in the bedroom, when George came rushing up the stairs with the radio, shouting, ‘We’re on, we’re on.’ Harold woke up and said, ‘Who’s brought that noisy gramophone in here?’” - Louise Harrison; from the introduction to the 2002 edition of The Beatles: The Authorized Biography (1968)

As for the photo session featured in this post...

“At first I didn’t like [these] at all. Brian said, ‘They’ve got these new suits,’ and he wanted shots that were nice and neat. I didn’t know where to put them. It was a completely different feel from my usual work. [...] George looks like Peter Pan [in the photo of him seated]! I took this session in Reinhart Wolf’s studio. Usually, I preferred to use daylight, but that was taken with flash." - Astrid Kirchherr, The Beatles: Classic, Rare & Unseen (x)

[ananapanini]

Harold, They’re Lesbians (LGBTQ+ states hc list)

Will be adding to this throughout pride month till we’ve got everyone on it

FTM trans + Bi CDC

He has the vibes

I want the science boy to deck someone who says gender identities aren’t real

He would’ve only gotten top surgery because he’s Busy and doesn’t care enough to fully transition

But all trans people don’t have to get all their surgeries, he’s happy where he is and that’s all that matters

Genderfluid + Gay Wisconsin

Poor cheesehead has no idea what’s happening

They’ll think they’ve figured out what they’re identifying as but then-

ope no never mind, she feels better at a girl

Fuck- wait no he’s a dude

Someone help the boi, he’s Midwestern with limited knowledge on this, he doesn’t understand-

Florida.

He (they? She? Xe?) doesn’t know what his gender is and he doesn’t care

All he knows is that he’s not cis but? Kinda still fine with he/him?

He’s attracted to,, humans? But specific? But not?

He likes People and has a Body, and isn’t gonna bother looking into it further

Is he bi? Pan? Omni? Trans? Genderfluid? Enby? W h o knows? Definitely not him, and he won’t know any time soon because he doesn’t care to find out

And that’s okay

Florida doesn’t have to know, he’s happy where he is

Was this projection? Mayhaps but I’m a rare actually-born-here Floridian so it’s practically canon

Demiboy + Ace Biromantic California

Because he has the vibes

You can’t tell me he doesn’t

Agender + Demi DC

Xe/xem specifically because @s-e-v-e-n-24 has spoiled me

Xe just need to have a good sturdy connection and then maybe xe’ll do somthing

But that would require the person to take the time to build a relationship with DC

So xyr alone

For now

CisF + Aromantic Pansexual IDC

She would like to pass on the romance thing

It’s a vibe tho

The non-ace aro representation that we need ™

Watch her have a QPR and it be so wholesome

Best friends

I vote Canada

Nonbianary + Gay Wyoming

They/them

But they’re closeted because they don’t like the others all in their business

They might tell One important person to them (best friend? A love interest? Who knows)

Genderflux + Pan New Hampshire

They are here to do whatever the hell they feel like

And you can’t stop them

[whumpcollector]

Lucas Pt.7: The Good Doctor

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO EVERYONE. We’re back at it with another part of Lucas’ story. We’re going to start meeting some new faces. I hope everyone here enjoys!

CW: Medical whump. (I think thats it? If I missed anything please let me know).

“...he...injured…”

“...put...gently...don’t”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...doing...when…”

“...alive...not…”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...any...worried…”

“...patient...wait…”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucas fluttered in and out of consciousness, becoming aware for a few moments before slipping back into darkness. He could hear small snippets of conversation, but nothing substantial. In one of his rare moments of lucidity he attempted to look around, but he didn’t see anyone before he blacked out again.

When Lucas did return to the world it was slowly, almost unwillingly. There was a safety in oblivion, one that a part of him wanted to keep. As he felt consciousness return a small voice spoke out, pleading with him to just stay asleep. He wasn’t being hurt if he was asleep, and if he woke up who kno-

“LUCAS!”

Lucas awoke with a jolt, eyes shooting open and darting around the room. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. The first thing he noticed was the concerned face of… Mehrzad, yes Mehrzad was his name. There was also another man next to him, he had the same dark tanned skin Mehrzad had, but his face was slimmer and with a full beard. 

The next thing Lucas noticed was how sore he was. A soft groan escaped his lips as he looked down at his body. His arms and torso were covered in blood stained bandages, and a thin blanket covered his legs. Lucas tried to sit up, only to have the bearded man gently place a hand on his chest and push him back down.

“Do not waste your energy, my friend. You are still recovering, you need to rest.”

The man's voice was smooth, kind, comforting even. Lucas did as he was told, best not to anger whoever this man was. He laid down on the cot he was on, taking a deep breath as a sharp pain shot up one of his arms. 

“You must be in a lot of pain. Hold on one moment.” The man turned away, rummaging around before turning back with a small wooden bowl. “Here drink this, it will soothe you.”

Lucas looked at the bowl held in front of his face. A thick green liquid sloshed around inside. A grimace crossed his face, he wasn’t sure how much he believed this man. Still, an order was given and his kind was to obey. He pushed his lips to the rim of the bowl and let the man tilt it forwards, spilling the liquid into his mouth. The moment it touched his lips Lucas had to suppress a gag. He swallowed it before coughing and sputtering, trying to force out the taste left in his mouth. 

The man let out a small chuckle. “I apologize for not mentioning the taste. However I have found that it is… easier… to convince my patients to drink it if I am not upfront about that fact.”

Mehrzad raised an eyebrow. “What exactly did you have him drink, love?”

“Oh an herbal mixture meant to soothe pain. Effective, but rather… unpleasant to the tongue.” The man turned to Lucas, offering a small smile. “My name is Jawad, you are Lucas, yes?”

Lucas nodded and tried to speak before realizing how dry his throat was. His words came out choked and stunted and another fit of coughing followed after. Jawad quickly reached for a pitcher of water, pouring it into a clean bowl and offering it to Lucas. The boy drank greedily, downing three more bowls of water before feeling satiated. 

“Thirsty eh?” Mehrzad asked.

Lucas froze, panic creeping into his stomach. Had he done something wrong? Jawad had offered him the water so he was allowed to drink it, right? Or was it a test? But they let him drink as much as he wanted, so it was okay then? Maybe they were waiting to see how much he w-

“LUCAS!”

Lucas was snapped out of his spiraling, Mehrzad shaking his shoulders lightly.

“Are you alright?”

Lucas took a deep breath before nodding. His eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Mehrzad and Jawad looked at him with confusion and concern respectively. After a beat of silence Jawad looked towards his husband.

“Perhaps it would be best if you left us for now.”

Mehrzad cocked an eyebrow and turned towards Jawad. They shared a look for a moment before Mehrzad nodded and stood up, making his way out of the tent. Jawad turned back to Lucas and stood up, walking over to a table covered in bowls and bandages. 

“You are a mage Lucas, is that correct?”

Lucas nodded before realizing the man was looking away and couldn’t see him. He coughed, his throat still dry before talking for the first time in what felt like forever.

“Y-yes sir. I’m a mage.”

Jawad let out a small chuckle. “Oh no need for such pleasantries my friend. Just Jawad will suffice. Sir makes me sound old and I would much prefer to deny that fact for as long as I can.”

Lucas blanched. “I’m sorry s- Jawad, I didn't mean to offend.” He looked down, screwing his eyes shut and hoping he would be let off with a warning.

“Oh no need to apologize, no offense taken.” 

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief, looks like he got off easy this time. Jawad finished whatever he was working on at the table and returned to Lucas’ bedside. He sat down, offering Lucas another bowl of water which the boy drank with slight apprehension. 

“You are the first mage I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I’ve heard the stories of course, even seen a few from afar, but never have I had the opportunity to speak to one.” He scratched his beard absentmindedly. “If you don’t mind my saying I am excited to have you under my care. There were many rumors in my old university about the physiology of mages, and now I have the opportunity to see how much of it is true.”

Oh. So that was his game. Lucas wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Then again, how he felt didn’t really matter. 

Jaws continued. “You gave me quite the scare a little while ago.” Jawad gently took Lucas’ arm, inspecting the bloodied bandages. “You were in rough shape when Mehrzad brought you to me, but I managed to patch you up well enough. I thought you were just fine, but next thing I know I go to check on you and your bandages are soaked with blood.”

Jawad looked up at Lucas quizzically. “It seems that overnight what must have been dozens of lacerations had appeared all over your body, with no apparent cause.” He gestured towards Lucas. “I can only imagine that such phenomena must be magical in nature, would you happen to know how or why that might have happened?”

Lucas thought for a bit. He didn’t really understand how his magic worked, least of all what might cause something like that. “I’m sorry, I… I don’t know why that, um, happened.” Lucas fidgeted, watching Jawad for any sign of anger or frustration. “Um, sorry. I don’t really...sorry.” 

Jawad tilted his head, scrunching his eyebrows as if he were confused by something. “I see… well, no matter, whatever magical cause your condition may have originated from, it seems my mortal medicine is more than adept at treating it.” He stood up, turning back to the table he had been fiddling with. “Which does bring me to another matter that must be resolved.”

Jawad picked a large bowl off of the table and walked back to Lucas. The bowl was filled with bandages that were soaking in a pungent smelling liquid. Jawad set the bowl down next to Lucas and took a seat, his mouth set into a thin line. Lucas fidgeted, a bad feeling settling into his stomach.

“Your bandages need to be changed. Your current ones are soaked through and I would like to avoid infection as much as possible.” The doctor sighed. “It will be less than pleasant. Bloody bandages have a way of… sticking to wounds. Removing them will hurt.”

Lucas grimaced slightly and nodded his head at the doctor’s words. He knew this was coming. Oh well, he could handle a little pain. Whatever would keep his new owner… owners? Happy. 

“Alright, let us take care of it then.” 

Jawad began to pull at the bandages on Lucas’ arms, slowly unravelling them. The outer layers fell away with no issue, the soiled linen hanging off of Lucas’ arm. Once Jawad had reached the layer attached to Lucas’ skin he paused, looking up at the mage.

“Are you ready?”

Lucas nodded and the doctor began to peel away the last layer of bandages. Lucas cringed, sucking in air through his mouth as the bandages came off. Jawad had not lied, the bandages were stuck to his arm and having them removed felt like he was being scraped raw by rough gravel. Still, it wasn’t the worst thing he had ever felt and it didn’t take long for all of the bandages on his arm to be removed. 

Removing the rest of the bandages on his other arm and torso was an unpleasant but bearable process. As Jawad went to dispose of the soiled bandages Lucas looked down at his now bare skin. He was covered in cuts and scrapes, most of which were still open but not actively bleeding. The leylines on his body were a dull brown instead of their usual red. That was… unsettling. 

“Alright Lucas,” said Jawad as he wiped his hand clean with a wet rag. “Now we come to the next part, applying new bandages.” He gestured towards the bowl. “I will be blunt, this will be very painful. The medicine I use tends to… burn… when it comes in contact with open wounds and, well…”

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. 

“Best we get it over with then.” 

The moment the fresh linen touched Lucas’ skin he had to bite back a scream. The skin beneath the bandage felt as if it were set on fire. His mind went back to master Harold and his performances, when his magic flared and surged through his limbs. This wasn’t as bad, but it was close.

Jawad finished applying the first bandage and began to work on the next. Every wrap caused more and more of his arm to burn, and Jawad was doing anything but working quickly.

“I understand you want this to be over as quickly as possible but I must be thorough. If I don't do it right the first time I’ll have to start over again and I’m certain you don’t want that.”

Jawad was right, Lucas didn’t want that. He bit down on his hand, trying to muffle himself and avoid annoying the doctor. He knew a threat when he heard one and he had no intention of giving Jawad a reason to follow up on it.

The work continued at a slow pace. Jawad made sure that no skin could be seen through the wrappings, that every inch of his upper body was covered in the burning medicine. Tears flowed from Lucas’ eyes by the end and his breaths were shaky and broken up by stifled sobs. Jawad gently lowered Lucas back onto the bed, patting his shoulder softly enough to not aggravate his injuries further. A mercy Lucas was grateful for. 

“There, done. Would like some more of that pain reliever I gave you earlier?”

Lucas gave a shaky nod, watching the doctor walk away. He was… confused by the offer. Why bother doing all this to him if he was going to try and get rid of the pain right after? Him being hurt was the point right? Otherwise why bother wasting medicine on him? He paused his train of thought when Jawad returned, holding another bowl to his lips. Lucas grateful drank the viscous liquid, not minding the taste and waiting for its numbing effects to kick in. The burning across his body did subside a bit and Lucas let out a relieved sigh. 

Well, whatever the doctor’s motivations were Lucas would not complain about any offered respite. 

Jawad sat back down, looking over his handiwork one last time before speaking to Lucas. “Hopefully we will not need to do that again. Your wounds should be healed enough by the time those bandages are to be removed.” Jawad paused, thinking for a moment. “I actually had a question about that. I had heard that mages possessed...miraculous natural healing talents, potent enough to handle even near mortal injury. However, you have not shown such abilities? Are they something mages possess or was that just a rumor?”

Lucas processed Jawad’s question for a moment before thoughts began to race through his head. Why hadn’t he healed yet? Jawad had said it had been at least a day… was there something wrong with his magic? The leylines on his arms had looked weird. What if… what if his magic was gone? 

Panic flared in Lucas' stomach and he instinctively tried to summon a small flame. Nothing came and his panic worsened. This wasn’t the first time his magic failed to respond, but this was different. Usually when it failed it was because his magic had been exhausted, like a well that had run dry. Now it wasn almost like… there was nothing there, as if the well had been filled and sealed away entirely.    

Lugas wrapped his arms around himself, trying to slow his breathing. No, no this couldn’t be the case. He couldn’t have lost his magic. A mage without magic was… nothing. Nothing at all. If he couldn’t do magic… what could he offer? How could he serve? 

Lucas felt a rough shake and turned to see Jawad. The man was shaking his shoulder and talking, but Lucas couldn’t hear his words over the roaring in his ears. What should he say? The doctor probably wouldn’t be happy to learn he had just wasted medicine on a… defective mage. Maybe… maybe he could lie? Say that healing wasn’t something most mages had. Maybe… maybe that would give him some time to figure out how to get his magic back. But if his magic came back then so would his healing, and then Jawad would find out that Lucas had lied to him and th-

A hand struck Lucas sharply on his cheek, bringing his thoughts to a screeching halt and causing him to shrink into himself. He looked at Jawad. The doctor was standing now, bending over to keep their eyes level with both hands on Lucas’ shoulders. The doctor looked troubled, his eyebrows were furrowed and his lips formed a thin frown. Lucas shrinked back further, as far as he could with Jawad’s holding him. 

The doctor’s face softened. “I apologize for that, Lucas, but it didn’t seem like you could hear me and I needed you to calm down.” 

“S-sorry, I’m sorry.”

“It's ok, you are not in any trouble my friend.” Jawad removed his hands from Lucas’ shoulders, giving him space and sitting back down. “Now Lucas, please, tell me what is wrong. If I can help, I promise I will.”

Lucas gulped, his throat felt very very dry. “I… yes. Mages do have healing, at least I think most of them do. I-I do at least. Um… but it's… not working. N-none of my magic is right now.” He looked down, tapping his knuckles together and waiting for Jawad’s response. 

Jawad hummed thoughtfully. “Your magic isn’t working? Hmmmm.” he stroked his chin, thinking to himself. Without a world he stood up and walked back towards the table. He shifted things around before picking up a large journal, flipping through the pages and scanning each one at what seemed like inhuman speed. Once he found the page he was looking for he paused, squinting his eyes and peering closer at the page. After a moment his eyes widened slightly and he placed the journal down, turning to walk out of the tent. “I will return shortly, Lucas.” 

With that Jawad left and Lucas was left alone. He let out another sigh, laying back down and placing his hands over his stomach. The pain across his body had greatly subsided, whatever that substance was proving to be effective. Now all Lucas felt was tired. Jawad didn’t say when he would be back, and Lucas could probably… get… away… with……

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A light shake woke Lucas up, his eyes blinking blearily. Jawad hovered over him, holding another bowl. It smelled like food, and Lucas noticed just how hungry he was. Maybe he could beg for some later on.

“Hello Lucas. I’m sorry to wake you but I brought you some food. It’s been at least a day since you last ate and you’ll need your energy.”

Oh. Lucas took the bowl from Jawad, careful not to spill any of it on the bed. He looked down at the food in his hand. It was a normal stew, with chunks of meat and vegetables swimming in a thick broth. Lucas felt his mouth begin to water and quickly placed the rim of the bowl to his lips and began to drink greedily. The broth was rich and warm, the best food Lucas had had since… well for a while.

“Ha, I see you are hungry. Here, take this.” Jawad held a wooden spoon out to Lucas, who realized how he must look and took the utensil sheepishly. “It tends to make eating easier.”

Lucas nodded thanks and began to shovel stew into his mouth, savoring each bite. The meat and vegetables were juicy and tender, everything coming together perfectly. This wa-

“What in the EVERLIVING FUCK do you think you are doing?”

Lucas choked on his stew, dropping the bowl and spoon and hacking out rough coughs. Stew spilled across his lap, bruning him and covering the bed and his pants in broth and chunks of food. He looked up to see a tall, well built man standing at the entrance of the tent. Lucas cowered back, holding his hands in front of his mouth nervously. What had he done wrong? What… what was going to happen to him?

The man looked at him in surprise before gathering himself. “Shit kid, sorry.” He held up one hand in a placating gesture. “I didn’t mean to startle you like that, my bad.” He turned away to face Jawad and brandished the sheet of paper he held in his hand. “Jawad what the fuck is this?”

Jawad for his part was speaking in a language Lucas didn’t recognize. He scrambled around, grabbing a washcloth and trying to clean Lucas off. He turned to the man and began yelling in the strange language, Lucas didn’t understand anything but he had the feeling there were plenty of swears involved. 

The man held his hands up defensively. “Yeah, yeah I’m sorry alright? I didn’t mean to startle him like that.” He turned to Lucas again and offered an apologetic look. Lucas simply stared at him and he turned back to the doctor. “Seriously Jawad, what the hell are you thinking?”

Jawad finished his cleaning and huffed, “I am requisitioning medical supplies.” He gestured to the list. “Everything on there should be in the next major city we visit.”

The man looked at Jawad incredulously. “‘Requisition medical supplies’? Is that what you call trying to bankrupt us?” He scanned his eyes down the list. “Unghol scales, lyndwurm venom, sylken fibers, fucking....bitterblossom pollen? What the fuck is a bitter blossom?” He looked back up at the doctor. “This is at least 3,000 crowns. AT LEAST! What the fuck is this all for?”

Jawad gestured towards Lucas. “It’s for my patient.”

The man looked at Lucas, properly scrutinizing the boy for the first time. Lucas shrunk under his gaze, still unsure what the man was going to do to him, if anything.

“Ah, so you’re our new guest then.” He walked forward and extended a hand. “Captain Johnathon, I’m the leader of this band of bastards and cutthroats you find yourself mingling with.”

Lucas eyes the hand warily before nervously grabbing it and shaking. “My name is Lucas, Captain Jonathon.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Would you look at that, kid treats me with more respect than most of my men do.” He crossed his arms and looked back at the doctor. “So, let me guess, all of this stuff has to do with some magical mumbo bullshit our mage friend here needs.”

“Yes, Lucas here can’t access his magic for some reason. This is a physiological anomaly that is rather worrying. These ingredients all have reported magical properties and I believe they may be able to help return his magic to him.”

“You… believe?”

Jawad looked away somewhat sheepishly. “Well… magical medicine is a… less explored field than others. Nothing is, well, certain when it comes to dealing with mages and magic. I am confident that they will be beneficial but I can't be certain.”

Jonathan looked at the doctor, eyebrow raised and arms crossed. He sighed, paling a hand on his face and thinking for a moment. “Everyone in this camp, myself included, owes you their life at least once over. You’re the  best there is.” He looked down at the paper. “Are you sure this will be worth it?”

“As I said, I can’t guarantee anything, but it is my duty to provide the best care I can for my patients. I believe this is necessary to do that.”

Jonathan stood and thought for a while, mulling things over in his kind before letting out another sign. “Alright… I’ll approve it. We’ll have someone pick these items up next time we hit a big market.” He turned to leave before pausing at the tent’s threshold. “Jawad be honest with me, is this the last time you plan on making these kinds of requests?”

“Well… as I said… I can’t be sure that those ingredients will work and there are… plenty other theorized solutions fo-”

Jonathan raised a hand, cutting Jawad off. He shook his head and muttered to himself as he left. “Cathrai above save my fucking coin purse.”

With that Jawad and Lucas were left alone in the tent. Jawad walked over to Lucas, removing the soiled sheets on the bed and replacing them with a large tarp that was lying around. 

“Sorry, this is not ideal but some covering is better than nothing. You should rest now. You have been through much today.”

Lucas nodded, pulling the tarp over himself and laying down. Jawad patted him on the shoulder and left the tent, leaving Lucas alone. He turned onto his side, looking at the wall of the tent. This place was… different, as were his new masters. He didn’t understand why Jawad was so concerned with helping him get his magic back. Maybe he wanted Lucas to be able to work as soon as possible. That made sense.

Whatever the reasoning, Lucas didn’t care. He had made it through the day without a beating and even got a meal. That was better than most. As he began to drift away to sleep he began to hear the bustle that came from outside the tent. Various voices and other sounds bleeding through the walls. Jonathon had said that he was with a band of… bastards and cutthroats. That didn’t sound reassuring, and Lucas dreaded the fact that he would have to meet, and serve, them all. 

Still, maybe things wouldn’t be that bad.

TAGS: @haro-whumps @ladygwennn @dramaticcollapse @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @brutal-nemesis @rippedjeansandfadeddreams @inpainandsuffering