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#There is a Hymn Between Us
boxingcleverrr · 4 months
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Popular Hades & Persephone "retellings" are, rightly, getting dunked on all over the socials right now and, as a Pagan who has an altar to the Queen, I could not be happier. But also, I feel like a lot of people miss WHY they're bad - aside from just plain bad writing and lazy tropes. Which are, yeah, also REALLY bad.
Pretty much all retellings try to wave away, or excuse, or twist the whole kidnapping bit. And I actually do have sympathy and understanding for why, when speaking from a modern perspective.
But honestly...you gotta get over it. There are other stories to play fix-it with, not this one.
The Abduction is The Thing.
Were I a little more sober I could bring up chapter and verse of the Hymn to Demeter but frankly, if you know even the middle school mythology curriculum version of the story, you SHOULD know the themes. The story of Persephone was one mothers and daughters in the ancient world held dear, because it was a reality: you will, one day, be swept away from your home to go cleave to a man you most likely know nothing about. You will miss your mother, but chances are very good that he will be a good husband, once you get to know him, certainly better than Zeus or Ares, and he will make you a queen of his home.
Leaving home to marry was often scary, and violent (look up the history of the tradition of Bridesmaids, if you don't already know it - they were originally decoys on the marriage road). Centuries later we'd have tales like Beauty & The Beast serving the same function: comfort, hope, you are leaving your safe loving home to figure life out with a (often older, powerful) stranger. Your trauma over this sudden ending of your childhood made manifest in a Beast, or a God of The Underworld.
It's wonderful that we don't NEED stories like this anymore to comfort us (here, at least, in this culture). But if you try to force them into modern vernacular it just will not work, not really, because you're gutting out the whole point just to have a more tidy romantic male hero.
I have read MANY very good ...novelizations? fanfic(? however you would frame them, but they're certainly not "retellings"), etc. that simply take advantage of the blank spaces in the myth, and there are many!
It's not explicit that sexual assault happens - "The Rape of Persephone" as a title was coined in much earlier eras, when the word was just as often used to simply refer to abduction.
"She was starving!" the gods didn't need to eat. So it's easy to read her eating the Pom seeds as a deliberate choice on her part. Like, shit, people, scholars have written whole papers on the symbolism of this moment, between marriage rites and even yeah, Seph choosing both worlds with her husband's knowing consent.
And that, I think, is the real heart of the thing. People want an utterly mundane, spelled-out story here, as opposed to what it really is, has always been, just like any other myth or religious parable: IT'S A METAPHOOOOOOR.
They don't need to be destined, or meet at a goddamned BALL and then CONSPIRE to fake her kidnapping, or shit, I once saw one where Hades got MIND CONTROLLED by Zeus?! Jesus.
Persephone was yoinked into the Underworld against her will.
That's how it went.
I don't mean this in a "stay out of my belief system!" way, shit I'm a white American chick with delusions of witchery. I mean this in a "stop stressing yourself out trying to make things palatable" way:
This is a very real, very precious myth to many people, BECAUSE for at least that one event, Persephone had no autonomy, BECAUSE for thousands of years most women had no autonomy. Erasing that, sanitizing the fact that a girl is ripped out of the spring, from her mother's arms, is erasing the thing that gave comfort to women for centuries. And people can and should still find power and healing in it now!
Fill in the blanks the story leaves in whatever manner seems fit to you, there's plenty of room, but. Come the fuck on.
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literaila · 7 months
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broom closet
tasm!peter x reader
summary: is a closet a good spot for a makeout sesh?
warnings: i’m not sure what’s wrong with me :))
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*
you’re not even sure how you’ve managed to find this small room. how you grabbed peter before he could protest, or any slight qualms you might’ve had could come to mind.
you’re not sure where you are in the building, or what you just knocked over.
but honestly, you don’t really care.
how can you when peters hand is keeping you close, and his breath is keeping you dizzy?
“peter,” you whisper into him, pushing yourself up. your neck is already aching, but peters hands are very helpful—and needy, grabbing you and keeping you to him.
he won’t allow an inch. he would stop the atoms making up any distance between the two of you if he could. he would break physics just to glue you to him.
but he doesn’t say anything back—doesn’t really need to—only hums into your mouth, his kisses leaving a burning feeling in your belly.
you’re not even sure what you meant to say. you shake your head mindlessly, moving backward into the wall.
your hands are in peters hair, your fingertips brushing his scalp and making him groan.
“this is a terrible idea,” he says, whispering viciously into you. his hands are everywhere, his hands are not enough.
“you say that,” you pull yourself up against the wall, trying to keep pace with him. “like i put any thought into this.”
he smiles against you, tilting his head so you both get a moment to breathe, tiny little gasps like hymns you’ve just written. but almost as soon as he pulls back, his lips are on your jaw, around the side of your cheek to your ear. “so this wasn’t your plan for tonight?”
his breath is hot and you can barely breathe.
“not here,” you say, keeping your eyes plastered shut so you don’t have to look at him and his self satisfied smirk. “not now.”
it’s almost a whine.
“you just happened to know where this broom closet was…” he whispers it and bites at your earlobe.
you push his face away, pulling at his hair again. “you just happened to push me into it…”
“you just had to put your hair up,” he groans and takes it down. his hands are evil as they curl around the back of your neck.
you lean back and breathe, licking your lips. “sorry,” you finally look up at him, your eyes close enough to tease. “i forgot that haphazardly thrown up hair is your weakness.”
“no,” peter shakes his head, his eyes looking from yours to your lips, his breath hot enough to burn. “you’re my weakness.”
you want to make fun of him, but you’re too busy leaning in to bite him again. peter doesn’t mind, only uses one of his hands to keep your back straight, and leans into you.
his kisses are teasing, just subtle hints at what he knows you want. one peck there, and another one to hell.
you’d gladly burn yourself alive if he would kiss you properly.
“peter,” you warn, but he is innocent, and his cheeky mouth just continues to prod.
you push yourself up onto your toes, pulling him down to you, but he doesn’t relent. his hand moves to your chin, helping and killing you. you whine into his pathetic kisses.
“what?” he says, pulling back just so he can pout at you. “did you want something?”
you scowl and push him back, trying to take over this small room, to devour his lips before he gets the chance to notice.
but peter is still smiling.
you almost squeal when he pushes you again, back against the wall so he can prop you up.
“you’re being too loud,” peter scolds, his voice low and smooth, and completely breathless. “someone’s going to wonder what the brooms are getting up to when they’re unsupervised.”
“you’re the lookout,” you tell him, your hands going to his jaw, keeping his eyes on you. “you listen for anyone coming, spider-man.”
peter scoffs and shakes his hand. one of his fingers trails the skin by your lips, tickling and teasing. “do you think any of my senses are working right now?”
he subtly puts the blame on you, but you smile. “let’s test that.”
you press your forehead against his, lips brushing and breath meshing. “touch,” you whisper, kissing him slowly, not a sound coming from either of you.
you are deadly silent, and you let the kids linger until you feel peters eyelashes fluttering against your cheek.
then you pull back, minimally. you tilt your head. “taste,” you kiss him again, deeper and harder, like you want him to fall back and have both of you falling to the ground. but before that can happen, you ask “good?” against him.
you can feel it when he swallows. then nods.
“what else should we test?” your lips move to the corner of his mouth, then his jaw. “sight,” you say, trailing upwards, “sound.” your nose brushes his cheek, while your lips kiss above his eyebrow. “smell.”
but after a moment too long—you lingering and peter breathing harshly against your neck—he makes a low sound in the back of his throat, and pulls your face back down, kissing you hungrily.
if he burns, you burn.
you kiss back, though smiling against him, feeling that familiar ache in your chest. a testimony to how small this broom closet is.
*
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borninwinter81 · 4 months
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William Blake - an introduction for Good Omens fans
I have sent @neil-gaiman an ask regarding his feelings toward the poet/artist William Blake a couple of times, but no doubt due to the size of the poor man's inbox I haven't received a response. So I did a Google search to see if he's spoken about Blake before, and it did indeed come up with a fair few hits. I think you might enjoy seeing this Twitter post if you haven't already, the painting is from William Blake's illustrations to Paradise Lost.
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It's not surprising that an author like Neil Gaiman might have an interest in Blake. A visionary from a young age, his imagination was such that he was surrounded by angels made visible in his mind's eye, and he interpreted these visions through poetry, painting and engraving, and self-printed and published many of his own works. This gave him complete freedom to say exactly what he wanted.
Though he had a passionate faith in God, he also had a deep distrust of the church as an institution, and disliked the use of religion as a means of control. This poem from "Songs of Experience" perhaps summarises his feelings best:
"I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And 'Thou shalt not' writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore. 
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars, my joys & desires."
In his poetry there is often an incongruity with the generally accepted religious ideas of what is good and evil, Angel and Demon. In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (there's a title that should make any GO fan sit up and pay attention) he tells us that "in the book of Job, Milton's Messiah is called Satan", signifying that he feels it is Lucifer/the devil who is the true Messiah of Paradise Lost.
He gives us The Voice of the Devil and Proverbs of Hell, and has Angels being transformed into Demons through enlightenment. He tells us that Jesus broke all of the 10 commandments, yet was still virtuous because he acted according to his own morality rather than rules.
The god-figure of his later works, Urizen, generally comes across as malevolent, seeking to bind and control, whilst Los, the Satan/Messiah figure represents freedom, imagination and creativity.
"Restraining desire" and acting contrary to your own nature seem to be the only real evils for Blake.
He expressed his faith through a love of the world and the beauty in it, summed up in this quote:
"When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea? O no no I see an innumerable company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty".
He saw "God" in everything, in all the wonders we have around us, and considered writers/poets and religious prophets as essentially the same, since they both have a connection to the divine, and express it through stories.
It's quite ironic that probably his most famous poem, Jerusalem (the one that starts "and did those feet in ancient times walk upon England's mountains green"), was made into a very popular church hymn, yet it is supposed to be satirical in nature. The poem recounts the myth that Jesus may have visited England in his boyhood, and Blake is expressing his disbelief at that notion and the unworthiness of England.
Did I have a point to all this? Mostly to show my hand as a massive Blake nerd, but also to hopefully demonstrate that there's a lot of common ground between his ideas and those expressed in a show/book like Good Omens, and hopefully to inspire some of you who may not be familiar with Blake to seek him out. In particular I'd recommend The Marriage of Heaven and Hell to any and all.
EDIT: I should have thought to include this, here's Michael Sheen reading a Blake poem. I have the CD this is from, he reads several by Blake, as well as other poets I love ❤️ 😍
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yoonia · 4 months
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© Yoonia, 2016-2024. All rights reserved. — Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these works, including reposting, translating and modification in any form, is strictly prohibited | if you are under 18, please refrain from entering the restricted sections
key: angst ✵ | fluff ✿ | smut ♡  series: ongoing ✎ | hiatus ☽ | completed ✓
⇝— updated: April 24th, 2024 ⇝— fic archive 2016-2019 .。.✰ ⇝— work in progress & writing schedule .。.✰
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𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✩·.¸
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𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢-𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ✩·.¸ 
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𝐨𝐭𝟕 & 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 ☽.·✩·.¸
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𝐣𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐤 ☽.·✩·.¸
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𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐮 ☽.·✩·.¸
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Chance Encounter (M) | ✵ ✿ ♡ ✎ series; college!au; teacher’s aid!au ⇢ What a simple DM mishap could lead to happen     ↪ Chapter List
Maps (M) | ✵ ✿ ♡ ✓ mini-series; friends to lovers!au ⇢ Naps, Christian Yu, your bed – would you ask for anything more?     ↪ Chapters:  01 | 02 | 03 (final)
Take Care Of You (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; pwp smut; established relationship; 2k words ⇢ Helping your boyfriend to relax after long nights of working
Unravel (M) | ✿ ♡ drabble; pwp smut; established relationship ⇢ He loves how easy it is to have you unravelling under his touch
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𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐢𝐧 ☽.·✩·.¸
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Sweet Spot (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; established relationship; 6k words ⇢ When his jealousy makes him more daring than he is used to
Press Play (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; established relationship; 3k words ⇢ When he has an odd request for you to fulfil
What You Wanted (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; established relationship; 10k words ⇢ When he makes sure that your first time would be an amazing experience to share
Overdrive (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; musician/artist!B.I, manager!reader, smut; 13k words ⇢ When your carnal favours lead to something else
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𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 ☽.·✩·.¸
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✎ 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐍 (𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐤)  ● Howlin’ (M) | ✵ ♡ one-shot; werewolf!au; fated mates!au; 6k words ⇢ When your responsibility to the Pack life comes between your Fated
✎ 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 ● Simon Says (M) | ✿ ♡ one-shot; pwp smut; established relationship; 4k words ⇢ Simon wants to play
✎ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐥 ● A Night With You | ✿ ♡ (implied) mini drabble; boyfriend!Chanyeol ⇢ A glimpse of the nights you spend with him
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— © Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind, translations, unsanctioned adaptations are not allowed.
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greekmythcomix · 7 months
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How I teach the Iliad in highschool:
I’ve taught the Iliad for over a decade, I’m literally a teacher, and I can even spell ‘Iliad’, and yet my first instinct when reading someone’s opinions about it is not to drop a comment explaining what it is, who ‘wrote’ it, and what that person’s intention truly was.
Agh. <the state of Twitter>
The first thing I do when I am teaching the Iliad is talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what we don’t know about Homer:
We know -
- 0
We think we know -
- the name Homer is a person, possibly male, possibly blind, possibly from Ionia, c.8th/9th C BCE.
- composed the Iliad and Odyssey and Hymns
We don’t know -
- if ‘Homer’ was a real person or a word meaning singer/teller of these stories
- which poem came first
- whether the more historical-sounding events of these stories actually happened, though there is evidence for a similar, much shorter, siege at Troy.
And then I get out a timeline, with suggested dates for the ‘Trojan war’ and Iliad and Odyssey’s estimated composition date and point out the 500ish years between those dates. And then I ask my class to name an event that happened 500 years ago.
They normally can’t or they say ‘Camelot’, because my students are 13-15yo and I’ve sprung this on them. Then I point out the Spanish Armada and Qu. Elizabeth I and Shakespeare were around then. And then I ask how they know about these things, and we talk about historical record.
And how if you don’t have historical record to know the past, you’re relying on shared memory, and how that’s communicated through oral tradition, and how oral tradition can serve a second purpose of entertainment, and how entertainment needs exciting characteristics.
And we list the features of the epic poems of the Iliad and Odyssey: gods, monsters, heroes, massive wars, duels to the death, detailed descriptions of what armour everyone is wearing as they put it on. (Kind of like a Marvel movie in fact.)
And then we look at how long the poems are and think about how they might have been communicated: over several days, when people would have had time to listen, so at a long festival perhaps, when they’re not working. As a diversion.
And then I tell them my old and possibly a bit tortured simile of ‘The Pearl of Myth’:
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(Here’s a video of The Pearl of Myth with me talking it through in a calming voice: https://youtu.be/YEqFIibMEyo?sub_confirmation=1
youtube
And after all that, I hand a student at the front a secret sentence written on a piece of paper, and ask them to whisper it to the person next to them, and for that person to whisper it to the next, and so on. You’ve all played that game.
And of course the sentence is always rather different at the end than it was at the start, especially if it had Proper nouns in it (which tend to come out mangled). And someone’s often purposely changed it, ‘to be funny’.
And we talk about how this is a very loose metaphor for how stories and memory can change over time, and even historical record if it’s not copied correctly (I used to sidebar them about how and why Boudicca used to be known as ‘Boadicea’ but they just know the former now, because Horrible Histories exists and is awesome)
And after all that, I remind them that what we’re about to read has been translated from Ancient Greek, which was not exactly the language it was first written down in, and now we’re reading it in English.
And that’s how my teenaged students know NOT TO TAKE THE ILIAD AS FACT.
(And then we read the Iliad)
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bwambiee · 6 months
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𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏’ 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃
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૮꒰•༝ •。꒱ა. keep fuckin’ for hours, that pussy got power !
𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 : 𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢 𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
CW ꒱ა. smut ⸝ fem! reader ⸝ profanity ⸝ dirty talk ⸝ face-sitting ⸝ fingerin’ ⸝ oral sex (fem received) ⸝ spitting ⸝ mentions of oral sex (male received) ⸝ lots of nicknames <3 (slut is one of em’! lil’ warnin’) ⸝ slight dumbification ⸝ he mocks us again but he’s nawt as mean ! ⸝ isagi is in luuv hehe ⸝ wc(2.5k).
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NOTHING GIVES ISAGI MORE DOPAMINE THAN THE HIGH OF SHOOTING A GOAL DURING A GAME.
the only exception would obviously be you, and your pretty eyes and pink lips smiling like a daisy when he wins the match. his face brightens up into a big grin like a kid getting ice cream on a sunny day, growing bashful when he sees you run into his arms and giving him a big hug, ignoring the sweat he’s dripping off and the glances you two get. of course, isagi sneakily hides the coy smile he has on his face by burying it in the junction of your neck and shoulder, inhaling your sweet scent as he twirls you around and lifts you up effortlessly like a princess while his teammates all look at him with jealous, beady eyes.
his teammates were filled with the evil green-eyed monster of jealousy because isagi was such a lucky bastard for having such a pretty girlfriend. someone who runs up to him with the prettiest smile, small hands pawing at his chest, perfectly manicured nails grazing against the tautness of his bicep as she nuzzles into his neck so that she can whisper praises about how much of a star he is.
but after those sweet little praises that make his heart swell with happiness, you start to whisper challenges, trying to rile him up to prolong the high he’d procured from winning the match. oh sweet girl, you're challenging him? the pride and joy of blue lock, who’s never one to back down from a challenge? he can’t help but let his signature smirk form, canines peeking out when she traces his jawline and mutters about how she’d love to see a supercilious egoist on his knees.
your little tease is fleeting of course, like the flap of a butterfly’s wings as you switch gears and go back to showing off that sweet smile of yours that mirrors the sweetness of the cherry lollipop you were sucking on earlier.
“awh c’mon doll face you don’t have to pretend that you don’t want it don’t you? if you want me on my knees then let’s make it happen. better yet,” his teeth grazes the shell of your ear, trailing down to the pulse of your neck as he whispers, careful to not let his teammates hear his sin-coated words, “i’ll let you ride my tongue so I can see what that pussy looks like from heaven.”
it gives him a big rush of pride when he thinks about what he can do with you behind closed doors, holding onto the underside of your thighs when he twirls you around again and your pretty little mini skirt billows and ripples with every twirl, almost teasingly giving his teammates a tiny little peek of the baby blue panties you’re wearing just for him.
shit sweetheart, don’t you know you’re killin’ him here? it all fed his devilish ego so good especially since he knows he’s the only one who gets to bury himself between your legs, your sweet moans echoing in the air like a hymn as he laps at your pussy like a dog in heat, trying to push you closer to his face, bambi eyes filled with tears of overstimulation and it gives him such a rush because where was that confidence from earlier?
so forgive him for being rough with you, guiding you through his apartment door and hastily locking it, shoving you into his room as you two can barely get a word in, hushed whispers and moans as you two kiss messily, large hands urgently pushing you against the light blue duvet of his mattress and smooths a pathway to the hem of your skirt, calloused fingers leaving featherlight touches against the backs of your thighs so he can grip the plush flesh of your ass.
“sit on my face, c’mon,” he urges, smacking your ass lightly as his hands move to the back of your thighs to gently push you to his awaiting mouth. you feel your breath get caught in your throat when you see how serious he’s being right now. it was simply just a joke! at least… it had started out that way. was her bashful yoichi really demanding her to sit on his face right now?
“you’re a little too eager for this y’know? don’ wanna hurt you,” you whisper shakily, voice soft as silk when you hesitantly sink down onto Isagi’s mouth and his face breaks out into a boyish grin. “ ‘ichi!” you cry out, body jerking in surprise as you hold onto the headboard for support when his tongue darts out to lap up your dripping honey.
“princess sounds so pretty when I eat her pretty pussy.” he spits, spreading his saliva on your swollen pearl, pushing it into your core shamelessly while smacking your hip with a low growl, unsatisfied that all of your weight isn’t on his face yet. he manages to get you to place all of your weight down, smothered under your pussy with his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he eats you out more frantically, practically using the same energy he has on the field but instead of scoring a goal, he was determined to taste your blissful arousal after weeks of endless training.
“wait yoichi… f-fuck,” you whimper out, thighs shaking as you struggle to hold your balance, knees pressed into the mattress while holding onto the headboard for dear life as you desperately try to keep yourself still. but it was so hard. so, so hard to not bounce down onto the tongue that was assaulting your core so relentlessly. “o-oh…nnh—! so good ‘ichi!”
he starts to pant loudly when he hears the oh, so wonderful little whines he adores so much, telling you that you taste like bliss, that soccer hasn’t got shit on this cute little pussy of hers. it was all just too much for you, heart jumping in adoration at the praises, voice drawled out in a sweet, pitchy mewl as you try hard not to grind back against his tongue.
he lets his hands wander up from your thighs so he can cup your tits, soft, perfect globes that fit into his hand like the last piece of a puzzle, working quickly to push up your soft cashmere top, the one that’s baby pink and shows off your dainty shoulders and defined collarbones. fuuck he loves this top, loves the bra you chose to wear today since it’s easy to push up so that he can feel your nipples pebble into his hand. he can’t help but groan into your pussy, briefly pushing you up so that he can talk to you as he feels you, cupping the heavy mounds, thumb rolling over your buds as he worships you.
“fucking perfect,” he whispers into your thigh and you whine slightly when you feel his other hand trailing closer to the comforting warmth of your centre. “you need somethin’ from me baby?”
“fingers—your fingers please ‘ichi!” you whispers tearfully. you want it, you want him.
he chuckles, the deep, rich sound that makes your toes curl so delightfully as you feel the vibrations on his chest. “i’ll give it you… oh ‘m gonna fuckin’ give it to you.”
you’ve never have nodded so fast in your life. yesyesyesyes that’s exactly what you want, to have isagi give you everything he has to offer while you helplessly paw at his headboard.
you honestly don’t know why you’re this desperate. despite initially refusing his offer to sit on his face even though you had teased the idea into his head, you didn’t think he’d actually go through with it! now here you are writhing in ecstasy from his tongue as his nose nudges your clit, hips wiggling slightly as you want your boyfriend to have unrestricted access to your aching cunt, to want him to bring you to absolute completion right on his face.
rough hands pet your pretty pussy, thumb rubbing the sensitive pearl and already the heat of his large palm has you gasping for air from the sheer thought of his fingers and tongue working inside you in tandem. his hands work like he wants to claim ownership, hungry and greedy to already stake some sort of claim on your body and it turns you on even more. to be desired this much, oh it makes your heart weep.
“what a little slut,” he hums the dirty words against your thigh again, “begging for my fingers and actin’ all innocent in front of my teammates earlier.” he knows what she was doing when she teased him, he’s immune to her little innocent act when she shyly tells him she was joking when he knows she wanted it more than him.
you’re, oh so sensitive and he works slow, his hands are careful and precise as he works you up rubbing and tracing your slit softly and he hears the soft sigh parting from your lips when he lets his index finger move to part your delicate petals, just barely slipping inside and it’s just too much.
his finger thrusts slowly and you’re thankful for that, giving you time to adjust to the familiar feeling but it’s been forever since he last fingered you. his finger was much longer and thicker than your own, your warm wet walls sucking him in right up to his knuckle and he grunts.
“y’re so fuckin’ responsive… must’ve wanted me real bad, hm?”
a whine gets caught in your throat as he moves his finger inside of you, curling it at just the right angle and ohh—there’s that spot, the one you always have trouble finding yourself. you moan involuntarily as he massages your velvety walls, fingers fucking you open in the dim light of his bedroom as he whispers sweet praises. he thumbs at your clit once more and his finger starts to pick up the pace, cunt clenching around his digit and you feel like you’re stuck in a euphoric high.
“can you handle one more pretty? hm? can my princess take another one?”
was that even a question? she doesn’t even process his words but she’s nodding as he doesn’t even bother to give her a warning, his middle finger being tucked away into the confines of your wet walls. once there’s two of his digits in you it’s all over, finger fucking you with harsh thrusts as he gives you everything. all of this pleasure was for you, and only you.
“I feel— huuagh! n-no ‘ichi! wanna cum from your tongue! wanna do it on your face!”
you sob helplessly as your senses short circuit, one hand is working your tits while the other finger fucks you into the stars. isagi is quick to oblige though as he pulls his fingers out, quickly grabbing the delicious curve of your ass so he can push you to his mouth again. the orgasm forming up your spine and spilling all the way down to your tummy was about to unravel, and it was coming fast if he continues his sweet bullying of fucking you open with his tongue, messy slurps and moaning coming from below you as he your warm, velvety walls pulse around his tongue, greedily suckling and slurping your pussy like a man starved for your attention and he wasn’t going to stop until you give it to him. do it pretty, cum all over his face.
“h-haah— yoichi ‘m gonna cuum! g-gonna cum ‘ichiii!”
brainless babbles are pulled from your lips as you wail out to him, voice akin to a siren who’s luring him to his sweet demise because that’s what you are to him, captivating his very being. pretty girl can’t you see you’ve ruined him? tore him apart and stole his heart right out of his chest while he digs tiny moons into your thighs, working his tongue in and out of your drooling cunt as your sweet cream trickles down to his face, soaking the ruby red of his jersey when you buck and thrash against his tongue, a white-hot heat spreading throughout your body that leaves you breathless.
“ ‘g-gonna cum ‘ichiii’, fuckin’ do it then angel. look so pretty goin’ dumb from my tongue.”
you can feel his lips form a lazy grin when he mocks your mewls, hearing how much of a wreck you are right now. a writhing, moaning, shaking wreck that you don’t even need to look at his face to see how arrogant he is right now. cockiness oozes from his body as broad shoulders bounce, clearly laughing at the fact that if he wasn’t holding your entire body with his mouth, you’d have toppled over by now.
“see the score baby? it’s 3-1, you helped me score that goal jus’ as much as hiori did. pussy’s the real mvp here—she’s my good luck charm.”
a small shaky huff escapes from your lips from the playfulness he’s exuding to you, little tremors racking your body as your boyfriend finally eases you off of his mouth, a thin string of your slick connecting your sensitive cunt to his tongue like a string of fate. see? even your pussy was missing him.
he can’t help but offer you a lopsided smile, licking off the remnants of your cream from his lips with the smuggest expression you’ve ever seen from him, not once breaking eye contact with your glassy ones.
fuuck now it’s his turn now.
“nngh… wan’ it yoichi. wan’ you inside really badly…!”
“yeah? wan’ my cock sweet thing? wan’ me to fuck you dumb ‘n make your pretty little head think of my cock?”
he’s condescending, the way his low, saccharine voice mocks your babyish babbles, hazy doe eyes staring up at him with such want that he can’t help but indulge in your request. but he’s not gonna give it to you so easily. you’ve been spoiled rotten so it’s high time you go and do some work for a change.
that’s what good girls do.
so with a swift tug he frees his cock from the confines of his shorts, holding his heavy cock in his hand as he uses his thumb to spread the pre-cum oozing from the flushed tip and tightens his fist around the base and pumps himself a few times. he looks at you with a narrowed gaze, piercing baby blues look into your teary eyes as his lips curl up into a grin, sitting up on his knees while you obediently position yourself onto all fours, moving your head to his groin and nuzzle his cock, no words or commands needed.
“look at you—so eager for your boyfriend’s dick. you ready to make a mess all over me? bet having my cock in your mouth is gonna taste better than any of those fucking cherry lollipops you always suck on.”
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mediumgayitalian · 9 days
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The crooked, creaky door of the cluttered infirmary storage room pushes open and slams shut in the span of a second, just barely allowing someone to dart through. Nico jumps, banging his head on the shelf he’s hiding under, chomping full force on his lip to bite back a shout. The shadows, on lucky reflex, bend around him and shroud his face. The rest of him he tucks further into the forgotten corner between two filing cabinets, holding his breath.
Under the unflattering light of the single swinging lightbulb, Will looks dull.
A thin headband attempts to hold back his frizzy hair, although it does very little. Curls stick out oddly and many shorter hairs are plastered to his temples and the back of his neck. His skin is unusually lacklustre, even pale, except for the high flush around his cheekbones. The bruising under his eyes rivals Nico’s. He has been wearing the same scrubs for the last two days.
With one last look at the closed door, nothing but garbled voices filtering through the heavy wood, he slumps. He drops his face into his chapped and bleeding hands, heels pressed into his eyes, and holds them there for ten seconds, twenty. Slowly, with trembles so minute they are at first glance unnoticeable, his shoulders begin to shake. The long fingers flexed and tensed around his forehead curl tightly, and he twitches, whole body trembling, teeth sunk hard into his bottom lip to stop his chin from quivering.
It does not work.
The first sob is quiet. He catches it quickly, forcing it back down, breathing heavily through his nose and out his mouth to beat it back. The second follows quickly, though, and it’s harder to choke down. When his face crumples, his resolve goes with it, and his knees hit the floor, sharp crack swallowed by the stillness of the room. He curls forward until his nose nearly hits his knees, hands sliding through his hair and over his ears and settling finally clutching together in the dip of his chest, bouncing with every heave of his chest. It’s quiet, his crying, enough that every dropped tear can be heard as it hits the dusty floor. The only time his sobs are ever audible is when he opens his mouth, trying desperately to soak up enough air to catch himself, to carry himself through.
Mute horror holds Nico’s tongue hostage.
He’d escaped in here the second Will had been called away this morning, dragged for the umpteenth time to handle a crashing patient or a complicated hymn or to soothe someone’s nerves. For the past two days he’s been doing his best to monitor Nico and a handful of other front liners who’d exhausted themselves in battle, but his focus has been split and the infirmary has been crowded. Whenever he runs off to put out whatever fire had cropped up — sometimes literally — the whispers start, the glances, the skin crawling up Nico’s back. Nico can hardly tell anymore what’s the shadows and what’s the people around him, watching him out of the corners of their eyes like they’re waiting for him to bust out a scythe and a black hooded cloak and start reaping.
The storage room is supposed to be an escape. Out of the way and forgotten as it is, it is supposed to be the place he can hide for an hour, escape the heavy gaze of the rest of the camp, collect himself before braving it all again.
Clearly, though, he’s not the only one who thinks so.
There’s something disorienting about seeing Will Solace cry. In the few times Nico has spoken with him during his visits to camp, he’s been a barely-contained explosion of energy, whether talking Nico’s ear off with updates about people he barely knows and references he hardly understands or cussing him out for overextending himself. He’s used — as much as he can be to someone he’s only beginning to really get to know — to his wildly flailing hands and widely playful grin, his loud drawling voice, his painful, constant brightness.
His hands, now, clench until they’re bloodless, trembling. There is no hint of his wide smile or twinkling eyes, because his face is hidden by all the hair that his given up on the pretence of the hairband, and the only sound from him are his gasping breaths and swallowed-back sobs. Nico watches him because he cannot look away. He flinches because every cry, every rough, scraping inhale, sounds like shattering rock, like an iceberg breaking off a glacier.
A quiet beeping startles them both.
For a stretch of time Will is motionless. The beeping continues, steady and soft, bouncing off the cluttered shelves and fading before they echo. After the third round — and Nico counts, if anything for something to do besides watch the chafed skin on Will’s hands crack and bleed with every flex — he drags himself upright, nails drawing lines in the thick dust of the floorboards, and rests back on his heels. He breathes for a moment, shuddering, hands pressed flat to his face; in, beep, beep, beep; out, beep, beep, beep. None of his breaths are ever steady, but he wastes no more time, swiping under his eyes and pinching his cheeks to restore his face to some of its usual colour. He grips onto each board of the shelf to his right as he yanks himself upwards, hand over hand, until he’s stretched, finally, to stand, although there remains a slouch to his broad shoulders.
The beeping continues, emanating from the watch on his left hand, growing softer or louder as he trails his fingers over the shelves from one end to the other, from the first, the second, the third. He pauses finally on a collection of bottles, turning them carefully to read the labels, then tucks them each gently into his already bulging pockets until he is left with what he must carry between his fingers.
The shadows bend to cover Nico again as Will turns, unknowingly facing him, and pulls himself suddenly straight-backed, chin set high, shoulders squared. He smiles, wide, fractured, squinting his eyes deliberately. The beeping stops. He breathes, in, smile, out, nod, and turns, striding, back to the door, opening it with flourish and swiping the dust off his clothes.
“Found them! Sorry it took so long, I really had to look —”
The door swings shut behind him, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
Nico stares at it with bile churning in his too-empty stomach.
———
art by the incredible @clingonlikeclingwrap
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gendercensus · 6 months
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GOOD NEWS EVERYONE
I felt like doing some important research between annual surveys, and an offhand comment from @averixus prompted a Tournament. This will be the masterpost.
Me and @averixus chose the pairs in the first round using a random number generator on the top 32 pronoun sets from the Gender Census 2023 results.
Round 1
Poll 1: one/one/oneself vs. void/void/voidself
Poll 2: avoid pronouns vs. ze/zir/zirself
Poll 3: pup/pup/pupself vs. vamp/vamp/vampself
Poll 4: star/star/starself vs. thon/thon/thonself
Poll 5: bun/bun/bunself vs. xe/xem/xemself
Poll 6: mew/mew/mewself vs. ae/aer/aerself
Poll 7: xey/xem/xemself vs. they/them/themself
Poll 8: ve/ver/verself vs. ze/zem/zemself
Poll 9: e/em/emself vs. they/them/themselves
Poll 10: ne/nem/nemself vs. he/him/himself
Poll 11: kit/kit/kitself vs. rot/rot/rotself
Poll 12: fae/faer/faeself vs. ey/em/emself
Poll 13: hy/hym/hymself vs. hy/hymn/hymnself
Poll 14: she/her/herself vs. use name as pronoun
Poll 15: voi/void/voidself vs. bug/bug/bugself
Poll 16: it/it/itself vs. ze/hir/hirself
Round 2
Poll 1: one/one/oneself vs. avoid pronouns
Poll 2: vamp/vamp/vampself vs. star/star/starself
Poll 3: xe/xem/xemself vs. ae/aer/aerself
Poll 4: they/them/themself vs. ze/zem/zemself
Poll 5: they/them/themselves vs. he/him/himself
Poll 6: kit/kit/kitself vs. fae/faer/faeself
Poll 7: hy/hymn/hymnself vs. use name as pronoun
Poll 8: voi/void/voidself vs. it/it/itself
Round 3
Poll 1: avoid pronouns vs. star/star/starself
Poll 2: xe/xem/xemself vs. they/them/themself
Poll 3: they/them/themselves vs. fae/faer/faeself
Poll 4: use name as pronoun vs. it/it/itself
Semi-final
Poll 1: avoid pronouns vs. they/them/themself
Poll 2: they/them/themselves vs. it/it/itself
Final
they/them/themself vs. it/it/itself
WINNER: they/them/themself
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bombuni · 3 months
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i want it all
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summary: Yeosang just can’t wait until you wake up. genre/pairing: yeosang x reader, established relationship, smut wc: 1.3k. warnings: SMUT, 18+ MDNI!, switch!yeosang, switch!reader, somnophilia, breeding, cursing bom note: where my yeodoongies at.
Yeosang is desperate.
He wants to ask for help, but you look so peaceful in your sleep. Are you dreaming of him? Maybe not in the same way he dreamt of you.
He dreamt of your pretty face when it’s moaning, your soft hands, and the feeling of your pussy when it clenches down on him.
Now he’s awake, sweaty, and trying hard not to burst just at the sight of your thighs.
You wouldn’t mind, right? If he used you?
You’re cuddled up next to him, so close your breath is fanning his face and he wonders in silent surprise how his whining didn’t wake you.
Yeosang palms himself as he fiddles with the edge of your shirt. He’s still unsure of what to do, but merely touching you has got him so excited he doesn’t want to stop.
He lifts up the giant sleep shirt you have on, just enough so that he can see the pretty black lace panties you went to sleep with. How cute. His slender hand digs under the band, kneading your plush skin. You twitch at his cold fingers, and for some reason he finds himself excited at the thought of you discovering his wandering hands.
Would you punish him? Or would you take pity and help him?
It’s not his fault, really. You just look so cute when you're moaning his name like it’s a practiced hymn. When his fingers find their way to your clit, you unconsciously buck into him.
See? You’re just as desperate as him, even in your sleep.
Your unconscious approval spurs him on, softly kissing your forehead as he gently pulls your panties to the side.
You don’t wake or make sudden movements. Yeosang supposes your body already knows him, his body carved into the deepest reaches of your mind.
He’s breathless at the sight of your furrowing eyebrows and parted lips, the beginnings of his name barely being spoken. The thought of you so needy for him, even now, has him silently whining. Your instincts are simply to take him whenever, however.
“Fuck,” he whispers to himself. He nearly blew his load simply touching both of your bodies.
Yeosang finally takes his heavy cock out of his sleep shorts, shuddering at the change in temperature. He strokes himself, spreading his pre-cum all over himself. He’s already panting and frantic and you haven’t even done anything.
His cock slides easily in between your folds, his precum mixing with the slick he’s managed to pull out of you. Every time he thrusts it knocks the breath out of him.
He’s lost in the pleasure, too busy focusing on how good you feel and how bad he needs to cum that he doesn’t even notice your sleepy eyes opening.
It’s a pretty sight. Yeosang’s shallowly thrusting between your legs, the tightness from in between with the added pleasure of your wet panties had him whining so loud he woke you.
He freezes when your hand touches his cheek, feeling the warmth of his growing blush.
“You could’ve asked for help, Yeo,” you mutter as you bring your face down to his shy gaze.
His face knocks into your chest in an attempt to hide away from you, “I didn’t want to wake you,”
You chuckle quietly at his shy admission, reaching down to grab his eager cock from in between you. He immediately folds at your touch, smitten with the way you work him.
“But you need help, baby,” you lift his chin up to get a good look at his sweet face. He’s angelic, so sweaty there are strands of hair sticking to his forehead. You want to tease him more, tell him to be a good boy and beg for it, but you decide to be nice to him.
“You’re so close already, Yeo,” he shudders at the teasing lilt in your voice, the lewd sounds coming from his leaking cock filling the room.
“‘M so…need to-“ his own quiet moans stop him.
He’s putty in your hands, “Need to what, baby?”
Instead of answering you he pulls your wrist gently away, positioning himself so he’s on top of you. He doesn’t even wait for you to settle into the change in position before slowly thrusting inside you, making you feel every inch of his desperate cock.
Yeosang doesn’t stop until he’s filling you to the hilt. He melts into you once he does, leaning his head on yours and folding his arms under your back so you’re tucked up right against him.
“You feel so good, Yeo, fuck,” you feel full.
“Yeah?” He thrusts hard to make sure you hear him, “I’m making you feel good?”
He doesn’t wait for a response before rutting into you, his hips making the bed creak. His thrusts are desperate and deep, as if he doesn’t want to leave your insides for a split second. You don’t really know which to focus on more; his open mouthed, wet kisses or his fat cock driving into you and reaching all the parts only he knows.
His body acts without thinking. His hungry kisses don’t stop as he hugs you impossibly close to him and lifts your body just enough so that he can bounce you on his cock while he thrusts into you.
“You like that?” He pants out, and all you can do is nod dumbly.
Yeosang smirks at the fucked out look on your face, “Can’t even talk,” he doesn’t stop, “being fucked so good you can’t even talk,”
You whine out at his words, your entire being entranced by the force of him.
“You wouldn’t mind if I put a baby in you, right?” He asks, fully aware of your inability to speak through the cock rutting in you.
His lips on your neck seem to pull words out of you, “No, Yeo,”
He smiles at you gratefully as if you’ve really done him a favor. His thin fingers move down to your abdomen, relishing the warmth of your skin. He’s fluid with the movements of his hand so you’re unsuspecting, suddenly pushing his hand down gently right where his cock is hitting.
He giggles softly at the jolt your body makes, a soft yelp coming out of you.
“Here? Do you want my cum right here?”
You huff out, “Yes, Yeo, please just give it to me,”
You’re so sweet, begging nicely, that he can’t help but give you what you want.
Yeosang’s arms wrap around your legs and lifts them both over his shoulder, manhandling your body. Your pussy clenches at the sight of him taking what he wants from you and he groans at the feeling, continuing his speed with more vigor.
“I’ll give you want then, okay? Gonna fill you up,” he moans out.
You’re so tight around him in this position that it doesn’t take long for him to finish, his hips stuttering to a stop when he feels his seed spurting out. He makes sure to get as deep as he can, leaning over your body and nearly folding you in half as he fills you.
“Oh, god, Yeosang,” his release causes a chain reaction in you, white hot pleasure shooting through you and reaching every little corner in you. It renders you numb.
Yeosang pants beside your ear, resting on your shoulder. He doesn’t get up immediately, a small part of him hoping it really does stick. There’s a comfortable silence for a little as you both catch your breath.
“So, did you have a wet dream about me or what?” You break the silence, kissing away the sweat droplets on his face.
He grumbles shyly, hiding his face into your neck, “Be quiet,”
You listen to him, the serenity of the blanket, night stars, and Yeosang’s quiet snores finally lulling you to sleep.
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unbidden-yidden · 7 months
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To follow up on my Hosanna poll, I think before things go any further, it'd be good to actually explain and define it. I was initially going to wait until the end of the poll, but it seems that google is giving people a lot of bad and/or conflicting answers and I'd rather people walk away with the correct information.
So! Hosanna is an anglicized version of the Hebrew words "hosha na" [הושע נא or as a contraction הושענא]. Hosha na is a little enigmatic and hard to translate, but the simplest translation is probably "save us, please." It's traditionally used as an exclamation to G-d to rescue us, but it also has shades of being a triumphant shout (the implication being confidence that G-d will save us.)
Jews say "hoshanot" (the plural of hosha na) as part of our traditional Sukkot liturgy, and is something we do still today.
For us, the multi-faceted meaning of the root word allows us to have multiple layers of meaning. During Sukkot, we start praying for rain in its proper season and amounts, and we shake the lulav and etrog as part of these processions and liturgy. On Hoshana Rabba [the "great hoshana"], the last day of Sukkot, we process around the bimah (front lectern) seven times as a completion of our season of repentance and our starting of the new year with abundant blessings.
My siddur (prayer book) Lev Shalem has this as an explanation and translation:
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[Image ID is of the Lev Shalem siddur, pages 382 & 383 - I tried hard to find a pdf of this that would be readable using a screen reader, but the versions I'm finding cut off at pg. 376 at the latest. If anyone has bandwidth to type this up, I would greatly appreciate it]
For the curious, here is a recording of the Hoshanot liturgy and procession:
youtube
Christians mostly know the word from the gospels and hymns.
Here is what Wikipedia says about its use in Christianity:
Historical meaning
Since those welcoming Jesus were Jewish, as of course Jesus himself was, some would interpret the cry of "Hosanna" on the entry of Jesus in its proper meaning, as a cry by the people for salvation and rescue.
Christian reinterpretation
"Hosanna" many interpret as a shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem
It is applied in numerous verses of the New Testament, including "Hosanna! blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ!" (Matthew 21:9,15; Mark 11:9–10; John 12:13), which forms part of the Sanctus prayer; "hosanna in the highest" (Mark 11.10); and "hosanna to the Son of David" (Matt 21:9). These quotations, however, are of words in the Jewish Psalm 118. Although not used in the book of Luke, the testimony of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is recorded in Luke 19.
In church music
The "Hosanna Anthem", based on the phrase Hosanna, is a traditional Moravian Church anthem written by Bishop Christian Gregor of Herrnhut sung on Palm Sunday and the first Sunday of Advent. It is antiphonal, i.e. a call-and-response song; traditionally, it is sung between the children and adult congregation, though it is not unheard of for it to be done in other ways, such as between choir and congregation, or played between trombone choirs.
The bottom line:
Jews and Christians have different connections, associations, and meanings attached to this word as expressions of our different theologies and texts. The word is derived from a Hebrew word and was created by Jews and is still used by us today. (Like literally today - we are currently in the middle of the Sukkot festival.) Christians changed the meaning to fit within their own context, and pronunciation of the word evolved with linguistic drift over time. In the same way that there's not a reason to pitch a fit over saying Jesus rather than Yeshua, there's no compelling reason to change hosanna back to hosha na; if anything, the distinction helps make it clear that it's effectively a different word and concept from ours.
On the other hand, I do think Christians ought to know the original meaning of the word if they're going to use it. To only ever know their version when it was derived from ours is yet another small way of playing into supercessionism by erasing and replacing the Jewish context of things that were originated in Judaism that Christians have embedded in Christianity. While the Christians of today cannot unwind the supercessionism of Christian history, they *can* choose to understand their present Christianity in ways that do not play into supercessionism and that respect the Jewish community of today.
I hope this was helpful and gives folks a new perspective on an obscure Hebrew word!
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aphroditelovesu · 3 months
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Hey, i'm also from brazil and i love the way you write! Taking advantage of the fact that I saw you talking about yandere apollo pjo, could you do some headcanons about what he would be like due to the differences? like, in today's world. Would he look at your phone or something?
❝ ☀️ — lady l: it's a headcanon, in a way, but also an imagine, a combo of both! I ended up geting excited and focusing more on the platonic part and I hope everything it's! I hope you like it and forgive me for any mistakes!
❝tw: obsessive and overprotective behavior and fluffy.
❝☀️pairing: yandere pjo!apollo x gender neutral!reader.
❝word count: 742.
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Apollo is the god of poetry and will always be writing the most beautiful poems for you. All of his hymns will be dedicated to you and any pop influence he will use as inspiration to worship you. Apollo dedicates each verse to you, each word carefully thought out in the overwhelming love that the god feels, transforming pop influences into hymns of worship.
In the intervals between his divine exploits, Apollo is captured by the passion of modern melodies. Transforming pop influences into passionate songs, his lyres resonate in heavenly places, echoing the immortal feelings he has for his earthly muse.
Apollo as a divine father is smothering and protective. He doesn't give a damn about the rules that govern the gods, not when it comes to his favorite child. He will distribute gifts, presents and will help and support them in everything he can. Apollo will always make it clear that they are his greatest pride.
As you face challenges and monsters, Apollo protects you, interfering in divine destinies when necessary. The sun god becomes a constant presence, guiding and encouraging his favorite child to embrace its heroic nature. Apollo, the divine father, defies heavenly rules in the name of love for his child, doling out divine gifts and guiding them along the path to greatness.
One day, while you were facing a particularly difficult challenge, Apollo decided to intervene in a more direct way. He descended from Olympus, enveloped in golden light, and appeared at your side. His presence was warm and comforting, like the rays of the sun emanating from his divine form.
"My dear child," Apollo said with a beaming smile. "The time has come for me to join you on this journey. Together, we will face the challenges that present themselves, and I will guide you with my divine light."
Apollo watched with beaming pride as his child flourished under divine tutelage. He guided the mortal steps with the light of knowledge, shaping the favorite's destiny as a sculptor carves a masterpiece. Each of his child's deeds was a glorious echo of the pride Apollo felt, reflected in the rays of sunlight that illuminated his celestial face.
Apolo is very connected to modern technology, oddly enough. He would have a cell phone, the best and most expensive, and it would be full of photos of you. His music playlist would have all genres, an eclectic god, after all, he is also the god of music and appreciates all types, honoring his essence as the god of music.
He wouldn't touch your cell phone unless you allowed it or if he had some kind of suspicion. In this case, you can be sure that the god will search your cell phone in search of something. And he will definitely take selfies of himself to leave for you.
During moments of rest, Apollo shared divine stories and ancestral teachings with you. His words were like ethereal songs, dancing in the air and penetrating your heart. Each narrative was filled with wisdom and profound lessons, like the notes of an eternal melody.
On a starry night, after an especially epic victory over a colossal beast, Apollo gathered the gods and goddesses for a divine celebration on Olympus. Heavenly music filled the halls as everyone rejoiced in their achievements and the union between the divine and the mortal.
At the height of the party, Apollo raised his golden lyre and began to sing a song that transcended the limits of Olympus. His melodious voice resonated, telling the saga of his favorite child, full of courage, triumph and divine love. The song inspired tears of joy in the eyes of the gods and goddesses, witnessing the success of his protégé.
At the end of the performance, Apollo looked at you with pride in his eyes. "My child, you are a masterpiece that surpasses any divine song. Your heart is a melody that enchants the gods and transforms Olympus into a more radiant place. May your journey continue to shine like the stars that adorn the night sky."
Since that day, the bond between you and Apollo has only grown stronger. The god's blessings continued to guide you, while the teachings shared under the stars became a beacon of wisdom on his journey. And so, under the protection and love of Apollo, the heroic epic unfolded, marking destiny with the eternal light of the god of music and poetry.
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khaire-traveler · 4 months
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The Nine Muses
This is a very simple post about the Muses in hopes of explaining who they are, what their domains are, and some things they may be able to help with. This post isn't a deep dive by any means - just a simple introduction. Enjoy!
Who are the Muses?
The Muses, or Mousai, are goddesses of inspiration for various creative, scientific, and poetic endeavors. They were believed to also have knowledge of all things that have come to pass, remembering events with clarity that mortals could not hope to have. Their names are Kalliope, Kleio, Ourania, Thaleia, Melpomene, Polymnia, Erato, Euterpe, and Terpsikhore.
In total, there are nine Muses. The god Apollon was often believed to be the leader of the Muses, having a very close connection with them. The goddess Artemis was also paired with them.
Their origin and family varied depending on the source, but the most common notion was that Zeus and Mnemosyne are their parents and that they were born at the foot of Mount Olympus. Some other possible parents are Ouranos and Gaia, Zeus and Plousia, Pieros and Antiope, or even Apollon.
Poets of the past used to invoke the names of the Muses in hopes of gaining inspiration and the ability to gracefully convey their words. When a connection was drawn between them and Apollo, they were also known for their prophetic abilities as well, even being said to teach the art of prophecy.
What are each of their domains?
Kalliope - The eldest of the Muses, she is the goddess of eloquence and epic poetry. She is often considered the mother of Orpheus. She was depicted with a tablet, a scroll, or (later on) a lyre. Her name has been translated to mean "beautiful-voiced".
Kleio - Wise and intelligent, she is named the goddess of history. In art, she was often depicted with an open scroll or chest full of books. Her name was translated as "to make famous".
Ourania - Associated with the stars, she is the goddess of astronomy and astronomical writings. She has been depicted pointing at a celestial globe with a rod, but I wasn't able to find more information on her symbols. Her name means "heavenly one".
Thaleia - A goddess that helps bring joy to the world, she is the goddess of comedy and bucolic poetry. She was also considered to be the mother of the Korybantes (a group of seven demigods). She was often depicted with a comedy mask, a shepherd's staff, or a wreath of ivy. Her name has been translated as "festivity" or "blooming".
Melpomene - Holding a domain more somber than the Muse above, she is the goddess of tragedy. She was named the mother of the Sirens by Apollodorus. She was depicted with a tragedy mask, a sword, a wreath of ivy, or cothurnus boots. Her name likely means "to celebrate with song (and dance)".
Polymnia - With a name meaning "many hymns" or "many praises", it's no surprise that she's the goddess of religious hymns. She was often portrayed in a meditative pose.
Erato - A Muse that needs no introduction, she is the goddess of erotic poetry and mime. She was often portrayed with a lyre. Her name means "lovely" or "beloved".
Euterpe - Likely full of rhymes and reasons, she is the goddess of lyric poetry. She was often depicted with a double flute. Her name likely means "well pleasing" or "giver of much delight".
Terpsikhore - Filled with music, she is the goddess of choral song and dancing. She was often depicted with a lyre and plectrum. Her name has been translated to "delighting in dance".
Kalliope - Speaking presentations, writing essays, script reading, reading/writing informational posts/articles/etc., interpreting poetry, poetry writing/reading, sharing your own poetry, communicating clearly with others, important conversations, coping with conflicts, addressing conflicts, making peace with others.
What are some things they can help with specifically?
***These are merely suggestions.***
Kleio - History exams/tests, studying classics/history, delving into your own history, discovering family history, recalling past events, writing myth retellings or similar, identifying patterns of behavior, releasing the past, learning from the past, finding hope for the future.
Ourania - Studying the stars/space, story-telling, understanding the universe around us, memorizing constellations, finding peace in the night, finding hope in the darkness, creating goals for yourself, "reaching for the stars", holding onto your wishes, finding a sense of direction.
Thaleia - Creating your own joy, finding what makes you happy, performing stand-up comedy, writing any form of comedy, play-writing, healthy positivity, learning to laugh things off, releasing stress/burdens, moving forward, expressing your joy.
Melpomene - Coping with hardships, moving through difficult times, releasing the past, forgiving oneself, coping with past mistakes/regret, healing from difficult events, coping with the "downs" of life, play-writing, telling tragic tales, addressing difficult topics sensitively.
Polymnia - Writing devotional poetry/hymns/songs/etc., growing closer with religion/devotion, inspiration for offerings/devotional acts, coping with religious difficulties, finding comfort/joy in religion, connecting with the divine, religious/spiritual writings, connecting with your practice.
Erato - Love letters, confessing your feelings through writings/songs/etc., connecting with sexuality, writing/reading erotic stories, communicating sexual needs, establishing/discovering sexual boundaries, sex positivity (especially through literature), embracing your sexual interests.
Euterpe - Writing poetry, interpreting poetry, communicating one's emotions, romanticizing life, sharing poetry with others, devotional poetry, expressing one's feelings through writing, processing emotions, finding the "right word" for a piece you're writing.
Terpsikhore - Song-writing, learning to dance, expressing yourself through dance/song, connecting with music, processing feelings with musical aid, instrument playing, choral/instrumental performances, writing a musical, musical theater, finding your voice, embracing who you are, expressing yourself.
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utterlyazriel · 3 months
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whom the shadows sing for —(and the thief's echoing hymn)
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a/n: chapter twoooo i hope you guys enjoy!! and i take this as pure reason to knuckle down and finish chapter three tehe <3 let me know what u think!! a million mwahs to @strangerstilinski for being my beta too, even tho i yelled at u sorry :/
word count: 3.5k
synopsis: Azriel trains you and is particularly unforgivable about it. Together, you tackle tonics. Azriel ponders the unmistakable pull he feels and you try your best to keep your secret under wraps. fem!reader, mulan-esque au
— CHAPTER TWO :: ALLIES
The storm had calmed come morning. The Mother's Kiss slowed, quietened to only a whisper between the trees.
With it, the ache in your forearm too. The torn skin knitted up in the night, the heat from the fire like a balm on the wound.
But right now, the ache was threatening to make a reappearance.
You glare across the clearing at Azriel from your place in the mud, where he's just knocked you down. Your lungs burn. Your chest heaves as you try to catch you breath. The last hour has been spent on the same infuriating exercise.
The sludgy dirt, still sloppy from the melted snow of last night, drips off your arms as you scramble to get to your feet. Your wings shudder, flicking off the cold dirt with a shake.
"Try again." Azriel says, his voice calm.
He has no weapons on him today with the exception of one knife, strapped high on his thigh. Its obsidian hilt glimmers under the winter sun, rays catching the decorative jewel on the end. The rest of his weapons won't be far you're willing to bet. No Illyrian warrior lets themself be so unprepared.
Or perhaps he truly only needs one blade to hold his own in a fight.
A flicker of envy. You suppose you should feel little more gratuitous of his offer to train, especially considering he's such a mighty warrior.
But between the built-in wariness that comes with having a secret such as yours and the way he keeps throwing you in the mud... it's hard to dredge up some gratitude. You must have been at this for hours now.
Besides, a little part of you can't help but be skeptical of his offer. What exactly did he stand to gain from helping you?
"Why are you helping me again?"
You're panting lightly, bent over with your hands on your knees. Your bound chest twinges in pain. You weren't out of shape by any means — you were an Illyrian warrior after all. But getting knocked down endlessly was beginning to wear you down.
"And," You huff, waving a hand behind at the mud pile he keeps dumping you in. "How does this help?"
Azriel crosses his arms across his broad chest. In the daylight, his shadows shimmer and wisp about. You had been unsurprised to find he's even more devastatingly handsome in the light of daytime.
After his final words the evening before, Azriel had disappeared out into the storm without further explanation, his shadows swirling around him like falling snow.
Come morning, you rose before the sun and stepped outside, prepared to head to training—and there he was. Posed up against a tree, the obsidian-hilt blade his hands, sharpening it in long, precise strokes.
"Lord Mylind has been spoken to regarding your training." Azriel had said, in place of a greeting. "He knows of your expected absence whilst you train under me."
You hadn't said anything; half convinced there had been something coated on Brudam's knife that made you hallucinate the whole thing.
"Though," The male before you continued, finally sheathing his dagger away into the holster on his thigh with casual precision. "He tells me that your absences during training have come to be somewhat expected."
He raises his eyebrows slightly.
"Why do you think they hate me so much?" You asked, a bitter edge to your voice. It's a non-answer.
"Because you neglect your duties as a warrior?"
"Ha. Did Lord Mylind use that word?"
"It's true, one is not considered a warrior until one passes The Blood Rite." Azriel commented, his head tilting to the side just an inch. "You're a warrior-in-training. Provided you go to training, that is."
The combined mention of The Blood Rite and your missing time during training had you tensing up. Azriel had noticed, his eyes shifting to your stiff posture. He hadn’t commented — just stalked off into the snow, wings held high and proud, not checking to see if you bothered to follow.
Now, muscles aching and skin coated in mud-slick, you briefly wonder if you were regretting following him.
"You're smaller than usual Illyrians.” Azriel says. “They rely on brute strength but someone your size is better to rely on your agility— a skill they've been neglecting. No doubt to try to discourage you."
A flush of nervousness rushes through your system at his comment on your size. There's a good reason you don't size up against Illyrian males—being that you aren't one at all.
For good measure, you wipe your face haphazardly with a muddy hand. Any pesky scents that might give you away get smothered beneath it.
"And I believe in what you're doing," Azriel continues, his hazel eyes watching you closely. "It's honourable, no matter what Brudam and his brood say."
Something akin to pride blooms deep in your chest at his approval, at his belief in your mission. Having fought on your own for so many years had taken its toll— one you weren't aware of until it eased. Just a touch.
"Could've sworn you just enjoyed knocking me on my ass."
That glimmer of amusement is back in his hazel eyes. You swear his lips twitch as if holding back a smile.
"Try again." He says, in lieu of an answer. Not a denial.
He gestures to his neck again. Tan skin that hides beneath dark, scaly armor. This has been your task for the last hour — get your hand on his throat, through hand-to-hand combat.
Considering how you'd managed to stick him with a fork just yesterday, you had assumed it was easy territory.
You had been sorely, sorely wrong.
Straightening yourself up properly, you roll your shoulders back and flare your wings out a bit. Your boots sink into the mud an inch. You assess the distance between you and Azriel, eyes narrowed, and try to put together each piece of advice he's given you in the last hours.
Plant your feet when you're striking.
Stay on your toes if you're advancing.
Use your environment to your advantage.
Punch through, not just at.
Your height is as much an advantage as it is a disadvantage.
Some of it was nothing more than a reiteration of your training in camp. And yet, when delivered from Azriel, under his focused gaze, it seems easier to absorb. It holds a different meaning.
This time as you survey your approach a thousand other details whisper in your ear.
The rustle of the trees, the whirl of the wind, the stance he sinks into like second nature.
If you can't overpower him, how can you get a hand on his neck?
Your boots sink deeper into the mud and you tense, your wings held taut and high behind you as you ready yourself to pounce.
The wind picks up, a whistle in the air, and you can see, even from afar, how the swirling of his shadows perk up — as if listening for any whispers in it.
Time to strike.
You burst forward and stay low this time, letting your knees take the brunt of your weight. Instead of trying to get past him, you need to bring his neck down to your level. A half-baked plan scrambles together.
Feigning moves against a proficient warrior like him is nearly laughable and his thick forearm moves to parry your punch as quickly as you form it. Good. It's what you're relying on.
You pivot your energy and focus it on kicking out his bent knee— and you catch him enough by surprise that he stumbles back a step. He doesn’t fall though.
You grit your teeth and know you have about half a second before he’s going to have you dodging punches and landing back in the mud. You keep pressing forward.
Skin meets leather as you land a sharp snap against his shoulder, your knuckles stinging deliciously but he deftly blocks your next blow. And the next, and the next.
Then you’re hitting more of his hands than you are anywhere else.
Frustrated, you snarl, increasing your speed and letting him focus on your incoming punches so he doesn’t see it when you send a kick into his groin.
His defense drops razor fast— both his scarred hands wrapping around your calf and capturing it between his legs, stopping it 2 inches from making contact.
Your eyes dart up to his face, nearly grinning at the incredulous look he gives you.
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for — and something gleeful in you sings when you shoot your hand up faster than both his can move. The palm of your hand connects with the skin of his neck.
“Aha!” You shout, unable to help yourself.
You’re panting, out of breath from the fast combat and yet, still savouring the victory. A foreign glimmer of admiration and approval flashes deep in your chest. It's gone as quick as it appears.
Azriel doesn’t waste a second to sweep your feet out from beneath you.
Unprepared, you crumple and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. A groan rumbles in your chest. Mud squishes up against your cheek, sullying it.
For a moment, you just lay there and groan in pain.
You're pretty sure every single muscle in your body aches as you gather your strength and push yourself up from the mud, elbows quivering. If you thought regular training was rigorous, this has been brutal.
True, there's less hitting you while you're down which you were more than accustomed to — only once have you thought Azriel might give you a kick while you were defenseless and too tired to cover your face.
But instead, he had surprised you and offered a hand. You had hesitated before taking it.
And as you're finding out, when you're spending less time worrying about Illyrians unfairly targeting you due to your size, you're a hell of a lot better fighter.
With a much better opponent though.
You win some, you lose some.
"Anyone ever call you a prick before?" You seethe quietly; because you had done the task he wanted you to do and he'd still sent you back on your ass. You spit into the mud and wipe your mouth.
"Definitely." Azriel answers. Again, there's that hint of amusement in his voice.
You huff and push up to rest back on your heels, planting your hands on your knees and glaring up at him. The muck on your wings makes you shiver, sludgy trails of mud sliding off them unpleasantly. You're well used to the cold.
"Good." You huff. "Prick."
Azriel smiles at that, not bothering to hide it. You find yourself smiling back at him, an out-of-breath laugh making your shoulders shake and your head bow. The muscles in your stomach hurt as they move.
When you look back up at him, he's offering his hand again.
You take it, this time without hesitation.
The day is for training. Azriel, the mentor. You, the student.
The night is for learning. You're both students here.
The second part of his offer that you clearly hadn't expected, given your wide-eyed look when he turned up at your door on that first evening, bringing all manners of plants needed to make healing tonics. Things you hadn't been able to find or afford on your own.
It had been then, he thinks, that you realised how serious he was about helping you. That his offer extended beyond training you physically.
"Is there really a difference between cutting and slicing?" Azriel asks as he peers down at the table beneath him.
In his marred hands is a root vegetable, something that flowered prettily— nice purple skin with a golden centre. He frowns down at it, his gaze shifting slowly from the vegetable to the knife in his hand.
It’s strange, he thinks. Strange to hold a knife and have it not be for violence.
"There is a difference," Your reply floats across from the other side of the room.
Nearly a week he's been here. Azriel had been pushing you more each day he was here, brutal one-on-one training to hone your skills.
It’s working; already he can see the certainty of your stance, your increased agility, the hunter's glint in your eyes. The clumsiness of the first day of training has already been worn away. Beneath it, the Illyrian warrior emerges.
He's exhausting you, he knows. Working you twice as hard to try to fill every gap in your training that seems to be missed. Finding every weak point left by the Lords of this camp, to disadvantage you no doubt, and training it up.
But if you’re tired from it, you don’t complain.
Azriel lifts his head to look at you properly, his eyes watching your hands as you strip leaves off one of the plants he had brought with him today.
Hands, weathered and much smaller than most males, that work diligently at your task. Your focus remains strong, even as you talk over your shoulder.
"Well, slicing is cutting but a more precise form." You shift your wing back, tucking it in, as you finally turn your head back to look at him.
You're a very peculiar male.
Azriel can't say he's ever met a warrior, or even an Illyrian, like yourself before. You're small. It's the first thing he had noticed when he had slipped into your tiny home those nights ago, a sturdy shelter against the harsh wind of the mountains.
You're small but your wings are still large and beautiful, tucked up neatly behind your back. Most warriors in camp must have at least a head of height on you.
The armor you wear looks old. It's been worn down, softened against your body but even still, it sits a little too low on your hips. The shoulders hang out an extra inch.
You're small and you're hardened at every edge.
It's the way anyone who grows up here has to be. And for you to have made the cut to become a warrior, even with the impairment of your height... Azriel knows you're made of tougher stuff than most.
Within that, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to you.
Azriel hates the Illyrian mountains. Loathes the culture he comes from that festers here, their swift brutality and preferred cruelty against even their own. Invisible standards that made one Fae better than another.
The lives they taught him to take so easily.
So the last thing he had expected to find coming back here, to a place haunted with wretched memories, was... an ally.
But staring across the space to you, he can't think of any other word to describe the stirring in his chest. The drag on his heart, as if it's lurching forward.
"Look, let me show you."
You drop what's in your hands and take a couple steps to cross the space. The shelter is like you, small, just shy of cramped. The ceiling could stand to gain a few inches and the inside is as bare as Azriel would expect of a home in a war-camp.
One rickety table. A bed tucked into a corner. A fireplace with slanted, mismatched soot-covered bricks. There's the general rustle about the place that indicates someone sleeps here. Things hang off nails, bedded into the wall.
Hovering beside the table, you gesture for the knife in Azriel's hand. There's tenseness in your shoulders. You're still wary of him— or perhaps so used to your own company. He wonders which it is as he hands over the knife wordlessly.
"You just gotta—" The vegetable gets re-positioned on the board and when you bring down the knife, it's with an elegance that Azriel had been severely lacking.
You slice a long strip off, lengths-wise, and then pause, looking up at him to make sure he understands. "Slice?"
Azriel smiles despite himself.
That's the other thing.
You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful Fae he's ever seen in his life— not to mention, by far the most beautiful male he’s ever laid his eyes on.
It had taken him by surprise initially, even his shadows rearing back in shock when you had turned and sprung at him, cutlery in hand. Azriel had fumbled one of his blocks and it led to you sinking the fork into his shoulder— all because his mind had been whispering beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
It's the reason you had managed to land a hit at all— or Azriel tells himself that. Because otherwise, he had a serious reason to brush up on his own training.
He also tells himself it had nothing to do with his offer.
It hadn't swayed his reasoning in the slightest; not the way he can't take his eyes off you for some peculiar, unbidden reason. Training you and learning how to make tonics alongside you was entirely due to his belief in your mission.
Liar, one of his shadows seems to whisper in response.
Azriel was over five hundred years old — tangling with a male was not entirely foreign to him. And yet, Azriel had found it was not as to his taste as females were.
Another glance at you has him, once again, second-guessing that.
As quickly as it enters his mind, he snuffs it, his wings giving a minuscule twitch, right as you offer him back the knife.
He opts for a question instead. "How did you come to live here?"
It's one of the other unusual parts of your intriguing survival out here. Not only did you make the cut to train to become a warrior against the odds, but you also live alone. Azriel lets himself survey the shelter once more.
It's far better than some of the conditions he's been subjected to before and yet... it's not quite homey. As though you've never relaxed here, even when it's just you.
"I built it."
Azriel blinks. Then he turns his head down to look at you, perplexed.
"You...?"
You've walked back to the plant you were handling, starting to strip off the leaves again. You hum in response to his words, sparing a glance up at the ceiling.
That certainly explained why it was on the smaller side, made to your stature. Azriel can't fathom how you managed it in the blizzardly conditions of the mountains, entirely on your own.
"As I'm sure you're familiar, bastards don't get anything in these camps."
Your voice tightens with the pain of an unhealed wound.
Azriel doesn't say anything, just presses his lips together thinly. He nods.
"It was already a ruin, the fireplace and floorboards were about the only thing left." This time as you tug the leaves off the plant in your hand, it's a little meaner. "It took me years to properly finish it because the males in camp kept coming by to see if they could knock it back down."
Something roars in Azriel's ears, a familiar icy fury at the injustice that roamed so freely in these mountains. A plague amongst these people. So many Fae, so eager to kick those who are already down.
Looking up from your hands, your motions slow, and a distant look dawns on your face as though you've been whisked away into an old memory. A cold smile graces your mouth.
"So eventually when one of them came around, I showed them why they shouldn't fuck with my stuff. Or with me."
How you gained your solitary fortress out here.
It had piqued his interest on the very first evening, the sole shelter out from the cluster of cabins in the camp. That even though the drunken warriors were first to point it out when Azriel came asking who was causing trouble, none of them would go near it.
He can guess a multitude of things you did to protect it and yourself. Something akin to admiration blooms in his chest. Something heavier, deeper, lurks beneath it.
As your hands go back to work, Azriel can't help but watch you silently for a moment. His shadows pour over his shoulders, seeping down his arms the longer he looks; as though they, too, want to figure out the enigma in front of them.
You're a very peculiar male, Azriel thinks for the second time that evening.
The runt of the litter and a bastard just as him.
A natural born fighter and an Illyrian warrior against all the odds.
A Fae with long hair like Cassian's, chopped at the shoulder and scraped back — and a voice softer than most. A Fae with eyes that burn with a promise for retribution, with icy fury like his own.
Azriel picks up the knife and slices the vegetable as you had, slow and long. He steals one more glance at you — to find you're doing the same, chancing a split-second glimpse to look at him.
Azriel averts his eyes back to the table.
He feels the treacherous glow of his cheeks and is thankful you can't see his face clearly in the dim light. He slices again.
And as he mulls his thoughts, the pair of you working in tandem as the fire crackles loudly in the corner, Azriel makes a point to ignore the thundering feeling that seems to sing right out of his heart.
No matter if he's half-sure he knows just what word it's singing.
(Mate. Mate. Mate).
[next part]
tags below!
@janebirkln @itsswritten @mischiefmanagers @hnyclover @waytoomanyteenagefeels @idkitsem @illyrianbitch @jeweline16 @fightmedraco @iamjimintrash @maeandering @spideytingley @aneekapaneeka
(if i tagged u and u would like to opt out, no hard feelings! send me an ask and i’ll leave u off :D)
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burningvelvet · 8 months
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Lord Byron writing about book-burning, queer representation, and the value of poetry . . . in 1821:
“Let us hear no more of this trash about ‘licentiousness.’ Is not ‘Anacreon’ taught in our schools? translated, praised, and edited? Are not his Odes the amatory praises of a boy? Is not Sappho's Ode on a girl? Is not this sublime and (according to Longinus) fierce love for one of her own sex? And is not Phillips's translation of it in the mouths of all your women? And are the English schools or the English women the more corrupt for all this? When you have thrown the ancients into the fire it will be time to denounce the moderns. ‘Licentiousness!’ — there is more real mischief and sapping licentiousness in a single French prose novel, in a Moravian hymn, or a German comedy, than in all the actual poetry that ever was penned, or poured forth, since the rhapsodies of Orpheus. The sentimental anatomy of Rousseau and Madame de Staël are far more formidable than any quantity of verse. They are so, because they sap the principles, by reasoning upon the passions; whereas poetry is in itself passion, and does not systematise. It assails, but does not argue; it may be wrong, but it does not assume pretensions to Optimism.”
Context: this letter was written during the Bowles-Pope Controversy, a seven-year long public debate in the English literary scene primarily between the priest, poet, and critic William Lisle Bowles and the poet, peer, and politician Lord Byron. The debate began in 1807 when Bowles published an edition of the famous writer Alexander Pope’s work which included an essay he wrote criticizing the writer’s character, morals, and how he should be remembered. Today, we would say that Bowles tried to “cancel” Alexander Pope, who had affairs without marrying, and whose works had sexual themes. Lord Byron defended Pope, who was one of his all-time favorite writers. Pope had been dead since 1744, so he was not personally involved. This debate shows that while moral standards have changed throughout the centuries, the ways people have debated about morality have remained similar.
Source of the excerpt: — Moore’s Life of Byron in one volume, 1873, p. 708 - https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3zPkPC8ECEC&pg=PA708&lpg=PA708&dq=%22Are+not+his+Odes+the+amatory+praises
Sources on the Bowles-Pope Controversy: — Chandler, James. “The Pope Controversy: Romantic Poetics and the English Canon.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 10, no. 3, 1984, pp. 481–509. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343304. — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pope-Bowles-controversy — Bowles, Byron and the Pope-controversy by Jacob Johan van Rennes, Ardent Media, 1927.
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yoonia · 9 months
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the bedroom hymns ● chapter list
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⟶ Title | The Bedroom Hymns: a Bluebeard’s twist ⟶ Summary | A threat against your father’s empire has forced him to send you away from the only place you have known to be your home, from the heaven-like prison which you have always dreamed about escaping, only to find yourself in a new kind of confinement. Haunted by the questions about your father’s past and the dark tales that seem to follow him, the thousand mysterious doors and the secrets waiting for you to reveal, and the mysterious Prince that has been following your shadows between realms, you are off to a new adventure in the Land Far Far Away.
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⟶ Pairings | Min Yoongi x female reader ⟶ Genre | Fairy Prince!Yoongi, Princess!reader, Fantasy au, Fairy Tale retelling au, Faerie au, Angst, Mystery, Smut ⟶ Ratings & Warnings | +18 / M for Mature; this story contains classism, threats of assassination, curses, dark magic, rumours about serial killers, mentions of abductions, mentions of arranged marriages, betrayal, manipulation, depiction of war, fantasy typical violence, mentions of blood and wounds, minor descriptions/depictions of injuries, fantasy weapons (swords, etc), mentions/depictions of death, mentions/depictions of domestic abuse, alcohol use — also includes mature and explicit sexual scenes (...more details will be added as I continue writing this piece...) ⟶ Status / Current word count / Total word count | ONGOING; latest update: chapter xvii. divulgence (Apr 15th, 2023) - 126,234 words of n/a words  ⟶ Main Masterlist | Mailbox | Taglist | Feedback | Music Playlist | Ko-fi
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𝕺𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖚𝖕𝖔𝖓 𝖆 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊, 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝕱𝖆𝖗 𝕱𝖆𝖗 𝕬𝖜𝖆𝖞…
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⏤ Written by @yoonia for the Once Upon A Fantasy collab; with @jamaisjoons​​​, @yeoldontknow​​, @inkedtae​​​, @opaljm​​​, @kookdiaries​​​, @kth1fics​​​
⏤ Crossposted on: AO3, Wattpad
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⟶ Chapters
⇢ prologue. the bluebeard’s tale
⇢ chapter i. when the stars are aligned
⇢ chapter ii. the wicked king
⇢ chapter iii. dreamers
⇢ chapter iv. in bloom
⇢ chapter v. homecoming
⇢ chapter vi. the castle by the sea
⇢ chapter vii. the secret doors
⇢ chapter viii. chasing shadows
⇢ chapter ix. secrets
⇢ chapter x. wanderers-1
⇢ chapter xi. wanderers-2
⇢ chapter xii. alias
⇢ chapter xiii. red strings-1
⇢ chapter xiv. red strings-2
⇢ chapter xv. crescendo
⇢ chapter xvi. respite
⇢ chapter xvii. divulgence
⇢ chapter xviii. serendipity
⇢ (...more chapters coming soon...)
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⟶ References
⇢ visual references
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⟶ Patreon specials
⇢ visual moodboard
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— © Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind is not allowed. unsolicited translations are not allowed.
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zorosdimples · 4 months
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suggestive content, religious imagery, and scars from piercings (emo teen kento). soft and sweet i promise!
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sunday is a holy day.
you and nanami kento go to the church of sleeping in late, finding divinity in one another’s embrace beneath golden sunbeams—bodies dappled by the leaves that sway in front of your bedroom window. you swap devotionals between flesh and sweat and tongue; your harmony rivals sacred hymns, the doves outside the only witnesses to your sacrament.
once you resume your day of rest—chest to chest atop a pile of damp sheets—you trace your lover’s marble profile: severe brow to chiseled cheekbone to sharp jaw. you brush your fingertip upwards, curling around the shell of his ear, settling on the lobe. a faint scar rests at the center, little more than a pinprick.
follies of my youth, kento once called them (rather dramatically, in your expert opinion).
“i still can’t believe you used to wear earrings,” you chuckle to kento, pressing a kiss to his ear before propping yourself up to better look at his face.
“it certainly feels like a lifetime ago,” he murmurs after a moment. a broad hand absentmindedly travels up to stroke your hair; there’s a faraway look in his umber irises, one that speaks of past wounds.
years together means you know how to approach him when he’s waist-deep in the pain of remembrance. “do you want to talk about it, ken?”
his gaze snaps back to you. the hazy film is gone, halcyon as he looks at the love of his life. the smile that graces his soft lips crinkles his eyes. strong arms wrap around your waist, not a sliver of distance between your bodies.
“no,” he whispers. “thank you.”
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