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rainbowmoonstonestories · 9 months

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Let Your Dreams Be Your Wings | Chapter 13

Chapters: 13/? Fandom: The Sandman (Netflix 2022, minor content from the Comics) Rating: Explicit Relationships Dream of the Endless/Morpheus x F!Reader Characters: Dream of the Endless/Morpheus, Lucienne, Matthew the Raven, Mervyn Pumpkinhead, Hob Gadling, Death, Rose Walker, The Corinthian, other minor Sandman characters, Original Characters. Warnings: 18+ content (minors DNI), explicit sexual content, POV switching, very long chapters to read. Summary: You always dreamed of becoming a successful Fashion Designer, sharing your creations with the world and making your father proud. But with him being very ill and so many costs solely weighting on your shoulders, things didn’t go as planned and you had to take a different path instead. An interesting offer led you to the elder Alex Burgess and you were hired as a new housemaid for a very good pay. However, your kindness and outstanding empathy convinced the man to give you an additional task for a doubled compensation; gaining the trust of Dream Of the Endless, held captive into the basement for over a century. Despite the shock of finding such an ethereal entity stripped of all his clothes and contained into a confined space, you had to accept for the sake of your father. But the more you got to speak to the mysterious anthropomorphic personification who didn’t utter a single word, the more you were lost into his eyes that, conversely, seemed to contain the entire universe. A deep connection formed between the two of you, separated only by a thick layer of glass.

Little did you know, what started like a simple housemaid job was about to change your life forever.

Credits: The moon dividers were made by firefly-graphics

Tagging: @number-0-iz, @emarich7. If anyone else wants to be tagged in the next updates, let me know! I noticed that Tumblr sometimes won't let me tag everyone for some unknown reason, so if it comes to that I can at least send you a message to notify you.

You can also read this on AO3 if you feel more comfortable!

Warning: This chapter includes detailed smut right at the start.

Morpheus would go to great lengths for you, even crafting terrifying nightmares to fuel your enemy's fears. And sometimes, as you had come to learn, the ultimate outcome truly justifies the methods employed along the way.

The moment you excused yourself with Ella and Oliver, finally able to go home after a thorough interrogation from the local authorities, a whirlwind of thoughts flooded your mind. Maya's presence at the crime scene, the perplexing dilemma of providing a plausible explanation for the pendant emitting light, and the astounding fact that the fire had left you unharmed due to its influence.

Ella's doubts were evident in the unspoken questions reflected in her eyes. She allowed you to leave, refraining from asking in front of her husband, and all you could do was silently depart, by Morpheus' side, as the two of you made your way back to your place.

Although the King of Dreams could have effortlessly transported you directly to your apartment, the fresh air served as a necessary means to clear your head. He walked alongside you, finding solace in the shared silence, allowing you to tightly grip his arm for support. In his company, you chose to forgo the subway and opting instead for a longer walk, but the extended journey didn't bother you in the least. The mere presence of him next to you, without any complaints or need to hurry away, transformed that moment into something enjoyable, despite the prevailing circumstances.

The truth was, you didn't know how to feel. The incident at work had left you with an odd sense of confusion, incapable of distinguishing between shock and relief. Morpheus didn't press the matter, and for the time being, you had no inclination to talk about it. Still, the gears in your brain had already been set in motion, and you couldn't help but dwell on the possibility of Maya intentionally targeting you in the worst of ways.

Accusing her without any concrete evidence would have been a significant leap in the dark, but there were too many inexplicable factors that simply didn't add up. Was her aversion towards you so powerful that she didn't even consider the consequences of destroying her workplace, obliterating everything you had created for the company?

In order to avoid a headache, you made the decision to cast the matter aside, at least temporarily.

As you arrived at your building, you asked Morpheus to stay a little longer, and you were pleasantly surprised when he agreed with a simple yet resolute nod. Although he had been there twice before, the fact you were inviting him inside as a regular guest made him feel particularly hesitant. He focused his attention on your decorative pieces, observing everything as if it were his first visit. At times, he was simply too adorable for you to contain your infatuation.

Since you had already prepared a quick dinner at the office before the fire broke out, all you could offer Morpheus was a drink and a snack, which he politely refused, as he always did.

With your clothes and hair permeated with the strong scent of burnt plastic, you had no alternative but to hastily take a shower to eliminate the odor. Despite your reluctance to leave him alone again after making him wait while you dealt with the police, you refused to be with him in that state.

You rushed through it, washing yourself at lightning speed and barely drying your hair. When you emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed and clad in a soft robe, you discovered Morpheus meticulously examining the sketchbook left open on your desk. You observed him with a gentle smile forming on your lips, appreciating his beauty illuminated by the soft orange glow in your room. His long fingers delicately traced over the scattered drawings on the table, and although a part of you felt self-conscious about having your entire work on display, the sense of intimacy you felt warmed your heart.

You embraced him from behind, wrapping your arms around his form and resting your cheek against the back of his shoulder. Instead of immediately turning around, he chose to unwind under your touch, gently stroking your wrists with his thumbs. After a few moments, he rotated slowly and glanced down at you, running his fingers through your partially damp hair. The contrast between his cold hands and warm body always enticed you.

"Forgive me, I forgot to ask," you said, your hands grasping the sides of his coat. "How is Calliope? Did everything go well?”

Even though you had truly forgotten about it after the events of that night, you were starting to feel a bit restless to find out.

"It is done,” he replied calmly.

“Is she free?”

“Yes.”

"I'm glad to hear that," you responded sincerely. "I can't bear to see what my people are doing to all of you.”

"It is not your burden."

"Maybe. But it feels deeply personal to me.”

There was something else that you wanted to ask him, but you were uncertain, wondering if it would be wise to do so. As he glanced at you with patience, waiting, you could tell that he was expecting your question.

And so, it naturally came out of your lips. "Is everything okay between the two of you?”

He averted his eyes, taking a moment to process everything in his mind. "The distance between us cannot be bridged," he began. "But… we have dicussed it."

You nodded, acknowledging his response and accepting it. After all, how could it ever be easy to confront an ex-lover after such a significant amount of time, especially with a history of tragedy that had driven them apart? Even for someone like you, who had relatively straightforward and ordinary experiences, it would still be immensely difficult to encounter any of your former partners.

You let out a sigh, taking a small step back. "Thank you for accompanying me home. I kept you waiting for quite some time tonight, I’m sorry. If you need to leave, I won't hold you here.”

Once again, his lips parted but abruptly stopped, leaving his words unspoken. He expressed his inner conflict through a pout and a frown, clearly wrestling with his own thoughts and emotions.

“Do you wish for me to leave?”

Your heart sank upon hearing his vulnerability and uncertainty.

"Absolutely not," you reassured him. "To be frank, I would love nothing more than to keep you here all night. But, I understand that you have important responsibilities to attend to.”

His eyes glistened, and for a fleeting moment, you were reminded of the first night you spent together. The gentle radiance of the bedside table lamp traced the lines of his face, imprinting that memory upon you.

"I cannot stay all night, but for now, you shall have me.”

He leaned in, closing the distance between you, and tenderly brushed his forehead against yours in a familiar gesture of affection.

You shivered at the contact and asked, "Is there something on your mind?”

Your eyes met, and his desires were unmistakable. You could feel the intensity coursing through your spine like an electric current, causing every fiber of your being to quiver against him.

"Let me be with you," he pleaded, his voice low and filled with longing.

“Morpheus-”

"Please.”

You could feel his desperation and heartbreak as he had to confront his past once again. It was intertwined with your own need to be embraced in his arms, seeking solace and comfort. How could you even consider saying no, when all you wanted was to be loved by this extraordinary and awe-inspiring being who you had the honor of calling your boyfriend?

You pressed your lips against his, relishing the taste and savoring the softness of his mouth. He reciprocated immediately, his hands eagerly pulling at the sides of your bathrobe. The sleeves slipped off your shoulders, revealing a generous expanse of your skin. His lips trailed down to your neck, leaving wet kisses with each gentle peck, while his tongue sensually traced circles on your shoulder, igniting a tantalizing blend of pleasure and relaxation.

Slowly, your breasts were exposed, your nipples becoming taut with anticipation. His lips ventured downward, lavishing attention on the sensitive flesh, leaving moist circles in his wake. As you arched your back, your fingers tightened their grip on his shoulders. He sensually licked and caressed you, handling your breasts with the utmost care and tenderness. It was as if he was afraid of causing you any discomfort, his touch filled with sweetness and devotion.

He switched to the unattended side, prompting a moan of ecstasy from you. The pleasure intensified as he skillfully stimulated your nipples with his fondling, sending waves of delightful sensations straight to your core.

"May I?" he asked, his fingers securing themselves over the knot of your belt, keeping the robe together. He sought permission, waiting for your consent before proceeding.

"Yes," you granted. “I’m yours.”

The depth of your words seemed to darken his gaze, adding yet another layer of intensity to it. You couldn't help but feel a sense of quiet satisfaction as you noticed the contentment that adorned his face.

In a moment, the knot was undone, and the bathrobe opened fully, revealing your entire naked form to him. As he hungrily took in the sight of your full breasts, your stomach, the rosy flush of your clit, and the curves of your upper legs, you let the bathrobe slip from your arms, allowing it to fall gracefully onto the floor. Taking his hands in yours, you shared another sweet kiss before turning on your feet to lead him towards the edge of the bed.

"Could you undress for me?" you asked, your voice laced with a mix of arousal and shyness.

Closing your eyes, a heated blush spread across your cheeks. You heard a delicate "swoosh" sound in the air, and when you reopened them, you found him standing before you, completely bare, his pale figure unveiled in all its splendor.

Just like your first night together, his clothes had seemingly vanished in a cloud of sand, leaving no trace behind. You released a light chuckle, feeling a spark of warmth as you pressed yourself against him again. Your hands traced along his upper arms, exploring him with gentle caresses. Morpheus barely reacted, but a small grin tugged at the corners of his lips, reflecting the amusement and complicity between you.

In spite of his prideful nature, he willingly obeyed, allowing you to guide him to the mattress as you gently pushed him down onto it. You followed suit, positioning your legs on either side of his body, sitting on his lap without fully settling down.

You put your hands around the back of his neck, using it as leverage, while he kissed your collarbones and the top of your mounds. He firmly grasped your waist, holding you in place and adjusting his own posture. You could feel the undeniable hardness pressing against your inner thigh, creating a wonderful friction that intensified the passion in him. Your breath grew hot and heavy, the pulsing and clenching of your walls indicating that you were almost ready for more.

But before succumbing to the temptation, you placed a gentle and delicate kiss on his right eyebrow, bestowing a feather-like touch upon his skin. Moving lower, you brought your lips to his eyelid and the corner of his eye, lingering on his cheekbone before repeating the same pattern on the other side. Morpheus relaxed beneath you, his own breathing slowing down and becoming steady. As he savored every moment, his hands glided up and down your hips, contributing to the sensuous exchange with equal amounts of care.

As you returned to his mouth, you properly settled onto his lap, feeling his erection pressing against your bottom, bending and pulsating. You began to move in a grinding motion, back and forth, generating a spectacular friction between your sensitive nerves and his growing arousal. You were taken by waves of bliss that shook you from head to toe, intensifying as his index and middle fingers met the hood of your clitoris. He had a perfect understanding of how to please you, delivering a massage that catered to your precise preferences. It was difficult for you to restrain the impending release, as it always took him so very little to unravel you.

You let him continue for a moment longer, moaning and trembling atop him. You sneaked your hand downward to grasp his hardness in return, encasing the tip between your fingers and gently stroking it up and down with a flicking motion. He let out a contented hum for the pleasurable attention you were giving him.

Unable to hold back any longer, you brought his erection to your entrance, allowing it to partially slip inside. Morpheus unleashed a low growl, a sound that signaled his surrender as all resistance faded away. And then, he lifted himself up, effortlessly sliding himself fully inside of you.

It felt absolutely heavenly. Words couldn’t adequately express the spiritual connection you experienced, transcending the physical realm as you merged together into one. You lifted yourself up, moving slowly, only to descend again. You repeated this motion once, twice, and then even more, establishing a satisfying and sensual rhythm.

For a few minutes, his hands aided you, following your movements and meeting your pelvis halfway. Nevertheless, as soon as you quickened your pace and exerted more pressure with your thighs, he asserted his dominance by abruptly ceasing your actions and pulling away from you.

He gestured for you to recline on the mattress, where you sank into the comforting softness of the pillows. With your legs spread apart, he situated himself between them and planted kisses on your stomach, slowly descending lower and lower with the most sensual look in his eyes, ablaze with desire for you. Finally, his mouth planted a sweet peck on your pubic bone, teasingly gliding around your clit without making direct contact.

"Morpheus, what are you-"

Your heart raced in your chest as his lips closed around your pleasure center, sending a new rush of exhilarating shockwaves radiating through your body. He was relentless, his tongue licking and suckling on your clit as if savoring the most delectable feast. Despite your warnings and the gentle tug on his hair, he showed no signs of interrupting what he was doing. The unfinished business from earlier had left you on the brink of release, but he was determined to prolong his ministrations, ensuring that you received exactly what you craved.

Everything he did to you was impeccable, and your body trembled in response to his loving efforts. He enveloped your clit with his mouth, occasionally withdrawing only to have it immediately covered by his tongue once more. Again and again, with increasing speed, straight to the point of no return.

Your orgasm erupted like a fierce volcano, causing your body to convulse and tremble uncontrollably. Instinctively, you entwined your legs around his head as the final surge of euphoria subsided. You gasped heavily, desperately trying to catch your breath.

Morpheus's tongue remained firmly pressed against your clit, continuously bestowing pleasure after pleasure until the very end. Only when he was certain that you had reached the peak of ecstasy did he retreat from your core.

He climbed up, kissing on your chin, your lips, and finally your forehead.

"You're terrible," you said playfully, letting out a giggle as you embraced him and repositioned your legs around his waist.

“I am not quite finished with you, my dear,” he replied, equally amused.

Noticing his hardened member pressing against you with even greater force than before, a smile of satisfaction formed on your face. "Clearly."

Morpheus smiled slightly, his hand gliding along your side, while the other delicately encircled his arousal. The view was highly provocative and erotic, immediately awakening your senses. "Turn around for me," he murmured.

Thrilled by his request, you maneuvered and repositioned yourself on the bed, resting your stomach on the silky sheets. Taking care not to put his full weight on your back, the Endless cautiously guided the tip forward, meeting your entrance again. Feeling his hesitation, you aided by spreading your legs wider, raising your hips to create the perfect angle.

The fact that he, with his power and presence, still displayed uncertainty out of concern for your well-being was undeniably endearing. While he may struggle most of the time with controlling his negative emotions, when it came to loving you, his level of consideration surpassed the boundaries of your worlds and extended beyond the universe itself.

As he penetrated you, the immediate contact with your most sensitive spot had you on the verge of mewling, your eyes rolling back in pleasure. Morpheus established a steady pace, thrusting in and out of you with an escalating tempo. His grunts were barely audible, but their vibrations resonated in your ear, causing your heart to flutter with excitement. It didn't take much for you to feel another orgasm building inside.

His fingers intertwined with yours from behind, enveloping you in the most exquisite embrace. You kissed his knuckles, the sounds of sex filling the air, further encouraging him as you whined in response.

"So good," you whispered. "Please, don't stop.”

"I have no intention of denying you this," he said hoarsely. "You are exceptional, thoroughly prepared for me.” With a particularly forceful and powerful thrust, he made you jolt slightly upwards. "And you are mine."

His possessive declaration was the ultimate catalyst you required, and a second orgasm erupted within you, causing your clit to quiver and throb against the mattress. The wave of bliss cascaded down to your legs and rippled up your torso, your nipples reacting as if he were physically touching them.

It felt magical, powerful, and utterly intense. It was a level of intimacy that you had never encountered with anyone prior to him, and somehow, it felt so right, effortless and instinctive that you failed to perceive any of it as indecent. Just like any other private moment you spent with him.

If anything, your confidence continued to expand.

Turning your head to meet his gaze, you panted in exhaustion and moved closer to capture his lips, which he eagerly accepted to offer. He continued to thrust frantically into you, nearing his own climax, as you engaged in a passionate exchange of open-mouthed kisses, tongues entwined in a neverending tangle of love.

"Give it to me, please," you murmured. "Let it go.”

And that's exactly what he did, burying his face in the crook of your neck. His hips jerked forcefully, accompanied by the most alluring grunt that had ever resonated in your ears. His untamed hair brushed against your skin, tickling it gently, as he breathed in the refreshing scent of shampoo from your drying locks.

Taking a moment to bask in each other's presence, you soaked in the warmth that surrounded you. Somehow, Morpheus had the ability to fill even your world with enchantment and wonder, treating you as the Queen of Queens.

"I love you," you expressed. "So much that it takes my breath away.”

Your feelings were unique, unmatched, and transcending ordinary boundaries.

“And I too love you,” he replied. “I deeply cherish you.”

You let go of his hands and completed your turn, facing him fully. Your expression became serious, your smile and contentment disappearing in an instant. "You'll never leave me, right?" you asked earnestly.

Your question caught him off guard, and he needed a moment to process the fact that, for once, it was someone else begging him to stay.

"No. I will not.”

"Promise me," you pressed him, resonating with the wounds of past betrayals. "Promise me that no matter what, you won't break my heart.”

Your relationship with Morpheus had progressed in an unprecedented manner, surpassing all expectations you had when you first met him. Asking him such a question felt somewhat inappropriate, considering that you, as a mortal with a limited lifespan, were destined to grow old and eventually abandon him forever. And yet, you still craved that confirmation, the assurance that you could rely on his unwavering, devoted presence for as long as you existed.

It may have been selfish, but you couldn't imagine it any other way.

Morpheus appeared genuinely sincere, his eyes filled with unswerving convinction. "You have my word.”

With the office partially unusable, Ella invited you to come to her place to discuss matters with Oliver and assess the situation, in order to determine the next course of action. The repair costs were expected to be quite substantial, as they would involve the complete replacement of the electrical panel, two computers that were destroyed, as well as the need for various new components to repair the ones that could be salvaged. Additionally, there would be the expense of furnishing the studio anew and completely repainting its walls.

Although a portion of the apparel needed to be remade, thankfully, none of the approved works and sketches were lost in the fire. Taking everything into account, you were still on track to participate in the Fashion Show, albeit with a slight delay in progress.

Your full work activity was set to resume in the following week, despite the ongoing renovations in the studio. For a brief moment, you found yourself on the brink of expressing your suspicions about Maya, as she happened to still be present when, in theory, she had left the office over an hour before the incident. You wisely chose to keep them to yourself, opting to take a sip of the warm tea that Oliver had kindly prepared.

Now was not the right moment to address it. Or so you thought.

"I just can't understand what went wrong with the electrical system," Oliver remarked, removing his glasses and rubbing his weary eyes. "We perform checks every week, and the last one was just three days ago.”

You stared at the ripples forming in your tea, biting your tongue. ‘Not the right time,’ you repeated to yourself.

"And Y/N was in the studio working just a few minutes before. There were no issues going on there," Ella chimed in, unable to contain her own concerns.

You nodded in agreement. “Indeed. And let’s not forget, the panel was still intact when we went there to check.

“Right,” Ella confirmed.

"But if the electrical panel was fine prior to the fire, what could have caused it?" Oliver pondered aloud. “The authorities are still investigating. Apparently, they can’t rule out the possibility that someone intentionally started it. That’s ridiculous!”

Ella scoffed in disbelief. "That can't be! Nobody else was there apart from the two of us and Amy. Do we have a ghost wandering around the office or something?”

"Yeah, and I'm the Pope.”

A sudden ringing filled your ears, and your stomach clenched tightly, preventing you from taking another sip. You placed the mug on the table, took a deep breath, and interlocked your hands together, attempting to regain your composure and steady yourself.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you," you declared, finally deciding that it was, after all, the right time for it to be revealed. "I saw Maya in front of the building the other night. I think she's the one who did it.”

The bomb had been dropped, and while you felt a surge of confidence, you were unsure about how your friends would react.

In the end, it turned out that you had set your expectations too high.

"Wait, what?" Ella frowned in confusion, her brows furrowing. "You're not falling back into that 'Maya hates me' obsession, are you?”

Your blood ran cold through your veins, and your expression turned blank. The weight of Ella's words and the implication behind them hit you like a sudden shock.

"Because right now, we have other pressing matters to attend to.”

The realization struck you hard - Ella didn't believe you. Taking a deep breath, you slumped your shoulders against the chair, preparing yourself to face the challenge ahead.

"Ella, this has nothing to do with a paranoid obsession," you asserted, your voice steady and determined. "I have valid reasons to suspect Maya, and I believe it's important for us to consider all possibilities in order to find the truth.”

"Yes, but what reason would Maya have to sabotage her own workplace?"

"I'm not inside her head. I'm just sharing with you what I witnessed."

"So you're suspecting her just because she came back? Maybe she was still nearby when it happened. There was a large crowd gathered due to the incident, after all. That would attract anyone's attention on the street.”

You rolled your eyes in frustration, fighting the urge to slam your hand against the table. "How can you be so blind? I may not have concrete proof at the moment, but can't you see that what she portrays at work is just a façade?”

“Enough!”

Oliver's voice reverberated in the room with a higher note, and when you turned your head, you noticed a look of rage on his face. It was a stark contrast to his usual composed demeanor, and it left you feeling mortified, as if you had disappointed him for the first time.

"Maya has been a part of my team for years. You, on the other hand, have only recently joined," he stated.

The potential accusation in his sentence fueled a mix of anger and hurt. "Ah, I see. So now I'm the one being suspected?”

"Of course not," he clarified, his tone softening. "I trust you, even though Ella may know you better than I do. But still, I cannot allow you to make false accusations against any of my employees.”

You clenched your fists tightly, the pressure turning your knuckles white. "I understand," you said through gritted teeth. "As a new recruit, I suppose my opinions hold little weight in this, or any other matter.”

Oliver sighed heavily. "I'm not saying that your opinion doesn't matter. But I find it difficult to believe that Maya, someone who has been a dedicated member of our team, would go to such lengths to harm you or anyone else. This incident has affected the entire company, including Ella. We must consider all possibilities with care and not jump to conclusions."

You completely understood his point of view, but you hoped that they would at least give you the benefit of the doubt.

"Y/N, I haven't forgotten that Ella is safe because of you," he added. "I appreciate your willingness to protect us. I'm just asking for a bit more patience and understanding as we navigate through this.”

As you glanced back at your friend, you noticed her staring down at her hands in clear embarrassment, caught in the middle of the tense exchange. It felt as though both she and Oliver were cornering you, disregarding your warnings based on their perceived trustworthiness of Maya and the company as a whole.

You didn't expect your confession to be taken lightly, but you had hoped that the years of friendship you shared with Ella would have brought a deeper understanding and insight into your concerns.

"Do you remember the times I mentioned having this strange 'gut feeling' back in high school?" you asked her with hope and apprehension.

Ella immediately looked up, curiosity and recognition flickering in her eyes. “I do, yes.”

"Great. And how many times was I wrong about it?”

She opened her mouth, realization crossing her face as the memories came flooding back. “Uhm… zero.”

"Let's suppose you're right, let's say that hypothetically she was nearby and came to investigate. Did it occur to you that she didn't even come close to find out what was truly happening?” You insisted. “I saw her walking away. If that isn't suspicious enough, I don't know what is.”

They were left speechless, taken aback by your final response without knowing how to react.

You stared at the couple with a stern gaze, pushing the mug forward on the table. The last thing you wanted was to exacerbate the drama in their house, as their personal interpretation of the incident clearly contradicted yours, no matter what you had to say.

"Thanks for the tea," you said curtly, standing up from the chair without saying another word. The tension in the room had reached its breaking point, and you felt the need to remove yourself from it.

"Y/N, wait a second!"

Ella called out urgently, but you didn't pause or turn around to hear her excuses. Determined to create distance between yourself and your childhood friend, you walked briskly to the door, firmly closing it behind you and disregarding her pleas. The sound of your heels clicking on the polished tiles resonated as you descended the stairs, each step reflecting your irritation.

With the possibility that Maya could effectively be the culprit, you knew you had a wild card at your disposal - Morpheus. Intent on uncovering the truth and bringing justice to light, you embarked on this fresh endeavor with a renewed purpose.

The argument with Ella and Oliver had left you emotionally depleted, and a part of you had started to question whether you had acted impulsively or not. From their perspective, it was undoubtedly difficult to believe that someone who had only been working with them for a short time could have a better understanding of a team member than they ever did. Given the situation, it was natural for the couple to support Maya and vigorously defend her against everything you had disclosed.

You trudged to your apartment building, your feet heavy, sighing deeply to yourself and contemplating your next move. Considering Oliver's unwillingness to accept your worries, conducting your own investigation seemed like the most reasonable option at hand.

Yet, a part of you couldn't help but wonder: could they be right? Had you unfairly judged Maya solely based on her jealousy, without considering the possibility that she could have coincidentally been present in the vicinity when the fire broke out, and left out of shock?

Once again, your intuition affirmed that you were not imagining things or creating illusions. You always perceived an unsettling feeling about the way she constantly stared at you, reminiscent of a villain scheming for revenge.

Just as you were about to reach into your bag to retrieve the keys, a gentle meow echoed through the street, immediately grabbing your attention and causing you to slow down. A few feet away, you noticed a mesmerizing black cat staring at you, its eyes sparkling in the darkness. Its fur was incredibly sleek and shiny, resembling silk.

With a cautious smile, you approached the animal slowly and crouched down. The cat maintained complete stillness, calmly seated before you. Despite its non-stray appearance, there was no visible collar around its neck or any form of identification.

"Hey there. Where did you come from?”

The cat purred softly, rising onto all fours and slinking closer to you.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any food with me.”

The feline creature remained composed, appearing at ease in your presence. Its eyes, a captivating shade of light blue, immediately evoked thoughts of someone else.

It was peculiar, but the longer you gazed into those orbs, the stronger your conviction grew that they were far from ordinary. There was an undeniable aura of enchanting power coming from them, something that could only be attributed to a particular being.

For a moment, you dismissed it as an unlikely theory, but the energy radiating from the cat felt oddly familiar, causing you to instinctively utter the name of The Endless.

“Morpheus…?”

The gentle glow emanating from the Moonstone was all the confirmation you needed. The cat brushed its fur against your leg and walked past you, its shadow casting a shape on the ground before gradually transforming into something different. It became larger and taller, eventually taking the form of a man whom you knew very well.

Nothing could possibly surprise you anymore. A wide grin spread across your lips as you stood, the imposing black figure standing right behind you.

"Nice trick," you uttered, pivoting on your heels.

"You are a keen observer," he remarked with a touch of astonishment.

"I would recognize those eyes anywhere."

He offered a faint smile, but it faded as he sensed something unsettling in you.

"My love, what is troubling you?”

The fact that he could perceive your emotions even when they were not outwardly displayed was truly extraordinary.

And so, you recounted it all. “Well, I attempted to discuss my suspects with my friend and her husband, but they chose to label me as nothing more than an obsessive paranoid.”

"Y/N, I extended my offer of assistance. What is it that you wish for me to do?"

Even though you had regarded him as your secret weapon, now that he stood before you, you were hesitant about it. "Are you certain you want to proceed with this? I don't want you to feel like I’m using you for my own benefit.”

Morpheus appeared puzzled, unable to grasp the reason behind your sudden fear. “I assure you, that is not what I think of you.”

"But... it would be unfair for me to take advantage of your power even more than I already have."

“You did no such thing.”

As you pressed your lips together, you found yourself at a loss for words, unsure of what else to say.

“Y/N, someone has attempted to cause you harm. I do not need any other reason to do what you ask.”

You were deeply touched by the protectiveness he exhibited towards you, and you couldn't bring yourself to turn down his plea for support. With a bright smile returning to your lips, you embraced him, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting them rest on his shoulders.

"I have this colleague, Maya Davies, who has been harboring a grudge against me ever since the day of my interview. I believe that she was the one starting the fire, but without solid evidence, I am unable to make a formal accusation.”

Morpheus nodded, his hands gently encircling your waist.

"I wouldn't even know how to prove it, so I was thinking... is there any way you could, I don’t know, persuade her to voluntarily confess her crime, maybe?”

"My love, as the King of Dreams... and Nightmares," he said, emphasizing the last word. "There is nothing I cannot do to 'inspire' mortals.”

You had never been one to seek vengeance, so the fact that you were deriving pleasure from the idea of him unleashing his darkest powers to frighten Maya made you question your own character and become skeptical. However, not only were you endangered by the fire (largely due to your reckless actions), but Ella was also put at risk.

And so, you agreed, expressing your gratitude with a light kiss on his lips.

The music blasted at its loudest, drowning out any other sounds. Despite the overwhelming noise, Maya and the others on the dancefloor remained unfazed. The club overflowed with lively people, bouncing, twirling, and thoroughly enjoying the moment. Maya, too, let go of all her tension and anxiety, releasing them with each graceful wave of her body.

She threw herself into the performance with a boundless energy, exerting all the force she could muster in her impromptu choreography. Yet, despite the intensity she was infusing into her dance, she appeared completely unaffected and didn't break a sweat.

And then, her gaze landed on him. That enigmatic figure dressed in black stood just a few feet away, his long coat skimming the floor. His piercing stare held an intensity she had never seen before, his eyes enthralling and luminous. His dark hair appeared as if someone had just run their fingers through it.

She vividly recalled that moment when she was at the club with her colleagues, and her eyes locked onto him for the first time as he strolled leisurely through the crowd. He was stunningly handsome, fitting the image of the man she had always envisioned for herself. Overwhelmed by a surge of admiration, she couldn't resist taking a bold step forward, mustering the courage to ask him to dance and ensnare him in her charm.

But before she could even approach the man who appeared to be the personification of her deepest desires and fantasies, she was hit with a cruel twist of fate. The universe played a maddening trick on her, revealing that he was already in a relationship with none other than you.

You. The very person who had not only snatched away the job she had coveted for five years, but also seemed to have effortlessly secured it without undergoing a proper trial period. She was Isaac's right-hand person, possessing far more experience than you could ever accumulate. She had undeniable talent and excelled at her work, and yet, Oliver had opted to assign the position to her wife's old friend rather than choosing her.

It was infuriating, disheartening, and incredibly demotivating. Not only had you marginalized her, restricting her to tasks that were beneath her abilities, but you had also managed to find the perfect boyfriend, a partner she could never aspire to have.

She constantly grappled with finding someone who was sincerely captivated by more than just her physical appearance and beautiful face. She yearned for a partner who shared her outlook, didn't see black as a negative, melancholic color, and could embrace her distinct, goth-like style.

This man standing before her embodied everything she wanted, and the fact that she was hindered from getting close to him, once again due to your interference, pushed her to the edge of rage.

She harbored a deep resentment towards you. She needed to possess what you had. She hoped you would step aside and surrender what was rightfully hers.

And so she smiled enticingly at the man, using her long nails to beckon him towards her. He appeared to respond, making his way to her and coming to a stop just inches away from her face. She ceased her dancing, delicately running her fingers along the fabric of his coat. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed intently on hers, not even blinking.

"I was hoping to see you again," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the strangely distant and faint music. "I had no idea you were Y/N's boyfriend. I wanted to invite you for a dance."

He didn't respond, but she was intrigued by his enigmatic aura.

"I wonder what you even see in her. She can be so irritating, always putting on a fake smile and pretending to be innocent," she told him aloud, her inquisitiveness tinged with a touch of disdain.

As she noticed his expression getting cold, she realized that perhaps she should have kept that thought to herself. She felt a complete lack of inhibition, as if all restraint had been cast aside.

"If only it could be me," she confessed, her hands gliding along his chest before enveloping his neck in a tight embrace. "I wish I could have it all."

She parted her crimson lips, attempting to initiate a kiss that held the promise of something more. The man made no move to reciprocate, keeping his hands firmly at his sides, as if her very presence repulsed him.

And then, he spoke. His voice reverberated like an echo, booming and commanding, resonating in her and filling the space surrounding them.

"How far are you willing to go to attain your desires?”

It wasn't a question posed out of mere curiosity. If anything, it had an ominous warning, instilling a sense of terror.

“I… what do you mean…?”

Maya quickly pulled away from him, allowing her arms to drop before she instinctively crossed them, hugging her own upper body in a protective gesture.

“Do you understand the damage your actions could have caused?”

Everything around her plunged into darkness, as if the world had vanished in a puff of smoke. The people in the club and the music disappeared, leaving only the two of them illuminated by a solitary spotlight.

“My actions…? I…..”

"You do know.”

She understood exactly what he was referring to. Deep down, she had been evading the truth, trying to bury it and push it away for the past few days. It was a reality she had contributed to creating, and one she wasn't prepared to meet face to face.

“Please, no…”

"Those women could have endured severe injuries at your hands. Or worse,” he stated with anger and accusation.

She trembled like a leaf, her body quivering uncontrollably. She sank to her knees on the cold floor, her curly hair cascading in front of her eyes, partially obscuring her view.

“I didn’t mean to!”

He began to pace in a slow, menacing circle around her, exuding threat and intimidation. “Perhaps you did not, but the truth of what you’ve done is engraved into your mind.”

She shook her head vigorously. "I didn't know... I didn't think it would... that they…." Her voice trailed off, filled with regret and disbelief. "This was supposed to be Y/N's breakthrough collection. With everything destroyed, she couldn't have participated in the Fashion Show under her own name. We have other pieces that can be showcased, and I have countless projects that I've tried to present to Oliver repeatedly.”

Her nails pierced through the skin of her palms, but she couldn't feel a thing.

“Why couldn't it have been me? Why did he choose to overlook all my efforts?!" She screamed in frustration. “I couldn't let her ruin everything I've worked tirelessly to achieve. I never intended to harm her, I swear! I had no idea they would throw themselves into the fire just to save a pen drive and a few garments!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, cascading to the floor and pooling into a strangely large puddle. The reflection in the water mirrored her profound distress and heartache.

"You must confess your mistake," he commanded. "Unless you wish to be haunted by your nethermost nightmares.”

“But… I can’t! If I do, I will lose it all!”

Somehow, he appeared to have grown significantly taller, his presence commanding and imposing. "You offer nothing but excuses in an attempt to justify your wrongdoing. You have chosen to walk a dark path in search of a light that will not come to you, not in this way.”

She sobbed uncontrollably, her voice trembling and broken as tears continued to stream down her face. The puddle on the floor grew larger with each passing moment, reflecting a horrifying distortion of herself. In the reflection, she saw a monstrous depiction, with decaying, melting skin that peeled away in patches. Frantically, she touched her face, moving her hands up and down, screaming in terror and gasping for breath.

"So be it," he declared with a somber tone. "If it is darkness that you want, then you shall have it in abundance," the warning was made unmistakably clear as the puddle transformed from salty water to thick, crimson blood, emphasizing the gravity of the consequences.

When she looked up, the man appeared to be gone, leaving her alone in an unfamiliar place. All sources of light had been extinguished, plunging her into the shadows.

Maya awoke with the most severe tachycardia she had ever suffered from, her heart racing uncontrollably. The feeling of emptiness tightened inside her, saturating her insides with a frigid void that she had no idea how to alleviate.

Your peaceful immersion in a captivating new book was abruptly shattered by the jarring sound of the doorbell. Annoyed and displeased, you emitted a grunt of frustration before reluctantly abandoning the comfort of the couch, dragging your feet heavily. As you opened the door, your eyebrow instinctively arched in surprise at the sight of Ella standing before you. Her appearance was disheveled and worn-out, leaving you concerned for her well-being. Pressing her lips together, she mustered a feeble "hi" that barely escaped her lips, conveying her exhaustion and distress.

You instinctively crossed your arms, your gaze darting between Ella and the pink box she held delicately in her hands. It was a sight to behold, with a beautiful red ribbon adorning its top and hand-painted hearts scattered across the container. It exuded an air of intricacy and affection.

"May I present you with an olive branch?" Ella spoke nervously, holding out the box that emitted a delightful aroma of something incredibly sweet. "I made your favorite cookies as a gesture of peace.”

“Are you trying to bribe me? Because it's definitely working,” you replied with a smile.

Your comment effortlessly broke the tension that was holding Ella captive, prompting a delightful chuckle out of her. She shook her head, a glimmer of relief and gratitude shining in her eyes. "It's more of a way for me to apologize. I have been such a terrible friend."

"Don't say that.”

"But it's true! You tried to warn me about something important, and I completely disregarded you. After knowing you for so long, how could I even entertain the thought that you were paranoid? I should have known better than that!”

As you noticed her teary eyes, your heart softened, and any lingering anger dissipated. With a gesture of forgiveness, you stepped aside, granting her permission to enter. "Would you like to come in, or would you rather stay out here playing the self-loathing game?"

She nodded enthusiastically, placing the box into your hands and gently closing the door behind her. Taking a moment to survey your space, she meticulously examined the furniture design and the personal touch you had incorporated into the room. "What a nice place. It looks so...”

“Cozy?”

"I was about to say it is so 'you', but yes, cozy works too."

You watched her attentively as she navigated through the apartment, hesitantly settling down on the couch. Placing the box of cookies on the kitchen table, you couldn't help but notice her nervousness reflected in her movements and audible sighs. There was more to her visit than a simple apology; something weighed heavily on her mind.

That "something" was likely the very thing you had been consciously avoiding in her presence. Nevertheless, you took a seat next to her on the couch, leaning against the back cushions.

"Y/N, I'm serious. I really need to apologize to you. You were right... about the whole thing," Ella said earnestly.

"Are you talking about Maya?" you asked with apprehension and curiosity.

"Yes, she actually came to us this morning. It was quite unexpected, and she looked so pale that I thought she had fallen ill.”

Immediately, you straightened up, tilting your head slightly to the side. “What did she want?”

Ella's words hung in the air, heavy with revelation. "She admitted it. All of it. She told us about the fire, about how she pretended to leave by taking advantage of Amy's distraction. In reality, she was waiting for the right moment to strike.”

Your eyes flickered with realization as you contemplated the situation. "So, that noise I heard when I left the studio...”

"You probably heard her bumping against one of the chairs. It seems that she wasn't thinking straight and acted on impulse. She was certain that we would find out before she could set her plan into motion. Go figure.”

You instinctively massaged your temple, attempting to alleviate the growing stress. “Did she tell you that?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “She told us everything we wanted to know, and more.”

"Even the reason?”

As you listened intently to Ella's account, the full extent of Maya's motives began to unfold. She had been driven by an all-consuming urge to sabotage your work, hoping to dismantle it and compel the team to start over with her own projects that Oliver had previously discarded. Her confession painted a picture of jealousy and resentment, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.

"This is absurd," you blurted out, your voice filled with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "I can understand her resentment towards me, but what was she even thinking? Starting a fire in the studio could have not only destroyed the entire place, but also endangered the lives of those still inside.”

Ella nodded in agreement, her expression reflecting a mix of understanding and disappointment. "I know," she replied solemnly. "She was so blinded by her fury that she didn't consider the potential damages. She believed that we would discover the fire quickly enough and that the Rescue Service would handle the situation in time. She wasn’t expecting it to spread the way it did.”

“It was a reckless and dangerous gamble,” you concluded. "She could have become trapped inside and injured herself in the process.”

“In a way, she did. She was limping.”

“What are you going to do?”

Ella clenched the fabric of her trousers tightly, a visible display of her inner turmoil. With Oliver taking the lead and contemplating involving the police, her thoughts were muddling her judgment and clarity, leaving her feeling inefficient. The trust and stability she once had seemed to crumble, leaving her in a state of emotional upheaval. The trauma she experienced was exacerbated by the realization of betrayal and deceit.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, you provided a source of support as she rested her head against yours. While you were determined to express your gratitude to Morpheus later, a pang of guilt washed over you for subjecting your friend to a similar ordeal.

It was a necessary action that had to be taken for the sake of the company, but was it truly the right approach?

"We are also to blame. If we had listened to her, if we had given her a chance...”

"Ella, don't go there. What you did doesn't justify any of that. It’s insane.”

Ella sniffled and wiped away a tear before it could roll down her cheek. As she looked at you, she swallowed her pain and allowed the right words to form in her head. There was so much going on inside her, so many things she couldn't easily put together on her own.

It was only a matter of time before she would reach the part you had hoped she would forget.

"Y/N, there's something I want to ask, and I need you to be completely honest with me.”

The moment had arrived, catching you completely unprepared. At that juncture, however, there was no way to avoid it.

“Okay.”

Ella glanced down, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. "When the electrical panel exploded, you were right there. The fire engulfed you, and I watched, fearing that you would emerge as a charred corpse.”

You couldn't even come up with a plausible lie. There was no way to divert her attention from what she had witnessed.

"I was so terrified... I thought I had lost you in that moment. But when the flames around you died down, you were completely unharmed. No scratches, no scars, even your clothes were untouched.”

Her gaze dropped to the Moonstone resting on your collarbones, its blue flashes swirling across the surface as you breathed. A faint rainbow-like streak seemed to blend with it.

"I saw your necklace glowing. I mean, it was actually emitting a blue light that seemed to illuminate the dilapidated room. At first, I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me from the shock, but then it happened again when you pulled me out.”

You allowed her to continue, remaining silent without saying a single word.

"The flames surrounded us, but somehow... they didn't even reach us.”

“Ella, I-”

"Please, tell me what's happening. Anything will do, just assure me that I'm not going crazy.”

What were you supposed to say? How could you navigate the situation without compromising Morpheus and his identity?

“You’re not going crazy,” you confirmed.

"Okay, that's something," she muttered. "So what, are you some kind of witch? That would at least explain your supposed sixth sense.”

“I’m not a witch. I’m human, Ella. Just like you.”

She appeared to struggle with believing it. "What is that necklace, then? You told me it was a gift from your boyfriend. Is that true?”

You had to approach things with careful consideration, uncertain of what Morpheus wanted you to disclose or keep hidden.

"Ella, please listen to me. I understand that you're confused, but there are certain matters that I can't easily discuss.”

She clicked her tongue. "Come on Y/N, it's me! I promise I won't judge, and I won't breathe a word to anyone. Not even to Oliver if you want to keep this between us.”

Could you really ask her to keep such a significant truth from her husband? While it might not be an outright harmful lie, you couldn't allow her to hide anything from the man she loved. It didn’t feel fair.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you. But for now, I need to ask you to trust me. Please, give me some time.”

She wasn't happy about it, but eventually, she accepted your terms and let the subject go. "If you believe it's for the best, I won’t insist. Regardless of whether you're a witch or not, I owe you my life.”

You playfully bumped your forearm against hers, just like you used to do when you were younger. She took your hands and gave them a gentle squeeze, and together, you both reveled in the joy of rediscovering your sisterly bond.

I wish you all a Happy New Year! May 2024 make all your dreams come true. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the support I'm receiving since the end of 2022. See you in January with Chapter 14!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 (currently reading) Go to Chapter 14 ->

#the sandman #dream of the endless x reader #morpheus x reader #the sandman fanfic

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kindlistener · 6 months

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(The meme is not by me.)

If you fancy learning more about me and my writing, feel free to venture below the cut.

KindListener/ArcaneChariot are the main usernames I go by on Tumblr/AO3/X/etc.

I write for many, many, many pairings, such as; Borsalino/Taro Midori (OC), Cap Hatfield/Theodore Stanhope (OC), Don Pierce/Kurt Ackerman (OC), Dorian Grey/Basil Hallward, Eli Klaber/Stephan Wolff (OC), Shang Tsung/Liu Kang, The Corinthian/Alistair Moreau (OC), Viktor Vector/V as well as a whole bunch of /Reader stuff and that's just scratching the surface! Recently, I've been writing Henry Christmas/FTM!Reader/George Moody, Herbie (Gypsy)/M!Reader, Nicky Frazer/M!Reader, Tristan Farnon/Gordon Abram (OC) and other pairings involving Petey characters.

Honestly, I don't read all that much that isn't my work because I'm usually writing, studying or planning to write.

I've always been a writer, even back before I was on the internet, back in the olden days. 👴🏻👴🏻 I once made a TA cry after I unknowingly wrote a gorefic when I was 11. I still feel bad about that...

The first fic I wrote and posted was actually a gift for my brother. It was a Dorian Grey fic because we were both into the movie at the time.

My favourite fic is difficult. I've written a lot that I'm very proud of, such as this Don Pierce fic, this Miracle Guy fic (don't knock it til you try it) and my most recent Trissy fic. But, honestly, I take pride in my art and I try to give people the best content possible.

I couldn't really say which one has been my hardest fic. Honestly, I just kind of give the fic a starting point and some themes/plot-beats and then I let it run it's course. The hardest, I suppose, might be 'The Angel and the Preacher' because it made me question my own spirituality and morality which was quite intense.

Hmm... Research... Honestly probably either 'Safe Haven' or 'The Angel and the Preacher' because you may not realise it but there's a lot to giving birth/being a priest who struggles with his faith/etc. I remember watching so many videos on labour and giving birth and just frantically writing down notes. Still, they were interesting fics to write.

Honestly, the fics most near and dear to my heart tend to be ones I work on with friends; whether that be RPs (like I've done with @the-broken-quill and Lu) or fics that have had art drawn in tandem (like 'The Angel and the Preacher' with @bludpudding's beautiful, beautiful stained glass artwork). I really like sharing my hyperfixes with my friends and making art together. 💛💛

My favourite trope (if you could call it that) would probably be writing trans/intersex characters, usually FTM. As a FTM person myself, I can write from the perspective of a trans person (of course, not all experiences are the same but I tell it from my perspective) and I enjoy getting to get those thoughts and feelings down on paper because it's definitely not represented enough in the fanfic community. However, if we're talking about kinks and things that tend to come up in my work, it'd probably be giving oral or face-fucking or like a daddy kink or something. ISAOJVISAJVVUSDJ

This is detailed on my Caard but I don't write straight, necro, rape, scat or underage content (even though I've been asked to write these previously). F/M content; I don't write straight stuff because I can't really relate to straight people RIP. Necro; I feel it's disrespectful. Underage; just no. Scat; is gross (sorry, scat fans). And rape/SA; I have personal experience with so I don't enjoy sexualising/glorifying it. I have written rape recovery stories, like with this Campion fic, but otherwise I can't stand it.

I couldn't tell you about my favourite scene but I do enjoy the scene in this fic where the Second Corinthian returns to the grave of one of his victims and is approached by the victim's brother. It's a scene about redemption and it was really nice, expanding on the Souvenirs comic like that.

I get my inspiration from many different places. Sometimes it just kind of pops in your head and you're suddenly planning out dialogue for a specific scene and sometimes it's just little scenes like this (where Tris is pretending to be a dog and, of course, I get thinking about pet play)...

The hardest scene I ever wrote... It may be the beginning of this fic, where Devon (my OC) gets the idea to pick up a homeless person and dress them up for a gala they're going to, in order to keep themselves from being forced out of their rich family. It's difficult juggling the struggles of not being accepted by your family, disability and homelessness. Of course, none of them are equal and all are horrible issues to have but trying to keep the main character sympathetic in such a situation is definitely difficult.

My favourite characterisation might be in 'Safe Haven'. Seeing Don Pierce go from being this rough, tough mercenary to the caring father of twins was definitely a journey that I had to go on with him.

God, I want to write continuations to so many fics. The first choice would be writing a continuation to 'The Angel and the Preacher', which is in the works but it's a very emotion-heavy work so it requires absolute concentration and I'd be scared of it not being as good as the first chapter. Possibly a sequel to this fic but, again, I'd be scared of it not being as good as the first part.

This is all my OC work ever. Because OCs take a lot of getting used to and a lot of characterisation and a lot of lore-building, I feel like a lot of readers just want something they can pick up and instantly know what's going on. But I'm also guilty of being lazy and not wanting to do all the world-building and character design and lore so I'm just as bad. But, whenever I post a Character/OC work, I'm always scared that my views will go down and that's definitely reflected in my stats. Still, when I do write for my OCs, I really enjoy it.

"Mmmnn... You're not a shark, you're a puppy, but I can work with that. I'll make you the cruelest, most devious mutt at the firm... Soon enough, you'll be able to rip your colleagues apart and you'll thank me for it. Isn't that what you want?" (from an unposted Callahan WIP.)

'WOW that was amazing! the story, the characters and of course the second part. i was giggling and blushing like a little innocent girl. thank you very much it's a great work!' Honestly, it's the little things. People don't have to pour their hearts out to me and gush about my work. Just little comments like that make my day. 🥹🥹

I have so many WIPs and discontinued works, whether that be from just switching hyperfixes or being booted out of a fanbase. 🥲🥲 But, for the most part, I manage to finish my fics, even if it's like getting blood from a stone...

Personally, I'm subscribed to bludpudding, FanFicReader01, QuoteMyFoot and ZeroEchoBravoSeven.

I would recommend some fics but I just spent ages doing the links and Tumblr didn't like it so like just here's the link to my bookmarks. Go wild.

This was really fun! I hope you got something out of this and maybe even added a couple fics to your reading list.

If you got this far, I love you and I hope you have a wonderful day. 💛💛

#on writing

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qqueenofhades · 2 years

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I have a writing question! (Which you may have answered before, if so please disregard...)

How much of your fic is plotted in advance? I've been enjoying AITWW sooo much, both for the Emotionally Satisfying Naps (TM) and for the emergence of a larger plot. It got me wondering, how much of what is happening now plotwise (ca. chapters 16/17) were you already planning out closer to the beginning? Do you have a particular strategy for drafting or outlining?

Aha, I have written a lot of very long and very plotty fics which mostly consist of me going "oh that's a cool premise/idea!" and therefore leaping headlong into it. I don't always finish all of them, but the ones that I do generally take on a life of their own and solve plot questions as I go. Because of my academic background, I am very good at memorising details and keeping lots of different information in my head and etc etc. I almost never use written outlines, and pay the price for this when I want to sleep and the next chapter of such-and-such fic is in my head like HEY BITCH HOW ABOUT WE DO THIS NEXT?

If I realize that I don't know how to solve a particular plot point off the top of my head, or I have forgotten where I was going with a certain storyline, I also look back at previous chapters and see what details/foreshadowing hints I put in there. That way I can reintroduce them in later chapters and look like I knew what I was doing all along. I am, however, pretty good at overall plot/beats/challenge/climax, and can usually see my way to the end of the story, even if I sometimes have to work out more of the middle. So yes.

As for AITWW, I did have in mind that it was going to be partly the historical backstory/exploration and expansion of the Dreamling relationship from TV canon, and then a continuation that would develop the relationship as I pleased. I did also intend for it to focus on the ramifications of Hob helping Desire get their hands on the Magdalene Grimoire, as that was an easy way to provide conflict and challenge for the next phase of their relationship and center on questions of how both Hob and Dream have changed over many centuries. So I knew that fairly early on, as I had to set the stage with the events of 1485 (chapter 3). I also wanted to incorporate the conflicts present in canon (Dream vs. Desire, Dream vs. Lucifer, Dream vs. Corinthian, all of which we saw coming together in chapter 17) and tie that to the Dreamling arc as well.

I can see the end of AITWW, and I estimate it will be about 20 chapters overall, which is about the usual length for a multi-chapter for me these days (word count varying...) I have a good model that fits within about that many plot beats/sections, and because I have done it for a long time, it's relatively easy to just roll up and do that again. But yes, we shall see.

#brightlyandwithbeautyy #ask #aitww

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motiv8world · 1 year

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Rhapsody of Realities 30 May 2023: Knowing Who the Christian Is

SCRIPTURE: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

You may read the four gospels and not get a picture of the Christian life and who the Christian really is. This is because the gospels don’t completely give us the full picture of the life of Jesus after His resurrection. The account of His life before His ascension was very brief.

It’s part of the reasons He told His disciples about the Holy Spirit -the Spirit of truth-who would show them things to come and guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13). Therefore, the most appropriate reference point for the Christian, as you study the New Testament, are the epistles.

Someone might ask, “How about the Book of Acts?” The Book of Acts is a catalogue of the acts of a baby Church. The Church in the Book of Acts had just started out in the Faith; so, it might not be the best expression of the Christian life, though it’s a good place to start. But for deeper and greater insights into the life of God’s new creature in Christ, you’d have to study the epistles!

For example, Paul’s epistle to the Roman church-the Book of Romans-is an extraordinary exposition of the doctrine of the supremacy of Christ and of faith in Christ as the source of salvation. Also, consider his beautiful letter to the Ephesian church; it details how new converts can grow in their spiritual knowledge of God and in the realities of the Kingdom.

Think about Peter’s writings; in chapter one verse four of his second epistle, he said, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature….” What a description of who the Christian is: we’re participators or sharers of God’s divine nature; associates of the God-kind-carriers or conveyors of the God-life. What a blessed reality!

There’s also the prophetic word on the millennial reign of Christ: everything the Lord promised to the Jews in the millennial reign is what He already gave the Church to enjoy today. Therefore, if you want to know about the Christian life and who the Christian is, you need the Book of Acts, the revelations and admonitions in the epistles, and all the promises prophetically given to the Jews in the Millennium. Hallelujah!

PRAYER: Dear Father, I’m thoroughly nourished, nurtured, sustained and fortified to attain spiritual maturity through the study of the realities of the new life in Christ. I make progress by the Spirit, and my profiting by the Word is unstoppable, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Colossians 1:26-27

26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),

27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.

2 Corinthians 5:17

herefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

1 Peter 2:9 AMPC

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 15:1-17 & 1 Chronicles 3-4

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 14:12-21 & Numbers 33

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piotrbiecek · 2 years

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Entry 11 - Creating the scene - Week Eleven

This week I was focused on finishing this module up, for this module to be finished in its entirety all I needed to do is model and texture my scene (Ancient Greek pillars) which was in my proposal as well as create a video that would showcase my artefact. The background/scene was quite simple, the idea itself was for my artefact to be placed within the scene somewhere giving the artefact somewhat of a story. The scene would be similar to my proposal and would be made up of ancient greek pillars, some of these would be broken and some would be fully standing. After doing some research I found out there are 3 key types of greek pillars.

Doric Pillars - Doric pillars are described to have a ''sturdy male body''.

Ionic Pillars - Ionic pillars are said to have a more ''graceful female body''

Steele, E. (2014). ID 161: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Columns. [online] ID 161. Available at: https://ericasteele1764.blogspot.com/2014/09/doric-ionic-and-corithian-columns.html [Accessed 10 Dec. 2022].

‌Corinthian Pillars - ''The most elegant and elaborate of the 3 orders''

canvas.northwestern.edu. (n.d.). The ‘Classical’ Source: Section 3: The ‘Classical’ Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. [online] Available at: https://canvas.northwestern.edu/eportfolios/548/categories/997 [Accessed 12 Dec. 2022].

Ancient Greece Facts.com. (n.d.). Ancient Greek Columns, Types of Roman Columns Ionic Pillars Doric Pillar. [online] Available at: https://ancientgreecefacts.com/columns/. Now that I knew what types of pillars existed, It was time to decide which one to choose, I chose the doric pillars as compared to the other two types they are definitely the most known as well as them being the easiest to model. Because I wanted the shield to be the centrepiece of the viewer's attention I didn't want to bring too much attention to the background.

I started the modeling process by importing a reference of a doric pillar and modeling it. My aim was to have multiple different versions of the same pillar allowing me to create a modular background. I first made the high poly pillar which had all of the grooves and detail I need.

‌Once the high poly was complete and smoothed I removed all of the grooves on the pillar allowing for my low poly to be almost complete.

For the low poly to be complete, I removed more of the geometry to cut down on as many polygons as possible. Since this was in the background, and there would not be any close-ups, I didn't need geometry that was never going to be visible. Once the first pillar was complete, I was comfortable with modeling all the other variants I had in mind and placing them in the position that they would stay in.

I used each of the same pillars up to 2-3 times allowing for a nice modular environment. Once the ground was done too, it was time to UV unwrap everything.

The ground was very simple to model, I tried mimicking the steps ancient greek architecture has and made it the correct size allowing for the pillars to lay nicely and look natural. I wanted to have two texture sets for this background. One for the ground and one for all of the pillars. My plan was to have the pillars have overlapping UVs cutting down on texture space immensely which in the end turned out to be the correct move. Pillars -

Ground -

Everything was complete and now it was time to texture the background.

I was quite lucky and managed to have the baking work perfectly first try which meant I didn't need to go back and forth between Maya and substance painter or need to go back to Maya for the rest of this module.

I came into substance painter thinking I will need to create the marble material myself but when I was looking for a marble crack grunge map, I found the marble smart material which saved me a ton of time. I altered the size of the grunge map and decreased the amount of dirt which resulted in an almost complete background.

The background already looked good but was missing the marks of a battle, to complete this background I needed to make it much more dirty and add blood.

I used the same dirt material I used for the shield and painted it into areas I wanted to be filled with dirt.

The blood was really subtle but worked perfectly for what i was going for.

Once I used the same materials for the ground and painted in the necessary details, I was ready to import both my background and shield into Unreal Engine 4 for my showcase video.

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endless-ineffabilities · 2 years

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Ineffable (Dream of the Endless x f!Reader) - Chapter 6: Dazed

Also with Corinthian x f!Reader

Story Masterlist - Playlist

A little more is revealed about the Reader's past, and her destiny. Morpheus and the Reader make plans to see his former lover. And, the Corinthian makes an appearance and as per usual, stirs a bit of envy.

The Dreaming never loses its wonder.

I didn't realize how exhausted I was until my back hit the mattress. Then, I was out like a light.

Since I'm able to control my dreams, I envision myself in Morpheus' palace, and I find him in his usual place in his throne room, seemingly pondering something grave as usual.

About my nifty ability to manipulate my dreams, as well as others', Morpheus had tried his hardest to figure it out. Where my power comes from, whether I am actually just a human. He and Lucienne had put me through tests when I first met them, and they even peered into my earliest history from the records of my life and my dreams in the palace library - as much as I would allow them, at least - but strangely enough, they could not find anything from before I was 5 years old, and I'd already started to use my powers then. Morpheus had wanted to read every word to the present, but Lucienne kindly stepped in, sensing my discomfort on the matter.

"I'm sure there are other ways, my lord. We don't need to pore into every detail of y/n's life right now," she said, ever so considerate, "Besides, as she said so herself, she has lived quite a relatively ordinary human life. Apart from stumbling upon her powers by chance, of course. She's just as unaware about the source of her powers as we are."

"It's alright," I had said, even though I didn't feel that way completely, because I was damned curious as well, "We can just take a little peek. Juuust a little."

I propped the main volume on its side, the one roughly outlining my life, as absurd as that concept seemed to me then, and even now. Every being that has ever existed has their own volume, and each one's content is partially overseen by the Fates. I was told that the writings in each living person's volume may also morph and change according to their choices, and any other abrupt divergence, as their lives unfold. I let it prop open on a random page, somewhere in the middle. But it was... blank.

"What the...." I turned a couple of pages forward. Still blank. I started to become worried.

"Does this mean that my life ends early, or what?" I looked up at Morpheus, and he appeared just as worried. He snatched the book from my hands, and began turning the pages backward, finding the place where the ink comes to an end.

Just when I thought that we wouldn't find the spot, that perhaps I would only be granted a short existence, and that I should maybe tie up some loose ends soon, he found the page.

He read out the final passage -

"Their eyes meet, and it's as if the other has recognized something dear. Some unfamiliar being, albeit wholly captivating. It is a first meeting, yet it feels as if both of them have found home.

For it will take time, but in due course they will ascertain, that they are destined to be each other's home. Each other's dream."

A long silence follows.

Until I couldn't help but blurt out, "What the fuck does that mean?"

Morpheus' head shot up to glare at me, "Leave it to you to speak so crudely."

"Sorry," I half-heartedly apologized, "but why does my story end there?"

"It seems as if," Lucienne started to say, in an attempt to break the tension, "you meet someone. Someone of the greatest importance. However, that doesn't still explain why your story ends there." She glanced over the pages, "From what I can deduce, in this point in time, this is the very first instance where you first came across..."

She paused then, and she glanced up at me in an instant.

"Came across who?" I asked, but somehow, I had a feeling I already who knew she was referring to.

He stood there, face warped in concentration, studying the words on the page, still as a perfect marble statue. Like a dream.

Morpheus took a deep breath, and closed the book with a thud. "It seems as if we won't find anything of note in this," he glanced at me, "Lucienne is right. There may be other ways to learn about the source of your powers. For now, we just need to get you to control them. Avoid drawing any attention to yourself, or doing anything too rash."

"That's what I've been trying to do all my life, Dream Lord." I was slightly dismayed that he seemed keen to learn only about my powers, and not myself. As if without them, I wouldn't be worth all this effort and attention.

I do appreciate that they are trying to help me, given that I have absolutely no clue how I can do the things that I do either. But I also do feel like amoeba under a microscope, and being studied so closely is starting to get under my skin.

And, well, there are some things in my life that I'd like to keep hidden. Especially the one thing that I most regret, to this day.

▪︎ ��︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Now, he sits on his throne, leaning casually on one armrest, talking to Lucienne.

I've been told to wait, so I stand a few feet away, in order to give them some privacy. They speak in hushed tones, well, more like Lucienne speaks and he ponders, while ocassionally glancing in my direction.

Are they talking about me? Before I could let my assumptions go further, he beckons to me.

"Lucienne suggested that you may need some training, before we see Amelia, and I agree."

"Training?" I ask. Just what exactly are we going to be facing?

"Yes," Lucienne says, in a kinder tone, "This is in no way meant to undervalue your abilities or the progress you've made thus far. I just worry because," she clasps her hands together, "all your missions have been mainly in the Dreaming, which are quite manageable. And with the very few that you've undertaken in the Waking World, you did not have to deal with supernatural beings, like witches, for instance."

"Notwithstanding the serial killer that Corinthian so smartly brought you to," Morpheus mutters icily, and I glare at him briefly before turning to Lucienne.

"Okay, well, if you think I need training, then I won't argue. But, is the nature of our mission so threatening that you think I may need training for it?"

Didn't Morpheus describe Amelia as, more or less, a good-natured individual? Or is there more to it than he is letting on?

"I suppose you should know that Amelia called to me in distress. She vaguely described some peril that she is facing, but she withheld most of the information. Perhaps, she thinks it best or easier that we find out for ourselves." Morpheus speaks, worry lacing his voice.

"She's in trouble? And you don't have any clue as to what the problem is?" I try to clarify. He has to have some idea of what it could be.

"I do have an inkling as to what it may be. Witches are," he pauses, pacing in contemplation, "well, in truth, plenty of them are benevolent women. Only practicing magic and the spiritual arts for self-betterment and altruism, such as Amelia. But a select group, have strayed from the flock. They exclusively practice dark magic, an unsavoury means to an equally unsavoury end."

"So she may be under threat from a dark witch," I offerred, now realizing why I am need to hone my powers. I've never faced such a being before, much less tried to fight dark magic.

"It has happened before," he responds, "and I was there to help her through it once. So I wonder if it's a similar case this time."

I nod, taking in the gravity of the situation. But I have to wonder, if the case is really as grave as it sounds, then why is he taking me? Why not someone more experienced, someone who won't be as vulnerable to dark magic?

"Perhaps, I should take y/n to the library, my lord," Lucienne says, "There are some basic incantations that she can learn to defend herself."

"Of course. In the meantime, I will try to check on Amelia, see how she's faring."

I try to ignore the feeling of jealousy tightening my chest. We have much bigger things to deal with right now.

Lucienne addresses Morpheus with a tilt of her head, "My lord," and begins to walk out of the throne room, expecting me to follow.

"Y/n," he stops me, one hand on my arm, "Are you okay with this? If you wish to withdraw from this mission, you can tell me. It's all right."

I'm caught off guard, not thinking he would ask this now. I internally chastise myself for being distracted by the gentle pressure of his hand on me, keeping me in place. Damn it. Why must I be like a little schoolgirl with a crush? Get yourself together, y/n.

"I want to help you," I assure him, "so I'm going."

"I don't want you to get hurt." His voice sounds so deep, so sincere, that the line tugs at my heart.

A small smile grows on my lips, and I catch his eyes flit down to them.

"Don't underestimate me, Dream Lord," I say teasingly, "I'll be fine. Besides, I'll have you there with me, so we can take on anything."

He smirks back at me, and I can't help but admire at how roguish he looks in the moment.

Our tense dynamic has improved as of late, and I only want to take things further. I want him to feel free to open up to me. I want more.

So I do something. What do they say? Life's too short? Well, for me at least. I doubt Dream Lord here will ever face the same conundrum.

I step forward, and use his arm to pull him closer, slowly. So there is but the smallest space between us, and I look at his eyes, captivated by how iridescent they are. They become heavy-lidded, and I am glad that I have an effect on him.

He gaze travels all over my face, from my eyes down to my lips. His lips part, and he whispers my name, "y/n". Then, he inches closer, but he seems to be contemplating something, "We shouldn't do this."

Our foreheads touch.

"Why not?", I ask, lost in the feeling of his proximity. This is the closest we've ever been.

"I'm not... how you think I am," he breathes, his face reflecting inner turmoil, "I can't give you what you want."

"You are," I press on gently, "You can."

He fingers graze my cheekbone, and another hand moves to rest on my waist. He relents, and moves even closer.

I feel it. The slightest touch of his lips on mine. A most tantalizing brush, barely felt, but it already sent shivers up my spine. He leans back slightly, calmer now, and he draws forward once more.

I close my eyes, and part my lips.

1...2...3... seconds pass. But I don't feel him. Rather, my eyes fly open and I find him stepping away from me, hands to his sides.

"Corinthian," he says loudly.

"Hey, boss," I see Cor standing there, and he looks between Morpheus and I, "Am I interrupting?"

"No," Morpheus declares quickly, not even glancing at me, "Not at all. Have you come to report anything?"

I feel as if I've been pushed to the side. The moment was certainly gone now, and Morpheus seemed poised and ready to bury it. Just when you think you're getting close...

"I have," Cor replies, "I've had a few hours to kill, so I actually went off and dealt with yet another Collector. The Scream Queen. Thankfully, not a psychotic devil-dealing one this time." He smirks at me, and I feel lighter inside, appreciating his sly humour.

"Very well. I'll be monitoring her in the Dreaming as well, to ensure that she doesn't get much respite here as in the Waking World."

"Of course, my lord," Cor says, "I suppose that's all I have for now."

"Great," I turn to him, "You can accompany me to the library then. Lucienne is waiting." I grab his hand, and almost drag him out of the throne room.

He chuckles at me, and I look past my shoulder and call out, "See you later, dream lord."

Morpheus says nothing, but I do catch his eyes land on mine and Cor's hand intertwined. Take that. I'm not even sure why I'm so frustrated with him, since I can deduce that he tries his best when it comes to learning more about connection and engaging in it, and that it's not easy.

But I'm not in the mood to be fair-minded today. How quickly his disposition can switch like hot and cold can be exasperating.

"You seem tense," Cor squeezes my hand we stride through the corridor, "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all," I reassure him, "I'm better now that you're here."

He smiles, "I'm better now that I'm with you too, trouble."

End of Chapter 6.

taglist: @notabotiswear @mischiefmanaged71 @5sosjay @pinkpunkdynamite @lu123sworld @iloveangstposts @shaewithyou @layla2-49 @littleblackspider @fate-huntress @kintsugi-keys @dame-sunflowers @cool-ontherun-world @poohxlove @seninjakitey @katiemrty @boofy1998 @witchxlove

Well, well, who do y'all think the passage from the Reader's life volume is about? Morpheus? Or Corinthian?

Also, there are some hints there about the Reader's history... plus the fact that they can't find anything from her earliest years. Who is she??

taglist is open - simply comment to be added :)

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neonthewrite · 2 years

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GT July 2022

I made it through the whole challenge! I wasn't sure if I would, when I first set out to do it! I'm so glad I gave it a shot and stuck to it. Some new stories came about from this little challenge, and I'll have to plan some more updates for those as soon as I can.

Many thanks to @gianttol for organizing the prompts.

1 - Fluffy - Tiny Pixie Hands - Elias Dawn and Eral the Arbor Pixie brave the colder climates on one of their adventures.

2 - Different Era - Error 50 - Featuring Elias Dawn sometime in the far future when their world has changed by quite a lot. In this they meet Fifty, a tiny assistant bot that'll become their buddy.

3 - Panic - Old Fears - In which Bowman Leafwing has a nightmare remembering old enemies, but a friend is nearby to help snap him out of it.

4 - Sizeshifting - Big News - Experimental dialogue-only story detailing a young man suddenly finding himself a little more giant than before while he's at the mall.

5 - Flower - Wildflower Dust - A visit to the Chase in Lilliput AU and its resident giant, waking up to a field of wildflowers in bloom.

6 - Royalty - New Office - In which a brand new court wizard is introduced to his new workspace by the royal prince. Set in the A Little Bit of Magic Trust AU.

7 - Creature - Denizen - Introducing Baz Corinthian, a young human witnessing the capture of a giant invading alien.

8 - Snacks - Forbidden Fruit ... Snacks? - In which Chase and Minnie Lisong go borrowing.

9 - Hide - Personal Assistant - A return to the world of prompt 2, in which Elias' new bot buddy learns he doesn't serve anybody anymore.

10 - Friendship - Friendship Progress - Adrian is still figuring out how his new friend Colfax works, but he's going to be his best friend one day! This story shows one example of his gentle persistence (relevant to any Trust AU where the pair of them are tiny).

11 - Mini Giant - Hellhounds - A new story in which an enigmatic would-be guardian angel rescues a man from a hellhound.

12 - Borrower - Fried Potatoes - We return for more of the borrower Lisong siblings. Takes place not long after the first story (prompt 8).

13 - Cosmic - Popping Bottles - More from A Little Bit of Magic as the tiny wizard Colfax struggles to open a not-tiny bottle.

14 - Sleepover - Spy - In which Baz (introduced in prompt 7) goes snooping to find out more about the captured alien.

15 - Redraw - Art Lesson - Set in another Trust AU: A Little Bit of Family. In which Adrian gives Oscar an art lesson.

16 - Beach - Grey Landing (part 1) - Introducing Isaac Grey, an unlucky sailor who has somehow shipwrecked onto an island of giants.

17 - First Meet - Grey Landing (part 2) - Isaac doesn't manage to avoid the giants for all that long.

18 - Thunderstorm - Storm Delay - Returning to Elias and Eral, who are stuck in a boisterous tavern while a storm rages outside.

19 - Same Size - A Walk in the Village - A What If? Scenario in which Jacob Andris becomes sprite-sized and gets a tour of Wellwood from Bowman Leafwing.

20 - Exhausted - Circus Mouse - Introducing Gailen, a mouselike little circus performer who gets worked very hard.

21 - Handheld - Grey Landing (part 3) - Isaac finds himself manhandled by giants.

22 - GT Prom - About the Prom - Jacob tries to explain Prom to Bowman, someone who's never heard of such a thing.

23 - Candy - Minnie's Supply Run - Back with more borrower Lisong shenanigans, this time with Minnie's attempt at some good borrowing.

24 - Comfort - Faulty Prediction - A young viri Colfax tries to make a plan that doesn't quite go as he expects.

25 - Pocket - Grey Landing (part 4) - The giants don't really know where to keep Isaac out of the way while they figure out what to do with him. He voices some opinions.

26 - Mermaid - Friend of the Sprites - Introducing Louis, a human who tries to help out his friends the water sprites of the pond the best he can.

27 - Communication - Mediator - Baz discovers a different giant alien from the one he saw before, and attempts to strike up a conversation.

28 - Scavenger Hunt - Loose Change - Based on a mystery Trust AU, in which viri Colfax is a recovering science specimen.

29 - Trinkets - Petty Thief - A miniature thief waits for a rendezvous after successfully fleecing the attendees of a party.

30 - Fan Art - Fan Art - A young viri Adrian slips away from home so he can have some peace and quiet and draw some fan art.

31 - Free Space - Peter the Photographer - Rounding out the challenge with some horror GT featuring a young photographer trying to document the carnage during a vicious attack by giants.

#gtjuly #gtjuly2022 #masterpost #story links

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takerfoxx · 2 years

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The Sandman, Season 1, Episode 10, "Lost Hearts," First Impressions!

The dream comes to an end.

Here in the season 1 finale of The Sandman, we actually have two climaxes. One of which I am only going to skim over, because it's basically more-or-less the same as in the comics, while the other I'm going to go into much more depth, as it had a lot expanded on. Plus, it was already really cool.

So, okay. Let's touch upon Dream's confrontation with Rose first. Like I said, it's a pretty faithful adaptation of the comics, with the only real changes being which dreams Rose's housemates are having when she brings them all together (as we already saw their original dreams in a previous episode), the fact that Rose already knew that she was a Vortex and went to go face Dream willingly, and a few minor but very important details regarding Unity.

I thought it was a cool translation. The Vortex effect was really neat, I popped a bit when Jed became Silver Age Sandman again, and Gilbert reclaiming his place as Fiddler's Green was absolutely gorgeous. I also liked Unity visiting Dream's library looking for the book on what her life would have been had she not fallen asleep, and the change from having Desire straight up rape her in her sleep to them seducing her in a dream was...probably a good idea. Like, Desire is absolutely an antagonist who's annoyingly petty, but they're never meant to be hateable, and while I know the Endless all have done some fucked up shit, having even this more malicious Desire be a rapist and get away with it would've sat wrong. I mean, there's still plenty of consent issues at play, but all things considered, this is far more palatable.

But other than that I just don't have a whole lot to say about the whole thing that wouldn't involve me reviewing a story climax that I first read over fifteen years ago. It was good then, and it's good now. So yeah.

The other climax is much more interesting to talk about, and that's Dream's confrontation with the Corinthian, which has been massively expanded upon, and to me that is a good thing.

See, originally, the Corinthian was just a problem to be dealt with. We didn't even get to meet him in person until the Cereal Convention, he was only alluded to in mentions and short POV teases until then, and he basically was just doing his serial killer thing while being utterly oblivious to the fact that Dream was after him. Him attending the convention was literally just for fun, kidnaps Jed basically because he's an evil dick, and Dream shows up and evaporates him with no issue at all. He's interesting, he's memorable, but he really doesn't have a whole lot going on until his resurrection.

But all through this season we've seen him granted a much more important role. He's aware of what is happening to Dream from the beginning, and we see him actively doing everything he can to prevent the Sandman from coming after him. We seem him give advice to Burgess, see him attempt to manipulate the Dees, and we see him successfully manipulate the Walker siblings. Because he knows that if Dream ever does actually catch up to him, then it's game over. He cannot stand against Dream on his own, so he picks out metaphyiscal loopholes that would give mortals a fighting chance and uses them as pawns instead. And when one fails, he immediately moves onto the next, throwing obstacle after obstacle at Dream, hoping that one will succeed.

And his final plan is very interesting. He hopes that by luring Rose to the Cereal Convention and surrounding her with the dreams of serial killers while using both her and himself as bait, he can terrify Rose into destroying Dream and take his place at the center of the Dreaming. And it actually almost works, because Rose certainly has no reason to like Dream. But unfortunately, Rose takes the third option, says "Fuck you" to both of them, and wakes up, leaving the Corinthian to face his maker alone.

I like the extra bit of depth given to the Corinthian as well. Like, he's still a monstrous serial killer, this definitely is not justified at all, but we also see how twisted up he is inside, how he felt abandoned by Dream and how trapped he felt by his original function, hence why he did what he did. And Dream actually acknowledges this, blaming himself for how the Corinthian turned out. He still kills him, but it's with the promise to make him better the next time, which as we know does happen.

And whether the comic or the show, I also got a kick out of how Dream wasn't upset that the Corinthian is an evil, murderous monster, it's that his vision is too petty. Like, "I made you to be humanity's dark mirror, a horror unlike any they have ever seen, and all you could manage is being a serial killer? Be better." Bless.

And the Collectors! Oh, that was hauntingly beautiful. Like, it happens like it does in the comics, with Dream ripping away their illusion, but the way it was portrayed was so much better here. We got to see just how much these horrible, deluded people are fucked up by having that delusion removed, by having them realize exactly what they are, and having their consciences restored does to them. The Good Doctor turns herself in. Nimrod straight up commits suicide. Like, what must that be like? To have wrought so much pain, death, and grief upon the world, all the while thinking yourself to be the hero, only to realize what a monster you've spent your whole life being? Like I said, it was haunting.

Mason Alexander Park continues to absolutely kill it as Desire. But you know the funny thing about their line about making Dream bleed? They do exactly that, only not in the way they expected! And it'll end up killing him, albeit indirectly.

And we get the set-up for the Season of Mists, with Lucifer promising to do something that'll piss off God and bring Dream to his knees. Well, they ain't wrong about that! I will say, for as cool as the Azazel effect is in conception, the actual execution was...a little too obviously CGI. Like, it looked like a PS3 cutscene effect. I guess it wasn't too bad, but given how great all the other effects were, it did stand out, but I suppose something like that would be difficult to make look real.

So! Season 1 wraps up! Final thoughts?

Yeah, it was pretty fantastic. A lot of things were faithfully adapted, and in beautiful fashion. Other things were changed, but to amazing effect. Overwhelmingly, the casting was excellent, especially on the part of Dream himself, and it's shocking that something this weird and complex not only managed to get an adaptation at all after all these years, but that it would be this good. I realize that the series was incredibly expensive, but Netflix better not give it the axe. We need this story to continue, for Murphy's sake.

#the sandman #neil gaiman #dream of the endless #rose walker #the corinthian #desire #lucifer #lost hearts #review

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realcube · 4 years

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her prince || fairytale au! iida x reader

summary: you disguise as a princess in order to get into a formal event at the palace with the intention of killing the king but then you encounter the prince, soon to be king, and he’s a bit more charming than you’d like to admit.

(a/n): idk this might be a royalty au! or perhaps a medieval au! but idek tbh

tw// fem! reader, poison, mentions of animal zapping, begging, a bit of meanie iida

“Why does (y/n) get to be the princess?” Your friend, and fellow member of the SOIR, whined from beside you. “She has the most peasanty features out of us all!”

Everyone else in the base groaned in union at her constant whining about the assigned roles, the ring leader of this operation — otherwise known as Katsuki Bakugo — finally broke his elongated silence as he previously seemed quite invested in whatever he was scribbling.

Suddenly, he shot up from his desk then proceeded to slam his fist against it, causing all of it’s contents to tremble, “Shut up! As if you’re one to talk about peasanty features, Mina!” He barked at the girl, his aggressive demeanour faltering once he noticed how his hostility caused you to wear an alarmed expression.

“We need her natural charm on the field, anyway.” he muttered, hastily sitting back down at his desk. Kirishima, Sero and Kaminari all had to do their best to suppress their snickers and focus on the tasks they had been given. However, they were all struggling as it was simply comedy gold to see their boss have such an evident crush on (y/n) but simultaneously be so far deep in denial for the sake of his pride.

Bakugo grabbed the scroll he had been writing on for the last few hours and held it up to display what looked like a numbered list, written in cursive. Therefore, you were unable to read it. In fact, none of you were able to read it; Bakugo was the only literate one among you, hence the reason why he immediately assumed leader of this operation even though it was originally your idea.

Upon noticing all of your blank expressions as you stared at what looked like a glorified piece of paper, he cleared his throat so he could begin explaining what he wrote to you. “I wrote out the plan-of-action for us to follow tomorrow but I forgot that you are all dunces so I’m going to have to read it aloud for you, aren’t I?”

You all nodded in unison which was promptly followed by Bakugo rolling his eyes once more and turning to read the plan.

“SOIR — stage one in (the) revolution — plan of action. Written and led by Katsuki Bakugo, soon to be King Explosion Murder!” He smiled to himself but it was accompanied by a chorus of groans from the rest of you.

“Step one; Kaminari steals a horse from his dad’s farm at exactly 5:15PM, rides it to the outskirts of the village so Sero can hook it up to the carriage. Meanwhile, Mina will assist (y/n) in putting on her gown and help ensure Kirishima puts on his suit and make-up properly. Afterwards, both parties will meet up by the carriage.

Step two; Sero will be coachman for the carriage to take (y/n) and Kirishima to the castle. Take the desired route and you should arrive at the palace by 6PM.

Step three; Sero will drop off Kirishima and (y/n) then ride back to this base immediately, where Kaminari, Mina and myself will already be waiting. As for (y/n) and Kirishima, they will try to get into the palace and keep a low profile.”

You sighed, aware of how much Bakugo hates to be interrupted during his ‘serious monologue’, and you could tell it was one of those as he used your real names rather than the nicknames he’d given to you like ‘dunceface’ or ‘the pauper’. However, you just had to interject as you were yet to be filled in with some crucial information to your part of the operation.

“Bakugo,” You halted him as he finished his sentence, quickly averting your gaze to the floor as you had a habit of losing your train of thoughts as you looked into his fierce crimson eyes. “How are we supposed to get in? Are there any openings or secret passages you’ve located?” Your eyes widened in excitement at the idea that you could be like a proper assassin; using secret passages, going undercover, dealing with poison and all that good stuff!

“No.” Bakugo replied bluntly, instantly shooting down any dreams you had of this being a cool mission. “Security on the palace will extremely tight considering this is a royal event. Only people who received an invite from the palace — hence, on the guest list — are allowed in, but I’ve already dealt with that obstacle--”

“You mean I dealt with that obstacle!” Kaminari cut him off with an offended tone before turning to look at you and Kirishima. “I was the one who zapped that messenger raven out of the sky to steal the invitation!”

“Shut it, moron!” Bakugo barked, slamming his fist against the desk once again to grab everyone’s attention, his palm emitting tiny, and very much illegal, explosions. He slowly shifted his gaze on to you and spoke in an eerily soft tone, “Anyway, you and Kirishima will go under the aliases of ‘Princess Momo Yaoyorozu from the Yaoyorozu isles, and company’. So you will be able to waltz right in there, just don’t act suspicious.”

“How come (y/n) gets a cool, noble name and I am just ‘company’. Also, if my role is unspecified then why do I have to be her father? Can’t I just be her brother or something so I don’t have to wear that silly old-person wig?” Kirishima whined, immediately followed by Bakugo glaring daggers at him.

“No, idiot, you have to be her father. If you dress as an old man then you’d be more likely to get in close proximity to the King.” Bakugo replied, impatience laced in his voice. He prided himself in coming up with such a logical excuse on the spot when in reality, the reason he wanted Kirishima to dress up as an old man was to guarantee that you don’t fall for him while on this mission. I mean, no matter how ravishing Kirishima was, how could you find him the least bit attractive while he looked like he was on the brink of extinction?

Kirishima grumbled inaudible curses under his breath as he slumped back in his chair defeatedly. Followed by Bakugo trying to resume his lecture but ceasing to do so as the familiar sound of groans erupted from all of you.

“You’ve been over the last part of the plan, like, ten times already. Just today!” Mina pointed out, folding her arms of her chest and jutting her bottom lip out in disapproval.

Sero hastily agreed with the girl, “Yeah! Here, I’ll summarise it for you.” Sero snickered before clearing his throat to prepare for his Bakugo impression, “ ‘You guys will sneak poison into the King’s quiche or whatever then I, King Explosion Murder, will come marching in to save the day and reclaim the land by declaring myself the new king! Bow to me, peasants!’ ”

You and Mina both giggled at Sero’s rather accurate, yet satire, impersonation of the leader himself. While Kaminari and Kirishima both jokingly bowed to Sero, robotically muttering ‘all hail, king explosion murder.’

“Hey! Quit it!” Bakugo bellowed, furrowing his eyebrows as he clasped his hand together and pressed inwards, forcefully repressing his urge to blow up the whole fucking base. “I’m not going to go over the plan again so if one of you dumbasses mess it up tomorrow then you’re getting a boot to the face, got it?”

“Yes, Lord Explosion Murder.” You all said monotonously in concert.

“You’re all fools!”

»»—————-　♔　—————-««

Step one, two and three had went smoothly. It almost seemed to good to be true.

Kaminari successfully managed to borrow the horses without anyone noticing, Mina did a spectacular job of making Kirishima look like an old man — as well as the skilful embroidery on your dress — and Sero managed to drive you here with all your limbs still intact.

As for you and Kirishima, you both mastered the role of snobby aristocrats surprisingly fast, considering you both came from extremely deprived families. But it was as if the lifestyle just came naturally to you, hence you were both able to enter the castle without a problem.

However, no amount of acting expertise would allow you to hide the star-struck look which took over your features as you admired the massive Corinthian hall which you had the honour of stepping into. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, providing light along with the pale candles which sat in the alcoves of the walls. The roof was jaw-droppingly high and was expertly painted with detailed images of religious scenes; angels, the virgin mary, jesus, fairies, dragons, everything.

At the other side of the hall sat none of than the King himself, looking smugly upon the crowds of people that filled his ballroom as he sat upon his extravagant throne, made of gold mined by slaves and welded together by citizens of the kingdom who were currently in poverty, but who the king also claimed to care so deeply about.

Disgusting. Consequent to seeing that evil vermin, your look of awe immediately dropped.

Your eyebrows knitted together as you simply could not avert your gaze from that man and his generally villainous demeanour that everybody just seemed to ignore. With a sigh, you leaned back against a pillar and mused, “Ugh, look at that vile creature just sitting here like he owns the place, just wait until he gets a taste of his own medicine. Right, Kirishima?”

You spoke, spinning your head around to look at your red-haired partner after you received nothing but a muffled ‘huh?’ as an answer. “What do you mea- oh!” you instantly cut yourself off upon realising that who you were spilling your plans to was not Kirishima but rather some dashing young man who was currently stuffing his was with damper bread.

“I- I am so sorry, sir. I thought you were someone else. Erm, uh, I shall take my leave now.” You stuttered, swiftly turning on your heels to bolt off in search of Kirishima but you were stopped in your tracks by the man scarfing the last piece he was holding to offer out his hand to you.

“No need to apologise! I, too, mistook you for someone else. That is why I was eating so gluttonously in your presence, my apologies.” He said, leaning forward into a bow to press a gentle kiss on your chuckles once you gave him your hand.

“I’m Tenya Iida, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He spoke, his tone suddenly becoming a lot less formal after he straightened up from his bow while slowly retracting his hand. “And would I be right in assuming that you are Princess Yoayorozu of the Yoayorozu Isles?”

Now that he was standing straight, without a pudding in his hand, you could take a moment to discretely examine him. He stood tall with his shoulders back and his head high to perfectly balance his glasses on the bridge of his nose, everything about his posture screamed ‘royalty’, not to mention his blue undercut which was slicked back into a loose comb-over. As for his outfit, he wore a white shirt along with a royal blue tie which complemented his blazer which was a similar shade, with the kingdom’s crest positioned on the left hand side of his chest. There was also his straight-legged navy trousers, his black derby shoes and his matching designer watch but what really brought the outfit together was his bold, enchanting smile.

You blinked a few time as it took a moment for that name to register in your mind but once it, you nodded rapidly in response. “Ah, yes, that would be me.” You chirped casually until his name finally clicked in you’re head, “Wait, are you Iida Tenya like- the king’s son Iida Tenya or?” You inquired, trying to act ‘casual’ as if you hadn’t been practising many week preparatory for today but the nervous look in your eyes was unconcealable.

Iida couldn’t help but chuckle at how bewildered you seemed while asking that question, “Well, yes, unfortunately.” He mumbled the last part but it was still said clearly enough for you to hear. “As you are probably aware, today is my coronation. But to say that I’m dreading the crowning is an understatement.”

You quirked an eyebrow at this new information. Well, it wasn’t really knew. The whole of SOIR knew that the formal event was going to the coronation for the new king. Hence, you and Kirishima were made aware that you had two targets to eliminate, but if you had known that the to-be king was such a cutie nice guy then perhaps you would’ve fought his case.

Logically speaking though, for this plan to work, both targets had to be eliminated. It was pointless to only poison the current king, as the crown would already be Tenya’s since the dinner which you planned to spike was going to be served after the crowning. And if you only poisoned Iida, not only would that upset you but the king would simply hand his status over to Tensei, who had been pushed back in the line for the crown due to his impairments after leading and fighting in many wars.

But, how could you kill Tenya when he was just so...charming?

None the less, somebody had to it. The lives of many citizens were in your hands tonight, as success would lead to improved situations for all. Once the monarchy is gone, there will be nobody stopping you from using your quirks freely! Plus, the royals would no longer hoard all the luxury and wealth of the kingdom, so everybody would be able to lead happy lives, free from financial burdens.

The list goes on but for now, you just had to look that fetching prince right in the eyes and think to yourself, ‘he’s the reason i’m poor’; which was easy to believe considering that the watch adorning his left wrist was probably worth enough to free your whole family from poverty.

It somewhat worked, but not really. The way his honeyed crimson eyes would gaze into your own was enough to make your heart flutter but you mentally reassured yourself that you were most definitely not falling and heart palpitations were just a symptom from your lack of sleep.

“Anyway,” Iida began once more, the tips of his ears heating up as he realised that he had been staring at you for an elongated amount of time. “It has been lovely speaking to you today but it’s about time that I take my leave, duty calls.” He said, mentally scolding himself for being such a creep and hoping that you paid no mind to his lengthened gaze.

“Ah, alright, I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer than needed.” You sung, awkwardly fidgeting with your fingers as you recalled the ‘manner classes’ Bakugo made you and Kirishima take part in to help you avoid instances like this where you had no clue how to formally end an interaction, with a prince of all people.

It was a long shot but it was your best guess. You swiftly grabbed Iida’s hand, pulled it up to your face and before he had time to react, you planted a kiss on his knuckles — just like had done to you — before bolting off into the sea of aristocrats to go find Kirishima. Leaving Iida standing, blushing more than ever, slightly confused but mostly amused.

“She’s really something.” He muttered to himself, scratching the side of his neck before hurriedly marching towards the throne, in search of his brother.

Although their interaction was brief, Iida would be lying if he said he wasn’t silently praying that he’d run into the girl again.

»»—————-　♔　—————-««

Step 4 went perfectly.

‘mingle for exactly 10 minutes until food preparation. Then, (y/n) will use her quirk to sneak into the kitchen while Kirishima distracts anyone that could catch her in the act.’

Bakugo’s gruff voice echoed throughout your head like that of a siren, as you waited for the perfect opportunity to spike the three large, extravagant platters of food laying on the golden trolley which was rumoured to deliver all three of the king’s daily meals.

At first you thought you had an issue as you had no idea which meal belonged to which person, they all looked almost identical, meaning that you might accidently poison the wrong meal, hence murder Tensei in vain. However, then you recalled a piece of wisdom Bakugo had given you offhandedly once, ‘y’know, there’s a tradition in this kingdom stating that the elders should be served the most salad on the side of a dish — so hand over your cucumbers, bitch!’

So with that in mind, your arm emerged from the shadows once most of the cooks had cleared from the kitchen to tend to other duties, and you dropped some of the poison into the dish with the most salad and the dish with the least to ensure that Tensei got to see the light of tomorrow.

I mean, you could’ve just poisoned all three to avoid doing all that critical thinking but not only was it risky, you also kind of had a soft spot for Tensei despite the fact he was basically double your age.

Utilising the shadows as your disguise, you stuck out of the kitchen yet you were unable to find a pathway back into the ballroom since there were just so many chefs crowding around the entrance to kitchen. You were sure to get caught if you exited the shadows from there but luckily, there was alternative.

There was a back door of the kitchen which led out into the grand garden, allowing the chefs to waft the smoke out and into the open air, if needed. So through the shadows, you were able to sneak out into the garden without being noticed by a single person.

Or so you thought.

As you jumped out of the shadows and swiftly turned a corner to look for a route back into the palace, you were greeted by a familiar face that wore an incredibly stunned expression. From behind their glasses, they squinted to try recognise you through the dark night.

“Oh, Ms Yaoyorozu.” Iida chuckled, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he realised that it was you he had bumped in to during his attempt at ditching his own coronation. Also, since he had just witnessed you doing a rather illicit act. “I’m not sure if you were ever made aware, but quirk usage is very much forbidden in this kingdom.”

You blinked rapidly, surprised at how oddly level-headed he was being about having just watched you sneak out of the kitchen, “Oh-” you choked, looking around to see if anybody else was around but the coast seemed to be clear; well, as far as you could tell, but that wasn’t easy considering the foggy night appeared to fleece everything. “I am so sorry. I was never told about such rules but I’ll be su--”

“Yes, you were.”

There was a while of silence between the two of you. To say you were taken aback was a understatement, why was he suddenly so confrontational? And why did he say that with such a nasty look in his eyes? Does he know something you do not? Even though you had only met him barely an hour ago, you could still tell that his comment was quite out-of-character. Hence you were hardly able to stammer out a reply, “W-w- um, was I?”

The tip of Iida’s lips twitched upwards as examined your bewildered expression; it brought him infinite amounts of amusement at how ignorant you must’ve thought he was to imagine that he could fall for your silly little ploy.

“Yes. Well, I mean, Ms Yaoyorozu had knowledge of these laws; the rules of the kingdom were attached to the invite, but you’ve made it rather clear that you’re not Yaoyorozu.” The words rolled off his tongue, each one sharper than the last; he didn’t plan on calling you out on your impersonation tonight but as his eyes skimmed over the terrified expression on you face, he was immensely glad that he did.

“So, tell me, who are you? Other than a scum-of-the-earth imposter that deserves to rot in slums for the rest of their poor, pathetic life.

You faltered slightly at his threat before blurting out, “Momo’s cousin.”

Iida snorted, but quickly tried to force a serious scowl back onto his features, “Exactly how gullible do you think I am?”

At this point, you were at a loss. The prince stood angry in front of you; meaning that it only took a yell for most of the guards in the palace come marching over to you, before tossing into the dungeon cell which you would have no choice but to call home for the rest of your life.

So if you didn’t act fast and wisely, this could be the last moment of freedom you’ll ever experience.

Throwing away your pride, you dropped to your knees in front of the prince, leaning forward to press your forehead against the shining tops of his derby shoes as you cried, but not loud enough to catch the guard’s attention.

“Please, your highness! I- I’m just a kid; like you! I swear I wasn’t here to cause trouble, I just--” your pleas were cut off by your own saliva getting temporarily caught in your throat but this gave you the opportunity to conjure up a believable excuse.

“I just--” you repeated, desperately attempting to come up with something until you mindlessly blurted out, “I just wanted to feel like royalty! Please give me another chance!”

Iida eyes widened at this; was it too far-fetched to believe that you created an elaborate plan to sneak into the palace, all for the ‘aesthetic’? Perhaps. But the way your glossy, sorrow-filled eyes looked up at him from the ground made his heart sink to his stomach while a sickly feeling ascended to his throat.

He felt so guilty.

In a moment of panic, he used his power to threaten and frighten a poor girl to the point where she was now begging for life on the paving beneath him. Although you were technically a felon, there seemed to be no malicious intentions behind your crime so why should you be prosecuted for it? Yet Iida still used his status to instil fear into you, solely to feel superior.

Perhaps he is not as different from his father as he once thought; a horrible feeling really, as Tenya despised no one more than that man. Iida wants no association with him or the horrible monocracy established in the kingdom. Which is why he chose to run away from his coronation. He hoped to fake his own kidnapping for a few weeks, then he’d come out of hiding and pray that Tensei had been given the crown instead.

He couldn’t bare seeing you on the dirty ground any longer so he hastily took your hand to assist you in standing back upright, “It’s-- you’re pardoned, just please come with me. This’ll only take a moment.”

At this point you’d just go along with anything he said, under the assumption that if you disobeyed, you’d be banished. So you trailed behind him, his hand acting as your guide since you could hardly see past the tears which clouded your vision.

You both approached a white wooden gazebo with a matching pale metal bench, he quickly took a seat and pulled you down next to him, sandwiching your hand in-between his own and caressing the back with his thumb as he waited patiently for you blubbers to die down.

His lips fell into a frown as he watched you desperately wipe the tears away from under your eyes but smear your expertly applied mascara in the process, “My sincerest apologies; I don’t know what came over me.” He spluttered, harshly biting his bottom lip to silence himself.

You took deep breaths, hurriedly trying to compose yourself before the prince snapped at you again. So, once the tears had stop brimming in your eyes, you looked at him with a ready expression. However, your faint sniffles, red eyes and smudged make-up didn’t do a good job at reinforcing it.

“Alright,” Iida started, removing one of his hands from yours to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I understa--”

“Are you going to imprison me?”

Iida choked on thin air, his eyes widening at your random — but seemingly genuine — inquiry. “Good heavens, no! Never! What makes you think that?” Was he really that menacing? He was only a prince and he was already using his authority for intimidation. Iida could only imagine how mad with power he’d become if he were to take the crown.

Good thing he wasn’t going to.

The reality of the situation you were in hit you like a truck as you caught a glimpse of the time from Iida’s designer watch since he had his hand resting upon your knee. You inhaled sharply, doing your best to compose yourself, “Sir-”

“No need to call me ‘sir’, I’m Tenya. Plus, we’re around the same age so ‘sir’ is hardly appropriate.” He chuckled, his lips forming a reassuring smile. In any other case, he’d go by Iida but he didn’t want you to associate him with his father in any sense, even if it was just by surname.

“Oh, how rude of me. I completely forgot to ask, what’s your name? And you have my word that I won’t do anything spiteful with this information.”

“I’m (y/n).” You replied without a second though, before continuing, “Your crowning is supposed to be in 10 minutes, correct? I think you should get going.” You hummed, trying your best to hide how tense and conflicted you were. If Iida doesn’t bugger off right now then he’s gonna miss the ceremony which will lead to a high chance of the event being rescheduled, therefore you’re going to have to act out this plan all over again! How many more messenger ravens does Kaminari need to zap?!

But on the other hand, there was some part of you that really didn’t want him to leave for some reason; perhaps you enjoyed his company a little more than you’d like to admit. Another part of you said that he doesn’t deserve to die, he’s too nice of a guy; then you remembered the evil, corrupt glint in his eyes as he told you about the fate he wished upon you just a few minutes ago, then you didn’t feel as bad.

Your kind reminder was met by Iida simply shaking his head, “Absolutely not! There is no way I can leave you after I said those horrible things. Plus, it’s not as if I want to be king, anyway.” He mumbled the last part but of course you heard it as his face was only a few inches away from yours.

“Why don’t you want to be king?”

Iida didn’t even hesitate to reply with the response that had been waiting on the tip of his tongue, “I shan’t participate in the monarchy. I plan on staying in hiding for a week before coming out, hopefully by then Tensei will be crowned king and I will get to lead the army instead.”

As soon as his plan fell from his lips, his eyes immediately widened. Why was he telling you this?! I mean, now that you knew his plan, once he ‘goes missing’ you could easily tell the king that this was part of his scheme all along, in which case the king wouldn’t crown Tensei and instead send out search parties for Tenya. But then again, why would the king listen to a pauper like you? No offence, it’s just that those who come from a lower social status are less likely to be allowed in the castle, and less likely to meet the king.

So he reasoned to himself that there was no harm in telling you his plan, but a part of him couldn’t help but wonder why he subconsciously felt comfortable enough to tell you in the first place. I mean, he’s only known you for an evening; surely there’s no why he’s caught feelings this fast, right?

Your heart skipped a beat upon hearing his circumstances, thinking that this was the end of SOIR, but the more you thought about it, you realised that perhaps this was a good thing.

This meant that — assuming the king eats the meal prepared for him regardless of the ceremony — the king will be dead so the only person you’d have to eliminate was Tensei who was widely known to be more lenient about the rules of the kingdom. I mean, he let his troops take a water-break during battle for goodness’ sake! Assassinating him should be a piece of cake, especially for the SOIR.

Also, this ensures that you won’t have to kill Tenya, which is a thought that made you oddly happy and relieved.

Sniffling quietly, you rubbed beneath your eyes to further mess up the eyeliner and mascara Mina had done for you. Then you hummed, “Oh, that’s cool, Tenya.”

“And I would like for you to be my bride once I emerge from hiding!”

You froze, blinking rapidly and inquiring further in hopes that perhaps you misheard him, “Huh? Your what?”

“Bride!” He chirped, scanning the baffled look on your face and figuring that he should elaborate, “See, I think it works in both of our favours; you get to live a somewhat royal life and I get to settle down with someone who my father did not pick out for me. Plus, though I’m no love expert, I can definitely feel something special between the two of us. I hope that’s not just me being a fool. But anyway, I completely understand if you refuse, marriage is a huge commitment.”

Even after he finished explaining, you still sat there staring at him, absolutely flabbergasted that he really just asked you to marry him. Also, quite shocked that there was a scarily large part of you that wanted to accept his offer.

“Tenya, we literally just met a few hours ago.”

“Six, to be exact.” he corrected you, accompanied by a little shrug as to say ‘who cares?’

“And we are both sixteen.” You continued to rationalise but talking to Iida when he’s dead-set on something was like talking to a brick wall; a brick wall that provided logical arguments, the worst kind of wall.

“The average life expectancy in this kingdom is 35 years of age so if you think about, we’re basically half way through our lives already. Why not settle down?”

Although, his statements were annoying as hell, the charming smile that decorated his face while he spoke was enough to convince that he was right. Despite the fact those statistics were clearly a sample from the lower class; royalty would obviously live to a much higher age. Plus, he was definitely correct about the special feeling between the two of you, like you have genuinely never felt more endeared by a person’s presence before, especially after they were just wishing hellfire upon you a few minutes ago. six, to be exact

As he sat there and exchanged a longing gaze with you, the voice in your head that wanted you to accept his proposal was getting larger and larger by the second, drowning out the voice that strictly wanted to put an end to his clownery and that voice sounded eerily like bakugo. You’re a woman of logic, and logic says you should accept. Because, if you say no, there’s no turning back and you’ll probably never get another opportunity like this again in your life. But if you say yes, you have two whole weeks to make up your mind as to whether you actually want to marry him or not, and if you don’t, you can always break up with him after he comes out of hiding. Additionally, you’ll be able to go back to the base and confer with the SOIR as to what you should do. Also, you were kinda in love with him, but logic disregards love.

Iida moved his hand from your knee to hold both of your hand in his own while his gaze filled with yearned remained locked onto your eyes, he’s truly never seen anyone more beautiful before. Despite the fact you make-up was ruined, tears were stained to your face and mascara was smeared under your eyes, you still looked ten times more divine than any queen he’s ever seen.

“So, (y/n), what do you say?”

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classicalmonuments · 4 years

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Tychaion of Aere (Tyche Temple of Al-Sanamayn)

Al-Sanamayn (Aere), Bashan, Syria

191 CE

Ancient Aere, which now bears the Arabic name is-Sanamin which means “the two idols,”

Temple, Date 191 CE The chief ruin here is that of a small temple (Ill. 287), which stands on the north side of the birkeh(reservoir) near its northeast angle, quite apart from the village and from other ruins. From inscriptions this temple is known to have been sacred to Tyche, and is definitely designated as a Tychaion in one of them. The temple faces the north, it is quite well preserved, but for its north façade which has been completely destroyed and rebuilt again from its own fragments (Ill. 288) at some time when the building was crudely converted into a Mosque. It has perhaps served also as a stronghold of the Arabs. The building was originally so placed that it protruded well into the water of the birkeh; but the space on the east side has been filled in. The site must have been a very beautiful one, with the reservoir enclosed within a colonnade of which evidence still remains.

The plan (Ill. 289), as a temple plan, is most unusual, being like that of a Christian basilica short in proportion to its width and without longitudinal or other interior roof supports. It has three portals — a wide doorway between two narrow ones — in its facade, a large niche, like an apse, (Ill. 290) in the wall opposite the entrance, and side chambers in two storeys flanking the apse, all concealed by a flat rear wall. The floor of the apse was elevated, and the apse connects by a doorway with the upper side chamber on the west side. It is impossible, without excavations, to determine whether the porch of columns, which I have shown as conjectured in the plan, (Ill. 289) existed or not.

A row of four free-standing columns extends across the south wall on the interior carrying a complete entablature which is arcuated above the apse (Ill. 291); while two engaged half columns in the east and west walls, and engaged quarter columns in the two north angles, support the entablature along the sides of the interior; this feature was omitted from the north wall. The richness and beauty of this building would seem to have been confined for the most part, to the interior; for the rear and side walls were severely plain, relieved only by Corinthian pilasters at the angles, and the huge overhanging moulding that marks the top of the foundations which rise a meter or more above the water.

But the north façade, so badly ruined now, is not past restoration; for every member of its design, and every detail of its ornament is represented in the mélange of architectural fragments that compose the rebuilt wall (Ill. 288), and these prove it to have been a highly decorated façade It becomes necessary, in view of the two sets of restorations that have been made from my earlier notes and measurements, to explain that my ideas with regard to the restoration of the exterior of the Tychaion have been wholly changed by my later observations in 1909.

In the earlier publications cited above, the exterior order has been made equal in height to the interior order; but now, more accurate measurements of the heights of the exterior of the south wall show that the exterior pilasters were 7 m. in height, which would raise the tops of their caps 30 cm. above the top of the cornice of the interior order, and the exterior entablature, which is known by its fragments to have been almost exactly equal in scale to the interior entablature, when set upon its pilasters, raises the outer cornice 2 m. above the interior cornice, and makes its full height correspond to the height of the crown of the arcuated cornice above the apse (Ill. 292 Sect. A.-B.). This arrangement of the two orders at once raises the problem of the roofing of the building, and the question as to whether the outer entablature was crowned by pediments on the north and south. It is quite certain that the interior space between the portals and the apse was not roofed over·, for it is plain that there were no interior free-standing columns to carry a root. The entablature above the engaged columns of the side walls is continuous, as is shown by an excellent photograph of the west wall of the interior published by M. Kondakow,1 and there is no provision for connecting the engaged columns with free-standing columns within the chamber. I am fully persuaded that this part of the building was open to the sky; but that does not mean that there was not a gabled roof above the apse and a corresponding gable above the north wall, or a gable roof over a portico on the north, as I have indicated in my restored section (Ill. 289, Sect. C-D). The question of the presence or absence of a porch for the facade is another matter. I incline to the opinion that there was a porch of four columns, the inner pair centred upon the space between the portals. This spacing would require the arcuation of the entablature over the middle intercolumniation, which would correspond with the arched entablature within. The falling off of the ground in the spaces opposite the side portals suggested the arrangement of steps given in the plan (Ill. 289). There is ample material in the fragments lying all about the Tychaion to warrant the restoration which I have suggested; it is only a question whether some of them may not have come from another building; but, considering the similarity in technique and in scale between the fragments and the details of the building which are in place, this seems hardly likely. The restoration of the north wall was not a difficult problem. In my drawing (Ill. 292) I have called this the façade, which it would be if we could be certain that there was no portico outside of it. Much more of this wall is in situ than would appear in a casual glance at the wall as it is now, encumbered with the confusion of a late rebuilding. It will be seen, by reference to the photograph (Ill. 288), that the pilasters at the ends and the two side portals are preserved to a height of about 3 m.; the doorway on the right preserving its frieze and one console, that on the left, its frieze and parts of its cornice above the socket for a console. The details of these small portals are given on large scale in Plate XIX (A). Of the great portal only two courses of the right hand jamb are in place; but the lintel, a beautiful example of late Classic carving·, has been reset in the middle of the wall at a level much lower than the original. The probable height of the doorway, as shown in Ill. 292, was obtained from doorways in the region that are well preserved, and from the relation of the ornament above the lintel to the niches which flanked it. A piece of the frieze of the door-cap is to be seen in the modern wall at the left in Ill. 288, and one end of its cornice and one of its consoles were found in the crude wall in front of the building, shown in the same photograph. All these details are presented in a scale drawing in Plate XIX (B). The niches which must have been placed above the smaller doorways are represented by two sections of coupled colonettes and two coupled Corinthian capitals built into the north wall (Ill. 288), and by fragments of two conchas and the end of one pediment built into the other crude wall. They are not difficult to restore with every probability of correctness from these fragments, and are almost exactly similar to niches correspondingly placed in the front walls of the Basilica at Shakka and the little temple at Br6keh 3 in the Ledja, except that the order in these other examples was the Ionic. Other details appearing in the new wall are a corner pilaster cap, a piece of heavy cornice with modillions, pieces of richly carved architrave, which differ slightly in measurement from the interior architraves, and several bits of frieze wrought with the guilloche, some pieces flat and others curved for use in an arcuated entablature. Some of these fragments undoubtedly belonged to the interior entablature, others certainly did not, and were quite certainly parts of the exterior enrichment of the temple. Other interesting details of this facade of which we have record, but of which no remnant remains, are four bronze torch holders which were affixed to the wall at both ends of the lintels of the two small portals. There are parts of four inscriptions, dedicating the torch holderss, still in place in the wall, and over two of them are the sockets which received the supports of the torch holders, as shown in Ill. 292. The restoration of the façade, or north wall, should be compared with the drawing made by M. Rey of the front wall of the Pretorium at Mismiyeh now entirely destroyed. The beauty of the interior ornament is shown in the photographs (Ill. 290 and 291) and in Plate XIX. Very little restoration was necessary, as will be seen in Ill. 292 Section A-B. There are few monuments of antiquity in which the finer details have been so well preserved. The illustrations speak for themselves, and such parts as are in situ are indicated by stippling in Ill. 292. It is astonishing to find such refinement of technique in such a material as basalt, and at a date which we know to have been near the close of the second century after Christ. Certain points of interest are to be noted in departures from the canons of Classic architecture: for instance, the interior entablature is much too heavy for the columns which were already reduced in scale by being elevated upon pedestals, and the capitals which were given height to suit the entablature were greatly compressed all around to fit the shafts (Pl. XIX). A similar error is to be seen in the little pilasters which flank the upper openings beside the apse, where the caps are much too tall for the pilasters. The omission, above these pilasters, of a complete entablature, and the substitution of the beautiful volutes are other features which show that the work is not to be called Roman, and has an independent descent from the Hellenistic architecture of Asia. In many respects this architecture resembles that of the Classic Revival more closely than it does the contemporaneous architecture of Rome. Along the side walls, between the engaged columns of the interior, are projecting brackets to hold statues, and each bracket has its inscription.5 Another inscription,6 one upon the curved wall of the apse, records the gilding of the statue of Tyche and of the niche itself. The statue of the divinity was perhaps one of heroic size proportioned to the apse in which it stood. On the south side of the birkeh, that is the side opposite the temple, are the remains of a colonnade (Ill. 293). It would be impossible, without systematic excavations, to discover the original form of this structure or its extent; but, from the part which is standing, and from dispersed fragments, it would seem that it enclosed the pool of water. It is evident that the lower part of the fragment now in situ is deeply buried; for the Corinthian columns are very short in proportion to their diameter. Ihis fragment consists of a rectangular pier and two columns carrying an architrave with two bands and a highly finished cymatium; but its important feature is a remnant of an upper storey consisting of a pier, with a pilaster on its face, carrying the spring- stones of two small moulded arches. Its original form is easily restored. The frieze above the main architrave is a low member with a rightlined moulding at the top; and, in place of a cornice, there is a plain course of stone upon which the piers of the upper storey were set. It is practically certain that there was a pier above each column, and that these piers carried narrow arches, and that pilasters were run up between the arches to carry a continuous entablature above them. It is both interesting and important to find an arcade above a colonnade at so early a period; for the details of these columns and the mouldings of the arcade above them are not appreciably later than the Tychaion. These remains are worthy of thorough and systematic investigation by means of excavations, and their remoteness from dwellings or other modem buildings would render such an undertaking both simple and inexpensive.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

#art #Architecture #travel #history #temple #tyche #Tychaion #roman #hauran #syria #corinthian #conch #niche #tetrastyle #prostyle #Roman Art #roman architecture #2 ce #meander #open roof #bashan

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nerdygaymormon · 4 years

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So, I know the Church places,a lot of emphasis on getting married in the temple, and I think somewhere I heard it was necessary to achieve the highest level of glory, but recently I've been considering the label a romantic for myself and I was wondering what my place in the church would be. Is marriage really necessary for exaltation?

I wrote a very long response, and then at the end figured out the answer I should give you.

Listen to your heart. What is the Spirit trying to whisper to you?

Since you’re aro, check out the apostle Paul’s message in I Corinthians chapter 7. He says if you’re ace/aro, great! God has work for you. In fact, Paul seems to value being ace/aro over being married.

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I’ll still share the really long answer about whether marriage is necessary for exaltation,

I’ll begin with the Church’s answer. Then I’ll provide some historical context. And finally, I’ll share my thoughts.

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I suppose we should begin by defining what the LDS Church means by someone being exalted.

They will live in the presence of Jesus and God (which means living in the highest level of heaven)

They will become gods (children of God grow up to be like God)

They'll be united with their spouse for eternity, and linked to their righteous children and others through sealings

They will have eternal offspring (Wendy Watson Nelson is quoted in a 2020 manual for Sunday School teachers as saying marital sex "will continue eternally")

They'll receive everything Jesus and God have--power, glory, dominion and knowledge

Two of the items on the list involve being married/sealed together, which is why the LDS Church puts such an emphasis on this.

For those who are unmarried, or whose marriages aren't sealed in the temple, they can still make it to the highest kingdom of heaven but they will not be exalted, they'll be ministering angels

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In the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), a person has to strictly observe all the Jewish laws involving sacrifice, prayer, and observance of holy days.

These laws cover everything from what clothes a person can wear, what they eat for lunch, and even if it’s okay to have sex with your wife when she is menstruating. God is very involved in the details.

These laws could be considered the "covenant path" of the Jewish faith.

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Jesus & his apostles reject the idea that people have to keep all the Jewish laws in order to be saved in heaven.

Rather than a bunch of boxes to check, Jesus taught there's simply 2 great commandments.

The first is to love God above all else.

The second is to work diligently for the welfare of others, especially the poor, outcasts, strangers, foreigners, marginalized and even those who are our hated enemies. In other words, help God accomplish His great work, which is us.

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This idea that Jesus rejected following strict laws and covenants, along with the command to love God, it lead to the Christian teaching of people being "saved" through their faith in Jesus.

First, a person has to believe that Jesus is the Son of God

Next, they must believe that they can't go to heaven unless Jesus saves them

Then they ask Jesus to come into their life by prayer. They admit that they've sinned and ask for forgiveness and pledge to follow Jesus for the rest of their life. This is often referred to as being "born again"

Finally, they are baptized as a sign of their commitment to Christ (baptism is not a requirement to get into heaven, but is a way to follow Christ’s example and show they've had a significant spiritual experience)

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Joseph Smith taught that most people go to heaven, and that heaven has layers.

To get to the highest level we must complete certain ordinances and live a certain way. President Nelson refers to this as the "covenant path."

Faith in Jesus (not an ordinance, but a requirement to begin this path)

Repentance (not an ordinance, but having a desire that to do better)

Baptism by immersion (symbolic of our repentance that washes us clean and saves us from eternal death to eternal life)

Laying on of Hands to receive the Holy Ghost

Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men only)

Washing & Annointing ordinance

Endowment ceremony

Celestial Marriage (sealed to spouse in the temple)

Sealing to parents (done in the temple, or if your parents were sealed to each other at the time of your birth, you were born sealed to them)

These collectively are known as the saving ordinances.

For people who died without completing this list of ordinances, these can be performed vicariously for them at the temple (except for the ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood).

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Since Joseph Smith put this new path of ordinances in place, there’s been a big change. For decades, "Celestial Marriage” meant polygamy, without it exaltation was not possible.

Since the Church was forced to stopped practicing polygamy, we've changed how we interpret the scriptures that talk about celestial marriage.

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In order to go to the temple to receive the saving ordinances necessary for exaltation, the Church requires we pass a worthiness interview. I suppose that in a sense, these are changes as to who qualifies to be exalted. This additional list of requirements includes:

follow the Word of Wisdom

sustain the current prophet and apostles

obey the law of chastity

pay a full tithe

attend church meetings and partake of the Sacrament

if divorced, pay your child or spousal support

wear the temple garments

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A Safeguard

There's many people who find themselves outside of this Covenant Path.

Many lived and died without knowing anything of Christ, and we do not have records for them and thus can’t do temple work for them

Some people are specifically forbidden by the Church from completing the requirements for exaltation

Queer people

In the past, people of African heritage were also forbidden by the LDS Church

Given there's an obvious lack of fairness and opportunity, there has to be a way to fix things, otherwise God would be very unjust.

I believe this idea has influenced the LDS concept of the Millennium, which is a period of 1,000 years of peace after Christ comes again.

The Church believes that during the Millennium, people will be taught the gospel, repent, marry, raise children. The temples will be busy with resurrected people getting temple ordinances done.

People who died single will have an opportunity to find someone to marry.

Some people believe that queer people will not be queer anymore and this will make it so they can find someone to marry and be sealed together.

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My thoughts.

We know next to nothing of heaven and post-mortal life, yet we speak about it in very definitive terms--what it’s like, who’ll be there, what they’re doing.

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I know we often speak of the highest level of heaven as very exclusive, but I’ve had the opportunity to speak with several Seventy and an apostle and they speak of the Millennium as the great hope.

Parents with wayward children should have hope, the lesbian should have hope, all will be made right, we all will have an opportunity to develop and grow. It sounds like everyone will be exalted if they want to be.

While I don’t quite agree with all the ways they think things will be fixed in the Millennium, I can get on board with the idea that God will make things right.

For example, the idea of a queer genocide that wipes out all LGBTQIA+ people and replace them with a cishet version of the person just doesn’t sit well with me.

What I do believe is that any blessing a person should’ve had during their lifetime will be made available to them.

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Something about the idea that in heaven married couples are having sex and creating babies for eternity is a little weird to me. Do women like the idea of an eternity of pregnancy? Imagine an eternity of morning sickness and child birth as your destiny.

Mormon scriptures teach that we all began as intelligences, without beginning or end. God came and organized intelligences into spirits. In that way we’re God’s spirit children. Does that sound like sex? It doesn’t to me. I don’t know when celestial sex became the Church’s explanation of what it means to organize intelligences.

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The ideas of what exaltation is causes leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to struggle with the idea of people who are ace, trans, gay, aro and so on. They see themselves in the idea of heaven and not the rest of us.

Their idea of what exaltation means makes them see no space for queerness in God’s Plan.

That’s pretty bold to deny the existence of God’s diverse creations. Here we are, we exist, we are known, yet rather than expand the Plan, to find how we can fit into the Plan, they choose not to see us.

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It makes me very sad to think our Heavenly Parents might have set up a plan that would cause most of their children to not be exalted, and that means they’d never get to see those children or speak with them again, yet that’s what many Church members seem to believe.

If our Heavenly Parents are supposed to be a model for us on how to be parents, most humans would reject the idea of setting up a plan to make their kids fail so they would never see or speak to them again. That's the opposite of what we'd consider good parenting.

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While I find meaning in the ordinances performed by the LDS Church, I'm more inclined to believe what Jesus taught on the matter--Love God, love & lift those in need. Jesus called this "true religion" and those who follow it will find they do well in heaven, no matter what earthly church or religion they belong to.

I think of the story of 3 eighteen-year-olds who carried members of the Martin Handcart Company across the icy waters of the Sweetwater River. Those young men died from the extreme exposure, and upon hearing of what they did, Brigham Young wept and said they’d be exalted for their sacrifice. Their exaltation wasn’t dependent on being married or having the Melchizedek priesthood. Service & sacrifice for people in need was enough.

I imagine Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and others who've spent their life developing Christlike traits (regardless of whether they were Christian) will be much further ahead when the Millennium arrives. It only takes a few hours to complete the ordinances, and so much longer to become the kind of person who can be exalted.

I suspect a lot of Mormons will be surprised to find that their ordinances weren't enough to qualify them for exaltation

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Since I'm forbidden by the Church from being sealed to a husband, I instead focus on being a good person, on helping others, on being a great uncle and a good neighbor and friend.

Is marriage really necessary for exaltation? I don’t know.

I don’t know what heaven is like, there’s some Mormon beliefs about heaven that I really like, such most everyone goes to heaven, and we can be together with the people we most love.

While I don’t know much about heaven, I think we can know things about God’s character, and that’s what causes me to question some of what is taught about heaven & marriage and a Plan that excludes queer people.

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