#SubV

[marythecom]

SubV comic because I'm insane about them. I love you Mr. V i love you Subzero now please kiss

[iomadachd]

@deathmimedream asked: ‘I’m sorry, but I’m just thinking of the right words to say…’ Zen any band ghoul free to talk to the nervous little thing.

―  𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑮𝑺 𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑴 𝑻𝑯𝑬 80𝑺 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺. (not accepting)

Phantom can still very clearly remember seeing that severed hand and fingers from what feels like a lifetime ago. All the pain and fear and suffering in a too small hand laying in their lap like a broken toy.

They are not the squeamish type, but seeing that had back on Zenead still has them squirming. They would rather like to not see any violence associated with Astaroth again.

They are staring more at the other Ghoul's hand than at the Ghoul it is attached to, the strings of their guitar forgotten for the moment.

"E wojy sety sa dezsyf," they reply in Ghoulish, tail curling around the neck of their instrument to hold it still in their arms.

English hasn't come as easily to them since that day, not after all the awfulness.

[nitronapalm]

Unprompted Asks [Always Accepting]

@guidemetothedark asked:

Rima stands at the kitchen table motioning to a cake she made. "Congratulations, for keeping up with good grades." She smiles him sweetly. "I um.. MIGHT have made the cake a little to big." (From @penandswords )

Getting a text from Pipsqueak wasn't a new thing when he'd basically moved in with her to get away from The Bitch, they kept in contact frequently --

So for her to be semi-radio silent for most of the day was fucking weird and had him frowning and wondering what the fuck was going on.

...Of course, he got his answer when he got there and saw the sizable fucking cake sitting on the kitchen table, with actually neat writing that said Congrats Katsuki across it and his favorite colors. Just.... for getting really good grades, though? He'd always gotten high marks and she was deciding to celebrate that?

He couldn't help but stare and blink in confusion. "...Yeah? Always gotten good grades, not sure how this's any different..." What was there to celebrate if he did it all the time? He didn't get why it was so special this time rather than all the other times.

[fedoraxcrowned]

@svnbleach ( Elizabeth Keen ) asked: ❛ what are you doing out here by yourself? ❜

“ Lizzy! ”

Delighted smile stretching his lips, greenish eyes softened by affection yet hiding mischief within, as if he is playing around and reveling in it, Red offered his hand to the young woman to help her descend the last couple of steps of the derelict staircase that led from one of the Post Office's inconspicuous exits to the ground level, e v e r t h e g e n t l e m a n , seemingly oblivious to her apparent confusion.

“ Oh, I simply thought it would be a pity to waste such a pleasant day on being cooped up in a stuffy office, so why don't we have a little lunch while we take a walk through the park, ” he raised his other hand to indicate the cupholder with two cups of coffee in it, offering one to her, and the paper bag hanging from his elbow that had some of his & hers ( how did he know is just another one of his little secrets to keep ) favorite pastry in it, freshly baked, “ and discuss our latest Blacklister... or something else that might be on your mind. ”

Expression innocent and sympathetic, the meaning behind his words was quite clear nevertheless.

You’ve discovered something curious about your husband, haven’t you, Lizzie?

[subverbaldreams]

illusion, beloved

Defining line in vein

The only voice they heard was in my sleep

The only waking company, insane

Mouth taped shut I wait

Can’t seem to release

For each small increase

the lows dig deeper

It’s popular

Not to be what you are

Not to shatter the glass

Or present a mirror

If enough people let me play

Will peace be there?

Steel in hand I wait

The time hasn’t come, not yet

Though I’ve seen them pass

Ghosts in my contact lists

[elleetlalune]

๑bound to be | lhs

⤷genre: smut, strangers to lovers.

⤷sypnosis: In which, an insomniac college student meets who she thinks is the most beautiful man alive, she doesn't pay much attention to him at first, until one not so beautful night.

⤷warnings: smut, protected sex (be like them yall), oral (f receiving), tiny tiny angst, fluff, fingering, f.cum eating, inlove heeseung (we love it), Softdom!hee, subv!reader.

2.5k words

You had tried everything.

From white noise to sleeping pills, yet it seemed like you were cursed. You simply couldn't sleep.Ever. Every night, you'd find yourslef rolling in your bed, hugging your pillow for some sort of comfort or scrolling endlessly on your phone just to make time go by faster.

And tonight was one of those nights.

It's 3AM, and you're laying on your back, mindlessly tracing imaginery patterns on your ceiling, your roommate was gone which only made you feel even more..alone.

It was raining heavily outside, you looked out your window, almost as if you were pulled out of your bed, you got up, put on a coat and took your umbrella leaving your dorm.

Outside, the streets were ghost-empty, as if everyone had fled from the city, you were alone walking down the Han river, who didn't seem as peaceful as usual.

You leaned into the railings, watching the once still river, now alive with small waves from the strong wind that had seemed to scare everything away.

Lost in thought, you didn't notice a young man standing not so far away from you.

Himself drowing in his own discarded thoughts.

But him, he did notice you, he just decided not to act upon it.

The streets lights were flickering and the trees swaying to the rythm of the wind.

You looked at your left and that's when you saw him.

He looked way more peaceful than you, but then if he was he wouldn't be standing here, drenched in rain despite his umbrella, alone, and for a split second your gaze met his, unable to hold it anymore you quickly looked away, your gaze falling once back on the agitated river.

This little routine of yours continued for the next few days, meeting that same guy, yet you never found the courage to go talk to him.

Well atleast until today.

You had just left your late night class, dressed in an oversized sweater and jeans, it was cold and well..night, so you were in a way or another dressed like a polar bear.

You sat at the bench, watching the moon and the very few stars that you were lucky enough to catch in your sight, your headphones playing we fell inlove in october, your hair slightly disheveled from the wind.

Then it happened.

The mysterious guy sat next to you.

He sat next to you.

He didn't pay much attention to you, apart from having increased the speed of your heartbeat. He was simply looking, just like you.

You tried acting nonchalant, because anything else would be beyond embarassing, not for him..for you.

"What are you listening to?" He gently spoke up, awakening you from your trance, you looked at him for what seemed like a while, you had never seen him upclose before and saying he was handsome would be an insult.

He was nearly perfect, his nose a perfectly tilted bridge, his doe-like eyes that seemed like they could alone make you fall inlove, his plump pink lips that.., he was mesmerising, he was an angel.

"we fell inlove in october, by girl in red" you answered, your voice a little too shaky for someone that was faking confidence.

His perfect lips curled into a small smile, before looking back at the view. "You like girl in red?" His head tilting ever so slightly.

You simply nodded your head, not trusting your voice enough to let out another word.

"I like her too, her songs are good." He says, almost talking to himself due to your lack of response, not because you're uninterested, but because you're drowning in your own lake of fluttering feelings.

"I'm Heeseung, by the way" You looked at him, finally putting a name over the face you'd seen so many times, you smiled softly before answering.

"I'm yn" He nodded, taking in your features, who were quite hidden due to the many many layers you had on, but still he had managed to memorise your delicate face, an almost invisible smile spreading across his features, a smile you totally missed.

"yn, you come here often, don't you?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing a little, he had noticed you every.single.time you had set foot in here.

"Yeah, I come here everytime I can't sleep." You don't even notice the words you had just blurted out, before he chuckles, a chuckle that does something to you.

"Well you can't sleep every day?" he asks, his voice laced with amusement but also a hint of curiousity.

"You could say that.." You mutter, your hands fiddling with the silver rings on your fingers.

To your disappointment, he stands up, smiling down at you, his hands deep in his pockets.

"It's getting late, you should go home, yn." You nodded, knowing going home wasn't going to do you any well.

"Goodnight." His voice gentle, just as gentle as a mother's caress, you looked up before saying back. "Goodnight, Heeseung."

It had been a week.

A week since your little talk with your shaped-by-the-gods acquaintance.

But since then, he just well..disappeared?

You came to your usual spot every day, at the very same hour, Heeseung just wasn't there.

Now?

You were sitting on that bench, as per usual, but something was different.

You were clad in a pretty pink mini-dress, your hair styled perfectly, but the difference was..you were crying.

Not sobbing, more like bawling your eyes out. The reason? Your date left you hanging like a fucking piece of shit.

You had dressed up, all dolled up, he had asked you out two days prior, you were unbelievably excited, but then as hours went by your date was nowhere to be seen.

So now you were back to where you belong, on a dirty bench by the stupid han river, alone.

Your body was tired, standing up was a burden, but your mind? Oh it was wide awake.

You felt stupid, for believing that for once someone actually liked you, wanted you, saw you.

Silent sobs left your glossy lips, on which you had spent hours looking for the perfect lip-combo, for nothing after all.

Then you saw him.

Looking at you leaning on the railing.

He slowly approached you, kneeling down infront of your sitting form, his doe-eyes softly looking at you, worry laced on his gaze, flashing with something nearly unrecgonisable. His hand landed on yours, softly stroking them.

He doesn't say a word, neither do you, he just silently comforts you.

"What's wrong?" Heeseung finally speaks up, and that's when you break.

Tears aren't stopping, if anything they're just increasing.

Heeseung stands up, before softly wrapping his arms around your smaller frame.

Is this a dream?

You stiffened at first before letting yourself go and hold back onto him, your tears wetting his shirt, but he couldn't care less.

"I-..My date didn't show up." You confessed looking away, embarassed, pulling away from his warm embrace.

"Well he's a bastard that doesn't have the balls to go out with a pretty girl like you." He says, tucking a stray hair strand behind your ear, his voice soft yet stern.

You don't answer, a slight blush creeps up to your cheeks, he notices it, of course but doesn't say anything.

"Let me take you out on a date, let me show you what a real man is." He says taking your hands in his, his eyes refusing to look anywhere but at your soft features, a face he couldn't ever get out of his mind, a face he had been thinking about a little to much.

His words hit right at your heart, as if cupid had shot his arrow right in your heart.

"You don't have to.."You say, a smile saddened heart adorning your face.

"But I want to, plus it would be stupid to waste such a beautiful outfit on a bad day,right?" He finally smiles at you, his perfect lips stretching into a grin.

You honestly don't know how it all happened.

From crying all tears in your body, to going on a date with Lee Heeseung.

He had brought you to his favourite restaurant, it was fancy.

A bowl of chicken alfredo pasta infront of you and lasagna infront of him. He was eating, but you?

You were looking at him.

"Do you like it?" He asked his voice gentle, as he wiped his mouth with the tissue paper. If you liked it? Oh, you loved it. He was out here treating you like an absolute queen, he was looking at you like you were the only one in his eyes.

"It's really good, thank you Hee." You said the nickname slipping from your lips, a small smile adorning his god-sculpted features.

"No need to thank me, like I said earlier, I wanted to do this," He said, his bigger hand landing softly on your smaller one, softly stroking it.

"I want you, yn" He continued as he noticed the rather..shocked face you had. "More than you can imagine, and I know it may seem stupid cause we practically don't know anything about eachother, but I mean it, I really do." He looked at you a soft small on his face. "Please give me a chance,yn. Let me prove to you that I'm the man you deserve."

Oh.My.God.

Those were the only words that spun around your head.

"I..I like you too, Heeseung." You didn't believe your own words, you had confessed your everlasting love for him without a stutter, an agressive blush crept up your cheeks.

Everything led to another and now you're in his...apartment?

Slamming the door close, he pushed you against it and kissed you ever so passionatly.

His lips molding perfectly on-top of yours, he tasted so sweet, like a forbidden fruit, his plump lips that were begging to be kissed seemed like they were made for yours.

He easily lifted you off the ground, a gasp escaping your mouth, your legs wrapping around his waist.

Your tongue brushed against his, making him let out a small groan.

You felt a pool of arousal in between your legs,a wave of embarrasemnt washed over you as he grinded your nearly soaked panties on his bulge.

His lips teased your neck, he bit,licked to sooth, everything all at once, leaving purple-ish marks all over your collarbone and neck.

Pushing you on the bed, he stroked your hot core with a finger, a sly smirk appearing on his face.

"Already this wet, darling?" His question making you squirm, "Stop teasing.." You mumbled, your body nearly begging for him.

"I need to hear you say it, baby" He tugged his finger at the waistband of your panties.

"I need you, hee."

"So bad.." As if your words had activated something in him, you watched whatever was left of fear or confusion disolve into absolute lust and hunger.

He pulled the baby pink lacy panties down and stooped his head down to your pulsing core, his nose hitting your oversensitive clit, his tongue lapping at your wet folds like a hungry man.

"Fuck, you taste so sweet" His voice vibrating against your pussy, he was eating you out like he hadn't eaten anything in years.

"T-this is..so good.." You managed to whimper out, soft moans leaving your mouth as you bit onto it.

You felt the knot in your stomach loosen, getting closer to your climax, he had gotten you so worked up in moments.

"Hee,I'm..I'm cumming" you let out, his tongue moving skillfully at your now puffy folds, while his fingers moved in and out of your pulsing hole.

"Shit, cum in my mouth, I wanna taste every drop of you, baby" He groaned, a sultry moan escaping your mouth before your milky release came straight on his tongue.

He was licking every spot clean, nothing could go to waste. It wasn't his fault you just tasted so sweet.

He looked at you, the lower part of his face glistening with your..magic?

He unzipped your dress, taking it off swiftly, leaving you in your bra, which followed right after.

Your own hands messily unbuttoning his pants unable to contain your dripping need for him, as you pulled them down, revealing his throbing cock, boxers doing nothing to hide it.

His shirt going over his head, before his pulled his boxers, freeing his growing erection.

You hadn't seen much dicks in your life, but you could tell, He was big, a challenge (That you were more than willing to take).

His cock slapped against his lower abdomen, it was leaking pre-cum, a slight praise that you weren't the only one on cloud 9.

A teasing smirked was on his face. "Like what you see?" You looked at him, eyes drooping. Like was an understatement.

"Hee, please... fuck me."You whined, pulling him closer by his neck, wrapping your legs around his waist.

Taking a condom from your bedstand, he rolled it down his lenght, before slamming onto you.

You both moaned in unison, the sound of skin clapping and wet squelching gradually filled the bedroom.

"Fuck, you're so tight"He groaned , his hands resting on your hips.

You swore you could feel him in your stomach (even though impossible), tears of pleasure filled your eyes, as cries and moans fell from your lips.

"Hee! Oh my..You're.." you couldn't even form correct sentences as he strocked your gummy walls with his cock.

"I know, baby, I know" With each thrust , he filled you completly, leaving no room for doubt, his tip hitting your cervix deliously.

A wave of pleasure surfaced, you were shaking, biting your lips to stop yourself from screaming out his name.

"I-..I'm cumming" You let out as a moan

"Yeah,baby? Cum on my fucking cock, wanna feel you" He thrusted deeply inside of you, feeling your pussy tighten.

As the knot finally unclasped in your tummy, covering his cock with your release.

"Just like that." He moaned, before chasing his own high, his cock twitched in you, while his face contorted in pleasure, as he threw his head back.

"Fuck.." and just like that, his hot release shot in the condom, leaving him lazily thrusting in and out of you before falling on top of you, trying not to hurt you.

"That was amazing, you're amazing" He whispered in your ear,placing a small kiss on your neck.

After getting cleaned up, you sighed looking at him. "I honestly don't know how it all happened." He smiled, that same smile that made you fall for him and chase another man thinking you could never have Heeseung.

"Me neither, but maybe it's just that we're bound to be." He looked at the ceiling, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You mean bound to be together,right?" To which he chuckled, "Whatever helps you sleep at night.

And that night was the first one in years in which you slept like when you used to be a carefree kid.

Maybe he's right.

Maybe you are bound to be.

[hotwaterandmilk]

Sometimes you come across a series that isn’t objectively great, but something about it still hooks you. Despite the flaws in the first two volumes (available in English from Tokyopop), I still found myself enjoying my time with the leads in this series.

Kusuri no Mamono no Kaiko Riyuu (My Contract With the Apothecary Monster) by Sakuraze Ayaka and Manmaru Ino

My Contract With the Apothecary Monster is an isekai manga starring Nea, an unassuming human from our world who accidentally stumbles into the magical land of Weem, a place where fairies roam and monsters form contracts with humans, granting wishes in exchange for years of their lifespan. Nea, a practical and headstrong Englishwoman, only wants to survive and enjoy life's little pleasures, yet she’s roped into becoming the “Songbearer” and entering a contract with a powerful, enigmatic monster named Dino.

Rather than demanding she sacrifice her lifespan as part of their contract, he longs for something else…

Despite the gorgeous art by Manmaru Ino, My Contract With the Apothecary Monster is a tough sell. Its premise feels familiar, especially for anyone who’s dipped a toe into the oversaturated world of isekai and light novel-based manga. The writing, originally by Sakuraze Ayaka, is extremely stilted and is one of the more obvious examples of novel-based manga regurgitating paragraphs without adding a whole lot to them. The result is a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing, particularly in the worldbuilding and among the side characters who struggle to leave any impression.

Nea and Dino, however, are the exceptions, and the main reason I'm still reading. Their dynamic is oddly compelling: Nea, grounded and blunt, has no fear of Dino initially because she doesn’t understand the stakes (and eventually because she does shy away from them).

Dino, meanwhile, is immensely powerful but submissive—literally. He’s a masochist who delights in Nea’s disregard for his fearsome reputation. She headbutts him, stomps his toes, sits on him, and generally treats him like a nuisance, and he adores her for it. Nea may not reciprocate in a D/S sense, but her no-nonsense attitude and total lack of reverence make her the only one capable of “controlling” him.

This twist on the dominant-monster trope is played mostly for laughs, but there’s an undercurrent of danger in Dino’s possessiveness, he could easily veer into yandere territory if things go awry. He’s a being with immense destructive potential, yet he’s fixated on the one woman who can handle him. It’s a fantasy that echoes certain billionaire romance tropes, albeit filtered through the lens of monster fiction and dark comedy.

Within these first two volumes (the third volume hits shelves in Japan next month) the plot around Nea and Dino’s assigned task, seeking the mysterious Grimmdoll Chain, has barely moved. There’s plenty of potential in a world like this which borrows from the fae and the idea of these two teaming up to go on missions, but the story spends more time explaining than exploring. That said, Nea and Dino remain engaging enough to keep me interested, for now, but the third volume really is going to need to give me something fresh to keep my interest going forward.

It’s frustrating when a series doesn’t live up to its potential. The art by Manmaru Ino is genuinely beautiful, full of delicate detail in the hair, costumes, and atmosphere that suit the fantasy setting perfectly. However, Sakuraze Ayaka's original writing is flat and even with Manmaru's attention to detail the writing lets things down. Katie Kimura’s translation in the Tokyopop release smooths out some of the stiffness found in the original Japanese (at least to my admittedly intermediate reading level), but overall the story suffers from being boxed in by the original text.

I'm not sure I could call this review a recommendation for My Contract With the Apothecary Monster per se. While it’s certainly amusing at times and the main duo has a fun, subversive dynamic, the worldbuilding and overarching plot have offered little to no real payoff. After two volumes, I expected more depth and momentum. Some sign that the story was building toward something beyond the quirky monster/human relationship.

The premise has potential, and it does play with familiar tropes, but the first two volumes don’t do enough to make the series feel like it’s going anywhere. Nea and Dino are great, but if they’re just going to drift through a static world that doesn't open itself to us, the charm won’t last. Which would be a real shame, because there’s a lot here to like — but right now, it amounts to a whole lot of nothing.

Fingers crossed for volume three to build on these initial volumes and make the next arc a truly memorable one.

[marythecom]

Just some various Subzero x Mr. V stuff

[iomadachd]

"Eh... lucky for you, I'm shit at banishment. Sure, I can end a Ghoul contract easily enough, but banishment? Not my forte. I am excellent at the theory of infernal magic, not so much the practical. Always more of a bookworm," he admits.

He has power, of course. He's Papa, it comes with the title, with the infernal eye. He just worries on occasion that it doesn't come to him as easily as it came to those before him.

Maybe he's a pretender, after all.

"I would have liked to know about that sibling, though. Much of the day-to-day things go to Sees- Sister Imperator. I am more on the... bureaucratic end of things. All the red tape and the music. Endless paperwork and Ghoul spats," he laughs, turning his gaze from the stars and back to his drink.

Satanas, how had it turned out like this. He was more than used to his Ghouls 'dabbling' with each other and the odd, brave Sibling, but demons were an unusual presence at the Abbey or elsewhere outside of being mentioned by name.

A mate was something deeper than marriage, a binding of souls, although he knew it might be different given Ghouls had no such thing, and demons might not either. It was a uniquely human condition.

It sounded like there were no take-backsies, either. If you mated, it was for life like some Earth animals, plus Alastor was saying it was exactly that. A bold step for Dewdrop as far as he knew.

"Okie dokie then. Do right by him and I won't have to figure out how to visit Hell before I die and kick your ass. At least with Dewdrop up here it is much easier the scruff him if he doesn't do right by you."

The overlord remained silent, sipping at his hot beverage while listening to the antipope. He always listened carefully when people spoke. So he would let him finish before he added to the conversation.

"He should have, oui. But I believe that he was worried that mayhaps, you would have sent me back yourself. Mind you, banishing a demon who was summoned and cheated of a deal cannot be done, just like that. Certainly not when said demon is an overlord. But when it all comes down to it, he should have informed you that one of the siblings acted.. Rather carelessly~"

Alastor would follow that man's gaze, taking in the night sky above them. Call him a romantic, but he adored stargazing. Granted, the spectacle was not as grand as the cosmic display one could find in Hell, but the familiarity of it all prompted a soft smile to grace his lips.

A low hum would leave him, crimson orbs taking in the sky above, soaking in the warmth of the fire.

"There is still love to be found in Hell, I assure you. Both amongst sinners and Hellborn. Engagements, marriage. It still takes place. But.. To me, at least, being someone's mate is something deeper. More primal, if you will. Something so deeply rooted that the bond cannot be severed." He chuckled a little at his own sentiment, shifting his gaze back to Copia.

"I am pleased to know that we have your blessing, Papa. I fear that you may be stuck with this for eternity. As you may be aware, mating is usually for life~" He'd give a little wink at that, a teasing gesture. But he was speaking the truth.

He was expecting to stay with Dewdrop for the remainder of his afterlife.

[iomadachd]

It's not really out of the norm to find Dewdrop in places he shouldn't be. Quite often, they're high up places because he is short and prefers to be tall by any means possible.

He's found an excellent perch today, a pedestal that used to contain some gargoyle that has long since met its doom for whatever reason. Unreplaced, unmemorable, blah blah blah. Whatever, it's up near the ceiling and just shadowed enough that Siblings don't notice him until he hangs over the edge to hiss.

He also knows he has a limited amount of time to get away with this before Imperator, Papa, or Aether come to warn him off it and banish him back to his own quarters.

The sheer delight in his eyes seeing someone especially tall gets his blood pumping, tail twitching in anticipation of the scare where he can get up close and personal.

Right up until the scent of him hits Dew's nose and he realizes that is not a human, and definitely not a ghoul, and he doesn't know how high up the ranks this guy is, but it's gotta be someone Chancellor Adramalech rubs elbows with.

"Shit... is the world ending?" he asks as the other gets close, claws digging into the stone in order to more fully hang off the edge and peer at him.

@alastors-radioshow

[beardedmrbean]

Three Palestinians have been arrested on terrorism charges in Italy.

Italian police have accused the men of planning attacks in an unspecified country.

They said the men were living in L'Aquila, a city about 75 miles northeast of Rome, and had allegedly set up a cell linked to the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

The group, a coalition of armed militants once linked to the Palestinian Fatah movement, is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the EU and the US.

Police said the three men had been charged with criminal conspiracy for terrorism purposes or subversion of the democratic order, which carries jail terms of up to 15 years.

"The suspects engaged in proselytism and propaganda... and planned attacks, including suicide attacks, against civilian and military targets on foreign territory," police said.

One of the three men is wanted by Israel and an Italian court is examining an extradition request for him, the statement added.

Italy's interior minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the arrest of "three dangerous terrorists" and said the country was always on high alert against extremism and radicalisation.

[iomadachd]

Dewdrop tilts his head slightly, eyes narrowed at the information revealed by the ghoul. Truly, he can't tell if he's younger or older, though he's certainly been topside a lot longer than Dew has.

If he didn't already loathe Astaroth, he would now. Humans might not consider Ghouls worth much more than an exotic bed partner, domestic help, or a musician, but they weren't out here killing Ghouls either.

Not even Imperator had killed a Ghoul as far as he knew.

"He'll be sorry if he tries," he replies simply. Even if Dew can't defeat a Prince of Hell, he has more than enough fire at his disposal to be a threat. Barring that, he's got seven fellow Ghouls, Papa, and Alastor.

That last one is the real threat.

"It's him who'll need the luck, little ghoul. Try not to shatter entirely."

He watches the other go and is quick to make his way back to the stage. Papa will have his head if he misses soundcheck, no matter how good they've been sounding lately.

Zen sighed.

“I am not his by summoning. None of us were. None of us have ever been his the way you belong here. He takes, and takes, until there’s nothing left to fight.” Eyes downcast, he sighs again, as if breathing hurts, stepping back again.

“His halls are lined with what is left of us when he grows bored, and the river swims with those who chose to resist, trapped in masks that were never theirs. I am sorry he chose you and your pack mate. I am only lucky that I haven’t been forced behind a mask by him that wasn’t mine originally.”

He stood in the doorway.

“He stole us from our true master, Don’t let him steal you too. You’re too young for that sort of madness.”

Zen fully turned, and that’s when the mask on his belt was visible.

It had been whole, and lovingly crafted by whomever his first master had been. Now it was just most of the left side, ripped into by claws and magic, and whatever else was clear ice clumsily used to repair the damage.

“I wish you more luck against him than we had. He will take your keystone first, then pick up whatever remains for himself.”

He took another, shaky breath, and staggered out to the hallway as instructed.

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

The Who's Tommy

May 15, 2024 | Broadway | Nederlander Theatre | Evening | Musical | Revival | 2H 20M

No.

Verdict: Someone Put This Dumpster Fire Out

A Note on Ratings

The sound designer is committing violent crimes against Broadway audiences. Nuclear explosions are quieter than this shit on a stage. I hate you minimalist revivals. I hate you concept sets. I hate you no stage pieces. I hate you projections. I hate you metal frames. I hate you NO PINBALL MACHINE???? The plot is nonsensical; we already know this. Who thought, yeah what the world needs now is a fucking Tommy revival. Brilliant. God forbid a story centered on disability actually engage in disability discussion and nuance. But no, it's fine, we have good old-fashioned ableism.

And that's all the time and energy I care to devote to this. Shitty way for me to close out the 2023-2024 Broadway season. Someone take me back to Stereophonic immediately.

[chicagognosis]

Nietzsche: On the Three Metamorphoses

(Note: the Old Iranian root of the name Zarathustra comes from: Zarat, "golden" combined with ushtra, "camel." This is significant for understanding this passage. Gnostic exegesis is provided in parentheses.)

​Of three metamorphoses of the spirit I tell you: how the spirit becomes a camel; and the camel, a lion; and the lion, finally, a child.

There is much that is difficult for the spirit, the strong reverent spirit that would bear much (karma through initiation): but the difficult and the most difficult are what his strength demands.

What is difficult? asks the spirit (of the neophyte) that would bear much, and kneels down like a camel (ushtra in Old Iranian, גמל Gamal in Hebrew) wanting to be well loaded (to take upon itself the bitter path of initiation). What is most difficult, O (solar) heroes, asks the spirit that would bear much, that I may take it upon myself and exult in my (sexual) strength (און aun)? Is it not humbling oneself to wound one's haughtiness? Letting one's folly shine to mock one's (false) wisdom?

Or is it this: parting from our cause when it triumphs (Sattvic action mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita)? Climbing high mountains (of initiation) to tempt the tempter (Christus-Lucifer)?

Or is it this: feeding on the acorns and grass of knowledge (דעת da'ath, gnosis) and, for the sake of the truth, suffering hunger in one's soul (like Tantalus awaiting the solemn banquet of the Pascal Lamb)?

Or is it this: being (psychologically) sick and sending home the comforters (by not seeking spiritual advice from others, but delving into profound meditation in order to receive wisdom within) and making friends with the (spiritually) deaf, who never hear what you want?

Or is it this: stepping into filthy waters (in transmutation) when they are the waters of truth (poisoned by fornication as mentioned in "On the Rabble" in Part Two of Thus Spoke Zarathustra), and not repulsing cold frogs and hot toads? (This signifies not running away from our own internal, psychological ugliness that we begin to perceive when working with the "hot" and "cold" synpathetic cords of our spinal column, the solar and lunar energetic channels known as Ida and Pingala, which come from our waters, wherein reside the frogs and toads, symbolic of the fertility of Yesod).

Or is it this: loving those who despise us and offering a hand to the ghost (our Innermost) that would frighten us? (since our animal mind is terrified before the presence of the divine; in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Claudius, the ego, has slain the King of Denmark, and now the ghost of the dead king, the Intimate Being, haunts our very souls through intense spiritual inquietudes).

All these most difficult things the spirit (of the neophyte) that would bear much takes upon itself: like the camel (ushtra) that, burdened, speeds into the desert (מִּדְבָּר Hebrew: mid'bar), thus the spirit (of the neophyte) speeds into its desert (for in the מִּדְבָּר wilderness, the desert of life, we work to incarnate and worship the Word, דָּבָר Dabar, the Christ; see Exodus 3:18).

In the loneliest desert, however, the second metamorphosis occurs: here the spirit becomes a lion (from the Tribe of Judaea through the Venustic Initiation) who would conquer his freedom and be master in his own desert (his מִּדְבָּר mid'bar by incarnating דָּבָר Dabar, the Word). Here he seeks out his last master (the black psychological moon, Lilith): he wants to fight him and his last god (the dragon of darkness of our atomic psychological infernos mentioned by Samael Aun Weor in The Three Mountains); for ultimate victory he wants to fight with the great dragon.

Who is the great dragon whom the spirit (of Christ in the Venustic Initiation) will no longer call lord and god? (for "Thou shalt have no other אֱלֹהִים Elohim, gods, before me." -Exodus 20:3). "Thou shalt" is the name of the great dragon (for our own animal ego takes the commandments, the Law of Moshe, and subverts it for itself; it abuses the law and seeks to make us slaves of Egypt, מצרים Mitzraim, Malkuth). But the spirit of the lion (of the Tribe of Judah, the Cosmic Christ) says, "I will" (or we can say, Eheieh Asher Eheieh אהיה אשר אהיה, "I AM THAT I AM," better translated as "HE IS WHAT HE IS"). "Thou shalt" lies in his way, sparkling like gold, an animal covered with scales; and on every scale shines a golden "thou shalt" (resembling the golden calf of Moloch, mentioned in Exodus 32, and his tenebrous agents of darkness who strive to tempt and slay the Superman).

Values, thousands of years old, shine on these scales (with false, diabolic light); and thus speaks the mightiest of all dragons: "All value of all things shines on me. All value has long been created, and I am all created value (through fornication). Verily, there shall be no more 'I will ( אהיה Eheieh, I AM, or better said, HE IS).'" Thus speaks the dragon (of darkness).

My brothers, why is there a need in the spirit for the lion? Why is not the beast of burden (the initiate who has not incarnated the Lion of Christ), which renounces (self-will) and is reverent (to the Law of Moses), enough?

To create new values—that even the lion (the Bodhisattva of the Straight Path) cannot do; but the creation of freedom for oneself for new creation—that is within the power of the lion (for the acquisition of Mastery is one thing, but perfection in it is another; see the Three Wise Men or Magi in The Gnostic Nativity of Christ). The creation of freedom for oneself (through the First Law of the Glorian) and a sacred "No" even to duty (the written commandments or Second Law: Deuteronomy)—for that, my brothers, the lion (the Bodhisattva) is needed (since only Christ incarnated within the initiate can perform the Great Work by transcending the Second Law). To assume the right to new values—that is the most terrifying assumption for a reverent spirit (the neophyte or initiates who have not yet become lions of Judaea). Verily, to him it is preying (immorality, since the neophytes do not comprehend the Path of the Bodhisattva, the Rebel Christ), and a matter for a beast of prey (who renounces and annihilates the morals of the populace). He once loved "thou shalt" as most sacred (because before incarnating the First Law, one must follow the Second Law): now he must find illusion and caprice even in the most sacred (for he once followed the Second Law, but now must incarnate the Revolutionary Christ, Who transcends the Second Law), that freedom from his love (psychological attachments) may become his prey: the lion is needed for such prey (since only Christ, the First Law, can annihilate the entirety of the ego on the Second Mountain).

But say, my brothers, what can the child (of the Resurrection) do that even the lion (Bodhisattva of compassion) could not do? Why must the preying lion (the warrior of the Straight Path) still become a child? The child (of the Resurrection) is innocence and forgetting (through purification and the waters of Lethe; see also Matthew 18:3), a new beginning, a game, a self-propelled wheel (Sanskrit: chakra, which now turns through the bhava, the becoming, of אהיה אשר אהיה Eheieh Asher Eheieh, "I AM HE WHO BECOMES," "I AM HE WHO INITIATES," see the Bhavachakra course), a first movement, a sacred "Yes." (As Samael Aun Weor stated in Igneous Rose, "Our Innermost is Yes, Yes, Yes. The wisdom of our Innermost is Yes, Yes, Yes. The love of our Innermost is Yes, Yes, Yes.") For the game of creation (as a Cosmocreator), my brothers, a sacred "Yes" is needed (we need our Innermost to be realized within ourselves through Resurrection): the spirit (Kether, upon Resurrection) now wills his own will (for תפארת Tiphereth is united with the will of the Father, for אהיה אשר אהיה "HE IS WHO HE IS"), and he who had been lost to the world (through initiation) now conquers his own world (through Resurrection).

Of the three metamorphoses of the spirit (through initiation) I have told you: how the spirit became a camel (a neophyte on the path of renunciation); and the camel, a lion (of Judah, a Bodhisattva of Compassion); and the lion, finally, a (golden) child (of Alchemy and the Resurrection—golden in Old Iranian is Zarat, which when combined with ushtra, the camel of the renunciate, is Zarathustra).

Thus spoke Zarathustra (the golden camel who traverses the wilderness in order to become a Superman). And at that time he sojourned in the town that is called The Motley Cow (the sacred Hindustani symbol of the Divine Mother Kundalini).

From Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, translated by Walter Kaufmann.

[intothewildsstuff]

Mark Meadows: Testimony from Trump's White House chief of staff could change everything | CNN Politics

Since when is blocking a legal election result part of ANYONES official govt duties? Meadows needs to have his ass handed to him on a platter where he can kiss it goodbye.