#glory days is indeed a gem
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Malayadhwaja Pandyan in Mahabharata
Pandya, who dwelt on the coast-land near the sea, came accompanied by troops of various kinds to Yudhishthira.
This Pandya king is addressed by two names in the epic - Malayadhwaja and Sarangadhwaja. 'Malaya' and 'Saranga' both mean "sandalwood" and the name is derived from the Tripuranthaka aspect of Shiva, who made Malaya mountains (named for the Sandal trees that grow on it) his yoke during the burning of the triple cities. He is a very fascinating character.
During Yuddhishtira's Rajasuya, Pandya and Chola monarchs brought gifts which were accepted, but they were not allowed inside.
And the Kings of Chola and Pandya, though they brought numberless jars of gold filled with fragrant sandal juice from the hills of Malaya, and loads of sandal and aloe wood from the Dardduras hills, and many gems of great brilliancy and fine cloths inlaid with gold, did not obtain permission (to enter).
Discrimination! Discrimination!
His country was annexed by Vrishnis at some point and his father was killed by Sri Krishna himself.
It was he [Krishna] that slew King Pandya by striking his breast against his . . .
He yearned for vengeance and trained under the renowned teachers of that era for that purpose. Even if he couldn't have killed Krishna, he was capable of causing great damage, as we can see later. But he listened to good counsel and gave up his revenge fantasies for the greater good. Very admirable indeed.
The mighty Sarangadhvaja . . . his country having been invaded and his kinsmen having fled, his father had been slain by Krishna in battle. Obtaining weapons then from Bhishma and Drona, Rama and Kripa, prince Sarangadhvaja became, in weapons, the equal of Rukmi and Karna and Arjuna and Achyuta.
He then desired to destroy the city of Dvaraka and subjugate the whole world. Wise friends, however, from desire of doing him good, counselled him against that course. Giving up all thoughts of revenge, he is now ruling his own dominions.
One can even say that Malayadhwajan became a karmayogi before Krishna advised Gita to Arjunan, by not chasing personal glory and fighting selflessly for the people who were consistently bad to his clan.
Praised as "hardly inferior to Indra on the field of battle" and "followed when he fights by numberless warriors of great courage", Malayadhwajan led one of the 7 akshauhinis of the Pandava faction and fought valiantly until the 16th day of the battle. I don't understand what was he doing with those Pandavas who wouldn't let him or his father (I not sure about the timeline) enter the Rajasuya yajnasala.
On the 16th day, as he was destroying Karna's army which "began to turn round like the potter's wheel", Ashwatthama challenged him to one-to-one combat. When he fought Ashwatthama, Karna destroyed the army that surrounded him and Ashwatthama destroyed his chariot, as his arrows were unable to pierce the King himself. The epic says that Ashwatthama was quite excited by this fight and didn't slay Pandyan when he got an opening because he wanted to fight for some more time. Malayadhwajan climbed a stray elephant and threw lances at Ashwatthama who narrowly escaped with his beautiful crown shattered. This infuriated him and he killed the king, his elephant and the final six warriors that followed their Lord.
At this, Ashvatthama blazed up with exceeding rage . . . and took up four and ten shafts capable of inflicting great pain upon foes. . . with three the two arms and the head of the king, and with six he slew the six mighty car-warriors, endued with great effulgence, that followed king Pandya . . .
@celestesinsight @willkatfanfromasia @sambaridli @harinishivaa @sakhiiii @whippersnappersbookworm @favcolourrvibgior @sampigehoovu @ambidextrousarcher
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I reallly need to read more of the idw comics but here is a little au I have for like post war where LL crew never went to search for the knights. Some other lot points stuff occur but in different ways. Basically this is more so a Swerve/Blurr driven story but other things happen in the background.
Swerve does indeed open his bar with Skids they meet after Swerve embarrassed himself at a party and made Skids laugh. Swerve’s bar is a hidden gem in Iacon that becomes known from word of mouth. Blurr has recently come out of retirement as a racer and making a name for himself again and he’s also come into possession of Maccadams which became the hot spot again after the war.
Word finally reaches Blurr about Swerve’s and curiosity gets the better of him and he goes and visits it. At first he’s not very impressed by the space as it looks like the place was mostly thrown together. Though he admired the cozy atmosphere it had kind of like how Maccadams had back in the days before the war.
Blurr doesn’t feel threatened by it at first but he does make it a point to take some pointers from Swerve’s and applies it to his bar. He thinks Swerve as a mech is interesting and weird especially when he stumbles over his words wort hero praise.
Soon enough Swerve catches wind of Maccadams getting back to its old glory days and soon realizes that he does indeed have competition.
Basically this is very much a strangers to rivals to friend to lovers tropes.
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Happy Equinox Violet! May I shamelessly request Gilbert + 14 + autumn angst please?
A/N: Here you go! A masquerade ball. A moonlit garden. You got the works!
Gilbert x f!reader
Spicy Angst
Word Count: 2538
Now or never.
A breath escapes your body as you smooth your hands down the embellished bodice of your ballgown. The beads of iridescent white feel like smooth pebbles under your trembling fingertips. You reach up, nerves electric, adjusting the half-mask of freshwater pearls and soft, snow-colored feathers. The band tied behind your head is the softest of silk, the same moon-white as your gown.
Before you, the heavy double doors stand like stalwart guardians of a paradise just within your grasp, if you are willing to take that step and enter. You see the soft, warm glow from underneath, tempting, cloying.
Swan princess, indeed, you think as you steel yourself. A swan is graceful, elegant, poised. You feel anything but as you reach forward, your gloved fingers curving over the golden handle of the ballroom door.
Now or never, you tell yourself again over the thunder of your heartbeat.
You pull down the handle.
Now or never.
And step inside.
Now.
*
Breathless. Weightless. Free.
You spin around the polished wooden floor, lighter than air, brighter than starshine. All your fears vanished the moment you entered and saw the wonder that the ballroom held within its ornate walls. Sparkling champagne in long, crystal flutes. A dazzling chandelier, larger than any you have ever seen, ever read about, throwing beads of rainbow-colored light across the expanse of the room. And the people! Men in silk waistcoats, rich velvet brocade, golden buttons, shiny shoes. Women in gowns of all colors and shapes. A sea of jeweled purples and pinks and blues. Pastels that shimmer like the inside of oyster shells. And everywhere, masks. Some as simple as a strip of silk, some towering headpieces, dripping with gems and feathers and other extravagant accessories. The crowning glory: an entire wall of gilded mirrors reflecting back the grandiose glamor of it all.
As you twirl from partner to partner, song to song, you truly feel like the swan your costume represents. Beautiful, nimble, charming. You can feel the caress of eyes on you, the weight of them through their masks as you dance by. Never before have you felt so desirable.
The music comes to an end and you bow deeply to your current partner, a tall gentleman with a waistcoat of the deepest forest green and an ornate mask with brown velveteen antlers jutting out from the top. His golden eyes shine with appreciation as he glances back to where the orchestra is readying to play the next song.
Maybe he is going to ask you for a second dance. You would say yes without hesitation. But before he gets the chance, you feel a hand on your shoulder. A chill runs through you just at that touch, like a cold wind bursting through a day of autumn sunshine.
You turn slowly. All the light in the room becomes a luminous blur with the motion. You stop when you reach a wall of darkness. The man in front of you wears black, from the shine of his boots to the soft, silken band of his mask, an unusual mask that covers one eye completely, leaving the other one, a startling, deep crimson, free. He is not a large man, but you are immediately struck breathless by the sight of him.
He holds out his hand, head cocked to one side. It doesn’t feel like a request. It isn’t quite a command. And yet you find yourself unable to reply with the quick smile, the flirtatious downward tilt of chin you have been employing all night. You simply step toward him, the tide being pulled by the moon’s insistence. Black leather meets white satin as he takes your hand in his, holding it firmly. The other slides over the stiff corseting of your waist, only stopping when he reaches the small of your back. You have danced with many men tonight. None have held you quite this close.
You steady yourself with a hand on his shoulder, noting that the material of his clothing isn’t pure black. Threads of subtle silver, like tendrils of moonlight, shoot through the fabric, giving him an almost ethereal sheen. Even through his clothing, through the supple leather of his glove, you feel a whisper of cold. In the beat before the music begins, you wonder if his smooth, white skin would feel like the cool marble it resembles.
And then the first notes float over the ballroom floor and in perfect synchronization, you begin to dance. He moves the way dusk paints the sky in soft hues of midnight blue and deep violet. Effortlessly. Smoothly. Beautifully. In a sea of bright gowns and sparkling glasses, of painted smiles and colorful masks, he draws you in. A black hole of inescapable force and power. You cannot resist, but that doesn’t matter because now, as you spin like twin moons across a galaxy of glittering stars, you could not imagine ever wanting to.
He does not need two eyes to hold your gaze. One rubine eye is more than enough. It is your focal point as you dance, as the lights blur and music fades, as you lose yourself in the feel of his hand gripping yours, the press of his fingers against your back. You could spin wildly, become a cyclone in the middle of the ballroom, but that gaze would hold you steady even then. All that power controlled by a single, vivid, red point.
It takes you a moment to realize that around you, the dancers are bowing and nodding and breaking apart, like waves dissolving into white foam as they hit the sandy shore. Neither you nor the man in black have let go. Neither wants to.
"I….need some air…" Your voice sounds oddly tight, a music box wound almost too far. He releases you from his grasp and your stomach lurches, as if trying to propel the rest of your body forward and back into his arms.
"May I escort you outside, to the gardens?" You are not prepared for the sound of his voice. Soft, decadent velvet with the slightest whisper of a foreign accent. Alluring the way moonlight is when it adorns water with a sheen of silver. The words melt into you like the cool kiss of snowflakes on warm skin. You feel the way something inside you coils, tightening, even as a shiver cascades down your spine.
He offers you his arm and you take it. Painted eyelids blink behind their masks, watching as the woman in white and the man in black disappear through the terrace doors to be swallowed whole by the night.
*
The royal gardens of Rhodolite are stunningly beautiful in daylight. By day, they preen and show off their beauty and their lavish displays of fragrant blossoms and tall, bright green hedges. But at night, they are wrapped in shadow, a sensual mix of soft black and argent moonlight. They whisper of privacy, spinning promises to anyone who dares enter under the cloak of night that all that is said and done here will stay only here. Hushed secrets will remain sheltered in the depths of the hedges, the soft, protected centers of the roses.
You walk the myriad stone pathways of the gardens, arm in arm. The music from the masquerade still dances through the air. You aren’t sure where you are even going until you arrive: a smaller, narrower path, earthen and unpaved, that disappears behind a trellis of wild, overgrown ivy. So this is where your steps have been leading, your heart the wild drummer, its beat urging you forward this whole time.
He allows you to guide him, his hand now in yours, as you step off the stone path and onto the dirt, ducking beneath the growth. Dark leaves reach out, caressing your gown, the bare skin of your shoulders. You soldier onwards, until you come to the small clearing in a near-forgotten, far corner of the garden.
Here the hedges have been allowed to reach towering heights, their branches interwoven with small white flowers that seem to glow like tiny dewdrops of pearlescent light. Below you, soft grass. Above you, a black sky stained with starlight. You can still hear the music faintly within this hidden, overgrown alcove.
You turn to him again, freed from the shackles of observation, from the prison of everyone's gaze. A moment of silence stretches between you, diaphanous, delicate. He speaks first, breaking it.
"Another dance?"
He watches you, the visible part of his beautiful face bathed in pale shadows. Slowly he holds out one hand, an echo of his earlier gesture. You reach for him, thinking he will take your hand and raise it to shoulder-height, the way you danced in the ballroom but you are wrong. His leather-clad fingers don’t stop at your hand but travel up the length of your glove, right to where it ends at the crook of your elbow. Black leather brushes against soft skin as he slowly pushes down the soft white material, taking extra care when he pulls at each fingertip. Your arm is now bare but it feels as if he might as well have stripped you of your gown. His eye roams the expanse of skin he exposed, his tongue licks his lips.
Your other glove is removed in much the same manner. Rolled down your arm with delicate hunger. He lays it next to the other, an oddly neat gesture. Turning to you, he holds out his arms in invitation, ready for that second dance, but you shake your head.
"My turn."
You hold your hand out. He tilts his head, curiosity flicking in his eye like a red flame, before he places his hand in yours, allows you to curl your fingers under the soft leather of his glove. Your thumb slowly, deliberately traces the thin straps that cross the top of his hand. You learn two things at that moment. First, his skin really is cool as marble and just as smooth. Second, he is not used to touch. An involuntary quiver exposes his secret and something inside you burns with satisfaction that you are the one to do this to him.
You peel black leather away from white skin, first the one hand, then the other. You slide your fingers over his wrists, his palms, up to where his own fingers curl inwards in response, holding you still, two statues clutching hands as the shadows watch in knowing silence.
You hear as the music shifts to something slower, giving the shimmering ballroom a chance to catch its breath.
The change in tempo breaks the moment, scattering it like strands of silvery cobweb. He is moved to action. Swift as a nighthawk leaping into the ink-black sky, he has you in his arms again. This time there is no distance. He pulls you against him, your body fitting to his perfectly, immaculate design in practice. Your bare hands slide over his clothing, over his shoulders, wrap around his neck. One hand dares venture upwards into the soft, lustrous dream of his hair.
Your bodies sway to the music, pressed as close as your costumes will allow, your blood rushing through your veins like a river of sparks. This mystery man in black, beloved of shadows, has captivated you wholly. He is Nyx, made of flesh and blood. Hauntingly beautiful, quietly powerful.
He drops his head, his forehead resting against the bare skin of your shoulder. The river of sparks inside you swells, spills over. Your heart is swept up in the flood as you stroke the nape of his neck, bodies still swaying like willows in the wind.
You feel when he stops moving, his warm breath coming harder against your skin. You both grow still, arms wrapped around each other as you find yourselves standing on the precipice of something, something that feels as wild as the verdant growth that surrounds you.
And then he turns his head, pressing his lips into the soft place where neck meets shoulder.
Your hand on his nape stiffens, gentle fingers suddenly gripping him like a lifeline as he parts his lips, your taste burning itself into his memory with every stroke of his tongue. A gasp, that breathy admission of desire, escapes you.
Together you tumble over the edge, into the dark beyond.
His mouth moves like quicksilver over your skin, leaving a trail of burning embers in its wake. You feel consumed by a heat so dangerous, so bright, you wonder if you'll ever be able to look at yourself again without feeling the blaze of his lips on your shoulders, your neck.
His teeth bite into your soft flesh and now you understand how the line between pleasure and pain can blur, one bleeding into the other. He soothes every sting with an almost tender kiss. How you manage to remain standing is a mystery for the ages.
You reach for his face, unable to stand it any longer. You need to taste him.
Once again, it is your turn.
Your fingertips touch the soft silk of his mask.
Your lips touch his lips.
You feel as if you're spinning again, like in the ballroom earlier. Only this time you aren't floating, you're sinking, spiraling down into a churning black sea of longing.
His bare hands come up, gripping your face the same way you are holding his, a mirrored gesture of undeniable craving. His fingers press against your mask as his mouth moves against yours. He angles his head and parts his lips, submitting, letting your tongue in to take whatever it wants. He is yours to ravage.
He tastes like the cold, sweet shine of starlight, like the first kiss of winter on a late autumn night. You plunder every corner of his mouth, holding him still as you take and take all he is offering. You cannot get enough. You cannot drink of him fast enough. You are on fire and his lips and tongue are the only chance you have at extinguishing the roiling heat inside you.
You stand in the moonlight, under the soft strains of music, holding each other's masked faces as wave after wave of hunger slams into you, leaving you both desperate for air and yet unable to part.
"Ich muss dich sehen," his voice, rough with need, rasps against your kiss-bruised lips. You don't understand the words but his intent is clear when his hands move to the back of your head, to the elegant white bow of your mask.
A decision has to be made, right now, in the haze of the headiest lust you have ever experienced. Do you expose your face to this masked stranger, this dark man of want and shadow, and give in fully, risking the consequences and all that could come with them?
Or do you rescue that rational part of your mind, the one slowly, continuously sinking to the bottom of the ocean, before it is too late?
You feel the bow loosening, his fingers pulling, your mask beginning to slide…
And as instantaneous and certain as a matchhead bursting into flame, a decision is made.
🌙
Tagging: @aquagirl1978 @atelieredux @alixennial @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesroseforclavis @somekidnamedkai @bellerose-arcana @ikemen-prince-writers-posts @thewitchofbooks @ikehoe @redheadkittys @themysticalbeing @dear-mrs-otome @firestar-otomeobsessed @curious-skybunny @leotoru @queen-dahlia @moonstruck-writing @scorchieart @gilbertvonobsidian
#ikemen series#ikemen prince#ikepri#ikemen gilbert#ikepri gilbert#gilbert von obsidian#fall fluff autumn angst ccc#gilbert x reader#masquerade ball#angst#spicy angst#ikemen fanfiction#ikemen fanfic#violettwrites
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The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden
Book 1
The words of our Lord Jesus Christ to His chosen and dearly beloved bride, Saint Bridget, about the proclamation of His most holy Incarnation and the rejection, desecration and abandonment of our faith and baptism, and how He bids His beloved bride and all Christian people to love Him.
Chapter 1
“I am the Creator of the heavens and the earth, one in Divinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. I am the one who spoke to the patriarchs and the prophets and the one whom they awaited. For the sake of their longing and in agreement with my promise, I assumed flesh without sin and concupiscence, by entering the womb of the Virgin like the sun shining through the clearest gem. For just as the sun does not damage the glass by entering it, likewise the virginity of the Virgin was not lost when I assumed Manhood. I assumed flesh in such a way that I did not have to forsake my Divinity, and I was no less God - with the Father and the Holy Spirit, governing and upholding all things - although I was in the womb of the Virgin in my human nature. Just as brightness is never separated from fire, so too, my Divinity was never separated from my Humanity, not even in death.
Thereafter I allowed my pure and sinless body to be wounded from the foot to the head, and to be crucified for all the sins of mankind. That same body is now offered each day on the altar so that mankind might love me more and remember my great deeds more often. But now I am totally forgotten, neglected, despised, and expelled as a king is from his own kingdom and in whose place the most wicked robber has been elected and honored.
I have indeed wanted my kingdom to be within man, and by right I should be King and Lord over him, for I made him and redeemed him. However, now he has broken and desecrated the faith which he promised me in his baptism, and he has broken and spurned my laws and commandments which I prescribed and revealed to him. He loves his own will and refuses to hear me. In addition, he exalts the most wicked robber, the devil, above me and has given him his faith. The devil really is a robber, since he steals for himself, by way of evil temptations, bad councils, and false promises, the human soul that I redeemed with my blood. But he does not do this because he is mightier than me; for I am so mighty that I can do all things with a word, and so just, that even if all the saints asked me, I would not do the least thing against justice.
But, since man, who has been given free will, willfully rejects my commandments and obeys the devil, it is only right that he also experiences his tyranny and malice. This devil was created good by me, but fell by his own wicked will, and has become, so to speak, my servant for inflicting vengeance on the workers of evil.
Yet, even though I am now so despised, I am still so merciful that whoever prays for my mercy and humbles himself in amendment shall be forgiven his sins, and I shall save him from the evil robber - the devil. But to those who continue despising me, I shall visit my justice upon them, so that those hearing it will tremble, and those who feel it will say: “Woe, that we were ever conceived or born! Woe, that we ever provoked the Lord of majesty to wrath!”
But you, my daughter, whom I have chosen for myself, and with whom I now speak in spirit: love me with all your heart - not as you love your son or daughter or parents, but more than anything in the world - since I, who created you, did not spare any of my limbs in suffering for your sake! Yet, I love your soul so dearly that, rather than losing you, I would let myself be crucified again, if it were possible. Imitate my humility; for I, the King of glory and of angels, was clothed in ugly, wretched rags and stood naked at the pillar and heard all kinds of insults and ridicule with my own ears. Always prefer my will before your own, because my Mother, your Lady, has, from the beginning to the end, never wanted anything but what I wanted.
If you do this, then your heart shall be with my heart, and it will be inflamed by my love in the same way that anything dry becomes rapidly inflamed by fire. Your soul shall be so inflamed and filled with me, and I will be in you, so that everything worldly becomes bitter to you and all fleshly lusts like poison. You will rest in the arms of my Divinity, where no fleshly desires exist, but only spiritual delight and joy which fill the delighted soul with happiness - inwardly and outwardly - so that it thinks of nothing and desires nothing but the joy which it possesses. So love me alone, and you will have all the things you want, and you will have them in abundance. Is it not written that the oil of the widow did not decrease until the day the rain was sent to earth by God according to the words of the prophet? I am the true prophet! If you believe my words and follow and fulfill them, the oil - joy and jubilation - shall never decrease for you for all eternity.”
Read Ahead
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Fakiru Week Day 4: Glare
Carved upon the Oaken bark
An epitaph you will find,
Hidden deep within a forest thick and dark;
To seek it out you must inquire not after ancient wisdom Enshrined,
But instead look without pursuing,
A Glare lone of bright light in so viewing.
Water is drawn to fire, fire to darkness, and darkness to silence.
Once duck then daughter with no father, now duck once more,
She settles on her sweetheart’s chest;
Upon which half a courage glows in dim diluted hues.
Once a child lost and searching, now a man who
Loss again once, twice, thrice braves,
The Sentry renews his vow to his lady, adopts it as his suit and crest,
To protect and shield her as a trail he paves,
To triumph,
Without rest.
He seeks to see that which a stubborn cloak maintains,
He seeks to hear that which mute remains,
But thirst for enlightenment, for alleviation,
He avoids.
Avoids it, for he prefers to its kindly calms,
The warmth of his beloved’s arms.
The scales for him in equal tip
To happiness,
To glory.
His quest for the kingdom hollow
Takes the Sentry twelve full moons,
But at last he chances,
Upon a dancing raven statue, which by no means gently croons.
Its gaze heavy, crimson, locks upon the jewels
Hung upon a backdrop of sunshine plumes.
“Red as mine eyes,” it caws and cackles. “And your feathers daylight to mine night.
“Gift it to me, one of each of the two,
“And I shall be of use to you,
“When you brave the path hereon after,
“To the forest deep, and its darkest tombs.”
“Not the plumes, nor the gems can I offer,”
The Sentry refuses, “for they aren’t mine to give.”
“Be that so,” the raven muses, peeved, “Then solve a riddle that plagues me, woe!
“Count to five, then back to one,
“And reveal to me,
“What colour the deepest of desires is!”
Upon this query
Only a moment ponders the Sentry,
Before he readily an answer endeavours:
“Yours is a love of sorrow,
“And your guise a ruse;
“The colour of desire deepest clear is,
“But yours a bottomless maroon.”
At these words the raven’s stone feathers ruff and raise,
A deathly cow and cry it screams,
Before its cloak it sheds, decays,
A lone maiden in its place.
“Doomed a frail love to follow,” says the Sentry
To the maiden fair,
“You are no more.”
Her eyes, still a crimson pair,
A hesitant sort of regret betray.
“Perhaps so,” she utters, “But the Prince herein
“I wish to save.
“He has no one, save a love betrayed,
“Trust lost, and comfort eternally out of reach.”
Soft smiles the fortress of her countenance reserved breach.
“I seek a fable to hold at night,
“And you, to kiss lips that do not exist, you fight.
“A laughable pair of fools,
“The two of us make.”
“Perhaps so,” laughs the Sentry,
“Indeed we doom ourselves alone.”
“Just so,” agrees the maid of black,
“Yet if either way I am to reach the end of my days,
“I much prefer it on terms my own.”
She then points the Sentry,
And his little duck companion,
To the dark bowels of the forest deep.
“Go forth in silence,” she advises,
“For silence alone shall absolve you of spies that the castle keep.”
“And silence will invoke more darkness.
“And darkness will invoke fires, vigilant and alert.
“When all burns, rains and water will descend,
“Bringing with them ease than only taste sweet can
“After strife and hardship.
“Should you fail, the cycle repeats.
“Succeed, and light, a bright glare, will illuminate all.”
Carved upon the Oaken bark
An epitaph you will find,
Hidden deep within a forest thick and dark;
To seek it out you must inquire not after ancient wisdom Enshrined,
But instead look without pursuing,
A Glare lone of bright light in so viewing.
Water is drawn to fire, fire to darkness, and darkness to silence.
**
<Prev> <Next>
AO3
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Gem and Wels’ on a date, and some backstory!
—
“Gem..?”
Wels whispered, barely audible over the sound of rustled leaves and the faint buzzing of bees.
She hummed in reply, hand intertwined with his as they lay on a picnic mat.
“Do you ever wonder, how many lives have passed just over time?”
“Are you getting existential?”
He snorted, “maybe.”
“I’m only here because of some accidental time travel and too many lines of code that make sure I don’t age 2000 years. I’m sure X is tired of updating them by now.”
“How did you accidentally time travel into the present day anyways? If you’re alright with sharing.”
Wels kissed her on the cheek.
“The cold air was eerie. It didn’t feel right. My life didn’t feel right.
I had been King Arthur’s knight since I was allowed to. I had wished and hoped to be among the strongest army ever seen in history. I had hoped to be in textbooks, to be remembered for glory.”
Gem cut him off, “you achieved the ‘be in textbooks’ dream of yours.” Wels laughed.
“I was one of the few knights Galahad had appointed to join him on the search for the grail. That’s when I knew, it wasn’t meant to be.
So I ran, I ran farther and farther from where me and the other accompanying knights had been stationed. The breeze was pushing me back, telling me that it was my duty, that I had signed up for this, that I had to follow it through. Scouts honor and all of that.”
Gem kissed away the tears forming in his tear ducts. He didn’t even realize he was crying. He sniffed.
“Are you alright? You don’t have to tell me,”
“It’s fine, I want to.”
“If you insist…”
“I had pushed through the breeze and the thoughts that told me I was only meant to be a knight. That I couldn’t be anything more than that. I had stumbled into a cave, and dug deeper to find a stronghold. With my sword in hand, I thought, ‘nothing left to lose, might as well.’ And jumped into the ender portal.”
Gem gasped, “Wels! You could have died!” She fussed over him, hand now delicately caressing his face. She kissed him on the bridge of his nose, which made him chuckle.
“I slayed the dragon, I hadn’t known what would happen, where I’d end up, but the air was constricting, and I knew I only had moments left before I would die of oxygen deprivation. So I jumped, and found myself in the 4th season of Hermitcraft.”
Wels chuckled.
“That’s when Xisuma found me at spawn, where I subsequently started to age far too quickly as he scrambled to make sure I didn’t die via lots of lines of code. If you want to know the specifics of that, you’ll have to ask him.”
“From how he’d mentioned it, I don’t think I want to.” She giggled.
“And 4 seasons later, I met you. The love of my life.”
“Okay, now you’re being a sap.”
“I’m your knight in shining armor.”
“That, you are.”
And so, the supposed princess and her knight intertwined their fingers together, and gazed at the sunset. What a romantic scene indeed.
—
Bonus;
The sun had set, not a flare visible in the sky any longer.
BdoubleO100 went to sleep
<Geminitay> We were having a romantic moment!
<Welsknight> bad timing haha
<BdoubleO100> sorry!! lol
~🎨 anon <3
Some part of Gem has found it hard to accept that Camelot isn't the romanticised image she's so used to seeing. But she has a real piece of it here with her, and that's what's most important in her eyes. Looking after Wels.
There's... Clearly things he doesn't talk about. She doesn't press, either. Everything he chooses to share with her, she's grateful for. And she'll share stories of childhood and early heartbreak. The teasing she endured in her youth. Nothing compared to Wels, but he appreciates the perspective on modern day life too.
It still feels like there's things he doesn't fully understand. He appreciates the time Gem takes to teach him - he doesn't feel afraid to admit when he's unfamiliar with something. Whether it be food, an item or a custom. Gem is always happy to teach him!
Who knew things could end up like this?
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Name: Zachariah Gerbern Radoslav Ernest Midnight
Meaning of Name: Zachariah: God remembers. Gerbern: Unknown. Radoslav: Eager glory. Ernest: Serious. Midnight: What do you think?
Nickname(s): Zach, Mr. Midnight, Knight of Diamonds,
Age: 23-34
Birthday: November 7
Species/Nationality: Titan, Wonderland,
Accent: Yes
Language spoken: Wonderlandian (English/Common),
Powers:
Healing
Fire manipulation
Sound manipulation
Silver Mimicry
Weaknesses/Illness/Allergies: Titan weaknesses, Schizophrenia, Iron-deficiency anemia, Severe brain injury, Almost total loss of memory, Memory issues,
Pet: Shrew (Antonius, Male) Vicuna (Hartwin, Male) Hartebeest (Winston, Male) Cape Monitor Lizard (Euandros, Male) Hedgehog (Circe, Female) Leopard (Iván, Male) Gembock (Susanne, Female) Warthog (Amédée, Male)
Occupation: Knight of Diamonds, Teacher,
Faceclaim: Logan Marshall-Green
Description: Has a birthmark on his left foot in the shape of a nonagon. Brown eyes. Unstyled dark brown hair. Left earring. A small scar on his right side lower back from an accident with a weapon. Tattoo of Cthulhu on his left ankle. Pirate ship steering wheel tattoo on his right lower arm. Shark tattoo on lower left arm.
Outfit/Accessories/Jewelry: Wears fashionable clothing, usually white, replicating the look of a diamond usually as well. Leather ring. Gold star earring. Gold pendant with emerald gem. Gold rose, aquamarine gem ring. Gold marquise-shaped green gem pendant. Silver dragon/gargoyle pendant with message.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 190
Body Build: Athletic
Backstory/Background:
Zachary was born to a small family. He only grew up with a man he had known as his ‘father’. This man would teach Zachary as possible to dislike the world and those within it. As well as these beings known as ‘humans’. His ‘father’ would teach Zachary also to be a killer, before anything else. While being raised by his ‘father’ the man would tell Zachary that he was hated and that others wanted him dead. So this is what Zachary had grown up to believe of the people around him. Only his ‘father’ was safe.
In his world, known as Wonderland, there are many creatures that he learns to fight from his father. When he gets older he is sought out by the kingdom to become a knight. Which Zachary’s father permits him to do. Actually, not only does he, but he seemed to have planned for this day Zachary’s entire life. He learns that there is another world outside of his own where the humans all reside. That the creatures from their world are all thought to not be real or mythological in most cases. The humans are unaware of Wonderland’s being a real live world, just like their own. Though rumor has been around for years that some manage to go over to the human’s world, every so often, through special mirrors.
Zachary is from the Kingdom of Diamonds. So as he grows up he is trained to become a Knight of Diamonds. One day while he is a teenager he is told that he will be one of four, each chosen from the different kingdoms, to go over to the other world. The world of humans. This infuriates Zachary for the most part. Especially as he is told that he is to guard one of the humans, the one who will summon him. From any kind of dangers that might happen to them. For a while after this Zachary remains in his knight training in the kingdom. But it does not take long before the four are summoned to the other world, just as it had been told would happen to them. Zachary arrives and is difficult, and unkind to the one who summoned him.
However, he remains true to his duties, and guards his ward. This results in him having to also attend the very same school his ward is attending. While there, he learns that there is indeed something very suspicious happening in the human world. Then he is told by the one who summoned him that their entire life they had dreamed of him. Which he actually sounds very strange to Zachary, and makes him even more curious as to all the events happening at one time, now. With his new curiosity he has become determined to figure out exactly what is going on. Though his duty to protect the one that summons him often gets in his way. As the creatures and other’s from his world or another, even, seem to be breaking free into the human dimension more and more often, attacking more frequently as they do.
From most of the stories getting passed around it seems to be those that are stereo typically known to be evil and dark, causing the majority of the issues and attacking humans the most. Which is making sharing the world a lot harder. Zachary learns that these attacks have been starting to be documented all the way back in 1550, when their now big city had once been nothing more but a kingdom beside the sea, with a forest to one side, and mountain range behind and above it. Though nothing seems to be making sense for the newer arrivals. Who come to have to live among the humans as if they were just like them, too.
Eventually Zachary graduates from the human school, alongside the one who summoned him. He carries on a normal life, alongside the summoner. Helping them wherever they should need it. Mostly in the defeat of the creatures who try to kill the humans. Zachary starts to suspect that these creatures are being run in more than likely a cult-like fashion, in an attempt to take the human world back from the humans. Though the mystery is still a very difficult one. He finds that most times he would rather just ignore the frustration caused by all of this mess, and continue to pretend he is human. As he has become comfortable with the easier, more advanced lifestyle of the human world.
Because he has become less difficult and less hateful toward humans. As well as no longer really fearing anything might be killing him. Zachary takes up a job at a school made to help the creatures that have been hidden so long, acclimate to the human world as regular citizens. Though many humans do not enjoy these creatures and other species. Zachary manages to find himself a teaching job at this school and helps the creatures and species with their transition into human society. So that their kinds can be more accepted and not attacked. However, this does not last for very long as one night while he had been going to his own private dorm, he was attacked, leaving him with a brutal head wound.
After this attack Zachary is left with memory issues and has mostly forgotten about his life before being hit. When he recovered from his injuries he was allowed to return to school. But because he had been so secretive prior to being attacked, no one was able to help him remember most of who he was, and what he was there to do. This causes him to lose contact with his summoner, and so ultimately to most of those who rely on him or knew him before working at the private school, to not know where he is as Zachary didn’t tell them about his work, thinking it would be safer in the long run. He continues to work at the school, as a teacher, still.
(Work In Progress)
Personality:
Realistic, Articulate, Forgiving, Leaderly, Intense, Stubborn, Contradictory, Skeptical, Strict, Sensual, Artful, Presumptuous, Quirky, Pompous,
Quirks/Savvies/Other: Gets sluggish if temperature is too high, Mutes commercials, Says he’s clairvoyant; he isn’t, Coffee annoys him, Prone to stuttering, Has difficulty speaking to strangers, Prone to speaking in third person (If I can remember!), Eats counter clockwise around his meals, Bites the heads off gummy bears before eating them, Can read upside down, Believes in Unicorns, Annoyed by people rearranging things, Finds squirrels to be annoying, Alcohol Intolerance, Skills: Fishing, Swimming, Basket-Weaving, Telegraphy, Drawing, Mathematics, Macrame, Streetwise, Advertising, Singing, Climbing, Smooth-Talking, Juggling, Cartography, Augury, Visualization, Pyrotechnics, Tracking, Ballet Dancing, Poetry, Horsemanship: Knight, Systems Management, Hobbies: Weaving, Shopping, Racquetball, Fantasy Sports, Cycling, LARPing, Video Game Collecting, Volleyball, Metalworking, Gunsmithing, Diorama, Djembe, Flea Market Shopping, Giving Advice, Taxidermy, Dying his hair, Learning sign language, Yo-Yoing, 3d Printing, Running a Youtube Channel related to his hobbies, Engraving,
Likes: Fairy Tales, Amusement Parks, Piercings, Necromancy, Baths, Statues, Touching Thighs, Playing Pokemon, Comedies, Architecture, Sewing, Chocolate, People with Manners, Postcards, Soccer, Cold Temperatures, Sparking Joy, Buddy Cop Movies, Tea, Horses, Preparing for the downfall of civilization, Road Trips, Clouds, Dumpster Diving, Bicycling,
Dislikes: Long Walks, Waking up early, Arguing, Being with his friends(You know that feeling, like if you weren’t there, no one would notice or miss you, that’s it.), Steampunk, Body Modification, Hot Water, Being barefoot, Natures Reserves, Sick People, The color Green, Crescent Moons, Light Winds, Thunder, Being in the woods, Leaves, Podcasts, Arthurian Lore, Werewolves,
Fears: Bees, Fire, Marriage/Commitment, Frogs,
Personality Tests:
Other: Scorpio,
Parent(s):
-> Father:
-> Mother:
Sibling(s): None.
Other Relatives:
Starters
Chat’s
Para’s
Face
Stuff
Information
Asks
All
Alternate Universes
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I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me - Ch 10
Evangeline forced herself to smile. This part wasn’t in the game, though it was on point for Valerian. He needed allies and seducing them was his go-to method of acquiring them. Evangeline had always focused on the fact that the ally he tried to seduce first was her … because the player character was always the most powerful in the whole group. Not in terms of within the rules of the game, of course, but because, naturally, the player character did make all the decisions for the group. They were the player after all.
But he couldn’t know that, and she wasn’t sure that was true now in the very real-seeming context.
As if the world around them was emphasizing the point, a beam of sunlight shot down from through the canopy above, hitting him in all his chiseled glory. Like a houseplant, the light froze Valerian in place, at first like he feared it would destroy him, which made sense, he was a vampire childer after all.
But when he didn’t collapse into a pile burning ash, his muscles uncoiled as his face lifted towards it. Though the light had to be blinding him, he drank it in, closing his eyes as his pale skin bathed in it. It was actually beautiful to behold, the way he submitted himself to the light with such child-like wonder. As she watched him, her eyes were drawn to the black amulet hanging from his neck, along with the collars they all were forced to wear. It was starkly clear against the muscles of his chest, a black sun framed by a silver crescent moon. At the heart of the sun was a black-red gem, cut smooth so that it blended into the metal of the amulet.
Meta Knowledge: Activated.
The Amulet of the Midnight Sun. A legendary item. If the wearer is a vampire, it bestows immunity to the sun, the ability to cross thresholds, the ability to cross running water, the immunity to silver-coated items. Also, it bestows the inability to regenerate health as well as -1 to all abilities, except Constitution which receives two less.
There were a few other caveats to the amulet, but Evangeline didn’t have to focus on that information as it simply flooded into her brain. Glancing over at her personal table, still floating beside her where she first saw it, she noted that one of the Special: Meta Knowledge tics was gone.
“Dammit,” she muttered, then realized she wasn’t alone.
Valerian regarded her patiently. “Everything alright?” he asked.
That made her consider. Did he see a table like hers too? And did she dare to trust him enough to ask him some questions, or would he think her crazy? Was this something only she could see since was technically the “player” character?
When she bit her lower lip debating, he squatted down beside her, putting his grinning face even closer, the amulet around his neck swinging back and forth. “I’d like to be of help if I can.”
Dammit.
“You know the … table thing … the one with all our stats on it?”
He nodded. “Indeed. What about it?”
A huge wash of relief cascaded down her. “Oh, thank god, you have one too.”
Now he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Naturally. Everyone does. What are you getting at?”
“Well, I keep doing something that I don’t want to do, and I can’t figure out how to stop it,” she said, turning to point at her table. “My special skill ability, it keeps firing, and I only have so many tics before it’s gone for the day. I think…” Then she realized something, her eyebrows shooting up. “Oh, maybe that’s related to my memory issues last night. I kept feeling like there was something I couldn’t remember and now, this morning, I do. So I think it has something to do with my Special Ability when it’s out of tics. Do you see what I’m saying?”
“Uh, no. I don’t,” Valerian said, which threw cold water on her enthusiasm.
“Oh… what? Sorry,” she said, embarrassment burning her cheeks. Why was she always so bad at talking to other people?
Valerian’s eyebrow lift shifted to the other side of his face as he struggled to understand. “Apologies, I was only teasing your choice of words. I do see what you’re saying. So you’re greener than I think you wanted me to realize, aren’t you? You haven’t had your Special Ability very long?”
“Uh, no. I mean, yes, you could say that.” Evangeline forced herself to take a deep breath to try to calm down. “Just … do you have any ideas?”
“Yes, I do. You need to turn your Special Ability from passive to active. That way it only fires when you want it to. Out of curiosity, what is your special skill?” Valerian asked so smoothly that Evangeline almost outright told him.
“I… uh… well what is yours?” she countered not nearly as smoothly.
His smile grew toothy, revealing his slightly extra-long canines. He gave a little sigh. “First, what color is the text of your Special Ability?”
She glanced at it. “White.”
“Okay, good. Yes, it’s in passive mode. Press your finger to it until it turns blue.”
“Oh. Right,” she said, swallowing back the stupid question of “Oh, I can touch it?” Instead, she followed his instructions, and sure enough, the text double-blinked and then shifted to blue. She nodded with optimistic satisfaction. “Okay, that worked!”
“Good. Now you want to set a code word for yourself so you can activate it when you need to.”
“Uh, okay… How… how do I do that?”
Now he sighed in exasperation. “Just pick one and remember that’s what you mean when you say it.”
“Ah, ok. Of course, right,” she said, deciding she had asked enough newbie questions for the moment. “Thank you for the help.”
He nodded and stood up, towering his lithe, but strong form over her. That prey feeling washed over her again, even more strongly than anything he ever did on the screen in her living room. Real life was definitely more… just more.
“Like I said last night. You should think about another career choice. I clearly am the superior rogue here. You’re going to be redundant. At least you are newbie enough that you can change jobs and it won’t even set you back that much.”
Then he sauntered away.
“What an ass.”
To be continued...
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Today, I shall reveal a darker thought that maybe coffee is the cause of or maybe I have been touched by insanity.
Just a recap:
I believe this dark evil Yahwehova god is nasty indeed. Jesus Christ is a dark sorcerer traversing many dimensions to entrap, imprison, and enslave mankind destroying his willpower, his freedom, knowledge of truth, and perverting the Justice and true nature of all creation. While he is away, his sorcerous twin clone the Holy Spirit is manifested as a force to ensure it entraps and lures more souls into slavery. The force known as Satan/Lucifer is but another tool of the dark god Yahweh/Jehova (yahwehova). As GOD enjoyed the smell of burnt flesh sacrifice offering in the OT, it surely will love the smell and taste of an eternal hell bbq of millions (or billion upon trillions of parallel multidimensional onmniversal realities exist).
We “sin” or don’t appease “GOD” and it devours our essence forever in hell. We become slaves as its sorcerous avatar Jesus Christ buys our wages of sin. As slaves we are locked away in this huge cube Heaven it is creating made of gold and gems and sounds like a huge living machine perhaps manufactured by the mega robot-archangel METATRON. Designing the tesseract hypercube Heaven is GOD’s last creation sone say and will house all the host of Heaven. Likely, more war machines to conquer not just this world but all worlds, galaxies, and universes.
Mankind may be the last stand against this tyrannical megalomaniac narcissistic dark evil god. And mankind is losing as the candle is burnt from both ends of this “sin” vs “surrender” paradox.
Can the entire host of undead angels (for they do not live as we nor are they dead) and creatures this god controls as well as the demons and devils it has at its disposal from the fires of hell (separate from its lake of eternal bbq fire) be defeated?
Maybe…. It only takes one insane hobo to thwart this cosmic plan. Maybe the omniverse needs to be destroyed. The “Holy Trinity” and its dark secular spirit empire must be destroyed. The religious fools caught the attention of these cthuloid entities and they plan to feed upon mankind and destroy our world.
Man should submit to no one. We strive to be ever free of any shackle including ones by other men.
(Quoted notations revealed through songs)
“ We are free as the wind
We have fought, we have sinned
In glory and pain
Our stand will remain
Mighty swords are held high
Hear the roaring from the sky
Heaven's turning red
By the blood of the dead
Fighting on the battlefield in search for the Golden Land
Riding side by side for freedom, the brotherhood of men
We are sending out a warning to every warrior in town
Gather your sword, and weapons, war is shaking the ground
Soldiers gather weapons to defend what's left of the town
Darkness wrounds us everywhere, we have to protect the crown
Treatening shadows getting closer now, the end feels so near
Fight for honour, fight for freedom, face your fear
Raise your shields and fight till you die
Fight till your enemies draw their last breath
Raise your swords, high in the sky
Riding the storm, let them face death
“The battle is near, we have to find a way
to save us from this evil lord of death.
We rise from the ashes, like a phoenix we fly high.
Spread our wings and fight for freedom 'till the day we die.
The eternal flames still burn inside our hearts with pride and joy.
That is something you can never kill or destroy.”
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#beachescape#beachparadise#beachvacation#coastalexploration#coastalgetaway#Sun#sunsandadventure#travelinspiration#USAbeaches#USATravel#wanderlust
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5 Unique Engagement Rings That Have Caught The Fancy Of All
An engagement is a lifetime event that you seldom forget. The prospect of saying yes to the man you love brings out the stars in your eyes once again. The joy gets doubled when you accept a gorgeous ring set in diamonds or other precious gemstones.
True, a plain band or costume jewelry will do just as well, for it is the emotion that counts. However, brandishing the spectacular diamond ring in all its glory is too exciting to forgo the pricey ring altogether.
Well, do accompany him and select the ring that will be with you every minute of the day. Why opt for a standard design when you yearn to be different? Check out the unique engagement rings at the store, or have one tailor-made only for you. It is bound to be an exciting adventure as you decide on the diamond, metal band, and side stones. The thing of beauty that ensues is definite to elicit admiration and envy in equal measure.
Sounds quite unbelievable, eh? No worries, it is time for you to check out the facts about a few other unique engagement rings that are talked about in hushed whispers even today.
Jackie Kennedy’s Art-Deco Engagement Ring- The unique two-stone combo of emeralds and diamonds turned heads even when Jackie Kennedy showed off her engaged status. The Art-Deco object was gorgeous, with very few being able to look away. The floral detailing with the baguette diamonds that held both gems in place was novel and had been talked about endlessly.
Kate Middleton’s engagement ring- The magnificent 12-carat blue sapphire stone sourced from Ceylon formed the center stone of this unique ring. Surrounded by 14 stunning solitaire diamonds, this engagement ring was on the finger of Princess Diana. Kate had to get it resized before she wore it, but the rest remained unchanged and hailed as the iconic ring associated with the Princess of hearts to this day.
Jessica Biel’s engagement ring- An aquamarine and diamond combination unheard of before, this engagement ring adorned Jessica Biel’s petite finger. The 6-carat diamond formed the center stone emphasized by a double halo containing accent diamonds. A couple of matching aquamarine stones held the diamond at the center, making it sparkle even more. It is not surprising to learn that this unique ring made it to the most beautiful engagement ring list of all time.
Halle Berry’s engagement ring- The 4-carat emerald was set off perfectly by stunning diamonds on either side. The plain gold band supporting the gemstones was not so plain, either. However, the ring is believed to contain secret codes. This was the real mystery, with no clues found to break it yet.
Victoria Beckham’s engagement ring- Well, Victoria is a lucky girl indeed, having received more than ten engagement rings gifted by her husband periodically. The unique engagement rings she possesses include diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and every gemstone in the world. They are each unique in their way.
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jun 19
when i make up my jewels
"they shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels. and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." mal 3:17
do you know that right now God is observing not only our actions, but also the thoughts and intents of our heart? what do you do when there is no witness but God? how do you react in certain situations? do you pay attention to a suffered wrong. would you rejoice as "the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen" on you? psa 69:9 do you forgive even as God has forgiven you?
forgiveness is not a feeling. it's a decision. just like receiving Christ into your life is a decision. it's not just a one time decision. it's a daily decision. "if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." luke 9:23 you might ask, "follow Him where"? where ever He leads. "the wind blows where it wishes ... so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." john 3:8 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord." isa 55:8
you may say, others have tasted glories i have only heard stories of. yes, i too would cherish visits to the third heaven. but my experience doesn't tell me what God is. His word does!
His jewels will not be made up of casual believers. it is reserved "for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name." mal 3:16 it is for those who "those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" matt 5:6 be as the psalmist who wrote, "open to me the gates of righteousness; i will go through them". psa 118:19 be as Leonard Ravenhill who penned the words, “give me souls lest i die!"
does your passion for God often feel as though it would consume you? this is not for the casual christian. not for one grateful only for salvation. not for the one who doesn't desire fellowship with Him in prayer. not for the one who doesn't share the burden of His heart for the remnant. it is for those who are filled with passion for the Lord. i have often said, "salvation is free. intimacy will cost you everything."
speaking of john the paptizer, Jesus said, “he was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light”. John 5:35 that’s my heart as well. i want to be a burning and shining lamp. i want to be a torch! in the words of smith wigglesworth, "o, if God had His way, we should be like torches, purifying the very atmosphere wherever we go, moving back the forces of wickedness." the missionary amy carmichael had prayed, "make me Thy fuel, flame of God."
here are some questions to ask ourselves: do our lives purify or pollute? do we give off light or levity? do we deepen the working of the Spirit or dampen His flames? do you truly "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength"? mark 12:30 and then, you neighbor as yourself?
these are the god-like qualities He is looking for in His jewels? jewels are made to sparkle and reflect the light. God is that light and His jewels will be reflections of His glory. a radiance so bright that human eyes cannot behold it. is it no wonder that all of creation groans, awaiting for the revealing of the sons of God?
God is in the process of transforming those who will into all He wants for a bride to His Son. that process began with paying the price for the bride. it was a costly price indeed. it was God's best.
"deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me." psa 42:7 become that fire that burns up the dross. God is a consuming fire. those who reside in His presence become like Him. the hymn writers of old knew this:
o that in me the sacred fire
might now begin to glow,
burn up the dross of base desire,
and make the mountains flow!
breathe on me, breath of God,
till i am wholly thine,
until this earthly part of me
glows with Thy fire divine.
the gems that crystallize underground typically require very high pressures and temperatures. are you willing to endure the compression and fire to become one of His jewels? then pray now as the methodist leader john fletcher did. "Lord, i stand in need of oil. my lamp burns dimly. it is more like a smoking flax than a burning and shining light. oh, quench it not, raise it to a flame! i want a "power from on high"; i want penetrating, lasting “unction of the Holy One”; i want my vessel full of oil; i want a lamp of heavenly illumination, and a fire of divine love burning day and night in my heart; i want a full application of the blood which cleanseth from all sin, and a strong faith in thy sanctifying word." then let your words be swallowed by your actions.
"we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 john 3:2
"i turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. and when i turned i saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." rev 1:12-16
WOW!
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You are now a designer of your own style! Go ahead and create your dream earstack with a good women’s stud earrings set from Jewelili.
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Thinking back on Sonic 06...
It’s November 14th, 2021. Which means today is the 15th anniversary of Sonic’s big 15th anniversary title! Of course, I’m talking about Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
A saying that comes up is “what more can I even say?” I feel there is no game truer of this statement than Sonic 06. How do we, as the Sonic community look back on this game? Much like every other aspect of this series, tides have shifted and it seems so has the consensus on this game. Let’s take a look back to over a decade and a half ago.
The hype for Sonic 06 was real! It was tangible, it was exciting, and it was Sonic! Sure, Shadow the Hedgehog wasn’t well received, but we all generally felt that it was just a bizarre hiccup due to being an edgy spin-off. However, Sonic 06 looked like it was going to be the next big leap for Sonic! It really felt like the next Sonic Adventure in terms of significance.
Having been a Sonic fan for my whole life and literally growing up alongside Sonic from his SEGA Genesis days, it was an exciting rollercoaster. I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I don’t think newer or younger fans can totally grasp how huge Sonic was in the 1990s! It was unlike anything else! He was really on top. Sadly, even after his amazing outings on the SEGA Dreamcast, he never reclaimed that glory.
Sonic 06 looked like it was going to reclaim that. We had so many showcases and trailers. We saw enhanced new lighting, sprawling stages, an incredibly rich plot, day-to-night cycles, and an experience that would be unforgettable.
Upon being released, it was indeed unforgettable… but not in the way it was supposed to be. Marked as “Sonic the Disaster” by many, it was an absolute disappointment and considered one of the worst games every made. “Sonic Next Gen,” as it was known at the time, was the laughing stock of the gaming industry. The countless glitches, broken programming, and asinine writing hit the entire Sonic series hard. I won’t beat around the bush, even as a Sonic fan, the game was not good nor did it live up to the high expectations it set out.
The worst part of this is that we are currently living in 2021… and Sonic has still not been forgiven by the general public. Sonic fans, we know that things got better. Sonic Unleashed was the first step to big improvements, Sonic and the Black Knight showed Sonic’s character being captured in a perfect manner, Sonic Generations satisfied almost everybody, and down the way we had gems like Sonic Mania! It wasn’t a linear climb upward, sadly. Sonic still had divots in his career; which was combined with the stain of Sonic 06’s failure and never allowed the series to be appreciated as it should be. How often have we heard that “Sonic games are all bad,” “Sonic was never good,” or the very beloved… “Sonic had a rough transition to 3D.”
Sonic 06 has done irreparable damage to Sonic. Which is entirely unfair. Other popular franchises can release blunders and it’s simply shrugged off, but when it comes to the Blue Blur… every single issue is remembered, chronicled, and brought up at a moment’s notice. The public failure that was Sonic 06 painted a target over the entire series. It’s honestly ridiculous, but it’s undeniable.
HOWEVER!
While I cannot say that Sonic 06 is a good game, I can say that it’s a game I genuinely do love. Sonic fans are often like that, aren’t we? Let’s look at many of the positive the game brought to us.
Firstly, the music is regarded pretty unanimously as being incredible. I concur! The score to Sonic 06 was handled mostly by Ohtani Tomoya and he did an absolutely stellar job with it. It isn’t a typical Sonic soundtrack in most regards. The music doesn’t have the melodic songs from the classic games or Sonic Heroes. It doesn’t even have the buttrock styles from the Adventure games. Ohtani and Sonic Team realized the scope of Sonic 06 and ran with it. The score is immaculate with theatrical pieces that feel both epic and of the highest quality! From Eggman’s epic new theme, to the cutscenes containing scores that feel like they’re from Hollywood’s best movies, to the serene hub worlds of Soleanna. The music is fantastic and when you get to the action stages, you can’t help, but just feel invested and entranced with it all. That’s not to say that the typical Sonic music is completely absent! His World, All Hail Shadow, and Dreams of an Absolution work great as character themes and hooks to the original Sonic-style we all love. The orchestrated results screen music is a particularly lovely touch.
The stages are also a lot of fun… but let’s ignore the glitches for now. Positive thoughts, everybody. While Wave Ocean does feel a bit of a retread of Emerald Coast, (adding the whale didn’t help that distinction), there are countless fun ideas! Crisis City throws you into an apocalyptic future, Aquatic Base gives you a somber look at the mistakes of a once proud figurehead, Dusty Desert provides a unique desert setting, and Kingdom Valley is this epic showcase of the entire game. There’s more to it too! The city of Soleanna has a lot of thought put into it. It doesn’t translate well to the gameplay, but it’s there. The many missions are also fun… sometimes. But the variety of ideas is appreciated.
I think the ideas and presentation of Sonic 06 goes a very long way. The opening cutscene that has Dr. Eggman attacking Princess Elise with Sonic swooping in to save the day is almost perfect; only outdone by the jaw dropping intro later featured in Sonic Unleashed. Sonic’s story is fairly straightforward with his goal being to just save Elise and stop Eggman. A fun little adventure. But then you dive into Shadow and Silver’s campaigns. The ideas on display here are (again) not typical-Sonic affairs, but it doesn’t matter because so many brilliant ideas are touched upon. Shadow in particular has this fantastic arc that feels completed here. From Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic Heroes to Sonic 06, we have a multi-game arc that is admittedly messy, but still very intriguing. Plus, he has one grand line as he stands alongside his friends: Rouge and Omega. Silver comes in with his unique psychokinesis and time travel story. Silver allows an interesting moral dilemma to be brought up while also expanding Sonic lore in so many ways. It’s a shame it was never capitalized on later in the series. While Silver has never been my personal favorite character in the series, he’s still a nice and welcomed addition to the cast. Blaze the Cat being part of Silver’s future… uh… I still don’t understand what SEGA was thinking with that one.
It’s just so fascinating that what was hated in 2006 has undergone almost a complete shift through a modern viewpoint. Sonic Colors came in and completely changed the style of Sonic stakes and stories. For over an entire decade, Sonic hasn’t gone back to the epic stories featured in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Adventure 1&2, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Black Knight, and especially Sonic 06. It seems like SEGA took that failure personally and wanted to distance themselves from it as far as they could. So, they toned it down with Sonic Colors and they never went back. Now, we have the opposite problem where Sonic games aren’t being overly ambitious and failing, but they’re just being safe… and often times not hitting a bullseye either. Listen, Sonic 06 blunders all over the place, but it really did shoot for the moon; except it didn’t end up amongst the stars and ended up crash landing back on Earth.
What I really appreciate about SEGA and Sonic Team is that Sonic 06 has not been erased from canon. It was lovingly referenced in Sonic Generations, it’s still featured in the comic books, the music is honored throughout the series and within events like the Sonic Symphony, and Silver appeared in Kingdom Valley during Sonic Channel’s cover story this year. The game was a big mistake in many ways, but it definitely meant a lot to people. It’s more than the glitchy Sonic game where a princess kissed him. (That scene as well has been needlessly blown out of proportion too.)
Honestly, I am happy the perception on the game has shifted so much. The game has a lot of love put into it, but it’s like all the positives are grains of sand. SEGA and Sonic fans were holding the sand in their hands and slowly, but surely… most of those grains fell through. It’s just a sad truth of what happened. I think Sonic fans should keep in mind that Sonic 06 is still not a “good game.” The game is not well optimized, it’s too glitchy, and it’s honestly broken. But that doesn’t mean you can’t love it. Things strike chords with you because they are special specifically to you. That’s good! Sonic as a series is special because of that. Being passionate about Sonic is an incredible experience that leaves you different from when you first found it.
While the negatives of Sonic 06 are still leaving ripple effects to this day, let’s continue to show our passion and appropriate criticism to the series. It’s been an interesting 15 years.
If you’re ever feeling like 06 is misunderstood, that Sonic isn’t treated fairly, or that you are just overjoyed with something that came from this game. Remember this one thing:
Nothing starts until you take action.
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Hi! May i request a fic or a headcanon for DIO in wich the reader is living near his mansion in Egypt and she starts to give petshop pieces of meat that the reader buys for her cat and after some time she just comes there to watch the falcon. When DIO notices her just sitting on a sidewalk talking to petshop while feeding him, he gets curious about her and thinks to himself that he could find out more about who she is (because if petshop isnt clawing her eyes out she must have intrigued him) as an activity to pass time while he's still adjusting to his new body and in the end he ends up liking the reader?
Sorry that this is so long😅 hope you safe and healthy 🥰
And thank you💞
Heyy thanks so much for the request, I’m incredibly sorry that this took so long :( I really loved the idea and I hope the finished product is to your liking, wishing you the best!!
Desire For Knowledge
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders
Dio x Female!Reader
Summary: The strange behavior of Pet Shop leaves Dio desiring to learn more about the person who the falcon had allowed to interact with him.
A soft smile pulls the corners of your lips upwards as the falcon takes the piece of meat from between your fingers as gently as a bird of prey ever could. To think that something as threatening as a falcon, would be so tame, as if he belonged to someone who called him their pet. It had been a similar day to this one when you first came across the falcon. The sun was about to set and he had been standing atop of a gate, guarding an impressive-looking mansion, which you assumed belonged to his owner. You couldn’t help but admire the bird, the way he valiantly protected his home, and just how majestic he looked, the sun shining on his brown feathers.
Over time you found yourself staying near the mansion, just so you could admire him further. It took a few days for you to get comfortable feeding him, but he eventually noticed the bag of meat you often bought for your cat and seemingly wanted a piece for himself. Since then, your visits had become more frequent and your curiosity about the falcon and his owner you never saw grew by the day.
Your eyes looked at the mansion, as they often did, your thoughts wandering. What kind of a person lived in such an expensive structure? The windows were covered with thick curtains that didn’t allow any sunlight through them. Never had you seen these curtains move away from the windows, nor had you seen anyone leave or enter the building. This made you wonder if it was abandoned, but then why would it be so fearlessly protected by a potentially dangerous animal? All this made little sense to you, yet you found yourself drawn to it.
Dio had noticed you feeding Pet Shop on multiple occasions, whether it was through a careful peek behind the curtains during daytime, or a look through the exposed windows at night. The fact that the ruthless falcon had not eliminated or shown any signs of hostility towards you despite the fact that you were dangerously close to his hiding place was something he couldn’t quite understand and led him to believe that Pet Shop didn’t see you as a threat for some unknown reason. This was strange and yet, it awakened a strange sense of intrigue in him. What caused Pet Shop to behave so differently with you?
A quiet caw from the bird snaps you out of your thoughts and makes you look at him. The day had gone by a lot faster than you anticipated. This often happened when you interacted with him and was a sign that it was time to head back home. You stood up and wiped the dust from the ground off your pants, before turning your gaze towards the animal once again.
“See you around, I have to get back home and save some of these for my cat,” you said, lifting the bag of food slightly.
The falcon glanced at it briefly before flying back to its post. You smiled once more before heading towards your home as the sun finally disappeared, oblivious to a pair of sharp eyes watching with curiosity as you left the mansion behind.
His desire to know more about you grew the more he saw you looking or feeding the bird. It somewhat plagued him, yet he saw it as an opportunity to pass his time while he adjusted to his new body he so often admired through the mirror. Something about the way you gazed at Pet Shop with admiration in your (E/C) eyes made Dio wonder if you held something special within you. Were you a stand user? Or was the warmth in your expression that felt so alluring to him something else entirely?
Whatever the case, due to everything he had witnessed, he craved knowledge.
~
The sun had long set, coating the streets of Egypt in darkness. Today’s shift had been long, but you still wished to go past the familiar mansion to hopefully catch a glimpse of the beautiful falcon you had befriended. Even watching him brings you joy, though you aren’t sure yourself why he is so friendly with you. Perhaps you have a way with animals, considering how often your cat would snuggle up next to you. The thought makes you smile as you walk.
As the building comes into view your eyes immediately search for the bird and once they spot him, a smile makes its way to your face. With his sharp eyes, the bird notices you and immediately flies towards you, landing on the ground. You squat down to get a better look at him.
“Hi there handsome."
Your voice is soft as you admire him, noticing how he is looking at you as if he is expecting something. You frown slightly. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any food on me this time. But I promise to bring you some tomorrow.”
To your surprise, he takes off and flies towards... a person standing in front of the entrance to the mansion. The bird lands on his large arm, his sharp talons holding on with the utmost carefulness. You immediately stand up, realizing that the man must be the owner of both the mansion and the falcon. His amber eyes look at the animal and then you before he speaks:
“Quite interesting. Pet Shop usually isn’t too fond of humans.” The blond takes a few steps forward, allowing you to see him more clearly in all his glory; His light hair shines under the moon, his sculpted muscles frame him perfectly and his fiery amber eyes look into yours with such fire, you are not sure if they belong to a human.
“No need to apologize, dear. He is a lot smarter than he looks, though, I’m sure a sharp woman like yourself already figured it out,” He says, voice deep and fruity, accompanied by a smirk that stretches his lips upward that immediately makes your cheeks fill with warmth you failed to notice. “What is your name, my darling?” He asks.
“O-oh, I was just looking at him. He is just... Such a beautiful falcon.” You briefly glance at the bird before returning your gaze to the man who holds an intense yet warm flame in his own eyes. Their sharpness remind you of the falcon’s own eyes.
“I’ve never seen anything like him. Sorry if I’ve been trouble, I know I’m kind of taking him away from his protection duties.”
You bring your hand to the back of your neck sheepishly, laughing slightly but feeling a tad anxious about the owner’s expression you cannot quite read.
“I’m (Name). I live nearby.”
A smile of your own coats your features as you introduce yourself to the person you had been curious about for a long time.
“Ah yes, that would explain why you are here so often.” His smirk grew as he noticed your eyes widening.
“You’ve seen me?”
“I suppose so. Tell me, Mr-”
Pet Shop then left his arm and flew back to his post, leaving you with this unknown yet strangely alluring man.
“I have indeed. I must say that a beauty such as yourself is rather difficult to ignore.”
His honeyed words are followed by a deep chuckle, his amber eyes locked onto you. You are taken aback by his words, but maintain your smile and let out a small laugh as well.
“Dio. There is no need for formalities or titles,” he says, keeping that charming tone in his voice. His demeanor is intriguing and you are not sure what you were expecting from the lord of the impressive mansion, but this was certainly... Something.
“It’s very lovely to finally meet you, Dio.” You find yourself subconsciously taking a few steps closer to him, as if something about him is slowly pulling you in.
With one final chuckle, he extended his hand towards you, his claws not going unnoticed by you as he spoke:
“Likewise, dear.”
His charming smirk is more and more apparent the more you look at him. Dio also notes just how stunning you look under the moonlight, how your pleasant smile decorates your features perfectly, and how your (E/C) orbs shine like gems. His curiosity has reached new heights as you seem to be far more than he expected. He now felt the same way as his falcon had and realized why you had interested Pet Shop so.
“Wonderful. There is a lot I wish to ask of you.”
“I would like to learn more about you, (Name). Would you join me for a glass of wine?” You looked at him, processing his question that came rather out of the blue.
The night was still young, and you would be lying if you said that this seemingly otherworldly man hadn’t piqued your interest. With yet another warm smile that strangely hits Dio, you accept his request and place your hand in the palm of his cold one:
“I’d love to.”
His grin grew at this as he slowly led you inside, leaving behind the darkness of the night he lived in.
#jjba#jojo#jojo's bizarre adventure#Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken#JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders#jjba x reader#jojo x reader#jojo's bizarre adventure x reader#dio x reader#dio#dio brando#jjba dio#jojo dio#jjba dio x reader#jojo dio x reader#reader insert
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A rather self indulgent piece. I am not sorry.
**************************
Brynjolf almost cooed with satisfaction as the pick did its work and the lock turned. He did allow a smug grin to cross his face as he pulled the safe door open on its now well-oiled hinges. His eyes lit at the gold and gems stacked in neat little piles. He let his fingers skim over the jewels but closed them around the bundle of rolled parchments deeper within.
A flick of a razor-edged dagger against the bindings and he was able to unroll one, searching quickly to ensure it was indeed what he was looking for. He froze as a loud snort echoed from somewhere above him but the sound was followed by the same deep snores he had been hearing since he’d first made entry. He sighed as he stuffed the parchments into the satchel at his side, eyes on the treasures still sitting enticingly before him. He wrinkled his nose and turned to start the climb back up the stairs. Fifth stair creaks, remember that.
Brynjolf hoisted himself back out the same window he had come in. He dropped to the ground with a smile. He wondered if the guard fast asleep by the kitchen fire would have a job come morning. He skirted the two houses between the one he’d entered and the edge of town carefully, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the guards on patrol near the road.
“Well?” A voice asked a few minutes later as he sank down to lean against an old fallen tree out of sight of the village.
He patted the satchel. “Was there ever any doubt?”
His companion laughed softly. “Never.”
“I’m thinkin’ we’ll have someone eating out o’ our hands for a few days to get this back.” Brynjolf shifted and stretched. “I’m gettin’ too old fer this. Crouchin’ down like that, jumpin’ out windows.”
“You love it. You could have let me do it, you know.”
He reached out and pulled Raina onto his lap. His lips found hers by instinct and he kissed her once, then twice. His hand slide down to press against her stomach. “I think ye know why I’m not about to let you do anything dangerous for awhile.”
She indulged him for a moment longer, then pushed him away. “We should get out of here.”
He huffed with annoyance, but stood. “Pity we couldn’t take him for everything. Had quite a bit o’ coin and some nice gemstones in there too.”
“That’s not what you were hired for. And this will get the Guild more in the long run if it all works the way it’s supposed to.”
“Aye.” He stopped her as she started toward where they’d hidden the horses. “Still...I don’t think they’ll worry too much about this when they find out.”
“Bryn, what did you…” Raina looked at the perfectly cut emerald he’d pressed into her hand.
“Couldn’t help myself.”
“You’re terrible.”
“Isn’t that why you married me?”
A pair of emeralds more stunning than the gem stared at him with mock annoyance. “Come on. Before we’re caught.”
They found the road then let the horses pick their own pace back to Heljarchen. With luck, they’d be back with enough time for a few hours sleep before Brynjolf would have to head back to the Guild. As they rode, Brynjolf let his mind wander over the impossibility of his companion, his love, his wife. Brynjolf’s wife. It was as ridiculous as it was wonderful.
A year ago, he was part of a dying Guild relying on the charity of the few who still found their talents useful. He’d watched friends disappear, some to strike their own paths, some who’d simply vanished, the victims of whatever fate befell them. A Guild once respected, even feared, had become a mockery. Del did call it a curse, after all. Who’d have though he was right.
Then she had come. An enigma wrapped in a cyclone. A fearless, roguish beauty with skill like few he’d ever seen, who could take you for all you had and somehow having you thanking her for it, then turn around and give it all to the nearest beggar without a thought. She’d almost single-handedly brought the Guild to a new level of glory. Unashamedly supportive of the Empire while unafraid to question and defy the influence and power of the Thalmor, Raina was also as willing to protect and honor tradition as any Skyrim-born. She collected family and loyal followers as easily as some nobles collected rare art and protected and loved them as though they all shared the same blood. Not to mention all this Dragonborn and end-of-the-world business he still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around.
“You’re brooding again.”
He chuckled and shifted his horse closer so he could take her hand and kiss it. “Not brooding. Thinking.”
“About?”
“You.”
“Good thoughts, I hope.”
“Always, lass. Mostly about what I’d like to do when we get home.”
“You really are terrible. We also don’t need to be home to do that, you know.”
“Is that so?”
A star and moon-lit sky and a gaily trickling stream proved a perfect setting for her to prove herself right.
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