#watchwoman

[miri-l]

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.

Stay away from cult leaders -those who manipulate you to be part of a group and NOT be able to read the Scriptures for yourselves

▪️📜2 Timothy 3:6-7

For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed down by [the burden of their] sins, easily swayed by various impulses, always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

BE SOBERMINDED, STAY VIGILANT, HUMBLY SURRENDER TO THE FATHER, AND RESIST THE DEVIL AND he WILL FLEE 👀

**AMPLIFIED

[conciergedon]

Se aprendemos alguma coisa nos últimos anos, é que o mundo é imprevisível. Leia as últimas notícias de como separar a propriedade da experiência está mudando o luxo.

https://bit.ly/4c2S1uk

[s-milesart]

The Night Watchwoman of The Abbey - Sister Vespera.

ooh, even some lighting and glasses tests!

[booksandchainmail]

She was no petty warlord, to take trophies from her foes. Song was a daughter of the Republics and a watchwoman besides, she must hold herself to a higher standard. Even though Ai had been foul every step of the way, even though she had made the Yellow Earth the tool of some rampant god and plotted with nobles and threatened Song’s family and her brigade and- She hacked into the hated face with her sword, again and again until her arms ached and her throat was raw from the screaming, until she was looking down at red pulp and there was nothing left at all of her enemy. Song blinked, looked down at the blade she did not remember unsheathing and the blood spray all over her hands and arms. “Oh,” she said, swallowing. This was fine. This wasn’t rage, and she was not unhappy at how things had ended with Evander or terrified that she might be the only one of the Thirteenth left it was fine. She had just had a… very long day. And she could dispose of the corpse before anyone saw. They might misunderstand.

[woodswallow]

I'm currently visiting the city of Würzburg. Today I checked out the "Residenz" (the castle), because etwas Kultur muss sein! It was pretty impressive!

One of the museum watchmen (it was a watchwoman) had a lip piercing and a tattoo next to her eye and I thought "how cool they hired her anyway!" Then she turned and I saw that she had the Rammstein logo tattooed, behind her ear!! 😁 And I was wearing my Paulchard shirt (but it was hidden). Sooo cool 😁

And in the hall with that great staircase I saw another clear reference to Rammstein - who sees it as well? 😊

[heliosphere-underthesky]

Hi! I’m not sure if this has been touched, but this has been on my mind when I was checking out the character profiles. So here’s my question, so I know that Jupiter is a knight what is Saturn then? What does he do to protect the Solar System?

Heya! Yeah, I honestly haven't been able to think of the true nature of his job.

I think for now, I'm going with Saturn being the planet of the nobles. And Saturn is the Duke! He's a noble and so are the rest of his moons; at least the ones that are prominent and/or closer to him in proximity.

The others tend to be guardians or ones who have more difficult jobs like tending to the rings (dead moons and fallen asteroids) as well as ones who watch out for potential attacks (impacts). I'll still work on this hierarchy; but Phoebe is one of the moons in my original concepts that act as a watchwoman for the Saturnian abode.

He probably provides a lot of financial assistance to Jupiter! And keeps diplomatic relations strong, especially with him and his knights. Without Saturn to look out for Jupiter and the others, Jupiter would likely not even care for diplomatic relations at all. He may try to, but ultimately he wouldn't act on it in the long term.

[shatteredbladeanthology]

Laying the Foundation - Pt. 2.1 The Restless Skies of Ædosmundal.

Ædos shares many features- in the archetypal tradition of high fantasy worlds- with the world we already know. There is no clearer evidence, no more constant a feature, and possibly no more forgotten a detail in the focus of a world at times than the skies under which this world goes about its existence. On this subject there is enough direct and derivative information to reasonably split into two whole posts, so we'll get a part 2.1 about the greater celestial bodies & a part 2.2 about the lesser celestial bodies and collective forms. The cycle of day and night are relatively similar in nature and length to Earth's day and night, with the sun being the emphatic source of light in the day and the setting's moon being the primary light source for those above ground at night. The presence of a moon is so mundane to us, but, considering other heavenly bodies in our star system, it is wild to consider Luna's size relative to Earth's, and how that interacts with our world. Such implications are not forgotten with the key difference in the skies over Ædos: the presence of not one, but three moons, Lunis, Maris, and Marresia (pronounced Mare-es-ayuh.) I refer to them collectively with feminine pronouns in this post as their representative spirits that players in this setting may interact with on occasion are at least feminine presenting.

"How do the skies of the this world look different from the skies we know?" is our prompt this week. The starkest of differences is the best way for us to begin answering that question, but with such a gap to bridge, it may be easier to begin with a simple and familiar point of reference. I will spare us the deeper delve into the lore and history of why the moons have their particular orbits in this post, but expect one about the deeper lore and history behind the celestial bodies in the Aedosian sky at some point.

It suffices to say that Lunis, the closest moon to the Aedosian sphere, is almost 1:1 in comparisons of its apparent size, orbit path, and even rotational speed to our own moon. Lunis is tidally locked to have one side ever facing the Ædosian terrain below. It felt natural to have such a familiar staple of the terran sky make a cameo.

Next, Maris, the second sister of this 3-dancer lunar ballet, is roughly 2/3rds to 3/4 the size of our own moon, and takes roughly twice as long to orbit the Ædosian sphere. Unlike its sister moons, Maris is not tidally locked. This faster rotation gives viewers from the ground a range of appearances that have over the ages inspired folk tales of great monsters, landmarks, and even some heroes being painted onto one of the 3 great faces of the heavens. Lastly, Marresia, at no more than 1/4th of Luna's size is arguably the most unique of the 3 moons, as her orbit path varies in distance from the imaginary equatorial divide in the sky. The peaks and troughs of this wavelike pattern of orbit cause some regions to be unable to see the 3rd moon during certain times of the year. The "Shy Sister" is often seen and personified as the watchwoman of the night sky by some cultures and religions, due to the regular fluctuation of her position. Each of these moons complete their orbits in multiples of 30 days: Lunis in 30; Maris in 60; Marresia in 120. With their number and cyclical nature, their patterns have become the basis for timekeeping systems in Ædos, specifically the setting's primary calendar, developed by the humans, giants, and dwarves that called the ancient isle once named Tyrunheim their home. The Tyrean Calendar uses the Marresian cycle to measure seasons, as the moon's orbit was a better predictor of changes in seasons that the sometimes stagnant sub-sub-arctic climes that the Tyrean peoples were used to. The Luniri cycle became a good measure for meteorological shifts within each season, leaving the Marishi cycle to best mark the true equinoxes and solstices of those seasons. The moons' greater numbers also means that eclipses of the Ædosian Sun are much more frequent in comparison to the celestial events of our own world. Singular partial solar eclipses are a regular enough occurrence that astronomers and star sages of various mortal cultures have ascribed these singular eclipses little significance. When two or more moons would eclipse the sun is when things would get truly interesting, in astronomical respects and otherwise. Dual eclipses of the sun are rare simply due to the potential positions of the moons needing to be precise to a fault in order for them to occur. That these dual eclipses happen at all is such a statistical improbability that Ædosian scholars have long posited that the orbit paths are orchestrated by a member of the pantheon. In a world where gods interact with mortal-kind, even as sparingly as the Theokosian Pantheon does, it should be no shock that there is a grain of truth to this theory. The most common Dual eclipse conjunction is of Lunis and Marresia, by no small margin, though there have been a few recorded instances of Marishi-Marresian and Luniri-Marishi conjunctive eclipses.

These eclipses almost always have some manner of effect on the magical landscape of Ædos, though, despite their semi-mundane nature. These conjunctions of heavenly bodies supposedly carry down collected astral energies to refresh the network of invisible and mostly intangible ley lines that cross the surface world. The number of conjoined celestial bodies indicate the strength of this transfer of energy. Regular solar eclipses mean that over some parts of the world, magical energies are regularly entering the ley lines. The powers that harness these energies regularly do not have to worry about shortages of magical power by any stretch of the mind. Truly the problems with this near continual renewal comes when conjoined dual and triple eclipses occur. These triad eclipses are so rare and so powerful in their transfer that they have become a feared marker of difficult times ahead because of the obscene overabundance of magical energy available to practically any party with any degree of attunement with this spiderweb of magical tunnels that blanket Ædos. This includes the elemental and fey spirits that inhabit the Ædosian material plane, the devils and demons that scheme and war amongst themselves in the negative planes, even the celestials that would do their utmost to regulate and ordain the world are capable of great acts of creation and destruction in the immediate aftermath of a Triad Eclipse's Leysurge event. Though with that last subject in particular, I threaten to touch upon key events in this world's history, and that is best left for a post of it's own as well. Stay tuned for next week's post where we will cover the stars and constellations of the Ædosian night skies and examine their impacts.

[umbralsound-xiv]

Shoot The Messenger.

It was during one of my brief visits home that Khive asked to come with me. I've seen her fight before, know her talent for archery well. It's something i've always looked upon with admiration; rare it is when i find another who enjoys it as i do.

Various crystals spill out overhead, painting the sky in a vibrant orange within the canopy of the Burning Wall. Taking a few steps forth, Bexy admires the view for a moment longer. "…There was no time specifically she said they would be here. Only that they would. I've seen no signs of people passing through in the last few suns…" She trails as she walks, keeping her voice lower than she often did.

Wide-eyed, Khive stares at the crystals in quiet amazement. Her ears flicker as Bexy speaks and regains her attention, head dipping into a small nod. ".. I hope she is what she says she is." Already soft-spoken, she hardly had to lower her volume - even if she did, just in case.

"…So too do i. I have no reason not to trust her… But it is so rare i am blessed with this kind of luck. But suppose… I am beneath my Goddess' watchful eyes." No sooner had she finished the sentence did she hear someone call out ahead, stealing her attention and beckoning to creep closer, hidden by the brush.

It was as though Azeyma herself had heard me. I could hear them, speaking beneath us. Talking amongst themselves. I wonder what draws them here... But it matters not. Prey for the hunting.

Khive quietly stalked after Bexy, remaining near her while peering over the edge of the cliff.

A Midlander with a spear seems to be giving some kind of order to another who wielded some kind of pickaxe; a sword and shield strapped firmly to his hip. Dotted around are various Miqo'te, an archer spies ahead; thankfully in the opposite direction, while a gladiator and a healer chatted idly between themselves at the entrance to the path…

"---It's as she said. They're here…" Bexy's voice descends into some darkened tone, a rush of cold quickly frosting the area around her as ice gathered to her gloves. "…It has to be. I cannot see their faces well enough for the mark, and fear being spotted by the archer if i approach." Lofting a brow, Bexy slowly glances to Khive…

A small shiver ran through Khive at the increased cold as she lowered herself into a crouch - creeping slightly closer to the ledge to scan the faces of those nearest to them. Thankfully, with her mixed descent, she doesn't struggle much to make out the red marks upon their faces in the dark which shrouded them. ".. I see it." Leaves her as a quiet whisper of confirmation.

It was all i needed to strike. Khive saw the marks even in this gloom... I already knew who i would kill first. The archer looked to be a Keeper. Deprive them of a watchwoman. Of their range. Of their ability to see in the dark.

"…Then we waste no time. I won't ask you to kill them, Khive." Her words sound as though she's speaking of an errand rather than a murder. "I wager they might run as soon as they see my arrow. Where exactly, there is no telling. But if you could prevent them from doing so, it would be appreciated…" An arrow is formed in her fingertips, long and slender and ready to find a mark…

Khive gave a nod of confirmation to Bexy's words as she scrambled herself backwards before standing back up once confident she was out of view for the archer. She grips her bow and spins it around as she pulls it from her body, reaching a hand for an arrow and moving to slowly nock it. ".. On your mark."

"Khive." Bexy says once again. "…Do not let them see you. Not for anything. If one of them escapes, it could draw them to you too." That said, she finds her target; depriving them of a watchwoman and ranged support with a single arrow, she finds her mark in the side of the Keeper's head.

...I couldn't afford them to see Khive. If one got away, they would surely tell all of the situation. They are already hunting me. But that was... Something of an inevitability. Endangering myself is one thing. Endangering another...? Not a chance.

The Keeper drops instantly; she'd barely heard the whistle of the arrow before it hits her in the side of the head; a quick death, dropping down dead only a moment later. "Girha…?" One of the Seekers manages, before beckoning over the other, astroglobe in tow. "Hey, Girha! Did you fall over or--- Wh--" His words cut out, as the long shaft of ice sticks from her head. "ARNKEL! SHE'S HERE!"

Arnkel spins on his heels at the callout, eyes wide as fear undoubtedly reached him. "Wilmaer, arm yourself!" He commands, with obvious desperation in his tone as he reached for his own spear. "Fuck.. FUCK!"

“.. Understood.” Khive responded, as she drew her arrow back and aimed for the ground between the remaining Miqo’te. A small crackle of lightning danced from her hand and along the arrow’s shaft, circling the arrowhead before she released it. The impact makes lightning crackle outwards for both Seekers below, zapping around their legs and feet.

"…Three hundred and twenty-nine." Bexy utters, before opting to move. "Khive, stay in the brush, move only when you won't be seen." Her voice is a sharp whisper before she rounds the ridge, pulling into view; another arrow formed and loosed towards the Miqo'te.

Wilmaer spares no time in doing as he's asked. The pick is tossed aside, sword and shield ready. "Where? Where is she?" He seemed almost desperate to find her, an angry grit to his tone. "I'll take her bastard head for what she did to him!" Bexy's arrow flies and strikes the shield of the Seeker, who managed to deflect it. Still, lightning courses suddenly though her body, unnoticing the arrow it had came from. "---She can use lightning, too?! We didn't hear about this! Arnkel!"

"I haven't heard about any bloody lightning!" Arnkel yells out, gesturing for Wilmaer to come with him as he begins to run towards the others. "KILL HER!"

Khive directs her attention to the duo further in the back, a deep breath fillings her lungs as she draws a new arrow. Similarly to the one before, lightning surrounds the arrowhead before she releases it, aiming it at the ground before them to have them run directly into the surge of lightning that cracks across the ground upon impact.

"You can try!" Bexy bellows back, launching another arrow; this one to the Seeker with the astroglobe, piercing his shoulder as he swiftly turned not to take it in the chest. "You can all try! What's four more of you in the countless others i've killed, hm? You know what you've done. You know what i want!" She readies another arrow, immediately.

There would be no mercy for these people. Information almost became a secondary, as killing these simply became a demonstration. I was making a point. ...Vex's words held truth after all. I wonder how well she knows these people?

The healer cries out as he's struck, taking a moment to turn, though the lightning makes him jerk unevenly as he attempts to pull it out and seal the wound. Wilmaer runs headlong into the lightning with a shriek; it sears him through his armor, but some stubborn force drags him through. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you for what you did to Heimir!" He screams, though he cannot yet get closer to her. "Hiding up there! What, can't come down and give us a proper fight?" The other Seeker woman with the sword and shield batters her armaments together, drawing Bexy's attention. "S'jinh, patch youself up! We can take her!"

Arnkel yelled out in pain as he ran directly into the lightning, forcing himself through it but pausing before he reached the second one, his gaze scanning for a safer route around it - and the general cause of it, struggling with it in the dark.

Khive nocks another arrow and takes aim for the female Seeker, ears pinning back a touch. With no intention to shoot to kill unless she absolutely has to, her aim is notably lower. The plain arrow surges forwards, aiming to burrow into the Seeker's calf in an attempt to give Bexy an opening.

Bexy's lips quirk into a smirk. Khive's arrow buries itself into the Seeker's calf, and it's then at Bexy opts to strike; with the healed otherwise distracted and the other two not yet in arms reach. Bexy skids down the face of the rock, bolstered by her ice, as the arrow she'd previously formed shifts into a dagger, and is plunged into the neck of the Seeker woman, slamming her into the ground as Bexy took her landing. "No. I won't. I'm not stupid enough when there's so many of you." Her words are wicked, as she surges her ice to freeze the blade into her neck, unable to remove it. "But now that it's three against one…" She raises to her full height, brow raised as she draws another arrow, gaze settled on Arnkel. "And one of you doesn't count."

This bastard. I remember him, and i remember the expression on Sayuri's face as he dared to draw close to us. My response will be the same to him as it ever was. Get fucked, Arnkel.

The Seeker scrabbles for the blade in her throat, unable to dislodge it, a spurt of blood spilling out in a messy pulse against the ice. Her hands slip from her effort, and she eventually succumbs. "T'zikra!" S'jinh calls out, now having healed his own wound, he's unable to save her life. "Arnkel…!" He manages, unease clear in his tone. Wilmaer however doesn't back off an ilm, and instead makes an attempt at charging Bexy, sword and shield outstretched!

"-- Get back, S'jinh! Wilmaer, fucking kill her!" Arnkel barked his orders, distress notably lacing his own tone - certainly not inspiring any confidence in his fellows. "It doesn't matter what you do, Seeker! You won't get her back! She is right where she bloody belongs!"

Khive frowned softly at the yell as she nocks a new arrow, aiming it for Wilmaer, this time. It promptly leaves her and and soars for his thigh, seeking to pierce it in order to slow him down, if not down him.

"Three hundred and thirty!" Bexy roars as though it's some kind of achievement, moving to meet Wilmaer; as an arrow sinks into his calf and causes him to cry out. He closes the gap and swings for her with a stagger, where his weapon is caught by Bexy's hand, biting into her fingers, the deafening crackle of ice no longer allowing him to relinquish it. "I'll take her back, -Arnkel-." Bexy speaks, staring to Wilmaer even as she addressed him. "How many of you do you suppose Grym will throw at me, hm? I have killed almost ten of you in a sennight. And i wager Sayuri isn't sitting quietly. If we carry on at the pace we are… There'll be nothing left of you in a handful of moons!"

I've decided now, when my thoughts are the clearest and unmuddled by the liberty of time to think, that i will trust Vex. At least, i'll give her a chance to do what she said. Why not? Even if it's a ploy to draw me into a trap, i'll kill my way out of it. And if it is, i'll just keep killing until i have Sayuri back where she belongs. In my company, in a place of her choosing!

Wilmaer screams as his hand is fused to his weapon, but instead swings his shield to connect with Bexy's head. "You killed him, you bitch! You killed him! What is he, just another fucking number to you?" He roars, in equal parts pain and fury. S'jinh slowly begins to back away, slowly funneling a steady flow of aether towards Wilmaer, uncomfortable with him so close to Bexy's grasp.

"He'd sooner kill her than let her slip through his grasp!" Arnkel yelled back, sounding.. a touch too confident in his words for it to be a lie. He, also, begins to back away - having absolutely not intentions to run at Bexy himself after the display. ".. Fuuuck.." He then turns.. and runs.

Khive nocks an arrow and aims for Arnkel, letting him get a few steps away before she releases her arrow, which rapidly seeks its mark upon his calf and forces him into a tumble.

"And you'd sooner kill me than have me hunt you, but here we are!" Half a laugh is interrupted as the shield meets her head, and Bexy opts to break her bow into daggers and pierce it into the joint of Wilmaer's shoulder, not daring to leave his sword unhindered, bloodied hand still clutching onto it. She watches as Arnkel begins to run, and a small huff of pride as he's swiftly taken down by another arrow not of her making. Her attention turns to Wilmaer. "I've killed so many of you. Tell me. Which one was he?"

"His name was Heimir!" Wilmaer doesn't give her the satisfaction of a scream, locking eyes with her. His shield arm is numb, and the awful keening of ice is only ilms from his head. "And he was my best friend, gods damn you! And you took him from me!" He sharply raises a knee to Bexy's gut, attempting to find a mark. S'jinh, realising there's little he can do if she chooses to kill him, begins to back away. "…Arnkel… Wh-what do we do? Arnkel?" His head turns at the sound of footsteps, and a fall. "Arnkel!" Partially offended he'd tried to run, and torn between his duty as a healer, he runs over to the fallen Hyur with a frown. "You tried to run away and leave me with her?!"

...Heimir. I remember that name. At the fence house. It was the name the Elezen shouted right before i grabbed his head and smashed it against a wall. Here for your petty vengeance, are we? You should have thought about that before you took her from me!

Arnkel shifts and tries to stand, only for the sharp pain to shoot through his calf. A hand pats along his leg to search for the cause - fingers locking around the arrow buried in it. His head turns to stare at it, noting that.. it is not ice. "… She's… not alone..?" He questions quietly, before his gaze lifts to scan the dark. "-- SHE'S NOT ALONE!" He then stares at S'jinh. "Heal me, we'll fucking run!"

Khive shrinks down at her position a little further once Arnkel calls out, stilling an anxious crackle that made itself known. She nocks a new arrow and aims for the duo, yet doesn't shoot.. not yet.

"You should have thought about that before you took -her- from -me-." Bexy's words were half a snarl to Wilmaer, registering the name Wilmaer had spoken. "…In the fence house. I remember." As a reply to his word, her ice crawls up his hand with a crackle, along his neck, beginning to take over his head and face. "Then, i'll grant you the same fate."

Wilmaer's next breath is a scream, muffled as the ice smothers his lips and only the sound of loud crackling is heard. S'jinh, however, follows Arnkel's orders with a newfound desperation. "N-not alone?" He gasps, pouring aether into the wound. "I… I didn't see anyone!" Healing done, he tries his best to help the man to his feet.

Arnkel yanks the arrow out of his leg, holding it forth. "She doesn't use these! Hers are made from her ice!" He stares over to Wilmaer as he screams. "-- Shit-- Hurry!" An arm coils around S'jinh as he begins to stand with his aid.

Khive then shifts her aim, settling her focus on S'jinh mid-stand. Her arrow releases and soars for his leg, again seeking to pierce a calf in hopes to down both of them in one go.

Bexy allows the ice to overtake the man in her grasp, before slamming him on the ground where his head shatters, moving forth towards the remaining two. "Three hundred and thirty…One." She speaks slowly, bow and arrows again forming, as she shoots to strike at S'jinh's back.

I'll kill them. I'll kill the lot of them. I'll show them not an onze of mercy!

The arrow finds his mark; unable to walk from Khive's arrow, and unable to move so much from Bexy's, he writhes on the ground. "GAH! HELP ME! ARNKEL, HELP!"

Arnkel simply stares for a moment, before he begins to scramble himself backwards, forcing himself up on his feet to limp-run away. He will be -no- help to S'jinh.

Khive offers a deep frown at Arnkel's flight from the pleading S'jinh, nocking an arrow swiftly to take aim of him as she stands more upright from her position. Lightning crackles along the arrow before she releases it, surging through the air to pierce Arnkel's leg anew - and electrocute him to force him to remain down for a touch longer.

Bexy shoots S'jinh again; he would not get up a second time. She well intended her target to leave for last, pacing by the Seeker as he wheezed. Her eyes find his, remorseless.

"…Tell Vex. T-Tell her i'm… S-sorry…" A tearful S'jinh manages, as life begins to leave him. Bexy presses on, with a quiet "Three Hundred and Thirty-two" on her lips.

...I don't have time for these whispered apologies. You made your choice. Vex knew who was coming here. She knew you'd die here. But i'll tell her, if it's the exchange i have for taking your life.

Arnkel fell to the ground with a scream as lightning coursed through his body, leaving him winded even when the effect had worn off. He scrambles on the ground, feebly attempting to get up only to collapse anew.

Khive lowers her bow, and merely waits.

And now the rest of them are dead, it's time to get down to business. Death was a mercy. Quick and sudden. They made their choices, and they would die for them. It was a simple thing, in the end. Not the killing. But the decision to. If it wasn't them, it would be me. But Arnkel will have no such thing as a kind fate. Twice he's faced me and fallen. I don't think he could threaten me if he tried. Killing him would leave a message. But i wanted it delivered back to them, loud and clear!

Bexy allows her bow to dissolve, and storms after the man. When he hits the ground to collapse once again does she seek her chance, planting a boot into his back between the shoulders and pinning him down. "Going somewhere, are we, Arnkel?" Her words were full of malice and ill intent, as she kneels down and grabs a fistful of hair, pulling his head back to expose his neck, a blade of ice resting at the now-tight skin against his undoubtedly racing pulse.

Arnkel swiftly met the ground as Bexy's boot landed upon him, making him squirm and try to turn to reach her leg - only to immediately freeze as his head was yanked up and the dagger was placed against him. "--I-if you kill me, s-she -will- suffer for it!" He cries out in some desperate attempt to save his own skin.

"She'll suffer anyway! Give me a reason i shouldn't split you like an overripe peach, for we all know you don't have the stones of one!"

"--I-it'll be worse if you do! H-he'll listen to my s-sister!"

"He'll listen to anyone that tells him that Sayuri will remain in his grasp. But we both know that's a lie, don't we?" The blade travels up his neck, drawing a line in his cheek. "You drew my ire once. Don't you learn?"

Arnkel gave a startled yell as the dagger cut his cheek. "S-she came to u-us! She h-had an option n-not to!"

"You took her beloved. Not much of an option, Arnkel." The point is pressed hard into his cheekbone, as his name is growled. "You took him, and she came for him. And you took her… And i'm coming for her. What will you do next, hm? Take me? You think you have anyone out there who is strong enough to take me too? What will you do? Have them thrown at me? Tell me, Arnkel. How difficult was it to get people to accompany you on this little endeavor? Are they hiding in the compound? Frightened of me?" She pauses, offering the faintest of chuckles. "They should be."

Arnkel's eyes shut tightly the further the blade pressed against him, resisting the urge to squirm. "..N-no, Grym-- he-- he wants you g-gone.." He doesn't respond to Bexy's question, gritting his teeth in obvious fear. "..-I- h-haven't touched her- not o-one bit!"

Grym wants me gone. He wishes to ignore me, like some petulant little insect. I will NOT be ignored! I will make it IMPOSSIBLE to ignore me! Alright, Grym. Ignore this!

"But i'm not going… No." Bexy leans upwards, considering. Her knive draws a thin red line over the side of his head, along the back of his ear, where it pulls free, and she audiably murmurs in thought. "Grym would kill her before she was set free. You are certain of this?"

He groans in pain as blood trickles down his head. "..H-he would.. He-.. he d-doesn't want to l-lose her a-again.."

Khive turns her gaze away, frowning weakly - unwilling to watch what was going on down below.

"And that's where you're wrong. He'd try to kill her. He'd try his very best. But only after innumerable people had fallen at my hands or hers. Would you be one of them? Your sister, perhaps…?" The point of her knife is pressed deep enough to pierce through his clothes, and into the skin below.

"..L-last.. resort--.." Arnkel squirmed weakly, gritting his teeth further as the knife continued to slice his skin. "..S-she won't b-be..! T-too-.. too s-smart.."

"Perhaps. But how long until he realises? Realises that i am coming for her and no one can stop me?" The knife digs in and begins to carve a curved line that cuts over his shoulderblades. "I am coming for her. No one can stop me. Are you listening?"

I wanted him to listen. To hear every word that left my lips. I would settle for nothing less.

Arnkel screamed in pain, writing beneath the blade and more than likely worsening the carve with his own actions. "H-he knows y-you're l-looking! She-- she knows! She's b-been laughing for s-suns, s-since the r-report!"

With impatience, Bexy slams her blade into Arnkel's bicep, forming another as she continued on. "Stop squirming. You're ruining it." She hisses, drawing the remains of a circle. "I'm not asking what she knows. Of course she does. I'm her sister. She knows i'd never leave her. I'm asking -you-. You are listening, yes?" She leans in a little closer. "I am coming for her. I won't stop until i have her. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way. All of you, if i have to."

Arnkel yells out in agony as the blade stabs into his arm, resisting the urge to squirm any further. "--Y-yes!" He exhales in a breath of pain.

Khive slowly peeks over to Bexy and Arnkel, only to lower her head and cringe uncomfortably at the sight before turning away once more.

"Then. Repeat. It. What did i say? Repeat it. Mem-or-ize it." She completes the circle… And starts again, just beneth it, with a line.

"Y-you.. are c-coming for her.. a-and won't-- s-stop u-- until.. you have h-her.." He repeats, sucking in a deep breath to battle the pain. "--K-kill.. a-anyone..-- e-everyone.." Nausea wrecks him as more and more pain shoots through him, making his sentences less.. intelligible.

"Good!" She finishes the line, leaving a crudely carved symbol of Azeyma etched into Arnkel's back. "Good. I want those to be your first words to Grym when you get back, if you live that long. If you die, that's your own inadequacy. Every chill on your skin, every dip in temperature, i want you to be reminded of me. The others here? They were given a mercy, Arnkel. There's fates worse than death."

Leaving him alive isn't a threat. There's only so much skin a person has, and i don't think he has the consitution nor space to stay alive for all the things i'd write on him. So i'd leave him as a message. I'd leave it burbling on his lips for those who would inevitably find him, and deliver him back to Grym's front door. And if this sorry sack of shit passed away before then, the mark on his back would say enough to those who knew it.

Arnkel mumbled incoherently, a groan of pain leaving him. The faintest hints of tears coat the area just below his eyes.

"I trust you'll tell them. And if you don't i'll know." Bexy levels her gaze on him a little longer, opting to dissolve the dagger and rise to her feet. "Khive? It's time to go."

Arnkel's head drops to the ground as he's freed from the torture, not completely aware but he's certainly -listening-.

Khive backs away from her ledge, casting a final look Arnkel's way before she steps back from the bushes, running an arm through them for a rustling sound to emit as confirmation.

Her arrows struck true. Each and every one finding it's mark, in legs, in thighs. No doubt i would be chasing them still if they had been allowed to flee. And more importantly, she had stayed well out of sight.

Bexy offers a warm smile, despite the blood and all that had happened beneath. "…You did well, Khive. That could have been a whole lot messier had you shot any less straight." A small tilt of her head, almost cheerful. "…Shall we go home?"

Khive gave a weak smile in return, even if her ears remain flat on her head. "I.. specialized in incapacitation, in my old company.." She mumbles, before nodding. ".. Let's."

[cosmic-kiwi]

Incredibly strange post that implores people to constantly question their views and perspectives and look at all sides... as long as you ultimately always end up on the current liberal position on every issue ever. (?)

And then an addendum that seemingly agreed with the original theme of "keep an open mind" while adding on the idea that actually you should drop every one in your life that doesn't have the same opinions as you.

Hmm.

Also: "But you'd rather be tired and choose the right path, you know?"

As if there is only one distinct 'right path' that exists without regard to context or time or history or method?

The version of this post that has this add-on by crumbles-watchwoman (x) I think is the most useful version:

"There's no such thing as a good person

So you cannot be one. There are only beneficial, and non beneficial actions, and the people which they benefit. So, you will end up doing things which benefit the people you want to help, also things that do not benefit them, or benefit other people instead of them. None of these things can make you any more or less of a good person, because that is a false category. The only thing you can do is keep checking if the actions you are taking actually benefit the people you think they do, and have the courage to adjust accordingly no matter how sunk your costs."

I think everyone here who's overly concerned with being a ''good person'' would benefit from worrying a little bit less about themselves, and a little bit more about the veracity of things that they believe only because it gives them the warm fuzzies and a sense of superiority to do so.

It's very possible that the only way to ensure you don't become a conservative old person is to keep checking whether you're wrong. Every time. Genuinely mull over the opposing viewpoint even and especially when it's uncomfortable. You absolutely cannot a) consider yourself safely incapable of terrible principles because you're a good person, or b) treat a your disgust reaction to something as a moral truth. You can't get comfortable. Tiring! But you'd rather be tired and choose the right path, you know?

[rosejacksonwright]

'Watch Woman'

- Art By RoseJW 🌹🖤🎶

$100/£75 - 4x6" Inches; Mixed Media On File Card

(2017)

#WatchWoman #Commissions #GuardianAngel #Protected #Inspire #Gift #Purpose #Faith #Manifest #Create #Recovery #Healer #Power #Independent #Universe #Genuine #RealBeauty #NaturalBeauty #Soul #Color #Decorative #Pattern #Conceptual #Abstract #Pen #MixedMedia #AbstractFigurative

#Art #Drawing #FineArt #Rose #RJW #RosannaJacksonWright

- For Tibby; Life With Ruby & Ali

[madolluniverse]

"Contemplative Beauty"

Tags: #blackandwhiteportrait, #strikingfeatures, #prominenteyes, #darkliner, #flowinghair, #ringjewelry, #watchwoman, #braceletedwrist, #contemplativeexpression, #sereneatmosphere, #portraitphotography, #monochromeaesthetic, #fashioninspo, #beautyshots, #artisticportraits, #twitterfeed, #photooftheday, #moodboard, #bwphotography

[s-milesart]

Sister Vespera | Night Watchwoman of The Abbey.

"Trust Sister, it's all about holding on to what you are, even at the end of everything."

A woman of unknown descent, her past is... Muddy, to say the least.

Found self-bandaged and beaten at the mouth of a suspected Coven, claws chipped and cracked, arms soaked to the shoulder in viscera and bile; Sister Kyvera sensed a kindred spirit. A woman alone with her curse. A woman in need of support no-one could give them then.

Suffering from a previously unseen phase of the transformation into a Witch of The Night [a horrid, vampiric beast.], She struggles to keep her sense of self as more and more symptoms take over.

She's not a vampire. (goddess above she hopes she's not a vampire.)

[notes to myself below - this bitch LONG]

notes or somethin

polarized lenses kinda exist in the world but her glasses are specially milled from a quartz-like growth that forms in the Witch's Covens. Keeps that night sight manageable!

She can see you. No matter where you hide. She's drawn to accelerated heartbeats and rising blood pressure.

Those who are scared, she prefers to hunt. A voice in the back of her head tells her they taste better scared. She's learned to ignore that voice.

Goddess, she's dangerous. Probably the most dangerous one in the whole Abbey. Actually. hits like a fuckin warhammer, is faster than a warbow.

Abnormally stealthy. Knows when people can see her. Handy with a dagger.

yknow blade? and how under that trenchcoat of his, he's armed to the fucking gills? yeah -- that. if the hood comes down or the jacket opens, someone is dying.

she likes messing with the children of The Abbey. She just LOVES telling bogus stories about her past to em'. From her being hundreds of years old, to her being a reborn monster hunter of yore. she's a GREAT hit with em.

turns out if you dress like the coolest person in room and get to stay up whenever you want, you're top five easy.

sunlight keeps the transformation, the cravings and the urges at bay. those who've become Witches have given in to the urge to retreat into the dark. Stay in the light, Sister Vespera.

is very pragmatic when it comes to the life or death. knows when people gotta leave, and when some people just gotta die.

story notes yippee!

leads the "B Team." of the sisters of the end.

Whilst the Sisters of The End journey forward to risk life and mind for the deliverance of Lost Beacon, The Abbey's recent ventures into staying proactive against ruinous omens require the need of their more... pragmatic sisters of the cloth.

the B Team deals with the "side missions" - reinforcing caravans exploring heartsink locations, investigating threats and abomination reports, and if push comes to shove - defending the abbey from those who'd wish to harm it.

if you get the B Team, you'll wish you've gotten the sisters of the end.

[generalluxun]

I agree, but I also see her making a *stab* at the fashion scene. Marinette is very competitive. She enjoys being recognized. The chance to push her concepts of fashion into the greater industry and win over the masses/establishment in spite of themselves? Perfect!

Not to mention having Gabriel Industries *right there* as an existing(Gabriel involved or no) supply/production/advertising/distribution network would be sooo tempting.

Marinette overworking herself. Marinette neglecting family. Marinette using work to avoid personal/emotional issues. Marinette acquiring a rival. Marinette acquiring a protegé. Marinette working with old friends (6'+ tall amazonian model Juleka is a fave of mine) Marinette working with old enemies (Chloé in charge of style Queen, no longer focused on Marinette but still a bull in a china shop) etc etc.

Marinette might very easily come out the other end with a bespoke store and a 'normal life' but I think the industry phase just has a lot of hooks for plots for her. No shade to anyone who skips it though. Marinette the night watchwoman at the Lourve can work if done right.

tbh i just don't care about marinette owning a huge company and getting mega rich/successful or whatever. like thats fine and all but mostly i just want to see her be creative and unabashedly herself right to the very end. i want her making weird crafts and creating strange devices and making fashion that speaks to her and oozes personality over whatever'll sell the best yknow. marinette would do numbers in niche communities. she would have the COOLESt etsy account that sells a wide variety of all different kinds of crafts that you wouldnt even believe. you know what i mean

[thehaemanthus]

August Reading

This month felt like a lifetime. Got a lot of reading done, though.

Mackenzie Green Series, JS Kennedy

Meh series. I almost put it down in the first chapter, but I was bored and Kindle had been shoving it in my face forever so. Sigh. Interesting premise with a magic-girl who is part of a mercenary guild, the little siblings she adopted, a dark past, and a love interest that starts off as an adversary. Unfortunately, I hated the writing. The main character isn't awful, but I was annoyed very quickly. I went through the series because I was curious and it was easy, but actually can't recommend it that much. Interesting world, liked the found family, but the characters are flat and the plot (especially in the last book) wasn't great. It was very YA. There WAS something in the latest book that made me go "oh, you went there?" but the consequences weren't explored. It's like if a character got stabbed in battle and someone slapped a bandage on and it was never mentioned again. It's possible that it will get picked up in the next book, but I'm not holding my breath.

Anyway. Read three books, wasn't impressed, won't continue the series.

The Grey Gates Series, Vanessa Nelson

This kickstarted my devouring of Nelson's books. There are some big themes in Nelson's writing-- main characters who go through some serious physical/mental trauma that affects their lives significantly, love interests that are more than the "I'm a snarky confident hot guy", and good mysteries. Unfortunately, she also tends to kind of have flat endings to the series? It's not bad, it's just a habit of leaving me a tiny bit unsatisfied.

In this series, our main character saved the world years ago, was more or less punished for it, and now tries to live her life and defend her city from magical monsters. I found the post-apocalyptic urban fantasy unique and thought the writing was pretty solid. I'm incredibly curious about what happened to her and what's going on in the world now.

Zoomed through three books, the fourth is coming out soon

Ageless Mysteries, Vanessa Nelson

Also zoomed through these books. Thea, our main character, lives in a fantasy world and an empire ruled by the tyrannical Ageless (they are more or less Angels, just go with that). She is a Watchwoman, basically a policewoman, and in every book there's a mysterious murder (or more than one) to solve as she tries to keep her head down and avoid attention. Nelson doesn't pull her punches with the childhood trauma, though I thought there was opportunity to dig into the angst a bit more. I really love how this is a "strong female character" who doesn't punch through walls and snark and walk through the world with extreme confidence. Thea wants to be very ordinary and very average and toe the line, though she has a strong moral code.

I LOVED the love interest, and HATED the slow slow slow burn and the lack of romance. Niath is just cute, okay, he's a super powerful mage but he can be kind of shy and he has a lot of curiosity and-- idk. It's just so different from the mold of what I've come to expect from a love interest, and I didn't even realize it. Wish we had more romance in this series.

Also wish some loose threads had been tied up. If there's one thing I can say about this series, it's that the pacing felt weird? The last book solved a lot of things very quickly and still left me unsatisfied. Some questions were sort of dropped. There were things I was interested in that Nelson didn't explore more. Still a solid series though.

The Hundred, Vanessa Nelson

Last of Nelson's series that I read. I have my own trauma from reading "The Hundred" (jroth you ass). Anywho. The series follows Yvonne, one of the Hundred, a Hunar who is assisted by magic and whose purpose is to simply help others. Lots of solving mysteries about the past, fighting against a big bad, and a huge cast of characters that honestly? Got too large for me. Might be the weakest of the series. Nelson tended to repeat phrases in an annoying way, narrate too much of what the characters were doing, and repeat details. It was still interesting and took a lot of imagination though! Cool world!

Yvonne is joined by her children (hELLO Nelson's penchant for extreme trauma, and HI my desire for it to be explore a tiny bit more por favor), the wealthy goblin Guise (love interest, Goblins are at the top of the food chain in this world, he's sneaky, it's delightful), her fellow Hunar, and more.

I zoned out quite a bit while reading. Not my favorite Nelson series but it was fine.

Resistance, Interstellar Union Series, Etta Pierce

I've written about this series before. This book wasn't my favorite-- I liked the characters, especially since they've featured in the other books and I was already interested. But I thought the plot was weak, unfortunately. For some reason, I'm just not that invested in the central conflict of the story anymore. Idk why.

Good romance, meh plot, great world building, and good characters. I think my favorite book in the series was the third or maybe the fourth. But I haven't reread them, so my thoughts could change.

[monbijofficiel]

Monbij.fr | Prix : 25,99 € - LIVRAISON GRATUITE - 10 Coloris | Montre pour Femme, Style Tendance Dreams, Boîtier Rond en Métal de diamètre 38 mm, Cadran Blanc - Follow Your Dreams, Lunette Argent, Bracelet en Cuir de longueur 240 mm et de largeur 20 mm, Affichage Analogique, Mécanisme en Quartz.  Monbijofficiel Instagram

[thepoetfromtitan]

Cowboy Bebop - 14