#One of Zon's children perhaps? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gallus-rising · 2 months

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dungeon meshi loreposting again: orc addition

it always seemed kind of weird to me that Zon, the orc chieftain, evacuated the community to the safer upper floors while leaving his much younger sister (Leed is 14 which is the age of majority for orcs. she has only just recently become an adult) behind to keep an eye on the now dragon infested home settlement

there's a few personality differences to help explain that. Zon is a new chieftain and is trying to take a more cautious approach when dealing with the dual threats of monsters moving into upper floors and a increasing number of adventures on the island. Leed is a hot-blooded youngest who thinks they need to fight back

but if that's all there is to it why couldn't Zon be the one to stay behind while telling his younger sister "hey, we're moving the women/children/elderly to the upper floors for safely. you take a few warriors and defend them from the adventures"

and note that orc women are considered noncombatants. why does Leed, a young woman, have such a loyal group of warriors? as the chief's younger sister she probably has special privileges, but it's pretty reasonable to think that these big tough men might get a bit uppity about following little girl when the chief's not there to protect her, and "i kinda know who Senshi is" still seems like a flimsy reason to not kill a group of intruders (that has an elf with them!)

character design note

Leed is perhaps drawn with the palest skin/fur out of all the orcs we see. since her eyes are so large it's much easier to tell what color they are vs most other orcs but it seems like pale blue eyes are at least uncommon. she is also the only orc we see with white hair.

CONCLUSION 1: Leed is albino

another design note

baby orcs are born with white stripes (like baby boars 🥺) which they grow out of. from the example of what is clearly baby Leed we see the stripes are harder to notice on paler fur, so orcs with pale fur likely "lose" their stripes at a younger age

CONCLUSION 2: albino orcs are seen as mature, strong warriors, or otherwise special in some way. there's even precedent in the dungeon meshi universe for individuals with unusual skin/fur color to be given special status. despite not being the queen's actual children/grandchildren Flamela and her sister were the only 2 people in line for the throne because they're Elf Melanistic

FINAL CONCLUSION: as Zon's younger sister Leed is in a position to personally push back against his orders. Leed wants to stay and fight the dragon? ok, there's plenty of fellow battle hungry warriors ready to rally behind and follow the most specialist murder baby in the dungeon

#dungeon meshi #*furious pecking*

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tdcloud · 1 month

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THREE MORE DAYS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Rehan is about to have the worst time of his life and it'll be publicly viewable in just a few short days... Pick up the novel other authors are calling "delicious, queer, and folkloric... from beginning to end" and "a treat for readers of dark fantasy that fucks" today and buckle up for one hell of a ride.

A witch with a dead familiar is an outlier and an ill-omen to every village they pass through. Rehan Nadir is one such witch. The only jobs available to him are terrible ones, and vagrancy is his only recourse… At least, it was until he heard tell of the town of Hamelin’s plight. Stories of a malicious entity, a chaos god, have tormented the village for hundreds of years, and like clockwork tragedy has struck once more: while the adults gathered elsewhere, the children were spirited away. No trace of them has been seen since. The town is desperate to bring them back. Very desperate. Finding and returning the lost children would be just the thing to give Rehan a new chance at the life he lost after the death of his familiar, and if all it takes is killing a god of chaos, then he’s more than ready to take the plunge and open that door. Unfortunately, he just didn’t anticipate opening a few more in the midst of dealing the finishing blow.

Infaust is a dark romance recounting the tale of the witch Rehan Nadir and the elusive chaos god known only as the Piper. Trapped in a world where even the very dirt wants them dead, the two must depend on one another to escape—and along the way realize that perhaps the definition of a happily ever after really is a subjective one.

Contains psychological horror, violence, dubious consent, protag corruption, villain "love interest", blood, descriptions of being burnt alive, and other gruesome acts. Viewer discretion is advised.

Signed copies + merch boxes: https://tdcloud.itch.io/infaust

Am/zon pre-orders: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CRX5M7TX

#indie author #dark fantasy #pied piper #queer romance #dark romance #novel rec #booklr #book club

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gwynrielendgame · 3 years

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Nyx and Tamlin’s daughter part 2

Again no one really read the first part, but I don’t care! I have been inspired to write again, so I am just going with the flow. Also, I read somewhere that instead of describing accents you should just write how the accent sounds when the character speaks, but idk. If you think it’s annoying comment and I might change it for the other parts I’ve written.

"I apologize for my parents. They mean well, but I think my mother secretly still harbors negative feelings for your father."

Nyx felt it was necessary to apologize for his parents behavior. They have been less than diplomatic tonight and it must have been because of their pasts with Tamlin. Nevertheless, they invited Tamlin here tonight for peace and instead, offered spiteful exchanges. He glanced at Isa from the corner of his eye as they strolled down the garden path. It was beautiful especially at night. His aunt Elain tended to it often which made the flowers more beautiful than any other garden he had seen. He liked looking at her. Not necessarily for her beauty, although he could say with confidence that she was beautiful. She was not beautiful in the way that Elain or Mor were, but in the way that someone obviously powerful was. It was more about her essence. Everything about her was enticingly unique.

"That is strange, is it not?" She quirked a single eyebrow at him with a smirk lifting the edge of her mouth. He placed his hands in his pockets to avoid awkwardly fidgeting in the way his mother often did.

"What is strange?"

"That your mother left him for another man who zhe iz happily married to with three children, yet zhe haz ill will for him? Zeemz a bit backward, no?"

Nyx gave her a strange look. She had been hiding how heavy her accent truly was at dinner. Perhaps she had dropped her guard now that they were alone or perhaps she was tired of hiding it. Either way Nyx liked listening to it.

"Tamlin was awful to my mother when they were together. She's allowed to feel angry at him."

"Zo the story goez."

Isa stopped to pluck a particularly beautiful rose. Nyx took it from her hands gently. Only to stick it behind her ear. She gave him a small smile before they continued on their walk.

"How have I never heard of you?" Nyx asked the question that had been burning at the back of his mind since Tamlin introduced her. "You must be Pyrinthian's best kept secret."

Again, she sent him a small secretive smile while twirling down the path. Her dress made large swooping motions around her body as she seemed to dance to a song only found in her head.

"It iz tradition that young witchez are raised in their coven, completely izolated from other fae. It iz dangerous for young witchlings when their powers are not yet controlled. 'Unnatural' magic as your kin like to call it, does not lizten to the influence of the witch when their mind iz not strong."

"What can happen?"

"There are stories of young children killing their peers on accident when trying to show off."

"Is that why Fae fear your kind? Because it is unpredictable?"

"All witch magic has a price. The spirits aid us when we call onto them and they seek a price. There iz a method to the price but it iz subject to change depending on the spirit that answers. Your father was not wrong when he said blood magic brings chaos. The reason blood magic iz so feared iz because it can attract all zorts of evil spirits and monsters, which can be part of the appeal." She chuckled as she said this and shook her head. "How many times have your parents required the azzistance from a monster?"

"More than I would like to admit."

"Despite that, not all witch magic iz blood magic. Your father's ignorance iz thinking they are one in the same." Isa took a seat at one of the benches and Nyx followed suit. He sat a bit closer than newly acquainted fae should, but he hardly cared.

"So you were raised amongst your kind? Did you get to see your father much?" Nyx was curious about this secretive female. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.

"He caused havoc and mayhem in order to zee me. They refused until my first shape shift when I was two and they realized they did not know how to help that. My mother had been zecretly sneaking me to see him before then though."

"Fascinating."

"How do you know zo much about witches?" She asked while pushing her short hair behind her ear. Nyx reached out and clasped her hand in his. He started to trace a small tattoo on the outside of her pointer finger.

"Honestly? I do not know much. A few of them have given some information over idle pillow talk though." He admitted with a shrug.

"Charming. Speak of your past conquests to your new one." She said it with a wide smile, so Nyx was not concerned that he had actually upset her.

"I would not call you my new conquest." He gave her a cheeky smile that she shook her head to with a chuckle.

"No? Zo you escort me out here to win my heart or from the goodness of your own?"

"Perhaps I escort you out here as a gentleman."

"That iz not what your reputation would suggest." She lifted her eyebrows at him.

"I have a reputation?" Nyx was wholly unaware of any reputation that might precede him unless it had something to do with his parents. Isa pulled her hand back into her own lap.

"Nyx, prince of the night court, zon of Feyre 'cursebreaker' Archeron, high lady of the night court and Rhyzand high lord of the night court. Intelligent and agile. Mediocre combat training, excellent spy potential, enjoys the attention of any and all females, and zuccezzfully gains the attention with uave charm and dashing good looks."

"You definitely did your research." He leaned back on the bench and crossed his arms over his chest as she leaned in a bit more.

"Believe it or not, those words were straight from Lucien before we winnowed here." She mock whispered.

"That seems a bit unfair. He gave me no information on you. I'd also argue I am much better than mediocre at hand-to-hand combat." Nyx felt a bit miffed that he had been described as mediocre at anything, but begrudgingly he knew Lucien was right.

"Be careful, I might be tempted to challenge you." She gave a wickedly mischievous smile before turning her head up to look at the stars. She plucked the rose from behind her ear and began twirling it between her fingers.

"What would we be wagering for?"

"The title of best fighter. Might give our parents zomething to boast about." She continued to look at the sky instead of him.

"Hmm. Not appealing enough. Perhaps for a kiss though?" He jested. Although, he imagined a kiss from her would be amazing.

"I zuppose. If you think winning a kizz will be easier than charming one from me, then you have severely misjudged me."

"Oh I know," he sent a wide, goofy smile her way. "I would need you to kiss the pain away after you kick my ass."

"Relentlezz." A genuine smile finally lit her face up. It made her even more beautiful.

"You are a mind reader, right? Can you tell me what I am thinking of?" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and rubbed her temples with her pointer and middle fingers. It was the epitome of concentration but it only caused him to laugh and shake his head.

"You mean my daemati powers?" He attempted to infiltrate her mind only to be met with steel mind barriers. He did not think his father would even be able to get past those.

"Daemati?" She drug out the word as if she was testing how it sounded on her lips. "How does it work?"

"For some people, I can slip into their mind and hear their thoughts and experience their memories. Your mind, however," he poked her forehead right between her eyebrows. "Is too guarded. I supposed I will have to get to know you the old fashioned way."

She pushed her bottom lip out in a pout.

"That iz not fun." He laughed loudly at her expression. She seemed truly gutted that he could not read her mind. It was such an opposite reaction to how most people felt of the ability. It seemed like the deepest of privacy invasions to most. It was why he tried to limit using it as much as possible.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Mediocre damn-ti can be added to your list." She stood up and placed the rose that was in her lap behind Nyx’s ear. He laughed but left it there anyhow. They started back towards the house.

"Daemati. And I would say my inability to infiltrate your mind speaks more to the strength of your power than a lack of mine."

She sent him a mischievous smile before grabbing his hand and twirling herself under his arm as she hummed a tune. She amused him with her peculiar behavior.

"Are you nervous to be High lady some day?" He figured she of all people would understand the anxiety he has been feeling lately to fill his parents footsteps. What if he messed up? What if he failed?

"Have not thought of it much."

"Truly?" She gave a simple nod before responding.

"I worry more about my father's death than the power I would have after it. He iz all I have left."

"I always imagined my parents voluntarily stepping down to give me the title. They seem so invincible. Perhaps that is the child in me." He did not like to imagine their deaths, but even so at least he would have a plethora of help. He had so many mentors that could show him the way. He felt bad that Isa only had Tamlin. Lucien too, probably.

"It iz sweet that you feel that way. I have zeen too much to believe that anyone is invincible."

"I just worry that I will fail. Or that I won't live up to their standards." Nyx had many a nightmares about this specific situation.

"That iz a lot of prezzure considering you are not yet High Lord." She bumped his shoulder with hers. He stumbled a step from surprise, but bumped her back.

"I will be one day though."

"What if one of you zisters get the throne instead of you? And then you wasted all dis time for nothing."

"Neither want it. Even if the power transfers to them, they have both said they will leave the title to me."

"You will probably fail and ruin your parents hard work." She said in a serious tone with a grave look on her face.

"Thanks." He deadpanned.

"But you will have me as an ally, no? And I will be ready dig you out of whatever hole you have dug. I am quite wise and known for my generosity." He could sense a hint of sarcasm with her last sentence, but felt honored that she was so freely giving her support anyways.

"Be careful, you might be underestimating how much trouble I could get us into."

#nyx acotar #acotar #tamlins daughter #tamlin #feyre archeron #rhysand #feysand

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tdcloud · 1 month

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INFAUST IS LIVE! Check out my new queer dark fairy tale horror novel if you're a fan of bad ends, heroes falling in real time, and villainous "love" interests having the times of their lives every step of the way <3

Finding and returning the lost children would be just the thing to give Rehan a new chance at the life he lost after the death of his familiar, and if all it takes is killing a god of chaos, then he’s more than ready to take the plunge and open that door. Unfortunately, he just didn’t anticipate opening a few more in the midst of dealing the finishing blow.

Contains psychological horror, violence, dubious consent, protag corruption, villain "love interest", blood, descriptions of being burnt alive, and other gruesome acts. Viewer discretion is advised.

Signed copies + merch boxes: https://tdcloud.itch.io/infaust

Am/zon orders: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CRX5M7TX

#indie author #fantasy #new release #horror #queer horror #queer novel #pied piper #infaust

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scarletgardensrpg · 4 years

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LIVING ♦ TWENTY ♦ NEUTRAL

MAURICE-ALEXANDER VAN ORANJE-NASSAU is the Royal Prince of the Netherlands, who has recently returned to Amsterdam following the discovery of he and his sister, Luana, in southern France. Although an heir to the Dutch throne was named in the late Queen Catharina’s will, he and Luana have so far refused to disclose this information, both publicly and privately. Although he is a beloved public figure like his sister, Maurice is more reserved, disliking the attention. He has recently received permission from Agostina to live part-time in The Hague.

BIOGRAPHY

They’d only ever really fought once: Luana, white-faced at the foot of a marble staircase, the front of her thousand-dollar dress smeared with cake, a lavender party hat crushed in her small palm—and Maurice, standing five steps above her with dark eyes and a scowling, mean mouth. In the empty, vast hall, he and Luana had glared at one another, the frigid silence echoing, before Luana spoke at last. Her voice was high, arrogant, accusatory: Mijn broer is een beest. Years later, by a seashore in southern France at the end of the world, they would laugh about it—what a stupid thing to have divided them for an afternoon, when now they had only each other. At the beach, Maurice massaged Lu’s head until she fell asleep, sparkling grains of sand still in her wet lashes. Those same hands had broken skin, splintered bone just hours before: without remorse, with pleasure. He turned the phrase over and over in his head like a well-worn coin. My brother is a beast.

- ❀ -

They tumbled into the world one after another: a girl, who wore cascades of sunshine atop her head in perfect curls, then a boy, silver-eyed and fox-faced, luminescent as the moon. These became their pet names among the royal maids and wet-nurses, the chauffeurs and visiting diplomats; zon-je, maan-je. At Christmas, Minister van Buskirk had placed a warm hand atop both theirs and smiled at Queen Catharina with familial tenderness: They are so lovely. And, perhaps, they really once were: twin dolls of the Dutch crown adorned in lace and jewels, running along open courtyards, laughing together by sparkling waterfronts—Luana the wild, Maurice the clever. They looked alike, but were distinguishable by their temperaments: where his sister socialized with ease and shone brightest standing in the center of a ballroom, Maurice longed for quiet—and where she was a rare blooming rose, he couldn’t help but feel like the thorns which covered her. Indeed, he made for a handsome, yet arrogant, little prince: standoffish to all but his twin sister, solitary and bellicose, as precocious and regal as he was boyishly bratty.

In another world, he might’ve outgrown this hardness; he might’ve swept into adolescence with carefree contentment, learned not to bristle so much, had more than just Generaal de Jaager’s delinquent son for a friend, and ascended the throne with true kingly grace. You’d be a good leader, Gabriël always insisted, half-serious and half-laughing. I’d be good, for once. For a king like you. In another world, they might have really both been good. He could think of no other thing but this, shivering in the back of a black-clad woman’s car covered in his mother’s blood. He thought of it still, standing ankle-deep in the wet sand of the Mediterranean, watching Cecile shake hands, watching Luana sob, watching Dimitri’s pitiless gaze glance disinterestedly off him, and settle instead on Blue, who merely cocked her head and, at last, gave a shrug. Show the little ones to their new home, then. I haven’t got the time to. In another world, I am kissing Luana on the nose at our birthday party, Maurice thought to himself, but that life was already fading from his memory, buried under twenty-eight bodies and a dead lineage. In another world, I am feeding her cake and complimenting her dress and I am not so cruel.

But then again, maybe Maurice had always been destined to turn into what he did: a moon-child in love with the solitary night, hardness cracking and giving out to even more hardness, one nightmarish day after another no longer inciting fear, but curiosity. Call it a morbid longing, call it a refusal to spend five years shackled to terror. Was he not a prince? He, somewhere along the way, had become entranced by them: the black-eyed children of Cecile, so lovingly nicknamed bloodhounds. In a single safehouse, how did power fall so totally into the hands of the dead? The way Dimitri and Blue brawled with teeth and knives, the way Jacques could not be put at ease without some carnage to appease his appetite, their unapologetic adoration for their Mother of Death: Luana loathed to see it, but Maurice found himself drawn to their chaos like a moth to flame. What was a lonely boy-king to three gods of the New World? Maurice would work at tamping down his want, his need, to follow them like a pupil, years and years after they left. He could not leave Luana, of course, but Maurice also knew, with unspoken, slow-falling surety: to chase after the dead into the dark was to begin down an irreversible, treacherous path. And yet, some smoky, coiling voice whispered, like a hand around the throat. Which man can deny his heart forever?

CONNECTIONS

LUANA – ANOTHER WORLD. Beautiful Lu, whose name means lion, means happy, could never understand him. But he understands her, and he loves her—isn’t that enough? God, he hopes so. They have been joined at the hip since birth: two darling halves of a whole, each one with the secret keys to a lost kingdom. In youth, he had found her conceit so irritating, her shrieky charm so gauche—but seeing her now, a girl of only twenty who walks the halls of the Royal Palace burdened by the haunting of a hundred ghosts and battered by unspeakable heartbreak, he’d do anything to have his obnoxious, wonderful sister back for just a day. Once, she had been the one protecting Maurice: sheltering him with her great galloping laugh, her bright eyes, daring anyone to speak an ill word of him—so that now, he feels he must return the favor. A great, terrible secret of inheritance sits between them, and Maurice understands it is this single secret that will define whether they survive together in the New World or not. As far as Maurice is concerned, they will. They must. He’ll do whatever it takes.

DIMITRI – VIOLENT DELIGHTS. Boys will be boys, and beasts will be beasts. It’s strange to think that Maurice came of age in the company of wolves—and even stranger still that, at thirteen, he had stumbled into their lands so fearful and angry, only to be forced out five years later with an empty, wanting heart. Luana hates them all, but Maurice finds he can’t fully share in her opinion—particularly when it comes to Dimitri. There’s something mean-spirited to Blue and something grotesque about Jacques’ brand of violence; Dimitri, on the other hand, has always been able to wear bloodsport so well. He’s as refined as he is barbaric, as caustic as he is charismatic: and if anyone could embody the alluring dark, it would certainly be him. In Nice, Cecile’s bloodhounds had all largely ignored he and Luana, too preoccupied with each other or whatever errands they were sent on by Cecile. Nonetheless, Maurice had watched him: his manner of walking, the smooth cadence of his voice, every elegant arrangement of his handsome features—and unconsciously, learned to emulate him. Since his return to Amsterdam, they’ve crossed paths once more; and if Dimitri wasn’t looking before, he’s looking now. It’s too soon to say what they are, now, only that he no longer looks to Maurice with cool disinterest—and instead, is beckoning him forward into a dark, dark world.

GABRIËL – IF WE’D ONLY LAY DOWN OUR WEAPONS. His was the first face Maurice looked for, amidst the thousands who had come to greet the van Oranje-Nassaus: a sea of the living braced against the golden shores to watch the ship dock, hands outstretched, eyes brimming with glad tears—and there, beside Thalia: Generaal Gabriël, whose beautiful face betrayed no more feeling than that of a marble statue. When they were children, they had spent time together—more time than Maurice cares to admit, hours and hours reading beneath the trees and boating on the lake, sneaking away, exchanging secrets, all of it culminating in a kiss, or two, or three—but of course, he was Luana’s in the end. All lovely things were. Maurice isn’t completely sold on the convenient narrative Agostina tells of who is responsible for the massacre—but Gabriël’s partial involvement is, to Maurice, undeniable. He and Luana had both seen it: the exchange with PYTHIA, the handshake and head nod, the words spoken like a curse from Gabriël’s lips: Red de kinderen. Dood de rest. Luana may not have it in herself to exact vengeance—but Maurice, who has always been the worser of the two, certainly can. So blind he is with bitterness, that he can’t seem to see beyond it—if he were to look a little closer, he might find Gabriël isn’t the enemy he’s made him out to be.

OPEN ♦ FC: OTTO SEPPÄLÄINEN

#maurice #o #l #neutral #all #lsrpg #lsrp #new rp #bio rp

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howwelldoyouknowyourmoon · 5 years

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‘John Eagles’ is Gerrit Jan van Dorsten – who ‘imprisoned’ six of his own children on a farm.

updated October 26, 2019

▲ John Eagles

The Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant has linked Gerrit Jan van Dorsten with Facebook pages and an online blog where he interacts with friends and followers and posts photos, videos and articles under the name John Eagles.

The birthday of John Eagles given on Facebook is January 13, 1951 which matches the age of Gerrit Jan van Dorsten.

▲ Jan Zon van Dorsten

▲ Drawing on John Eagles’ Facebook page that appears to show his son, Jan Zon van Dorsten, now 25, doing the circular exercises that the children who were released were observed doing in the past week.

▲ Drawing of John Eagles (with two eagles) by an 8 year-old child, perhaps one of his children.

▲ Photograph by John Eagles showing his gardening work. It appears to have been taken on the Dutch farm where the children were imprisoned.

▲ Garden plan drawing by John Eagles which looks like a drawing from the teachings of the Family Federation for World Peace about the relationship between the spiritual and physical worlds. The up and down arrows represent a path.

________________________________________

Gerrit Jan van Dorsten aka John Eagles in a pool at the farm:

▼ The same pool photographed in the farm garden in October 2019.

Gerrit Jan van Dorsten kept six younger children locked up in a farmhouse.

According to a van Dorsten family statement. “Eight years ago, three older children of Gerrit Jan, Dino (Endino), Shin and Marjan, 29, fled the family in Hasselt [a few miles from the farm] and contacted their brother from a previous marriage, their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.”

________________________________________

https://www.facebook.com/john.eagles.7

John Eagles, born January 13, 1951

http://eagle-rock.org/index.php/John_Eagles_-_all_articles

http://johneagles.blogspot.com/

http://jeresearchtopics.blogspot.com/

http://vimeo.com/johneagles

________________________________________

Rev. Young Whi Kim testifies about Gerrit Jan van Dorsten

The two captors of the Dutch family held for 9 years had both been members of the Family Federation for World Peace or Unification Church

Suspected of sexual abuse, ‘John Eagles’ aka Gerrit Jan van Dorsten is father of all nine children

John Eagles video: “Each Soul is a Mirror”

Gerrit Jan van Dorsten, ‘Father Moon’ and the Divine Principle in his providence

Jessica Villerius makes a documentary about the children of Ruinerwold

The FFWPU / Unification Church and Shamanism

“Five beers and a plea for help is all it took” – Frank F

January 21, 2020 Gerrit Jan van D. sexually abused two of his children in Ruinerwold

#John Eagles #Gerrit Jan van Dorsten #FFWPU #Unification Church #Sun Myung Moon #Divine Principle #captive children #Family Federation for World Peace

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tdcloud · 1 month

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The latest title in my catalog, Infaust is for the readers who love bad endings, fallen heroes, and a book that asks the question "When you've already seemingly lost it all, how much further can one fall?" Pre-order Infaust today to get the answer to that question. It'll shock you. I promise.

Contains psychological horror, violence, dubious consent, protag corruption, villain "love interest", blood, descriptions of being burnt alive, and other gruesome acts. Viewer discretion is advised.

Signed copies + merch boxes: https://tdcloud.itch.io/infaust

Am/zon pre-orders: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CRX5M7TX

#indie author #dark fantasy #dark romance #queer romance #queer book #booklr #book club #book rec #pre order #indie release

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verapamina · 5 years

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ch. 1.02 , “ when you wish upon a wizard. “

location: in front of the black lake. tagging: @ofwitches.

Giggles echoed in the wind as two witches traipsed upon the green slippery grass underneath the glowing moon. Marigold looked behind her at the Hogwarts castle, smelling rain and mischief in the air as her and Vera searched for a good place to watch the shooting stars. She fell onto the dirt with a plop. She flipped open her mother’s grimoire to a folded page, practically tasting the old book smell that wafted towards her.

“I think this is our best idea yet,” she said, winking at the night sky.

Marigold’s eyes reflected the stars, her windbreaker’s zipper rubbing against her itchy-like as she scooted closer to her best friend. Her spiral curls were shiny like the black lake that reflected the night with utmost perfection. The smell of the dirt intermingling with the cold made her soul feel connected with the earth. If this were any other night, Marigold would have suggested they break out their brooms and feel the wind beat against their skin and remind them they’re alive. Or they could cast heating charms, the Winter season approaching making it a must if they were crazy enough to run across the grounds and do cartwheels without shoes protecting their toes.

“Should we read them together?”

Vera sat down next to Marigold with a plop of her own, moving bare legs to sit cross legged as she pulled her journal away from her chest. She gave it a quick look with a little smile, fingertips moving across the golden lines of the engraved sun and moon across the cover. She didn’t get her hands on the Brambilla grimoire, having forgotten it back in her room in Surrey, but her journal filled with ancient spells, astrological notes, transits, aspects, and moon phases would be enough: she was an astrological enthusiast who had been waiting for this certain cosmic night, after all. Vera looked up to the glimmering sky with fascination, golden hues sparkling the same way the sky did as she scooted closer to Marigold.

“Yes,” she said, pulling her cloak closer to her frame. “Unless you want to read why I believe Pisces men can be ghouls.”

Marigold’s answering snorts filled the almost eery silence. There were no crickets, and Mother Earth had tucked her children in for the coming months. Since it was the witching hour, you couldn’t even hear hoots from the Owlery travel by wind.

She traced the spine of the white magic cookbook her mother planned to pass down. Thora Van Zon was a Muggleborn, so her grimoire wasn’t filled with centuries of spells or knowledge; only things she had learned and experienced in this lifetime. She was grateful her mother had owled it to her. Ruby was jealous, but her mother said her little sister wasn’t old enough to mess around with this kind of magic.

A lone shooting star sprinted across the sky, breaking up the black and lighting up Marigold and Vera’s faces.

Vera’s face gleamed with a sudden light. It was so subtle, and it had only lasted a second— perhaps it even lasted less than just a second, but Vera was beaming. It only meant one thing.

A starry eyed witch met the starry night with a breathless giggle, watching how many little stars winked at them both with their sisters and brothers following behind in a cosmic play.

A look of awe formed on Marigold’s face, her heart skipping a beat as the sky rained down sparkles. She grabbed Vera’s hand and pulled her wand from her pocket.

“Grant me my wish, Shooting star in the sky, Bring me luck as you nigh.”

The tip of her wand lit up from her mother’s incantation.

The wood of Vera’s wand felt serene as she pulled it out from her shorts’ pocket, eyes glued to the many shooting stars above their crowns. The part vampire really thought she was going to calculate the stars under their gleaming light. She really thought when she couldn’t even bear the thought of tearing her eyes away from the falling stars.

Dainty fingers intertwined with Marigold’s, the hand that held her wand flipping through the pages of her little journal, current grimoire of Vera Brambilla to find her wishing incantation.

She held her wand up and took in a breath.

“Star light, star bright, Let thy magic interweave, I wish I may, I wish I might, On you thy must enchanted night.”

Her wand drew an unfinished star upon the breeze of the night, finishing it with a little spiral that started to beam a light from the point of her wand, the glittery light shining upon the porcelain of her face.

Marigold closed her reddish mahogany hued eyes, and Vera closed her golden eyes at the same time.

“I wish to be best friends with Vera Brambilla forever.”

“I wish to be best friends with Marigold Van Zon forever.”

And then they were standing, dancing, spinning underneath nature’s disco ball. When the last shooting star shot across the sky, the two witches hugged each other.

Hogwarts Castle cast its shadow onto the grounds; the night sky forgot what transpired. But Marigold and Vera wouldn’t. Maybe that was the true magic.

#wizard:students #wizard:hogwarts #┊ ― ❛ thread : watch me set the tone !#┊ ― ❛ featuring : goldie !#I FINALLY FINISHED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!#insert megaphones speakers or whatever they are called emojis HERE

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cathygeha · 3 years

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REVIEW

First Fate by Kendall Talbot

Waves of Fate #1

Desperate situations bring out the best and worse qualities of humans and this story provides both. An Electromagnetic Pulse can occur naturally with a solar flare or when too close to a lightning strike but can also be manmade, intentional, and used to debilitate one’s foes in times of war. Doomsday worriers have backup plans for end of world scenarios but on the Rose of the Sea cruise ship nobody was prepared for the EMP that struck and all that happened afterward. As the first book in a new series the cast of characters are all presented with their good and bad traits and some backstories. Who will live and who will die? What doe people truly value when in dire circumstances? Who will rally to the cause and who will give up?

What I liked:

* Madeline: a survivor that has overcome much, has a strong will to live, does not give up, and may have found a love to stand by her forever.

* Sterling: a teacher, surfer, nice guy, ditched at the altar, on his honeymoon alone, stalwart, supportive and he may have found his potential future mate in a bad situation.

* Gabby: mother, wife, journalist, selfish but perhaps grows and sees the world differently after her life changes so drastically.

* Max: father, business owner, athlete, calm, caring, giving, and perhaps more than his wife Gabby realizes.

* Gunner, Sykes, and other crew members that survived. I am guessing each will show up more in future books in the series.

* The way that some of the survivors pulled together.

* That there happened to be a physician that survived…they definitely needed her.

* The pace and writing that were intense, graphic, and made me feel I was there.

* Thinking about what I might be able to do now to be better prepared for a worst-case scenario like this.

* That it was almost like watching a movie…it would adapt well to that medium.

* Wondering what will happen next…

What I didn’t like:

* Zon: a bit of a crazy guy…his childhood sounded intense and horrible but he also ended up not being the best guy in the world…self-centered, me-first, gambler, not very nice BUT he might be redeemable…maybe?

* Knowing that EMP’s are real and that a big one could be devastating.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author/in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

Prepare for a cruise like no other. When an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strikes Rose of the Sea, the pleasure cruise becomes a drifting nightmare. Powerless and desperate, the eleven hundred passengers and crew must face their new reality: No one is coming to save them. The First Mate. When the EMP destroys the captain’s pacemaker, killing him in a heartbeat, Gunner McCrae is thrust into the top position. But no amount of training could prepare him for the savagery of desperate humans and an unforgiving ocean. The Anchorwoman. Gabrielle Kinsella is known for bringing shocking stories to the world. She should be reporting on the headline of the century. Instead she’s fighting for her children’s lives.

The Acrobat. Held captive by a predator as a child, Madeline Jewel found freedom as the ship’s acrobatic dancer. But being trapped in an elevator brings her worst fears back to life.

The Gambler. Zon Woodrow, notorious gator hunter, won his ticket to the cruise in a poker match. But that isn’t the only pot he’s looking to score. With the ship’s security system obliterated, Zon turns his attention to the casino’s vault. And this time, the house won’t win. As resources dwindle aboard Rose of the Sea, the body count continues to rise. Will ordinary people survive an extraordinary disaster? Or will human nature drown them in darkness?

Find out in this gripping disaster/survival thriller.

FIRST FATE is the first book in the Waves of Fate trilogy and is perfect for fans of Matthew Reilly, Tim Tigner, Jack Hunt, A. G. Riddle and Steven Konkoly. And don't worry, there are no zombies.

AUTHOR BIO

Kendall Talbot is a thrill seeker, hopeless romantic, virtual killer, and award-winning author of stories that’ll have your heart thumping from the action-packed suspense in exotic locations and the swoon-worthy romance. Kendall has sought thrills in all 46 countries she’s visited. She’s abseiled down freezing waterfalls, catapulted out of a white-water raft, jumped off a mountain with a man who spoke little English, and got way too close to a sixteen-foot shark. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying wine and cheese with her crazy friends, and planning her next thrilling international escape. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her very own hero and a fluffy little dog who specializes in hijacking her writing time. Meanwhile, Kendall’s two sons are off making their own adventures – look out world. Kendall’s book, Lost in Kakadu won the acclaimed title of Romantic Book of the Year 2014, and her books have also been finalists for Best Romantic Suspense, Best Crime Novel, Best Continuing Series, and Best New Author. I love to hear from my readers! Find my books and chat with me via any of the contacts below: Website: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KendallTalbo... Or you can follow me on any of the following channels: Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/Kendall-Talbot... Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kenda... Newsletter: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/newsl...

#Kendall Talbot #Waves of Fate 1 #NetGalley #Thriler #Suspense #Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)#Disaster at Sea #Survival

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