#trinity is still such a strange place

[illogicalpine]

One of the tourists at the old library I'm working at cornered me and a coworker while we were moving a trolley of books around today.

Said tourist was like "I wish I could breathe this old book smell all day, you're so lucky!"

I fear this person. Who voluntarily wants to breathe dust and red rot all day?

#illogical post #trinity is still such a strange place #trinity library

[saintmagx]

I Knew you were Trouble❤️‍🔥

Part 3

Pairing: Jimmy Uso x reader

AN: if you would like tagged let me know 💖 Trinity is still with WWE. No specific timeline

⚠️ Warnings: 18+ , swearing, violence (this is the WWE after all) slight smut, infidelity, jealous Jimmy, bad writing, cringe story telling, the Usos (because they are a warning in themselves) ⚠️

JIMMY IS SO FINE LIKE 😭🤤 HELP!!!! Also is anyone else just loving how much fun he’s having on Smackdown right now????? YEEET 🤪 NO YEET 😐

The hustle and bustle of the gorilla can be a bit much for some people but not me, it strangely helps me get in the zone, ready to become my onscreen persona and throw yn out the window. Hunter confirmed the timeline for myself and trinity to win the tag team titles - five weeks away at Summerslam. Trin was still determined to get us an in ring team name and had enlisted Beverly the seamstress to start working on matching outfits - I love her but when she sets her mind to something - nothing and I mean nothing stands in her way.

Tonight I had a singles match against Liv Morgan, a simple one on one match with a clean win for me. Waiting for my cue the Uso’s come through the curtain after finishing their match. Josh greets me with his huge infectious smile and warm embrace, Jon on the other hand greets me with his signature fiery stare.

“Good luck out there yn. The crowd is on fire tonight!”

Josh walks away leaving me standing with Jon once more.

“We need to stop meeting like this.” Jon says with a smirk

“Ah yes, however it is hard when we work at the same place and are friends with the same people, the likelihood of us continually bumping into each other is pretty high.” Proud of my self for my reply I look at him smiling awaiting his response.

“Ya know, for a pretty girl you have a pretty smartass mouth. I sure hope you ain’t all talk and can back up that mouth babygirl.” He gives me a final once over and heads over to Josh who is standing chatting to his cousin Joe.

Focus yn, focus.

“Yn, you’ve missed your cue, get out there NOW.”

Shit. I don’t need distractions right now, I need to prove to Hunter and everyone backstage that i deserve to be here and I deserve these titles.

My match against Liv went to plan, we only had a 7 minute slot so it was quick and effective.

Trin

Hey so a few of us are heading to dinner before you guys have to be back on the road for the European tour. You in?

Yn

Of course girl, lemme get ready and I’ll meet you at the car 💗

Trin

I’ve already left the arena, but Jon and Josh are still there, tag along with them and I’ll see you at dinner 💕

Great. The more I try to keep away from Jon the more fate keeps throwing us together.

The car ride to the restaurant was pretty normal actually. Jon and Josh were in the front talking tactics from their match and goofing off. Me on the other hand was a simple bystander to this, it was nice. The bond the boys have is special, really warms the heart.

“Earth to yn!”

Josh snaps me out of my thoughts

“Sorry, um what were you saying?”

“Damn, not even paying attention to me huh.”

“Oh shush Josh, I’m tired.” I say laughing, I wouldn’t tell them that the real reason I was preoccupied was because I was in awe of them and their bond, those boys don’t need bigger heads.

With Josh fake falling out with me, I turn my attention to Jon.

“Can you tell me what he said?”

“Please?” I beg batting my eyelids, being a little flirtatious always gave me the upper hand, but with Jon it was dangerous territory I was entering.

Looking at me from the mirror he licks his lips.

“Sorry yn! Ain’t no way I ain’t siding with my bro.”

“That’s right uce. Day ones!”

Josh turns to me with a smug ass look on his face. Rolling my eyes I turn my attention to my phone ignoring them both.

Sighing I question “how am I going to manage myself with you two double teaming me.”

Jon’s eyes dart to the mirror with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Im sure you’ll be able to take us.” His eyes revert back to the road as we pull up to the restaurant.

Fluttering. Everywhere. That’s the only way I can describe it. There wasn’t a part in my body left that hadn’t been effected by Jon and his words. When I said double teaming me I hadn’t meant anything by it other than then ganging up on me but now, all I can think about is both their hands on me, Josh attacking my neck, Jon all over my breasts sucking and caressing them.

“You’ve been pretty quiet tonight, what’s up?” Trin enquires.

Truth is I’ve been distracted, Jon’s words in the car, watching Jon interact with Trin like a normal husband and wife, the feeling of jealousy and shame washing over me.

“I’m just tired honestly, plus I’ve still got so much to do before I leave for Europe tomorrow.”

“And moody, was all pissy with me in the car earlier, right Jon?”

“She sure was.”

I look at the twins and flip them off making the everyone at the table laugh lightening the mood. I hate how one man has effect me so much. And I know it’s only going to get worse once we kick of the European tour. No wife and me close by for 7 whole days - it has disaster written all over it.

Sorry it’s kinda short, felt like this was a good place to end! Anyhooo

Tagged: @southerngirl41 @missfamilyjeweles @jeyusos-girl @christinabae @jeyusosgirl @raya-hunter01 @harlem11680 @theogsamoanqueen @harmshake

#wwe fanfiction #wwe #fatu #jimmy uso fanfiction #jimmy uso smut #jimmy uso x reader #wwe x you #wwe x reader #wwe smut #jonathan fatu

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Obscure Character Showdown FINALE

[image ID: the first image is of image is of No Significant Harassment, a shadowy figure standing behind a sleeping pink-red, fox-like creature. their green hands seem to be holding up the floating creature. the second image is of Granger, a girl with green eyes and short, wavy or curly black hair. in her hair is a red hat or ribbon. she's wearing a black turtleneck sweater, blue overalls, and a green coat. end ID]

No Significant Harassment

[NSH has beaten Akama (The Idiot (1951)), Libby Day (Dark Places), Sally Swing (Betty Boop), Shrimp (The Upturned), Oopsy Bear (Care Bears (2007 series)), Hikaru (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu), and Diggory Graves (Hello from the Hallowoods)] They're just a silly little guy. A jokester. Significant harassment if you will. Anyway, a more in depth run down: They're a city sized supercomputer built by a Buddhist adjacent society to figure out how to transcend the 'Great Cycle' (semi-metaphorical cycle of death and rebirth) in a safer way than the previous method (submerging oneself in the 'void sea' which is a mysterious golden liquid that dissolves whatever it touches). Despite being built for this express purpose NSH never really shows a pressing interest in ascension, even cracking jokes about those who are still looking for a solution. Whether this is due to indifference, dislike of, or humor to cope with being unable to ascend is not clear and really up to interpretation. Example: NSH: I wish them super good luck in that endeavor. How is it going to happen? Have the overseers gnaw through bedrock until their entire can crashes down in the void sea? BSM: Please be respectful when speaking of the Void Sea. Grey Wind, where did you hear this? CW: I really shouldn't say. He's going to attempt some sort of breeding program. Thought you might want to know. NSH: Haha with the slimers, lizards and etceteras? Surely the answer was in a lizard skull all along! He's very flippant, but does care very intensely for those close to him. NSH: Moon? It's me again. NSH: I do not know if you are receiving these. Please signal in any way you can. NSH: I need to talk to you. I need to know you're okay. NSH: … NSH: Its difficult for us to assist you over this distance. NSH: Even more difficult for us to do anything in the midst of these tantrums. NSH: Were going to try everything that we can. NSH: Just hold on a little longer. (Context for previous convo: They genetically engineered a super organism of a slugcat (the species you play as in Rain World) to help reset his coworker/sibling after her collapse and restart her systems. He was so desperate to fix her that he accidentally messed up the slugcat's (Hunter) genetic code and as a result it became riddle with the Rot (relatively similar to aggressive cancer) :( which parallels his other coworker/siblings condition who also has the rot. ) He canonically uses he/they pronouns too! Nonbinary swag! NSH has major internet troll vibes. He has sent a data pearl of "something distasteful" to his neighbors on several(?) occasions and causes chaos. If he had access to the wider internet he'd probably be an influencer So…yeah! Vote NSH this website likes the allure of heavy machinery and stuff like that so… there you go. Kind of a blorbo. End post.

Granger

[Granger has beaten Chopfyt (Oz), Wolfman (Darkwood), Gaap Goemon (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun), Forest Friend (Gris), Turnip (Chicory: A Colorful Tale), Gary (Faith the Unholy Trinity), and Stag Malinay (Krystar First Fragment)] so granger is the main character of the indie game "NeverHome" Chapter one, which is only $1 on Steam, is called NeverHome: Hall of Apathy. if ur a fan of young protags being put in RPG maker horror games, then this is the game for you!! so granger is just that… she wakes up to find herself in a strange, hostile world. she, along with the friends she makes, must solve the various puzzles before them while creatures are out to kill them… and along the way they can uncover the secrets of these never ending halls… her dynamics with the cast is also super fun… each character gets their moment or moments with granger. and what's so cute is that there's unique art for each pair that highlights the fact you cant get through these halls alone!! she also has her own theme song!! here!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_vwtmIj5cw it's called cyclical tragedy AND HERE IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE THEME!! MUSIC THEORY!!! written by my good friend @HIEMIOLA "cyclical tragedy" embodies the protagonist, granger, through the music theory behind the track and ties itself back into the main track as well. to begin with an overview of the track, the key is D minor and hte time signature is 3/4. the piece begins with a broken minor third starting from the tonic. that is, it begins on the main note and moves along the main chord, D to F. the next set of notes are C to E, which is shifted down a step. the phrase repeats again, this time D to F, then G to E, which is an inverse movement from the original sequence. even in this first part, we could tell that the protagonist begins from square 1 with a simple pattern, then tries it again when it works. however, the inverse breaks that expectation of repetition, thus showing the diverse variations of solutions she comes up with using just the tools she has (the two notes moving in thirds). just like the game, she is given a handful of objects as well as a knife to defend herself and solve the mysteries of the world she exists in. with her creative uses of the items given to her, she continues on her way through the plot. we will keep moving. the melody begins. true to the title of the track, the melody cycles around the same beginning note, D, that she always returns to at her square 1. this is a nod to the save states she is allowed to keep to make sure that we the players don't lose the game, but it also references the health bar that appears as a circle around her avatar. the melody, mapped out, is also moving in an up-down wave movement across the sheet music. granger is creative with the knife she has and the quest items she obtains throughout the story, but she is not entirely reckless. rather, she knows when it is time to return to the safe rooms to rest. to time her returns requires skill because she must run to cover without being caught by varying her path so the enemies don't corner her as she tries to return to the room. most of the time, she is successful, shown through the consistent return to the beginning note. let's keep going. i would like to turn your attention to the main theme briefly. in the bass notes, you can hear arpeggios and outlined chords. this makes up the bulk of the accompaniment in the main game theme. [mod note: the rest of the essay, and some more propaganda, is continued under a cut because tumblr will not process more text than this in an indent. sorry to split it up, please continue below for the rest of the essay and additional propaganda (including art) !]

the third variation of granger's theme also has arpeggiated chords in the accompaniment while the melody features broken chords. at this stage, the pattern switches to eigth notes instead of the quarter notes at first. with greater movement and heightened senses, she runs throughout world and befriends other people, thus interacting further with the environment. while she isn't exactly someone we would call open, she is respectful to the people she first meets and has no problems with asking them for help when she needs it. because of her openness to working together, she speeds up her progress by asking for aid at obstacles that would be too difficult for her to overcome on her own, such as asking a teammate to break things, move things, or reach into smaller holes. fusing the main theme elements with her own theme marks this step as the inciting incident that sets her on the path to escape from this world. we'll continue.

continuing the same part, we hear some secondary fifths. i'm not entirely sure if this is what you call it, but it is a nod to the parallel key, D major. depending on what theory class you take, this could also be considered the other half of the key. i dont know how else to describe it, but i digress. these are glimpses to different dialogue options she could take, glimpses to a different key or a different ending. because this game only has one chapter ending so far, we are unsure of what other paths granger will end up in; we only know that there are certainly other endings she will experience, only to begin the cycle again when the save state is loaded for players to reach another ending. both A major and G major are chords that signify different choices that may lead her elsewhere only for her to return back to the tonic or main note, D. despite this, she keeps going, as will we.

at the midpoint of the track, we see a quick shift in patterns. instead of upward leaps in the notes, the melody falls in stepwise motion. true to the plot, this is another turning point of the game when she is forced to make a choice: continue or stop. after facing the spoiler event, her once determined personality is challenged as she struggles to keep herself and her team together. despite being the headstrong protagonist who spearheaded solutions, even now she finds herself doubting and taking smaller steps, smaller risks.

even after all of this, she rises to the challenge as the melody returns to its beginning sequence. true to a protagonist she gets up again despite the events that transpired and keeps her team moving in their lowest points. the thirds return as she finds more objects to solve more puzzles to open more rooms to save more friends. this repeating part of the track only solidifies her resolve as the piece ends with a broken chord in the main key, her key, of D minor. despite everything that transpired, she stayed true to herself."

the game is also so, so charming with the art, music, and story made by the same person… its so clearly loved and full of passion!! i love listening to the game's ost on occassion!! since it's all on youtube!

ok one last thing thing!! on may 8th, the game hit 100 downloads (on both steam and itch.io). you can see the creator of the game celebrate that with this lovely drawing of granger: https://twitter.com/NeverHome_Game/status/1655761270694633472

so at most, only a bit over 100 people have played the game… id like to say that makes it obscure!!

anyways granger and neverhome!! we love to see our protagonists put in horrific situations and isn't she super cute with a lil bow on her head? she is my daughter…

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#obscurecharactershowdown #obscure poll #finale #no significant harassment #rain world #granger neverhome #neverhome #long post

[apoptoses]

I think about Armand’s Marius Issues ᵀᴹ  a lot but I’m rereading his book and now I can’t stop thinking about his Bianca Issues ᵀᴹ too.

Like yes, Armand and his pets are a way to work through his experiences with Marius but Daniel in particular parallels Bianca a lot. Bianca was someone Armand was in love with (albeit in a naive teen crush sort of way), the first mortal he ever went and told his vampire secret to. Even in knowing Armand was a vampire Bianca loved him all the same, still treated him as something of an equal, still went out with him and let him dress her up to have adventures in the mortal world every night. On some subconscious level, under all obvious Marius related troubles, Armand is chasing that with Daniel too. (also all of the weird vampire/mortal threesomes? That shit is all about Marius and Bianca)

When he warns Daniel that other vampires might seek to harm him just because he’s with Armand I always go back to Marius intending to kill Bianca. How helpless Armand must have felt in that in that moment, the first time he learned that those he loved would always be in danger simply because of his love for them (because Marius can talk as much shit as he wants about it being a lesson in killing evil doers, but on some level that had to do with Armand having slept with Bianca and having feelings for her too)

Then the safe spaces he makes in the form of Night Island and Trinity Gate are homages to Bianca’s home, the one place he could run to when he was upset and know nothing bad would happen to him, that Bianca would let him rest there however long he liked. Armand keeps both of his homes open like a courtesan’s home, taking all guests and letting his select lovers drift in and out. Trinity Gate is filled with Sybelle’s music, just as Bianca’s home was. Bianca gave him stability and safety in a strange and overwhelming period of his life and Armand tries so hard to give that to others (and to himself) now.

So it’s especially painful to know that not only did Marius abandon him, but Bianca did too. As a fledgling vampire she couldn’t have marched into the Children of Satan alone (understandably) but she never goes back, and the one time Armand does see her in the streets she turns away. Maybe she actually was scared like Armand thought, but it hurt him in a way it took centuries for him to realize.

It’s a shame that Anne Rice didn’t see fit to include their reconciliation in Prince Lestat, or Armand’s reaction to Marius admitting in Blood and Gold and he and Bianca had come and seen him in Paris. As much as Marius left indelible marks on his life, his relationship to Bianca and her seeming disappearance did too.

#armand spends his entire life chasing the feeling of having someone sweet who loves him and will let him nap on their couch #which is both relatable and soul destroying #i like to imagine she drops in at trinity gate sometimes #and goes out with armand when louis and daniel are being homebodies #he'd spoil her like he does everyone he loves #like you can't tell me in 2020 he didn't buy her that damned strawberry dress everyone was after #anyways really hoping i haven't stepped in some weird fandom shit here by bringing her up #like what inevitably happens in hannibal fandom if you bring up bedelia #armand #marius de romanus #bianca solderini #daniel molloy #the vampire chronicles #vc meta

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

A Moment of Respite

Quinn x Reader

You let out a soft sigh. Nothing you did was letting you get sleep. You figured that it was because you were crammed in a hotel room with about eight other people. In New York. For Nationals.

Damn it, you were thinking about it again. Anxiety started to claw up your throat again. You unfold yourself from your position on your makeshift armchair/ottoman bed and let your gaze sweep the room.

There were two beds, a sofa, and the armchair you were currently occupying. The Unholy Trinity occupied one bed. Mercedes, Tina and Kurt were on the other. Rachel shared the pullout sofa bed with Ms. Pillsbury. It was definitely a cramped room and you were starting to feel claustrophobic. As silently as you could, you decided to grab your ukulele and head out of the room towards the lobby. Maybe some mindless playing could chill you out.

Your eyes passed over Quinn as you snuck past. Your relationship was strange to say the least, especially since you had moved to Lima in the beginning of the school year. You missed the whole pregnancy drama of freshman year, but the constant relationship hopping was making your head spin. You just opted to try and be a constant in her life after a run-in with the blonde when she was having a depressive moment. However, there was a constant push and pull with the girl, mostly on her end. You just tried to be there for her despite it all. Why?

You just loved her that much.

It wasn't known when exactly it started. You just slowly started to fall for Quinn. Just constantly being around her made your heart want to reach out. But you knew your own worth. You weren't going to be a pit stop or rebound between relationships. An experiment for her to test out her sexuality. So while you loved her, you held back for her own sake. Or so you tried to convince yourself.

Eventually, you make your way to the hotel lobby, ukulele in hand. As your eyes scan for a place to sit, you happen to see a familiar sight. One Sunshine Corazon, the massive voice who was almost in the New Directions before moving because of Rachel's antics. She was looking anxious as well and you decide to commiserate together.

"This seat taken?" You ask gently, not wanting to scare the poor girl. She only shakes her head, biting at her thumbnail. You took a seat and plucked a few strings.

"You ok? Nervous about the competition?" You just wanted to help her calm down. Sure, she was on the rival side but she deserved to have her nerves assuaged.

"Yeah..." She quietly said. "I usually sing a little to get the energy out, but our coach doesn't want us to strain our voices."

"Well... As long as you don't sing loudly, you should be good, yeah?" Sunshine seemed to mull over your words, glancing over to gauge your sincerity. Eventually, she let out a small smile, only to have it fall with a small sigh.

"I usually sing in Tagalog when I'm nervous. It helps the best."

You think for a moment, letting your fingers graze the strings of your instrument. With a smile, you turn to look at the young girl.

"I dated a Filipina once. Learned to play a song to try and impress her. Let's see if I remember it."

Sounds of the ukulele echo in the near empty lobby. Random notes until a few chords sound out. You let out a soft "aha" and began the opening chords for the song. It was easy enough to repeat a few times until recognition spread on Sunshine's face. With a nod, she hums, harmonizing with the rhythm before softly singing.

The hotel staff smiled as the performance continued, listening in on a sneak peek of how great Sunshine's voice was. The few people scattered around even paused to watch the impromptu show. While most were concentrated on the small Asian girl, one person had their eyes solely on you.

Quinn had followed you, also having had a hard time sleeping. While her haircut lifted some weight off her shoulders, she was still having a rough time. Forefront now was her own feelings for you. From the start, you had seen her at her lowest and still stayed by her side. You both grew close and she fell hard.

But she was terrified.

They lived in a small town and everything was everyone's business. It was hard enough being a girl, but adding in any semblance of queerness would make things almost impossible in her head. And she didn't want to ruin what you two had. It was comfortable and easy whenever you were together. Quinn was always at ease around you. It just made her feel like the other shoe was going to drop soon.

But looking at you now, smiling and playing your ukulele, she couldn't help but fall even deeper. Leaning against a column, Quinn just watched as you sway along and essentially ignore the people around you. You were into the performance, as you always did when you performed and she loved that.

Soon enough, the performance ended and scattered applause filled the lobby. You and Sunshine gave awkward sitting bows before laughing. She thanks you, saying that she feels better and is ready to sleep. Wishing her a good rest and good luck for tomorrow, you watch her go only to catch Quinn's eye. The fond look she was giving you made your heart stutter. With an easy smile, you beckon her over, offering the seat previously occupied by Sunshine.

"Couldn't sleep either? Or did I wake you? Sorry if I did." Quinn shakes her head in response, leaning towards you as she sits.

"No. I just couldn't sleep. Plus, Santana was about to kick me off the bed anyway." You both share a laugh, knowing full well the extent of the Latina's antics. "I was curious as to where you went though, so I followed. That song was really nice. What does it mean?" You plucked a few strings as you mull over the question.

"It's basically about being by a person's side no matter what. Like, even when it's raining or storming, I'll be right next to you." You turn your head to look at Quinn, only to see that your faces were inches apart. Flustered, you turn your head and muttered, "it can be viewed as either platonic or romantic. Ya know, depending on your intent."

"And what was your intent with Sunshine?"

"P-PLATONIC!" you sputtered out, cringing when you realized it was louder than you intended. Quinn let out a soft giggle. "Ahem. D-definitely platonic. Just helping a fellow performer ease some nerves." You pluck some more strings out of embarrassment, eventually playing the opening chords to the song you had previously played.

Quinn listened for a bit, gathering up the courage to ask, "And if you sang it with me? What would your intent be?"

Your head whipped around to gawk at the blonde next to you. She bit her lip anxiously, drawing your attention briefly before opening and closing your mouth like a fish. After regaining some semblance of composure, you turn away with a mumble.

"What was that?" Quinn wrung her hands, heart practically humming in her chest.

Another mumble follows in reply.

"Y/n, you'll have to spe-"

Lips upon hers steals the sentence away. Before she could realize what was happening, you retreat with a burning red face.

"...romantic, is what I said."

Quinn blinked once. Twice. Once more before she came back to reality. Her fingers graze her lips, still feeling the fleeting touch of yours. You want to leave. Your brain was firing on all cylinders, telling your body to leave and go back to Lima. It wasn't until you felt a hand on your cheek that you moved. Quinn turned your face to look at her. Once she was sure that she had your full attention, she leaned in, giving you a solid kiss. While it was chaste, the kiss conveyed all the emotion you both held from the past year.

You keep your foreheads together as the kiss ends, revelling in the moment. Your eyes remain shut, not wanting it to end.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

You feel Quinn's thumb caress your cheek, making you look up at her. Her eyes shining with emotion.

"If we are, I don't want to wake up."

"Then let's dream together."

#glee imagine #quinn fabray x reader #sunshine corazon #a dragon tries to write

[nodominion]

Rue Royale | Rose & Viktor | Vamptember Day 24 (Free Day) | Claudia Day 7

Rose wants to see Rue Royale to connect with her lost sister, Claudia. Viktor is there as moral support. Tagging this for Claudia Appreciation Week as well, though it does not have Claudia in it, it is about her. @claudiadelionlac

Like mortals, summer became a quieter time at the chateau, though their reason differed from the mortals. While mortals cavorted in the extra heat and sunshine, vampires were confined to shorter waking hours. Only the ancients or those with extraordinarily powerful blood could overcome the rising sun, though even they were constrained to a time limit. Rose was able to stave off the effects of the sun for a few extra minutes, giving her the chance to look over Viktor as he slept, smooth his hair, kiss his temple without him reacting, she still succumbed without fail. In the evenings it was Viktor who rose first, though Rose never had confirmation whether he was as affectionate as she was before drifting off.

Since the summers at the castle were so quiet, they always took advantage of the time to travel themselves. Of course they promised to be careful, to be smart, to not arouse any suspicion. She would have thought that after almost a decade of them exploring the world that Lestat would have lightened up a little, but he was always so serious the night before Viktor and she were due to leave. This trip would take them across the Atlantic, far too long for them to fly on their own. While they were both skilled flyers, any ocean was a step too far. This trip Lestat himself offered to take them both, an offer so sweet that Rose couldn’t help but kiss his cheek. After that meeting she was sure that the only reason he suggested himself was because they were going to New Orleans.

Neither of them had been in the city, and with it holding so much history for their kind, their family, they both knew it was long overdue.  Louis had said nothing when she told him of their plans, at least not at first. But Louis was often silent during many of Rose’s ramblings, simply taking in what she had to say. She was flighty by nature, so perhaps he didn’t take her initial statement as seriously as she had been. It wasn’t until she and Viktor were confirming places to visit, venues to pretend to eat at, that Louis had rested his hand on her shoulder, quietly saying that they should try to have a good time, that the city was prime for youth and vitality, and that they ought to explore the city as it is now. The unspoken part of his words was not to go seeking the past.

But that was the whole point of the trip for Rose. Viktor was less convinced that they would find anything worthwhile at Rue Royale, but Rose was sure she would see a connection or feel something that explained so much of their lives. While he didn’t fully understand her need to see the house for herself, he was supportive of her idea, insisting that he join her when she visited the home. Rose didn’t overly like the idea of him feeling the need to look after her, but she was grateful that he wanted to support her. Viktor was often that way, with less ideas of where they should travel but with all of the encouragement in the world for her usual half-baked ideas.

They packed light, only what they could carry, and not very heavy items so as not to encumber Lestat. He would never tell them if what they brought was too heavy, but to save his muscles it felt better to be considerate. The trip to America meant that Lestat could visit Trinity, and Louis had already made plans to join them in New York after a few days. Let Lestat and Armand work out their pent up desires on their own. 

The hotel was in the French Quarter, but not one of the most popular. Smaller, boutique hotels often acquiesced to their strange requests better than hotels that had a larger clientele base. Especially with a few extra bills slipped in during check in. Lestat left them soon after, kissing both of their heads, telling them to be good and if they needed a tour guide he would be back in the city sooner than one could say laissez le bon temps rouler.

Viktor’s hand pressed on her shoulder, eager to begin their exploration. But it was Rose who tempered his excitement. After all, she couldn’t sense Lestat and if he was lingering in the city then only he would be able to sense where Lestat was. Rose wasn’t convinced that Lestat had left New Orleans, sure that he was hanging around, at least for a bit, to ensure that they were getting on properly.

So they became drunk college students for the night. Screw the fact that Rose was turned at 20 and Viktor at 19, they were able to get into every bar they wanted and order drinks for those they thought smelled divine. They got a little blood drunk and blended in with the mortals cavorting in the streets. It felt like the ideal cover to act so uninhibited. They were both careful with how they took blood, not a drop spilt, and if Lestat had still been spying on them all he would have seen is them acting their age. Nevermind that Rose turned 30 this year, and Viktor 29. They were being normal. Not preoccupied with events from centuries before. 

They waited a few days before they went in search of the past. Their nights had been filled with sightseeing and little adventures. They dined at the best restaurants, Rose sometimes biting a bit of the food only to be disappointed each time. If this were merely a simple vacation, they had done their best to have a wonderful time, both beginning to understand why this city entranced anyone who came close to it. There was an air to New Orleans wholly different from the rest of the South. Though she’d grown up near Miami, as far south as south goes, she and her aunts had gone on quite a few road trips to states their car could reach comfortably. She wondered if Lestat had instructed them to never enter Louisiana, but that hardly mattered now. The city and the outskirts beckoned, and they were both enjoying it immensely. From flowers that seemed to never stop blooming to even a pre-season football game that had begun just at dusk. 

But Rue Royale waited impatiently. Rose kept her hand tight in Viktor’s as they walked the street up to the home, certainly squeezing his palm though aware she could not hurt him.

“Do you think it’s just as they left it?”

“No, Rose. Don’t you remember? Lestat wrote of this place recently. How the furnishings were modern and it was maintained. They could turn it into a museum, most likely, but neither of them ever would.”

“That would be too much for them to bear. Our fathers. Well, some of our fathers.”

Rose never begrudged Viktor holding Seth and Fareed as his primary parents, and Lestat and Louis as his secondary pair. She understood that he grew up among scientists and labs and beakers and she grew up with luxury and excess and privilege. Their second daughter, however. Not that Louis had much of a say in the matter. But he loved her now just as Lestat did, just as they both did Viktor, and if their words were not enough, it was clear from the way they looked at both of their children, especially when they thought Viktor or Rose weren’t looking at them. 

The gate was secure and neither one of them wished to break it. It was lovely, with clear craftsmanship put into every detail, each swirl expertly wrought. They opted to fly over instead, landing gently in the back garden, a fountain gurgling nearby. 

“We did not think this through. We have no key. We cannot break in like a pair of hooligans!”

“Charming, did you think I didn’t come prepared?”

From her boot, Rose pulls out a key, waving it in front of Viktor’s face.

“I found the spare at the castle and made a duplicate. Put the original back before they ever knew it was missing.”

She earns a kiss from Viktor for being the one to actually think ahead for once. Using the key at the back door, there was half a second where neither of them were sure that it would work, but the door opened upon a back parlor. Rose tentatively stepped in first, an odd sensation passing over and through her. Not a chill, not like the way others talk of ghosts, but a sense that she was stepping into a place where she didn’t belong. 

Viktor thankfully locked the door behind them, though it was unnecessary, it did help to ease her mind. The parlor itself seemed typical. The furnishings matched the time period based on her study of the years that this house had been occupied by three vampires. There were a few modern touches, but to her untrained eye they were easy to miss. Viktor didn’t remark on the decor either, instead making his way further into the home, to the stairs, flicking a light on, though their vampire eyes had been able to see properly in the dark. Some of the bulbs still emitted an incandescent light, and Rose reached up out of curiosity to feel the burgeoning warmth. 

“We should tell them to get those energy efficient bulbs. These can’t be good on their electric bill.”

“Or the environment. If we are meant to live forever then we must live sustainably.” Though Viktor’s words were earnest, even he knew that a vampire’s life inherently meant living unsustainably. There was a meeting once with the council with a group of younger vampires who had all grown up with climate change as part of their human education. The elders were not phased by their calls for the coming end of the world, as they could survive without humans if need be, and live only off of the blood of animals, or the prisoners far beneath the council chamber. 

As Viktor began to head up the stairs, Rose stayed behind. She was trying to picture what this room would have been like for her fathers and their daughter. Did they sit together reading, writing, playing small games? Were they happy? Could they have been? Even with both Louis’s and Lestat’s account of those years she could never imagine an average night for them. Their lives now were so much more complicated, with the court and playing host for guest vampires from all over the world. They all made time for leisure, but the nagging feeling of needing to get something done always lingered. 

She sat in one of the chairs, running her fingers across a table’s edge. Dust, but minimal. Vampire dwellings were never quite as dusty as human ones. Did her sister, the one she was deprived of ever meeting, sit in this chair? Did she see the way the moonlight filtered through the curtains in the same way Rose was watching it now? The brightest light in the night’s sky. They would never see the sun again. The sun had been taken from them, though Viktor and Rose had been given a choice. The one…

I’ve found her room.

Viktor spoke into her mind, rousing her from her thoughts. She was incapable of sending back a reply, but she rose from the chair, sensing out her mate through the house, taking note of the decor, the deliberate choices that must have come from a woman’s touch. 

The room instantly made her think of her own bedroom in the house she’d lived in the longest. With Aunt Marge and Aunt Julie and so much pink it felt like an explosion of everything feminine. Here, the pinks were muted, in tones that were achievable before modern methods of color fabrication. The bed was made, a doll sitting in the middle of the pillows, its blonde curls perfectly styled to frame the angelic face. The room smelled of nothing, disappointing Rose. She had hoped to find a perfume that had been left behind, or perhaps a scent that lingered on the sheets. But there was nothing, nothing to truly help her envision what life was like here. 

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she reaches down to caress the doll. How long had it been sitting here? Who had placed it? Was it as old as her fathers, or was it a new purchase? One for a daughter that was lost but never forgotten. 

The pain was unfathomable, as if all of the anger and hatred and suffering that existed here was coursing through Rose currently. To be underestimated by all, with little recourse to change how her sister had been perceived. If… but what could Rose have done? Lestat had wanted a sibling for the home in Antoine and that plan disintegrated. Rose wouldn’t have existed in that time to begin with. And if she had, she was sure that her existence would be looked down upon with the same harsh cruelty. 

She hadn’t spoken since they were downstairs, and Viktor was equally quiet, letting her absorb this moment. Rose looks back to him, taking his hand, kissing his knuckles. “Thank you for coming with me. Can you give me a few minutes? I’ll be down soon, I just want some time alone.”

He nods with such ease that perhaps he had been thinking of suggesting he leave her for a bit. Ever the gentleman, Viktor kisses her hair before vanishing, the room suddenly colder in his absence. 

Rose picks up the doll properly, setting it in her lap, combing through the curls with her fingers, though not to loosen them. This would be the closest she would ever get to Claudia. Until she herself died, of course. 

“I’m sorry. You don’t know me but… I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help you. I would… you could have my body if it was possible, but I… you deserved a chance to live. To live properly. I’d always wanted siblings. The curse of the only child. You… we could have been sisters. Claudia… I don’t know if you still hate our fathers. But I will try to love them for both of us. They deserve that, at the very least.”

With a kiss to the doll’s forehead, Rose arranges it back upon the bed as it had been, smoothing the sheets so no one would be the wiser that anyone had been here. Viktor was on the road already, smelling flowers that wove their way through the bars of the gate by the sidewalk. The moment he sensed Rose he opened his arms for her, and she ran to him, embracing him tightly. Though she did not cry, it felt as though she were releasing all of the emotions of the house, the home, the past that neither of them had had a chance to experience. Hand in hand they began to walk the streets of New Orleans, hunting for prey as had been tradition in this city for hundreds of years. 

#rose de lioncourt #viktor de lioncourt #claudia de lioncourt #rue royale #vamptember #claudiaappreciationweek2023

[muzzleroars]

All this (absolutely wonderful, thank you for the food) talk about the archangels has me curious as to what you think happened to god? I know Gabriel said that god is dead, but I like to think he meant that in the idealised version that heaven previously upholded were dead.

man i wish i had a good answer/one i could decide on!! i really can't say at all what direction canon will take, but i do agree that god isn't necessarily dead - all that matters imo is that he is absent because i think the game has a lot to say about the presence of god and theodicy as the issue christianity as an institution cannot address. earth has always been full of rampant suffering and god doesn't come, there is no just-world, and i think canon takes that to its extreme end. god isn't on earth, but he also is no longer in heaven and he has never been in hell. so now the world he made is left to deal with his negligence. it's a big reason that i hope he never actually appears, and is relegated only to the testaments (in a similar way that he's relegated to the bible).

for the sake of my au, god is actually dead but not exactly gone - his guilt and anger grew to the point that his internal existence, that of trinity, became disconnected and in disagreement with one another. the father tried to keep his iron grip, but the son finally condemned his constant need to abandon his own creation and the holy ghost, as his will, eventually determined god itself as the root cause of their woe. essentially, he had a catastrophic failure of his own components and his will tried to consume his entity. how he exists now is unknown, but god's corpse can be found far out in the now ruined and uninhabitable places of the ninth sphere though not always in the same place (i imagine this break up shook all of heaven terribly, in a way that mirrors the harrowing of hell - many angels perished in the disaster and much of heaven was destroyed so that now the cities are significantly smaller) additionally, strange reports of bizarre angel-like creatures have come in from the outskirts of the still civilized areas, but no one has ever gotten close enough to examine them.

#heaven's all fucked up in my mind lol #i just love the idea that there's an infinite expanse of it lying in ruin now #with the populated areas just little pockets #but no one talks about it. they repaired the cities well enough and the rest is. well nevermind #but all kinds of weird little guys are coming out of god's corpse. god is also an ecosystem #(he and mike are always parallels. mike shares his fate and it's unexplainable really) #THANKS for letting me fully figure this out btw!! #cake answers

[stemms]

As much as I’ve always admired the sheer creativity and kind attitude of the DSMP fandom, it’s nearly impossible to overlook the weird™ behaviour, regarding c!Primers in particular, and although it has been said countless times before me, I’d like to throw in my two cents. 

The uncomfortable and frankly gross phenomenon of Bowspam, coined by Poppytwt, which portrays a romantic and sexual relationship between c!Tommy and c!Dream, is the reason I made this post in the first place. Unfortunately, some content featuring c!Prime is rather predatory, which contradicts the original source and the whole point of their dynamic. For example, if you type “Discduo” in the Spotify search bar, you’ll most likely find multiple “Discduo / Bowspam” playlists instead, which is obviously very gross, and appears as if the latter was still normalised to some extent. As much as this tag is disturbing in general, the more details you learn about it, the more problematic it seems. 

Originally, Tadca was nothing but a collection of warnings, so that those who felt uncomfortable with abusive content, could simply block it, but Poppytwt claimed the tag, and that’s when things got actually weird™. It happened because some artists drew a couple of weird™ comics by pure accident, and it was used as a proof that all c!Prime enjoyers ship them. Andy never intended for Tadca to be twisted into something so heinous, and for this exact reason, he asked everyone to stop using the tag because of harassment, yet strangely enough, he was the one receiving harassment for something completely out of his control. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an exceptional case, as many other c!Prime enjoyers received death threats and harassment from c!Dream apologists, just for authentically depicting an abusive dynamic; pretending that c!Prime was paedophilic, and sending tons of harassment was easier than admitting that their fave wasn’t as good as they wanted to believe. Weirdly enough, Bowspam enjoyers never faced as much harassment as c!Primers, even though their content fully matched that definition. Plus, c!Trinity also received a good share of criticism because some people believed that it was a second wave of Tadca, except c!Punz got involved in it too. 

Furthermore, it’s important to note that the c!Prime dynamic offers real-life abuse victims a voice, and it’s utterly disrespectful to sexualise it, as it may discourage them from speaking out about their situation because of a fear of being misunderstood, due to constant victim blaming in the fandom, and a misconception that any kind of abuse outside of family, is sexual. Fiction does have an important impact on real life, and unfortunately, some people forget about that completely. We should also remember that while creating c!Prime content might help some people cope with trauma and is often inspired by their own experiences, some people still choose to be weird about it, which I find extremely disrespectful.

#dream smp #dsmp #c!primeboys #c!discduo #discduo #c!tommy #tommyinnit #c!dream #discourse #fandom critical #dsmp fandom crit #tw abuse #tw obsessive behavior #tw possessive behaviour

[desertfangs]

Fic guessing game: burn, lost, playful/ly

Burn

"Auburn" appears a lot, I wonder why 😅 But here is a line from a fic about Lestat and Daniel that I am still trying to finish from Lestat Birthday Bingo. He's speaking of Nicolas:

“He would hate it, of course, seeing the village restored in this way. He’d tell me to burn this place back down and dance on the ashes.”

Lost:

This is re: Daniel seeing Sybelle and Benji for the first time:

Seeing them in person here at Trinity Gate had been strange, like meeting long lost cousins.

Playful

This is from a Marius/Daniel fic I'm working on for Valenfangs.

They’d been hunting together since the 80s in Miami, not to mention that when Daniel was unwell, Marius had taken him hunting countless times. But this… the tone, the playful expression on his face. This was something else.

Thank you so much for playing!!

#uncivilcivilservice #answers in the desert #fanfic guessing game #daniel molloy #marius/daniel #lestat/nicki #vc

[duckapus]

"Emulation is stable. Trinity is online. Drive inserted. Ready to install on your command, sir."

"Proceed."

"Yes director. Uploading mod... now."

"...Upload is progressing smoothly. Time until Activation estimated at 3 minutes."

"Excellent. Hopefully there are no complications."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great Sky Island

It's a beautiful morning here among the clouds. The Forest Ostriches graze. The Chu Chus slosh along between the trees in search of prey. The temple's bell chimes, prompting the Steward Constructs to resume their work. And far below, the people of Hyrule stir as well, preparing to go about their days.

None of them have any idea of the madness that is to come.

Far above even the highest Sky Island, a mysterious object appears, hurtling down like a meteorite. As it falls it becomes clear that its current path will bring it down directly on top of the Temple of Time.

Soon enough it arrives with a monumental CRASH, yet the Temple remains intact, with the object simply embedding itself into the flat roof. Said object appears to be a silver flash drive, monolithic in scale, with a strange circular symbol painted in orange on the front. A few moments later, a robotic voice calls out.

"Uploading the latest Spicy Memes."

A wave of blue energy pulses out from the drive, traveling across all of Hyrule in seconds, causing anyone it touches to behave strangely and leaving a variety of bizarre people and creatures in its wake. Not done, lighting arcs out from it, causing the temple itself to glow and then emit beams of light in seemingly random directions. Wherever these beams end, a portal is formed, each with a past version of Hyrule on the other side. One bolt of electricity from the drive happens to graze a nearby fairy, causing it to jitter in place and rapidly shift between various colors while spamming Navi voicelines.

Eventually the light show ends, and the drive's front opens to reveal a man with brown hair and eyes who looks otherwise identical to Link (pre-arm loss) wearing an orange version of the Hero of Time Armor Set.

"Hey, what is up every...body?" he looks around, realizing that he's completely alone, "Uh...anybody home?"

As if in answer, the out-of-control fairy careens into his face, still spouting random voicelines. He's initially freaked out, but quickly gets an idea and ducks back into the clearly-bigger-on-the-inside flash drive, coming back with a video camera and a laptop. Within a few minutes he's filmed the fairy and edited the resulting video into a Carameldansen Rave Meme, which he then uploads to the internet (the digital multiverse's internet. much like SMG8 the technological limitations of living in a medieval fantasy setting prevent him from uploading within his actual universe).

Soon after, a flash of light pulses out from the fairy, and their color settles on a deep blue despite the fact that all of the BotW/TotK fairies are supposed to be pale pink. Their flight has calmed down significantly, and they're not saying random voicelines anymore.

They are, however, still talking...sort of, "WwwOOw tHaAAAAaat zuuUc- IIiiII1!iizzzzthhhhaAat7tmeE33ee?"

"...da fuk."

"HhhOoOolLlLlDddDDiIiIiIiiiIIIIti11111igoO0oddafffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffiIigYYyyiuuuooouuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrthIs outwaitokayisthisrightnotoo f a s t a l m ost got it! Okay, testing, testing, do you read me now?" She still sounds synthetic, but at least now she's coherent.

"...Yeah?" 'the fuck just happened?'

"Sweet. Now, my name's Loni. Who the hell are you and what did your weird-ass ship thing do to me?"

"Oh, I'm MRU2, a Meme Regulation Unit! It's my job to keep the universe stable by posting about all the memes my Command Pod uploaded and protecting... the..." He suddenly goes wide-eyed and runs off, "Oh shit I've gotta find my Anchor!"

Unfortunately, there's a certain problem with that, as he realizes when he reaches the edge of the roof, "Uh...that's a pretty long way down."

"Yep."

"...and it's even further to the actual not-flying ground."

"Sure looks like it."

"...is there like a ladder or..."

"LOL no. Sucks to be you dude."

"goddamnit"

#the grid #smg4 ocs #meme regulation units #director k #mru2 #lori the fairy #might do a part two where link zelda and some of the lookout landing crew show up to figure out what the hell is going on #might not #depends how i feel #lori is basically gonna be The Bob of the Hyrule Crew #she uses a vocaloid soundbank for her voice but i'm not sure which one #just that it's not miku because everyone always uses miku

[vidumavi]

Who of the married into Gondorian nobility trinity worked the best? Seems like there could be multiple answers here.

I think it really depends on how you define “worked best”! The reason I lumped Mithrellas, Berúthiel and Vidumavi into one category in my head is that to me, their stories (or how I think about their stories because lbr, the canon information is sparse here) all involve a strong sense of alienation and othering from the culture they’ve married into.

Vidumavi was probably the happiest with her life- she married her husband out of love, there are no hints that she did not have a loving marriage and a good relationship with her son and she died before the civil war started and her grandson was murdered. Still, she left her home behind to become Queen of a country whose nobility- including her husband’s relatives- considered her racially inferior, and no matter how happy she was with her family, that grief and anger and worry for her children and grandchildren would have probably followed her her whole life. But she did ultimately have a choice in coming to Gondor, which doesn’t seem true for Berúthiel, whose marriage was likely political and who despised her husband (both Vidumavi and Berúthiel have to change their names to Sindarin, though, an interesting parallel of having to give up parts of their identity).

(Most mentions of Berúthiel that we get have a sense of historical mythmaking and dramatization about them and I tend to read them as a wild, one-dimensional exaggeration by people who did not understand her at all. She should get to do a little bit of dark magic and cat-communing, though. As a treat)

Berúthiel was probably ostracized and treated as cruelly as Vidumavi, it’s just not mentioned because her entire role is to be a semi-legendary villain (and to be a vehicle for Jirts weird hatred of cats. Booo.). Her stint as Queen of Gondor ends with her husband possibly attempting to murder (??) her and like 20 years (?) later Gondor conquers her home, so whatever diplomacy might have been attempted by her family in marrying her off to Tarannon was probably no success. She gets one good hit in, though, by refusing her husband heirs (possibly through cat magic, we don’t know. this is one of those “Jirt scrabbled it onto the back of a receipt and it’s illegible to human eyes” drafts). And I suppose if “traumatize the population of Gondor so much that they whisper her name thousands of years later” was something she would have considered a victory (based if true), she won that one too.

Mithrellas is the odd one out here, mostly because we know so little about her and because she didn’t really have an impact on geopolitics, but I’ve always found it hard to believe that her marriage to Imrazor was a happy one. People who vanish into the night alone immediately after giving birth never to be seen again are probably not in a very good situation, though I go back and forth on how consensual the marriage was in the first place. She was entirely alone, lost in a strange country and had just lost all her companions when he found her and I think it would have been very easy for him to take advantage of her in that situation, even if she agreed to marry him of her own free will (I’m having thoughts about her and Berúthiel both rejecting motherhood in some way, but god help me this post is already long enough).

I love rolling these three around in my head and looking at parallels and juxtapositions between them. All three of them are in fraught positions with limited power despite their status, considered Other, all three are, in a sense, alone. I think Vidumavi “works” best, because she actually has a family around that loves her- she's the only one, I think, who wouldn't change much about her life if she looked back at the end of it- but of course the society around her is so bigoted that what should have been simply a marriage makes someone start a civil war that permanently destabilizes the kingdom.

#thank you for giving me an excuse to ramble about them i love my girls #i want to put them in a room together so badly #i think they'd understand each other really well unfortunately they were all around at different times #i am trapping jirts ghost until he tells me what happened to Mithrellas #and if i don't like the answer i am comitting to my lesbian ghost pirate berúthiel rescued her from her abusive marriage crackpot theory #ask

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sunday , March 3, 2024

february 19_march3

Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Kontakion:Having foolishly abandoned Thy paternal glory, I have squandered on vices the wealth Thou gavest me. Therefore I cry to Thee, O compassionate Father, receive me who repent, and treat me as one of Thy hired servants.

VENERABLE DOSITHEUS OF PALESTINE (6th.c.), DISCIPLE OF St ABBA DOROTHEUS

Saint Dositheus, a disciple of Saint Abba Dorotheus (June 5), lived during the sixth-seventh centuries, and was raised in a rich and renowned family. Young Dositheus listened to tales of the holy city of Jerusalem from the servants of his grandfather, a military commander, and this kindled within him the desire to go there. Soon his wish came true.

At Gethsemane, he gazed for a long time at a picture of the Dread Last judgment. Suddenly he saw beside him a woman, who explained to him what was depicted in the image. The youth asked, “How is it possible to avoid the eternal torments?”

She replied, “Fast, do not eat meat, and pray constantly to God.” After this, his strange guide suddenly became invisible. She who conversed with him had been the Most Holy Theotokos. The appearance of the Mother of God produced a strong impression on the youth, and he decided to enter a monastery headed by Abba Seridus (August 13), and populated by such great ascetics as Saints Barsanuphius (February 6) and John (June 19).

Dositheus, asking to be accepted among the brethren, was sent to the Elder Dorotheus. Saint Dositheus fulfilled his obedience in the monastery infirmary, caring for all the sick. Saint Dorotheus trained his disciple in abstinence and fasting, gradually decreasing the quantity of food he consumed each day.

He also weaned the youth from vexation and anger, by constantly reminding him that every unkind word said to a sick person, is said to Jesus Christ Himself. By revealing his thoughts to the Elder and through unhesitating obedience, Saint Dositheus liberated his soul from passions. After five years of tending the sick and obeying his Elder, Saint Dositheus fell into serious sickness. Patiently enduring his sufferings, he prayed constantly and never complained.

Not long before his death he asked a message be sent to Saint Barsanuphius: “Father, grant me pardon, I cannot live much longer.” He replied, “Have patience, my son, for the mercy of God is near.” After several days Saint Dositheus again sent this message to the Elder: “My master, I cannot live any longer.” Then Saint Barsanuphius blessed him to depart to God, and he asked the dying one to pray for all the brethren when he stood before the Holy Trinity.

The brethren were astonished that the great Abba Barsanuphius would ask the prayers of a monk who had lived at the monastery for only five years without any great ascetic accomplishments (they had not seen his vigils and his abstinence). But after the death of the young monk, a certain experienced ascetic was praying that the final resting place of the departed fathers of the monastery might be revealed to him, and in a dream he saw young Dositheus among these saints. Saint Dositheus was given great glory in the Kingdom of Heaven for his perfect obedience to his Elder and for cutting off his own will.

In Greek usage, both Saints are commemorated on August 13.

VENERABLE RABULA MONK OF SAMOSATA ( 530)

Saint Rabulas was born in the Syrian city of Samosata and he received an excellent education. While still young, he became a monk and struggled in the deserts and on the mountains, following the example of the holy Prophet Elias (July 20) and Saint John the Baptist of the Lord (January 7, February 24, May 25, June 24, August 29, September 23, October 12).

Somewhat later, Saint Rabulas went to Phoenicia, where for a long while he lived in asceticism and was glorified by spiritual gifts. The emperor Zeno gave Saint Rabulas monetary help to build a monastery, built with the assistance of Bishop John of Beruit.

Around the new monastery lived many pagans, who were gradually converted to Christianity through the efforts of the monks. Under Xeno’s successor Anastasius (491-518), Saint Rabulas came to Constantinople, and having received financial help from the emperor, he built several more monasteries in various places. One of them was named after the holy ascetic.

Saint Rabulas spent all his life at work, and he was gentle and kind and well-disposed towards people. He was also a man of great prayer. He lived to be eighty, and before his death he heard a voice: “Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden” (Mt. 11:28).

Saint Rabulas fell asleep in the Lord around the year 530 after a short illness.

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

LUKE 15:11-32 (Prodigal)

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. ' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. 25 Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' 28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternorthodoxchurch #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #bible #wisdom #saints

[nation-of-bros]

Reincarnation as an African

There won't be much choice of bodies that you can reincarnate into (if you even want to). Therefore, many European and Asian spirits will then be squeezed out of African wombs, their spirits reborn as black, which will possibly influence their development and bring them closer to ours. But that's just speculative.

I was once told of an experience where a girl in an Iraqi family always spoke strangely. Nobody understood her until an acquaintance of the mother's came to visit and asked why her daughter spoke Mandarin. I find that quite impressive, and it is also obvious because China has a very low birth rate and as a deceased Chinese person you are thus required to look further afield for a new family in order to be reborn.

Most people reincarnate near their place of death or where they have a point of reference. But this is not a law of nature, and changing nationalities are as common as changing sex. This is why many people tend to learn certain foreign languages much more easily and quickly because they already spoke them but just simply forgotten due to their current reincarnation. However, the information is still there, as part of your consciousness, your personality, which is purely immaterial and hence cannot die like a body.

There are even children who report that they previously lived on another planet. And, not surprisingly, Earth is often described by them as a particularly difficult world. In fact, our consciousness is completely free and can reincarnate anywhere in the universe, you just have to open yourself up mentally and project yourself there in your mind, like an out of body experience that some living people are already capable of: You have to imagine a place, get a picture of it, and you're already there and can look around without actually being in that place physically.

The Trinity of Body, Soul and Consciousness

Die Dreiheit von Körper, Seele und Bewusstsein

When we are dead, this is the normal state for us, which is why deceased people can apparate no matter where. It's enough if their living loved ones are thinking about them and they then appear in one of the photos taken at a family party, for example. My theory is that under a certain angle of light, apparations of the deceased or other immaterial beings that manifest themselves photonically on our physical plane can be made visible, which are otherwise only perceivable by a few receptive people who have easier an access to the immaterial plain of existence.

In fact, even when dead, we are not formless beings, some cloud; Because the information that holds the atoms and molecules of our body together to form tissue and organ units is equally immaterial. The British Biochemist Rupert Sheldrake calls this immaterial aspect of life "morphogenetic fields," an eternal substructure just like our consciousness itself, as you can't kill the idea of a construction plan or any other thought.

I myself prefer to speak of the "soul", which we adopt from our parents during reincarnation when we attach ourselves to a fertilized egg cell like the sperm itself. Our new "morphogenetic field" then represents nothing other than a kind of mixture of the souls of our new parents, an already finished blueprint of our fully grown body. It is then our consciousness that mentally sends out streams of patterns to initiate self-organizing activities that lead to the fertilized egg cell dividing. So to speak, the body's cells grow into the immaterial form that has long since been completed. I suspect that a certain variation, different from the parents, also occurs here and there, in that one's own previous existences also, albeit minimally, influence the physiognomy, so that the resulting child is a moprhological mixture of its parents with certain variations by previous existences.

It is also conceivable that some people choose their new parents very precisely and exert every mental influence, possibly even regarding the choice of partner, so that their next reincarnation corresponds as closely as possible to their previous one. Some people don't even leave the choice of name to chance, so they appear to their new mother in a dream and introduce themselves with the wanted name. Our consciousness is like a book that is never finished. Most of the time we write in it ourselves, but there are many pages where others write in and it is up to us to read or skip those pages.

#reincarnation #paranormal #essay

[theuniversitychallengereview]

Admitting I Was Wrong

Modern sports punditry, as with everything else in the modern news cycle, exists in a 24 cycle where there is a constant need for more content. Often, this is fine because there are enough sporting events to talk about (there is almost always a sporting event happening which someone who likes sporting events will be happy to talk about), but sometimes there is a brief lull which still needs to be filled.

So you have pundits and presenters filling dead days with hours of inane chatter, predicting and repredicting the same things over and over again in an industrial-sized chucking-shit-at-the-wall machine.

If you run that machine for long enough eventually some things are going to stick (that's the whole point of the industrial-sized chucking-shit-at-the-wall machine), but at the same time there is an inordinate amount of stuff which doesn't. However, no one seems to care, because the cycle moves on at such a pace that by the time you've noticed one mistake another one comes along to take its place, and by the time you notice that mistake...

Its why Gary Neville can say Liverpool will win the league one week then flip-flop to Man City the next week. Its why politicians seem to be able to get away with similar flip-flopping on almost every major issue (and of course they are allowed to change their mind, but you get what I mean). There is no accountability for anything that anyone says because the content factory comes along to bury it under another mound of tasty soundbites and out of context ten second clips.

But I am here to change this, and change starts at home.

A few weeks ago, I predicted that Open, Trinity, Manchester and Imperial would make the semi-finals. Open were eliminated last week, but my prediction was already in the mud when UCL qualified a week before that. So I am here to acknowledge my fallibility as a pundit and all round University Challenge dogsbody.

I got it wrong, and that's okay. But you needed to know.

Before we start, you can watch the episode at this link (I've actually done this so quickly that I've beaten Cosmic Pumpkin to the punch, but you should be able to find the video on that channel, if not at that exact link), and I'm going to double down on my prediction by saying Manchester will take this.

Here's your first starter for ten.

Christ Church's avocado mascot has given birth to a smaller version of itself (which is what generally happens when something gives birth, I suppose), and one of these (probably the small one) influences the Manchester skipper to buzz in incorrectly on the opening starter, allowing Wotton to win the first points of the match.

There is another early buzz from Senehedheera, but this time he is right (no luck for mini avo this time round). A hat-trick of bonuses tied the game, and Grady gave them the lead with King Kong. A second neg from the Manchester captain, with an amusing guess of boogie-woogie (just because its a fun word, not because it was a stupid guess), gave Christ Church the opportunity to level the game, but they couldn't take it, and Senehedheera moved to 2/4 on the following starter to extend the Northerners lead.

Another from Senehedheera wins Manchester a bonus set on surnames of philosophers which can be found within other words. Agonisingly, they come up with Coelacanth and guess Kant, but the answer is Lacanth. Then on the next one the answer is Kant but they miss it. Mercifully they get the third, with John Locke.

Some more brilliance from Wotton gets Chirst Church going again, and Dean takes the next question too to bring them within 5 points. They would have tied it, but went Ella Fitzgerald rather than Billie Holiday on a question about Strange Fruit.

No matter, the chief avocado wrangler is back, and he gives them the lead after both sides drop the music starter. They don't get any of the music bonuses though, and Grady quickly snatches the lead back with gravitational waves.

I'm losing track of how many starters Wotton has got so shall we just say its five? Actually, its six now (Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, or Mecklenburg Pomdragon, as I frantically typed after hearing him say it once). He can't be stopped.

Lowe takes the second picture starter to put an end to his captain's dominance, not that his skipper will mind - their lead was up to 35 points.

To demonstrate just how fickle we pundits are, I had forgotten that at the start of this very post I predicted a strong Manchester win, but they'll need to pull their finger out if they harbour hopes of the semis. Kullmann and De Los Reyes White duly oblige, with back to back starters which give Manchester the lead.

Their little run has rattled Christ Church, and Dean apologises to her teammates after a premature buzz. A neg from Senehedheera follows hot on its tails, but no one picks it up, allowing him to take the replacement question with Lucien Freud.

Aggression on the buzzer continues with a neg from Wotton, but again no one from Manchester can capitalise and he makes up for it immediately, closing Christ Church to within 5 points.

There's only one question left. Whoever gets it wins.

Buzz, Manchester Grady!

Simone de Beauvoir.

If he's wrong we'll go to deadlock.

He's not wrong.

Manchester 145 - 130 Christ Church

As close a game as you can get, coming down to the last few words of the last starter. Christ Church's Dean says that she was buzzing at the same time as Grady, but he pipped her to the post. Fine margins.

And I guess I can claim some serious credit now, because I knew Manchester were going to win this, didn't I? My faith in them never wavered once, did it?

What a game, though. Well done to both teams, especially Wotton who very nearly dragged his team into the semis. I'll see you next time for the last quarter final (which I predict will be won by Trinity), but for now its goodnight.

#university challenge #bbc2

[operat0r]

a war of salt and sea

In the end, the Tenno finds it takes little to fall in love with the place. By and large Cetus remains a mystery, a loud and boisterous and dangerous one at that (at least upon the plains). The moments where he braves the atmosphere, where he pulls himself through the transference to breathe in the sea-salt air, are bitterly few and far between. But still they happen, these lapses in judgement, and he supposes back in the privacy of his steel-and-dream-stuff throne that it might be called progress in the eyes of another.

There is war upon the field and it is in war that the Tenno shines. The roar of Archwing engines is the song upon which he descends, child of stars, Void-rent and shaped by Orokin hands to better fit their designs. It is as easy as slipping into the dream; it is as easy as breathing, and in his roaming journeys through the system since the Grineer forced him awake again, the Tenno has given it no more thought than it deserves.

Konzu is ever eager to guide him towards battle and the Lotus of course is never far behind. Neither reach him where he stands now, facing across a gleaming grey sea that stretches far and farther still into a fog-cloaked horizon. It is not yet dark enough for the little sentient things to rise from their own places of dreaming and the coast has grown quiet. Even the Grineer, the Tenno supposes, can grow weary of war. Even they can know when to cut their losses.

This evening, it is the Trinity he wears, and together they stand carefully balanced upon thin, stilt-like legs. He has already forgotten the name of the woman who placed the spear into their hands. Hers were the eyes of this great grey sea, strong and resilient despite the usual apprehension. It is a look he has grown quite used to: not quite fear but far from bravery, the look of a person who recognizes that there is a bomb with no clear trigger nor means to disarm sharing the space with them. The Tenno has taken some strides towards learning to not take it too personally. It cannot be helped. It is a simple matter of fact. It is what they are.

But she bid him to hold out their hands all the same, and across the hardened grain of her face flickered the briefest of grins. Perhaps somewhere far, far back in his ancestry, he might find a great grand-someone standing where she stands, too, in the place that would some day come to be called Cetus, and perhaps there is some manner of peace to be found in that.

The spear does not suit him. The quiet is easy to appreciate, but the aiming takes some adjustment. Among the woman's wares were small pots of dyes which, as the Tenno understood, are meant to latch upon a fish's scales that they might be more easily seen above the surface. But her favor ended at the tip of the spear, and so the Tenno set out without it.

They are silent beneath the waves, these fish. They do not deploy arms or shout or rally. The sea rolls in and the tidepool sloshes with salt and foam and the Tenno must see more than hear the shadows drifting below. Light bends strangely, distorts the space beneath them. At fifteen missed throws, the Tenno feels his patience crack like a glacier meeting an early thaw. At twenty, he simply stops counting.

But for every twenty failures, he manages one, feels the point catch on carapace and nearly sends poor Trinity sprawling for how hastily they pull it back. This, too, will take practice. His form is clumsy, too accustomed to the motions of war. In this, there is learning just as there is unlearning: to let their arms flow with the aim to kill but not slaughter, catch but not destroy. When they return to the fisher-woman, they will do so with arms full. With that, perhaps, she might forgive him when he asks again for her name.

#warframe rp #warframe fic #warframe oc #writing #someday i will get to a point where i can take little snaps and screens of silly little scenes like this #but i have been taking things really slow. been managing to cap some daily standings but usually just one or two #my tenno has some complicated feelings about his place in the galaxy but home will always be home i guess

[daedrabait]

Its WIP Wednesday again

I have a snippet from my newest fanfic in progress for my Faelon and Mercer Frey series.

You can read the series here (nsfw so beware)

But anyway - this takes place after Faelon does the Honningbrew Meadery job. For context, Faelon is my Dragonborn who has joined sides with Mercer Frey & is in a (strange) relationship with him. Here's a little peek at their scheming.

Snippet is SFW with lukewarm tension.

"We have business to attend to. I don't want to hear any of your trifles," Mercer snapped, motioning to his desk. He had lots of things on it. A statue of the Grey Fox stood on the edge of the desk, seemingly overlooking the valuables spread about. There were maps and papers there, and Faelon made out the deed amongst it all.

"What do you want me to do with this? It's the same evasive signature from before," the Bosmer growled, annoyed. What the hell was Mercer playing at?

"Only one person would seek to sabotage me. Karliah," the Guildmaster spat the name like it was a curse. Faelon thought to himself that Mercer underestimated the amount of people who disliked him. Even so, he was curious.

"Who is Karliah? I sense a story here," Faelon asked as propped himself against the wooden post of a nearby wall.

The look the Guildmaster threw at him was nothing short of venomous. His lined face was screwed up even more than usual, his eyes dark. "Karliah was part of the Nightingale Trinity. She was one of the best thieves I ever knew. Her and Gallus were close," he said with no small amount of contempt.

"When I killed Gallus, she fled from the scene. This made it remarkably easy for me to frame his death upon her. The little bitch has been plotting against me ever since - she's even had the nerve to send assassins after me on several occasions. And now she dares to muddle into the business of my guild. The guild that I earned from cutting away my own ends while she ran away to grieve a man who had everything handed to him quite easily, including the little wretch herself."

Oh, what bitterness! It was thrilling. Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice?

"Oh yeah? So, what, you were the little outcast of the trinity?" Faelon couldn't keep the grin off his face.

Mercer snarled at him, his grey-blue eyes flashing as he shoved the Bosmer's chest. Oh, he'd definitely hit a nerve. That was interesting.

"Gallus was the perfect leader. The perfect example of a prodigy: giving to the poor, being honest with the guild, using his silver tongue to get everything he ever wanted," Mercer spat, his hands still flush against Faelon's chest. His eyes were a maelstrom of emotions. "He couldn't have let me have one thing. Not even..." His jaw clenched as he wrenched his hands away from the Bosmer's chest. Faelon raised an eyebrow at him, and then it clicked.

Oh.

That was interesting.

"You were jealous," the Dragonborn purred, "You have a thing for this 'Karliah,' don't you?" He didn't attempt stop the chuckles that slipped out of him.

Mercer scowled and drew an ebony dagger, holding it up to Faelon's throat. The elf hummed and bared it willingly, a shower of tingles spreading through him. The Guildmaster growled, "I'm tired of you thinking everything is a joke. We could see how hard you'll laugh while choking on your own blood."

"I won't laugh at your pain again, dear Mercer - on my honor," Faelon hummed as he gripped the blade of the dagger. It was sharp as it bit into his skin. "But this sweet Karliah of yours is a threat to us, yes? How do you plan for us to handle her?"

Mercer's eyes had fallen onto Faelon's lips. The Bosmer smirked. Whatever feelings he had for Karliah in the past or present, the Guildmaster was his. He had Mercer wrapped around his finger.

"We'll have to kill her," the Breton said with a sense of finality. Faelon loved the sound of his voice when he was being serious. It was pitched low and confident. It sent thrills through him.

"Perfect," the Dragonborn hummed, "We're finally getting to the fun part of this grueling bit of business, don't you think?"

#my writing #wip wednesday #mercer frey #mercer and faelon #mercer x ldb #thieves guild #skyrim #skyrim fanfiction #tes fanfic #tes #tesblr #writers on tumblr #ao3 fanfiction