#Song of Solomon 8:6

[jesus-is-lord-and-savior]

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.

(Song of Solomon 8:6, ESV)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Longing for Her Beloved

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah. — Song of Solomon 8:6 | 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY) The Darby Translation of the Holy Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Numbers 5:14; Proverbs 6:34; Isaiah 49:16; Jeremiah 22:24; Haggai 2:23

[kalahs-beautiful-realm]

Song of Solomon 8:6

[tom4jc]

Song of Solomon 8:6 Set As A Seal

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Song of Solomon 8:6 Extremely important documents are often stamped with an embossed seal to prove their legitimacy. Other documents have a seal of the one in authority authorizing the document to show one’s power and…

[scripture-pictures]

[ifearzombies]

Rules MC Has To Follow in HoL

Lucifer’s Rules for MC in the House of Lamentation.

1. MC is not allowed to play sexy songs that are audible to the rest of the house.

2. Following rule 1, they’re also not allowed to sing and dance along to sexy songs. Rules one and two were originally lower, but after the ‘CupcakKe: CPR’ incident where several walls were destroyed and MC could not walk for two days they were moved to be the top most rules.

3. MC is not allowed to do the other brothers’ chores. Cooking is a slight exception as if they want to cook on a night not theirs, that’s their choice. But Lucifer will not have MC doing the other brothers’ laundry or clean their rooms. It takes too much time and the brothers will use it as an excuse to occupy MC exclusively.

4. MC is not allowed to help Mammon with his schemes anymore. Not after the calendar incident. Lucifer is still unhappy about all the pin ups that MC posed for. Diavolo keeps asking when the next calendar will be done.

5. MC is not allowed to go to the Celestial Realm without a demon or Simeon or Solomon. Lucifer doesn’t trust Michael. At all.

6. MC is not allowed to wear ‘Daisy Dukes’ or anything that short around the house. Levi’s nosebleed took days to clean up from. Barbatos wondered who Satan had killed.

7. MC is not allowed any pets. They have Mammon. Lucifer’s deemed that sufficient.

8. MC is not allowed to break down any more doors. Nor are they allowed to order one of the brothers to break down any doors. No one has busted into their room since the lock was installed. There’s no need to break doors in retaliation anymore.

9. MC is not allowed to carry a second backpack of snacks. Beel has his own backpack just for snacks. Not to mention, it’s bad for their back.

10. MC is not allowed to take anyone other than Asmo into Asmo’s bath. It’s very sweet they wish to have special baths with everyone else, but Asmo nearly ripped Levi’s tail off after finding a lot of scales in there that clogged up the drain. Same with all the fur from Belphagor’s tail.

[bunny584]

For I Have Sinned ୨୧ Chapter II

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.” Songs of Solomon 8:6-7.

As newly appointed Duchess-To-Be, you have much to learn. Etiquette, conduct and eventual motherhood are the pillars you are expected to live by. Because who cares about your choosing?

The Chapel, tended to by a mercurial Priest, is the perfect refuge.

…right?

Pairing: Geto x female reader

A/N: The is dedicated to the artist ( @captainsalsaa ) I mean look at our fallen Angel. His tears. His frustration. Dear GOD.

To the artist: I stared at your piece, then heard a specific song on my writing playlist then wrote the entire last scene in one sitting. To date, it’s my favorite scene in my author’s portfolio. I hope I did our fallen Angel justice. Thank you for creating this 🤍

Previous | Next

CHAPTER II: Hello, Father.

“Awake early, little dove.” 

Warm hands caress your shoulders. A welcome contrast to the chilly nautical dawn. The sun still has a ways to go, but songbirds have begun their wake up call. 

“As are you, Arella.” 

Your eyes float to your favorite maiden standing above you. No more than a handful of years older, but with a heart for you as if she raised you from birth. 

“It’s my duty to tend to you, is it not?” 

Soft laughter harmonizes with the nightingales. A quick kiss on your forehead before her warmth disappears off the balcony —  undoubtedly to go retrieve a treat of some kind. 

She’s not wrong. 

Technically it is her duty. 

But Arella is your blessing. 

Matting and kneading your surroundings to fit your needs. Eager to dampen the growing pains of settling in a new home. 

Constant hellos. 

Permanent smiles.

Not too wide, like a promiscuous woman. But not too tight, like a cold prude. 

Rooms to tour. Hands to shake. Garments to pin and tie and lace around your lungs as if your God-given ribcage was a frivolous extra not needed for life. Not needed to breathe. 

Breathe.

Your lids screw shut. Pulling in as much of the balmy, saltwater breeze gliding up the steep rock face along the overhang. 

Much like he did. 

The Chaplain. 

His hair cascading down his back in the same way poets monologue when inspired. His eyes a mural of what the Gods paint when they want to show off. 

The way earth acquiesces to his touch as if he is the Creator. The birds choose to perform for him every morning. And the ocean exists to bathe him. 

You cannot decide if the sorbet sunsets are created by the Chaplain. Or if the Gods fight over who gets the honor of painting him a new one each evening. 

“Sleep still escapes you, precious girl.” 

It does, but not for the reason she thinks. 

“You worry too much, Arella. I’ll adjust soon.” The tea she brought you is delicious.

The both of you cross back into your quarters. The stagnant, perfumed air suddenly suffocating.

“I would like to go to the chapel garden.” 

A quiet declaration that stills your handmaiden in her tracks. Then a small grin blossoms on her beautiful face. Fussing with your bedding. Wiping away evidence of your sleepless night. 

“For the flowers that bloom, little dove? Or for the God that tends to them?”

The blood in your veins runs subzero. 

“Arella! I am engaged to be marri—“

“Of course you are. But eyesight isn’t a sin.”

Another moment of feigned irritation before you burst into a fit of childish giggles. The both of you no better than school girls, covering your mouths, stifling your laughter. 

“I just wanted to see you smile.” Arella gestures to your extravagant dresser across the room. 

“In the second drawer you can find a casual garment. Come back with at least one hour to prepare for Mass.”

     · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · 

A hummingbird chaperones your walk to the church estate. Dulcet hums drown out the rattling heartbeat between your ears. 

This is harmless.

It is not a sin to take in Earth’s natural candy. To appreciate God’s gift to humanity.

In all of his majestic glory. 

Your eyes dart around as if your thoughts are a tangible scroll. Written in ink for the world to see.

Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no one around. 

Just you. Your fluttering companions (both heart and bird). The waking sun. God above and his plants swaying in the gentle gusts of wind. You’re safe in your mind. 

Until he decimates all logical and reasonable train of thought, that is. 

You should be angry. Infuriated. That no one adequately prepared you for seeing the demigod for the first time. Even now, you question whether he’s flesh and blood. 

Maybe an illusion? 

The Lord playing tricks from his throne? 

The mirage before you halts your paces. You can’t help but question your level consciousness. 

Because this must be a dream. 

“Oh, don’t be cruel.” 

Words slip out of your mouth, currently ajar. It’s not your place to chastise the One above, but come on. 

Your eyes taste the Chaplain for a second time and this course is even more decadent than the first. 

There he stands. 

A raven waterfall down his broad, muscular back. Half of it tied away from his face. Olive skin so rich the surrounding plants pale in comparison. Russet brown working pants hang loose around his tapered waist, but snug around his thighs. Various tools hooked in the belt loops. Heavy mahogany work boots match the worn leather gardening gloves fitted to his hands. 

His hands. 

Reaching for thorny vines plaguing his hydrangeas. Even at your distance you could detail each muscle fiber in his arm tense and release with every pull and toss.

Pull and toss.

Pull and toss. 

You would have gotten lost in his rhythmic trance, if it weren’t for the symbol branded in charcoal sprawling his back. The emblem peeks through his thick hair, every now and again. 

A spear? 

No.

A trident. With waves snaking up its stalk along his spine. 

His gravitational pull is overwhelming. Your feet move with more stealth than the King’s Guard.

“Working on the Day of Rest, Father?” Casual, measured. 

“Duchess,” Saliva pools in your mouth. His smile teases your ears before he graces you with it. 

“I have to start being more careful about my clothing.” A playful glint in his eyes. 

“Especially now that I’ve been blessed with a fellow greenskeeper.” 

He is a man of God.

And would never insinuate anything impure. 

But that doesn’t stop your cunt from clenching around his words steeped in a baritone potent enough to rumble the ground beneath you.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve sent word that I was coming.” 

“This palace belongs to you, Duchess. You are welcome here at any hour.” His hand captures a vine and tosses it into the pile without his eyes ever leaving yours. 

You are weak.

And greedy. 

The way your gaze drops to his arm. Desperately etching its contours into memory. Seconds, maybe minutes pass before you realize you were gawking. And the Chaplain just let you. 

Head cocked to the side. Soft smile ghosting his full lips. 

“Would you like to finish the tour of your new playground?” 

“Y-yes. Of course, please.” Stumbling over the uneven cobblestone in your voice, you turn away to begin the coordinated stroll. The Priest slides his arms into a linen button up. Lazily fastening two center buttons only. 

He informs you of the work that has already been done, what’s left. Where the soil is richest, where it is the most acidic. How the sun hits certain flowers at each hour of the day.

Brilliant. 

With complete command over God’s bouquet. The sun following him wherever he steps.

“Did you enjoy your swim today, Father?” Both you and the Priest come to a slow stop. One of his angular eyebrows raised.

“I’m dry, Duchess.” He responds with a low, hypnotic chuckle. 

Heat floods your cheeks. How could you be so presumptuous?

“What gave me away?” 

Your knees nearly betray you. The razor sharp grin on his face could cut glass. 

“You were born for the ocean. Or rather, the ocean was born for you.”

Your statement is greeted with blaring silence. 

Lava in his gaze. Singeing every part of your face it touches. His expression is like a foreign language. 

“I—I’ve overstepped, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. Clearly I have much to learn about social graces.” A meek apology bubbles out of your lips. Desperate to fill the space between your bodies. 

The mercurial man shakes his head slightly. Thawed out from your statement, he reaches over and plucks a stray lilac petal resting on your crown.

“My father used to say the same.” He muses, looking away for the first time. 

“Your father! Is he—“

“He was called home some time ago.” This smile is soft. Reminiscent. Polite, but his mind clearly elsewhere. 

“Oh Father Geto, I’m so sorry.” 

A foot in your mouth is not enough punishment for your indecency. Why would you go prodding like this?

“Don’t be, I’ll see him again. Soon enough.”

“Not too soon, I hope.” The statement draws a stunned gaze from the Chaplain. Eyes dancing between yours. 

“Time to prepare for mass, little dove!” Arella’s melodic call tethers you back down from outer space. 

You flicker over to her with a ruby dusting over your nose and cheeks. Like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar before supper. 

“Happy Sunday, Father!” Arella calls out, cheshire grin on her face deepening your crude blush. 

“Indeed, Arella.” He returns the greeting while keeping his eyes on you. 

“Send my regards to the Duke.” His voice lowers, for your ears only. With a nearly imperceptible edge to his tone. 

“Happy Sunday, Duchess. We have a counseling session scheduled late afternoon, yes?” 

A statement of pure black and white fact. And yet it travels down your spine and settles between your legs. Wet heat dampening your thin negligee.

“Yes, Father. Happy Sunday.”

     · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · 

Mass was miserable. 

Your corset laced tight enough to meld your two lungs and beating heart into one entity. To say the neckline strangled you is putting it mildly. Cold, uninviting pews dug into your skin at every turn. 

Wretched. 

But the worst of it wasn’t the thin, oxygen-deficient air. Or the shards of glass that slid down your throat with every swallow. Even the jaw pain from tensing your lips in a well-mannered smile for two hours straight was tolerable. 

The worst part of it was him. 

The Priest mesmerized an entire congregation to an ear-splitting hush. 

His first Sunday mass since appointment and nearly everyone in the country and every surrounding province stuffed into the chapel. 

So desperate for blessings from Father Geto. 

Could you blame them?

His voice danced in and out of the pews listlessly. 

Soothing fussy children. Adolescent girls and their mother’s alike — utterly smitten. Adolescent boys experienced their first “I want to be like him” with their fathers sitting right next to them. Husbands glanced feverishly at the women in their lives. 

He had to have noticed it. And yet, he floated above it all the entire service.

Above you. 

Refusing to gift you those eyes that put Vincent Van Gogh to shame. No matter how much you shifted in your seat and straightened your spine.

The Priest spoke to everyone in the room but you. 

Did you read him wrong? 

Did you misinterpret your budding friendship? 

Does it…should it even matter?

Your irritation is palpable. Innocent bystanders are caught in your friendly fire. Including Arella, who changed you out of that horrid costume. And sweet Noel, who ushered you into the seating area — just outside of the good Father’s office.

You make a mental note to send treats to the tender-hearted alter boy. And to apologize profusely to your handmaiden. 

“You are a million miles away, darling.” The sound of your betrothed tows you out of the storm clouds. 

You flicker over to the Duke. Emerald green eyes, high cheek bones — handsome in a way that is characteristic of everyone native to your new home.

“I’m right here, Ezra.” 

“Are you, sweetheart?” The back of his hand caresses your cheek. 

“Mmhm.” You offer your future husband a weak smile and kiss on his cheek. His eyes  faltering slightly, undoubtedly hopeful for lips instead. 

“Good afternoon, Duke and Duchess Ahriman.” 

Father Geto’s velvet greeting encases you both. If Ezra’s arm didn’t guide you to stand you would have been paralyzed in your seat. 

“Father Geto, a pleasure. Thank you for seeing us.” Ezra offers a genuine smile and handshake. Buying you a few extra seconds in your mind’s safe haven.

The Chaplain is tight lipped. Professional. He returns the handshake firmly. 

“Pleasure is mine.” 

Ezra shifts slightly on his feet. Straightening his spine and dropping his shoulders. Your eyes bounce between the Chaplain and your fiancé.

“I must say, Father. You are even more handsome up close. I speak for the men in this country, thank you for taking the vow of celibacy!” The words spill out of the Duke. Unknowingly thinning the air. 

The Priest chuckles quietly, dropping his eyes briefly before landing them on you. And it feels like you could double over.  Your core temperature skyrockets under his smoldering gaze. 

He, the archer. You, the bullseye. 

“Let’s get started, shall we?” 

Ezra laces his fingers in yours, taking the two seats directly in front of the oak desk. A leather bound notebook and pheasant feather pen are neatly arranged — with your names on the first page.

Blue flame rises from your toes to hairline. You might as well have been sitting naked. With how exposed, how vulnerable you feel already.

“What will we be covering first, Father? Something about how wives should obey their husbands, right?” Ezra is light-hearted. Meant to be said in jest.

But he finds himself being the only party in the room laughing. 

The Priest rolls the ink pen between his fingers. Allowing a deafening silence to coat the walls. His expression is neutral, but eyes ablaze. 

“If the man in question is worthy of submission.” He starts. A low, ominous rumble. 

“Uh, yes. Of course.” Ezra responds, shifting in his seat. 

But the Chaplain does not stop. Intent on making a point, he leans in. Pen whirling lightning fast between his long, deft fingers. Enough tailwind to launch across the room, if he desired.  

“If the man in question would give his life for his wife.” Volcanic eyes linger on you, then back to your fiancé. Ezra’s palm finds your thigh. You gnaw on your inner cheek to avoid flinching away. 

“If he would love her like Christ loves all of his creations unconditionally. Unselfishly. Irrationally.” 

“Yes, Father. I understand.” 

“Only then, should she submit.” His serrated tone could split chromium with ease. 

“Of course, of course.” Ezra wisely accepts defeat. 

He presses a short kiss on your cheek as an apology that you didn’t ask for, nor do you want. 

“Mmm.” A forced acknowledgment of the Duke’s affection through your pinched lips. Barely able to move under the Father’s microscopic gaze. 

“Now then,” Father Geto clears the boulders in his throat. 

“Tell me about your love.” 

The question stuns both you and the Duke. Looking to each other sheepishly because neither of you chose this.

War is young men dying and old men talking. And your life path is no different. Dictated by conversations between the powers that be. 

“We’ve only met a week ago, Father.” Your honesty drives both of his eyebrows upward. 

“A week ago?”

“But we are hoping you can teach us.” The Duke, overeager and excitable. 

“Teach you…?” Father Geto muses. You can’t quite interpret his tone, or minimal response. But your heart flutters all the same. 

He is thinking something. And what you would give to get a glance. To be let in. 

“Perhaps guide us?” Ezra gives an unintentionally painful squeeze on your thigh. You fail to muffle the tiny whimper. 

The Priest’s eyes laser down to where your fiancé’s hand lays. Chest rising and falling dangerously slow. 

“Right.”

Your eyes trail upwards as he stands. Closer to God than to you from this point of view.

“Duke, Duchess. You’ll have to accept my sincerest apologies.” 

His fingers dip the unused pen back into the ink cup. The edges of his leather bound notebook coming together. Seemingly without any notes, but an entire script from this session swirling in his mind. 

“My schedule is incorrect. I have another commitment. We will reschedule, yes?” Said with a finality that sends chills crawling down your spine. 

The two of you stand. Another handshake between the men. A restrained nod for you.

Just as quickly as you were let in, Father Geto shuts you out of his office and his mind. 

     · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · 

Suguru presses his forehead against the shower tile. Warm water raining down his loose mane. Soothing his sore, overworked limbs. 

Today was maddening. 

He nearly destroyed his vestment the minute that God-forsaken counseling session ended. Seeking refuge, he took to the coast. 

And the sea provided anything but peace. 

She was angry with him, tonight. 

Curt. With unpredictable currents. Rip tides at nearly every turn. She tested his adaptation without mercy.

Just like that night.

“I’m going to stay on board, brother!”

Suguru flickered over to the silver-haired deckhand. An unfamiliar reservation opacifying his nearly translucent, iridescent eyes. 

Brother in name, technically. 

Their bloodlines were oil and water. He was a high born. Suguru was born unworthy of a beggar’s pity. 

But, bloodlines were inconsequential when their souls were instep as one. Both handed to humanity on the same night. During a thunderstorm already inscribed in history books.

‘The Tide of Eternal Requiem.’ 

It brought complete devastation. Crops destroyed. Families torn apart by tragic accidents inland and at sea. 

Then fate struck. 

Within the same hour, a voltaic boy, with a halo that put the clouds to shame and diamond eyes that could draw truth from murderers was born into the loving embrace of his parents. 

And Suguru was born with a crown so dark that the raging midnight appeared bright. 

With eyes as ominous as the sky above. 

Gunmetal grey, accented by an eerie violet swarm. Dormant volcanoes, threatening eruption. His birth mother abandoned him in an alley. Driven by fear that he was a bad omen from the Gods. 

“Ahhh, Satoru come on. Since when do you shy away from a few waves?”

Suguru teased. Already well into the process of shedding his work gear. 

“Zeus is the one rumored to be my father.” His counterpart flashed a knowing smile. 

“Poseidon doesn’t watch over me like he does you, Suguru.”

A tsunami couldn’t keep Suguru from his home. Much less a little rain. 

They were 3 miles away from the shoreline. Using his God-given ability, Suguru regularly acted as their scout. Performing his own reconnaissance then alerting the incoming ship of safe or turbulent terrain. 

“Almost ready to go, son?” 

His chosen father came up behind him. Suguru knew there were tears lining his meek eyes before turning to face him. 

“Dad.” Suguru sighed, fully disrobed now. Just his muscular frame and a compression suit. 

He met his father’s concerned gaze. Always like this during sea storms. Quiet prayers written all over his gentle features. 

Despite the worry, he never once attempted to convince his oceanic boy to stay on board. It would have been too cruel.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve traversed angrier swells.”

“Suguru, take care of yourself when I’m gone.” 

Elder, worn hands landed on his shoulders. Nearly too high for his reach. Suguru cocked his head to the side. 

This goodbye was different. 

“Stay on this path. For me. Albeit straight and narrow, there is a wonderful view. This is all for you, son.” 

Both men glanced to the Persian gulf. She thrashed against their vessel. Swaying their catch left and right with the intention of taking her creatures back. 

“Where is this coming from?” A genuine question from his younger self. Unable to read between the lines. 

“Can’t a man just speak from the heart?”

The melancholy smile didn’t meet the wrinkles of time decorating his eyes, but they shared a laugh anyway.  Suguru turned away but was promptly drawn back. 

“My beautiful boy.” 

The fisherman cradled his son’s face. Swimming in the eyes that Suguru once hated. The eyes that convinced his birth mother to abandon him. 

“Make it to shore, son.” Suguru rested his head against his father’s neck. Taking a slow, sweet drag of his scent.

Oak. 

He always smelled like oak. It was one of Suguru’s favorite things about him.

“If Poseidon calls—“

“I’ll tell him to fuck off.” Mischievous grin plastered on Suguru’s face. His father planted a kiss on his cheek, pushing him towards the end of the boat. As he always did.

Then the Gulf wrapped him in her hostile embrace. 

She was irate. 

Vicious tidal waves. Rapidly shifting currents. Even her creatures knew to settle below their usual depth. Suguru cursed the fact that he was born with useless, human lungs. Unable to withstand the pressure of the Midnight Zone. 

Within minutes his long, lean frame was riding her whims without a shred of control. Tossed around like a rag doll. At her complete mercy — or lack thereof. 

This was the first time he struggled to tame his element. A muffled groan bubbled around him. Serrated edges of long coral stalks dug into his back. Stark white foam whirled around him. 

Aerated waters. 

Suguru could barely maneuver against the waves pummeling his core. Searing heat traveling up his spine. His lungs demanded oxygen. 

The boat. 

The boat would never make it to shore. 

Desperate, furious strokes of his arms meant nothing against her unrelenting grasp. Effectively pinning Suguru to his underwater cross. 

A piece of chewed plank wood whizzed by his face. 

Followed by another. 

Then another. 

And Suguru watched his nightmare materialize before his eyes. Mustering his last oxygen reserve, he bellowed against his closed lips.

As if she hadn’t already ignored the cries of his fellow fisherman. 

Even still, he screamed so loud his ribcage should have vaporized. But ushering him to a watery grave at that time would have been too merciful. 

Suguru blinks out of the harrowing memory. The steeping tea takes at least two layers of epithelium off his esophagus.

Fucking, hell. 

He can’t seem to escape pain today.

The swim was excruciating.

Mass was dreadful.

Watching that boy’s hand lay on your lap was grating. 

Suguru’s mind drifts back to you. Your thought washes over him like baptizing waters purifying that which is impure.

The gleam in your eyes when you asked about his morning plunge. Barely a week and your pulse on him is already this precise.

Do not covet, Suguru. 

He scoffs to himself. Shaking free of your tempting spiral. 

This ‘straight and narrow’ path is proving to be more challenging than he let on. 

“Would you be proud, Father?” 

A whisper of accusation at the end of his inquiry. Suguru would give his arms, his eyes…his life to hear his father’s voice on the other end of his questions, once again. 

“Did He tell you?” 

Roaring silence. Of course. He knows that. He expects it. 

But it angers him all the same. 

“Did He come to you in a dream??” Suguru echos louder. More frantic. Punched out in a way he can barely recognize. 

“Was the reaper at His left, my heart on the right?!” A weak sob slips through the crack in his baritone. 

Yet another pain. But this one is tart and blurring his vision. 

“Did you KNOW? D—did you know that day was your last?!” He hisses through a salty stream.  Storming out to the garden to escape the walls collapsing in on him. 

Suguru’s eyes laser to the remaining thorny vines along his bed of hydrangeas. Without a second thought he wraps them around his bare arms. Staining the plant and his freshly bathed skin with crystalline tears. Once its thorns sufficiently bury into his skin he rips it away from the soil with all his might. 

“Bastard. I’m your SON.”

Warm metallic drips down the hills and ridges of his arms. Collecting in the flower bed. 

Is he cursing his earthly father? 

His Heavenly One? 

Or the Deity that brought this grief on him in the first place?

It hurts. 

An unforgiving pain. 

Much like the thorns in those rapids. Much like the inconceivable burn from his lungs begging for expanse. The time limit, even for him, ran lethally low. 

Well exceeding his father’s time limit. 

Poseidon stole from him that day.  

A callous trade for Suguru’s continued existence. 

“Why didn’t you…I—I should’ve been there.” 

Guilt eviscerates Suguru’s remaining resolve. Tilting his head up, he lets the salty crystals rain down his cheeks freely. 

The full moon cradles his face with the same warmth, the same adoration his father’s hands used to. 

Suguru accepts its celestial kisses for a moment before burying his face into his bloodied palms. His damp locks curtain his flushed face. Protecting the world from his unruly sobs.

“I’m here.” Barely audible words escape through desperate grabs for air. 

“I made it to shore, Dad.”

E/N: Oh hello, don’t mind me just sobbing. Also, guest appearance by our glorious Blue Eyed Babygirl King™️ If you need me, I will be in witness protection before Gege finds this since it’s a crime to be a S*toru lover. 

taglist: @blkkizzat @rotteneyess

[devilish-yuki]

MC: I would really like to go to an idol concert some day :(

Diavolo: :(

[]

Diavolo: And 5, 6, 7, 8!

Solomon: This is the best day of my life [recording the devil brothers dressed as girl idols dancing on high heels to a catchy pop song]

[katakaluptastrophy]

TLT meta post suggestion: explain the biblical significance of Paul to someone who knows jackshit about Christianity?

Paul is what happens when a clever person with establishment clout has a searing moment of metaphysical transformation that allows them to become a real nuisance...

The very TL;DNR version of Paul in Christianity (Bible!Paul, if you will) is that he was once an observant Jew called Saul who was involved in persecuting the early church. But one day, while enthusiastically doing this, he is struck blind by a huge flash of light and hears the voice of Jesus. From that point on he is known as "Paul", becomes an enthusiastic follower of Jesus, and helps to spread the gospel. Specifically, he is referred to as the 'apostle to the gentiles', taking the teachings of Jesus beyond its early Jewish roots to the wider Mediterranean world.

On a basic level, Necro!Paul being 'Paul' is probably a reference to that blazing moment of transformation - Bible!Paul is both continuity and change: the same passion, but expressed very differently. Well-educated, willing to cause trouble, and energised by something beyond the human norm.

But it's their speech to Ianthe where the Biblical stuff really starts to come through. It's worth noting that letters written by Bible!Paul (or 'written by him') account for nearly half of the books of the Christian New Testament and are hugely foundational in Christian theology.

And Necro!Paul's speech to Ianthe is full of Biblical references:

"I know how hard it is for you to kick against the goad," said the new person. "But there are more worlds than this. Come with us. We are the love that is perfected by death - but even death will be no more; death can also die."

That first line, 'kick against the goad', is a direct reference to Paul's 'Road to Damascus' moment where he hears Jesus:

I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them that were in company with me. And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. - Acts 26:13-15

To kick against the goad (or, in the slightly more colourful language of the KJV 'kick against the pricks') is to engage in an excercise in futility. It's a reference to an ox goad, a sharp instrument used to steer oxen in farming, which would hurt the animal if it tried to kick against it instead of following where it was being directed.

It's an acknowledgement that Ianthe is doing something that rubs profoundly up against the metaphysical grain, that her own proud self-direction will only hurt her in the end.

'More worlds than this' is a reference to Hamlet, which Dulcie of course also quotes in TUG. (Hamlet rather seems to haunt the question of the River Beyond, but that's not what we're discussing right now...)

'We are the love that is perfected by death' is, I suspect, meant to reference two different Bible verses. The first is:

Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. - Song of Solomon 8:6

Despite centuries of the church trying to claim that it's about the spiritual relationship between God and man, the Song of Solomon is now generally accepted to be a sexy poem about sex. So that's an interesting thing for the fusion of Palamedes and Camilla to quote... But perhaps more salient here is what's contrasted to the strength of love and death, which is jealousy and hell. Ianthe is being offered a chance at redemption - which is of course Bible!Paul's whole thing - which she summarily rejects. I'm sure, given NTN ending with Harrow going off to, one assumes, er, harrow hell, that this won't be relevant at all...

The other verse that 'love that is perfected by death' may be referencing is:

In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world. Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity. Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us. If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. - 1 John 4:17-21

The quotation in the Douay-Rhiems translation (apparently the preferred translation of lesbian necromancers in space, if Gideon the Ninth is anything to go by) is a little opaque, but 'charity' is an old timey way of translating 'love'. Essentially, this passage says that those who love God and are loved by God do not need to fear the day of judgement, and clarifies a bit about what it means to love God.

There are two things that are important.

The first is that this is from 1 John. There are five Biblical texts associated with St John: the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation, and three Epistles (letters). Revelation is John's vision of the end of the world - and if you're wondering whether it's relevant that The Locked Tomb features a guy called John who ends the world, yes, it is - but the Epistles were written right at the end of his life. And 1 John has two themes that might be relevant to The Locked Tomb: the first is the question of what it means to love god (spoiler: the answer is not 'dinner and a movie'), and the second is whether your actions matter.

The second thing that might be relevant here is that just before this in 1 John 4, there is a warning about not heeding false prophets. Specifically, it warns about the antichrist. You know, the thing Necro!John says he was repeatedly accused of being? The point is that love - love properly understood - can protect you from the wiles of the antichrist. Probably not a relevant theme as we head off into the 'you have not yet begun to witness the horrors of love' book where people are presumably facing down a pretender god...

The final part of Paul's speech to Ianthe - 'death will be no more' - is also Johannine: this time from Revelation:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. - Revelation 21:4

This comes from a section where the Biblical John watches as the old world is destroyed and the new Jerusalem descends from Heaven. Death and sorrow are ended, and the righteous will rule with God. The sinful have a less fun time of it, involving fire and brimstone and 'the second death'. If that sounds familiar, it's because Necro!John cribbed that particular bit when making up his shoddy Space Catholicism (TM). (The implications of this really deserves a much longer treatment, so watch this space...)

One of the nice things about Tamsyn Muir's Biblical parallels is they're not generally exact. But it's perhaps relevant to note that amongst Bible!Paul's rather dramatic adventures are quite a few instances of casting demons out of people, starting at least one riot, shipwreck, and an "Incident at Antioch". Also...it's probably not relevant that the writings of St Paul were the turning point in the conversion of St Augustine...specifically a section about how the end of the world is nigh so you'd better get your act together...

All in all, Paul is...a very niche joke about Plato, hopefully not a joke about Dune, and mostly very, very apocalyptic. A new beginning at the end of the world! An offer of redemption to those swimming against the current! A warning to false gods! A sign that the end is nigh! All of which suggests Alecto the Ninth is going to be a wild ride (as if we didn't know that already).

[devildomwriter]

Beelzebub Birthday Special 100 Fun Facts

1. Beelzebub makes up elaborate stories about befriending food to try to avoid eating it

2. Before his fall, Beelzebub was a cherub and recommended for Seraph

3. Beelzebub dislikes Mammon’s cooking

4. The only food Beelzebub refuses to eat is Solomon’s cooking

5. As an angel, Beelzebub initially wanted to use his strength to fight but became depressed after Raphael made fun of him. Instead he focused on protecting thanks to Lucifer’s advice

6. Beelzebub used to guard the gates of the celestial realm

7. Beelzebub considers him and Belphegor twins because they were created the same day

8. Beelzebub is usually quiet except when around Belphegor

9. Beelzebub has survivors guilt

10. Beelzebub blames himself for Lilith’s death since he chose to save Belphegor instead and until MC got him to open up to Belphegor, he believed Belphegor blamed him too

11. Beelzebub picks his loyalty based on if he’s offered food

12. Beelzebub will usually follow orders from any of his brothers, especially when it comes to helping restrain another brother

13. Beelzebub claims he never felt insatiable hunger up until the exact moment he fell from grace

14. Beelzebub is completely unaware of his surroundings when he is eating food

15. Beelzebub was the only brother not angered that MC had a plan with Belphegor to make pacts with them all

16. Beelzebub used to be Lucifer’s personal body guard

17. Out of all the brothers, Beelzebub insults Mammon the least

18. Beelzebub is able to feel Belphegor’s feelings and to an extent, read his mind

19. Beelzebub’s name in Hebrew translates to “Lord of the Flies”

20. Beelzebub’s worst subject is potions because he tends to eat the ingredients

21. Beelzebub’s favorite song is the jingle for the ad from Hell’s Burger

22. Beelzebub prefers pop music

23. Beelzebub loves Devilcat and feels he can relate to him

24. Beelzebub mentions his type of person is someone who will make him piles of food

25. Beelzebub prefers dogs because he believes they’re loyal

26. Beelzebub states he loves food from every world equally

27. Beelzebub prefers to work out in silence

28. Beelzebub’s favorite activity is working out

29. Beelzebub hates high heels, they hurt his feet and always snap because of his weight

30. Beel’s motto is “You can’t fight when you’re hungry”

31. Beelzebub usually eats the plates his food is served in alongside the food

32. Diavolo states Beelzebub once ate a pillar at the Demon Lord’s Castle

33. If the Devildom disappeared tomorrow Beelzebub said he’d eat all the food because it’s be a pity

34. Beelzebub states he probably starts his baths washing his head but can’t remember

35. Beelzebub is the active one when it comes to love

36. When asked if he’d bind or be bound by his lover he chose “other” because he wasn’t sure

37. Beelzebub easily forgets special dates of remembrance and anniversaries

38. For a relationship with obstacles his choice is to just give up

39. He won’t have sleepless nights thinking about the person he loves

40. Beelzebub is able to express his feelings frankly

41. Beelzebub can call forth a legendary rock giant

42. Beelzebub is shown to have wind related powers

43. Beelzebub, like all demons with wings, can fly

44. Beelzebub has such a strong sense of smell he can tell if someone is a human, demon, or angel

45. Beelzebub once attempted to diet, it didn’t work out

46. Beelzebub recalls Michael smelling tasty, due to him always eating sweets

47. During dance battles Beelzebub will sometimes shout “here comes my next meal” and “that was a nice feast”

48. Beelzebub sometimes states that MC looks delicious

49. The angrier Beelzebub is the hungrier his gets

50. In exchange for food, Beelzebub will groom and walk Cerberus

51. Beelzebub thinks it’s dumb Mammon likes money, since he can’t eat it

52. According to Beelzebub poison jellyfish don’t sit well in his stomach

53. Beelzebub binged TSL with MC and Mammon specifically for the popcorn

54. Beelzebub chooses his outfits based on if they’re easy to eat in

55. Beelzebub helped choose Mammon’s human world outfit

56. Mammon usually gives Beelzebub treats, he even mentions it on the home screen

57. The first time Beelzebub attempted to attack MC it was because they were convinced by Mammon to eat his custard

58. Beelzebub seems to be the only one who knows Simeon is hiding candy from the celestial realm

59. Beelzebub still considers it his duty to protect Lucifer

60. Beelzebub is a terrible artist but doesn’t seem to realize it

61. Beelzebub believes Solomon wouldn’t taste good

62. Beelzebub loves Luke’s cakes

63. Beelzebub believes Simeon’s pancakes are the best

64. Simeon’s wishes he could clone Barbatos so he’d have him to make him food every day

65. Beelzebub thinks it’s important to work so you have money to buy snacks

66. Beelzebub asks MC if they’re good at cooking, if they are he never wants them to leave his side

67. Beelzebub refers to MC as his angel

68. Beelzebub doesn’t like it when things get mushy and gross

69. Beelzebub will take home random fauna to see what it tastes like, he once brought home a giant black slug that scared Asmodeus

70. Beelzebub mentions on several occasions to love Red Spider Sandwiches

71. When given chocolates (a special item) Beelzebub tells MC he has his eyes and ears out to make sure no drunk people lay a finger on MC

72. Beelzebub thinks trees are delicious

73. When gifted a scarf, Beelzebub initially believes it was a long donut

74. When MC gifts Beelzebub a handmade Devilcat plushie, he isn’t sure what it is

75. Beelzebub says when he was eating a cat shaped pancake that Satan was giving him suspicious looks

76. Beelzebub says he can play the music from the Hell’s Kitchen ad on the Otomatone

77. Beelzebub mistook fireworks for churros

78. Beelzebub reveals to MC he sometimes wishes they were kind only to him

79. Asmodeus would prefer not to say what the most shocking thing he saw Beelzebub eat was

80. Beelzebub often mistakes shaped bath bombs for food

81. Beelzebub was banned from the Devildom botanic gardens for eating all the cherries off the cherry picking trees

82. Beelzebub once ate a tomato meant to make you reveal things, apparently it tasted like nothing to him and Mammon says he’d never seen him look so sad while eating

83. When going out to swim, Beelzebub chose to hunt and grill squid instead

84. Beelzebub always tries to eat all the hidden Easter eggs

85. As I asked Beel for advice on cleanly eating candy apples and was disappointed when Beel recommended just eating them in one bite

86. When Beelzebub expressed interest in a car his brothers were excited and then shocked when they realized Beelzebub only likes the shape as he saw it would be good to dead lift

87. Beelzebub gave MC a Devildom star

88. Beelzebub once tried bribing Mephistopheles into allowing him to help the newspaper club by kidnapping him and trying to force him to eat mountains of food

89. Beelzebub believes a cruise ship anchor is light weight

90. Beelzebub believes he can rely most on Lucifer and Belphegor

91. Beelzebub can run .3 miles (500 meters) in two seconds

92. Beel still enjoys games of tag

93. Beelzebub once put a whole in the RAD building

94. Beelzebub often accidentally breaks through doors and walls

95. Beelzebub is very slow to reply to texts

96. Beelzebub always lifts weights before bed

97. Beelzebub often chews on his pillows in his sleep and frequently sleep walks to the kitchen

98. Beelzebub ate a keychain Barbatos gave Luke and Luke was so angry he scared Beelzebub enough that Beelzebub was running away from him

99. According the Belphegor they once decorated a cake with fireworks but Beelzebub ate them too

100. Beelzebub has been banned from drinking Super Soda water

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Longing for Her Beloved

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm, | For strong as death is love, | Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, | Its burnings [are] burnings of fire, a flame of YAH! — Song of Solomon 8:6 | Literal Standard Version (LSV) Literal Standard Version Bible Copyright © 2020 by Covenant Press. Cross References: Numbers 5:14; Proverbs 6:34; Isaiah 49:16; Jeremiah 22:24; Haggai 2:23

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[melverie]

⸺ LESSON 9 ⸺

Solomon

Barbatos

demons & angels (& humans)

the 'MC is human' situation

records of a banshee

misc

- lesson 8 || lesson 10 || all posts so far -

HI I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE REBLOGS ON LESSON 8 ARE SO SWEET!!! <3333 I thought that this would mostly just be me throwing things around to help make sense of my own theory on NB's identity, but seeing that people are actually exited to see this back means a lot, so thank you guys <3 And sorry that this part once again took a little longer ;-; General spoiler warning for all of Obey Me Nightbringer, as well as for the original Obey Me

⸺ SOLOMON ⸺

Solomon finally made it back and just casusally brings a dragon egg back with him [9-2]. Sure. I'm not questioning his antics anymore; he's nowhere near to being my main Nightbringer candidate

Solomon makes the hypothesis that maybe Nightbringer is the reason we're here?! No way!! :o [9-2] -> but in all seriousness, it's nice that he's trying to tell us as much as possible of what he knows

Solomon claims that Diavolo can definitely be trusted [lesson 9 hard mode]. I'm actually taking his word here because 1. we know that Solomon cares a lot about MC and their safety, 2. we learn next lesson that Solomon has some sort of agreement going on with Nightbringer, and 3. that Nightbringer just threatened MC's safety. I just genuinely see no reason why he would lie about who is and who isn't trustworthy here

⸺ BARBATOS ⸺

Barbatos worrying about MC [9-8; pic below]

he tells us completely umpropted where Beelzebub is held captive [9-8; pic below] -> Solomon decides to follow him since he also wants to talk with Barbatos about the entire teleportation thing [9-8] -> both Barbatos and Solomon heading to where Beelzebub is held captive caused quite a headache for me...but we'll get to that next lesson!

⸺ DEMONS & ANGELS (& HUMANS) ⸺

illusion!Diavolo and illusion!Simeon fight over who should get to lead/support humans--demons or angels [9-A] -> also, illusion!Diavolo talks about leading humans to happiness. Leading someone else to happiness seems to be Nightbringer's favorite past time, would you look at that :)

⸺ THE 'MC IS HUMAN' SITUATION ⸺

taking this opportunity to just say how much I love serious Dia, thank you for listenting <3 (putting this in here because it's in regard to MC's expulsion since Diavolo found out they are a human) -> that being said, he mentions that his father entrusted the Devildom to him [9-7], but like,, when?? He literally fell into a coma?? Did he wake up in the middle of it like "oh by the way son, before I forget" and then passed tf out again???

⸺ RECORDS OF A BANSHEE ⸺

the brothers show up during Diavolo's talk about MC's expulsion and we learn that Beelzebub is now being held prisoner because he wrecked the castle at yesterday's dinner party [9-7]. This is the timeline of it all:

1. MC gets their letter summoning them to the Demon Lord's Castle [lesson 9 hard mode], and the brothers + Simeon and Luke participate in the dinner party at the Demon Lord's Castle. We don't know which one happens first 2. at some point during the dinner party, Lucifer talks about him aquiring a record of a banshee's song [9-14] -> according to the others, this caused Beelzebub to completely lose it, which ended up with him causing significant damage to the castle -> Belphegor later on mentions that something was wrong with Beelzebub at the time [9-7] 3. the next day, Beelzebub gets a letter summoning him to the Demon Lord's Castle and is imprisonened 4. after that, MC has their meeting with Diavolo and they talk about MC having to return to the human world 5. during that meeting, the brothers show up and demand for Beelzebub to be released 6. Lucifer basically gives up right after getting there (??? WHY did you even go there in the first place then, my guy???). Before he leaves, he tells Diavolo that ultimately, he doesn't accept them either -> Diavolo is distraught by this comment 7. Barbatos suggests continuing this meeting some other time and accompanies MC and Solomon a little. Before parting ways, he explicitly tells them where Beelzebub is being held captive 8. Solomon and MC split up; Solomon follows Barbatos to where Beelzebub is being imprisoned, and MC heads to the House of Lamentation to talk to the brothers and find out what happened

withholding my thoughts for now because there is one last detail happening in lesson 10 that kinda ties the entire thing together, but I will already say that based on how the characters present described the entire situation [9-14; all three pics below], Beelzebub's meltdown seems too big to be caused by the mention of a banshee

⸺ MISC ⸺

we now know why Mammon is so afraid of ghosts [9-2]

mandatory moment where I talk about my husband: a) Satan's first time seeing a cat, you love to see it <3 [9-10] b) can you hear the sound of my heart breaking? :< [9-8; pic below]

Satan's quote from the website! [9-10; pic below]

Belphegor tells MC about Lilith [9-16]

illusion!Luke says this [9-A; pic below]. HUH :D

[scripture-pictures]

[mistakesitakeoutonmyself]

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.” — Song of Solomon 8:6-7