#v: The Path That Leads Astray

[ikinremu]

HI, all of your Tommy Shelby works, involving smut have gotten me all fired up!

So, I am asking you if you cou could please write a Tommy Shelby smut, where Tommy and the reader both have their own favorite part(s) of each others body, and that may lead to teasing one another.

or

Even where Tommy's voice or any of his mannerisms turns the reader on.

Thanks, :)

Hi anonymous, thank you so much for reading - its so appreciated and I’m overjoyed that you like my works! Thank you so so much for the request!! So sorry it took so long for a response. I really like this idea and I hope you like what i’ve done with it.. enjoy :)

|| Nsfw || Teasing - Tommy Shelby ||

Tommy Shelby x Fem!Reader

A Tommy Shelby teasing based smut oneshot!

tags: Fingering, Orgasm Denial, P in V, Teasing

! Smut Warning !

You adored Tommy from head to toe. Truly. Though, of course, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses - and ironically enough, what you considered to be Tommy's strengths were often what sent strikes of weakness through you.

Your fascinated gaze found no problem with projecting itself - and its ferocity - through the Garrison, swiftly parting any obstacles with a lack of consideration.

Truthfully, you weren't at all proud of the way Tommy's mannerisms alone could excite you - and they certainly didn't act in solidarity; even a seemingly innocent quality of his could have a shameful effect on you.

Your lustful fixation found captivity as you studied Tommy's hands with great intent. You surveilled the motions of them, peering through your tunnel vision as the routine bustle of the Garrison drifted further from your focus.

Frankly, you rather favoured Tommy's hands - it was simply difficult not to when you withheld the knowledge of their capabilities.

Elbows pressed against the Garrison's most popular attraction, Tommy's curled fingers twirled a cigarette between their bridges. Veins accentuated his hands, trailing disorderly paths beneath his skin; it was truly against your power to keep from absorbing every detail. A light push of smoke slipped the part of his lips, softly staining the air as your mind wandered astray.

It didn't, however, take much observation to recognise the smug portrait painting Tommy's face. He knew you were looking at him, and no doubt he'd realised what specific feature had fallen victim to this lewd motive of yours.

One thing Thomas Shelby needed zero assistance with was eye contact - it was to be considered above a strength. He always kept a firm hold on you, and if his hands were disrupted in doing so, his eyes would easily substitute.

His pupils practically split you in two, keen stare unfaltering as a cigarette resumed contact with his lips. In what could be viewed an instinctive manor, your stomach began to flutter as Tommy trailed his focus over your frame - gaze echoing with allure.

His expression did everything but soothe you, shooting a rush of adrenaline through your body. What you'd interpreted as this subtle understanding, communication even, could only spike your anticipated arousal.

It was only a matter of minutes before Tommy would approach, you'd connected those dots immediately, though he was far closer to the double doors you'd been rather blatantly eyeing - and honestly, you just couldn't resist such a ravenous nagging any longer.

Mindlessly, you arose from the stern seating of a wooden chair - one specifically distanced from the intended accompaniment. Tommy's eyes hadn't left your own, their only travel being such gloriously hungry glances over your body as you continued to step closer. Regulars were dotted all over, however in this moment it felt as though Tommy and yourself were the only people in the world. You knew what you wanted, he knew what you wanted; it was reduced to a matter of strides before you were able to indulge in this shared interest.

With a hoarse cough, Tommy cleared his throat, stubbing out his cigarette with the help of a nearby ashtray. Hands harshly digging into his trouser pockets, Tommy took a seemingly accomplished walk in the direction of the room you both knew was due to lose its vacancy.

The moment privacy was activated, you brazenly launched yourself in Tommy's direction - expecting him to meet you half way. Your clothed chest pressed against his, breath desperately hitching beneath your silk blouse. The hands you'd been dreaming so fondly about now squeezing your hips, you elongated your stance, neck stretching as you veered to connect with the supple lips in-front of you - however, you weren't met with a kiss.

Tommy chuckled with a gentle, somewhat mocking, shake of his head. "I'm gonna give you exactly what you wanted, love."

His callous fingers stroked just beneath your chin, forcing your vision upon him to remain stationary.

You had an inkling for where this was headed.

"Tommy-"

"Shh.." He dismissed, "Don't want people to hear us, eh?"

His hushed tone only furthered the flame of intimacy, a soft smile tugging at your lips - pleading to be freed from the compression.

"On the table." Tommy instructed, nodding in the direction of his firm demand.

You hopped atop the familiarly rounded surface, scooting back against the sleek wood as your skirt developed an ever so slight, upward crumple.

Tommy slipped a rusted key within the lock's shadowed opening, twisting it with a pop. You hadn't been made aware of this oddly enticing possession of his until now - though it certainly made the specifics of the circumstances far easier.

Your chest could only indulge in the deepest of heaves, stomach flitting with anticipation as Tommy's body became exceptionally close with your own.

His right hand snaked between your clenched thighs, splitting the friction you'd subconsciously built as he spread them apart.

"So fuckin wet." He groaned, the heat of his words tickling your ear as tantalising sensations began to form elsewhere. His swift fingers traced teasing, supple circles over the sodden material of your underwear - varying between intensities as your clit met the brunt of the touch. "You got this wet just from thinkin about my hands, mm?"

His words were laced with amusement, sound waves clambering down your exposed neck. You nodded - the sentence confirming your suspicions of his awareness. With a smug curve staining his face, the thick fingers of Tommy's opposing hand slid beneath the well-fixed waistband of your skirt, yanking it down with a singular pull - also discarding the soaked underwear with impressive unison.

Tommy's arm slung round your back, the painstakingly expensive fabric of his button up brushing your blouse before he hauled you forward with an unexpected, rather harsh, jolt.

At the greed-enthused collision, you buried your face against Tommy's neck. With a steep inhale, you ingested his strong, musky scent - desperately revelling in his touch.

Suddenly, you felt a crisp motion between the slick of your upper legs, barely brushing over your heat. Your teeth sunk into the plush of your lower lip, body melting against the fingers sliding inside your increasingly wet hole.

"Shit.." You breathed, eyelids painting shadows over your vision as a large hand cupped your chin.

"Look at me. Eh?" Tommy breathed, delicately pressing his forehead against your own - passion radiating through the closing gap between both of your jaws.

As you unclenched your drooped lids, releasing a heavy exhale, Tommy's fingers began strumming your swelling clit. Your hands clutched at the width of his shoulders, finding stability as the stimulation quickened. With the prompting of very little temptation, you submitted to the urge of pressing your lips against his. Before your mouthes could properly connect, Tommy re-enacted his previous dismissal of a kiss.

"You wanted my fingers so bad? That's all I'm gonna fuckin give you."

As vexing as this - soon to be - teasing was, it somehow amplified the stakes of your desire. Mouth agape, you let a whimper slip your throat - hot face still touching Tommy's, despite the infuriating lack of a potentially incredible embrace.

His fingers pumped inside you, finding an insatiably rapid pace as they teased your sopping pussy.

"Fuck, Tommy.." You grew careless of containing any moans as desperation seeped from your every pore, clit throbbing against the pleasing motions of his fingers.

"This what you wanted, love?" His eyes hadn't broken their dedicated train to yours, balmy foreheads clashing with one and other as your back began arching in response. "You wanted my fuckin fingers?"

"Mhm." You uttered, an all too familiar stir flooding your pitted abdomen, "I'm getting close."

As you became submerged by the feeling of an orgasm's sloping build, Tommy's fingers retracted from your so heavily drenched arousal - blocking the release at its very brink.

God, was he agitating when he wanted to be.

"I want to feel you come around me." The lustful nature of his speech - of his breath - was enough to drive you to the edge, and his smirk only added to the mix.

Body processing the denial of a release, you only grew to crave it further.

Driven by this pure, unfiltered thirst, you made light work of Tommy's buttoned waistcoat and shirt, soon following through the momentary process once more  - this time your blouse being the subject.

It wasn't at all long before the pair of you had completely deserted all clothing - not a single strip of fabric sheltering your skin.

Tommy's large hands spread over the thick flesh of your bare behind, eagerly kneading at it as the space between you lessened. With a slow push, his hard cock filled the previous depravity of your tight hole - his eyes rolling back as he entered.

Utilising his grip on your ass, Tommy pulled you to match his first, deep thrust - leaking tip taunting your sweet spot as you firmed your grasp on his, now exposed, shoulders.

"Fuck, you feel good.." A low grunt fled his mouth, hand planting a light slap to your behind before returning to its previous, hungry grab.

His hips bucked faster, reaching euphorically deep within your seeping arousal. Your head lolled back, teeth relentlessly torturing your bottom lip as your back formed a rather significant arch.

Tommy grinned, "Right there?"

You - subtly though frantically - nodded, whispering clusters of breathy confirmations as his pulsing erection pounded into you. Your hole clenched around the pleasing motions of his length, moans escaping both mouthes.

Your hips bucked against Tommy's, a singular hand of his jumping to massage your soft breasts, flicking the tenderness of your nipples as the friction caused their pebbling. You pressed open mouthed kisses to the upper planes of his chest, helplessly whining as he marked rapid thrusts.

He flicked your hardened nipples, tip slapping the places you craved most as he pleasured your drenched arousal. You trailed sloppy, heated kisses down his naked torso, nimble fingers still adamantly clutching at his shoulders.

Tommy’s skilful hips continued to slam against your own, burying his cock deeper in your sopping cunt. His hand suddenly retracted the touch from your breasts, sneaking beneath the intense contact as his fingers began to toy with your throbbing clit.

"Fuck!" You slipped a less than quiet moan, instinctively grinding against his dexterity as a knot grew apparent - creeping up from the depths of your fluttering stomach. "I'm gonna cum.."

"Cum for me, love." He grunted, teasing words breaking from the binds of his throat.

His fingers applied further pressure, erection thrusting as deep as you knew possible.

The burning tension coursing through your body wound tighter, preparing to wash over you - clearly without the intention of implementing any limits.

Tommy groaned lowly, granting one final pound into you as you felt a sudden warmth spread within your cunt.

You couldn't help but tremor as your orgasm struck, much anticipated release possessing your body - sensitivity peaking like never before due to the pent up frustration of your earlier denial.

"Shit.." You panted, more breath than word, as you came down from the euphoric climax - a smile stretching your pinkish lips. You pressed your now rather heated forehead against Tommy’s, his soft lips meeting yours - insinuating the kiss you’d had such a desperate longing for.

After a few short seconds, far too short by your own judgement, the passionate embrace was rather frustratingly split.

“I love you.” He spoke, gravelled voice tickling your ears as he tucked strands of your disheveled hair to the side.

“I love you too.”

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to use the asks feature on my page for requests of oneshots/drabbles/blurbs etc.. would be greatly appreciated! <3

[romanoffsbish]

Treacherous

Valkyrie x Fem!Reader

A Torn up Masterpiece

Warnings: Naive R/Fuckboy King V, Summer Fling, heartbroken R.

Smut: King (V), Princess (R), Thigh Riding (R), Oral/Fingering allusion (R).

18 + | Minors DNI

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

Put your lips close to mine, as long as they don't touch.—And I'll do anything you say if you say it with your hands, and  I'd be smart to walk away, but you're quicksand...

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

One moment you’re entering the hall of the charity gala to rebuild Asgard, wearing a two piece suit that deliciously pushed your breasts over the edge, accentuated your ass, and left your midriff bare. Then the next you’re being pulled from the dance floor to come face to face with the woman you’ve been sleeping with.

————

“Princess.,” you smiled softly., “What have I told you about dressing more modestly?,” you pouted instantly., “But, I just wanted to look good for you My King.,” you innocently said, but the glint in your eyes spoke of deviance.

Valkyrie swiveled your bodies around until she could press your body into the cold wall., “Oh, princess you look absolutely delectable.,” she whispered before leaning in to capture your lips., “So much so that now I am neglecting my duties so that I can ravish you as you deserve.”

"Fuck.," you breathily whispered as Valkyrie slipped her thigh in between your parted legs., "That's right princess, use your Kings thigh to get off.," she chuckled as you whined pitifully., "Don't whine now, or you'll remain empty."

Valkyrie's face was smug as your whimpering was now derived from the pleasure you were getting from her muscular leg pressed against your bare cunt., "There you go princess, let me hear how good you feel.," she hotly demanded.

Strong hands held you by your hips, and as your movements grew sloppier she took over., "Such a messy thing you are.,” she chuckled, and your body shivered when her hot breaths smoothed across your skin as her lips found purchase against the column of your throat. With your head thrown back like this it was easy to leave her mark behind, and your loud moans in response to her suckling were her sign that you loved her falsely claiming you.

“My King, I-I need.,” Valkyrie flexed her thigh., “Let go for me princess.,” and just like that your hips momentarily stilled before your body began to convulse from the immense pleasure., “You’re so beautiful when you come undone like this for me honey.,” her lips pressed into yours, she continued to guide you through the after effects of your orgasm while swallowing your every moan until you were breathless.

Once you’d looked to her with a relaxed, yet dopey smile she’d smirked right back., “I don’t know about you princess, but I’m famished.,” you went to agree, and offer to help collect her a plate of food from the gala, but she swiftly dropped to her knees, the words dying on your tongue when she looked up at you with a deep hunger in her eyes., “Such a pretty pussy.”

“Now this is a meal fit for a King.,” she teases while tossing your leg over her shoulder and you whimpered as she leaned in closer to your glistening cunt and blew cold air against your sensitive folds., “I’m going to devour you.”

Gluttony was truly synonymous with royalty, because the betrothed woman remained true to her words as she used her masterful tongue and dexterous fingers to fuck you to sleep…

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

This path is reckless...

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

The dance you found yourself entangled in with the King of New Asgard was dangerous, but the exhilaration was far too alluring to stop. Every red flag waving before you was ignored, your naive heart leading you astray, and as the Summer progressed the occurrences only became more frequent. To you it was a budding relationship, but to the King it was an already established fling, because affairs of the heart were not something she would engage in.

The woman was a valiant warrior to many, even to you at times, but in the bedroom she was uncharacteristically tender, and maybe that’s where your heart misinterpreted things. Her words were stern whenever she’d remind you of the nature of your affairs, but then as she held your body down, bringing you nothing but flashes of white hot bliss, she was so soft.

Her plump lips, her caresses, and her words always left your heart aching for a permanence. Something she herself recklessly whispered in the heat of the moment, it was unfair to make such promises, but she couldn’t help herself. Every single time—without fail, you’d believe her, it was easy to do when she’d gently clean you up, and cuddle you close after each session.

Then the illusion would fade as she clambered out of your bed, and slipped back into her garb.

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

All we are is skin and bone; trained to get along—Forever going with the flow, but you're friction

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

"Valkyrie...," the woman hummed as she turned to face you, her hand already on the doorknob., "Please, don't go. Stay the night."

The warrior smiled at you, the gesture worth a thousand, heartbreaking words, and your body crumpled into the mattress as she left without so much as an 'I can't.' You knew what this was when you started it, but deep down inside of you there was this childlike hope telling you that when she 'made love' to you in her tender ways that it always meant more than it did.

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

This slope is treacherous... and  I, I, I like it

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

Valkyrie was an addiction you surely couldn't get enough of, because no matter how many times she left you heartbroken you'd always come crawling back to her for more. Anything she had to offer was greedily appreciated; those long bony fingers of hers that reached depths you'd never imagined anyone finding. Her mouth that did wonders on you every time it ventured to your lower lips, urging your body into a never ending state of blinding bliss, just to recapture your upper swollen pair in a steamy make out afterwards that left you dizzy.

Valkyrie set your heart, and body ablaze in ways you’d honestly never experienced before.

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

Two headlights shine through the sleepless night, and I will get you, and get you alone

Your name has echoed through my mind

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

The more you thought about her, the more the urge to seek her out became apparent. Up until now she'd always be the one to come to you, when she needed to blow off steam, or if she saw you at an event in something she deemed worthy of removing. It'd been an entire week since she last left you alone in your bed, but that time came with unwelcome whispers of permanence., "This is it for us princess."

Except, she'd sounded so unsure, as if cutting this off wasn't what she wanted at all, and that's what you were clinging to as you drove to her headquarters with reckless abandon.

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

This daydream is dangerous;

This hope is treacherous.

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

However, her lack of correspondence should've been enough to deter you from fighting for something destined to end. If it had been maybe you wouldn't be on the verge of tears as you watch the woman escorting another into her office. A veiny hand on her lower back as she whispers something to make her giggle, and you nearly vomit when she looks at you.

Deja vu, that's what this is, because only just a few months back, as the Summer heat had began to set in she'd done this with you.

There was a flash of something in her eyes, but it was gone before you could place it, maybe it was remorse, but then she smirked, and your heart shattered as the door to her office closed with a subsequent thud, and a wanton moan.

All the deceptive warmth you felt earlier faded as you walked back to your car, the wind was harsher than before, and leaves fell before you. Autumn was here, the painful chill seeping into your every bone a telltale sign, perfectly timed you think. It was tauntingly reminiscent of the one that was now encasing your naive heart.

As you drove away, occasionally wiping the tears from your cheeks you hoped that feelings would fade just as fast as the seasons change...

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

This slope is treacherous

—•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•~~~~~~•—

————

1,372 Words

[m-o-o-n-s-g-o-o-n-s]

a snippet from that one AU I have in mind except I’m calling it The Chronicles now-

_

She should’ve just stayed in her room.

She wasn’t too sure why she felt compelled to leave her room this afternoon.

Maybe because she needed a drink, or maybe because she couldn’t stop thinking about those pretzels she had snacked on the other day.

Or maybe it was because she wanted to see him again.

What she wasn’t expecting was to not find him in the kitchen.

This is where he usually was at this time of day.

The other super soldier was here.

V didn’t like him as much.

“V! Hey! What are you up to?”

She shrugged.

He was almost like a puppy, drawn to everyone with such love, such enthusiasm.

V thought he was nice.

She was nervous around him though.

She was nervous around everyone.

Except him.

“You want anything? I just had some lunch, I can make you some.”

She shook her head.

“If you’re looking for Bucky, he’s in his room.”

Bingo.

She nodded her head, deciding not to dwell on her lack of verbal gratefulness.

She supposed Steve knew her nod was enough.

What she wasn’t expecting was coughing from the room she had been looking for.

Coughing, sneezing, a nose being blown.

“V.”

He was hoarse.

The door gave way to the tissues strewn everywhere.

She could hear his breathing, rattling bones underneath the runny nose.

A sick super soldier.

“You really shouldn’t be here. I’m sick.”

“I know.”

Words trapped behind the dam, yet the words sunk.

There was no need.

“Really, V. I don’t want to get you sick.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you-”

Coughs, bones rattled, like a broken xylophone being played.

“Because of that.”

It took bravery to say the truth, but even more to just do the action.

But in this moment, perhaps bravery didn’t matter so much.

Not as much as two souls bonded, lost in the world of voices not fit for their throats, confused on which path wouldn’t lead them astray. Hands fighting to hold each other, to ensure one was not lost without the other.

V decided that there would be no fighting today.

Only rest for the sick super soldier.

“I’ll stay.”

_

taglist: @ahsokasleftbicep @hellothere-generalangsty @and-claudia @monako-jinn-stories @teletraan-meets-jarvis @dagobahbound @eyecandyeoz @a-lil-perspective @chaoticvampirejedi

[thewittyphantom]

Yugo has dialogue with the Arc-V cast. Here’s what he says to Yuya and Yuto.

Yugo: Hey! I’ve been lookin’ for ya! Yuya: Y...Yugo!? You’re here too! Yugo: Yeah! I ended up in a place that looked like the City before searching for you. Yuya: This is great! This means you were able to escape from my body! Yugo: It feels a little weird...Just until a little while ago, I was you and you were me. But now we’re talking face-to-face. Yuya: Haha...You’re right about that. Yugo: Has our split affected you in any way? Yuya: Hmm...I don’t think so. Yugo: That’s good. I was worried you’d get sick cuz I’m not giving you my strength anymore. But if I’m no longer a part of you...That must mean you’re a weaker Duelist. Yuya: Huh!? That’s not true! Yugo: Wanna test? It’s not every day you get to Duel an ol’ part of yourself! Yuya: Okay - sure. But I’m telling you, I’m not weaker!

Yugo: Ah! Here you are! Yuto: You... Yugo: Me and you haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but we now know everything about each other. I learned we have a lot in common. We’re both trying to save someone we care for. I’m sorry I put you through all that mess. Yuto: It’s fine. I didn’t make your life easy either. Yugo: Speaking of...How long have you and Lulu been dating? Yuto: D-Dating? It’s not like that. Yugo: Stop blushing! Remember - i know everything! Yuto: Then you don’t need to ask those types of questions! Yugo: C’mon, fess up! Me and Rin have been together since we were kids, so we’ve known each other forever. So I don’t know what it’s like to run into the girl of your dreams on one magical day! I don’t get to ask questions like this often, so c‘mon! Share! Yuto: ...Fine. I will share...my knowledge of manners! Yugo: Huh? What do you mean!? Yuto: You say whatever comes to your mind - no matter how rude it is! Yugo: Hmm...Rin used to same the same thing to me. “Think before you speak.” Yuto: She’s right! You’re like a barbarian! Yugo: Zuzu said I have bad manners too...how could they both be wrong? Yuto: You must pay for your indiscretion! Yugo: What? Don’t be like that. Yuto: Since your etiquette is heading astray, I will lead it back on the right path!

[multifandomfangirl435]

Fanmade Danganronpa: fractured Memories

I made a fanmade Danganronpa: fractured memories, it takes place in a closed down college for people with ultimate talents which had a Nostalgic effect on Kazuki and Nozomi like they been to a similar school like it before the player character is Masaru Akase he is the Ultimate spiritual guide, and the story is told from his view, he has a crush on Nozomi the ultimate Idol not caring that she was blind or how childish she acts.

here are the characters

Name: Masaru Akase (Student 1) Gender: Male Talent Title: Ultimate Spiritual Guide Birthday: October 9th (Libra) Height: 178 cm

Appearance: Masaru has a serene and composed demeanor. His hair is long and black, often tied back in a loose ponytail, with a few strands framing his face. He has piercing, thoughtful grey eyes.

Outfit: He wears a traditional white kimono with subtle silver patterns, paired with a dark hakama. Around his neck, he carries a set of prayer beads, and he often holds a small, well-worn book of spiritual texts.

Personality: Masaru is calm and collected, often serving as a voice of reason among the group. He’s introspective and speaks with intention, rarely raising his voice. He believes deeply in the power of spiritual connection and often meditates to find solutions to problems.

Likes:

Meditation,

tranquillity,

ancient texts

Nozomi

Dislikes: 

Loud noises,

conflict,

materialism

Fears:

losing his spiritual path

becoming disconnected from the world’s energy.

the potential of his own mind to create illusions that could lead him astray.

Name: Nozomi Komaeda/Mimi (Student 2)

Gender: Female

Talent Title: Ultimate Idol

Birthday: April 28th (Taurus)

Height: 158 cm

Appearance: Nozomi has striking white hair and cloudy light blue eyes. Despite her visual impairment, she has a radiant presence that captivates an audience, she has a petite frame that makes her look younger then she actually is.

Outfit: She wears a casual clothes mainly consisting of a teal hoodie with a white skirt reflecting her purity but no matter what the outfit, she always wears her most cherished accessory, an aquamarine hairclip in the shape of a dove, which is a gift from her brother.

Personality: Nozomi is the epitome of grace and politeness. Despite her blindness, she navigates the world with confidence, guided by her beloved cat, Mochi, even though Nozomi childish for someone her age, she dislikes being treated as a child or as fragile due to her blindness.

Likes:

Performing on stage

Her guide cat Mochi

family and friends

strawberry shortcake

Akase-Kun

Dislikes:

Being underestimated

Overprotectiveness from others

Junko and Despair

Fears:

Losing her independence

Being abandoned

Losing her beloved cat, Mochi

Being a burden to others

Memories of the tragedy at hope’s peak

Name: Tamiyo Miyamoto (Student 3) Gender: male Talent Title: Ultimate guitarist Birthday: May 20th (Taurus) Height: 170 cm

Appearance: Tamiyo has shoulder-length, jet-black hair. His eyes are a striking steel blue, and he has a lean, muscular build from years of carrying around heavy guitar equipment.

Outfit: He typically wears a black leather jacket adorned with various music-related pins over a white V-neck t-shirt, ripped jeans, and classic red high-top sneakers. His signature item is a pair of vintage aviator sunglasses that he perches on his head, rarely wearing them over his eyes.

Personality: Tamiyo is laid-back and cool-headed, rarely losing his temper. He’s passionate about music and can often be found practicing or writing new songs. Despite his cool exterior, he’s incredibly kind and always willing to lend an ear to friends in need.

Likes:

Experimenting with new guitar riffs

Collecting vintage guitars

Small, intimate concerts

Coffee shops with live music

Dislikes:

Over-commercialization of music

Instruments being treated poorly

Interrupted practice sessions

Spicy food

Fears:

Losing his hearing, which would end his music career

Heights, which makes rooftop performances a challenge

Being forgotten in the music industry

Name: Akira Kinjo (Student 4)

Gender: Female

Talent Title: Ultimate Gardener

Birthday: April 15th (Aries)

Height: 175 cm

Appearance: Akira has a lean build with tanned skin, reflecting her hours spent under the sun. her hair is a deep green, resembling the lushness of healthy foliage, and is styled in a messy, windswept manner. her eyes are a bright hazel, mirroring the earthy tones of the garden.

Outfit: she wears a practical, yet stylish white breathable linen shirt rolled up to the elbows, dark brown cargo pants, and sturdy boots. A wide-brimmed straw hat protects her from the sun.

Personality: Akira is a calm and nurturing soul, much like the plants she tends to. She’s patient, observant, and has a growth mindset, believing that with time and care, anyone and anything can flourish. She’s also environmentally conscious and advocates for sustainable gardening practices.

Likes:

Tending to her garden

Rainy days (good for the plants)

Composting and recycling

Herbal teas

Dislikes:

Pesticides

Neglect of the environment

Wastefulness

Fears:

the loss of biodiversity.

climate change

Name: Kira Oma (Student 5) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Stripper

Birthday: June 21 (cancer) Height: 154 cm

Appearance: Kira has blackish-purple hair, usually tied up in a high ponytail. She has a playful smile.

Outfit: She wears an oversized hoodie with a skirt that has a black and white checkered pattern, paired with dark slacks and comfortable loafers.

Personality: Kira is known for her calm and composed demeanor. She’s introspective. Despite her reserved nature, she enjoys making others flustered with her playful, flirtatious jokes.

Likes:

Solitude for self-reflection

Classical music, which she finds relaxing

Puzzles and riddles, as they challenge her mind

Dislikes:

Loud noises, as they disrupt her peace

Overly crowded places

Being the center of attention

Fears:

Losing her twin brother, Kokichi

Being misunderstood or misjudged because of her talent

Name: Kazuki Saito (Student 6) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Delinquent (and lesbian) Birthday: Oct 26th (Scorpio) Height: 167 cm

Appearance: Kazuki has striking black hair and bright green eyes. A small scar is visible over her right eye, adding to her tough demeanor.

Outfit: She wears a customized school uniform that reflects her rebellious spirit, with a loosely worn tie and rolled-up sleeves. Her outfit is accessorized with bandages and metal jewellery, hinting at her delinquent status and wears a flower hairclip which was gifted to her by Nozomi.

Personality: Kazuki presents a cold front to most, yet she’s incredibly kind and caring towards her gang and children who’ve had a rough life. Her tough experiences have shaped her into a protective and empathetic leader.

Likes:

Loyalty

Nozomi

Motorcycles

Dislikes:

Authority

Injustice

Fears:

Losing her gang members

Being helpless in the face of injustice

Her abusive father

Name: Harmony Hirasawa (Student 7) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Botanist Birthday: April 14th (Aries) Height: 162 cm

Appearance: Harmony has long, flowing hair the color of fresh spring leaves and eyes that sparkle like dewdrops in the morning sun. Her complexion is radiant and healthy, reflecting her connection with nature.

Outfit: She prefers comfortable, earth-toned clothing that allows her to work with plants easily. She often wears a floral-patterned dress with a green cardigan, and her boots are always covered in a bit of soil from her latest project.

Personality: Harmony is nurturing and person, with a gentle demeanor that puts others at ease. She’s deeply empathetic, often able to sense the mood of those around her. She finds joy in the simple things and can spend hours tending to her plants.

Likes: 

Morning walks,

herbal teas,

the smell of wet earth.

Dislikes: 

Pollution, deforestation,

artificial flavors.

Fears: 

Plant based diseases

environmental disasters

the loss of biodiversity

Name: Reiko Fujimoto (Student 8) Gender: Male Talent Title: Ultimate Healer Birthday: September 9th (Virgo) Height: 182 cm

Appearance: Reiko has a serene and composed presence, with short golden blonde hair compassionate grey eyes. His posture is always upright, reflecting his disciplined nature.

Outfit: He wears traditional healer’s robes in soft shades of blue and white, symbolizing tranquillity and purity. His outfit is completed with comfortable sandals and a satchel containing various herbs and healing tools.

Personality: Reiko is the embodiment of calmness and patience, always ready to listen and provide comfort. He speaks softly but with conviction, and his presence is often enough to soothe troubled minds. He is deeply spiritual and often meditates to maintain his inner peace.

Likes:

Herbal remedies

meditation

the sound of flowing water

Dislikes:

Aggression,

unnecessary surgery,

synthetic medicines.

Fears:

The resurgence of diseases thought to be cured,

the loss of traditional healing knowledge,

being unable to help those in need.

Name: Yuna Takahashi (Student 9) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Astrophysicist Birthday: July 7th (Cancer) Height: 162 cm

Appearance: Yuna has long, flowing black hair with streaks of cosmic blue, and her eyes sparkle like stars. She often has a thoughtful expression, as if pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Outfit: She wears a midnight blue dress that resembles a starry night sky, complete with a silver belt that mimics the Milky Way. Her accessories include a telescope pendant necklace and constellation-themed earrings.

Personality: Yuna is introspective and often lost in thought. She’s incredibly intelligent and has a passion for unraveling the secrets of space. Despite her quiet demeanor, she’s always willing to share her astronomical knowledge with others.

Likes:

Stargazing

Solving complex equations

Science fiction novels

Dislikes:

Light pollution

Superstitions

Interruptions during her research

Fears:

The vastness of space overwhelming her

Black holes

Losing her research data

Name: Haruto Kawano (Student 10) Gender: Male Talent Title: Ultimate Adventurer Birthday: October 10th (Libra) Height: 175 cm

Appearance: Haruto has short, messy brown hair and keen green eyes that reflect his curiosity about the natural world. He carries a rugged yet approachable look.

Outfit: He prefers practical clothing, often seen in a green field jacket with multiple pockets filled with fieldwork tools, khaki pants, and sturdy boots.

Personality: Haruto is analytical and observant, always taking notes and making sketches of his surroundings. He’s passionate about conservation and can often be found lecturing others on the importance of biodiversity.

Likes:

Hiking in untouched forests

Collecting rare plant specimens

Documentaries about ecosystems

Dislikes:

Pollution

Urban sprawl

Pseudoscience

Fears:

The extinction of species he’s yet to discover

Invasive species disrupting ecosystems

Being stuck indoors for too long

Name: Toshio Yamada (Student 11) Gender: trans Male Talent Title: Ultimate Bookworm Birthday: April 2nd (Aries) Height: 168 cm

Appearance: Toshio has a gentle demeanor with round glasses perched on his nose. His hair is a dishevelled chestnut brown, often falling over his forehead as he’s buried in a book.

Outfit: He’s usually seen in a cozy sweater vest over a crisp white shirt, with comfortable slacks and loafers. He always carries a messenger bag filled with books.

Personality: Toshio is introspective and soft-spoken, with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He’s kind-hearted and always ready to share interesting trivia from his latest read.

Likes:

The smell of old books

Quiet libraries

Literary debates

Dislikes:

Dog-eared pages

Interruptions while reading

Fears:

Losing his eyesight

A world without books

Forgetting the stories, he’s read

Name: Nana Tanaka (Student 12) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Track Star Birthday: May 15th (Taurus) Height: 170 cm

Appearance: Nana is athletic and toned, with a runner’s build. She has short, sleek black hair that’s often tied back to keep it out of her face, and her eyes are a determined hazel.

Outfit: She wears a custom-designed track uniform in her school colors with the number 15 on it and her number is prominently displayed. Her running shoes are well-worn but cared for, showing her dedication to the sport.

Personality: Nana is competitive and driven, always pushing herself to beat her best times. She’s a team player and encourages her classmates to stay active and healthy.

Likes:

Morning jogs

The sound of a starting pistol

Breaking personal records

Dislikes:

Rainy days that cancel track meets

Injuries

Unfair competition

Fears:

Not being able to run

Losing her speed

Letting her team down

Name: Ozuru Nozawa (Student 13) Gender: Male Talent Title: Ultimate Animator Birthday: February 29th (Pisces) Height: 178 cm

Appearance: Ozuru has an artistic flair, with vibrant, dyed hair that changes color at the tips. His eyes are a deep brown, often seen sparkling with creativity.

Outfit: He sports a casual graphic tee featuring one of his favourite animation characters, paired with comfortable jeans and a pair of high-top sneakers. He always wears a digital drawing tablet slung over his shoulder.

Personality: Ozuru is imaginative and expressive, often getting lost in his animated worlds. He’s friendly and approachable, always eager to share his latest project or animation technique.

Likes:

Sketching new characters

Anime conventions

Kira

The latest animation software

Dislikes:

Creative blocks

Deadlines

Low battery notifications

Fears:

His animations not resonating with an audience

Losing his drawing hand’s dexterity

Power outages during unsaved work

Name: Chimaki Asakai (Student 14) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Psychiatrist (and probably the sanest person here) Birthday: December 12th (Sagittarius) Height: 165 cm

Appearance: Chimaki has a calm and reassuring presence, with shoulder-length auburn hair and warm, observant eyes. She carries herself with poise and professionalism.

Outfit: She dresses in a smart, tailored blazer and skirt, with a crisp white blouse. Her attire is complemented by a simple pendant and some profession looking glasses

Personality: Chimaki is empathetic and insightful, always ready to lend an ear to those in need. She’s analytical, yet compassionate, and values the mental well-being of her peers above all.

Likes:

Quiet conversations

Herbal tea

trying new therapy tactics

seeing people overcome their trauma

Classical music

Dislikes:

Loud noises

Conflict

Superficial judgments

Fears:

Being unable to help someone in crisis

Misdiagnosis

The stigma surrounding mental health

Name: Kuro Kuroshima (Student 15) Gender: Male Talent Title: Ultimate Fanboy Birthday: August 9th (Leo) Height: 172 cm

Appearance: Kuro has an energetic vibe with messing jet-black hair and bright, expressive eyes. He often wears a wide grin, showcasing his enthusiasm for his fandoms.

Outfit: He dons a black hoodie adorned with a few badges and patches of his favourite series, paired with cargo pants filled with gadgets and a pair of limited-edition sneakers.

Personality: Kuro is outgoing and passionate, with an encyclopedia knowledge of his favourite shows and games. He’s always eager to discuss theories and share his collections.

Likes:

Collecting rare merchandise

Kira

Attending conventions

2D girls

Marathon gaming sessions

Dislikes:

Spoilers

Series cancellations

Waiting for new releases

Fears:

Missing out on exclusive content

His favourite series ending

Losing his memorabilia

Kira rejecting him

Name: Hatsuna Sasaki (Student 16) Gender: Female Talent Title: Ultimate Escape Artist Birthday: August 1st (Leo) Height: 157 cm

Appearance: Hatsuna has an elusive aura, with piercing blue eyes and platinum blonde hair cut in a sleek bob. She moves with a grace that belies her profession.

Outfit: She dons a form-fitting performance suit with intricate patterns that resemble lock mechanisms, complete with a utility belt holding various escape tools.

Personality: Hatsuna is resourceful and quick-witted, always three steps ahead of any challenge. She’s confident in her abilities and enjoys the thrill of a seemingly impossible escape.

Likes:

Puzzles and riddles

Sleight of hand tricks

The adrenaline rush of a successful escape

Dislikes:

Confinement

Predictability

Broken locks

Fears:

Being trapped with no way out

Losing her dexterity

Failing in front of an audience

[bishopwomackel]

Overcoming Distractions

Overcoming Distractions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSjZ7YksRtU Satan's strategy is distraction, tempting us away from God's best. Stay focused on God's path, avoiding the pitfalls that lead us astray. #AvoidDistractions #StayFocusedOnGod #ChooseGodsWay #shorts via Bishop Shammah Womack-El https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxDNUqbWfJhATqfDA5zygeg July 01, 2024 at 03:52PM

[almaqead]

"The Ambush." From Surah Seven, Al Araf, "The Heights."

Other than Republican Dick Cheney and the Mormons, what defines the Muslim concept of the Evil One? He is called Iblis, the leader of the devils.

He has very few similarities to the streetwise version of the Jesus Devil who is a tempter. Iblis is this and a lot more.

We have just defined how a prophet begins now we are going to learn how Iblis prevents one from even getting started.

7: 11-18:

Surely We created you, then shaped you, then said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” so they all did—but not Iblîs, who refused to prostrate with the others.

Allah asked, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” He replied, “I am better than he is: You created me from fire and him from clay.”

Allah said, “Then get down from Paradise! It is not for you to be arrogant here. So get out! You are truly one of the disgraced.”

He appealed, “Then delay my end until the Day of their resurrection.”

Allah said, “You are delayed ˹until the appointed Day˺.”1

He said, “For leaving me to stray I will lie in ambush for them on Your Straight Path.

I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.”

Allah said, “Get out of Paradise! You are disgraced and rejected! I will certainly fill up Hell with you and your followers all together.”

Why do people think they are going to come back from the dead? That is silly. Read now using a proper analysis what God has in store for people that like to invent fables and fibs about him and lead others astray, more or less telling Him what to do about their fates during this lifetime and afterwards:

v. 11: Surely We created you. The Value in Gematria is 9812, טחא‎‎ב‎, tahab, "You will love."

v. 12: You created him from clay. Clay represents the power of invention. The Jewish slaves had to make bricks. They mixed straw and clay, formed the mixture into blocks of the right shape and heated them in a kiln.1 With the resulting bricks they built store cities for Pharaoh. Men are not supposed to build things for Confederates like the Pharaoah or Dick Cheney but to support the ongoing efforts of freemen to think and invent as they see fit, not how a dictator demands. Creations of fire such as those made to please dictators extract the energy from life and leave it lifeless.

Clay is therefore the obvious choice for new inventions.

The Value in Gematria is 8000, חאֶפֶסאֶפֶסאֶפֶס, "the fidget spinner."

Happiness dervied from simple things is best. If not:

v. 13: Then get down out of Paradise! The Value in Gematria is 6232, ו‎בג‎ב, "and in the back!" =ungrateful, unrepentant.

"Repentance is drawing close to G‑d, as is written, “Peace, peace to the distant and the close,” i.e. to one distant who draws close. One might ask: G‑d is everywhere; why must one “draw close” to Him?

When two people stand next to each other, but turn their backs on each other, they are actually supremely distant, for closeness is face to face.

This is the meaning of the scriptural statement  “For they turned towards Me their backs and not their faces.” “For they turned toward Me” refers to “turning” to G‑d by keeping the Torah, but this is only “turning the back” to Him, i.e. performing mitzvot coldly and routinely. “His mouth and his lips honored Me, but his heart was far from Me”. “And not their faces”-this “turning,” moreover, is not with inner love and desire."

v. 14: Then delay my end. The Value in Gematria is 3118, גאאח‎ ‎, gaah, "overbearing."

v. 15: The Appointed Day. The Value in Gematria is 2545, בה‎דה‎‎, in hada: to be keen, sharp and prepared to be glad.

God has lots of good things in store for us if we are willing to do our part. It is appalling, how some people jump up and down all day about their future romps through infinity, as if what God has already given us could not possibly be of any use to them at all.

v. 16: Iblis said I will ambush them. The Value in Gematria is 4926, דטבו‎‎ , datbo...a decree made by a savage:

As we discuss in our elaborate article on the noun περιτομη (peritome), circumcision had a massive effect on the civilization of mankind — the word civilization means consisting of cities, and high density population centers are only possible when men understand and adhere to common law (see ελευθερια, eleutheria, freedom-by-law). This in turn means that having a foreskin was a mark of being uncivilized and thus unlawful and thus in the bondage of the natural anarchy of the wilderness.

v. 17: I will approach them from the front and the back. The Value in Gematria is 5949, הטדט, "you will believe."

v. 18: Allah said get out! The Value in Gematria is 8751, חזהא‎‎, "in the chest, or bust."

"The Torah prescribes that when punishment is meted out, “The hand of the witnesses shall be upon him first to put him to death” (Devarim 17:7). Thus, in keeping with this rule, the hand — which is the witness — is, so to speak, the first to apply punishment. It strikes the heart because it is the power in the body that, through expressing its desires, causes man to sin.

(אגרת הטיול, ועי' מדרש רבה קהלת ז:ה)

Perhaps, the striking of the chest over the heart is because it is the person’s life source and through sin one affects his very life.

(עי' אגרת התשובה פ"ה)

The Chofetz Chaim once said, “It is not the one who knocks on his heart for his sins that Hashem forgives; rather it is the one whose heart pounds him for the sins he committed.”

One who is overbearing, uncouth, malcontent, high maintenance, heretic in his constant bragging, bleating, and braying about going to heaven and dragging others along for the ride to nowhere, one such as this shall not see heaven nor could he possibly know a single thing about it.

A real Messenger of God would say or do none of these things.

[theseeingsage]

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ full moon in virgo ⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚

gemini libra aquarius • s m r v

you are looking towards the future & planning the details of how to move forward. this is very on par with the virgo energy crowning this full moon, as you are in a state of preparation & making decisions that will benefit you in the long run. you have been working on finding a balance between the spiritual & earthly realm & this required you to step out of your comfort zone & begin to embrace the unknown; yet now you are realizing that you are the bridge, the vessel through which your manifestations flow. now that you know where you want to go, you are more prepared for exploration & seeking out more. there is a fresh, new beginning being ushered in by this full moon & you are being given the freedom to explore new territories. though this is a blank slate, you are taking your past experiences & knowledge into this new chapter. there is an energy of innocence & optimism present for you here. let go of expectations & be curious about all the opportunities that are being presented to you. there is no blueprint to your path because nobody is destined to do things the way you are. you will be a catalyst & inspire others to pursue their dreams the same way you have. with this new journey, there will come upheaval & a possibility of betrayal. everything that comes into your life may not mean you the best & Spirit is wanting you to be on your guard to avoid deception. this isn’t meant to alarm or scare you yet with immense blessings comes vultures who are looking to lead you astray. you are heavily protected though & the only way this person or people will be able to hinder you is if you allow it. you may be having prophetic dreams & visions at this time, pay close attention to these as they will help you see what’s to come. this is not a time to ignore your intuition & the divine messages you are being given. you are transitioning & though you are leaving the past behind, you are not to forget the lessons you’ve learned. this is a time of healing & magic, of dream work & reflection. give yourself grace & compassion as you navigate this final shedding of the old. the waning crescent phase from march 3 - march 10 will be significant. for love, there is someone wanting to meet up for a date. they are interested in courting their partner. this is a union that is meant to be & destiny is bringing the two of you back together. this encounter will be a fated meeting & there will be some travel involved. you two may be going on a trip as a date & this getaway will have you realizing why you two chose the other in the first place. for others of you, you are at a distance from your person & someone is traveling towards you, or you will be traveling to them. someone will be popping the question soon & taking this connection to the next level. there may have been an energy of unrequited love in the past & this led to a separation yet for the most part, this seems to be a separate situation. you or them may have been in another connection & there is no longer enough attraction & chemistry to keep things going & now a separation is occurring allowing you two to return to each other. this connection may be a childhood relationship or you simply make each other feel a sense of young, puppy love. you genuinely want each other to be happy, with or without this connection.

take only what resonates, even if it’s only one sentence. if you’d like to book a personal reading, you can book through my site: https://theseeingsage.as.me/

[creativia10]

A Duet after all this time

'Emile still found it hard to believe that they were really here with Remy. It had been years since they’d seen each other.They felt how Remy’s part added to the song with every pluck of the string of his lute. It just felt right immediately. Like their instruments were always meant to mesh together musically in such a song.'

Inspired by the Raine/Eda duet scene from The Owl House

Relationships: Remy x Emile

Warnings: near self sacrifice, could be seen as attempted suicide

Let me know if I'm missing any.

Wordcount: 2219

Notes: Emile uses they/them pronouns in this fic. I love the scene this fic is based on. I thought it would be interesting to write a Remile version of it.

The song they are playing is from this scene, I suggest listening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HmMb7x73L0&list=LL&index=20

This one is just the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2PnlZvLUUg&list=LL&index=22Let me know if you have any questions

@tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors Since you like Remile

Even though he had been with them all day, Emile still found it hard to believe that they were really with their ex Remy. It had been years since they’d seen each other. Yet now the pair were working together in a rebellious group against the evil Emperor. Emile hadn’t even been looking for Remy. Yet after all these years, Remy would still recognize Emile.

Even when they were wearing their mask. Remy had helped their rebel bard group sneak away earlier. Before the authorities could arrest and identify them.

It was moments like the one they were in that got Emile to think about this. That is, Remy holding Emile in a princess carry as they both hid up in a tree. He used some sort of rune magic that made them invisible so they could hide.

Emile wasn’t sure why Remy had decided to enchant Emile’s shoes for a diversion. Especially how he had gone about it. Not even giving Emile a chance to take the shoes off themselves. Remy had to tap the pair loose with magic fingers to keep Emile from magically walking off. The shuffle ended with them falling into Remy. The shoes continued off on their own to lead their pursuers down a faux path. Remy then jumped into the tree with the bard in his arms.

He could have led the pursuers astray with footprints using his own shoes. Emile suspected this was so Remy got an excuse to carry them. The smooth bastard.

The pair let out their breath when their pursuers got far enough away.

“Ha!” Remy exclaimed. “It’s a good thing I had one of these on me,” He said.

 Emile couldn’t help but wonder how Remy even knew about this rune magic. Remy had always been good at surprising them though.

Remy hopped down from the tree and gently let Emile back to their feet. Emile grimaced when their shoeless feet stepped into the mud. They sighed. They had lost track of the others in their rebel group moments ago when the two coven heads came at them. The rebel group had fallen for a trap. The other group members probably got captured.

Remy peered around the tree they were behind.

“I’m not sure how long that little shoe trick will keep them occupied,” He said.

Emile nodded.

“Right…I think I may have an idea.”

Emile took a breath, and then drew two circles to summon their own violin and Remy’s lute.

Remy caught the lute that fell into his hands.

“You say your curse messes with magic,” Emile said. Remy had been cursed as a child by another witch. It had gradually grown worse over time to the point where it now affected his magic. They saw it earlier when they tried to encourage Remy to use bard magic again. They had never seen bard magic become destructive so quickly before.

“I think we can use that to our advantage.”

Emile readies their violin.

“Shall we play a duet?”

Remy looked on for a moment and then smiled.

“I thought you’d never ask,” He said.

Emile took a breath and drew their bow against the violin strings starting a familiar tune. They’d called it Emile’s rhapsody on their own.

Emile felt the magic flow through them fluidly from their fingers, to the strings and out around where any could hear. As the head of the bard coven, playing bard magic was nothing new. But Emile was passionate about it for a reason. No matter the circumstances, they always felt such a level of peace while playing a full song.

A glow of light pink, almost a peachy shade, slowly covered the whole area of the forest around them to the music. Loose rocks and any other objects not held down floated slightly in the air wherever the bard spell touched. Blades of grass and the tips of leaves moved toward where they were playing. They bounced to the tune, almost like they were dancing. Emile didn’t notice every detail every time they played. But they knew this was the effect their bard songs had on the environment around them.

When the spell reached enough to cause some of Remy’s loose hair to float, he looked over at Emile. Emile smiled and nodded at him, encouraging him to join in. Remy turned around to face the other way. Emile heard Remy take in a breath of his own. He nodded forward to the beat of the song as he smoothly entered the second part of the duet.

Emile felt how Remy’s part added to the song with every pluck of the string. It just felt right immediately. Like their instruments were always meant to mesh together musically in such a song.

They stood back to back. There was such a familiarity to the warmth of the other’s back near their own. As though the time apart was almost nonexistent. Even more debris and loose things in nature around them floated as their bard duet played out. After a couple of combined notes, Emile let their eyes close as they felt the music. It’s not like they needed to look at anything at that point anyway. This song was so familiar to them, way past muscle memory.

One almost wouldn’t expect Emile hadn’t played it since seeing Remy again. For the next change in the song though, Emile opened his eyes again. They had to see what effect Remy’s curse would have on the spell next.

Remy switched feet for the position he was standing in. With a step forward, an almost glowing ember of a circle started to spread out, like Emile’s pink glow earlier. Except this time what followed was bubbling black that continued to spread out from them. Almost like it was a fast-moving tar. Honestly, it worked with the dramatic turn in the song. That’s something they always loved about bard magic, how its effects matched the tones. It was just fitting.

They watched as the corrupted magic from Remy’s curse continued to spread. It stretched far beyond the current area they were in. After a bit, in the distance, they could hear two different cries out. The coven heads searching for them were hit with the corruptive spell.

“It’s working,” Remy said, with a smile as the pair continued to play.

Emile looked down and gasped as the bubbling black stuff started to spread from the ground. It worked its way up Emile’s legs. They didn’t feel anything from it yet, but the sizzling from the substance definitely didn’t sound good.

“Remy!” They turned to the other to see the same was happening to Remy.

“We may not make it out of this ourselves, though,” Emile said.

Remy looked down, a determined look crossing his face.

“It will stop the emperor though, right?” Remy asked.

Emile gaped at him.

“You said the emperor needs all of the coven head witches for something big he has planned, yeah? Won’t this stop him?” Remy asked.

 Emile hesitantly nodded.

“You’re the one who said I should only join your group if I had nothing to lose,” Remy said.

It was true, Emile had said that. Of course, they were willing to die for this cause. It was important to fight against the injustices of the Emperor’s rule, to make things better. But Emile had always figured it would be a die-in-battle type of thing. Not something like this. This didn’t feel right to them. They hadn’t wanted to go out like this, with Remy. Not with something that was so special to both of them.

But this was important. Who knew how many more people would be hurt by the emperor if they didn’t put a stop to his plan?

 Remy knew what he signed up for. Emile shouldn’t be selfish.

Emile set his face with determination and then nodded.

“So we play on,” Remy said. He spun back around quickly as he continued to play.

Something fell out of his jacket from the motion though. Emile paused and watched with wide eyes as the photo flew through the air and landed in front of them on the ground.

Emile twirled their bow hand. The bow disappeared from the spell circle. Then Emile carefully leaned forward and picked up the photo with their now free hand. They really needed new glasses.

Remy hadn’t seemed like the sentimental type, so Emile was curious about the photo’s significance. In it, Remy was in the middle. He was looking forward in surprise. His heterochromatic eyes are just barely uncovered by the sunglasses he always wears.

To the front left of Remy was clearly some kind of creature. Its resemblance is almost to a dog. But the visible skull that took up the top half of his head and the horns made the boy stand out as a demon. To the front right of Remy was a boy with light brown skin who was smiling big. He was probably the one taking the photo if the hand in the corner of the picture was any indication. Emile almost couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

They turned back to the other.

“Remy? Do you have kids!?” Emile asked, unable to help how their voice cracked. It was not a possibility Emile had ever considered from their time away.

Remy flubbed a stroke at that. Remy coughed and turned back to Emile.

“Pfft, whaaat? Me? Have kids?” Remy laughed a bit nervously. Emile continued to look at them incredulously.

Remy sighed.

“That is two long stories. And those kids aren’t really mine mine anyways. At least, not technically.” Remy shook his head and turned back around, going back to his playing.

“It doesn’t matter. They don’t need me anymore, pretty self-sufficient.”

Despite what Remy said, Emile could tell there was more going on there.

This didn’t seem right. Having kids, in some capacity, wasn’t nothing to lose. Emile had always had a soft spot for kids, despite never getting the chance to have any of their own.

They couldn’t let him do this.

Emile spun his finger around in a circle to cast the lute away, just as Remy had started to kneel. The moment the instrument left his fingers, the black substance began to recede back down from them.

Not sure how much time they would have, Emile grabbed Remy’s wrist and started to trudge out of the forest with him.

“W-what are you doing?” Remy asked.

Emile spun their violin around and shifted their palisman back into its staff form. They then threw it forward so it was floating horizontally in front of them, ready to be mounted.

“Darius and Eberwolf are still down from your curse, but we should still get out of here quickly,” Emile said.  

They hopped onto the staff and pulled Remy to sit on the staff behind them. Thankfully Remy wasn’t resisting, but he still seemed surprised by Emile’s actions.

Emile sighed and kicked off so they would fly into the air. Once they were far enough away, Emile glanced over their shoulder to Remy.

“I don’t know what you’re running from, and I’m sure I don’t have the full picture of what’s going on, but I don’t think you should give up.”

Emile turned around a bit more and chanced taking a hand off the staff to hand Remy his photo back.

 “They probably need you more than you think.”

Remy looked at the photo for a moment before a smile graced his face. He then stowed the photo back to where it had fallen from his jacket.

Remy sighed and wrapped his arms around Emile. They knew Remy was a skilled flyer. There was no way Remy needed stability from holding Emile.

“You may be right. Still so smart, Em.”

Emile huffed, but they were definitely blushing. The bastard probably knew it too.

“We can find a way another way to stop Belos,” Emile continued.

“For now though, where to?” Emile asked.

“We’ll probably want to lay low while they are still looking for us.”

“Oh, are we hiding out together? Sounds intimate,” Remy said.

Emile huffed. “Somehow, I get the feeling you aren’t living alone right now. Unless I misunderstood something earlier?”

Remy’s eyes widened at that. After a moment they both laughed.

“Ah, no you didn’t. If the coven heads lost track of us when we flew off, we might be safe to head to the owl house,” Remy said.

“The what?” Emile asked.

Remy smirked at them.

“A special way I refer to my home. I can show you if we have time. Then you can go back to being bard covenhead double agent for the B.A.T.S.”

Emile sighed. They followed Remy’s direction on where to fly to.

“It may be hard to do that when the other bards in my team were captured. But that is probably the safest position for me to return to without drawing suspicion.”

“Ah, you’re not alone with this though. I’ll still help you out. There’s also my brother, and,”

Remy leaned in,

“Between you and me, my kids will probably want to be far more involved than they should be.”

Emile giggled. “They sound great. I hope I get to meet them.”

“Eh, something tells me with their penchant for shenanigans, you’re bound to.”

[bwycbic]

The valley of the cast sheep.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalms 23:1-6 (KJV)

So many of us will confidently recite this psalm. However do we understand what the psalmist is telling us?

3 titles for the shepherd:

1. The Great ~ Hebrews 13:20 (KJV)

2. The Good ~ John 10:11 (KJV)

3. The Chief~ 1 Peter 5:4 (KJV)

8 characteristics of a good shepherd?

1. He takes care of the flock. Gen 31:38

2. He defends the flock. 1 Sam. 17:34,35

3. He knows each one of his flock by name. John 10:3

4. He teaches his Sheep to know & recognize him and his voice. John 10:4

5. He causes the flock to rest Ps 23:2. & Jer 33:12

6. He waters the flock. Gen 29:10

7. He is very passionate about his sheep. Luke 15:4

8. He disciplines the sheep and draws them closer to him. Psalm 23:4

John 10:27 (KJV). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

If He is our shepherd then we are His sheep. (It is the only animal that we are likened too).

The Spiritual Implications of Being Sheep

Now, if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep. Prone to wander. Entirely and always reliant on our Shepherd, whether we realize it or not.

But here's what we need to understand: we can't see God as Shepherd if we don't see ourselves as sheep. When we open our eyes to how much we really need and rely on God for everything, the more we realize His provision in our lives. But if we live in the lie that we can do this on our own, we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction in artificial places.

Jeremiah 50:6 NIV. “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. "

So when David says, "I shall not want," he is acknowledging how completely reliant he is, one God as his Shepherd.

“I shall not want” because God, as a good shepherd, will ensure I have everything I need. “I shall not want,” not because of what I've done or can do but because God loves me. “I shall not want” because I know God personally as my Shepherd.

The sheep have to be just right. No tension in the flock. No wolves around. No bugs in the air. No hunger pains. With sheep, they do not know how to find safe pasture, or to spray bug repellent on themselves, or deal with friction or find food.

When it says “I shall not want” remember Jesus in the desert and Matthew 6 v’s 25-34 (7 reasons not to worry)

“He make to me down to lie in green pastures”

What picture does this conjure up in your mind >> green fields warm day >> no traffic just you under a tree resting in the warmth >> a small slow flowing stream >>PEACEFUL

They need a shepherd to lead them and to help them lie down in green meadows.

To lie down sheep need 4 conditions>>>

1. They need to be free of fear (for the sheep to lie down)

2. They need to be free of tension/friction with other sheep

3. They need to be free of parasites

4. They need to be free of hunger

2 Peter 1:3 (AMP) For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him. Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

That’s why "he maketh me to lie down in green pastures." The second part of verse two says that He also "He leadeth me beside the still waters".

The imagery conveyed here appears at first to be of quietly flowing streams, and of sheep and lambs resting quietly beside them.

E.G. if we cannot find say 10 minutes a day to be still, be in the pasture, be by still waters, how will we hear His voice?

Sheep also need water to survive. And they will not drink from noisy, turbulent water. They require a well or a slow-flowing stream, “still waters”. Sheep are frightened of swiftly moving water. They’re poor swimmers, and get bogged down with their heavy wool just as we would if we tried to swim wearing wool overcoats. So when the shepherd comes to a moving stream, he doesn’t try to force the sheep to drink. Instead, a good shepherd will build a dam making a quiet little pool where his sheep can drink from still waters. One source of good water for sheep is found in the dew each morning. A sheep can go for months without actually drinking water if the shepherd gets the flock up to feed early in the morning when the grass leaves are covered with dew.

In John 7:37, Jesus stated, "If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

Our Shepherd leads us beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul

The great invitation Isaiah 55: 1-3 ~ 3 requests

1. Come and drink

2. Come and take

3. Come to me

1 Peter 5:7, KJV "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Psalms 42:11 (KJV) Why are you cast down, O my inner self?

Job 22:29 (KJV) When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

Cast down Hebrew word SHAW FALE

To humble >> To bring (CAST) down >>

restoreth – to bring back; to restore, refresh, repair

If a sheep rolls over on its back, it has a problem. It won’t be able to get back up. The English coined a term long ago to describe this. They call it a “cast sheep”.

A “cast” sheep is in a dangerous position. Helpless, it is easy prey for the predators. Even without wolves, it will die if it doesn’t get turned upright.

If the sun is hot, it will die within a few hours. If it’s cloudy weather, a sheep will last a few days before it dies.

“Valley of the CAST SHEEP”

Have we walked into the valley of cast sheep. The sheep have strayed from the Shepherd and have grown weary and laid down. They have rolled over and become cast, and they cannot rise.

Cast sheep A sheep that has rolled over onto its back is called a "cast" an old English word. It may not be able to get up without assistance.

When a sheep becomes cast the gases in its stomach and the pressure builds and cuts off circulation. The Blood cannot do its job, and the sheep perishes.

The sheep have wandered into the valley away from the Shepherd. Their independence has made them tired. They seek to lie, and in lying down and becoming comfortable they become cast. Some are over laden with wool, the wool is caked with the dirt - the sins of this world. The weight of the dirty wool pulls it down. It rolls over and becomes cast. It cannot control itself, its feet flip in the air and it becomes cast.

Psalms 37:23 (AMP) The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].

1. Let Him turn you over ~ walk back on the paths of righteousness

2. The Shepherd doesn’t want to leave you laying there on your back ~ you have a specific purpose to fulfil

3. He knows that if you don’t turn around you will die ~ let His lamp be a guide for your feet so you stand out in this world as a lighthouse of hope & peace

“Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”

Rod (represented the shepherd's protection and authority) and is used in two ways

1. As a form of defence (studded)

2. “Rodding of the sheep” (coming under the ROD) Ezekiel 20:37 (KJV) And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

Staff (the staff represents his guidance and tender compassion for the sheep).

1. Used by the shepherd to gently catch and draw a sheep to him so that he could give it close and intimate examination.

2. The staff was also used to guide the sheep, not by beating but rather by pressing it against the side of the sheep, to direct it along a given path.

Sometimes a shepherd would walk along with a sheep with his staff gently touching it so that they “are in touch”.

One way I believe we know if we are under the rod is to ask ourselves:

• Do I deposit a blessing behind me or am I an irritation to others?

• Do I leave behind peace in lives - or turmoil?

• Do I leave behind forgiveness - or bitterness?

• Do I leave behind contentment - or conflict?

• Do I leave behind "flowers of joy" - or frustration?

• Do I leave behind love - or rancor (animosity, resentment, ill feeling or bitterness)?

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

Imagine, if you will, what the word 'goodness' actually means. The dictionary definition is this: 'in man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good.' Now add to that the fact that God is a greater 'goodness' than man can possibly be. He chooses to be goodness. Not a passive act, deliberate.

“When Jesus is your Shepherd, every major issue in your life has been settled. You know who you are, where you’ve come from, (you know) where you’re going and what you’re going to do with your life in the meantime…” Like restless and wandering sheep, not one of us will ever truly “lie down” and rest in total contentment until we recognize and allow “The Great, The Good & The Chief Shepherd to lead us to still waters and take us to green pastures.

Acknowledge that the Lord is my shepherd of my life. Pray.....

“Lord Jesus, I acknowledge my need of you and I accept you as my Lord, saviour and the shepherd of my life.

I invite you now to be Lord and Shepherd of ......

my life

my spirit and my relationship with you

my body and my behaviour

my mind and my thinking

my tongue and the things that I say

my emotions and my reactions

my will and all of my decisions

my time, my home, my family and my possessions, of all the work I do and

the things I put my hand too and of all my relationships

Thank you Lord that from this moment, I know with your help, I will shine brightly (see Philippians 2 v 15) for you on this earth, representing you, in all that I do as your ambassador, I thank you, Lord, that your blood was shed, that I might be free ...

#bibletime #jesusistheway #biblestudy #dailybible #joy #humble #thebible #christ #jesuschrist #holybible #faith #christian #christianity #god #christianblog #jesus #wisdom #verses #bible #bibleinspiration #serve #repent #repentance #scripture #amazinggrace #trustgod #praise #prayer #heaven #life

[problems-of-immortality]

[🪀] what was your muse’s childhood like? how did their upbringing affect them? (for Sahren)

Oh wow, this will be a lengthy one, still one of my favorite questions for him, so thank you! I'm going to write this with a lot of detail so even people who haven't played can understand, as the lore is very extensive and convoluted and it is some chunky sections of that lore that shapes his upbringing and his entire personality. Also a fair amount of it takes up heavy content, so check the tags before reading to make sure you are comfortable reading. Sahren grew up in Dalish culture, essentially nomadic clans that live away from human settlements because of major cultural disagreements. Most of Thedas believes that mages should be locked away because of their power, and their ability to reach their minds across the Veil when they sleep makes them susceptible to being influenced or possessed by the denizens of the Fade. The entire world and all of it's cultures have some degree of fear of mages. Dwarves don't have them, but Qunari essentially enslave their mages, the Tevinter Imperium is run by mages that are too power hungry, and humans trap theirs in tower colleges. Dalish clans don't like interacting with humans for a multitude of reasons, but the main reasons are: Dalish clans consider mages to be a risk but also necessary to lead the clan as Keeper, the clan's diplomat, the leader, and the mage healer of the clan. They are the only group besides the Imperium to give mages freedom. But because they wander Thedas with no homeland, they have to avoid humans for long periods or else risk situations where humans under the Chantry deem them to be blasphemous to the Maker and try to convert them or kill them. The Tevinter Imperium still has a slave trade, and elves make up an overwhelming majority. The Dalish in the long forgotten past used to rule all of Thedas as a magical utopia with an advanced culture of people that never died and all were mages, but for mysterious reasons the humans came along, and the Dalish believe that the fall of this nation made them lose their immortal lifespans to become mortal, and then enslaved, which caused them to lose most of the knowledge of Arlathan. (The name of their nation) Different clans take different approaches to humans, but most are wary of them. Sahren's clan had bad experiences with the Tevinter Imperium because they lived much farther north, closer to the border with Tevinter. There were skirmishes with his clan twice in his life, and both he ended up losing a loved one, to. His mother was his clan's Keeper, Thalia, and his father Athras the head ranger. It was expected when Sahren was born that he'd become her First when he developed magic, and eventually succeed her. When he was four, she gave him a large book in which he would write all of his knowledge, but he passed the age where he would develop magic without so much as creating a spark. That same day came a kid his age that Sahren grew to love dearly, came into the clan after his own was destroyed. Feladara, with auburn hair and honey gold eyes. Feladara ended up developing magic instead. Sahren really tried not to be bitter. His mother let him study longer, even though only the keepers could really study all of the lore they had. But then tragedy happened- Some bandits came along while Thalia was out with just Sahren and Feladara at 10, gathering herbs with her. She convinced Feladara to run back to camp just as she heard them nearby, but Sahren refused to go.They tried to demand that Thalia tell them where the clan was camped, but she calmly tried to diffuse the situation and convince them to go elsewhere. They call Thalia a knife ear, so Sahren runs up and kicks one of them in the shin, and ends up becoming a hostage. His mother had a different opinion than the normal views on the denizens of the Fade, because she actually understood their nature, and was friends with a Spirit of Loyalty. So she fuses with the spirit and together they fight off the bandits, killing all of them to defend her clan and her child. When she does, she goes to hug Sahren, and because she secretly taught Sahren the ways of the spirits, he isn’t afraid. But then Feladara comes back with Sahren’s father, Athras. A more superstitious person than his wife, he immediately assumed she was a typical abomination, and thought she was going to kill Sahren, so he struck her through the heart from the back with an arrow.  Sahren never forgave him for that. After her death, Athras more aggressively tried to make Sahren learn how to be an archer instead, going down his path instead of his mother’s. A retired Keeper from another clan became the new Keeper for Clan Lavellan, and Feladara became her First.  So Sahren would skip his lessons to hang out in the Keeper’s aravel with Feladara, learning whatever Feladara was learning. The new Keeper enabled it for some time, but eventually Sahren’s father found out where he was going and forbade him from entering the Keeper’s aravel, grounding him to staying in camp for a week. It was then he noticed all the stares, and the whispers. “Abomination’s child”, “he’s going to end up like her even without magic”. None of the other kids wanted to hang out with him, and Feladara was too busy with lessons. He quickly found that the rest of the clan didn’t like him, and that ended up souring his opinion of most of them. It made him a really angry teenager- When the week ended, Sahren took to hiding in the woods outside the camp instead of sleeping in camp. He refused to bunk with anyone, instead sleeping in the trees. It led to quite a few falls at first, but then it became impossible to knock him out of a tree.  Feladara found him first, and then they began to hang out together at night, talking for hours about nothing and everything- magical theories and theories about the stories that remained of the Creators, the Forgotten Ones, and the Dread Wolf. In return, Sahren teaches Feladara how to use daggers. (The elven pantheon) Sahren picked up a lot of words from these exchanges that belonged to the old language of Arlathan. He laces them in Common often, like “Ma serannas” as thanks, “Ir abelas” as I’m sorry. Learning the meaning of family names: Feladara’s simply was the old name for the herbs they gather the most (elfroot), his own name meant “One who commands respect”. His father’s meant “Half in shadow”. He picks up many more words and names during the events of the game, and when he drinks from the Well of Sorrows ( Vir’abelasan ) he sometimes speaks completely in the old language because of the voices of the elven scholars who placed their knowledge in the Well. (There’s a person who created an entire lexicon on the language to fill in the gaps that the actual games left, I reference this and the game all the time) They end up falling in love over time. Eventually, when they both turn 18 and receive their vallaslin (tattoos on their faces, right of passage for Dalish elves. It means “blood writing”) Sahren and Feladara end up confessing their love to one another and marrying each other privately in the Dalish way, by exchanging hand crafted gifts and then tying each other’s wrists together with a ribbon. When Sahren told his father, there was an uproar. Sahren assumed it was because his father was homophobic, but in reality, Athras didn’t want him to marry a mage after what happened to his wife, worried the situation would repeat itself. About a year or so later, tragedy strikes yet again. This time, slavers attack the clan because they got too close to the Tevinter border for too long. Athras gives himself up to them after some fighting so they leave the rest of the clan alone. Sahren comes to the clan, smelling blood and ash. Feladara convinces him to save his father, but in the fighting when they catch up, Feladara dies in Sahren’s arms. Sahren becomes incredibly distant and unapproachable, always sleeping alone on the outskirts of camp whether he’s hunting or not, and begins to drink alcohol often to numb his feelings. The worst part: he gets drunk in trees and high places. He never falls from the trees, though- he considers them places of safety, away from other people who see how bitter he is and avoid him anyway. Over the course of the game he gradually mellows out, makes friends, drinks less. But the game just gives him the worst luck based on his choices, and the backstory I wrote myself for him gives him reason for those choices. So he’s surprisingly open about spirits, interested in learning new lore about his own culture from Solas, even becoming friends with him, and with nearly everyone else, even Cassandra and Cullen, who are very Andrastian in their faith.

He goes from being blamed for the explosion to being praised as the Herald of Andraste, sent by the Maker Himself to save Thedas. The worst part is, he doesn’t even believe in the Maker and hates the Andrastian faith, but no matter how often he forces himself into a Dalish figure and acts deliberately blasphemous while denying that he is the Herald people still praise him as Inquisitor and later on, ask him who should lead the Chantry. He absolutely loathes the role, and the way people look at him because of it. His inner circle is full of interesting, loyal people of all races and walks of life, and somehow, despite his prickly nature he ends up befriending them all, while successfully saving the world for a time. I’m going to cut this short before it turns into an entire biography, haha!

[noperopesaredope]

Fics That I Really Like A Lot

So, I just wanted to make a post uplifting some really great fics I’ve read/am subscribed to or still keeping up with. I like to let people know about other creators, and I just wanted to mention some works I think people should check out.

(Note, this post was made on Sep 2, 2021, so when I say something is recent, I mean compared to when I made this post)

Tangled the Series Fics (Mostly Varian Fics):

Walls of Stone (Finished)

Varian and Whumptober 2020 (Series) (Finished) (Sidenote; I really like this author in general, but there is just so much great whump and extreme angst in this series! Says they are but a humble freshman, but I say they are a very skilled freshman!)

How Pneumonia Stopped a Stubborn Alchemist from Descending into Villainy (Finished)

Screw Treasure, I got Trauma (Finished)

Tangled One-shots (Series) (Finished? I Think?)

Voluntary Manslaughter (Finished)

I’ll Always Lend an Ear (Finished)

Drown Your Past, Burn your Future (Series) (Unfinished, but still going strong)

Scars of a Child (Series) (Unfinished)

Unrelenting Silence (Finished)

Where was the happily ever after? (Finished? Unsure)

All our Dreams (Down the Drain) (Unfinished)

Not All Falling Stars Grant Wishes (Finished)

Alchemy Lullaby (Series) (Finished)

Insignificant (Finished)

Second Chances (Almost finished)

The Pawn Decides Its Fate (Finished)

Unsaid Emily (Finished)

Today, Today (Finished)

The Pride in Your Eyes (Unfinished, but still somewhat new)

Monster (Finished)

You Are Enough (Finished)

An Alchemist’s World (Unfinished, but the first four chapters could definitely work as a standalone fic, so, in my eyes it’s finished)

Too Smart for Your Own Good (Unfinished, going strong)

To find the Sundrop (Unfinished)

There’s More in You (Unfinished)

The Science of Love (Unfinished, going very strong)

Season 2 But Gayer (Unfinished, going strong-ish)

On My Honor (Series) (Unfinished, going extremely strong with consistant updates)

A Prince and His Bodyguard (Series) (Unfinished, going strong)

Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon (Series) (Unfinished, going strong)

Return to Me (Unfinished, going strong)

Perilous Night (Unfinished, possibly discontinued, but worth a bit of the read)

Nomad (Unfinished, author is working on multiple projects, so IDK)

No Reward for Second Place (Unfinished, but fairly new and somewhat well updated)

Oath of the Lawbreaker (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

New Quest for Varian (Unfinished, fairly new)

My Dear Son (Unfinished)

Insignificant (Finished)

Indentured (Unfinished, same author as Nomad)

Enter the mind, remove the sins (Unfinished, going pretty strong)

Darkness exists to make the light truely count (Unfinished, going strong. Updated about every month or two, with consistency)

Creeping Crystals (Unfinished, but going somewhat strong)

Blood of My Brother (Unfinished, going as one of the strongest in its fast updates)

Cyclorama (Finished) (Companion to Blood of My Brother)

Chemistry in Motion (Unfinished)

Away from Home (Unfinished)

Alone? (Unfinished-ish)

It’s just a mild inconvenience (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Gauze in the Wound (Unfinished, pretty consistent last I checked)

Blood Makes the Knife Holy (Series) (Unfinished, but each part could work as their own fics, and it’s still going)

A Progression of Events (Unfinished)

He Needs Me (Unfinished, going strong)

Or So They Though (Unfinished, going pretty strong)

The Long Road Back to Home (Unfinished, hasn’t been updated in a bit, but is pretty long and each chapter could take about a couple months to finish, and even longer if the creator is stuck/has other fics. Still worth the read)

The Road Home (Different) (Unfinished)

Reunion at Sea (Unfinished, going strong)

Elements of Angst (Unfinished, probably updated soon)

Arson (Unfinished, every time it think that maybe it’s been discontinued, it comes back)

Unconventional Family (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

To find the Sundrop (Unfinished)

Wayward AU (Comic) (Unfinished, pretty consistent)

RWBY (Mainly Oscar Fics):

It’s Venomous (Finished)

Will you stand and be brave or be broken? (Finished)

Oscar Gets Himself a Coat (Finished)

Who You Belong To (Finished)

Imperfect Light (Finished)

Shell (Finished)

Blood on Both Hands (Finished)

Tell Me that I am a Fool (Finished)

If i believed in destiny i'd have to hunt it down and punch it in the face (Series) (Unfinished, can have the occasionally long hiatus, but the creator comes back)

Is Oscar okay? no but the answer is b (Finished)

Running From Memories (Finished)

Rescue Me (Unfinished)

Souls of Love and Bravery (Unfinished, relatively consistent updates)

Revert To Last Save File (but it's the wrong file) (Unfinished, but still going)

Broken Body and Souls (Finished)

Camp Camp:

David’s Family (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Horror Camp (A little too much child whump for me, but it’s very whumpy) (Unfinished)

Inconvenience (Unfinished)

Still Here (One of my favs) (Finished)

Hetalia (Mainly America and Canada Centric):

Recovering the Broken Pieces (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Hetalia 2020 - WWIII and more (Unfinished)

(More fics in the crossover section)

She-ra (Quite a few Kyle ones):

The Chronicles of Kyle (Unfinished)

Sunflowers (Finished)

She-Ra: In the Wake (Unfinished)

Princesses and co. work through their issues (Unfinished)

What is Heard (Cannot be Unheard) (Finished)

Long Way Home (Unfinished)

The Hollowed of Etheria (Discontinued. For now at least. Author might revamp it)

Hordak and the Orphans of the Horde (Unfinished)

Big Sis (Finished)

Ex-Horde (Finished? Pretty good on its own though)

Prisoner of Conscience (Unfinished, still going strong)

Tales of Arcadia (Mostly Douxie Fics):

The Immortal Bonds (Unfinished, going strong)

I Can Make RotT So Much Worse (Unfinished, going strong)

Not After 900 Years (Finished)

A Different Path (Finished)

Half-Remembered (Finished)

Shattered Timelines (Unfinished, going strong)

In the Fullness of Time (Unfinished, updated recently)

One Last Time (Unfinished, updated recently)

Tales of Arcadia Watch Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Unfinished)

Crossover Fics:

Sold (TTS/HtTYD) (Finished) (Author is really good at angsty oneshots that should be made into full fics)

Varian’s Mysterious Transport (TTS/Infinity Train) (Unfinished, unexpected updates)

Of Rocks and Robots (TTS/Big Hero Six) (Series) (Unfinished, very consistent)

(Like the moon) I'll sway the tide and lead you astray (TTS/HtTYD) (Unfinished, haven’t read in a while)

Heathers and other fandoms react to stuff (Multifandom Crossover Fanfiction) (Unfinished, confusing update schedule, not every fandom gets much spotlight, still incredibly fun)

Chemistry in Motion (TTS/Big Hero Six) (Unfinished)

The Weight of Both Worlds (Hetalia/RWBY) (Series) (Finished) (My favorite fic ever)

Infinity (Hetalia/BNHA) (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

G8 china in UA, 1-S class! (Hetalia/BNHA) (Unifinished, possibly dicontinued)

That Which Makes Up This Land (Hetalia/ATLA) (Unfinished, author is editing and reposting all their series, which could take about a year, but it will be back)

A Waterbending Quirk (ATLA/BNHA) (Unfinished, going strong)

Other Fics:

Earth is Odd Enough (Sanders Sides) (Unfinished)

UA Faculty Tiktok OCs (BNHA) (Webtoon) (Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63lWYueDsek&t=208s, she’s amazing) (Unfinished. The Tiktoks, on the otherhand, are very much still going)

Harry Potter and the Lack of Lambsauce (Harry Potter) (Finished)

Grinch x Tony the Tiger (You know) (Unfinished)

Flowey is Not a Good Life Coach (Undertale) (Finished)

It Wears a Mask (MCU Spiderman) (Finished)

A Different Fate (Harry Potter) (Finished)

A crack in the glass (eye) (ATLA) (Finished)

Identity Saga (MCU Spiderman) (Series) (Unfinished, author is very dedicated to fic and is incredibly determined to finish it, so highly unlikely to be discontinued)

Bakery Enemies AU (Miraculous Ladybug) (Comic) (Unfinished, going strong)

Authors I Like:

AquaQuadrant aka @aquaquadrant (probably know them if you’re in the Varian fandom. Ridiculously talented)

bethhigdon (in the TTS fandom and the Big Hero Six fandom, but also other stuff)

Cate_9xBlue aka @cate-9xblue (known best for their TTS fics)

Royalsciencenerd (Writes amazing TTS Varian fics)

HoneyxMonkey aka @honeyxmonkey (Writes TTS fics and talks a lot about Tales of Arcadia on their blog. Has some great ideas)

Sand_wolf579 (Has a large and varied catalogue)

ExploretheEcccentricities aka @exploretheeccentricities (Lots of TTS fics)

ShadowSnowdapple aka @shadowsnowdapple (RWBY Oscar fics that are amazing)

Widowfics (Great TTS writer)

AMax76 (Wrote the amazing Blood of My Brother)

violetsaren_tblue (has some great TTS fics I like)

Time Traverser (Excellent Hetalia America and Canada Fics)

Aloneintherain aka @captainkirkk (Just started reading their stuff, SO many excellent Spider-Man fics)

So yeah, just giving some appreciation for all the fic creators out there and their creations!

[vestaldestroyer]

BSD characters as Tarot cards

0 - The Fool - Nakajima Atsushi

The Fool represents someone who is at the beginning of their journey and knows nothing about the world. Innocent, naive, a blank piece of paper. No other card would be more fitting for Atsushi.

I - The Magician - Nakahara Chuuya

This card embodies pure willpower. The magician takes everything that is available to them and molds it to fit their own image. Which is why I think it should be Chuuya, who takes everything fate gives him and makes it his own.

II - High Priestess - Ozaki Kouyou

The High Priestess is the guardian of the unconscious and embodies intuition. She is the voice in the back of our head that guides us, the same way Kouyou guides Chuuya as well as Mori and the Mafia.

III - The Empress - Yosano Akiko

Do I even need to say anything here? The Empress is a mother figure that nurtures and brings life. I think she is just that to the detectives.

IV - The Emperor - Hirotsu Ryuurou

The Emperor is an authoritative figure. They have accumulated wisdom over the years, which allows them to have everything under control. Someone might think of Mori or Fukuzawa here, but I think they are too impulsive to fit this archetype.

V - The Hierophant - Sakaguchi Ango

A person under the Hierophant card is guided by tradition. They follow the path they consider objectively right. They value morals and conformity. Kunikida would be a good fit here, but since Mayoi assigned him a different card, I put Ango here.

VI - Lovers - Akutagawa Gin

This card suggests a person with a harmonious inner duality. Gin's mafia persona and casual persona are exactly like that. They coexist peacefully.

VII - The Chariot - Miyazawa Kenji

While self-control is not exactly Kenji's forte, I think his determination and ability to move forward with nothing but willpower makes him a good representative of the Chariot card.

VIII - Strength - Higuchi Ichiyou

This card usually depicts a woman, brave and strong but also compassionate. In the way Higuchi treats Akutagawa, we can see she is exactly that.

IX - The Hermit - Edogawa Ranpo

The Hermit is a person who isolates themselves from their surroundings in order to search for the truth. Ranpo always distances himself from the other detectives, and searching for the truth is his ability.

X - The Wheel - Mori Ougai

When this card appears, it means that higher forces are at work here. It represents an inevitable change. I think Mori enjoys simply observing how things play out without intervening, which is why I put him on the card of fate.

XI - Justice - Kunikida Doppo

Kunikida isn't the first character I think of when I see this card, but he fits here too. Justice tells you that your actions have consequences, it is a person who values fairness, clarity and truth.

XII - Hanged Man - Sakunosuke Oda

The Hanged Man is a martyr, someone who sacrificed himself for a higher cause of their own free will. Odasaku did just that in the Dark Era.

XIII - Death - Dazai Osamu

No one would fit this card better. Don't be fooled by the name, it has a positive meaning. It represents a radical change, a metamorphosis even. One cycle ends and a new one begins.

XIV - Temperance - Tanizaki Junichiro

A person who always takes the middle path and adapts easily, calm and patient. Tanizaki is a character who doesn't work on his own, but cooperates with others instead, which makes him a good fit for this peaceful card.

XV - The Devil - Francis Fitzgerald

I originally didn't intend to put characters besides ADA and PM here, but Fitzgerald is the definition of the Devil card. A materialist living their life in excess, trying to hide their fears and insecurities.

XVI - The Tower - Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

When I think of Akutagawa, this is the first card that comes to mind. It stands for a sudden disaster, something we consider fundamental is destroyed. Like Akutagawa's relationship with Dazai. This card also suggests pride.

XVII - The Star - Izumi Kyouka

This card represents hope and rebirth. I think Kyouka's character arc is exactly what this card stands for.

XVIII - The Moon - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This is a tricky card. It suggests unconsciousness and dreams, but also a warning: those dreams can be illusions that can lead you astray. A summary of the Cannibalism arc.

XIX - The Sun - Tanizaki Naomi

The Sun stands for a positivity, joy, success and celebration. When I see this card, I remember the scene at the party where Atsushi apologizes to Naomi for the Q incident and she says she already forgot.

XX - Judgement - Tachihara Michizou

This card tells you that you're on the cusp of rebirth, but first you need to look back at your life and make a honest evaluation. I haven't read the manga, but I think Tachihara fits here.

XXI - The World - Fukuzawa Yukichi

The last card of the Major Arcana suggests harmony and completion. I put Fukuzawa here because his story is already over, and now he puts everything he knows into raising the next generation.

(If there are any artists who would like to complete the deck, I'd be more than happy to help!)

[eldamaranquendi]

Bregolas by peet

'The son of Boromir was Bregor, whose sons were Bregolas and Barahir ...' J.R.R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Chapter 17: Of the Coming of Men into the West

'In the time that followed Túrin grew high in favour with Orodreth, and well-nigh all hearts were turned to him in Nargothrond. For he was young, and only now reached his full manhood; and he was in truth the son of Morwen Eledhwen to look upon: dark-haired and pale-skinned, with grey eyes, and his face more beautiful than any other among mortal Men, in the Elder Days. His speech and bearing were that of the ancient kingdom of Doriath, and even among the Elves he might be taken for one from the great houses of the Noldor; therefore many called him Adanedhel, the Elf-Man.' JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Chaper 21: Of Túrin Turambar

Cirdan, Lord of the Falathrimby peet

'Some [Ossë] persuaded to remain; and those were the Falathrim, the Elves of the Falas, who in after days had dwellings at the havens of Brithombar and Eglarest, the first mariners in Middle-earth and the first makers of ships. Círdan the Shipwright was their lord.'

JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Chapter 5: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië

Hurin of the Keys by peet

'Is there no deed to do?' she said. 'Who commands in this City?' 'I do not rightly know,' he answered. 'Such things are not my care. There is a marshal over the Riders of Rohan; and the Lord Húrin, I am told, commands the men of Gondor. But the Lord Faramir is by right the Steward of the City.'

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Book VI,  Chapter 5: The Steward and the King

Olorin by peet

'Wisest of the Maiar was Olórin. He too dwelt in Lórien, but his ways took him often to the house of Nienna, and of her he learned pity and patience. Of Melian much is told in the Quenta Silmarillion. But of Olórin that tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts. In later days he was the friend of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and took pity on their sorrows; and those who listened to him awoke from despair and put away the imaginations of darkness.' JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: VALAQUENTA: Account of the Valar and Maiar according to the lore of the Eldar

Nerdanel the Wise by peet

'While still in his early youth he wedded Nerdanel, the daughter of a great smith named Mahtan, among those of the Noldor most dear to Aulë; and of Mahtan he learned much of the making of things in metal and in stone. Nerdanel also was firm of will, but more patient than Fëanor, desiring to understand minds rather than to master them, and at first she restrained him when the fire of his heart grew too hot; but his later deeds grieved her, and they became estranged.'

JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Chapter 6: Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor

Feanor's Betrayal at Losgar by peet

‘Then Fëanor laughed as one fey, and he cried: ‘None and none! What I have left behind I count now no loss; needless baggage on the road it has proved. Let those that cursed my name, curse me still, and whine their way back to the cages of the Valar! Let the ships burn!’ JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Chapter 9: Of the Flight of the Noldor

Lord Denethor by peet

'Hail, Lord and Steward of Minas Tirith, Denethor son of Ecthelion! I am come with counsel and tidings in this dark hour.'Then the old man looked up. Pippin saw his carven face with its proud bones and skin like ivory, and the long curved nose between the dark deep eyes; and he was reminded not so much of Boromir as of Aragorn. 'Dark indeed is the hour,' said the old man, 'and at such times you are wont to come, Mithrandir. But though all the signs forebode that the doom of Gondor is drawing nigh, less now to me is that darkness than my own darkness.'

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Book V, Chapter 1: Minas Tirith

Queen Beruthiel by peet

''Do not be afraid!' said Aragorn. There was a pause longer than usual, and Gandalf and Gimli were whispering together; the others were crowded behind, waiting anxiously. 'Do not be afraid! I have been with him on many a journey, if never on one so dark; and there are tales of Rivendell of greater deeds of his than any that I have seen. He will not go astray - if there is any path to find. He has led us in here against our fears, but he will lead us out again, at whatever cost to himself. He is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Berúthiel.'' JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Book II, Chapter 4: A Journey in the Dark

Isildur Healed by peet

'But Isildur came at last hardly back to Rómenna and delivered the fruit to the hands of Amandil, ere his strength failed him. Then the fruit was planted in secret, and it was blessed by Amandil; and a shoot arose from it and sprouted in the spring. But when its first leaf opened then Isildur, who had lain long and come near to death, arose and was troubled no more by his wounds.' JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion: AKALLEBÊTH: The Downfall of Númenór 

[davidgeorgevartanian]

V. The Eye is the Lamp of the New Tabernacle

“Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually.” (Leviticus‬ ‭24:3-4‬ ‭NIV)

The Levitical sacrifices and cleanliness rules were meant to encourage a person to “turn away” (shub in Hebrew) from behavior which leads you “to go astray or miss the path.” (chata in Hebrew) These rules were used by the teachers of the law against Jesus to convict him of chata; such as, when he was accused of breaking the Sabbath and his disciples of uncleanliness due to unwashed hands. Jesus responded by calling his accusers to see beyond traditionally accepted paths, “right” behaviors, and and only what can be observed by others, and to instead focus on their cognitive behavior and a “change of mind” and mindset (metanoia in Greek). This mental transformation was the first thing Jesus commanded when he began his public ministry in Galilee (“Repent and believe the good news”), and it was the first thing Peter commanded when the gatherers at Pentecost were “cut to the heart” and asked him, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized...”) To help us understand this mind-change, Jesus said, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” He meant that out of integrity that is only witnessed by God, humility and pure motives would manifest authentic worship. Surely, what God would have wanted to say about the Pharisees is: “These people honor me with their lips and [their hearts are unified with mine].” But their hypocrisy and narcissism had blocked them from seeing and hearing the Christ in Jesus. Ego and ulterior motives impeded them from becoming worshippers who, with a pure heart, “worship in the Spirit and in truth.” This concept of repentance as a transformation of a believer’s thoughts and attitudes was coded into the very structure of the old covenant sanctuary.

The design of the tent of meeting, or tabernacle, was revealed to Moses on Mt Sinai and represented a “perfect” version of the sanctuary that is in heaven. The lampstand within the Holy Place of the tent was fashioned out of pure gold with a center column and six branches extending from each side. Its tree-like shape was made apparent by the three almond blossoms shaped into each branch. Why almond blossoms? Because the Hebrew word for almond, “shaqed,” sounds similar to “shoqed,” meaning “to watch.” This paronomasia, or word-play of similar sounding words - which is a common literary device in Hebrew scripture - is made clear when God asked Jeremiah to describe a vision, and the prophet responded, “I see the branch of an almond tree (shaqed),” to which God said, “ You have seen correctly, for I am watching (shoqed) to see that my word is fulfilled.” And so with twofold meaning, the lamp had twofold purpose: to provide a light source for the priests within the Holy Place of the windowless tabernacle, and to serve as a emblem of the relationship between watchfulness and holiness.

Jesus perhaps was referring to the golden lampstand when he said, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.” Just as the priests were tasked with continually tending to the lamp within the Holy Place, Jesus is calling his disciples to maintain the health of their eyes, so that their body - the tent and temple of the Spirit of Christ - would be full of light. The eye is perception and the light is the gospel, and the connection between the two is God’s word, which in Psalms is described as “a lamp for my feet, a light into my path.” It is not enough to believe in God, spirituality requires that all thoughts and attitudes be continually watched and brought into the light of what has to be a joyful truth found in scripture. When a Christian’s beliefs and understanding is not good news, because they are misinformed about the heart and nature of God or their minds are corrupted by self-absorption, then it is impossible to have a faith that saves. When Jesus challenged his disciples to hold to his teaching in order to be set from from their sin, it was imperative that his teachings be something worthy of holding on to faithfully. For as it says in Hebrews, it is impossible to please God if we do not believe that “he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Where there is little freedom and reward in our doctrine and practice, sin becomes even more deceitful, our perception of God’s goodness gets skewed and veiled, and the light of awareness of God’s presence within us dims, as if our body is filling with darkness.

The attraction of sin is not merely in its often immediate and tangible pleasures, but in how it offers the egoic and false self something to objectify; that is, to imbue with arbitrary meaning that feeds an illusion of superiority and vain specialness. Take, for example, a believer’s knowledge of the bible. Any cursory view of history shows how doctrines have been often used, not to build unitive consciousness and peace amongst disciples and non-believers, but to puff up and embolden the prideful in their claims of having a unique monopoly on the truth. This is why first on Proverb’s list of detestable things to the LORD is “haughty eyes,” which can objectify spiritual disciplines as much as worldly possessions or societal status, providing the ego a platform from which to judge and condemn others.

Peter wrote that God calls his elect out of “darkness into his wonderful light,” making them into a “royal priest,” a new identity in Christ, free from the false self with it’s corrupting desires. Like the Aaronic priesthood, the duty of this royal priesthood is to tend to the lamp, but a lamp within themselves, with watchfulness. We are to take “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ;” or else our eyes, our outlook on life and God, will become unhealthy and our whole body will be full of darkness once again, and begin to seek other masters. Jesus said, “But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” When seeking God is no longer rewarding, then it is inevitable that faithfulness will begin to feel like a burden, and we, who are meant to be enlightened royal priests will slowly become apathetic, and make sin and selfishness our master. And so it is vital to closely watch our life and schedule, our doctrine and perception of God’s motives, and the spirituality of our thought-life, witnessing what is being stored up in our hearts in regards to our faith. This work of watchfulness begins with humility.

Without sobriety to the futility of sin and ego-centrism, it is impossible to perceive God’s light as good news. Instead, walking in darkness, God will seem like a thief and overlord, who is trying to force believers into joyless conformity. This was addressed in a prophetic vision of Isaiah, who heard angels calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty.” God proceeds in the vision to describe the darkness of the Israelite’s faith as “ever seeing, but never perceiving.” And what was it they could not perceive? It was God’s holy and perfect nature, which sets him apart from the conditional love, failing strength, and limited understanding that is found in the world. It’s God’s holiness that illuminates the word, and contextualizes even harsh sounding scriptures with his loving-kindness. To misunderstand God’s holiness is to lack a cornerstone of faith, on which the rest of discipleship is built. Faith that lacks focus on his holiness has a design failure that cannot be compensated for, not even by steadfast conformity to a ministry schedule or inexhaustible rituals. The forms will lack the essence, and the reality meant to be found within the rituals will be missed. No wonder spiritual maturity is hard to grasp. Who can grasp it unless their faith can first withstand temptation, distraction, calamity, and stress? But a foundation built solidly on practicing Jesus’ teaching with a correct understanding of God’s character will survive life’s storm. When faith cannot stand the tests and trails, then it is useless, like salt that has lost its saltiness, “fit neither for the soil nor the manure pile; it is thrown out.” This kind of fruitless faith that lacks understanding and experience of God’s sufficient goodness is what causes hearts to harden and compels us to look for answers and light and strength elsewhere. But the tragedy is: all that can be found outside of our relationship with God is a darkness that feels like “a chasing after the wind.”

Habitually attempting to create a light within oneself, sparked with illusory and perishable things is like being cursed, because it somehow keeps holding on to the promise of fulfillment, though the spark of satisfaction always burns out. From the time of Moses to time of Isaiah, the Israelites rebelliously worshiped idols in order to worship themselves, and in Jesus’ day the major idol was the Law. Historically, the Church has not fared much better, because the Law was replaced with doctrines and creeds, tribal fellowships, and performance-based ministry cultures. These things encourage “selfish ambition and vain conceit;” the very egocentrism that Paul said we should avoid by imitating the humility of the self-emptying Christ. The verse: “He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,” is the foundational principal of watchfulness, because it is the standard by which we judge our thoughts and attitudes. In relation to the world, the children of God should see themselves as nothing, because they objectify nothing in the world, seeing nothing of value in created or conditional things from which to add to their identity in Christ. But in relation to God, believers become truly themselves, receiving both: their significance as children affirmed by God’s loving presence, and their purpose; which is tend to light of that presence continually and at all costs.

Paul considered everything that the egoic false self could boast in as “garbage,” so that he might “gain Christ and he found in him.” The apostle was not talking about behavior, for his behavior as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” was “faultless.” He was talking about metanoia and the work of keeping his mind transformed by the light of the reality of Christ’s presence. His struggle was not against pagans, heretics, and poverty, but a struggle within himself to prevent any confidence in his own effort or abilities from extinguishing that interior light. Without the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh; his persistent weakness, he would not have been able to see the sufficiency of God’s grace, and the opportunities for God to demonstrate his strength. There’s a blessedness to our weaknesses, which is the wisdom in the Cross, because our limitations offer us a path to the self-emptying humility of Jesus, who boasted about nothing but God’s power and relied on nothing except prayer. We live in a culture obsessed with wanting to appear strong and self-reliant, but that culture has no place in the Eucharistic and cross-carrying church of Jesus. Paul proclaimed, “…I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” How can we stop struggling with our own energy and rely only on God’s energy? Does not faith require our own efforts in order to be a living faith? The answer lies in identity and intention, because faith without humility is dead, and good works without humility cannot engender oneness with God, but only cloud the mind with pride. Thomas Merton wrote in New Seeds of Contemplation:

“The joy of the mystical love of God springs from a liberation from all self-hood by the annihilation of every trace of pride. Desire not to be exalted but only to be abased, not to be great but only little in your own eyes and the eyes of the world: for the only way to enter into that joy is to dwindle down to a vanishing point and become absorbed in God through the center of your own nothingness. The only way to possess His greatness is to pass through the needle’s eye of your own absolute insufficiency.”

When Jesus said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance,” he did not mean that it was our responsibility and burden to be loving, kind, gentle, self-controlled etc through sheer will-power and self-denial. Those are not the fruits of repentance, but the fruits of the Spirit. Our responsibility, which is our freedom in Christ, is to surrender to the Spirit in practices of humility, so that the Spirit himself can produce those fruits within us. All spiritual disciples, private and communal, must be humbling and not ego-boosting to allow the Spirit to work as the chief priest within the tabernacle of each believer’s mind and heart. For this, bible study must be humbling and provide knowledge of self to empower watchfulness with soberness and conviction, so that we can recognize sinful desires as they sprout in our hearts. Then we can take those desires to God in prayer to be annihilated by the light of his goodness. And so all kinds of prayer - spoken, quiet, and meditative - must also be humbling. Within the interior tabernacle, prayer must pass a believer’s thoughts through the Holy Place of their mind by the light of comparing their weaknesses with God’s perfection, in order to bring them to the Holy of Holies of their heart, which is intimate awareness of God’s indwelling and enveloping presence.

To keep us pure of heart in prayer, confession of sins within the fellowship must be common and humbling, for “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” This fellowship must be koinonia, a sharing in our faith and weaknesses and a partnership in teaching and influencing repentance in one another. When Paul says “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,” he uses the word noutheteó, which means “to place or set the mind.” This word has the same root word as metanoia, or “mind change.” And so with the word dwelling richly in us and through worship using psalms and songs, fellowship will teach and reset our minds on our peace in Christ. Fellowship that doesn’t aid in watchfulness doesn’t fulfill its purpose. We must help each other as priests to tend to the interior light of God’s peaceful presence, so that from the vantage point of our lowly and crucified egos, we can fix our eyes on things above, where Christ is seated in heaven. This is what shapes the organizing and movements of the church body, who’s ministry culture must be humbling in its work of making us nothing in relation to our false self, and everything in relation to our identity in Christ. It is in emptiness that we find fulfillment, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, empty of vanity, pride, boastfulness, and feelings of self-sufficiency, to become receptive to the Presence that fills and fulfills.

With these practices of humility, the light within the faithful will yoke them together, so that the church itself becomes a golden lampstand, as described in the vision of John; a lamp which stands before Christ, whose eyes are like blazing fire. The children of God witness him by their lamp of inner watchfulness, and become aware of how God witnesses them with a gaze of limitless compassion. God’s gaze is freeing, not dreadful. It affirms his care for his children, and the seriousness by which he takes his mission to reconcile all people to himself through the catharsis found in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. And it is cathartic, because those who allow his sacrifice to change their mind about living for their own glory and by their own strength are able to perceive the riches of God’s grace and let go of all fear, insecurity, and self-pity. Free of these yokes, they are able to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. And so with faith consummated by humility, those who desire to worship in the Spirit will find a righteousness that is not based on knowledge of doctrine and strict conformity to arbitrary ministry expectations. For such things can easily replace the Law, from which Jesus died to set us free. Instead, they will find what Jesus offers as the good news of a “righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith,” freeing us from the burden of proving our self-sufficiency through works. Without that burden, pride loses its purpose.

Pure religion, according to James, is one that keeps “oneself from being polluted by the world.” The mindset taught by the world is one that puts into orbit around the false self everything and everyone. But with faith in God’s holiness and sufficient goodness, those who wish to rest in awareness of his presence will learn to be watchful of everything that defiles that awareness, like Aaron continually tending to the lamp within the tabernacle. Watching is praying, and praying in koinonia with the Spirit purifies, or blesses us with singleness of mind. Prayer out of a rich indwelling of the word sets our minds on what the Spirit desires, which in Romans is defined as “life and peace.” Only when we are pure can we begin to grow in a knowledge of God’s “love that surpasses knowledge,” that we “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” And so with the well-tended lamp of the body filled with light, the Spirit of Christ will set us apart as “the light of the world,” illuminating his glory, that others may see our “good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.”

[the-chattering-tower]

So remember that parent-child 7-digit duo I was eyeing last night? Yeah.

Meet Seria and Ladsie, two lantern-bearer spirits who roam the Starwood Strand (so I’m gonna drop them in the Library tab and call it a day). Idk much else about them yet but they’re v close and probably immortal

Local rumours say you can follow purple lights but should avoid orange ones (and yes, Ladsie has purple, ignore the apparel) bc the orange ones will lead you astray and into danger while the purple ones will lead you back onto the path. That’s like, half true?? Seria is not any less well-intentioned than Ladsie is, she’s just way worse at remembering what does or doesn’t pose a danger to mortals. Or noticing that she’s being followed at all. So yeah, you probably shouldn’t follow the orange will o’ wisps, but that’s not bc she means you any harm! She’s just a little, uhh, out of touch with the living, so to say

(I’m also thinking of adding Voxel as a much newer, adopted member of their family, a recently formed spirit taken under the wings of the parent and spawn who have been doing this for longer than even the deities can remember)