#pity we only saw him for about 27 seconds rip

[smeg-and-the-red]

I just think he's neat <3

#he was such a fun and eerie villain #pity we only saw him for about 27 seconds rip #red dwarf #mine

[kinrypu]

Nervus

In some dirty old book said about a certain imperial citizen - Ichabod Vailent. Day 3, Second seed - He probably was died of a fever, with some strange symptoms. They were similar to something like serpentine dementia. The local priestess Odri, his nurse, wrote: ( Day 25, Rain’s Hand ) «Master Vailent more emaciated in last time. He doesn't speak much now, and looks at anyone somehow... not kindly» ( Day 27, Rain’s Hand ) «It gets worse every day. At first he completely refused go to the temple, and now I had beg him to take the medicine for an hour. I have never seen such a terrible heat, master eat with difficulty...» ( Day 29, Rain’s Hand ) «He claims that lose teeth, but new will surely grow in their place, completely different. Just need to rip out them, as he put it – excess. Hot delirium. Calmed him with big luck» (Day 1, Second seed) «Vailent is delirious again. He screamed that his skin was covered with fish scales and it needs to be rip off urgently. I had to tie his hands, so sorry for him» (Day 3, Second seed) «I only went away for a couple of hours! Merciful Mara, and his body is already quite cold. I just wanted to close the master's eyes, but Ichabod… Ichabod smiled. So snide. I have never seen anything more creepy then that in my life» (Day 4, Second seed) «Vailent’s body was lost this morning. We wanted to perform the last ceremony, but the coffin was empty. The brother shouted about vampires, the handmaid begin to talk about necromancers and other blasphemers. The lost dead was discovered by the guard only on evening. In the city pond. Face down. Someone just dumped the body there… »

Ha-ha! What a nonsense, isn’t it? How can someone be dead who right now, in front of my eyes, walks imposingly along overgrown flower beds and dilapidated benches. Lives dubiously healthy on Drowned Street. From sewer canal up stairs (I don't remember exactly which of the twelve). On left, near a small fountain depicting a wounded Baliwog. A fancy carved gate with a large knocker, the ring of which is gripped by a predatory fish. Here is just another name carved above them. Nervus Delirium. Remember? And now forget it, you don't need this. We definitely not go to visit him. Oh, how long has he been here? Lost in time. The walls are crumbling, reshaping and them are being erected again. Although there is no difference, people get stuck in every sense here. I remember how we met, he always chatted about how someone once forbade levitation. My friend is a nasty man, like many who exist so miserable. A week earlier, honestly, I saw this piranha at the ball. He got into a knive-fight and came out the winner. Yes, they beat him well. It's a pity, the frock coat was so beautiful. Stains cannot be removed, what a shame. Suits fit so well on everyone, no matter who says otherwise. Tall, thin, always keeps so-o straight. Step by step heard how chains is strumming. A lovely sight! Not immediately notice but only porridge remained in the skull. He is not cheerful person, I assure you. You would prefer not to see such gentlemen at all. He spoiled all the fun with his sour face! Why do we keep inviting him? I, uh, dunno. Sometimes he comes. He almost always comes. I don’t know about the others, but I’m just glad! We have a lot of time, the poor fellow must while away, right? Oh, are you wondering… what is he doing now? I’m not a chatterbox, certainly ( try not to be ) but it's really so interesting. Have you seen the skinned mongrel outside the walls? And ON the walls? Or IN..? Should be. Can you imagine do the same things with rats? Scary and vile creatures. But he always love scary and vile creatures, so he got himself one. Hilarious. By the way, not a villain. The Fish loves the strange and interesting things, does not shy away from the walls, the saber is with him. Once I picked up a tiny tadpole in the swamps. Under human care, he quickly grow up into a hefty fat Grummite. This toad, I'm sure, eats a lot more than poor Nervus. Gave nickname Buben. Cutie-Buben. Comedy! I have no idea how it got into his strange head. Well, the soul of another is a dark forest.

And now we are behold the fallen, frozen and exhausted man! (but somewhere inside of his soul so-o happy) And what his name was not important. No one will remember anymore. Blessed, like what surrounded him. Hey! Is someone else listening to me? I see! Now would you like to chat with him?! Well, please. Tell Fish you can't swim.

#The Elder Scrolls #tes #shivering isles #OC #oblivion #Daedra #sketch

[viinchester]

Prompts

How/What to request

Please comment or send an ask with the number of the prompt(s) you want + the character + more details you want to be included. I'm feeling really creative right now, so I might be able to do some of your requests.

-

1. "Did you bring us here to die?" - "Obviously." - "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

2. "You.. You are-.." - "Beautiful? A genius? Immensely talented?" - "Dangerous."

3. "All that blood looks good on you, it really brings out your eyes."

4. "You keep on pointing that gun at me and blabber about how much you've been wanting to kill me. I'm beginning to doubt your commitment."

5. "Remove your hand or I will rip your arm off and beat you to death with it."

6. "I don't care if you're panicking - just do it quietly."

7. "How long have you been standing there?" - "Longer than you'd like."

8. "Keep your morals away from me."

9. "When did you become so smart?" - "Since I stopped listening to you."

10. "I remember kissing you.. Why do I remember kissing you?"

11. "I was just kind of hoping that you'd.. y'know.. fall in love with me."

12. "Well, that didn't end the way I expected it to, but at least nobody important died."

13. "You're going to have to tell people you're leaving eventually." - "Yeah, but how should I do it? Shall I shout it from the rooftops or send a mass e-mail?"

14. "I have never been so insulted!" - "You don't listen much then, do you?"

15. "What are you doing?" - "… Eating." - "We're being held hostage and you decide to raid the kitchen!?" - ".. They didn't say the fridge was off limits."

16. "Come over here and make me."

17. "I have a name and it's not sweetheart."

18. "I wouldn't miss you. Nobody would." - "..." - "No, wait! I didn't-" - "Fuck off, I hate you."

19. "I really wish you were never born." - "Well, me neither. But.. life be like that sometime." - ".. You're an idiot, you know that?"

20. "I'm dying and you can't do anything about it, so please just hold me. I don't want to die here alone.."

21. "You're bleeding! Where's your friend!?" - "Left me to die to save their own ass. Guess you were right, I really am not worth it."

22. "Did you really think I cared about you?"

23. "This is what I get from trusting you.. Everybody told me to stay away from you, but I ignored them.." - "Yeah, that was really stupid. You should've known better. And for the record: I don't regret anything."

24. "You lied to me! Everything you ever did.. It was all just a game to you!" - "You found out? What a shame.. I kind of enjoyed playing with you."

25. "This is a joke, right? Right!?"

26. "What are you doing?" - "Just what's long over due."

27. "I'm a monster." - "You know you're not."

28. "Listen, I believe there's good inside of you somewhere.. Just.. Just put that knife down, okay?"

29. "Sometimes you need to make your sarcasm more clear."

30. "Oh crap. That's your »I did something bad«-face."

31. "This never happened. Understood?"

32. "Can't you be happy for me for just five minutes?"

33. "You don't give a damn about me!" - "Frankly, I do give a damn about you, my dear."

34. "Innocent until proven guilty, my friend."

35. "You did what!?"

36. "I know I'm very drunk, but I want to kiss you so bad.." - "Excuse you?"

37. "Are you done?" - "Depends."

38. "I should hate you, but all I feel is love!" - "Well, I have that effect on people."

39. "I didn't do it." - "Then why are you laughing?" - "Because whoever did it is a genius."

40. "Was it really necessary to hit me with the corpse's leg?" - "Necessary? No. Hilarious? Yes."

41. "Oh, you're still alive." - "Don't sound so disappointed, I might begin to think you don't like me."

42. "Hold on, you died!" - "Yeah well, it didn't really stick."

43. "I think I'm having a feeling. How do I make it stop?"

44. "This is a beautiful place." - "What a shame you came from so far away to destroy it, right?" - "Not really."

45. "I don't like how that ended. Let's pretend it never happened." - ".. Life doesn't work like that." - "It does now."

46. "I didn't-.. I didn't mean to! This wasn't what I wanted!"

47. "Do you feel any remorse for what you did to them? For what you did to me?"

48. "Please, you have to let me make this right!"

49. "How long are you going to keep on blackmailing me?"

50. "This is going to sound controversial, but I think that went well."

51. "You know, you're adorable when you're mad." - "I could literally kill you."

52. "Well, this is a nice change of scenery." - "It's a prison cell." - "I was being sarcastic."

53. "Run! Run away as long as you got the chance!" - "Run away from what!?" - "From me!"

54. "Rumour has it, I make you nervous."

55. "I can't focus with your damn hand in my- ah.. Oh…"

56. "How are you mad at me, when I'm the one with the broken arm!?"

57. "Well, shit. I'll need a fucking lawyer."

58. "Are you enjoying the party?" - "Party? This isn't a party." - "Not until somebody almost dies."

59. "FUCK! You scared the shit out of me!"

60. "Don't. Move."

61. "You're bleeding on my carpet."

62. "Excuse me, but whoever stood you up is an idiot and a jerk."

63. "Call me that one more time and you'll see what happens."

64. "It's pitch black in here and I can still see you're blushing."

65. "Am I supposed to be scared of you?"

66. "Murder is kinda against the law, you know?"

67. "Bend over."

68. "Beg for it."

69. "I'll make sure you never see them again."

70. "If you relaxed, it wouldn't hurt so much."

71. "There you are. Did you really think you were gonna escape?"

72. "I love you, I love you so much and I'll make sure you feel the same." - "You-.. You are insane.."

73. "Let me out of here! You're a fucking psychopath! I won't ever bend to your will!" - "Now, why did you have to make me mad by saying something so inconsiderate?"

74. "See, now was that so bad?" - "We're in the hospital, you idiot!" - "Yeah, but we could be dead instead, so I consider us lucky."

75. "How do you even sleep at night?" - "Oh, just like a baby."

76. "It'd be a shame if I had to damage that beautiful face.."

77. "Stop struggling. It doesn't have to be painful."

78. "I killed my own blood. What do you think I could do to you?"

79. Person A is wrapped in christmas lights, their body bound tightly to the chair they're sitting on. Person B comes in and grins. "Oh boy, I must've been good this year."

80. "Why don't you ever listen to my orders!?" - "I don't like being told what to do."

81. "I'll go easy on you."

82. "You don't look like a professional criminal.." - "Oh sorry, let me just.. grab my Ted-Bundy-Mask and put on some bloody gloves."

83. "You don't have to stay. I understand."

84. "You don't have to fight me."

85. "Watch me."

86. "You make a sound and it's game over."

87. "I'm like 75% sure this isn't going to kill us."

88. "Uhm, I don't think kidnapping is legal.. So if you could just let me go, that would be great."

89. "Please, I'm begging you.. I will do anything!" - "Anything, you say?"

90. "Cooperate with me and nobody will get hurt."

91. "Shoot him/her. Or I shoot you."

92. "I'm not going to kill you, Y/N. You will kill yourself."

93. "Your life is completely in my hands, so don't test my boundaries."

94. "Why are you crying?"

95. "I could help you, but it will cost you."

96. "Oh, you mean you need.. this antidote?"

97. "Go ahead and pray. See what good that does for you."

98. "What did you do to them!?"

99. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

100. "Complain all you want, but hurry and help me hide the body while you're at it!"

101. Person A to Person B: "There's no way in hell I'm doing that!" *Five seconds later* Person B to Person A while watching them do it: "You were saying?"

102. "They don't make a card saying »Sorry for almost bleeding out on your two thousand dollar couch and completely ruining it«, so I got you this instead."

103. "I didn't ask you, because I knew you were going to deny. And I don't need your fucking permission to do anything!"

104. "I am the only thing standing between you and all those people out there wanting to kill you, so I strongly suggest you stop pissing me off."

105. "Why is everbody running around like the city's on fire? What did I miss?"

106. "Alright, so I'll do this ridiculous thing you asked me to do, but in exchange you'll have to come to family-dinner with me and pretend to be my boyfriend/girlfriend, because I've kinda been lying to my family about being in a relationship to get them off my back and now they want to meet my partner."

107. "That's a terrible thing to carve into a tree."

108. "This is definitely not as charming as you might think."

109. "But that wasn't the fucking question, was it?"

110. "You take me instead! Do you hear me? Give her/him/them back and take me instead!"

111. "You know I hear you talking, but I still don't have my coffee."

112. "Take one more step and I'll snap her pretty little neck."

113. "This is real. You're real, I'm real.. I need you to come back to reality with me."

114. "You shouldn't have seen that."

115. "Whatever you do, don't make a sound."

116. "I'd rather be spitting blood."

117. "You can't have her and it's killing you inside."

118. "I could hear you screaming, are you alright?"

119. "I was made to destroy. Not to fix or repare, but to break."

120. "I know how this goes. First, you buy me a drink, then you tell me how pretty I look and at the end of the night, you'll ask for my number."

121. "I'm drunk and I hate everything.. Wait, lemme correct myself, I hate everything but you."

122. "Put the gun down, please. You're starting to scare me.."

123. "I'm right here. I've been here all along. Please, just.. see me."

124. "Stop looking at me with pity in your eyes. Stop it. Stop fucking looking at me like that!"

125. "You took adventage of me when all I did was help you. Others would've left a long time ago, but I kept on believing in you. But you only ever saw me as an opportunity to get what you wanted.."

126. "You really don't know how to talk to women, do you?" - "There was no need to until now!"

127. "You already know how this will end. It always ends with my blood on your hands. I've come to terms with it, you should get used to the idea too. After all, you can't change destiny."

128. "If you want to keep me away, then tell me a lie that will hurt me so deep I'll never want to see you again." - "I love you."

129. "Go ahead, underestimate me. That will be fun."

#Prompt #Prompts #request #reader #requests #masterlist #quotes #not my prompts #fandom #fanfic #ff #oneshot #oneshots #imagine #imagines #idea #ideas #ask #asks #x reader #series #character #characters #angst #love #fluff #smut #lemon #writer #writing

[captainderyn]

Day 27: The Black Gates

Prompt number: 26.“ Can you wait for me?”

Fandom: LOTRO

Rating: Gen

Warnings/Tags: N/A

Read on AO3

---

“Can you wait for me?” He’d asked her, when they’d still been within the safe walls of Minas Tirith, when she had been doing the straps of her armor, while she’d twisted her hair up as he’d seen her do millions of times over. 

With a hole of dread eating away at him, even as he handed her her shield. “Please, wait for me. On the other side of this battle.” 

He was being kept aside, kept with the healers out the outskirts of the fighting to treat what was sure to be a bloodbath. Wulfwryn wasn’t so lucky. To throw her in front of the Black Gate made him feel sick to think about, brought shivers to his hands and cold dread blocking his throat. 

Taking her shield from him, she reached her other hand, the metal of her gauntlet cold against his skin, to rest against the side of his face. “I’m going to try.” and through she smiled it didn’t meet her eyes. She wouldn’t be giving him baseless promises. 

He didn’t want her baseless promises, not really. Ducking his head down he pressed a firm kiss to her lips even as the clanging bell calling them all to to the formations of war until finally he found the courage to let her go. 

Yet when they split beneath the gate of the White City, one to the throng of armored men and woman forming, one to the desperately small grouping of healers, it was with a sort of reluctance. 

“I’m going to see you again.” Wulfwryn said firmly, pulling her helm on, the shadow of it hiding her eyes. “I will.” 

“Fight well. Remember to wait for me. I’ll be here.” Raenor called in return before her back was turned and she was marching off to formation. Struggling to take a breath deep enough to calm his pounding heart, he watched her until he could see her no more. 

--

Wulfwryn was drowning. In the feeling of bodies crashing around her, crashing into her. In the foul stench of Mordor’s endless army, in the sulfuric, acrid wash of Mount Doom’s waste across the battlefield. 

She had been on the front lines, had heard every line that her rightful king had used to rally them, only for any organized lines to crumble within moments of the fighting’s start. They were surrounded, that much she had heard shouted. They kept coming, she heard in her ear. 

The ground was hard beneath her back when something slammed into her with all the force of a galloping horse, stealing all of her breath and making darkness dance in front of her eyes. A slavering orc, looming above her, drove its ragged sword down towards her. Feet swarmed on either side of her, someone’s booted heel knocking into her helm, blocking her in and panic flared within her for a split second before she thrust her sword up in hopes of at least batting it away. 

When that bought her a second’s time she drew on what strength she had and surged to a crouch, just enough to dispose of the creature in front of her. It fell, shrieking and hissing, only for another body--one of her fellow men--to crash into her, sending her back to the ground. 

It was dead weight on top of her and as she pushed the armored figure off of her blood slicked her armor, pulsing from a wound to his exposed neck. Though she was no stranger to fighting, the sight still brought a muffled shriek crawling up her throat. 

All around her there were people in similar states, motionless as she staggered to her feet, the screams and sobs of wounded and dying men audible over the clang of swords and shields. 

She didn’t get more than a moment to breath before creatures swarmed to her, another filling to spot of each body she cut down. It was endless, she could feel her arms shaking and her legs trembling. 

The trembling in the ground was the only sign before the screams that a troll, big and vicious and armored, had broken through their lines. For a long moment between her own fighting she couldn’t see what it was doing, couldn’t see the body it threw aside until she saw white flash of the Tree of Gondor, the flutter of red beneath a cloak. 

“No!” Her voice sounded frenzied, broken to her own ears as she threw herself through lines of their enemies, shouldering through the gridlock of fighting. It did her no good, the fighting was too thick, the ground uneven with fallen orcs and men alike. “My king!” 

What were they to do if he had fallen? If Gondor’s new line of kings had ended before it had even been able to take root? What was she to do if she lost a friend on this battlefield? A faithful ally that she had fought for and alongside? 

A furious desperation poured newfound strength into her arms, driving her sword through enemies with vicious intent. She made it a only a few, pitiful paces forward before an inhuman roar echoed across the battlefield, stopping the fighting in its tracks. Before her eyes the tower that had loomed, tall and dark, began to crumble, the glowing mass atop it falling with it until flickering out in a cloud of ash and dust. 

There was a brief moment where victorious shouts echoed around her, a cruel moment granted of celebration before it turned to shouts and terrified screams once again. 

Mordor’s army was fleeing in the wake of Mount Doom splitting itself apart behind them, spewing lava and fire and shaking the ground beneath their feet in a violent tantrum. Fleeing into the broken line of the Men of the West. 

Eyes going wide, she cast about from side to side but there was nowhere for her to go. She didn’t stand a chance when the first heavy bodied orc hit her, shouldering past in its haste to run. 

Armored boots hit her armor, crushed across her as she fell, battering her world into a dark nothingness that dulled even the pounding of feet. 

--

“Easy, easy,” The sky was grey above her, ash raining down on her face as she stared blankly up for several breaths. 

Breaths. She could see. She could feel her breath, painful as it was, taste the sharp tang of blood in her mouth. 

A hand was pressing down lightly on her shoulder. “We weren’t sure you were going to make it and without the healers...” 

“Healers?” she murmured, trying still to take her fragmented thoughts and piece them together into a whole. Her body hurt. Each breath hurt. Why would Raenor be talking about the healer if he was one?

“Mordor’s creatures reached the healer’s encampment during the main battle. Laid waste as far as we’ve heard.” 

Everything came rushing in in sharp clarity. It was a woman’s voice talking to her, her delicate hand on her shoulder. The healers--

A pained shout was ripped from her in the violent way she sat up, rippling through her with enough force to make her keel to the side, squeezing her eyes closed. No, no she needed to go! She needed to find him! 

“Please, lay still--” 

“No!” Wulfwryn barked out between ragged breaths. She needed--she had to--

Breaking the woman’s hold on her shoulder again she forced herself to her feet, staggering and listing forward until she almost found herself pillowed on the ground once again. “I need--” she gasped futility, trying to find her bearings as the world swam around her. 

It was that way, she knew it was, and though each step felt as if it were taken with blocks tied to her feet and the world blurred around her she chose a direction she swore was right and pushed with all the strength she had towards it. 

He couldn’t be, he couldn’t be.

She saw the smoke first, rising from the circle of supplies and tents they had tried to prepare. Motionless bodies scattered across the ground, stillness settling across the one place that should have been untouchable. 

He was supposed to be safe. 

A wordless moan preceded the agony building like a violent pressure in her chest as she stumbled closer to the wreckage. Her vision swamp in front of her, blurring the destruction in front of her into formless lumps of color. 

Three steps more and her knees buckled, her heart plummeting down with them. There was no one there. Only smoke and lifeless bodied, her Raenor with all of his eternal grace spilled crimson across the ground. 

Oh how she yearned for that darkness now to slip her back into it’s loving arms, to take her away from this. Anything but this, anything bit the pain that wracked her body and the agony that was strangling her mind and heart. 

How could she have let him stay? How could she have led him here? 

A steady noise was building in her ears, a ringing that drowned out all else. Someone was touching her shoulder, gently shaking it and then a shadow was in front of her eyes, a figure falling down in front of her. 

Raising her eyes, a ragged sob broke from her, even as her hands reached up. Brushing across a familiar face, brushing past the blood that had crusted beneath his noise and over the bruise that was forming dark on his cheekbone. 

His mouth was moving, his hands warm as they cupped her face, but she couldn’t hear his words from the pounding of her heart. Giving a little shake of her head she surged forward, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. 

When his arms wrapped around her, tightly enough that her wounded body protested, and nestled his face in her hair, her world came rushing back and though words wouldn’t come to her through the tears that choked her, he seemed to understand, his arms tightening slightly around her. 

Beneath her cheek, she felt his own shoulders begin to shake and she clung to him all the tighter. 

She wasn’t going to lose him. Not today. 

#my writing #fictober19 #fictober #lotro #lotro fanfiction #oc: Wulfwryn #oc: Raenor #otp: sing to me softly #I actually dont know what happens in LOTRO at this point #I just want them at the Battle of the Black Gate #also I want to rewrite this when I have more time #and really dig into what it must have been like to be in that battle #because if you watch it...its a shitstorm #and I was only able to slightly tap on that here

[absolute-barbarism]

Rain and Shine (yet another self indulgent OC whumpfic)

(Read here on AO3!

Seth and Danny have been taking care of Cas' daughter all night. When he finally comes home, she's not the only one they have to look after.)

Babysitting was a task ill suited to the two 27 year old children that were Castiel's most trusted employees. But due to a too recent death following a recent adoption, time and money didn't allow for Mary Poppins. Instead it was Seth and Danny at his disposal, occasionally Charles or Jolene when they were looking to skip real work, only to be reminded of the cruel reality that handling Alice was more work than handling a PCP rage or hostage negotiation. Battling her over bedtime this night was a little mixture of both, although by little after one in the morning, she had managed to remain silent in her room for more than half an hour. Neither were keen on risking the creak of the bedroom door to check in on her.

"Is it dumb to say I thought babysitting might involve more, like...sitting down?" Unlike Danny, still rigidly seated upright in the rocking chair despite having been in Castiel's house more often than his own apartment, Seth was sprawled out on the couch like he'd just gone ten rounds with a four-foot ninja. Which wasn't exactly wrong. "She acts like a little angel whenever Cas brings her into the station. What gives?"

"Separation anxiety?" Danny suggested.

"Anxiety my ass, you saw the grin on her face when she ripped my favorite T-shirt. Even Claire never caused this much trouble whenever my mom left me in charge."

"She was also a teenager."

"You weren't this rambunctious when you were Alice's age."

Danny scoffed, tipping his head back against the cushion of the chair with his eyelids dipping closed. His smile was infectious; Seth grinned back and peered over the arm of the sofa.

"What's so funny?"

"You definitely were."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was not times infinity times infinity times a thous-" The front door opened without warning. Both of them straightened up, Danny as much as he could in the position he was already in, and with every fiber of their being they prayed Alice wouldn't wake from the noise and make all their hard work look like nothing. At least Castiel had the sense to come home quietly when she was supposed to be in bed.

He usually had that sense. This time around, he let the door shut hard behind him and ditched his coat onto the floor, too literally wrapped up in his own arms to bother hanging it on the rack. For a man who kept his heart in the back of his sock drawer, he sure wore it on his sleeve now. Visibly distressed, he stumbled into the coffee table as though a thin layer of ice covered his skin and kept him from moving well, although under the light once he properly entered the living room, that didn't look too far off.

Danny said, dumbfounded, "You're soaked."

By now they knew him well enough to be prepared for a mild "Thank you, I hadn't noticed" in return. That was exactly what caught them unprepared when he said nothing at all beyond a simple nod, determined to get his shoes off before his socks froze themselves onto his feet. The task was just as hard as he made it look. Because his fingers were painful to move, he could only helplessly shuffle out of them and nearly hit his back against the wall in the process, thankfully steadied by Danny once he'd broken out of his astonished trance.

The save was sadly irrelevant. Whether they already made too much commotion or Alice simply sensed that her father was finally home, she was up and out of bed in seconds, dashing down the stairs calling "Daddy! Daddy!" like they wouldn't have heard her already. The moment Castiel lifted his gaze from his shoes, Seth already had his hands up in defense.

"We had her in bed. She's just a light sleeper," When Castiel still hadn't spoken a word, he added over his shoulder, "Go n' grab him something dry to wear. The hell happened to you?" Alice's yelling had stopped, but her excitement hadn't. She watched the two from behind Danny's leg until he left to find a a clean shirt, then stood herself in front of them with the presence of a first responder to an emergency.

"Did he get shot in his femoral artery?" Then, tugging on Seth's sleeve, "Hey, is my dad gonna die?"

"Good vocab for a six year old, amiright?"

Castiel switched out his dry sweatshirt from Danny graciously, mumbling a thank you that got lost between the hoarseness of his throat and stuffiness of his voice. "I missed my train. The car's in the shop, so I took one to work and I thought I could make it back by its last run but I'd completely forgotten to file my last report, and by the time I got to the station, it was down for the night. I couldn't call anyone because my cellphone battery was dead and I didn't have my charger on me, so I just walked home."

Uncertainly, Seth said, "Yeesh, take a breath."

"You walked all this way in the rain? Why didn't you at least go back to the office and get someone there to drive you?"

"I just..." Castiel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...I didn't feel like it. I just wanted to get home as soon as possible."

"Cover him with blankets! He'll get frostbite!" Alice ran out to grab the whopping two woolen throws her little arms could carry and brought them back with her eager expression quickly diminishing. He hadn't been shot, but the solemn weight that hung in the air was making her uncomfortable, enough to know it was time to be quiet. Cautiously, she wrapped the two blankets over Castiel's shoulders after Danny had led him over to the couch to sit, looking to her two sitters for guidance if not some kind of explanation she could understand.

It was too silent for anyone's comfort. When even Danny wanted to speak up just to banish the oppressive tension, something had to be sincerely wrong. But Castiel stayed quiet like he didn't even notice, and crushed under all his exhaustion probably didn't, until Alice took it upon herself to crawl into his lap. His frown cracked from an amused laugh as he stood her up by the shoulders, feet balancing on his thighs.

"Were you sleeping?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"You promise you were?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"That's my girl. You gotta go back to bed now, though."

Alice gave a sour look and sat herself down stubbornly onto his lap again, but she was no match. Castiel scooped her up and made the trip upstairs, thankfully without slipping over his soaked pant legs, and had disappeared up there for over twenty minutes before Seth and Danny had to wonder how long saying goodnight could take before it became counter-intuitive to actually sleeping.

He came back down in dry clothes soon enough, but with no one left to put a smile on for or make him smile, it was clear just how beaten down he felt. Whatever had him this tired, it couldn't be chalked up to this one bad night alone. When he took his seat on the couch again, at the very least hoping to stay put for a while, he thought he might have fallen asleep on the spot before Danny came in from the kitchen with a mug in his hand. "I shouldn't-"

"It's just tea," Danny assured him. "It'll warm you up."

The heat from the mug seeped into his palms with a warmth he wanted to sink into entirely, but he couldn't. His body was frigid and he didn't have the energy to thaw himself, or so much as move anymore. Seth gave an awkward laugh, saying to him, "You scared the shit outta us when you came in. I thought we were gonna have to ward off some kinda icicle monster."

Castiel whispered, "This would be so much easier if Maggie was still here..."

Silence loomed over them again. Where Danny stood motionless, parting his lips with nothing truly helpful to say, Seth recoiled from the shared pain but shook his head.

"Don't talk like that," he insisted, "You can't. It's not gonna do anybody any good." Whether Castiel believed him or not, he couldn't just not think it. She always knew what to do no matter how hard things got, and dear lord things had gotten hard. If he could talk to her just one more time, even that would be enough. But he couldn't. He couldn't talk to her, he couldn't warm up from this biting cold and he didn't know if he could keep going like this. "We're still here, right? And we're gonna get through all'a this together, ain't we?"

It took too long for Castiel to nod convincingly. Seth heaved a sigh and went to wrap another blanket over his shoulders, patting them a little too harsh. "It's not like you're doing a bad job, Cas. It's hard, but...that's what we're here for. Me n' Danny and just about everybody else, we're not about to let you freeze yourself to death in the rain or quit sleepin' cold turkey."

"Speaking of which, it's late," Danny mentioned. "You ought to at least try to sleep."

The very idea of it made Castiel skeptical- he wasn't able to sleep well before he had a kid- but if he was going to collapse into a pity party, he might as well do it lying down. Supported by Danny's arm around his back, he ditched the mess of shoes and mud in the living room and more or less fell onto his bed face-down, instinctively fighting sleep as it slowly crept over him. He turned to his side.

"Did she behave today?"

"She was an angel," Seth said. "Didn't give us any more trouble than she did last time."

"Last time you said you were going to sue her."

"Little less trouble than that today, sir."

Castiel smiled faintly, turning his face into the pillow. He was lost and scared without Maggie, but though she was gone, the rest of his world was sleeping safe and sound upstairs. "She ate all her dinner? Didn't hide her vegetables again?"

"Jesus fucking Christ, you're harder to put down than your own six-year-old. Go to sleep."

Seth didn't need to tell him twice. He'd already started to drift off before he'd finished talking, floating atop a sea of reassurances and doubts.

At least, as was his final thought, he was floating.

#*deep breath* #no...not the castiel from supernatural #OCs #whump #fanfiction #writing #whumpfic #implied illness/injury #that's such a weird tag #i'm high y'all #BACK IN THE WRITING GAME THO W00T

[kookienomster3]

I Want The Headline (Pt. 22)

Written By: suga-of-daegu BTS Fanfiction Angst WARNING: MATURE CONTENT Mafia/Gang

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Yoongi had left Jungkook all alone with you, but it seemed that as soon as he was out of sight, Jin and Jimin were returning with Hoseok. Both men helped him walk, but when Jin’s eyes had found you, he was dropping Hoseok’s arms and sprinting over. Jimin briefly struggled under the weight of Hoseok’s body before righting himself. Jin stumbled to a stop before Jungkook, asking if Yoongi had gotten the bullet out. Jungkook nodded, murmuring that Yoongi had gone off to find Namjoon. Jin reached down to scoop you up and although Jungkook’s first thought was to hold you tighter, he also didn’t want to wake you.

So he had no choice but to let your brother take you.

Jin hoisted you up, calling out that he was heading into the warehouse. You needed treatment immediately and who knows how long Jungkook had just sat there with you in his arms. Shouldering open the doors, he lowered you onto a bed, whirling around to slam and lock the door in Jungkook’s face. The other man hadn’t let Jin take a full step before he was right behind him, eyes darting over your limp arm swinging lifelessly as Jin hurried forward.

At the door being slammed and locked in his face, Jungkook blinked.

And then he screamed.

His hands curled into fists, pounding on the door as he tried to force it open. “Let me in!” Jin set out medical supplies, briefly glancing to the door rattling on its hinges,

“Go away, Jungkook!” He snapped, “I can take care of my sister myself!” He ripped open gauze packages, snapping on some gloves and grabbing a second medical kit searching for more gauze. Outside, Jungkook had gone silent and Jin thought he had given up until he heard his soft voice,

“You can’t do shit for her.”

Your older brother’s ears perked, “What?” Did Jungkook- Jungkook the murdering, high school dropout- just call him incompetent in caring for his own family? Jin had set down the medical supplies, turning to face the door, “Don’t forget where you’re at, you little shit. Namjoon’s not here to protect you anymore.” He growled, “I’ve seen you with Y/N, how you look at her and touch her. And now that you’re both here, under our jurisdiction, it’s over. You’re not laying another finger on my sister-”

“She loves me.” He retorted flatly, “She told me, in front of Jimin, in front of Yoongi too, that she loves me.” Jin couldn’t do anything. The matter was settled.

Jin calmly returned to treating your wounds, “Give me ten minutes with her and she’ll think otherwise.” He replied calmly, smoothing down your hair, “I know my baby sister better than anyone and she’d never spend the rest of her life with someone like you.”

Jungkook had frowned at this, hand dropping from the doorknob. He angrily stared at the dark wood of the door, “Me?” He echoed. You’d never spend your life with someone like him? “There’s…there’s a lot wrong with me, but she still loves me. You can’t talk her out of that, Jin.” Jin had gotten to him for a second, but Jungkook remained firm. You loved him, you told him so. Nothing could change that..it was just you and Jungkook.

At least he thought so.

“Did you know, before all this, she was about ready to get engaged?” Jin cooed, “Well…her boyfriend had asked my permission and I said yes, he was planning on proposing when she came back from Jeju..but that never happened.” Jungkook furrowed his brows, you had never mentioned a boyfriend. He thought..

He thought he was the only one.

He shook his head, Jin loved mind games. “You’re lying. She never mentioned a boyfrien-” You wouldn’t have let him kiss if you were devoted to another man. He wouldn’t have been allowed to hold you so close or run his moist lips along your smooth skin, breathing in anticipation of what he wanted to do. You wouldn’t have tolerated his half lidded gazes and drunken smiles and taunting touches.

But you had; you loved him. There was no other man.

There was only Jungkook and you.

“Why would she? You’re a psycho murderer; she was probably afraid that you’d kill him.” Your wound was treated and wrapped properly. Now, all you needed to do was get plenty of rest. “They have an apartment together, on the west side of town..he’s probably there, crying and wondering where she’s at.” Jin’s voice quieted, his voice full of confidence, “Why don’t you go see for yourself..?”

He smiled softly to himself, holding your hand comfortingly as the exit doors to the warehouse were shoved open.

Jungkook ran.

He didn’t think; he just knew he needed to see if Jin was lying. So he ran.

And it wasn’t until he had reached the west side of town that he realized he didn’t know where you lived. You had never mentioned and he had never asked. Your life before all of this was a complete mystery to him. Apartments were everywhere, any one of them could have been yours. He angrily kicked at a telephone pole, teary gaze passing over the papers stapled to it.

And he saw your name.

A missing person’s flyer was stapled to the chipped wood, a black and white photo of you looking happier than he’s ever seen you printed onto it. With an arm wrapped around your shoulder, a man smiled back at Jungkook.

He felt sick.

Right there on the sidewalk he vomited, throat burning. You and him; he had wanted a family with you, you had said you never wanted to leave him. He thought he had a future with you.

But you had this man waiting for you and an apartment and a different lifestyle and a good future with a steady income and a cookie cutter home and trivial worries like what kind of cake to make for a special event. None of which you’d have with him. The smile you wore beside that man in the photo was nothing Jungkook had ever saw. He didn’t even think it’d be possible for you to be that happy with him.

But Jungkook needed you.

A number was posted on the paper and a curt plea for any information on your whereabouts to be called in. In a flash of fury, he had dialed the number, angrily shouting the moment it was picked up,

“I love her!”

The man on the other line cleared his throat nervously, “I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong num-”

“Y/N.” Jungkook hissed, “I love her more than you ever would.” He had said it admitted it finally, and the first person who needed to know was that man in the photo. He needed to understand that whatever fleeting emotion he felt for you pale in comparison to how Jungkook felt. Jungkook didn’t just love you, he needed you, he craved you, he desired you.

“Y/N?” The man breathed, “She’s alive!? You..are you the one who took her?”

“No.” Jungkook replied honestly. If he had taken you, he was positive he would have never felt anything for you. The way you two met was crucial to how he had come to feel about you. It was perfect.

“W-Where is she!? Is she alright? Is she safe?” The man had started to cry,“Oh god, she’s alive..I..Thank you! Thank you, so much!! I-I’m Jaehwa, who are you? Where are you? I’ll meet you and we can get Y/N back home safely. I..I don’t have much but I’ll pay you for your help. You’re truly kind, si-”

Jungkook shook his head furiously, “No.” He mumbled, “I’m not kind..I’m not-” Jaehwa was misunderstanding. Jungkook was not some helpful friendly neighborhood watch. He was what the neighborhood watch looked out for. He wasn’t Jaehwa’s friend who was trying to help him recover someone lost. He was taking away from him.

Jaehwa was confused, but still grateful of the call with information on you. He figured Jungkook was shy and needed a little encouragement to reveal the more important details of your whereabouts. “Of course! You’re helping me find Y/-”

“I’m not..I can’t.” He bit out, sinking down to the curb, “I love her..you love her too, but I..I love her more. I need her more than you ever will. I don’t want to give her back to you.” Jungkook could feel the atmosphere of the conversation turn frigid. Jaehwa finally understood.

Jungkook wasn’t his friend.

Jungkook didn’t call to help him.

He called to hurt him.

Jaehwa started to panick,“W-wait, can’t we talk about this? Why would you call me if you weren’t going to give her back? Can I talk to her? She must be so scared.”

“She’s happy with me.” He whispered, “She said she loves me..I want a family with her.”

“She said she loves me too.” Jaehwa argued back, suddenly angry. He couldn’t keep you forever with his sick delusion of you loving him. You were probably so scared, wondering when you’d be free and that hurt Jaehwa to his core. He wanted nothing more than to have you back safely in his arms. “I want a family with her. You should let her choose for herself, not decide that you love her more and keep her! You don’t know how much I love her! You just assume yours is greater!” Jaehwa screamed, “Tell me where my girlfriend is!”

“I almost died protecting her.” Jungkook revealed quietly. Shoulders tensing at Jaehwa underlying challenge. Who loved you the most? Jungkook could do that. He’d win. He’d win every round hands down. Jaehwa had nothing compared to him. “What have you done? Paid for dinner for her?” He snipped, “Held a door open for her? Bought her damn flowers for her birthday?”

Jaehwa spluttered, “I..I’ve done those things, but she likes them. They make her happy. I also-”

Jungkook cut in once more, uninterested in Jaehwa’s pitiful examples of his love for you. “I left my group to follow her and make sure she’s safe. I’ve done everything for her.” He couldn’t top that. There was no way. Now was when Jaehwa admitted defeat and Jungkook could go back to you with his heart at ease.

“Her brother approves of me!”

Jungkook froze,

“What the fuck did you just say?”

Jaehwa was huffing, as if his admittance took all his energy. Sure, Jungkook had done all those things for you, but by how he spoke..he knew that Jin wouldn’t be all for him. If Jin ever met him, that is. “I’ve never met you, but I can just tell over the phone that her older brother Jin would not approve of you-”

Jungkook flung his phone across the street, watching it smash against the wall of a building. He lowered his face into his hands and cried quietly on the curb.

#bts #kpop #BTS suga #BTS jimin #BTS jin #BTS jungkook #bts v #BTS rap monster #bts jhope #btsarmy #bts fan fics #angst #smut #IWTH

[spiritcc]

221B Baker Street

The second series on my marathon list starts now, the motherfuckin Sherlock Holmes from 2013, hoho yeah. 

If you didn’t know, I’m kinda one from the team that has subtitled the entire show, yeah, hi. So yeah, this is kinda big for me, like watching my child perform in a school play. Hell ya ur doin great son. See, dat my boi in the third row screeching on his violin. I’m a proud mama.  

Since a lot of peeps, apparently, are still watching, I have to warn everybody that these posts of mine are going to be really spoiler infested, not just in the context of an episode alone, but for the entire show. As you know, pretty much everything in this series is connected, foreshadowed, referenced and so forth, and I’m still looking for all the details. 

So hell yeah, let’s see what you have, the first episode

For me personally, this is my second to last favorite episode, so I’m not exactly thrilled about this one. If you want to know, so far this is my top:

Halifax

Rock paper scissors

Baskerville Hound

Musgrave Ritual

Mistresses of Lord Maulbrey

Clowns 

221b Baker Street

Holmes’ Last Case

Let’s see how that’s going or not going to change after this marathon, since after all, believe it or not, I haven’t seen the series since somewhere 2014 when we finished subbing it. 

So yeah, during my very first watch, things were kinda messy. Nobody knew what the show was even about back then, nobody knew what to expect, everything was very weird and different and confusing, so I wasn’t particularly excited, but I couldn’t really claim it was as bad as originally thought. Today, things are a bit better, but then again, I’m still not quite thrilled. 

The vibe that get from this episode now is that everything was basically a lot of accidents and coincidences happening together. Here’s Holmes that just happened to be one the same street as Watson when the faithful murder occurred.

Here’s Moriarty (told ya you have to take my spoiler warning seriously), and from what I’ve finally gathered about this case, he had literally nothing to do with it. 

He works as a cabman, that’s fair, he’s setting up stuff for the second episode, but what about this entire case? One dude blackmailing his bae, another dude steals the idea from him. The victim sends a thief after another dude, the original dude sends a hitman after the thief dude. In the end, the thief was victim’s, the hitman was the original dude’s, the original dude had his own thing to do. Where does Moriarty come in here? He doesn’t. The entire brawl was nothing but a personal war between different people, and as a scheme, too small for Moriarty to orchestrate. Logically, it means that this is the only episode where Moriarty was literally minding his own innocent business when he just happened to give a lift to some murderous asshole that landed him in some fucky mess, thanks Holmes for clearing it up. Fucking literally, his presence doesn’t add up to anything, the man was honestly doing nothing wrong and then he got his ass jailed. That is so fucking hilarious if that’s how it went. The fact that Moriarty had to go through a lot even without that is pretty funny by itself, but in the second episode, that was intentional. Here, some ape ass just loaded him into an unexpected fucktruck of shit and escaped. Jesus christ.

That was another, quite unfortunate, coincidence, as now Moriarty got to know Holmes and Watson in their full glory before the show goes down. He proposed Watson his “wife” as a servant - a throwaway courtesy or something more suspicious? No idea.

I was a bit annoyed with Holmes at first, today I notice him the most

Petrenko and Panin have about an equal match of tumblr appreciation between themselves, so I’ve got nothing to complain about, they’re both great and reprise their roles fantastically. If you’re appalled by Holmes, then Watson will win your heart. If you, for some weird reason, do not notice Watson, you’ll surely notice Holmes. Great tandem. 

Lestrade was yet to show himself, but hey, here’s Gregson in the background. And jeez, that’s a cup of tea waiting for Lestrade. It wasn’t just the sixth episode when that came in place, he was always there doing the same embarrassing job. 

These are kinda the little details I’m hunting for. 

Holmes  👌👀👌👀 

Like honestly, you do notice Watson there more at first, but then, after getting to know Petrenko and Holmes more, he’s really giving everything he has. They’re honestly such good actors

The casual feel of this pic is bone chilling 

Foreshadowing details part 2, Watson’s pipes that will become Sherlock’s pipes when he sets up his museum in the last episode 

The plot so far is a bit sporadic, that’s the general mood of the show as it never bothers to elaborate on everything, but I honestly never minded that at all. I don’t know about everyone else, but I always tend to make my own conclusions and move on, since I believe the show leaves enough to let the audience think of things for themselves. Am I wrong? Is it just its laziness? I never thought so. The series never ever drew your attention to the fact that Moriarty’s been there all along - not a single mention of his cabman persona will ever appear. If you don’t rewatch the episodes and pay attention, nobody will for you. And I love it. You know, I think of it as a some kind of elaborate thing. You don’t need exposition, the show assumes you’re not stupid. The show expects you to follow the same path as the heroes, and you don’t get any special treatment since you’re the almighty viewer. All the clues, all the foreshadowing, exposition and the details - it’s all been left in the show already, it’s up to you to notice it all, gather it together and make your own conclusions. Do your own little deductions. 

That’s how I personally think of it and I love it to death. No matter the opinion, the rewatchability goes up to eleven with this approach. 

The show already establishes things about the characters, like Watson’s injuries. As it’s the first episode, nobody so far expects them to stay and everyone will be wrong. But so far, his concussion kicked in and it will not cease till the end of the show.

Like yeah, duh, he’s a soldier and has injuries. Imagine this, they don’t magically vanish after the initial exposition. That kind of shit stays and affects your life. 

Again, Kavun has noticed a very interesting thing about the original stories: ACD’s characters literally do not change throughout the entire journey. They are static, and 27 years old Holmes in the very first story is exactly the same as 60 something Holmes in the very last story. ACD never gave a fuck and that’s no rocket science, but Kavun noticed this anyway, and approached his characters from Dostroevky’s point of view. And that’s so fucking great and you can already see it there - the simple reality the characters are facing with their original backgrounds. 

Weirdo 

Again, foreshadowing part whatever, Mycroft’s face was barely a secret: the pic had identical dudes on it, Watson literally did the face gesture when he saw it. 

I started asking myself the question of why exactly would Watson be interested in Holmes. I thought that it was explained in his journals, so I thought I had this one solved, since you know, considering their constant brawls, it’s kinda surprising he’s still tolerating this shit. But I see it even clearer now, the man is indeed fascinating. He’s very weird, very quirky, piss poor and lives like a pig, but whatever goes in his head is absolutely amazing. Of course that captures Watson’s interests. Of course his adventures draw Watson in. Let’s see what happens next and why everything would escalate to the title of “My Friend Sherlock Holmes”. 

Nerd

Panin did know boxing, so even the real life contrast was obvious: the professional and the man who doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing

That was like the first genuinely enjoyable scene, Holmes learning the art of being a punchbag. You’ve no idea how useful it will be across the series. Somebody protect this man.

Literally not surviving this. The rest of the show was just his dying fantasy as his pitiful soul left his pathetic body into the shadow realm. rip in peace basil rathbone

This scene

I keep telling this and I’m going to repeat myself again, this lady came into SH world way back in My Dearly Beloved Detective and there she is now again. Welcome back or something.   

Fanservice time 

Now, this buff Putin guy’s got some real smooth voice, and I think only because he was actually voiced over. But the dude’s quite enjoyable

Now, Holmes recreating the murder scene is the moment where the episode redeems itself, in my opinion - it was the part where I realised that huh, I can’t really keep accusing it of being bad anymore. Black Peter is apparently a case that many love, but not many adapt on the screen, so that’s nice. The fight was staged very well, Holmes being so into it is incredibly enjoyable to watch, and his narration is just icing on the cake. Plus the music, of course. Followed by a double “no thnx”.  

Watson’s faces go through the roof when they play this entire show out with Roger, the man had just experienced every human emotion in a span of a minute and survived. 

I kinda enjoy that Roger guy because he’s so ugly and ridiculous. And everyone keeps calling him handsome. I could get it in that warning letter because it was Roger blowing his fucking self there, but Holmes? I guess well, his plank is quite low after whatever he sees in the mirror. 

A little tribute to the Soviet series, of course

The style of the frame plus the fireplace glass, the latter was taken straight from the original props of the Soviet series, no joke. 

Of course it’s only a tribute, so the style breaks pretty quickly. As one reviewer said, the Soviet series create a sense of intimacy with those backs-to-the-audience shots, as if we’re listening to a private conversation we were not supposed to peek on. The new series switches to their faces fast, it’s not this type of show. 

I like Holmes’ comment at the end, indeed, when things become personal, nobody cares about social reprimand. Please give the lady her necklace back tho, you ain’t gon wear it anyway. 

Mrs. Hudson, finally.

Her style is on point. I want to see the reaction of people who had no idea she is that young in this series, because for us it’s been no secret ever since the show was announced. If you’d seen the trailer, not even Watson’s proposal was a spoiler anymore, so yeah, for me here, her personality was the only new thing to discover from this scene. Not a bad thing per se, but you know, sometimes I wish I knew nothing about everything so I’d be properly surprised. 

So yeah, the first episode, nothing to comment on, really. I’ve talked a lot about misc stuff, almost nothing about the actual episode, because yeah, not much. The first episodes do tend to be quite expendable because they feature exposition that usually fades as soon as it’s introduced, like Watson’s background and so forth. This is not the case here, of course, but so far, nobody would’ve known. But everything is already here and all the main players have made an appearance one way or the other, so here we go.

The new series. 

#new russian sherlock holmes #marathon notes #221b baker street

[ziggykazenzakis]

i heard medium is a dyieng website so imma drop here all i had there just to have it somewhere

Schedule

12:02  —  Get up slowly, smoke the first cigarette. Find out you’re out of toothpaste.

12:10  —  Watch the new episode of Men Are Important, a show about the world where Men Are Important.

12:32  —  Fall asleep in the middle of Men Are Important.

13:11  —  Wake up nervously, smoke the second cigarette. Eat something.

13:17  —  Download a collection of short stories by someone incredibly obscure, some comic books, bit of contemporary french cinema. Never open downloads.

14:00  —  Go to the store to get groceries and toothpaste, come back with cigarettes, white wine and frozen pizza.

14:23  —  Write post for Community Buzzfeed, titled “28 reasons my God is better than yours”.

16:00  —  Go outside.

17:00  —  Point fingers at journalism majors.

19:27  —  Tell strangers at a bar how comic books and radio are close as mediums.

20:52  —  Get hit in the face.

22:12  —  Come home, write an essay on cultural significance of 400 Blows (never watch 400 Blows). Smoke fourteenth cigarette.

23:49  —  Look in the mirror.

00:28  —  Read Batman comics, open another pack of cigarettes.

01:02  —  Read Batman comics, but ironically.

02:37  —  Think of your own grandeur for prolonged periods of time, do absolutely nothing.

03:58  —  Find the strangest porno possible.

04:49  —  Try to fall asleep, cry silently.

12:02  —  Get up slowly, smoke the first cigarette. Find out you’re out of toothpaste.

bad joke from 2014

a man walks into a bar man drinks and drinks as he tries to drown his sorrow in cheap yet over-priced liquor which is probably watered down too he comes to a realization epiphany, perhaps not even that though because he spent the most of his adulthood trying to shrug off that idea deep back into the ether he comes to a realization that whatever he does is meaningless meaningless beyond the point of comprehension he doesn’t care for dead philosophers mind masturbation nor for the idea of time and space being the same intertwined thing all he knows is that his actions have no impact on the world around him none

after that setup you might expect a cheerful twist or an absurd one nihilism is intensely boring you might think, “it’s not about the journey it’s about the destination, honey” well first of all, don’t patronize me secondly, we can still get back to the base of this anecdote some slapstick comedy, maybe? or salvage the entire thing with some pop-cultural references that y’all hate but pretend to love it’s actually quite an art, to be pretentious whilst talking about Batman of all things

man keeps on drinking he looks up at the tiny TV atop the bar it’s a rerun of some sports game is that what they called? sports games? the whole thing is ridiculous and way past my control over it commentator says, “stop wallowing in self-pity” man is confused he looks to his left he looks to his right he looks right at the screen and gulps a shot of whiskey “that is what you’re doing with your life? little cry-baby anyway, back to you Johnson” “the game is quite a race today, folks…” and the voice trails off barkeep already saw the game he doesn’t care it’s not like there was much to care about in the first place man pays the bill leaves a tip not too much, not too little he goes home he’ll try to forget and he’ll inevitably fail

the bar was called “Huge Sweaty Balls” are you happy now that’s the punchline that’s the joke you’ve been waiting for everything is fucking great

Banned Names

Amir left the subway, avoiding stranger’s gaze, awkwardly tapping into it ever so often, apologizing as much as he can for snow-covered ten gallon hat using only his eyes. Through side streets and backstreets, which lead to crooked steps, which lead to a heavy door, which leads to basement. Hit aperture with his hat, bowed a bit, came in. Through hallway, and must shake hands with everyone, came. “Sorry guys, slept through”, Amir said. “What’s with the hat, did Haggard die?”, said Jim. “I’ve decided, that the band is called Astral Cowboys”.

“No”, said Thrasy. “Why?”, said Amir. “Cause that’s some fucking bullshit. I disagree”, said Thrasy. Thrasy was sure that the might one is the right one. Not many people agreed with him on things but less have tried to argue.

“Your will and we would have been called Wacky Eugenics”, said Amir. “I like it”, said Jim, not expecting spited glances from both sides. “And what would that be, in your idea? Delta Witchhouse?”, said Thrasy. “Nah, pretty casual psychedelics”, said Amir. “Why not just post-punk”, said Jim, fully expecting spited glances from both sides.

“Alright”, said Amir, “Astral Cowboys, gimme something better”. “Heinous Crime”, said Thrasy. “Circumstances”, said Jim. “No, Complications”. “Upvotes From The Underground”, said Jim. “If you won’t take it seriously then shut the fuck up”, said Thrasy. “A Kilo Of Potatoes”, said Jim.

“You got some bad ideas, Astral Cowboys”, said Amir. “Where does this preconception comes from, that you got the final word?”, said Thrasy. “Main vocals, lead guitar, lyrics — who else?”, said Amir. “Richards rules the Stones”, said Thrasy.

“Imma smoke”, said Jim, and left. “And one who dares to think that Astral Cowboys is a good title for anything should not write anything let alone songs”, said Thrasy. “It’s a good title! Intentionally kitsch but comfortable, relaxed, some chick shit, in a good way”, said Amir. “Here’s what’s going to happen”, said Thrasy. “Justice will be accomplished. Great, strong people been showered in mud by the weak, time and time again. Because they were allowed to. We’re going to punk. And it won’t be a riot. It will be anger. My holy mission is to continue what the Ramones started, convinced conservatives and a bunch of beautiful, rare bastards. I’m going to hit you, and you are going to hit the ground, and the band shall be called Circumstances. Or whatever the hell, Jim had some good ideas, but not Astral Cowboys, chief”.

Jim looked at the falling snow under the light of the street lamp. As he was lighting up a cigarette, he thought that he should learn to draw. He opened up a two years old text file on his three years old phone which was titled “bandnames.txt” and contained such as “Damn, A Burger? Don’t Mind If I Do”, “The Whatnots”, “No Weekends” and so on. He added “Ciet Vong”, which put up the file at the top of the list, threw the cig into a snowdrift, and walked back.

Jim walked in on a couple of grown children, trying to wrestle somewhat, and to hit, and not to damage all the appliance around. “How about Homoerotic Subtext? For a band name”, said Jim.

The band was standing and smoking. “We wasted three paid hours without touching the instruments”, said Amir. “Next week, same time?”

et in arcadia ego

looked barely dead and the cats started chewing on my thigh. They are sure that I’m dead, that I have no need for it, and that the still warm flesh is much more enjoyable than dry feed. The screens around blink with bright imagery of sin. Pick up the phone, look at the list of recent calls, which consists of the same number. After a click, beeps, before someone could reply, say “large pepperoni”, tell address, say, that I won’t need the change. Full cats fell asleep under the warm screens. After an hour to the dot, knock on the door. A kid paler than me holds a large white box the content of which is covered in sand round-shaped bread. He left without saying anything with his ten percent tip (cause death isn’t a reason to be uncorteous). Someone vaguely familiar comes in, full of energy, greets, tells how someone somewhere robbed a bank and uploaded the video of it on one of those sites. Says that if you take a city map and connect all the banks and their subsidiaries you’ll see a pentagram made of pentagrams which are made of pentagrams. “Dude, the main problem with you-know-who is that he didn’t transform hell into heaven but just sits there being a cog”, he says. After a brief pause, I say “we gotta call some five acquaintances and play some basketball”. “Good thinking, dude, good thinking. If all’s well we gotta smash some ATM afterwards. I don’t know why people don’t do it all the time, those things don’t look that hardy”, he says. We leave, the weather is perfect.

untitled

Sportscaster screams “verbiage” when I’m on a stroll Decribing empty vistas filled with horny patrols My dead self is my best self mind not in Malcolm’s way Beware of feedback loops every step of the way Give me a reason to leave my poorly assembled set To this very day les tricoteuses make content

Well you have ears and you have eyes Don’t listen to me look at some other guy There’s some courage to be had Writing down history of victorious empty heads It must be side effect of broken sleep patterns Finding rhythm and beauty in fecal matter

Stinging bland colors exorting a laugh Soundbites of worst to offer, what a fun life I’m asking others how to feel Plateauted yet again it’s no big deal When there’s light again over parks and backdoors I’ll try to mute proclivities towards bromide and havenots

My Dear Friends

The only thing here separating a lion and a man is a lousy moat. Jack Drowsey stands alone in Miami Zoo and stares at the animal. The sun is high on this weekday, Jack ignores a text from his boss, the lion looks back at Jack serenely, Jack puts phone on silent when boss calls, the lion yawns and stretches, Jacks turns the phone off when his wife calls. Jack leaves the zoo and gets in a car for which he has a key. Turns the ignition on, rips off BMW Dealership sticker off the glass and drives. He spent four years in Florida and never seen an alligator, but plenty of idiots. When Castro died, he saw a miami cuban and a skinhead hug. He drives among palm trees and potholes and thinks of his childhood in rural California. He had two friends, Barney and Billy. Barney now lives in San Francisco doing “some gay bullshit”, as Jack calls it. Billy died a few years back, OD’d on Xanax. It gets dark as he crosses the state line. Back in Bakersfield, Jack, Barney and Billy had a game. There was this guy everyone called just Dirty who had a real oxy problem. He was about twenty, but no one knew for sure, while Jack and the gang were all thirteen at the time. The goal of the game was as follows: get Dirty in a cage. They had a cage. The game was usually lost, except for that one time, when Billy told Dirty that if he stayed in the cage for an hour, they’d give him twelve dollars. Dirty walked into the cage, the boys locked it and left. From then on, Dirty was the wiser. Jack has been driving for three days straight now. Once, Barney had a Problem, he wanted to enlist. This curly pudgy kid, the kind who listens to Talking Heads, seventeen at the time, decided he had enough. He shaved his head, started running in the morning, talking about some evils from abroad gathering upon our doorstep, with nothing but vile intentions under their brown skins. Jack didn’t really care, he was happy for his friend to lose some weight and get a better chance at getting laid, but Billy was fuming. For three weeks there were constant arguing, until the two stopped talking and shaking hands altogether. Two months later, Jack’s birthday, which he saw as an opportunity to reconcile his buddies. They spent most of the night at the opposite ends of the room until they were drunk enough to get into some altercations. The previously routine arguing quickly turned when Billy yelled “Bash the fash!”. He must’ve forgotten that previously an artsy cunt spent time working on his body, while Billy was smoking weed and telling young women that they should all look more like Suicide Girls. Barney broke Billy’s nose, who was then smiling and coughing blood laying on the ground. Barney cried a bit. Everything returned to normal. Jack is approaching LA. He hadn’t slept, he hadn’t eaten, he stopped at a gas station once and got a bottle of water. He shuts his eyes for a second at an intersection and a truck is swift and merciless. Now he’s in LA, of sorts. It’s snowing. Dirty approaches him, but he’s clean, and he’s dressed up as Elvis. “Hi, Jack, remember me?”, says clean Dirty. “It’s me, Bruce”, he says. “You’re dead, buddy. Billy is here too, you wanna meet him? Or maybe someone famous first, how does a date with Rita Hayworth sounds to ya, huh, old pal?”, says Dirty. Jack keeps walking, Dirty follows. There’s no sunshine, only snow. There are no cars and Dirty is the only person around. Where would be banners and posters and billboards that advertise a multibillion industry of boredom is nothing; all of them show nothing. “Where are you going, you little shit?”, says Dirty, and Jack finds himself to be thirteen. He keeps walking. “You think I don’t remember? Here it’s hard to forget. All you do is remember”, says Dirty to the kid. “Where the fuck did you even find a cage?”, says Dirty, stops walking, mumbles something, pulls out a cigarette. Jack stops walking too. “We were just kids”, Jack says. “Whatever, asshole. I don’t care. There isn’t some lesson to be had here. Just go”, Dirty says, puffing on a newport. Jack is adult again, and he keeps walking. Until he sees Billy, whose skin is whiter than the snow around. “Why did you leave them?”, he says. Jack punches Billy in the shoulder. “Why did you leave us?”, he says. Billy can’t handle the punch and falls on his ass. “You and Barney seemed to have it figured out, somewhat. He with his art, you with your wife and a job. Not a great job, but a real job, doing something, being able to afford shit and all. I had absolutely nothing. I had no one. I did not leave you two, you did that before. I had bills, I had no fun, I had an easy way out. I took it. What’s your excuse?”, says Billy. And Jack has none.

[dailybiblelessons]

Thursday: Preparation for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thursday: Preparation for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 27 Roman Catholic Proper 32

Complementary Hebrew Scripture: Amos 1:1-2:5

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And he said: The Lord roars from Zion,  and utters his voice from Jerusalem;  the pastures of the shepherds wither,  and the top of Carmel dries up.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they have threshed Gilead  with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate bars of Damascus,  and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,  and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;  and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they carried into exile entire communities,  to hand them over to Edom. So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza,  fire that shall devour its strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,  and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron,  and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,   says the Lord GOD.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyre,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they delivered entire communities over to Edom,  and did not remember the covenant of kinship. So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre,  fire that shall devour its strongholds.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword  and cast off all pity;  he maintained his anger perpetually,  and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of the Ammonites,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory. So I will kindle a fire against the wall of Rabbah,  fire that shall devour its strongholds,  with shouting on the day of battle,  with a storm on the day of the whirlwind; then their king shall go into exile,  he and his officials together,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire on Moab,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,  and Moab shall die amid uproar,  amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; I will cut off the ruler from its midst,  and will kill all its officials with him,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have rejected the law of the Lord,  and have not kept his statutes,  but they have been led astray  by the same lies after which their ancestors walked. So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture: Joshua 5:10-12

While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Complementary Psalm 70

<To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.> Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor  who desire to hurt me. Let those who say,  “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore,  “God is great!” But I am poor and needy;  hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer;  O Lord, do not delay!

Semi-continuous Psalm 78:1-7, 33-37

<A Maskil of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;  incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable;  I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known,  that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children;  we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

He established a decree in Jacob,  and appointed a law in Israel,  which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children;  that the next generation might know them,  the children yet unborn,  and rise up and tell them to their children,  so that they should set their hope in God,  and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

So he made their days vanish like a breath,  and their years in terror. When he killed them, they sought for him;  they repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock,  the Most High God their redeemer. But they flattered him with their mouths;  they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast towards him;  they were not true to his covenant.

New Testament Lesson: Revelation 8:6-9:12

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter.

The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise the night.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew in midheaven, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails like scorpions, with stingers, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come.

Year A Ordinary 32, RCL Proper 27, Catholic Proper 32 Thursday

 Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1985 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Image Credit: The Revelation of St John: 15. The Angel with the Key to the Bottomless Pit by Albrecht Dürer, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

#angels #blood #bottomless pit #fire #hail #locusts #trumpets #woe #wormwood #Ammon #Aram #Ashkelon #Ben-Hadad #Bozrah #Damascus #Edom #Ekron #Gaza #Gilead #Judah #Jerusalem #Kerioth #Kir #Moad #pregnant women #Rabbah #Teman #Tyre #Gilgal #manna

[dailybiblelessons]

Thursday: Preparation for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thursday: Preparation for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 27 Roman Catholic Proper 32

Complementary Hebrew Scripture: Amos 1:1-2:5

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And he said: The Lord roars from Zion,  and utters his voice from Jerusalem;  the pastures of the shepherds wither,  and the top of Carmel dries up.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they have threshed Gilead  with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate bars of Damascus,  and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,  and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;  and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they carried into exile entire communities,  to hand them over to Edom. So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza,  fire that shall devour its strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,  and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron,  and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,   says the Lord GOD.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyre,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;  because they delivered entire communities over to Edom,  and did not remember the covenant of kinship. So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre,  fire that shall devour its strongholds.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword  and cast off all pity;  he maintained his anger perpetually,  and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of the Ammonites,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory. So I will kindle a fire against the wall of Rabbah,  fire that shall devour its strongholds,  with shouting on the day of battle,  with a storm on the day of the whirlwind; then their king shall go into exile,  he and his officials together,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire on Moab,  and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,  and Moab shall die amid uproar,  amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; I will cut off the ruler from its midst,  and will kill all its officials with him,   says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah,  and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have rejected the law of the Lord,  and have not kept his statutes,  but they have been led astray  by the same lies after which their ancestors walked. So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture: Joshua 5:10-12

While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Complementary Psalm 70

<To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.> Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor  who desire to hurt me. Let those who say,  “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore,  “God is great!” But I am poor and needy;  hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer;  O Lord, do not delay!

Semi-continuous Psalm 78:1-7, 33-37

<A Maskil of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;  incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable;  I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known,  that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children;  we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

He established a decree in Jacob,  and appointed a law in Israel,  which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children;  that the next generation might know them,  the children yet unborn,  and rise up and tell them to their children,  so that they should set their hope in God,  and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

So he made their days vanish like a breath,  and their years in terror. When he killed them, they sought for him;  they repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock,  the Most High God their redeemer. But they flattered him with their mouths;  they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast towards him;  they were not true to his covenant.

New Testament Lesson: Revelation 8:6-9:12

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter.

The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise the night.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew in midheaven, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails like scorpions, with stingers, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come.

Year A Ordinary 32, RCL Proper 27, Catholic Proper 32 Thursday

 Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1985 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Image Credit: The Revelation of St John: 15. The Angel with the Key to the Bottomless Pit by Albrecht Dürer, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

#angels #blood #bottomless pit #fire #hail #locusts #trumpets #woe #wormwood #Ammon #Aram #Ashod #Ashkelon #Ben-Hadad #Bozrah #Damascus #Edom #Ekron #Gaza #Gilead #Jerusalem #Kerioth #Kir #Moab #pregnant women #Rabbah #Teman #Tyre #Gilgal #mannah