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jpitha · 10 months

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The Oxygen Breathers: Careful what you wish for.

It’s another story in this world.

Despite my best efforts, the cycles continue.

The solar years pass, and I age.

My name was drawn, and in the twilight of my life, in my final instar, I find myself speaking for the Coalition. I don’t rule, not really. The Coalition is lead by a panel of ten people. Not all races are represented, but those who aren’t trust us to have their best interests in mind.

When the humans were ejected from Coalition space, their final words were not of anger, or jealousy or resentment. All they told us was, “Beware the Felimen. They are planning something.” We laughed off their warning, thinking they were just sore losers. Thinking that they had finally felt the sting of a Coalition sapient and went back to their corner, nursing a bruise.

I wish we had listened then.

Ten solar years after the humans left, the Felimen made their move. Sweeping in to colony worlds bordering their space, they struck quickly and decisively. It wasn’t a mistake, or a miscommunication or an accident, it was war.

And we were losing.

One by one our worlds fell to them. One by one the sapients of the Coalition surrendered to the Felimen. If they surrendered before an attack began then the Felimen were magnanimous. They would send down some of their number as a garrison and replace the administrators with those loyal to them. Life would continue on their world much as it had done so before. If they chose to fight back, then their destruction was complete.

We needed help, and we only knew one place to go.

Honestly? I was surprised that the Humans would even take our calls. We sent envoys and gave them our ansible and they called back almost immediately. “Come and meet with us.” they said “We will discuss things.” Because of the dangers presented by traveling, I was chosen to speak for the Coalition and packed into a ship with a very small retinue and we took a long, circuitous route to our border with Human space. I remember thinking it was odd. They shared a border with the Felimen as well, yet I heard no reports of violence on their borders.

We met on a large human ship right on the border. This time it was my turn to suit up. Their oxygen based breathing gas is utterly toxic to me. My race is fortunate that we can be in the presence of their gas mix - for a short time - without taking damage, but it was still not recommended. Our ship eased up to theirs and a docking umbilical slid out and connected to our ship. “Administrator!” A bridge officer turned towards me. “Their breathing gas is… different than what we have on file.”

I turned sharply and unconsciously gestured surprise. “How is it different?”

They turned back to their screen, peering carefully at the display. “It seems… to be a mix of their atmosphere and ours. Half ours, half theirs. It’s odd, neither party can breathe that.”

There was a tone from the comm set. The ansible officer raised their arm. “They are hailing us, audio only.”

“Greetings Coalition vessel. This is the human ambassadorial ship Speak Softly. In the name of cooperation, we have adjusted our breathing mix to be a combination of yours and ours. The temperature, pressure, and gravity have been adjusted to be more comfortable to you as well. We will all require masks for breathing, but full pressure suits are not necessary. We will of course not be upset if you wear one anyway, but we will not be suited. Additionally, the Empress of the Human Empire herself has graced us with her presence. She will be speaking on our behalf. We await your presence.”

Empress? The humans have an empire? A single sapient that rules over the entirety of their space? How odd. While I was ruminating the commander of the ship got my attention. “Administrator Kre’kk, you’re not actually going to go over to their ship without a suit are you? That is madness.”

I raised an arm in a gesture of calm. “I will, commander. The rest of my retinue however shall be suited. If the humans wish to compromise, then we shall compromise.”

In hardly any time at all, we were ready. I was wearing my mask, and my retinue was suited up. We had dithered over taking weapons, but decided against it. This was not a show of force. We were coming to them, arm parts open, asking for their help. We were the ones who did not have the strong argument.

As we stepped through the umbilical, their airlock opened. Three humans - not suited - stood there, in their breathing masks as they had said. “Welcome Administrator. Please accompany us.”

I had to force myself to not make a gesture of fear. They were small and dense and looked like they could lift all of us at once. I had only seen images of unsuited humans in reports and had only ever seen their faces when they came to my station so long ago and got into a disagreement with the Felimen. I had ejected them from the station then, and their leader, a human named Margaret had warned me then. I wonder if Margaret would be pleased to know that she was right all along.

We were lead through their halls towards a meeting room. The human ship was bright and utilitarian. Not one bit was wasted space. It was surprising. Their ship was so large! Why were they this efficient with their use of space? Me and my retinue were taller than the humans and their ship felt like a warren. Small, winding with low ceilings. Fortunately, I didn’t have to duck, except when we passed through a pressure door; they’re not using force curtains?

After a short walk, we reached a meeting room. The guards accompanying us did not enter, but instead formed up on either side of the door. “Please, enter.” At that, their eyes flicked away from us, and took up station looking straight ahead. We entered the room and…

And I gasped sharply and made a gesture of surprise. The person sitting in the center of the long table was Margaret Kellerman! She was not in her polished vermillion suit, but instead wore a long, flowing outfit in the same vermillion color. She sat slightly elevated above everyone else and looked down at me imperiously. Her eyes widened in recognition, and she smiled broadly with her mouth closed. “Why, Administrator Kre’kk. As I live and breathe. I had not expected to ever see you again.”

Her voice! It wasn’t the translator speaking for her after all. She was speaking the trade language perfectly, without machine translation. Her voice was clear and beautiful. Following the protocol, I bent my body towards the centerpoint. A bow. “Empress Kellerman. I admit I was not expecting to see you either. When we had first met, I did not know you were royal.”

Her smile settled into something that my translator’s body language module described as a smirk. “That was by design, Administrator. One cannot advertise they are a member of the royal family and also go galavanting across the galaxy leading a small group of mercenaries. Still, it is good to see you again. I recall that you were a being of reason. Did you ever reach out to your family on the colony worlds bordering the Felimen?”

She remembered that? Impressive. “I did, Empress. My crèche mate transferred to an inner world shortly after you left and I messaged them. They are with us still.”

“Most excellent. I knew I was right in warning you.” She looked down at the people on either side of them. They looked up and she nodded. “Now then, Administrator. What can humanity do to help?”

“Just like that? You’re willing to help? We ejected you from Coalition space solar years ago.”

She put up a hand and gestured. “True, true. But perhaps we were a little too… rowdy when we first met. It’s just how we are. Work hard, play hard you know? We also were coming off our first war with the Felimen and were a little touchy. We’re willing to extend our hand to assist.” Her smile slid just a small amount. “Our assistance will not be free, however.”

Here it comes. “We anticipated this Empress. My ship is loaded down with trade goods, currency, and I have authority to offer you any price for your help.”

She chuckled. “Oh no, no, Kre’kk, we don’t want money. We want a seat on the Administration Council. We wish to join the Coalition as equals.”

I tried to hide my surprise. That’s it? There would be arguments when I returned, but here and now? It seemed almost too cheap. “I-it is done, Empress. Humanity will have a seat on the council.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. I have been given authority to speak for the Coalition. Right now I am the Coalition.”

She clapped her hands together once. “Excellent! Thank you for being so reasonable once again, Kre’kk.” She smirked again. “Not even trying to negotiate. You must be desperate.”

“We are, Empress. The Felimen seem unstoppable. They are on a war of conquest. We can only count ourselves fortunate that it is not a war of extermination.”

The small hairs over one of her eyes raised slightly. My body language module indicated that what I said interested her. “Do you wish it was? Speak carefully, Administrator.”

My chromatophores tried to cycle, to match the color and texture of the floor. I forced myself to stop trying to hide. What did she mean? “I… can’t say that I do, Empress. I dislike the war, but I… harbor no desire to see the Felimen exterminated.”

She bent down and spoke very softly to the human on one side of her. I was not able to hear what she said and I knew better than to turn up my audio amplification. “As you wish.” She raised both her hands and addressed the room. “The Felimen shall be defeated but not obliterated. We shall push them back to their original borders and set up a DMZ to keep them contained. So I order.”

“So it is done.” The rest of the humans in the room responded to her words. My retinue started. It was the first thing that anyone other than the Empress had said.

“There. Now that is out of the way, would you care for a tour? Big Stick is behind us, in nullspace. Would you like to see it? It’s pretty impressive if I do say so myself. I don’t think any Coalition races have ever been on a human dreadnought before.”

“Empress, I thank you for the invitation, but I must report back to the Coalition when they are to expect your assistance. Do you have an idea how long before we’ll see ships?”

“Oh, it’s done already.”

“I do not understand.”

“We have defeated the Felimen. All of their ships inside Coalition space have been destroyed, and all of the colony worlds that they controlled have been re-taken. Please, check your ansible.”

I turned and faced my retinue. One of them took out a pad and connected back to our ship. The ansible officer was shaken. There were reports of gigantic ships materializing out of nowhere and immediately destroying any Felimen ship they saw. Still others executed pinpoint strikes on colony worlds, seemingly only destroying Felimen administration. Already, word was coming that the Felimen were on the run, and abandoning their war wholesale.

I turned and looked at the Empress. “How?”

This time she smiled wide, with her teeth exposed. “Oh Kre’kk, we can’t give away all our secrets. However I will tell you this: None of you, not this Coalition, not the Felimen not anyone, ever presented us with a real threat. We were being nice and neighborly. We got a little rowdy and you asked us to leave. Fine. Like a good neighbor we obliged. Now you come asking for help and again, like a good neighbor, we helped. It is not our fault that you never decided to learn more about us. We were always only ‘Oxygen Breathers’ to you.” She stood. “Now then. Would you like a tour? You can’t see the whole thing, but we’ll take out enough to impress.”

Her smile was terrifying.

#humans are deathworlders #writing #humans are space orcs #sci fi writing #jpitha #humans and aliens #humans are space oddities #The oxygen breathers

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s-che · 16 days

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Monsterhearts 2: Plotting Anti-Plot

Last week I had the fortune to MC (and play) Monsterhearts 2 for the first time as the Dream Library begins a unit on monsters, monstrosity, and monsterfucking which will carry us through November, and boy howdy am I glad we managed to do it.

For those who (somehow) don’t know, Monsterhearts is a game that bills itself as being about “the messy lives of teenage monsters.” It cites Twilight, Buffy, Ginger Snaps, The Vampire Diaries, and The Craft as media touchstones, it’s not joking when it says that these monsters are 1. messy and 2. teenagers. Monsterhearts is angsty, horny, frightening and, above all else, extremely fun to play. On top of that, Monsterhearts is also one of those games that, if you’re in a certain sector of the indie RPG scene, people will remind you is extremely fun to play all the fucking time. It feels sometimes like every designer I know has a good Monsterhearts story, and as much as Avery Alder’s reputation on a larger stage has been defined by The Quiet Year, I get the sense that for people who like what Monsterhearts is doing it’s an extremely hard game to beat.

So to be totally honest, I was more than a little anxious MCing for my first time actually playing the game. There’s a sense in which hosting a game which you know is great can be way harder than hosting games you think might be bad — after all, if the session goes poorly, there’s nobody to blame but yourself. On top of that, Monsterhearts moves through some tricky territory: underage sex is a core element of the game, and the eight “Small Towns” (short, pre-prepped settings for quick starting the game) all deal more or less explicitly with histories of racism and colonialism in communities across North America. While these are interesting places to go in play, the idea of taking them on myself as host made me shy away a little bit (and I’m excited in the next session to look at things from a player’s perspective).

All in all, though, I think the session was a resounding success. I went in with basically no prep and as much familiarity with the book as I could get (not enough to realize the quick reference sheet we were using for the first half of the session was from Monsterhearts 1, but so it goes), relying on the game itself — which leans away from strictly organized plots and encourages you, in true PBTA fashion, to let characters and their needs bounce off each other until the conversation goes somewhere interesting — to get us smoothly into play. I would call my efforts there a mixed success: while Avery has a real skill for writing pedagogically, giving you the explicit frameworks you need to get into play (if you’ve never begun a session of The Quiet Year by reading the rules book aloud to each other, you should go fix that now), the session was hampered a little by some awkward pacing and uncertainty: partially driven by my chronic tendency to waste time on slowly establishing things in one-shots rather than swinging as hard as I can in the first five minutes and letting the players lead from there and partially by player character relationships that lead to clear, decisive actions... which left one of our players bored at work while the other two went off adventuring. We ended up taking a moment, after returning from the normal mid-session bio-break, to chat and refocus ourselves, figuring out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see in the last hour or so of the session, and then jumping back in and — thankfully — playing hard to reach a strong conclusion. In the end, I’m not interested in tracking down exactly where the first half of our session lost its footing (although I have some ideas for how I could have hit harder as an MC). I’m more interested in celebrating the way the table was able to come together, talk explicitly about what we wanted, and get the game somewhere satisfying for everyone involved. We closed on, among other things: an underwater fight between the Fairy (Mermaid?) Queen and a Kraken-Leviathan-Hellmonster, a throuple sneaking off from a beach party to hook up, and the messy end of a South Jersey summer (complete with a tsunami and a beached whale front of the boardwalk). It was a good time.

Most striking to me in this moment, however, is the way thinking about Monsterhearts as a plotless game positions both me as MC and the other players. It really speaks to the way that capital-T The capital-C Conversation works in Powered by the Apocalypse games (good ones, anyway) to let play flow not according to the rules of a paced narrative, but along lines of player interest and highly-charged emotional incident. It is, I think, part of what makes all the PBTA games we’ve played in the Dream Library sing (in no small part because we pruned the last unit and didn’t play any PBTA games I think are bad, but that’s a different conversation) and it suits this game — with it’s emphasis on sex and messy desire — extremely well. It also fits in nicely with a point I’ve heard a couple of people make recently: that thinking of RPGs as first and foremost collective narrative engines is, at the very least, a narrow view.

Anyway, this week I’m fortunate enough to be joined by a new host (hi @jdragsky) so I can check out MH as a player, then we’ve got a couple of two-shots planned for the end of the month before we move on to our next monstrously intimate game: Bluebeard’s Bride. You want in on an upcoming game? Have a link. You want to hear more about Monsterhearts? One of my players wrote up some of her thoughts as well.

Otherwise, well, get out of here. Scram.

#ttrpgs #rpgs #monsterhearts #monsterhearts 2 #avery alder #the dream library #play report #powered by the apocalypse #ttrpg

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denimsnake · 4 months

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her royal highness twilight sparkle keeps insisting other cultures are uncivilized don't know about friendship so she has to open a colonial boarding school school of friendship in order to teach other races how to be good civilized subjects of the crown friends

#mine #mlp #the white mare's burden

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mactiir · 11 months

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I know the average reading comprehension on this site is zero but I'm different. I'm applying wildly inappropriate analysis lenses to popcorn media. I'm doing a queer theory reading of Horus Heresy novels. Now I'm doing feminist analysis of Warhammer 40k canon. Now I'm applying Marxist analysis to The Outsiders. Time for a historical analysis of The Locked Tomb. A post-colonial reading of the entirety of Doctor Who. A psychological anlaysis of Twilight. On the horseshoe scale of reading comprehension I'm at "so much reading comprehension that it loops back around to not understanding books at all actually". You can't stop me. I'm literary analysis Georg

#I paid many thousands of dollars for this degree #and by god i will use it #literature #Literary analysis #Literature analysis #Media analysis #literary criticism #reading #reading comprehension #meta analysis #literature major #literature memes #lit crit #media literacy

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willknightauthor · 10 days

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Werewolf Women

@monstrousdesirestudy Based on our back and forth I've been trying to find more media focusing on female werewolves, or at least werewolf stories from women's perspectives. I found some pretty good ones.

First one is of course Ginger Snaps 1 & 2, for anyone who hasn't seen them yet. The werewolf girl movies.

youtube

When Animals Dream, about a line of Danish werewolf women suppressed by the men around them with sexual harassment and drugs.

youtube

Wildling, about a werewolf girl raised in captivity and drugged so she won't turn. Similar themes to When Animals Dream.

youtube

The Beast Within, which uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for abuse.

youtube

Blood & Chocolate, a gothic forbidden romance about a girl from a werewolf clan who falls in love with a human. Twilight, eat your heart out!

youtube

Wilderness, based on the Dennis Danvers novel, about a woman who's spent her whole life hiding her lycanthropy until she falls in love.

youtube

The Howling is a classic movie about a news anchor who survives an attack, and retreats to a small town that turns out to be the worst place she could've gone.

youtube

Cursed, a movie about a bunch of young adults hunting the werewolf that infected them before it's too late.

youtube

Lastly Wolfwalkers, the amazing animated film about Irish werewolves struggling against English settler-colonialism and environmental destruction.

youtube

#werewolf #monster #werewolves #horror #gender #sociology #anthropology #film #Youtube #animation #Wolfwalkers

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kedsandtubesocks · 6 months

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be your hallowed ground

Demon!Ezra x F!Reader

summary: 1700’s. the journey home before you is long, weary, and you are alone… but not for long

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY MDNI. colonial era inspired AU, inexperienced!reader, religiously raised reader, historical/societal period negative views of women, major supernatural elements, religious discussions along with Christian imagery & mentions of scripture, Ezra’s use of petnames, heavy corruption kink, possessive!Ezra, finger sucking, wound kissing and one small moment of blood consumption, Ezra lifts reader with his demon strength (reader has no physical description), intense kissing & spicy moments, f!oral receiving, light overstimulation, briefest mention of Ezra watching/stalking, sacrilegious themes, dark & spooky vibes

word count: 7.9k

a/n: so this is my first Ezra fic & i blame this AU on my ex catholic school kid roots along with playing too much cult of the lamb bcs here we are lol I wouldn’t be here without the ones who paved the way/inspired me to take the jump to write Ezra so thank you @morallyinept @julesonrecord & @lowlights for being true lovely guides, also to @pastelle-rabbit @haylzcyon & @ahauntedcowboy for letting me scream/cry about this lol I love each & every one of y’all - and to you, if you decide to take a peek and read, thank you so much ♡

The forest stretches out far, daunting.

Twilight glimmers on the last of her heels and you hope to return home soon. You can almost hear your father’s anger at your stubbornness for not staying at the inn for another night and for simply being on this journey in the first place. You should’ve saved up for a carriage ride home.

Now, alone in the woods, you fear the tree branches will soon reach down to claw you into their canopy cluster above.

Deeper and further you walk through the forest path. You haven’t prayed much recently. But you faintly remember words urging you to not fear the terror of night, nor the danger that prowls in the darkness, and you’re gently eased. You also think of the early spring blooms scattered among the town waiting for you.

Then a branch cracks behind you, the sound of someone stepping on it, and you stop.

The trek has been silent, eerily so. Not even bird chirps or the wind’s breeze has filled your space. Yet it now sounds like something approaches.

You whip around.

No one stands behind you. Only the dirt and dust linger in the air.

The woods must be clouding you with unnecessary dread. You’ve walked these roads alone before and you will walk them again even though the forest seems darker now.

Determined, and slightly frightened, you spin on your heels to quickly return on your journey.

“There you are, turtle dove.”

The voice startles you so suddenly you almost collapse. Strangely accented, the thick drawl flows heavy with a twang of someone from the wild southern territories.

Your heart beats fast like a petrified rabbit and your eyes snap towards the source of the voice.

Leaning against a large tree is the most exquisite man you ever believe to be crafted.

Dressed in a striking coat, a beautifully sharp nose and dark facial hair, he’s ethereal. You also spot the most interesting tuff of white blonde hair against his dark chestnut locks. What’s startling are his magnetic inky eyes staring at you.

“I don’t know you, good sir.” You politely reply.

The man smiles like a fox creeping around a chicken coop.

“Ezra is my given name, turtle dove. Now we’re no longer strangers.”

His name - Ezra.

Like his name suggests you wonder if maybe he’s here to provide aid, your personal blessing.

Yet his words flutter out duplicitous and heavy like something dangerous chains around them down.

“Then good day to you, sir.” You nod, a polite reply, and decide to withhold your name.

“May I accompany you on your journey?” He suggests surprisingly gentle, his words olive branch-like offers.

You ask him where he is even headed, and for what brings a well speaking, slightly suspicious, man as himself into these woods.

“The same as you, sweet bird,” Ezra replies simply. “We all have our journeys to be upon. Mine just happens to coincide with yours. A rather fortuitous blessing if I do say so myself.”

Your eyes narrow. Something scratches at the back of your mind urging you to keep walking and pay no heed to this man.

But then the wind picks up.

From a soft breeze it quickly transforms into the strangest howl, like a warning of the dangers lurking all around. In a slight panic your eyes survey your surroundings. This man might be a stranger, but having company might not be such a bad choice.

“Come now.” Ezra comments reassuring and steady even among the howling winds. “These woods are wild and deep, ain’t no place for a treasure such as yourself.”

He is handsome, the most stunning man you may ever see. And the glimmer in his eyes seems to beckon you.

After you quietly nod, your journey expands by one.

With a gracious bow of his head, the man from the shadows falls into step beside you.

The wind suddenly, but thankfully, settles. However, tension prickles against your skin and a strange warmth blooms from the center of your chest.

“So, what’s a lovely angel like yourself doing here, a babe in the woods?” Ezra begins.

Your fingers tighten against your cloak while the truth stays sealed tight.

The man chuckles.

“Don’t go shy on me now, sweet dove,” he teases.

You huff annoyed. However, seeing as how you will be traveling with him until you return home, you decide to engage with him.

Your dearest friend moved to the next town when you both became fully grown. She fell in love with a married man in a loveless marriage to a cruel woman. Because of that your friend was condemned to banishment. Now, she’s with child. Some even whisper the child was maybe even convinced due to witchcraft.

However, with the recent passing of your town’s relentless head clergyman, you hope this will help improve the situation.

Ezra listens patiently, letting you quietly explain everything.

“And so you traveled to visit your dear friend like a kind emissary.” He notes. “Your town must be in an uproar over you visiting her.”

“They are.” You answer stiffly.

Your father absolutely detests it. Even the governor’s son, who has shown interest in courting you, has made it known that your lenient position doesn’t help towards a marriage possibility. But you won't falter in your loyalty. Especially after your faith has been so shaken from seeing the harsh treatment given to your friend.

“A fair decision.” Ezra agrees. “All those upset are fools anyway. Seems they forgot the good book even mentions how cherished a gift it is to forgive others just as the lord forgives us.”

He quotes scripture so passively it surprises you. He doesn’t seem like a spiritual type. If anything, Ezra seems like a man who slinks around the shadows late at night among the thieves and brothels hidden at the edge of town.

“You’re right,” you agree with him. “Who are we to judge others on simple matters of passion compared to our lord, especially to condemn it?”

“Lust is considered a grave sin though, dear birdie, so I understand why.” He quietly answers while his words scurry over your skin. “After all, look at the predicament it entangled your dear friend in.”

“And don’t passions of the flesh wage war against the solemnity of the soul?” Ezra politely answers lightly referring to scripture and you wonder if he is a man devoted to the good book.

So you reserve your words again.

“Please… do not silence your song, biride.” Ezra coos.

“Now, tell me your thoughts,” he whispers low.

As you swallow hard, your skin feels tight against your bones. But you decide to speak freely, as dangerous as it may be.

“It’s true that my friend committed a terrible sin.” You begin with a shaky sigh. “I understand her punishment. But for others to be so cruel when faith says to forgive and embrace salvation feels hypocritical.”

“True indeed. And as you said, all this for the sake of condemning passion? There are worse commandments to shatter under heaven’s watchful eye.” Ezra drawls out.

“Exactly.” You agree with a firm nod more at ease with your new companion.

“Besides… isn’t the act of creation an offspring of passion?” He challenges and the thought stuns you.

The stranger is correct and his perception moves you.

You’ve never engaged in such discussions like this with anyone before, especially not with a man. You noticed he speaks to you like an equal, never diminishing your ideals or fully trampling on your opinions.

Something greedy urges you to slow down your step and spend as much time with your new companion.

“So, is there a husband of yours waitin’ at home to meet you with passions, dear dove?” Ezra asks with the curl of intrigue in his voice and you almost choke on a gasp.

“A rather forward question to ask a stranger.” You snap back sharply and glare at him.

Ezra keeps his abyss eyes drawn forward and doesn't seem bothering at your reply or the discussion matter he brought up.

“Thought we established we’re no longer strangers?” Your stranger mutters back.

“We’ve discussed religion, the ways of the hearts and their passions. Only good friends touch on such topics, yes?”

He’s unbearably confident, and he knows it. You want to storm off, maybe even demand him to leave. But you can’t do it. You almost can’t endure the thought of him leaving now.

So you reply stiffly. “No. I have no husband at home.”

“Truly?” He now squawks confused.

“Ain’t that a damn shame.” He purrs. “A creature lovely as yourself deserves to be worshiped every minute you’re here among this green earth.”

Your heart thumps erratic against its cage.

“Are you mocking me, good man Ezra, for not being married?” You deflect with a shaky voice.

“Never, turtle dove.” He reassures. “I believe the ultimate sin is to be denied any shade of passion.”

“Especially for a beauty marvelous as yourself.” He exhales and his voice dances devilishly.

An uneasiness settles into your legs, like your body could give out at any moment.

“What you say is blasphemy,” you manage to reply, however your voice wavers. “A heathen's words.”

“I could’ve recounted the same about you moments ago when you spoke your thoughts.” He mutters back.

Your heart drops. He’s correct. This man has your thoughts tied up in so many knots and you cannot find a path within yourself.

“No need to worry.” Ezra says. “Treading into heathen’s territory is never frightful when you have a companion.”

You don’t know how you feel about this conversation or where it seems to be heading towards. Your gaze turns to Ezra. He continues staring ahead composed.

He’s a strange unorthodox man, an anomaly, someone you never believed existed.

“Now tell me… have you tasted desire, my sweet turtle dove?”

His eyes now move to you, catching you staring red handed. Like an exposed thief, your gaze flies away from him.

His question, as if composed of thorns, constricts around your throat refusing to let you answer.

You’ve tasted it on the tips of your tongue. One of your old childhood friends became a courtesan at a brothel. During her nights off, you’d sneak out to visit her. She recounted with giggles about the various sexual escapades she’s experienced. It made your mouth water wishing for the embrace of a lover, to understand what it meant to be truly desired.

You’ve been tempted to fall into bed with the blacksmith’s brother but once you discovered his cruel treatment of the women in town you were soured by the thought. So during the late nights alone your fingers slipped under the quilts and you would find a sticky taste of passion.

Getting caught up in your thoughts keeps you quiet.

“When I was a younger man and lived in France.” Ezra begins with a sudden gentle musing, the voice of a storyteller almost. “Even when I migrated here to the southern territories, I learned of an interesting turn of phrase.”

“La petite mort.” The words flow from him beautifully, rolled with such finessed precision. Hearing him speak sparks a jolt up your spine.

“I’m not quite sure you know of it, but do you know what it means?”

Your eyes that had glazed over are now back on Ezra. His devastatingly beautiful face remains serene.

“The literal translation is ‘a little death.’” Ezra continues. “But what it speaks of is the little moment of feeling as if you’re dying when experiencing true orgasmic release, something that makes us see god.”

His words, hanging with a thinly concealed desire, rip through you and a slickness slowly pools between your legs.

Now his eyes flicker to you.

“A pleasure so rapturous we taste a little death.” He mutters looking so intently at you that you want to scurry and hide away.

But you can’t. You’re drawn into his gaze, a poor moth entrapped by his erratic flame, and you’re not quite sure if this fire is hellfire.

Rationale within you screams this man could be a robber or could be leading you into his sticky web to simply harm you. Yet it seems like he could vanish into smoke.

You also notice you and Eza have both stopped walking. Now staring into his eyes, you discover storms in them.

Until an oncoming storm arrives all around. The wind erupts into howls. It whips around fast and you tug your cloak closer trying to stay warm against the gales.

Your face even scrunches up at the drastic change in the weather.

A firm hand moves to your back pulling you closer until you rest within the shade of a firm body. Ezra has drawn you into his side, lifting his cloak to cover you, and your eyes become full moons.

“To keep you sheltered from this weather. Though, we may need to hunt for some sanctuary soon.” He mutters.

He smells of pine, like the forest itself gave him to you. However you also catch the smallest hint of something smoky, like he slept too close to a campfire.

But, his words confuse you.

“Terrible weather? It’s simply just bad wind.” You yell against the wind and glance around the forest.

That’s when you notice how terrifyingly dark it’s gotten. The tree branches now stretch above like monstrous limbs crawling along the darkness.

How long have you been out along the trail? You haven’t even reached the halfway point to town. The woods now loom incredibly dark like a chasm ready to swallow you whole.

Then the drum of thunder comes, and the skies open up, as if on command by Ezra’s prophetic words. The rain unleashes a downpour. You squawk like a petrified bird at how soaked you’re getting even being covered by his coat.

“Come!” He cries over the storm keeping you close. “I believe there is shelter close by.”

So through the darkness you go, led by him off the path and deeper into the thicket.

How did he know a shelter was nearby? Shouldn’t he have come here earlier and left you on your journey? Or did he maybe sense the storm was coming and wanted to keep accompanying you.

The rush of the rain along with how quickly Ezra moves you and him feels as if you’re flying through the forest like your feet never once touch the ground.

Your body stops and out from the darkness, among the rain, stands the faint shape of a building.

Ezra guides you inside and you exhale relieved you’re out of the storm.

The stale smell of dust greets you first and makes your nose crinkle.

Looking out to your new makeshift shelter, you find yourself standing in a very abandoned church. Dried dead leaves scatter the floor. Vacant pews hold a hollow ghostly emptiness. You didn’t even know this chapel was here.

“How did you know of this place-” you turn to ask Ezra but discover you’re alone.

So focused on soaking in the church you didn’t even notice his departure.

“Ezra?” You call for him and silence replies.

Where could he have gone?

“Worry not.” Ezra’s voice floats out an echo. From the side of the sacristy, beside the main congregation hall, he emerges.

How did he get there without you noticing?

In his grasp is a lit candle. The flames create interesting shadows upon his handsome face as his molten eyes stare at you.

“Apologizes,” he reassured you with the ease of a saint. “Went to scavenge for some light.”

“Seems you were unsuccessful.” You dryly tease, walking towards where Ezra stands at the front of the congregation.

A slight tug of amusement comes over his heavenly face.

“We shall make camp here until the storm quells.”

No better place to find sanctuary than in a chapel, even though this one has seen better days.

Outside the wind continues rattling the windows while the rain creates a soothing melody. Yet, there is an emptiness here, like you can’t sense any sacred spirit within these walls. You wonder if the Lord maybe has even abandoned this space.

“Come rest with me, turtle dove.” Ezra beckons to you as he sits casually on the floor up besides the altar.

“You can’t sit there!” You whisper urgent.

“Why? Who is here to stop me?” Ezra counters with raised eyebrows and amused crinkled eyes.

“This is sacred ground! You can’t simply sit in the sanctuary like it’s some sort of encampment!” You argue.

“Biride,” Ezra begins. “This momentary shelter is merely a building. The same way all buildings are just simple creations of stone and labor.”

“Not buildings like this, especially when our lord resides here.” You reply like a dutifully faithful follower.

Ezra now sits up from his lax position to glance around. His eyes survey every inch of the space.

“You say our Heavenly Father is here. But tell me, turtle dove, do you sense his presence here?”

He noticed it too.

Your tongue becomes metal, heavy and bitter.

“Come,” he urges again, kinder now. “Rest. Your legs need their strength for the rest of your journey. It will be much more comfortable than those stuffy pews.”

You narrow your eyes at him, still hesitant. Defiant, you try sitting in one of the vacant pews only to find clusters of spider webs creating a slightly unnerving barrier. And you didn’t want to check every pew for availability. You were too tired.

Refusing to meet Ezra’s eyes you step past the pews, into the sanctuary, and delicately sit a small space away from your companion.

“See? Not so hard, and you didn’t even combust into flames sitting here.”

You glare at him while Ezra grins triumphant. Silence settles. But with a man who readily embraces the gift and curse of gab, it feels dangerous.

A small gurgle of a noise rumbles out and your face heats up horrified. You didn’t realize you hadn’t eaten this entire journey.

“A bit peckish, dear dove?” Ezra chuckles a smokey thing.

You’re about to grumble under your breath annoyed until he again peers around the abandoned church.

“Rather unfortunate there doesn’t seem to be any source of subsidence here.”

You quietly reassure him as you shift your cloak to reach for your covered satchel. Thankfully, your morsel of a wrapped loaf was spared from the rain.

“I have this for us to share.” You quietly announce.

Ezra gasps small but surprised.

“Divine goddess, you are salvation.” He breathes out.

“I am no goddess. No one person is divine in such a way.” You correct him.

The man hums. “If the maker created man in his image does that not mean we are shades of god in our own ways?”

Midway unfolding the bread out of the paper, you halt.

You never thought of it that way. It made sense. Slowly, it feels as if a wagon wheel is turning in your head leading you towards something you cannot reach.

“Sweet turtle dove,” Ezra calls to you. “Would you be so gracious and let me consecrate our feast?”

You’re stunned by the heartfelt request. This man seems to be a never ending labyrinth confusing you with no end in sight.

You slide closer to sit fully beside him. Readily you hand him the wrapped bread and try not to jump at his hand brushing yours. His skin is soft, warmed, and your knuckles tingle from the simple exchange.

“Thank you kindly.”

Now holding the bread in one hand, Ezra moves the other to lightly hover above the morsel. Closing his eyes in prayer, Ezra begins.

However, he mutters low and so fast that you can’t even catch a word of his prayer. You wonder if he even is saying anything or is simply mocking the form of prayer.

You’re about to chide him until he quickly finishes. Dreamily opening his eyes Ezra then simply breaks the bread into two.

“To break communion with someone lovely as you is an honor.” With a gracious grin, your stranger hands you a piece. You thank him with a soft mutter.

The storm continues its wrath and you arrive at a bleak conclusion. Your night will be spent here in this eerie abandoned church with this strange mysterious handsome man.

Resigning yourself to that, you sigh and take a bite out of the bread.

The bread was a simple one you got from the neighboring town’s bakery. It’s nothing special. You’ve even thought it rather stale at times.

However, the bread you taste now is indescribable.

It melts in your mouth, wonderfully soft and warm. There’s even the sweetest taste like a whisper of a fruit that reminds you of apples. An uncontrollable moan of satisfaction escapes you.

But your eyes widen realizing how you just acted.

Embarrassment floods you fast and you anxiously gaze at Ezra who smirks at you.

Unable to stare at him long, you turn back down to your lap. The bread looks exactly the same as it always does.

Is your mind so exhausted it believes this stale morsel now tastes this heavenly?

You must be imagining things.

Besides you, Ezra shuffles. Out of curiosity your eyes lift towards him and find the man shrugging off his coat.

He even removes his waistcoat to reveal his simple white slipover. Rain still lingers on his skin allowing the pristine white cloth to stick to him. Without the coat you’re given clear sight of his glorious neck.

A thought flutters into your mind.

You imagine sinking your teeth into his beautiful flesh and lapping up all the rain droplets.

Dread fills you.

How could you think such thoughts?

“Turtle dove,” Ezra’s voice shatters the silence almost making you jump.

“If you could create a world of your own, what would it look like?”

The question stumps you, even brings in a twinkle of curiosity. What would bring on such a question? You suppose it must be a way to break the silence and pass the time.

In thought, you hum a small noise.

“I think…” you quietly utter and let your thoughts flow.

You think of a world built on compassion, one without hunger or war, of one filled with peace and justice.

“And without sin, I suppose.” Ezra gently comments and your eyes turn to him.

He stares towards the ground with a peculiar look shadowed over his handsome face.

“Yes of course.” You answer. Sin is the root of all evil and corrupted humanity’s souls.

“What if I told you some sins are not all evil? And that what you long for, dear turtle dove, is not a world void is sin, but one free of guilt from it.”

Your face scrunches up a bit confused over his nebulous words.

“Should we not all live in indulgence?” Ezra adds, clarified in his words.

“Indulgence leads to corruption.” You reply parroting all the countless sermons that discussed this.

“If our creator didn’t want us to indulge, then why did he indulge in creating such a world so lush as this one?” Your stranger offers.

You try gathering a reply, thinking of all the lessons about how this world is meant to be seen in awe and appreciated. Not to indulge in. But now all your arguments seem to fall short, not even sound correct in your head.

Before you can press the discussion further Ezra leans closer towards you. Your thoughts and body become completely petrified.

You should lean away, lean back from his casual intimate movements.

But you can’t. Or, within the deep terror of your heart you know the truth. You don’t want to.

His thumb moves towards the corner of your mouth and you transform completely into stone.

Ezra’s ink eyes haze over while his thumb gently swipes against your skin.

“Crumbs.” He mutters, answering for his actions. Yet, his hand doesn’t leave.

You don’t shove him away or demand him to go. The downpour rattling the windows becomes the church’s only noise while you and this man sit in the stillness.

Ezra’s attention falls to your mouth.

His thumb now strokes the corner of your lips. You believe it’s to wipe more bread crumbs away. Then his thumb swipes across your bottom lip and a sharp inhale escapes you.

His eyes and yours find each other.

“You deserve to live in indulgence,” Ezra whispers deviously rich.

Your skin feels ablazed and your throat dries. Out of instinct or perhaps something darker you wet your lips. In that movement your lips press against his thumb and your tongue manages to swipe at his skin.

You’re rewarded the faintest taste of him, a crumb of his salty golden skin, and it’s like a thread slowly catches fire.

You want more, need it.

Possibly possessed now, your mouth opens up and simply slips more of his thumb into your mouth.

The moment the salty taste of him hits your tongue your eyes close.

Feeling his finger in your mouth against your tongue, against your teeth, is divine. His flesh must be coated with ambrosia because your mouth waters aching for more.

Heaven, or this must be a slice of it.

Until horror strikes you and you realize what you’re doing. Terrified eyes now open, you’re about to pull away and yelp horrified.

Ezra’s hand rapidly moves to cradle your face firm and slide his thumb deeper into your mouth.

“Oh my sweet bird,” he coos now closer to you. “You’ve tasted the pleasure I can give, the magic I can conjure. Don’t deny yourself this.”

His beautiful nose presses into the side of your face nuzzling against your skin and your eyes close. Bliss overtakes you.

“Now” his voice drops a dangerous lulling whisper. “Hollow your cheeks for me, and suck in.”

You do as told and the groan Ezra lets out vibrates deep past your skin. You even let out a whine.

You’ve heard the noises men make in the waves of passion, but this was decadent. You never knew a man could sound this beautiful.

You wanted to hear him even more. And knowing you did this to him? A syrupy drunken pride courses through you intoxicating.

You suck harder, allowing your tongue to caress his skin and Ezra exhales heavenly.

Before you can indulge any further, a creature screeches into the church and shatters the sensual spell. You shriek in terror and scramble. Wings furiously flapping come and out of reflex you cover your head.

Then a solid body collides into you and your world falls over.

You hit the floor of the sanctuary with a soft thud. It would’ve been a harder fall if not for Ezra’s hand cradling your head to soften the impact. Your eyes look up to find Ezra covering you, protecting you from whatever flew in.

Your heart thumps loud in your ears, a horrible drum drowning out your thoughts. His broad shoulders, firm frame, he really is a man crafted out of pure beauty and desire now that you’ve tasted his skin.

“Blasted bats… must’ve been nesting in here.” Ezra comments with a mutter while his eyes stay watching out.

Now you faintly hear the familiar chirps of the creatures. You hope they all leave soon or move to another area within the church.

Slowly the rustling settles. Ezra does not move from his post above you, a shield keeping you safe from the interrupting creatures.

His large hand cradling your head holds you gently but with a firmness that speaks of his control.

The strangest clash of sensations arrives. Like Eve awoken out of her blissful sin, you’re keenly aware of the cold clothes sticking to you. Particularly your wet cloak weighing on you sends a chill crawling up your skin making you squirm.

Ezra’s eyes slip back to you. The candlelight highlights the shadows of his face and his eyes seem deeper than before. Candlelight doesn’t even reflect in their abyss.

Until his obsidian eyes go wide in a slight panic.

“Your wing, turtle dove.”

Now confused you shift to lift your arm up. A small cut has ripped through your cloak and blouse sleeve. You didn’t even notice or feel it. Must have cut yourself on the old wooden floor below.

The church didn’t seem this dilapidated to have rotten wood floors. However, without upkeep, it only makes sense everything begins to splinter and decay. Thankfully the cut isn’t deep but dark crimson does stain the cloth.

“Oh,” you even mutter a bit stunned.

Gently Ezra shifts to help you up while being cautious of your wound.

“Are you in pain?” He asks, concerned.

“No.” You shake your head, truthfully telling him you didn’t even notice the cut.

Ezra delicately moves towards your arm. “May I?”

You nod quietly.

Gingerly, your mysterious stranger places his hands on you to further inspect your wound.

“It doesn’t hurt.” You reassure him.

Surprisingly, Ezra stays silent. His eyes remain on your arm. As if you’re an injured sparrow, he folds up your blouse sleeve delicately.

The faintest touch of his thumb strokes your bare skin and your throat constricts tight. This unknown mystery of a man tenderly touching you clutches at your soul.

“My creator, so heavenly in his wisdom,” he suddenly speaks low, like his voice is dipped in sticky honey. “Taught me this is how we heal wounds.”

Then Ezra draws your arm up and he leans down. And in that swift moment, he presses his lips to your wound.

A tender kiss.

Your breath hitches, tripping over itself. You indeed had his finger in your mouth moments ago. But this opens a chasm in you. Especially as you watch him lick away your blood at his lips

Then his lips return to your skin, on your wound, and it feels like devotion.

There were saints that kissed the wounds of your lord and now how angelic, reverent, Ezra’s face looks, you imagine him as one.

However, his lips start kissing all across your arm, quickly becoming greedy. Like a silent thief, he continues kissing up your arm with deliberate nips.

If he is a robber, this thievery is divine. You even squirm, squeezing your legs together because a slick wetness leaks between them. You wish to quell this burning urge to be touched.

Your mind only focuses on Ezra’s lips that you don’t even notice he unclasped your cloak until the heavy cold weight drops off you like shackles unchained.

However, an awful breeze across your skin makes you shrink back from the cold and snaps you into awareness.

You can’t do this with a man like this, a stranger.

A fanged piece of yourself urges you to simply give in, especially with a man not known in town. The internal struggle vanishes when Ezra’s breath tickles against your exposed neck.

“Do you wish me to stop, my turtle dove?” He coo’s. “I believe you deserve to taste this indulgence.”

“I don’t know you.” You croak out. Yet your voice doesn’t even sound convinced of your own resolve.

“Oh but you do.” Ezra pleads, his voice drenched in gilded desire.

“You know me.” He urges. “This is what you wanted. Your heart summoned me. I heard your call and here I am.”

“What do you mean?” Your voice cracks, an unsteady foundation.

“The hidden truths in your heart,” Ezra whispers and his breath dances upon your skin a ghost’s hymnal.

“The festering jealousy of knowing your dear friend found adoration, even out of sin…you wished to know of such delights. And your anger of this world for damning you to such solitudes, of being so constricting - it all called to me.”

Fear captures your heart. This couldn’t be true.

“Oh but it is,” Ezra answers you.

You don’t even know if you spoke those words aloud or if this man has now slithered into your thoughts.

“All those nights you longed for a lover,” he mourns sympathetically. “All alone with just your fingers in your sweet sex.”

You choke on air, gasping for some sort of relief from this terror drowning you.

“Oh and I’ve watched you for so long, my bird.” He bemoans. “Ached for so long to claim you mine.”

“You…you’ve seen me before?” You stammer.

“Indeed I have. I know you’ve partaken in sin. And the guilt you hold consumes you. Let me be your redemption,” Ezra continues with a pure temptation crawling from his voice.

You should be concerned at how this man has seen you before. Yet…With his mouth simply a breath’s pace away from you nothing seems to matter. Because your mind only wants him to kiss you, ravish you.

“You must say it, my angel.” He mutters.

Do you dare jump off the ledge and plunge into this molten fire?

A light terror runs across your skin, like hearing the hiss of a snake yet not seeing it. Something is afoot with Ezra. You can’t pinpoint it…

But you also wonder if this doubt is born from the chains of your faith holding you back?

“Ezra.” You mumble his name, a choked noise.

“I await your command.” The man reverently responds as if in a mass himself.

“Please….” You whimper out.

“Please what?” He murmurs and his twang clouds his voice even more.

“Please….touch me.” You croak while your voice trails.

It unleashes a monster.

Ezra’s lips dive onto your neck, kissing upon your skin with a possessed fervor. Even while sitting, the sudden rush of his lips, the scrape of his facial hair against you makes your body collapse.

It only allows for Ezra to sweep you into his arms.

Yanking his face away from your neck, you’re about to mourn the loss of him against your skin until his lips swoop in to consume yours.

You’ve kissed others before. In the hidden shadow of buildings after dark, you’ve even recently shared a kiss or two with the blacksmith’s brother a handful of times. They’ve been wonderful but secret encounters.

This however sets your soul on fire.

His tongue swiftly maneuvers into your mouth and now tasting him from the source, you never want to know a day without this, without him.

You moan, yanking at him closer, and try to slide your own tongue against his now. It’s messy, wet, a clash of bone and spirit but it’s delicious.

Sliding his arms under your legs, Ezra lifts you up with ease as he stands. You squeak against his lips, but then your eyes roll back when the man suddenly begins sucking on your tongue.

Your body feels like it will crumble at any moment.

That’s when you notice you’re being laid upon something cold and flat.

Wearily you find you do rest high upon something.

And now, the church is lit.

You panic looking around. The torches lining the walls burn with warm flames and illuminate the space in amber light.

How? Ezra did not leave you for one moment. Was there another here? And if so, how did you not hear them?

A warm calloused hand moves to cradle your face and your eyes snap to Ezra who peers down at you with smoke filled eyes.

“Don’t fret, my dove. We are only here.” He reassures, leaning down to kiss you again and your eyes shut once more.

“And if you’re not simply focused on me, then I’m not doing this correctly.” He mutters against your lips.

A wanton drunkenness comes with how consuming he kisses, especially as his mouth pulls from your lips to lick against your jaw.

He hums a satisfied groan.

“Oh my darling turtle dove, you were born to be worshiped by me weren’t you? And I blessed to simply be your devout disciple.” A revered holiness oozes thick from his voice.

“Let me venerate at your holy temple.” Ezra exhales against your throat kissing your feverish skin.

This is more than you can handle. It’s tremendous. It’s too much, yet not enough. It’s building something just out of your grasp, a flame that can’t be extinguished and scorches so fierce.

Blinking out of the haze, you find instead of being beside you, Ezra, like magic, now stands by your feet.

His hands slide up your legs and yank you closer towards him.

A yelp of surprise squeaks out from you. Any other noise or thoughts get swallowed up when Ezra’s hands snake under your skirt and up your legs.

Your eyes close under the sensation of his calloused warm hands.

“Do you know what true sacrifice cleanses sins?” Ezra asks with gravel in his voice.

“Hm?” You mumble, unable to create a response with how wonderful his fingers feel caressing your thighs.

“It’s to offer up one’s life. That’s the ultimate form of sacrifice.”

His words terrify you. Is he insinuating what you think he is? Are you to be made a lamb to slaughter because of the desire consuming you?

“Shh…” Ezra notices your worry and soothes you, rubbing gentle circles on your skin.

“Fear not, my dove. For I shall bring you redemption just as you’ve brought me mine.”

Slowly, he hoists your leg up and your eyes widen. He shifts to stand between your legs. Keeping his gaze on you, the mysterious man kisses your calf, a calming balm that also ignites a heat brewing in you again.

“Tell me,” Ezra asks, speaking into your skin. “Has anyone tasted you…here?”

Suddenly his fingers graze against your sex and warmth floods your face at just the thought.

You heard of such a thing from your friend at the brothels. However it was a rare occurrence, almost seemed mythical.

“No.” You breathe out.

“Shame.” Ezra mumbles. “All for me I suppose. A wonderfully ripe peach, all mine to consume.”

His inky dazed eyes flicker to yours.

“Will you let me take you to heaven, my lovely? May I swim in your ocean and taste your pearl?” Ezra offers like a man asking for your atonement.

The terminology is not missed on you and lust crashes in a dizzying tidal wave.

Quietly, swallowing thick, you nod yes.

Pride grin tugs at Ezra’s lips and his eyes twinkle like a creature lurking out from the woods.

Softly closing his eyes, he returns to kissing your skin. Except this time he moves up your leg with a purpose -

Like he’s on a holy pilgrimage.

Almost bewitched you watch him kneel down and push up your skirt to reveal your under garment. It’s a sight you want seared into your memory.

Then Ezra presses forward and kisses your covered sex. A gasp rips wild from you and your eyes roll back.

With a fast rip, Ezra takes apart your undergarments. Bare to him, his tongue then licks against your cunt and the most debauched sound you never knew you could even make escapes you.

“Do you enjoy? Wish me to continue?” You don’t know how Ezra’s voice swirls around you, a caress in the whispering wind, but you nod frantically.

“Ezra please… more.” You whimper.

And he does as you command.

Ezra pulls you apart with a wet devotion and frenzy that feels like you’re being devoured. He’s feasting on you.

You whine, even slap a hand over your mouth to silence how loud you’ve become when he sucks hard on the pearl of your sex.

“No.” He mumbles wet within your molten heat. “Let me hear you, my lovely.”

You don’t deny him after that.

The storm now rages outside, violently ramming into the windows. It mixes with the cries of your pleasure ripping through you.

When your climax arrives and knocks you out of this realm, you scream Ezra’s name while your legs shake.

“Beauty divine,” Ezra sighs, devout and borderline drunk.

Breathing down from your high with your back fully now flat against the floor surface, it hits you.

You’ve been lying on the chapel’s altar this entire time.

The offering is you. You indeed are the sacrifice, one of vitality. The throne of ecstasy is a form of life…

And did Ezra not tell you passion is also a tiny death itself as well?

Before you can gather this, Ezra dives back into you again and you squirm unbelieving this man can want more. He’s a man possessed like he’s trying to consume you from the inside out, devouring you until he reaches your marrow.

“Ezra.” You whimper. It borders too much, but you also don’t want this to stop.

“Let me feast, my dove.” He growls back and you catch it.

Ezra’s voice sounds distorted, fluttering between his twang and now a jagged danger sounding monstrous.

Wearily, trying to stay aware among the heat of building rapture, you exhaustedly lean up.

Between your legs Ezra is a sinful sight. His broad shoulders keep your thighs open as his tongue dips into the caverns of your cunt. You melt, unable to keep your eyes open.

But you want to watch him, want to remember this for as long as you can.

Especially now that the storm rages all around. You even wonder if the decaying church’s roof might be ripped off.

So your eyes open.

From between your legs, Ezra glances up.

His mouth stays stuck to your sex, except his eyes are completely hollowed out.

Drenched in darkness, like ink spilled entirely into them, they’re unholy and inhuman.

A scream rips from you but you can’t tell if it’s born of fear or pleasure. Or maybe both have blended together.

Your hips rise galvanized more and more, unable to stop their grind into his lips. Ezra’s grip keeps you secured and grounded.

Yet the sensation of sharpened nails now scrape against your skin.

You discover there are indeed claws, gruesome and monstrous claws, that form Ezra’s hands and arms.

“What- what are you?!” You sob.

Ezra hums and peers up at you.

“Salvation, my lovely. Yours and mine.”

A second orgasmic high hits and from the overwhelming pleasure your vision goes white. You wonder if this is heaven.

Or perhaps it’s hell.

Maybe you have died.

You should scream in terror or pray for absolution. But it’s so hard when this tastes so incredibly intoxicating, a most potent elixir.

As your body crumbles back against the altar, the overstimulated sensations become numbing, fogging your mind. Your eyes flicker up to the ceiling of the chapel.

You cannot find your god anywhere in the shadows.

The back of Ezra’s clawed hand gently strokes your cheek.

So tired, barely able to stay awake, your exhausted gaze flickers to him.

Those eyes of his, dark chasms of hell, should be soulless. But instead he looks at you with utmost tenderness.

The blazing lights of the church cast a warm glow outlined around Ezra, almost like a halo.

It’s beautiful. He’s beautiful in the terrifying way a fire is.

The mystery known as Ezra suddenly whispers out your name and you realize…

You never once gave it to him this entire time.

He is the last sight you see before your vision finally falls into the darkness.

When you awake, you’re among your quilts and bed.

You’re home.

Rapidly you look around so confused. How did you end up here? Was it all a dream?

“You’re awake!” Your father cries relieved and rushes to your side.

He thankfully answers all your questions.

You had arrived the morning after the storm. However, you hadn’t been alone.

“You had fallen ill on the road.” Your father explains. “But, thanks be to God, the new pastor sent to our town discovered you and carried you home.”

Now you’ve been resting ever since.

Had that experience been a fever dream, a temporary temptation conjured from your heart’s dark desires?

That had to be a dream, one brought on by your sudden sickness. So you rest and stay in bed for most of the day. From your window you admire the beautiful clear skies, the wonderful weather, and wildflowers growing so lovely.

You also notice your arm is completely healed, like you were never cut to begin with.

Midafternoon, a knock arrives at the door.

Your father calls your name. “Someone here to visit!”

Your mind sorts through all the possibilities of who is here to see you. You never expected your dearest friend to enter in with tears in her eyes. Overjoyed emotion washes over you as she rushes to embrace you.

“How can this be?” You hiccup, wiping away the tears. She was rarely allowed back home, especially now with her early pregnancy.

“The new pastor,” she smiles wide. “So holy and forgiving, he spoke to the judges and they are all redetermining a new sentence for me.”

You almost whisper out a prayer of thanksgiving. You hoped in your heart this would happen. She doesn’t stay long, wanting you to rest and you urge her to do the same.

By twilight another knock at the door arrives.

“Seems we are quite popular today.” Your father teases out from the main quarters.

Then he exclaims in excitement at seeing who’s arrived.

“Oh we are so blessed to have such a considerate clergyman coming by to visit!”

The new pastor. You’re beyond interested to meet this man and now you will.

When your father enters your room, Ezra waltzes in behind him.

Fear seizes your soul.

No. It couldn’t be.

This must be a man that looks like him down to his beautiful sharp nose and white patch of hair.

“Pleasure to see you again and under better circumstances.” Ezra’s clear twang rings out low and twinkling within your room.

Your heart rages rapidly and wild.

“Don’t look so terrified.” Your father chides soft but you still can’t believe this sight before you.

“Might I have a moment of solitude with your dear offspring?” Ezra asks with all the humility of an apostle.

Your father readily agrees, shutting the door behind him.

Now in the confines of your room Ezra slowly saunters towards your bed, a creature approaching its prey.

He exalts your name on an exhale.

You try to speak, but nothing comes out and Ezra moves to kneel beside your bed. His eyes twinkle with patient and pious understanding.

“Shh…no need for words, my dear turtle dove.” He quietly soothes you.

So many emotions clash in you, a tremulous onslaught you can’t handle.

“Have you come to kill me?” Fear manages to escape your lips and Ezra’s glorious face drops.

“Oh no, my beloved birdie. I’d never lay a hand on you with any violence or killing intent.” He reassures, a tender caress. “I’m here to free you. For us to set everyone free…did you not hear of what I did for your dear friend?”

His hand graciously cradles your cheek.

You should be terrified this man, this creature, is here. But you’re not.

Instead consuming relief and dangerous glee fills you. He is real. It was real.

Your hands clasp onto his and you hate how much you lean into his touch

Ezra leans forward and places a kiss against your forehead.

“What are you?” You ask barely above a whisper.

“The shadow of an angel, perhaps a monster to some.” He replies back. “But yours, nonetheless”

And you want him to be yours.

This is wrong to feel so greedy, to want a creature this dangerous. But were demons not once angels who deserved forgiveness and love?

So shifting your face you turn and place a kiss against Ezra’s palm.

Now when you hear the sermons, when you hear Ezra preach, you will think of Eve with sympathy because you understand.

You too fell for the serpent.

After all, evil never looks so beautiful as it does holding you. And desire never tasted so divine, never felt so holy.

Outside your window, the wildflowers begin to rot and the sudden rumble of a thunderstorm rolls in.

#sorry my ex Catholic school ass jumped out in this one & I need to go bathe in holy water now holy shit #anyway me and demon Ezra love you very much #ezra x reader #demon!ezra #ezra x f!reader #ezra (prospect) fic #ezra (prospect) x reader #ezra 🤎#pedrostories

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devilish-parrot · 4 months

Text

emo tally hall songs

(emo in the context of dark and edgy and zubin sedghi. im aware that real emo music is not like this)

yagodas yucky Y... ARE YOU WALKING SO FAR AHEAD?

bad day

blacker

get away from tally hall

taken to the cemetary

bid your soul to the devil

be dead

banana corpse

just apathy 2.0

winter and a hurricane

i know where you live

seven five seven

just me

13.

ruler of nothing

burried alive in a beach

chicken stu

nightmare

bad & evil

never meant to know

but

just me v2

cannibal

i know what you are

kill the endangered species

the wind doesnt know

a man

i see youre once again trapped in my gay and stupid maze

leave the lights off, im a vampire

misery rise up, when are these colonies gonna misery rise up

twilight is an awsome film franchise. i love edward cullen

the stars are too bright im literally a vampire

#devilish rambles #tally hall #reading this in a “dark” voice

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daphnefisherofficial · 1 year

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bugna: TAKIPSILIM | destiny's twilight

defy your destiny | rewrite your fate.

Pairing: MCU Moon Knight System (Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley) x Avatar Fem!Reader/OC

Update Schedule: Semi-daily (schedule depends on my work, most of the chapters are already written and I'm writing buffers coz I can't stop, help--)

Summary: Under the luminous full moon of the pre colonial Philippine archipelago in the year 900, Mira Batala's fate to serve their patron moon goddess, Mayari, as an avatar was sealed from the moment a divine kiss was bestowed on her forehead from her infancy. Gifted with a second chance at life, her extraordinary birth marks the onset of a divine oath to be honored and fulfilled as immortality soon became a curse rather than a gift. As she outlived her family and becomes the last of her olden lineage, Mira embarks on a millennia-long journey of protecting her people and guiding the travelers of the night through its darkest.

bugna: takipsilim (destiny's twilight) is a thrilling saga of ancient gods, boundless love, and a woman's timeless odyssey. As Mira confronts her past and embraces her role as Mayari's Avatar, she discovers the essence of her bugna (true destiny) and the interconnectedness of all strings of fate tied to her own: namely her intertwined destinies with Marc Spector, Steven Grant and Jake Lockley as the reincarnated fragments of her greatest love's past life.

TW/CW: Abuse, Age Difference, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Angst, Comfort, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Falling In Love, Fluff, Historical, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping I'm Sorry, Idiots in Love, Not Beta Read, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, Reader-Insert Relationship(s), Romance, Slow Build, Smut, Soulmates, Trauma.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME.

MASTERLIST BELOW

Prologue | A Kiss Of Intertwined Destinies

Chapter One | Shadows Of The Past

Chapter Two | Dreams Of Fate, Farewell & New Beginnings

Chapter Three | A Chance Encounter Above The Clouds

Chapter Four | The Homecoming

Chapter Five | Ties & Strings That Bind

Chapter Six | Coffees, Paninis & Museum Dreams

Chapter Seven | A Night of Discovery, History and Connection

Chapter Eight | Avatar Of Mayari, Protector Of The Night

Chapter Nine | Forgotten Memories & Inevitable Truth

Chapter Ten | A Taste of Camaraderie & New Adventures

Chapter Eleven | When The Sparks Fly

Chapter Twelve | Between Awakening Desires & Celebratory Nights

Chapter Thirteen | Companionship & Late Night Confessions

Chapter Fourteen | The Hidden Protector

Chapter Fifteen | Bound By The Crescent Moon

Chapter Sixteen | All Has Been Revealed

Chapter Seventeen | Moon Magic & Mysteries Of The Night We Met

Chapter Eighteen | Shared Burdens & Unexpected Alliances

Chapter Nineteen | Choices and Commitments

Chapter Twenty | The Doorway of Accursed Memories

Chapter Twenty One | Lieutenant Darius Carter

Chapter Twenty Two | A Love Forged in War (coming soon)

Chapter Twenty Three | The Jackal and the Moon (coming soon)

Chapter Twenty Four | Il Lamento della Luna (coming soon)

Chapter Twenty Five | Meeting the Sun and Stars (coming soon)

Chapter Twenty Six | Konseho ng mga Diwata // Council of the Gods (coming soon)

MORE CHAPTERS COMING SOON.

Also, I will be cross posting this on Wattpad and AO3 soon, so I have commissioned an artist to create a book cover. Here's a sneak peak.

I'm super excited to show you the rest once she's done. In the meantime, please follow her on Instagram @lindsaynid_arts if you wanna see more of her artwork.

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eros-agape-art · 6 months

Text

PRINCESS TWILIGHT'S LOG: Day 1

SUBJECT: Patient Zero

AUDIO START: TAPE 1

----- ----- *wirring* *click, click, click**wirring*

Is this working??? Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3... Okay! It looks like everything is working just fine now. *Twilight clears her throat* Hello, My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville, Equestria. I'm recording these audio logs with the hope of tracking the progress of a... dilemma Equestria is currently facing. We are on the verge of a widespread Epidemic.

Where to even begin explaining the situation... I guess I should start with where it all began. Just yesterday Thorax, ruler of the Changeling Colony, summoned me to the hive colony to discuss a matter of importance. I had no idea what I was in for. When I arrived he took me down to a lower level of the hive I had no idea existed, that he had no idea existed. It smelt of rot and mold.

We came across a small enclosed space, the entrance lined with the familiar green slime Chrysalis used to entrap me and my friends several times before. Inside was a young Changeling, younger than any Changeling student at my school. She was walking limply in a circle as if in a trance.

"We found her roaming the tunnels in this buried sector of the colony. It's so old not even I've seen it before." Thorax told me. He then continued by saying, "But I've seen this before, these symptoms and behaviors... My mo- Chrysalis... Used to quarantine Changelings who began to behave just like this young girl. It's horrid, only she knew what it was, but it's too dangerous to release her from stone."

I felt terrible for the girl, but recognized similarities to a fungi I studied briefly at Canterlot before moving to Ponyville. I thanked Thorax for the info he gave me and I wished him luck in his own search for answers, then I decided to travel to Canterlot looking for my own. I found something... something I wish I hadn't.

END TAPE:

DAY 1 FINDING NOTES:

PATIENT ZERO SYMPTOMS-

walking limply in circles

frequent erratic mood swings

restlessness

trance like state

poor eye contact/motor skills

wings droop

high bodily temperature

#mlp infection au #mlp infected au #mlp g4 #mlp art #mlp fim #mlp #mlp twilight sparkle #twilight sparkle #my au #my art #mlp thorax #mlp changeling #audio fiction style???#i guess???

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grey-sorcery · 1 month

Text

[Title]: The Elements: Water

Related Reading

The Elements: Fire Blood Magic Herbology Correspondences Visualization: Effective Implementation Duality in Witchcraft Researching Witchcraft Spirit Work: First Steps Divination: First Steps

🌊 Introduction 🌊

Water, one of the most versatile and commonplace elements, holds varying degrees of significance across various spiritual, mystical, and esoteric practices. Often associated with purification, reflection, and the subconscious, water's symbolic and practical applications are manifold. By understanding water's multifaceted nature, practitioners can harness its power more effectively, enriching their spiritual and magical practices. Most correspondences in this article are informed by non-colonial practices (Wicca, ‘Ceremonial Magick’, etc.) unless otherwise stated. I may also include some of my personal correspondences.

⛈️ Correspondences ☔️

Direction:

Water is typically associated with the west, symbolizing the end of the day and the sun’s descent. This direction represents introspection, reflection, and the subconscious. The west embodies the emotional and intuitive aspects of life, encouraging deep contemplation and the exploration of inner wisdom. I, personally, associate water with the North.

Season:

The season linked to water is typically winter or spring. Winter symbolizes a period of rest, reflection, and inner growth. This time encourages stillness and introspection, mirroring the quiet, dormant phase in nature's cycle where life slows down and renews itself. While spring is associated with fertility, renewal, and abundance. This time encourages a desire for new experiences and adventures and feelings of hope and optimism.

Time of day:

The time of day associated with water is twilight, the period between sunset and night. This liminal time embodies mystery and the blending of day and night, mirroring the fluid and transitional nature of water. Twilight invites introspection, relaxation, and the exploration of dreams and intuition.

Astrological sign:

Water corresponds to the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. These signs are known for their emotional depth, sensitivity, and intuition. Cancer nurtures and protects, Scorpio transforms and heals, and Pisces dreams and connects to the spiritual, all embodying the fluid and adaptive qualities of water.

Planets:

The planets associated with water are the Moon and Neptune. The Moon governs emotions, intuition, and cycles, reflecting water’s nurturing and reflective nature. Neptune symbolizes dreams, illusions, and the subconscious, emphasizing water’s connection to the unseen and the mystical aspects of existence.

Tarot:

In the Tarot, water is linked to the suit of Cups. This suit deals with emotions, relationships, and intuition. Cups cards explore the depth of human feelings, creativity, and the subconscious, resonating with water’s ability to flow, adapt, and reflect the inner world of emotions and dreams. This is based on the Rider Waite style of deck, which stems from colonial practices (Golden Dawn).

Elementals:

The elemental spirits of water are undines, also known as water nymphs or mermaids. These beings are said to inhabit and preside over bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. Undines represent the fluid, emotional, and transformative nature of water, embodying its nurturing and purifying qualities.

Colors:

The colors associated with water are blue and silver. Blue represents calmness, depth, and tranquility, reflecting water’s soothing and introspective qualities. Silver symbolizes the reflective and mystical aspects of water, akin to the moonlight dancing on the surface of a lake, highlighting water’s connection to the subconscious and intuition.

Crystals:

Crystals linked to water include aquamarine, moonstone, and amethyst. Aquamarine embodies clarity and calming energy, akin to the serene ocean. Moonstone enhances intuition and emotional balance, reflecting the lunar connection. Amethyst promotes spiritual awareness and inner peace, resonating with water’s introspective and purifying nature.

Herbs:

Herbs associated with water include chamomile, aloe vera, and lemon balm. Chamomile soothes and calms, mirroring water’s nurturing aspect. Aloe vera heals and hydrates, reflecting water’s restorative qualities. Lemon balm uplifts and comforts, embodying water’s ability to cleanse and rejuvenate the spirit and emotions. While not necessarily an herb, I often associate water with copal resin, as its smoke is not only cleansing but also transitionary.

Trees:

Willow, birch, and elder are trees linked to water. The willow, with its affinity for moist environments, symbolizes intuition and emotional resilience. Birch represents renewal and purification, reflecting water’s cleansing nature. Elder is associated with protection and healing, resonating with water’s nurturing and transformative properties.

Animals:

Water-associated animals include crabs, fish, frogs, and swans. Crabs are associated with the moon and tides, symbolizing cycles, protection, and emotions. Fish are directly linked to water and are symbols of fluidity, adaptability, and the flow of emotions. Frogs represent transformation and renewal, akin to water’s purifying qualities. Swans embody grace and beauty, mirroring water’s serene and reflective nature.

Deities:

Deities linked to water include Poseidon, Yemaya, and Tlaloc. Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, embodies the power and depth of the ocean. Yemaya, the Yoruba goddess, represents nurturing and protection. Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, embodies water’s life-giving and sustaining qualities.

Mythical creatures:

Mythical creatures associated with water include mermaids, kelpies, and nixies. Mermaids embody the mysterious and seductive qualities of water. Kelpies, water spirits from Scottish folklore, symbolize transformation and the untamed nature of water. Nixies, Germanic water sprites, reflect the enchanting and elusive aspects of water.

Metals:

Silver and mercury are metals linked to water. Silver represents the reflective and mystical qualities of water, akin to moonlight on water’s surface. Mercury, with its liquid form, symbolizes adaptability and fluidity, reflecting water’s ability to change states and flow effortlessly through different environments.

Symbols:

Symbols associated with water include the crescent moon, waves, and the chalice. The crescent moon reflects water’s connection to the lunar cycles and emotions. Waves symbolize water’s dynamic and ever-changing nature. The chalice represents the receptive and nurturing qualities of water, embodying emotional and spiritual nourishment.

Body parts:

Body parts linked to water include the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive organs. The kidneys and bladder regulate fluid balance and purification in the body, reflecting water’s cleansing nature. The reproductive organs symbolize creation and nurturing, mirroring water’s life-giving and sustaining properties.

Senses:

The sense associated with water is taste. Taste connects to the element of water through the experience of savoring and appreciating flavors. This sense reflects water’s ability to blend and enhance, bringing out the essence of what it touches, much like the way water interacts with and transforms other elements. This association also stems from the idea of tasting sweet waters (fresh water), or the quenching of thirst.

Emotions:

Emotions linked to water include empathy, intuition, and sorrow. Water’s fluid nature symbolizes the flow and depth of human feelings, encouraging emotional expression and connection. This element fosters understanding and sensitivity, promoting healing and the nurturing of relationships through emotional attunement and care. Water, especially deep bodies like oceans, lakes, and rivers, is frequently associated with deep sorrows.

Personality traits:

Personality traits associated with water include sensitivity, adaptability, and intuition. Individuals influenced by water are often empathetic and attuned to their emotions and the feelings of others. They possess a deep sense of intuition and adaptability, able to navigate life’s changes with grace and emotional intelligence.

Musical notes and instruments:

The musical notes and instruments linked to water include the note D and instruments like the harp, piano, and flute. The note D resonates with water’s calming and soothing qualities. The harp and piano evoke flowing melodies, while the flute’s airy tones reflect water’s fluid and gentle nature. (Based on western scales)

Incense and essential oils:

Incense and essential oils associated with water include sandalwood, jasmine, and eucalyptus. Sandalwood promotes relaxation and grounding, mirroring water’s calming effect. Jasmine enhances intuition and emotional balance, reflecting water’s nurturing qualities. Eucalyptus purifies and refreshes, embodying water’s cleansing and revitalizing nature. Sandalwood: Avoid during pregnancy; may cause skin irritation. Jasmine: Use sparingly during pregnancy; can be a strong allergen. Eucalyptus: Not for children under 10; avoid ingesting; can cause respiratory issues if overused.

Tarot spreads:

The "Celtic Cross" tarot spread is often associated with water due to its comprehensive exploration of emotional and subconscious themes. This spread delves deeply into the querent's current situation, challenges, subconscious influences, and potential outcomes, reflecting the fluid and intuitive nature of water. This is based on the Rider Waite style of deck, which stems from colonial practices (Golden Dawn).

Runes:

Runes associated with water include Laguz and Perthro. Laguz represents the flow of water, intuition, and the subconscious, emphasizing fluidity and adaptability. Perthro symbolizes mystery, chance, and hidden knowledge, reflecting water’s connection to the unknown and the depths of the human psyche.

Ceremonies:

Ceremonies linked to water include purification rites, blessing rituals, and emotional healing practices. These ceremonies often involve the use of water to cleanse and renew, symbolizing emotional release and spiritual rebirth. They encourage introspection, forgiveness, and the restoration of emotional balance and harmony. Specifically, full moon ceremonies are most connected with elemental water, though these tend to be ceremonies reserved for women and effeminate practitioners traditionally.

🌦️🌤️☀️

It is crucial to acknowledge that while correspondences for water have been widely explored and established, there exist individual variations in these associations. The significance and personal resonance of specific correspondences may vary from person to person, influenced by cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and spiritual beliefs. It is essential to embrace and honor these variations, allowing individuals to connect with the correspondences that align most authentically with their own spiritual practices and intentions. It is perfectly acceptable to create your own correspondences. There is no need to rigidly conform to preexisting ones unless working within a specific cultural context.

🫧 Common Practices 🌕

💧 Baptism

History and Background:

Baptism is a sacrament in Christianity, symbolizing purification and initiation into the faith. Its origins can be traced back to Jewish ritual washing and purification practices, such as the mikvah, which involved immersion in water to achieve spiritual cleanliness. John the Baptist, a prominent figure in the New Testament, is credited with popularizing baptism as a means of repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus himself was baptized by John, setting a precedent for his followers.

Practice:

In baptism, water serves as the primary element of purification and transformation. The ritual can be performed in several ways: full immersion, where the person is completely submerged in water; affusion, where water is poured over the head; or aspersion, where water is sprinkled on the individual. The specific method often depends on the denomination and local customs.

During the ceremony, the officiant typically recites a blessing and the Trinitarian formula, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The act of baptism signifies the washing away of sin, spiritual rebirth, and the individual's entry into the Christian community. In many traditions, it is also seen as a covenant with God and a commitment to live according to Christian teachings.

💧 Lustration

History and Background:

Lustration, derived from the Latin word "lustratio," meaning purification, was a significant ritual in ancient Greek and Roman religious practices. It aimed to cleanse individuals, communities, or objects of any impurities, especially before engaging in important religious or civic activities. Lustration ceremonies were often performed before sacrifices, military campaigns, or significant state functions to ensure divine favor and protection.

Practice:

The lustration ritual typically involved washing with water, but could also include the sprinkling of water mixed with other purifying substances such as salt, herbs, or ashes. In some instances, entire communities participated in the ritual, where they were sprinkled with water by priests or religious officials.

Water in lustration symbolizes physical and spiritual cleanliness, renewal, and the removal of any negative influences. The practice underscores the belief in the transformative power of water to sanctify and protect, ensuring that those who underwent lustration were pure and fit to participate in sacred or significant activities.

💧 Ablution

History and Background:

Ablution, from the Latin "ablutio" meaning "a washing away," is a ritual purification found in various religious traditions, with a prominent role in Islam. In Islam, ablution is divided into two types: wudu, a minor purification required before prayers, and ghusl, a major purification for more significant states of impurity.

Practice:

Wudu involves washing the hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, head, and feet with water in a specific order. It is performed before the five daily prayers to ensure that the worshiper is in a state of physical and spiritual purity. The steps are methodical and include intentions and supplications, emphasizing mindfulness and the sacredness of the act.

Ghusl is a full-body ritual washing required in cases of major impurities, such as after sexual activity, menstruation, or childbirth. It involves washing the entire body thoroughly with water, symbolizing a complete purification and renewal.

In both wudu and ghusl, water is central to the process, representing purification, cleanliness, and the removal of impurities. These practices highlight the importance of water in maintaining spiritual hygiene and readiness for worship.

💧 Yemaya Festival*

History and Background:

The Yemaya Festival is celebrated in various Afro-Caribbean religions, such as Santeria*, Candomblé*, and Yoruba traditional religion*. Yemaya, also known as Yemoja, is the Orisha of the sea, motherhood, and fertility. She is revered as the mother of all Orishas and is often depicted as a nurturing and protective figure, embodying the life-giving and sustaining qualities of water.

Practice:

The Yemaya Festival typically involves ceremonies and rituals performed by the sea or other bodies of water. Devotees offer gifts such as fruits, flowers, jewelry, and food to Yemaya, often placing these offerings in the water as a gesture of respect and gratitude. Rituals may include singing, dancing, drumming, and chanting to honor Yemaya and seek her blessings.

Water is integral to the festival, symbolizing Yemaya's domain and her connection to life, fertility, and protection. Participants often wade into the water to release their offerings and prayers, seeking Yemaya’s guidance, healing, and support. The festival is a communal celebration, emphasizing unity, reverence for nature, and the nurturing aspects of the divine feminine.

💧 Scrying

History and Background:

Scrying is an ancient divination practice that involves gazing into a reflective surface to receive visions or insights. It has been used across various cultures, including Mexica, ancient Egypt, Greece, and among the Celtic Druids. The practice is based on the belief that reflective surfaces can act as portals to the subconscious mind or to spiritual entities, allowing the practitioner to access hidden knowledge or guidance.

Practice:

Water scrying, or hydromancy, involves using a bowl or other container filled with water as the reflective surface. The practitioner often works in a dimly lit or candle-lit environment to enhance the reflective properties of the water. They may also add a few drops of oil or use colored water to aid in the visualization process.

The practitioner focuses on the water’s surface, entering a meditative state to quiet the mind and open themselves to receiving images, symbols, or messages. Water's fluid and reflective nature makes it an ideal medium for scrying, as it can help reveal the flow of subconscious thoughts and emotions, providing clarity and insight into various aspects of life.

💧 Moon Water

History and Background:

Moon water is a concept rooted in various European pagan and witchcraft traditions (Mostly ceremonial magic and folk magic of northwest Europe). It involves collecting and charging water with the energy of the moon, particularly during the full moon when its power is believed to be at its peak. This practice is based on the idea that the moon’s energy can enhance the water’s properties, making it a potent tool for various magical and spiritual purposes.

Practice:

To create moon water, practitioners place a container of water, usually in glass or ceramic, outside or on a windowsill where it can be exposed to moonlight overnight. Some may add crystals, herbs, or salt to the water to amplify its energy. The practitioner often performs a ritual or speaks an intention while setting the water out, aligning their purpose with the moon’s energy.

Once charged, moon water can be used in various ways, such as in cleansing baths, anointing objects, watering plants, or as an ingredient in spells and rituals. The water is believed to carry the moon’s attributes, such as intuition, emotional balance, and feminine energy, making it a versatile and powerful tool for personal and spiritual growth.

🚰 Common Magical Uses 🚿

Most, if not all, of these practices are based on colonial practices such as Christianity, Wicca, and ‘Ceremonial Magick’.

💧 Purification and Cleansing

Cleansing Baths:

Water can be infused with herbs, salts, and essential oils to create a cleansing bath. Practitioners immerse themselves in this water to wash away negative energies, stress, and spiritual impurities. The bath can be accompanied by meditation, visualization, and affirmations to enhance the cleansing effect.

Sprinkling and Spraying:

Water can be blessed or charged and then sprinkled or sprayed around a space, object, or person to purify and protect. This method is often used to cleanse ritual tools, altar spaces, or homes.

Washing Rituals:

Water is used to wash hands, feet, or the face in preparation for spell work or rituals. This act signifies the removal of mundane concerns and impurities, creating a state of spiritual readiness.

💧 Charging and Empowering

Moon Water:

Water left out under the light of the full moon absorbs lunar energy and can be used in various spells and rituals. Moon water can be drunk, sprinkled around the home, added to baths, or used to anoint objects to imbue them with the moon's intuitive and emotional balancing properties.

Sun Water:

Similarly, water charged under the sun’s rays is infused with solar energy, representing vitality, strength, and clarity. Sun water can be used to empower spells, enhance personal energy, and promote positivity and confidence.

💧 Healing and Emotional Work

Healing Baths:

Water can be combined with specific herbs and crystals known for their healing properties. Practitioners soak in these baths to promote physical healing, emotional balance, and spiritual rejuvenation. Visualization of healing energy permeating the body and aura is often part of this practice.

Tear Magic:

In some traditions, tears are collected during moments of intense emotion and used in spells to capture and harness the energy of those emotions. Tears can be added to water used in rituals, symbolizing the release and transformation of emotional energy.

💧 Protection and Banishing

Saltwater Protection:

Water mixed with salt (often sea salt) is a common protective and purifying agent. Saltwater can be used to cleanse spaces, create protective barriers, or be sprinkled around the perimeter of a home to ward off negative energies and entities.

Banishing Rituals:

In banishing spells, water is used to symbolically wash away unwanted influences or entities. This can involve pouring water over an object representing the issue or person to be banished or using water to douse symbols or sigils of the unwanted energy.

💧 Connection to Spirits and Deities

Offering Water:

Water is often offered to spirits, ancestors, or deities in rituals and ceremonies. It can be placed on altars in bowls or cups, symbolizing purity and a connection to the divine or .

Ritual Libations:

Pouring water onto the ground as a libation is a way to honor and connect with earth spirits, deities, or ancestors. This practice is found in many cultures and is used to show respect and ask for blessings or assistance.

💧 Elemental Magic

Representing the Element of Water:

In rituals involving the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, water), a bowl of water is often placed on the altar to represent the water element. This helps to balance the energies within the ritual space and invoke the qualities of water, such as intuition, emotion, and healing.

💧 Spell Components and Ingredients

Water-Based Inks and Dyes:

Water can be used to create inks and dyes for writing spells, drawing sigils, or creating magical art. These inks can be infused with herbs, oils, and other ingredients to enhance their magical properties.

Potion Making:

Water serves as the base for many potions in spell work. Herbs, crystals, and other magical ingredients are steeped or brewed in water to create potions for various purposes, such as love, protection, healing, or prosperity.

💧 Weather Magic

Rain Spells:

Water is central to weather magic, particularly spells for invoking rain. Practitioners may use water rituals, dances, or chants to appeal to rain deities or spirits, asking for precipitation to nourish the land and support agricultural efforts.

💧 Symbolic Representation

Symbolic Actions:

In spells that require symbolic actions, water can be used to represent emotions, transitions, or transformations. For example, a spell to release emotional pain might involve writing the pain on a piece of paper and dissolving it in water, symbolizing the washing away of the hurt.

🌧️ Common Misconceptions 🌧️

Water, as a fundamental element in witchcraft, carries a wealth of symbolism and practical uses. However, there are several misconceptions surrounding its use in magical practices. Here are some of the most common ones:

⚡️ Misconception 1:

Water Has Uniform Magical Properties

Reality:

Not all water is the same in magical practices. The source and condition of the water can influence its properties and effectiveness in spell work. For example, rainwater, river water, ocean water, and spring water each carry distinct energies and should be chosen according to the specific needs of a spell. Since water is a common solvent, anything put into solution with water will affect the whole’s energetic properties and therefore its most effective applications.

⚡️ Misconception 2:

Water Spells Are Only for Emotional and Intuitive Magic

Reality:

While water is closely associated with emotions and intuition, its magical applications extend beyond these realms. Water can be used for a variety of purposes, including protection, healing, fertility, and abundance. For example, water can be used in protection spells by creating barriers, in healing spells by creating soothing potions or baths, and in fertility rituals by invoking its life-giving properties.

⚡️ Misconception 3:

Moon Water Is a Cure-All

Reality:

Moon water, while powerful, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The effectiveness of moon water depends on the lunar phase and the practitioner's intention. Full moon water is excellent for general empowerment and completion, while new moon water is better suited for new beginnings and setting intentions. Additionally, specific astrological aspects of the moon can influence the water's properties, such as a moon in Scorpio for transformation or a moon in Pisces for spiritual insight.

⚡️ Misconception 4:

Water Alone Is Enough for Cleansing

Reality:

While water is a powerful cleansing agent, it often works best in conjunction with other elements or tools. Adding salt, herbs, or essential oils can enhance its purifying properties. Combining water with other practices like visualization, chanting, or the use of sacred symbols can amplify the cleansing effect, making the ritual more comprehensive and effective.

🌊 Properties of Water 🌊

To gain a comprehensive understanding of water in the context of witchcraft, it is essential to explore its properties across various categories. These categories include energetic properties, physical properties, philosophical properties, and chemical properties.

✨ Energetic Properties ⛈️

From an energetic standpoint, water has seven inherent properties:

Inductive: Pulls outside energy into itself

Direct Current: Sends a quanta of energy from point to point directly

Holds Charge: Retains some degree of the intact energy it reacts with, without utilizing it all to form energetic compounds

Repulsive: Repels (Dependent) energies within a variable set distance away from itself

Negenthropic: Always returns to its Natural Energetic State without influence

Sinusoidal: Contains and releases natural and consistent energy fluctuations

Refractive: Splits reactionary energies into 2+ quanta of the reactionary energy's subcomponents

From an energetic standpoint, water exhibits seven distinct properties that underscore its unique role in energy work. Firstly, inductive properties enable water to attract and assimilate external energies, making it a conduit for absorbing and integrating ambient influences. As a direct current conductor, water channels energy from one point to another efficiently, facilitating a smooth flow of quanta through its structure. Additionally, water's ability to hold charge means it retains some of the energies it interacts with, preserving them in a partially unaltered form rather than fully converting them into new energetic compounds. Water also demonstrates a repulsive quality, where it can push away or repulse energies that fall outside a variable proximity, thus managing its energetic environment by creating a buffer zone. The negenthropic nature of water ensures it continuously seeks and returns to its inherent natural state, regardless of external influences or disruptions. Its sinusoidal property reflects a rhythm of consistent energy fluctuations, as water naturally oscillates between states of absorption and release, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium. Lastly, water's refractive ability allows it to split and disperse incoming energies into multiple quanta, breaking them down into subcomponents and facilitating a more complex interaction with its surroundings. These properties collectively highlight water's versatile role in energy dynamics, making it a powerful tool in various energetic and spiritual practices.

🧊 Physical Properties

State and Phase Transitions:

States: Water exists in three states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor).

Melting Point: 0°C (32°F) at standard atmospheric pressure.

Boiling Point: 100°C (212°F) at standard atmospheric pressure.

Sublimation Point: Under certain conditions, ice can directly transition to vapor without becoming liquid.

Density:

Liquid Water: Approximately 1 g/cm³ at 4°C, where it is densest.

Ice: Approximately 0.917 g/cm³, less dense than liquid water, causing ice to float.

Water Vapor: Much less dense than liquid water or ice.

Viscosity:

Water has low viscosity, allowing it to flow easily. The viscosity decreases as temperature increases.

Surface Tension:

Water has a high surface tension due to hydrogen bonding, making it cohesive and allowing it to form droplets.

Specific Heat Capacity:

Water has a high specific heat capacity (4.186 J/g°C), meaning it can absorb and store a large amount of heat energy with only a slight increase in temperature. This property helps moderate Earth's climate and maintain stable temperatures in organisms.

Heat of Vaporization:

Water has a high heat of vaporization (40.65 kJ/mol at 100°C), requiring significant energy to convert from liquid to gas, which plays a role in cooling mechanisms like sweating and transpiration in plants.

Thermal Conductivity:

Water has moderate thermal conductivity, enabling efficient heat transfer in biological systems and environments.

Electrical Conductivity:

Pure water has low electrical conductivity, but it increases with the presence of dissolved ions (electrolytes).

🧽 Chemical Properties

Molecular Structure:

Water is a polar molecule with a bent shape, having an angle of approximately 104.5° between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom. The oxygen atom has a partial negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have partial positive charges, leading to hydrogen bonding.

Hydrogen Bonding:

Water molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other, leading to its high cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension. These bonds also contribute to water's high boiling and melting points relative to other small molecules.

Solvent Properties:

Water is often called the "universal solvent" because it can dissolve many substances. Its polarity allows it to interact with and dissolve ionic compounds (salts) and polar molecules (sugars, alcohols).

pH and Ionization:

Pure water has a neutral pH of 7 at 25°C, resulting from the auto-ionization process where water molecules dissociate into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻):

The concentration of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions in pure water is 0.0000001 mol/L each.

Reactivity:

Water participates in various chemical reactions, including hydrolysis, where it breaks down compounds, and hydration, where it adds to substances.

It can act as both an acid and a base (amphoteric), making it versatile in chemical reactions:

Redox Properties:

Water is involved in redox reactions, serving as a medium for electron transfer. In biological systems, water is crucial in processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

❄️ Unique Anomalies

Density Anomaly:

Unlike most substances, water's solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form due to the structure of hydrogen bonds, which create a lattice that holds water molecules farther apart in ice than in liquid water.

Maximum Density at 4°C:

Water reaches its maximum density at 4°C, which is critical for aquatic life. This property causes lakes and ponds to stratify, with denser water sinking and less dense water (either warmer or ice) remaining on top, insulating the aquatic life during winter.

High Surface Tension and Capillarity:

Water’s high surface tension allows for capillary action, essential for the movement of water in plants (from roots to leaves) and soil moisture dynamics.

🧿 Metaphysical Properties

Water has long been a symbol of philosophical and metaphysical concepts across various traditions. Its properties and characteristics often embody deeper truths about existence, consciousness, and the natural world. Here are some key philosophical and metaphysical properties of water:

Fluidity and Adaptability

Water’s ability to flow and adapt to any container highlights the concept of fluidity and adaptability. Philosophically, this represents the idea of embracing change and being flexible in the face of life's transformations. Water’s adaptability signifies a deep understanding of the need to be open and responsive to the dynamic nature of existence.

Cyclical Nature

Water follows a natural cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation—which symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and existence. This cyclical pattern reflects the interconnectedness of all things and the continuous process of renewal and transformation. Philosophically, it illustrates the concept of eternal return and the perpetuity of life’s rhythms.

Purification and Cleansing

Water is widely regarded as a purifying force. Metaphysically, it represents the cleansing of the self, both physically and spiritually. This property embodies the idea of purification as a necessary process for spiritual growth, personal renewal, and the release of negative or stagnant energies.

Reflective and Intuitive Qualities

The reflective surface of water symbolizes self-reflection and introspection. Philosophically, it represents the ability to see beyond the surface and gain deeper insight into oneself and the nature of reality. Water’s reflective nature also ties into intuition, as it reflects the deeper, often unseen, aspects of consciousness.

Emotional Depth

Water is often associated with the depths of emotion and the subconscious mind. Metaphysically, this association signifies the profound and often hidden layers of human experience. Water’s capacity to hold and move through emotional states underscores the importance of exploring and understanding the depth of one’s feelings.

Connection and Interconnection

Water connects all forms of life, from the smallest microorganisms to the largest ecosystems. This universal connection reflects the interconnectedness of all beings and phenomena. Philosophically, it underscores the concept that all entities are part of a larger whole, sharing a common source and mutual influence.

Transience and Impermanence

Water’s ever-changing state—liquid, solid, and gas—illustrates the principle of impermanence. This property philosophically embodies the idea that all things are in a constant state of flux, and permanence is an illusion. Water’s ability to change forms highlights the transient nature of reality and existence.

Sacredness and Life-Giving Force

In many traditions, water is considered sacred and a vital source of life. This reverence reflects its fundamental role in sustaining life and its symbolic connection to spiritual nourishment and vitality. Philosophically, water’s sacredness represents the divine essence present in the natural world and the importance of honoring and respecting life’s fundamental resources.

Symbol of Unity

Water’s ability to merge seamlessly with other bodies of water represents unity and oneness. Philosophically, this property signifies the dissolution of boundaries and the merging of individual identities into a collective whole. It embodies the concept of unity within diversity and the idea that all things are ultimately interconnected.

Ethereal and Transcendent Qualities

Water’s ability to evaporate and become vapor suggests a transcendent quality, moving beyond the material and physical state. This ethereal aspect symbolizes the potential for spiritual ascension and the movement towards higher states of consciousness. It reflects the idea of transcending physical limitations and reaching a higher, more spiritual plane.

⚗️ Classical Alchemical Properties

In Classical Alchemy, water is viewed not just as a physical substance but as a key element with profound symbolic and practical significance. Alchemical traditions, which combine elements of philosophy, spirituality, and early natural science, attribute various properties to water based on its role in the processes of transformation and purification. Here are some of the classical alchemical properties of water:

Solvent and Dissolver

Water is often referred to as the "universal solvent" in alchemy. This property highlights water's ability to dissolve and break down other substances, making it essential for the extraction and purification of ingredients. In alchemical practices, water's solvent nature is crucial for processes such as dissolution, which is a key step in the preparation of alchemical mixtures and the extraction of essences from minerals and plants.

Purification and Cleansing

Water is symbolic of purification in alchemical traditions. It is used to cleanse both physical materials and the alchemist's own mind and spirit. In alchemical operations, water is employed to wash away impurities and prepare substances for further transformation. This aligns with the broader metaphysical view of water as a purifying force, essential for achieving purity and perfection in the alchemical work.

Cooling and Condensing

In alchemical processes, water is associated with cooling and condensing. It is used to regulate temperature and facilitate the condensation of vapors into liquid form. This property is integral to processes such as distillation and the condensation of alchemical substances, where maintaining the right temperature is crucial for the successful transformation of materials.

Fluidity and Movement

Water’s inherent fluidity and capacity to flow represent the principle of movement and change in alchemy. This property reflects the dynamic nature of transformation, where water is seen as a medium through which substances move and change states. The fluidity of water symbolizes the constant flux and adaptability required in the alchemical work.

Binding and Combining

Water’s ability to bind and combine different substances is another important alchemical property. It is used to mix and integrate various elements, facilitating their combination into new compounds. This property underscores water's role in creating harmonious mixtures and achieving synthesis in alchemical processes.

Cyclic and Recursive Nature

Water’s natural cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation—mirrors the cyclical nature of alchemical transformations. This property represents the recurring cycles of dissolution and reconstitution that are central to the alchemical work. The cyclical nature of water highlights the repetitive process of refining and perfecting substances through successive stages.

Catalytic Role

Water acts as a catalyst in many alchemical reactions. It can facilitate chemical changes and enhance the effects of other substances, making it a crucial component in achieving desired transformations. The catalytic role of water underscores its importance in accelerating and directing alchemical processes.

Temperature Regulation

In alchemy, water is used to regulate temperature during various operations. It helps maintain the appropriate conditions for reactions, such as cooling heated substances or moderating the temperature of distillations. This property is vital for controlling the environment in which alchemical processes occur.

Embodying the Principle of Mercurial Fluidity

Water represents the mercurial (or quicksilver) aspect of alchemy, embodying the principle of fluidity and the ability to change form. This property aligns with the concept of mercury as a fluid, transformative substance in alchemical traditions, reflecting the dynamic and mutable nature of water in both physical and symbolic contexts.

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