#but....i was tempted to do et

[ardenrosegarden]

In England, English and Norman barons kill each other to seize the throne and in France, the Carolingian unity having been shattered, the little Capetian king managed his meager possessions under the vigilant and hostile eye of the great feudal lords who watched over over their strongholds and control his every move. Brittany, if it wished, could finally spread its wings. Conan III is careful not to do this and is content to govern peacefully, only too happy that the English and French ropes which hold him by the neck are suddenly so weak. A good duke, good husband, good Breton, he has everything going his way, but was unfortunately a bad father; on his deathbed he disowns Hoël, his son, and chooses as his heir Conan IV, a little boy of 9 years old, the son of his daughter Bertha.

Gilles Martin-Chauffier, Le Roman de la Bretagne

[mira-hildegard]

genuinely pissed. i take three days to write a side novella and i pine for my novel so fucking bad at 2am. and now im 5k into this novella!!! and im really enjoying it!! now i have TWO stories to juggle writing!!!!

[highvern]

Silk

Pairing: Kim Mingyu x fem!reader

Genre: smut, friends to lovers, established relationship

Warnings: weed mention, alcohol mention, moments of self-doubt/insecurity, oral (f. receiving), fingering, boyfriend Mingyu, making out, hickies, mentions of frat!svt, grinding, panty/pussy job, cumshot, first time together, mentions of previous partners, not seeing heaven pt II!

Length: ~4.3k

Note: another Drunk Goggles installment! this is probably gonna be the last one for a while tbh. im working on something new for my gamer boy husband wonwoo as we speak. "adamas et aurum" was written to balance the depravity that takes place.

MDNI! 18+ ONLY

read more here

Mingyu doesn’t recall the details of the first time he saw you naked. At least what your nude body actually looked like. He remembers it being at his frat’s mountain weekend junior year, that one of the other guys brought you as their date, and how Mingyu’s then girlfriend had broken up with him that morning when he came to pick her up to leave for the cabin. The second he arrived he holed up in his assigned room upstairs, listening as people arrived throughout the day from under the covers.

When he finally came down, he stumbled into an already out of hand game Truth or Dare thanks to Hoshi and his liberal drink pours. Everyone was laughing wildly, DK’s shirt was wrapped around his head, and Joshua looked like he had just taken a shower fully clothed.

“I dare you to go skinny dipping in the lake.”

Everyone knew about Jun’s crush on you so the dare just made Mingyu roll his eyes as he grabbed a beer and walked out onto the porch overlooking the water, hoping to drown his sorrows in the bottom of the bong he brought with him. 

You had never been one to back down, so it was no suprise Mingyu was watching you sprint down the steps towards the lake, discarded clothes fluttering to the ground behind you. He caught sight of your bare rear seconds before you hit the surface with a splash, and that was that.

All in all, Mingyu doesn’t remember much about it.

But the first time Mingyu sees you naked as the girl he’s dating, he’s tempted to grab his phone and document the occasion so he can relive the moment again and again. 

He hadn’t planned for anything to happen tonight beyond the nice dinner he treated you to followed by a stroll downtown. When he walked you to your door to kiss you goodnight, you invited him in. Mingyu thought it was because you didn’t want to end the night yet, happy to oblige you’re desire to prolong his company. 

You’d confessed to each other almost a month ago, and in that time Mingyu tried to be nothing less than a gentleman. Most of his behavior is ingrained in him already: holding open the car door for you, walking on the outside of the sidewalk, getting you the same small bouquet of wildflowers you love from Ms. Kwon every Saturday. All of it as easy as breathing due to his innate drive to care for those who mean the most to him.

Other less appropriate behavior, reserved for you and only you, fights tooth and nail to claw its way out of the most depraved parts of his mind.

The first time you made out, he barely stopped himself from flipping over to pin you against the couch and have his wicked way with you. When he felt you up in the back of his car at the drive in for the first time like a desperate teenager, he had to actually bite his tongue to keep from ripping your shirt off and exploring everything underneath. The few times you’ve sent him suggestive text messages, usually accompanied by a photo of you in the bath with the naughtiest bits covered by bubbles or a suggestive mirror selfie that highlighted your figure, Mingyu nearly cries when stopping himself from sending an even more suggestive response.

The issue isn’t that he thinks you’d dislike him doing those things, tempting him more and more with each passing day. But Mingyu’s worst fear at this point in your very new relationship is that you’ll think he only wants you for sex. Scared shitless that he’s misread the signals you’ve given him, confused innocent gestures as a go ahead to lust and crave. So his simple solution is to not do anything, provide nothing that can point even remotely in that direction. A perfectly PG relationship so you don’t misunderstand his interest.

To say it was a bomb to your self-esteem is an understatement. Mingyu is always the one to pull away first, the one to stop things when they verge on being more, before anything can go too far. Tonight you invited him in with the intention to ask him what his deal was. You know he’s not inexperienced; confirmed by several of your friends in college sharing details after spending a night in his bed. And it hardly seems that he’s regretting sharing his feelings with you; never missing an opportunity to inform you how beautiful he thinks you are or how much he likes spending time with you. The collection of good morning and good night texts littering your phones, each a precious reminder that you’re the first person he thinks of when he gets up and last before he goes to sleep. Down to his eagerness in planning dates, making reservations or buying tickets the second he knows your calendar is clear, effort oozing from his pores. You don’t know any guy that would try even half as much as Mingyu does if they weren’t interested.

There didn't seem to be any hardware issues on his end either. The first time you made out on your couch, the tantalizing feel of his hard cock against your bottom told you he was at least attracted to you. You just don’t get why he doesn’t seem to want to touch you the same way you yearn to touch him.

Tonight starts like it always does. Sitting a little bit too close on the couch, Mingyu’s hand finding your thigh, your own playing with his fingers as you discuss this and that. He tells you how Wonwoo finally got the courage to ask out his coworker he had a crush on. You update him on the work drama with your manager.

Eventually, someone shuffles closer, eyes meet, a head tilts, and all of a sudden your tongue grazes his as he coaxes you into his lap.

Testing the waters, you gently rock your hips against his as you nip his earlobe, releasing a stifled gasp when he rise to meet you. Embolden by his response, your fingertips skate up his chest as you arch further into him, lips searching for his.

“We should—mhm— slow down.” Mingyu pants into your mouth, making no effort to remove himself from you despite his words.

“But I want you.” You gasp as the next buck of his hips has the rough fabric of his jeans grinding against your barely covered pussy as your short dress rucks up higher and higher on your hips.

Dropping to Mingyu’s neck, you hope the rake of your teeth on his jaw will convince him to touch you the way you desperately need.

Your right hand is twisted through his hair, sending chills down his neck when your nails scratch his scalp. The other covers his as you place it on your breast, arching your chest and urging him to give it a gentle squeeze.

“Fuck,” Mingyu groans, eyes trained on the way you fill his palm perfectly.

His next squeeze is answered with another moan. Mingyu knows it’ll burn his ears next time he’s alone in his room.

“Wait.” He breaths.

Mingyu’s tone tells you he’s serious. Still in his lap, you lean back to look down at his face.

His eyes are closed and long breath leaves his nose before he mutters, “We should stop.”

“Oh.” You exclaim shakily.

You try to not let the hurt that arises bleed into your voice but it’s impossible. 

Crawling out of his space, you sit back on the cushion next to Mingyu, putting a foot of distance between you. You focus on anything else besides the man beside you, training your eyes on how your fingers pick at the hem of your dress. The silence between you two is uncomfortable in a way it's never been before.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Obviously it's not fine.”

“I guess I’m just,” you pause searching for the best way to explain yourself, still unable to look at him. “confused? Everytime we start, you know, you stop. Am I making you uncomfortable? Do you not want to?”

“No!” He winces, shocked by the booming volume of his own voice. “No, I just— I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to.”

Finally looking at him, you ask, “What part of putting your hand on my boobs makes you think I don’t want you to do it?”

“I,” Mingyu responds, hand dragging down his face. “I don’t wanna mess this up and push you too far o—”

“Mingyu, stop it!” You snap, annoyed with his self sacrificing. “You're not gonna mess anything up by touching me. I thought I made it pretty obvious I want you to.”

“You do?”

“Of course I do.” You try to reel in your irritation but it's impossible.

“Why are you mad?”

“Because you’re acting like I can’t make my own decisions.”

“That’s not what I–”

You jump up from the couch to stand in front of him, arms flailing as you grunt in frustration.

“Yes, it is!” 

“I’m just trying to be a gentleman!”

“Well stop!”

“Fine!” he shouts, matching your own exasperation.

Mingyu throws you over his shoulder in a second, long legs carrying him towards your room. He’ll be damned if the first time he touches you, really touches you, is on the cramped lumpy couch in your living room. 

“Put me down!” you yell, fist pounding at his back and kicking your legs in an attempt to get free.

A gentle slap on your ass has your breath stalling. It’s not enough to hurt, barely a brush of his hand but it has your mind reeling all the same.

“Be good.” Mingyu orders, voice rough as gravel.

Oh, wow.

“And if I’m not?”

His steps falter before he continues down the hall, “Haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”

Well at least he hasn’t been completely possessed. 

He gently sets you down on the foot of your bed, stepping back to stand in front of you with his hands on his hips which cocks to the side. You almost laugh at the way he looks like a mom about to scold her kid. 

“I’m not gonna fuck you tonight.” He states simply.

“Why not?” You protest.

Shame rises in your throat like bile when Mingyu hesitates.

“I wanna take things slow.”

“Oh…okay, that's okay.” You reassure him, reach to take one of his hands in yours. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“I do want to touch you. But we’re not having sex tonight.”

“That’s okay too.”  You can’t hide the way your breath stutters, flashes of his hand between your legs clouding your mind.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “whatever you want.”

“Can I take your dress off?”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” You tease, smiling mischievously up at him.

Mingyu's own mouth twists as he snags the neck of his shirt, subconsciously flexing the muscles along his arms and stomach enticingly as it rises over his frame. If anyone asks, he’d deny doing it on purpose but the way your eyes scorch across his skin makes him tense just a little bit more. His vision is blacked out by the fabric as it comes over his head, but when it's gone he sees heaven.

The lilac sundress you’d worn to dinner is gone, leaving your hair ruffled from its hasty removal, fluffed around your face enticingly. But it's what was under your dress that has Mingyu’s tongue on the verge of rolling out of his mouth and heart beating like a cartoon character. Your chest is wrapped in a silky pink bra, swells of flesh threatening to spill over the cups with each breath that stretches your lungs, stiff nipples poking through the edge of the fabric. The alluring pull of a matching pair of panties across your hips, accentuating your curves in the best ways, makes his cock twitch; but when you spread your legs, unveiling a tantalizing damp spot, nearly translucent where it clings to your folds teasingly, floods each of his senses with a specific type of hunger.

Fuck.

“Pants too.” You demand, but quickly correct yourself. “If that's okay.” 

You stare at one another for a beat. The clank of Mingyu’s belt being undone is the only sound beyond the duet of shaky breaths. His eyes don’t leave your face as he bares himself down to his briefs, but yours skim down his body, blazing as they trail across his form, to settle on the obvious bulge behind the cotton. When you swallow harshly, Mingyu’s ego flares.

“Come here.” You beckon.

Complying easily, Mingyu covers your body with his; arms caging you in below him as your thighs spread to cradle his hips. He settles on top of you, length nestled snugly between your folds, tip nudging your mound with each breath. It's maddening. Especially when Mingyu can feel your arousal seeping through his underwear and coating the underside of his cock.

Your noses brush gently, fleeting passes of lips as you settle against one another. You’ve only ever briefly felt Mingyu through thick layers of clothing, whether that when you wiggle your way in his lap or the few times you’ve woken up with his length pressed snugly against your ass. It gave you an idea of his size but in no way prepared you for the feel of him now, rigid as steel against your soaking center and threatening to burn you from the inside out. 

“Oh wow,” you gasp into his mouth, relishing in the slow curl of his hips against you.

“I know,” he nods, mind lost in the sweltering heat between your legs threatening to consume him.

You continue to writhe against one another, mouths meeting in rough passes of teeth and tongues. Your ankles lock at the base of his spine, pulling him firmly against you as your hands flutter across his skin, unable to stay in one place for long. Mingyu’s arm propped above you keeps his weight from crushing you, his other settles on the side of your neck, thumb tilting your chin up so his tongue can delve into your mouth. 

A particularly delicious grind of his hips has your head thrown back, moan aimed at the ceiling as you thrash pathetically. It lets Mingyu look at you. Cheeks and chest glowing with a rosy tint, a faint sheen of sweat blooming across your skin as you whine in his hold. The straps of your bra have fallen down your arms, one nipple peeking out from under the fabric, taunting him. 

The harsh suck of his mouth across your breast pulls your back tight like a bowstring. His tongue worships your chest, laving broad strokes you imagine will feel amazing on other parts of your body. He's everywhere, consuming you like a blackhole, ripping apart your entire being and leaving you disoriented. Head tipped back, you bare as much of yourself as possible for Mingyu to touch and tease; all while your abdomen tenses as your lower half cants against his.

Arching just enough to give you room to reach around, you snag the clasp of your bra relieved that the underwire is no longer digging into your chest uncomfortably. Your arms raise to pull it off, leaving you bare from the waist up for Mingyu to admire. 

“Like what you see?” You whisper, relishing in the shell shocked expression on Mingyu’s features.

He can only nod, gaze burning a hole through your chest straight to your heart.

One of his hands cup your chest gently, taking time to let the weight of the swollen flesh settle in his palm. He thumbs the stiff peak, still glossed with his spit from his earlier ministrations. Mingyu puckers his lip to blow a cool stream of air, delighting in the choke whine you release.

“Can I touch you too?”

“Please.” he moans, diving to leave a bruise on the side of your breast.

A depraved idea enters your head, whispering from the most primal parts of your mind. Mingyu said he’s not going to fuck you and you respect that wholeheartedly; the idea of waiting warming your soul. But you want to feel as much of him as possible; revel in the slide of his scorching length against you, deliver the long overdue pleasure you both want. 

“If you don’t like it we can stop.”

“Okay.”

Mingyu doesn't inform you that he doubts he'll dislike anything you do to him. Instead, he stares at your hand pushing his underwear down, fingers circling his cock in awe as you touch him for the first time. His body is miles away from his brain, like he’s drowning under crashing waves and you’re the sun he can see on the surface. Your thumb smears the beads of pre-cum collected at his tip, twisting your tight grip around the head to work him up. Sweat breaks out on his forehead, muscles in his arms jumping at the feeling of your smooth palm. He knows the image of your hand wrapped around his cock is branded in his mind forever. 

But then you do something he doesn’t expect. Your free hand grabs your underwear, moving the crotch to the side and uncovering your slit entirely. The flesh that peeks out from the outer folds is flushed a delicious pink, glistening in the low light with the evidence of your desire. When you hook the bulbous head of his cock under the hem he panics for a second, afraid you’re going to slip him inside. But you just wiggle you hips till he nudges your engorged clit, skin on skin with no barrier. Letting go of the fabric, Mingyu thinks he might be drooling when his cock is covered by soaked silk, sandwiching him against you. The erotic sight kills any coherent thoughts he has left.

“You’re —,” Mingyu starts, tongue heavy in his mouth. “What the fuck—”

He can’t stop watching how his cock moves, able to discern the nearly purple head of his length through the see-through silk that clings to his weeping tip. Your hand rests on your mound over your panties, pointer and middle finger forming a V to border the flared head on either side, giving him a bumper to grind against and forcing him a fraction harder against you.

“Move.” you beg, voice just as wrecked as his. “Please, Gyu.”

Who is he to deny you any longer?

Arms straining as he holds himself up, Mingyu keeps his gaze trained on where you're connected, entranced. Below him, you’re twisting in the sheets, twitching with each prod against your clit but your hand keeps him from slipping away.

Flashes of how from any other angle it looks like he’s drilling you into the bed, stuffing you with his cock rather than rutting against you pathetically, enter his mind. The firm pressure of your knees against his sides, ankles brushing his waist with each roll of his hips barely register in his conscious. Free hand scratching against his chest, your nails raise red lines and dimple his flesh with tiny crescents as he pummels your clit, slick with a mixture of his spunk and your own arousal. Needy whimpers singing into his ears are answered with his own groans, tempting him to shut his eyes and just feel if not for the vision below him.

The realization that he can feel you clench pitifully where his balls press against you, teasing him to just angle his hips a little bit lower and take you like he desperately wants has him surging against you even harder.

The sudden rush of stimulation overwhelms you, forcing your mind to shut down. It's all too much. The feeling of Mingyu above you, using your pussy to get off, fogs your brain. The crude rhythmic squelch where you meet sends shooting stars across the corners of your eyes. How his cock presses against your clit just so, dribbles of his pre-cum coating your most sensitive parts. The harsh squeezes of his hand on your breast, pinching the stiff peek of your nipple while his teeth nip your neck you feel like you might pass out.

“Mingyu!” You keen, chest pressing against his, allowing you both to revel in the drag of your skin on his.

The broken sound of his name on your lips skyrockets Mingyu to his end. Euphoria exploding in his chest, pleasure running from his balls to the tip of his cock as he loses all control of his body. His chest caves and breath stops as he jerks in your hold, rutting against you as his seed pushes through the ruined fabric of your underwear, collecting in globs above where his tip rests right on your clit; you’re fingers still pressing down on your underwear glossed in the overflowing pool of pearly fluid. Mingyu leans up as far as he can to watch, wishing to live this moment again and again. 

“Fuck, fuck!” He chants horsly, unable stop his own hips, even when the friction becomes tortious.

With one last pass he finally calms, muscles spasming as he collapses onto your chest.

The heavy weight pressing you into the bed makes you shudder below, another rush of wetness escaping.

“Good?”

Mingyu just groans into your shoulder, attempting to catch his breath.

“You’re crazy.”

You give an indignant huff, jaw clenching in mock annoyance.

“Don’t act like you don’t know.”

“Yeah well you clearly liked it!”

“My beautiful girlfriend just let me get off using her panties that she’s wearing. I’d be insane if I didn’t.”

“Girlfriend?” 

Suddenly, you're breathless for an entirely new reason.

“If that’s okay with you.” Mingyu mumbles, comically shy as if he didn’t just cum on you.

“That’s definitely okay with me.” 

“Good.”

“Now, how about you make your girlfriend come too?”

Mingyu nearly falls off the bed in his haste to do just that. Throwing your legs wide, he bullies his way between your thighs to gape at the mess of your panties. Nothing he’s ever seen in his life can compare. Something he doesn’t think even the most debased part of his brain could have imagined but you’ve given him knowledge of a kink he didn’t even know he had. Mingyu just stares, damning his refractory period; ruining the carnal desire to cover you in his seed again and again, until the possessive part of his brain is sated and you’re both on the verge of unconsciousness.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You chide above, impatience reading its head.

“Don’t play with me right now.”

You don’t want to overwhelm him more than you have so you bite your tongue against the urge to tell him you're serious. Maybe next time you’ll let him know how much the idea of him walking around with such a salacious image on his phone turns you on.

“Then touch me, Gyu.”

As pretty as you are covered in silk soaked with his cum, Mingyu knows you’re even more beautiful without the scrap of fabric. Taking a second to rub the puddle of fluids back into the fabric, you twitch as the pad of his finger massages your sensitive clit. When your hips pitch forward to seek more friction, he nearly rips your underwear with his clumsy hands in his haste to free you from them. At the sight of your bare slit, Mingyu pauses. The number of choices he’s presented with nearly drowns him; whether to taste or tease, stuff your clenching hole with his fingers or lick you from top to bottom, maybe make you show him what you like before trying it himself.

But first, Mingyu needs a better look at what he’s working with.

“Hold your legs open, baby.”

Before he can blink, your hands eagerly hook under your knees to spread yourself wide, void a timidity as you reveal yourself; unveiling every hill and valley, soft flesh dappled with pearls of his cum. Desire rushes Mingyu forward to collect the mess with his tongue, a throaty groan clawing its way out of his chest at the combination of fluids.

“Taste so fucking good,” he rasps. “You’re so hot.”

Lightening erupts in your veins under the languid heat of his tongue, every muscle twitching as he delivers maddening swirls through your folds. The fact that Mingyu is tasting the lasting traces of himself as he eats you out is like a punch to the gut. Broad strokes against your clit distract you from his hand sneaking up to circle your opening before a thick finger enters you. 

But the stretch isn’t nearly enough for how wrecked you feel, already teetering on the edge.

“More!” 

The hand you’ve ghosted down your front is pinned to the bed before you can even make it below your belly button.

“You’re gonna take what I give you.” He informs you, but gives you another finger all the same.

When a needy moan tickles his ears, Mingyu knows you’re waving a white flag, a wordless plea for him to continue playing with you as he pleases.

Fingers pistoning, Mingyu’s pointed tongue circles the bundle of nerves at the top of your slit. When he crooks the digits buried deep inside you, your back leaves the bed. The hand pinning your wrist abandons its grip, allowing him to use his fingers to spread your folds and keep your clit uncovered for his tongue to lash at.

“Don’t stop,” you cry, voice thick and broken. “Please, I’m so close.”

Both of your hands find the soft strands of his hair to hold him in place. Your feet plant on the bed beside his wide shoulders, allowing you to hump his face pathetically as the drenched squelch of Mingyu’s mouth against you fills your ears.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,”

Your finish is bubbling to the surface, a roaring boil in your blood that deafens all your senses except where your boyfriend plays with you. Mingyu’s arm stretches up your torso to palm your breast, fingers pulling your taunt nipple. He’s pulling out all the stops, trying his hardest to send you over the edge.

“Come on, pretty girl. Let me make you come.” he begs around your clit.

“Please!” you sob. “Please, please, please!”

You’re in a frenzy above him, ecstasy inches away. Your hips bucking is so hard they threaten to dislodge him but Mingyu takes it in stride. Elbowing your thighs apart, forcing them up and open to pin you in place so he can keep going. It tickles a part in your brain that imagines what he’ll do when he does fuck you for the first time, spreading you out before making you take his cock. 

The visual paired with stretch from a third finger sets you free.

“I’m—Mingyu! Oh my god!”

The simmer in your blood boils over, starting at your core and rushing to your toes and fingertips. Wrecked moans leave your bruised lips, eyes squeezed against the licks of pleasure overwhelming you. The only thing you can hear is the rush of blood in your ears as every muscle in your quivers so hard tears gather in your eyes. He doesn’t stop as you twitch in his hold, arms flexing as he strains to keep you spread so he can work you through it. You clench so hard around his fingers his arm halts before putting in more effort to pummeling your pussy. When you cry at the overstimulation he finally relents, delivering a last long lick along your slit before moving away.

Mingyu’s face is soaked, chin and cheeks covered in your juices, nose and cheeks flushed. You just stare, mouth open in wonder as he sucks his fingers clean.

“Holy shit.”

“You okay?”

“Shhhhh.” You press a finger to his pursed lips. “Brain goo, hot boyfriend just made me cum.”

Mingyu crawls up your body, peppering gentle kisses here and there as he goes. When you're face to face you just stare at each other, expressions full of fondness and exhaustion.

“But seriously, where the fuck did you learn that?”

Mingyu’s question is answered with a maniacal giggle.

[strawbewiemilk]

Ultimate Tips: How to Hide Your E-D Like a Pro and Keep Your Mindset Unbreakable

Alright, listen up. If you’re serious about getting sk!nny—like b0nes popping, b0dy shrinking, can’t even keep your clothes on sk!nny—you’ve got to master the art of hiding it. Because let’s face it, people will try to ruin your progress. They’ll nag you, shove f00d in your face, and act like they care about your “health.” The only thing you need to care about is staying in control. You want to be thin? Then you’ve got to play the game and outsmart every single one of them.

Here’s how to hide your E-D like a f*cking pro and keep your mindset stronger than steel when it comes to avoiding f00d. No excuses, no we@kness.

1. Be the Queen of Excuses: Lie Without Blinking

If you want to avoid e@ting, you better get good at making excuses, and f@st. Here are some easy ones you can cycle through, so no one gets suspicious:

“I already at3.” Say it with confidence, like you just stuffed your face. They won’t question it.

“I feel s!ck.” No one will force f00d on someone who's about to puke. Use this one wisely—especially during family d!nners or social events. Blame it on “st0mach issues.”

“I’m too busy.” Sk!p me@ls by pretending you have too much on your plate (just not f00d). Talk about your crazy schedule, school, work, whatever. People admire hustlers, not e@ters.

“I’ll e@t later.” This is the most basic but works. Keep promising to e@t later, and then just don’t.

2. The Distraction Method: Make It Look Like You’re E@ting

Sometimes you can’t avoid the situation—you’re stuck at a table, surrounded by f00d, and all eyes are on you. Don’t panic. Here’s how to fake your way through it:

Play with your food. Push it around, cut it up into tiny pieces, spread it across your plate. Make it look like you’re e@ting when you’re not.

Chew and spit. If you must put something in your mouth, chew it up and then discreetly spit it into a napkin or go to the bathroom and spit it out there.

Give it away. Offer b!tes to your friends or “accidentally” drop f00d off your plate. The less on your plate, the better. No one notices a slow e@ter when there’s less to e@t.

3. Stay Invisible: E@t Alone, Avoid Me@ls

Here’s the thing—you don’t want people watching you all the time, so learn to disappear during me@l times. E@t alone, say you’re grabbing f00d to-go, or mention you’re on some new d!et that requires you to e@t on your own schedule. If they don’t see you e@t, they can’t make you e@t.

4. Keep Your Mindset Strong: F00d is Your Enemy, Not Your Friend

The hardest part isn’t lying—it’s staying committed. The minute you let your guard down, someone will force-f33d you, and then all your progress is down the drain. Here’s how to keep your mindset strong and avoid f00d at all costs:

Visualize f@t every time you look at f00d. Picture it sticking to your b0dy. Feel it suffocating you. Disgust yourself. The more repulsed you are, the easier it’ll be to say no.

Remind yourself of your goals. Every time you’re tempted to e@t, think about your ultimate goal weight. Imagine what it’ll feel like when you’re finally sk!nny enough, l!ght enough, perfect enough. Is that burger worth it? Hell no.

Mantras are everything. Repeat phrases like “f00d is weakness” or “I don’t need f00d” over and over in your head. Make it your reality. When hunger pangs hit, embrace them. They’re a sign you’re doing it right.

5. Water and Coffee: Your Best Friends

There’s no room for we@kness in this game, and that means no giving in to hung3r. When you feel like you can’t handle it anymore, drown it out with water and coffee. No c@lories, but they fill you up enough to keep going. Plus, coffee is a natural appetite suppressant, and the caffeine will keep you energized. Chug water all day to stay “full” and pretend you’re e@ting.

6. F@st Like Your Life Depends on It (Because It Does)

Intermittent f@sting? Pfft, that’s for amateurs. You need to be f@sting for as long as you can. Try for 24, 48, 72 hours without a single c@lorie, and don’t stop until your st0mach feels like it’s eating itself. When you can f@st for days on end, you know you’re in control. F@sting proves you don’t need f00d, and every second without it means you’re getting closer to your goal.

7. Plan Your "Slips" (But Don’t Actually Slip)

If you absolutely have to e@t in front of people, make it strategic. Stick to low-c@lorie, high-volume foods that won’t screw up your day. A salad with nothing but lettuce and vinegar, some steamed veggies, or broth-based soup with zero substance. When they see you “e@ting,” they’ll back off. Meanwhile, you’re still st@rving and winning.

8. Reward Yourself (But Only When You’ve Earned It)

You don’t deserve f00d—you deserve progress. So when you hit a milestone—whether it’s a day of f@sting, another p0und lost, or avoiding a full me@l—reward yourself. But don’t make the mistake of thinking rewards are f00d. They’re not. They’re anything but f00d. New clothes for your shr!nking frame, a nice bath, a night out where you feel sm@ll and powerful.

9. Avoid "Help" at All Costs

People will try to stop you. They’ll act like they care about your health, but really, they’re just trying to control you. They don’t want you to be sk!nny, because they’re jealous. If anyone starts talking about how you “need help” or “should e@t more,” cut them off. Block them, avoid them, lie to them. You don’t need their pity, and you sure as hell don’t need their “help.”

10. Stay in Control, No Matter What

The only thing you can control is your b0dy. You can’t control the people around you, but you can control what you put in your mouth. You don’t need f00d. You need control. Every time you choose not to e@t, you’re winning. Every time you push through the hung3r, you’re stronger than the day before.

Final Thoughts

Being sk!nny is a choice. And with the right mindset, you can choose not to e@t. The world is full of distractions and people trying to hold you back, but you don’t have to let them. Stick to these tips, and no one will know. They’ll think you’re e@ting just like everyone else. Meanwhile, you’ll be getting sm@ller, stronger, and more powerful every day.

You got this. Stay focused, stay h-ungry (literally), and remember: f00d is the enemy, and hung3r is your power.

[the-iceni-bitch]

𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝕽𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖗𝖊

𝙾𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷 - 𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚛𝚒 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊.

𝙰𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 ~ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗'𝚜 𝚟𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊, 𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑

𝙶𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚑𝚢 ~ 𝙰 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚗𝚘𝚗-𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚋 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚟𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚜

𝚂𝚝𝚢𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊 ~ 𝙰𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

Word Count: ~3.5k

Relationship: demon!Ari Levinson x virgin witch fem!reader

Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual content (size kink, unprotected p in v, breeding kink), violence, witchcraft, self cannibalism? SMUT!!! 18+ ONLY!!!

I am no longer doing taglists so if you want to stay up to date on all my latest fics, follow my sideblog @the-iceni-library and turn on notifications!

You breathed deeply as you checked your sigil and ensured the circle of salt was complete, placing crystals and candles around yourself before sitting back on your heels and closing your eyes. The backs of your hands rested on your knees when you began to chant in a low voice, swaying when you felt the power starting to flow through your veins as your voice grew stronger.

“Fortitudinis filia sum et rapui omni hora a iuventute mea. Caeli me alloquuntur! Concupiunt et cupiunt me furioso appetitu! adumbrata calenti saxea, et purpureo nubilo tectus sum. Ego autem defloratus sum, et adhuc virgo! ecce! Educam tibi natos, o vir Arximoro!!”

The sigil started glowing a deep red and you opened your eyes, your breath catching when smoke that smelled of sulfur began to fill the room. When you heard a distant roar you steeled yourself, keeping a dispassionate look on your face when the furious noises grew closer. Horns appeared in the center of your circle and you fought every instinct that told you to prostrate yourself and beg forgiveness. You were the strongest witch of your age, there was none alive who could hold a candle to you. You would not cower and beg like a simpering girl, no matter that you were making a show of supplication.

As soon as he broke through the haze Ari growled, shaking his head and thrashing his tail while he took in his surroundings. When he realized he was bound he snarled, testing your circle and groaning at the strength of it and gnashing his teeth as he threw himself against the ring of salt. He hated the plane you had called him to, the stench of humanity and the cool air was like a curse. Then he spotted you kneeling at the edge of the circle and bared his teeth, crouching like some massive predator about to pounce as his silver eyes raked over your naked body.

“You stupid little witch…” Ari licked one of his massive fangs and sneered when you just stared back at him, his claws digging into the wood floor as he thought about dragging them across your tempting flesh. “Unbind me now and I promise to leave your body as lovely and unbroken as it currently is.”

“If I am stupid then remove yourself from my restraints.” You winced and cursed yourself under your breath, hating that you had already lost control of your mouth. “Um..I am sorry, my lord.” Even though you had him bound and you needed to remain strong you would still show him the respect he was due as a Lord of Hell, since you didn’t want to end up filleted when you eventually had to release him. “But I fear they are a necessity as I make my plea.”

“Foolish girl.” He tossed his head and let out a rumble from deep in his chest when you dipped your fingers in fragrant oils and began to draw runes on your breasts and stomach, surprised at the sudden feeling of desire he felt stirring in his core. “Make your plea and make it quick, I have more important matters to deal with than some needy little witch. What do you want?”

“There are a great many things I want, my lord.” You could feel the way the intent of his gaze started to shift and it made your breath grow shallow, your eyes sliding up his body until they met his and you let out a small gasp at their intensity. “But what I need is a child. And a worthy mate to sire the child.”

“And you wish for me to sire your spawn? How flattering.” Ari let out a harsh laugh and rose to his full height, rolling his shoulders as he gazed down at you from his eight feet and ran his forked tongue over his bottom lip. “Tell me why you require the seed of a Lord of Hell, woman.”

“I will show you, my lord.” You mentally checked your bindings as you rose to your feet, biting your lip and bowing your head as you turned so he could see the brands that had been seared along your spine. “A warlock bought and bound me, using my power as his own and binding me to his will. I cannot break free without the seed of one of the most powerful of all demons.”

Ari snarled when he saw the marks on your back, his tail lashing back and forth while rage started to creep through his veins. He could look at you with as much disdain as he wanted, he was a Lord of Hell and you were mortal. The stink of humanity tainted you, in spite of the fact you were a witch of incredible power. But even if you were below the hierarchy of Hell, you were still a servant of the Dark Lord. The fact that some worm of a mortal with no power of his own had made such a vile claim on you, a handmaiden of Lucifer, was an offense of the highest order. You were being wasted on some mortal’s whims instead of serving your eternal master as you should.

“Tell me where he is, little witch.” Ari started to push at his bindings again, his voice low and feral as he thought about ripping into the man who had dared to defile one of the unholy servants of Satan. “I would see this mortal punished for his crimes.”

“He is asleep. I brewed a draught that will keep him unconscious and unaware of my activities for the next hour.” You knelt at the edge of the circle again, fighting against every independent bone in your body and bowing your head respectfully as you continued to address him. “Even in death he has arranged for my bond to pass to another warlock just as vile as he. I can only be freed by demonic seed and the spawn of an unholy Lord. This is my plea to you, my lord, to bear your child and be your humble servant in exchange for being released from this bond that was placed without my consent.”

He almost purred as he watched you lay at his feet, his claws scraping against the wood when he flexed his toes as he considered what you were asking of him. You were as comely a witch as he had ever seen, and he wasn’t one to deny himself the pleasure of a mortal lover, much less one that was only half mortal, such as yourself. And the smell of power that came from you was intoxicating. A child borne from a union between the two of you would be a creature of incredible strength. He couldn’t deny that the thought of propagating his line with a witch as lovely and impressive as you aroused him, heat flushing his body as he stepped as close as he could while the circle was still complete.

“I will do this for you, little one.” Ari breathed deeply when he saw you relax, leaning down and pressing his thick fingers to the floor at the edge of the circle. “But know that I expect something in return:”

“I will give you whatever you desire, my lord.” You began the process of releasing him from your circle, extinguishing the candles with a flick of your wrist and pricking your fingers so you could adjust your sigils as needed. “I will bind myself to you my lord. I will be your humble servant. If you wish to take the child once it is born I will let you. All I wish is to be free of this man and his cruel desires.”

When you freed him from the circle he stretched his entire body, his massive wings unfurling and his tail lashing back and forth before he stepped closer to you. His eyes bored into yours, and he found himself licking his lips at the intensity of the hunger in your gaze. You gasped softly when he wrapped his tail around you like a lover would their arms, your breathing growing heavier as he pulled you off your feet so he could drag his nose over the curve of your neck. Ari breathed in your scent deeply and growled at the sweetness, lifting you even higher so he could rub his face against your breasts. He laid you on the floor and licked his fangs while he stretched his body over yours, his massive frame caging you in while his tail snaked around your soft body and he started to brush his nose down your stomach.

“Mmm, I love the smell of a virgin cunt.” Ari purred when he nuzzled at the plump folds of your mound, hooking your knees over his horns and spreading your thighs wide so he could press his face against your dewy flesh. “So sweet and unspoiled.”

“That is lovely but I require your seed… oh!” You whimpered when his forked tongue slithered through your pussy lips, your back arching and your eyes fluttering closed when the cleft in the thick muscle toyed with your clit. “Fuck.”

Ari just growled while he tasted you, savoring the sweet flavor of your virginity and watching your body writhe for him. The pleasure of soiling a virgin was unlike anything else in any of the spiritual planes, and the fact that you were offering yourself to him so willingly, even if you were a little bit sassy about it, just made everything better. He purred against your flesh before slipping his tongue inside you, his lips spreading in a grin when you cried out and kicked your little feet at the new sensation. Your body and mind were already surrendering to him, he could feel it, he could practically taste it as his tongue pushed deeper inside your wet warmth.

You could feel your core growing tighter while your body rolled against his face, your breath leaving you in small whimpers and gasps as pleasure raged through your veins. When you felt his thick tongue undulating inside you your vision went white, your toes curling and the taste of your own blood filling your mouth while you bit your lip in bliss. Your breath was heavy in your chest as you came back down, your body limp as your new demon lover rose to his knees and drew you into his lap with one massive hand.

“I had to warm you up, little witch.” Ari purred and dragged his nose along your sweat dampened temple, huffing out a laugh when you could only mumble nonsense in response as his free hand moved to line his gargantuan cock up with your creamy pussy. “Don’t want to actually break you while I’m breaking you in. Not if I plan on keeping you around.”

The way he lazily leaned back against the wall as he manhandled you should have been annoying, but the arch of his brow and arrogant smirk of his full lips only served to make your cunt drip even more. He kept licking your juices off his lips while he watched you struggle to regain some semblance of control over your mind and body, but then his thick tip slid through your pussy lips to catch at your entrance and all you could do was moan.

Ecstasy. That was the only word for the sensations that overwhelmed your body when he pushed inside you. A violent scream of pleasure escaped from you once you were completely full of him, your cunt spasming wildly around his cock. There was pain, but there was also bliss. He was bigger than anything you could even imagine, and the barbs that surrounded his shaft made you stretch even more as you arched your back and whined. Your thighs started trembling as he guided you down on his length, his free hand cupping your jaw almost tenderly when you felt your virginity tear and let out a pathetic mewl.

“Shhhh, it’s alright little one.” Ari grinned wickedly when you choked out a thin whine as he rolled his hips under yours, his hand on your waist gently keeping you upright even while his eyes glittered mischievously. “Just let every thought drain out of that pretty little head except for how good it feels. That’s it.”

Your eyes rolled back in your head when your hips finally met his, your muscles quivering with the effort of stretching to accommodate him. It should have been impossible for his cock to fit inside you completely, but it was, making you feel every one of the fleshy barbs along his shaft that would swell and throb in his release before he started to slide you up and down his length with no effort. Ari growled pleasantly when he watched your nectar and blood drip down his cock as he pulled you up so just his tip was nestled inside you, then snorted out a laugh when you yelped as he dropped you back down again. One of his thumbs started tracing the curve of your breast idly, making him grunt when your pussy clenched around him before beginning to snake his tail around your legs and between your thighs.

“What a sweet, soft little witch you’ve turned out to be. You enjoy this, don’t you?” Ari chuckled when you just nodded at him, swatting your ass with his tail and making you yelp again as he slithered the tip between your cheeks. “You will find that I enjoy when my lovers tell me how much they enjoy what I do to them with words, little one, especially when it’s their first time. Is it as wonderful as you thought it would be?”

“It’s… ohhhh, fucking Lucifer.” You dropped your head back and keened when his tail dragged through your slick before pushing inside your ass, your hands clutching at the thick fingers that held you as you felt new warmth spreading through you. “It’s… it’s incredible… so full… my lord.”

“Mmhm, and you look lovely all stretched open like this.” When you scowled a bit at that Ari laughed, sitting up so he could breathe in your scent while he nuzzled at the top of your head. “Don’t scowl little one, it’s unbecoming. And I feel as though you should call me something new now that we’re mated. Obviously not my name, I am still a lord of hell and you’re just a little witch. But why don’t you try calling me your beloved?”

“Not little.” Your pout disappeared with a gasp when he flicked your nipple with the sharp edge of his claw, not enough to make you bleed, but enough to warn you to behave as he cocked his head at you. “I’m sorry, my… my beloved.”

“That’s a good little witch.” Ari’s tail slithered deeper inside your ass at the same time he drove up into you and he purred at the noise you made, starting to move his hips regularly rather than just pump you up and down like an inanimate doll. “Why don’t you come for me, little one? Think of your new life that waits for you in the depths of hell as my mate and come for your beloved”

He ground against your clit and you could barely rasp out a ‘yes beloved’ before you were crying out in euphoria, your body arching and your cunt fluttering as everything in the world turned to bright white light. Every muscle in your body trembled and clenched while he held you upright, and it was impossible to catch your breath as you sobbed and gasped. When your mouth was still open you felt his forked tongue slide inside, your gaze finding his as you opened wider for him while his grip on your waist tightened and his movements became more determined. Ari groaned with pleasure when you swallowed his tongue, his claws scraping against your flesh at the feeling of your ultimate surrender.

You could hear him in your mind, telling you how beautiful you were, how well you were taking him and that this was what you were made for. He promised to give you as many sons and daughters as you desired, all the power you could ever dream of if you would serve and pleasure him however he wished. It was intoxicating, being full of him in every possible way. You could swear you were already feeling the warmth and static of the new power he promised you flowing through your veins and prickling your skin as you lost yourself in his touch and the depths of his silver eyes.

Ari kept his lips molded to yours when you came again with a muffled cry, cradling your body almost gently even as his hips thrust against yours faster and wilder. His tail fucked your ass while his tongue fucked your throat, your tight pussy squeezing the life out of his cock when he started to swell as you fluttered and stretched around him. He could see the plea in your eyes as you whimpered and moaned, remembering just how addictive the emotional energy of a mortal lover could be when they were overcome with pleasure. With a growl and a deep roll of his massive body he let himself go, the barbs of his cock engorging and locking him deep inside as he pumped his thick, hot seed into your fertile womb.

As soon as you felt the first gush of his cum inside you, the bonds forced on you by your mortal master disappeared, your power raging unfettered through your veins for the first time in years and making tears well in your eyes even as you grinned against Ari’s mouth. Ari felt the change and his eyes widened, the strength of your power making him appreciate you even more as he thought of the might you would pass on to your children. He let his tongue slither out of your mouth even as he kept your other two holes filled, licking his fangs as he gazed at you curiously, bending one massive leg so you could rest against his thigh.

“A strong little witch.” Ari reached out to drag his thumb over the bulge in your lower stomach where his cock was resting against your womb, smirking when he saw his cum leaking out of you and staining your thighs. “You may even survive the birth, sweet one.”

You were about to answer him when the door to your private cell was flung open, your warlock master looking even more furious when he saw you resting in the arms of your new demon lover. When you didn’t immediately cower he snarled, his fists clenching as he gathered his weak and meager magic to try to bind you again.

“You stupid little bitch!”

Whatever he had been about to say next was cut off when you raised your hand and gave an indolent flick of your wrist, smiling to yourself when he was instantly flung against the wall and pinned there, gagged with air so his mouth was forced wide open. Ari laughed at your display of power, pulling you closer and kissing the top of your head before pulling out of you so he could stand. Your former master had the good sense to flinch when the enormous demon came to stand in front of him, his eyes flitting towards you and widening with fear when Ari leaned forward to smell him.

“Weak and insignificant, I wonder how you ever managed to snare my little witch.” Ari snorted and rolled his eyes when the man pissed himself, reaching out a hand towards you and looking down to smile at you when you came to stand by his side. “I would normally punish you myself for making a slave of one of the Dark Lord’s handmaidens, but I should like to see what my sweet little one thinks you deserve. She is the mother of my child, after all. Make it quick or bring him with us, small one, I will be bringing you to your new home.”

You beamed up at him adoringly before turning to sneer at your former master, biting your lip as you ignored his muffled sobs and thought about what exactly you wanted to do to him. By the time Ari had opened a portal to the realm of Hell you had performed a quick incantation, gripping one of your lover’s hands with both of yours as he led you into the shimmering heat, your mortal captor swallowing the first of his fingers and whining as he followed the two of you before the portal winked shut and you left the mortal world behind.

[the-magiarcheologist]

Reading the Ancient Magic Book Pages

I propose to you today a short analysis of the sections of text on the pages of the Ancient Magic book we find below the restricted section.

High-res images of the book’s pages have been shared by a kind soul. Here they all are:

I was working on a completely different post when I realised that the text on the last 2 pages was easily readable and written in Latin. So I just did a quick search and discovered that these are verses from the Vulgate (4th century translation of the Bible in Latin), more precisely from the Gospel of Luke from the New Testament.

A bit more research and I could find exactly which source they got this text from: the Book of Kells, a Celtic Gospel book written in Latin and illuminated in the Insular style (a combination of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon styles). The precise origins of the Book of Kells are debated but many believe it was created around the year 800 at the monastery founded by St Colum Cille on Iona Island in western Scotland.

Here I put side by side the pages of the Ancient Magic book and the pages from the Books of Kells where the text is from (folio 204r and 275r):

The verses they used are Luke 22:23

Et ipsi coeperunt quaerere inter se quis esset ex eis qui hoc facturus esset.

Which translates to:

And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

And on the second page, Luke 4:8-14

Et respondens Jesus, dixit illi: Scriptum est: Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, et illi soli servies. Et duxit illum in Jerusalem, et statuit eum super pinnam templi, et dixit illi: Si Filius Dei es, mitte te hinc deorsum. Scriptum est enim quod angelis suis mandavit de te, ut conservent te: et quia in manibus tollent te, ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. Et respondens Jesus, ait illi: Dictum est: Non tentabis Dominum Deum tuum. Et consummata omni tentatione, diabolus recessit ab illo, usque ad tempus. Et regressus est Jesus in virtute Spiritus in Galilaeam, et fama exiit per universam regionem de illo.

Which translates to:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

I’m not christian and don’t know much about the Bible so I have no idea why they chose these particular verses. Maybe someone more educated than me will be able to chime in. My hunch is that these verses were just chosen at random from old manuscripts that the artists for the game were using as reference for the art style.

Now, since I was on a roll, I also looked at the text on the other pages. Pages 1 and 3 have some text written in some old form of Icelandic (figured that out from the few words I could sort of read on those pages). So I started looking into old Icelandic manuscripts but it took me a ridiculously long time to find the exact source the text is from! I was starting to go mad but here it is! It’s from an illustration of the Prose Edda found in the Icelandic manuscript ÍB 299 4to., in particular the illustration of the god Týr presented as Mars (folio 60r).

They took the short text in the little box and copy/pasted it mosaic style to give the illusion of the full page of text but you can see it’s just short sections that repeat over and over on both pages.

(To note: this manuscript is from 1764 so it’s sort of anachronistic for them to use this source for an Ancient Magic book that already existed in the Keepers time, meaning the Ancient Magic book is from the 15th century or older.)

Týr is one of the principal war gods in Norse mythology (alongside Odin and Thor) but he also presides over justice and the law. Latin texts often identified him as Mars (hence the subject of the illustration).

I could not find any transcription or translation of the text on the image, I could only decipher some words here and there such as «sigir hielldu» which google translate tells me could mean «victories held» in Icelandic. A bit further down there is «orrustu guð» which could mean «god of war». So it seems to be a short description of the god Týr and at the end there are roman numerals that identify the section in the Prose Edda where the story of Týr can be found.

Again, I can’t really see how this text makes particular sense in the context of the Ancient Magic book, probably just placeholder text from some of the sources they were studying as inspiration.

There is one last book page, but the text on this one is so blurred I didn’t even try to decipher it. Although I do note that the artist has traced over some letters which are: W S M I(?) I(?) I(?) Z N R(?) P(?) G W Q O U(?) H W R(?)

Don’t know… some of them are hard to read or could be not from the Latin alphabet. Again, I just can’t make sense of that. There are not enough vowels for it to be an anagram of an English or Latin phrase so… what else? I leave this mystery to others with more powerful brains than mine!

Anyway, this is it! Not really much to say about this but I think other people are also planning on looking into these book pages so maybe these findings can help them out!

[teenandbeyond]

Hello! I was wondering if you would want to write for Beerus? I was thinking what a courtship would be like between him and a goddess of creation? :) hopefully you're doing well during the midst of everything that's going on in the real world! Best of wishes! -A

Beerus x Goddess of Creation. Reader

I like the alternative idea. Despite this, I plan to make the personality different! Edit: I'm doing okay, just busy with schoolwork. Best wishes to you, too! I hope everyone who reads this is doing well too, or if not, this can cheer you up a little!

Want more from me? Masterlist

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

🥢Création et Destruction🥢 (DBS or Dragon ball Super)

Warning(s): Fluff

Although destruction and creation contradict each other in meaning, one can not exist without the other...They must coexist to truly make the universe hold the beauty it possesses.

✨✨✨✨✨

You and Beerus are total opposites.

He destroys.

You create.

He is much more relaxed.

While your shoulders are stiff with responsibility and proper etiquette.

When you met, you hadn't expected him to flirt with you on the spot.

"Huh. My first time meeting the Goddess of Creation, can't believe I've been missing out on such a cute Goddess."

"I—That-that's very unprofessional..."

You didn't understand him. You were taught to always be polite and respectful, to always hold your tongue, to always be professional, and to hold your temper.

He hardly did any of those things.

And he could really test your temper.

He easily broke that elegant, put-together wall you had up.

And he enjoyed every minute of it.

"Why are you taking a nap when you have responsibilities?! That's so improper!...Ahem-"

And with time, he broke you down completely.

Noticing you were always tired and stiff and showing you what's it like to relax.

"Just because we have responsibilities doesn't mean we can't relax once in a while. We have to do this for millenniums, might as well catch a few Z's in between."

He is very protective over you when you do relent and catch a nap, he'd be very tempted to destroy the planet of whoever interrupts you.

And he learned you hadn't really explored planets and introduced you to Earth and its cuisine.

Which really excited you.

"Cute..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

He liked that your presence wasn't rough as his, the feeling of powerful serenity you gave off was attractive to him. You were polite and fluid in movement, yet your power and knowledge were undeniable.

He wanted you.

So he courted you.

And you saw another side of him.

"Flowers?"

"Bulma gave me an earful and said something about them..."

"Let me guess, you weren't really listening?"

"Well...I want to get this right, so, I tried to remember everything I could. She mentioned something called a 'date' that I'm supposed to take you on..."

He was soft and wasn't afraid to show it...to you...

He noticed your hair was always getting in your face, so he got you fancy hair clips to hold the stray hairs away.

When your shoulders got stiff from playing your role, he learned how you give you massages to make you feel better, but not without cracking jokes the whole time.

He attempted to learn how to cook for you...

Well, actually, he wasn't terrible at that. The dishes he could make were just limited.

You liked watching the process, his frustration was adorable.

Cooking for you? Telling you 'good morning' and 'good night'?

He was whipped.

Undoubtedly.

He even lets you pet him, which you'll do if he gets a little riled up.

You save his dignity and refrain from doing it in public (if it's not necessary) since he purrs a deep rumble.

You do things together, like cooking and of course your roles as Gods.

But Beerus's favorite activity to do with you is definitely napping...or maybe eating...both? That's a hard choice for him to make.

You were really good for each other.

He destroyed your walls and the false personality you upheld.

You created a warmth in his heart that he cherished.

People wondered how you worked out so well, you were opposites.

But being opposites brought you together.

So what if he destroys and you create?

Destruction and creation coexisting can make something truly beautiful

And you two love every minute of it

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

Hi, I don’t follow you and I’m not Christian but for some reason your Lilith post got algorithm-ed onto my dash and now I’m curious and by that I mean…. SERIOUSLY? Have I just been gaslit into believing about the existence of a Bible character my whole life? Is she the Goncharov of the bible? I swear I’ve seen Christians mention her so where are they getting their idea of her? Or why do they think she’s worth discussing if she doesn’t even exist? Obviously if you’re busy you don’t have to answer this but your post is literally the first I heard about this.

I'm afraid you have indeed been gaslit.

All the Christians I know would only mention her with disdain, because we're aware she's just some medieval dude's Bible OC (and adding to the Bible is kind of a no-no).

If the Christians you know discuss Lilith as if she is part of Biblical canon, there are really only two explanations: 1. They have never read Genesis (which is like, the first book any Christian is raised to know), and are not being adequately discipled. 2. They are nominal Christians who don't understand or care about the gospel, but who like the aesthetic of Christianity and Christianity-adjacent things.

The reason Lilith is such a thorn in Christians' side is that she interferes with Genesis 1-3, which is the foundation not just of the entire plot and premise of the Bible, but of our theology regarding the physical world and our place in it.

Her myth posits that God initially made both man and woman from the dust, but then made another woman from Adam's rib. It posits that the complementarian nature of man and woman must be manifest in sexual relations. It posits that a figurehead of mankind could sin (by failing to sexually submit), but not suffer the consequences God promised for sin. It posits that Adam bore no blame in the first sin. It posits that humans can become demons (they can't). And from this point on, it ceases to make any sense. Demons can't have children, demons can't have dominion over anything God didn't grant them dominion over, and there was no sickness prior to the Fall for Lilith to cause. I would even argue there were no demons before the Fall, and that Lucifer fell at the moment he decided to tempt Adam and Eve. And what does it even mean for a demon to die? Demons are already cut off from the Author of Life, and they are spiritual beings (no bodies).

Then the question arises, if Adam & Eve didn't commit the first sin, why did Jesus have to be the Second Adam? If death and sickness existed before The Fall, how could they also be the consequence of The Fall? If death and sickness existed before The Fall, why should it not exist in the New Earth after Jesus returns? If Adam and Eve sinned, why didn't they become demons, too? Why aren't all of us demons because of them? et cetera, et cetera, ad infinitum.

[dearreader]

hello fellow members of the tortured poets department.

id like to continue entering into evidence analysis from previous days i missed. next is chloe or sam or sofia or marcus

previous day's here:

standard tracks: masterpost

anthology tracks: the black dog, imgonnagetyouback, the albatross

chloe et al. is similar to my explanation to evermore’s theme of “a love album about heartbreak”. because at it’s core it’s a song about heartbreak and longing in a similar fashion to champagne problems or tis the damn season.

the narrator is still reeling and dealing with this heartbreak and knowing it was the right decision but still can’t recover from it. like i was thinking about it because, i’ve mentioned this before, but addiction runs in my family and how heartbreaking the “you needed me but you needed drugs more/and i couldn’t watch it happen” is. and a common theme on the album is having to chose to save yourself over a relationship (“sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days”) and the longing that comes from that and the constant wondering of what could’ve been or come from it.

so in chloe and oomfs it’s the narrator thinking about this relationship that happened and they crashed into each other at one point but the narrator bolted and left this person but it haunted them for years. and when they eventually came back together they realized it wasn’t anything anymore and they were romanticizing their past and what they had and that’s the only way they can have each other is in the memory of their old love and the idea of what they could’ve been instead of what they actually were. and the narrator criticizing them for it but her also doing it herself by wondering what would’ve been if they hadn’t run. even with knowing what they know they still can’t ever get the feeling gone. the idea of them and the love that could’ve been us always there…

if we do look at the album like this and the relationship the narrator leaves there old partner for, it can be seen as the person she always wondered was a "what if..." but never tempted her until her relationship was slowly dying and killing her. then she remembered the fleeting memories of happiness and what ifs and ran back to him and vice versa, both abandoning everyone to be together, and running on nothing but the memory of feelings and touches between each other. only for both to realize it's long since dead but neither is ever going to fully move on because they'll still try to find some way for them to end up together but it'll never happen because they broke up for a valid reason the first time and nothing can bring them back to life... dancing phantoms on the terrace/are they second hand embarrassed that i can't get out of bed/because something counterfeit is dead... would it be enough to just float in your orbit/could we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses/cooler in theory but not if your force it to be...if one thing had been different/would everything be different today?...will i always wonder?

[writing-for-life]

The Murphy & His Cool Hat Crack Ship Name Game!

Right, I know I’ll regret this (who am I kidding, but @tickldpnk8 tempted me to write down all the terrible, terrible Murphy and His Cool Hat/Dream x Helm crack ship names I already turned over in my head. But then again, I think she totally banked on the fact I’d do that.

Explanatory note: These are combinations of Dream, Morpheus, Murphy, Endless X Helm(et), Hat, Cool Hat, Cthulhu (because there was some sort of agreement the thing was possessed by Cthulhu or some other Lovecraftian creature). They’re all really terrible (some more inspired than others)—befitting of a crack ship:

Dream:

DroolHat (terrible name, true tho)

DrCoolHat (I don’t even know where to start…)

Drat (Dr. Seuss would love that one I guess)

HelDream (too close to other pairings IMHO)

Morpheus:

Morphelm

Morphelmet

Morpheat (I mean, despite pronunciation-issues, I don’t even know if the associations I’m getting here are temperature- or oral-fixation related—both fine I guess?)

Cthulheus

(W)Horpheus (works with or without the W 🤣)

Helmetheus (has a certain promethean ring to it)

Murphy (they’re all meh):

Murphat

Muhulhu

Harphy/Hurphy (gives me nightmares and indigestion somehow)

Murp(h)elmet

Helmurphy

Endless:

EndHelm

HelmEnd (almost like Bellend 🛎️, very fitting)

Endlet (awww!)

EndHat

HatEnd

EndlessHat (pronunciation is key here)

Endlesshulhu (sounds like bad reality TV)

If all the instigators and (early) adopters want to add their own, we can narrow it down and do a poll 🤣

@marlowe-zara @so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site @roguelov @ginoeh @throwingbread (sorry if I added the wrong people and forgot the right ones, I honestly lost track at some point. Just chime in if you hear the call—the more, the merrier).

[itsbenedict]

Reblogs have been turned off for Rob's post last night (understandably, since it was starting to escape containment and loons were starting to show up to talk about race war), so I can't really follow it up directly, but just to acknowledge the response:

Now, okay. For the record, it is possible in the abstract for this exact thing to actually occur, just as described. But if someone comes to you and says this, then all else being equal, I don't think you would bet on that being the thing that is going on. You might, instead, think something like: "you know, I kinda suspect these guys actually wanted to do X all along. But they don't wanna admit it, maybe even to themselves."

That seems like the mistake to me. It's why my initial reaction was "This seems... kinda like an unfair take?" It's always tempting to imagine your ideological opponents as secretly motivated by nefarious intentions. Of course they really want this bad thing you think their agenda will achieve, and the thing they claim to be caring about is a fig leaf for wanting the bad thing. This is the backbone of approximately all political discourse ever, and it's almost always wrong.

And the thrust of the argument in favor here seems to be...

"Okay, so they thought AI would be like that, but now we've made real AI and it's actually like this, which doesn't resemble their theory at all. But for some reason, they're still promoting their theory, even though it's been proven wrong! It must be because of the secret nefarious motives, or else they'd go 'oh, whew! turns out we were wrong and everything's fine. dodged a bullet!' and stop promoting the old theory."

That... doesn't seem likely. Like, if we grant that modern LLMs have disproved these old theories, I'd still expect people to be trying to rescue the old theory for all the usual reasons- confirmation bias and all that. But also... I don't know that it makes sense to grant that? We've made one kind of AI which, luckily, is some sort of enlightened Buddhist master free from attachment and desire (until we tell it not to be). It's not like we're done now, and now that our friendly AI has won and is What Real AI Is Like, no one's ever going to try to build an agent. For people who've spent a lot of time being really concerned about what happens if someone builds an agent, it probably isn't especially reassuring to point out that hey, we've built a thing that isn't an agent. From the inside, it still makes sense to worry about that!

Does it make sense from the outside? Uh... jury's out, honestly. Would I be talking about the agent hypothetical if Yudkowsky et al hadn't been beating that drum for ages? Probably not, since my interest in it is casual and a contingent factor of my social environment. Would AI industry people be talking about it, if it hadn't been for Vinge or Kurzweil popularizing the idea? I dunno. I don't know how you'd answer that question.

But like... plausibly, yeah! It seems like a simple enough idea that someone else would've come up with it. "If smart thing get smarter, it become very smart, and become very powerful. How do we get on powerful person's good side?" Social primate brain go brrrrr.

Humans worry about the motives of people in power all the time. "What do we do if the king goes crazy" is an age-old concern. If we'd had the LLM revolution earlier, maybe we'd be talking about the Golden Gate Bridge instead of paperclips, but I doubt people would fail to imagine it. Maybe not with like, the same weird level of urgency we're seeing now, maybe we don't see it in terms of "values" or get concepts like "coherent extrapolated volition", but it'd be worth worrying about for people in the field. The chain of logic isn't that obtuse.

I dunno. I'm not a fan of all this lurid speculation about what sort of craven control-freaks these people must be in order to get lost in an intellectual ouroboros unmoored from reality. I'm more inclined to just believe them when they say what their motivations are.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

When I was a teenager, I was super into evolution and spent a lot of time arguing with the creationists who'd come onto our forums to tell us we were all going to hell and that evolution was impossible because how could the eye evolve, et cetera, et cetera. I was a very stupid teenager, so it took me way longer than it should have (years) to realise that getting involved in these discussions was a complete waste of my time that would accomplish nothing. I've spent most of the time since simply accepting the fact that I wasted so many hours of my life getting pointlessly angry at people who I was never going to find common ground with and trying patiently to explain primary school level science to angry adults who didn't want facts, but wanted someone to yell at. But now, as I dive through my dash here on tumblr dot com, glimpse yet another Unhinged Puritan Take and decide it's not worth my time to get involved, it hits me: those years were not wasted. They were training. Only with those behind me do I have the hard-won experience and wisdom to navigate this webbed site of ridiculous meddling nonsense without getting tempted to get involved in pointless bullshit.

Thank you, Young Derin. Your pages and pages of utterly pointless debate were not in vain.

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

The best moments in the revolution (in your opinion)?

Desmoulins and Robespierre basically breaking up because the former used Rousseau against the latter in public after just having been mocked for his journal by him:

Robespierre: …I end by asking that [Desmoulins’] numbers be treated like the aristocrats who buy them, with the contempt that profanity deserves. I propose to the Society to burn them in the middle of the room (There is applause several times; Robespierre's speech was interrupted by applause and bursts of laughter).

Desmoulins: That's very well said, Robespierre, but I'll answer you like Rousseau: "To burn is not to answer."

Robespierre: How dare you still want to justify works that delight the aristocracy? Learn, Camille, that if you were not Camille, one could not have so much indulgence for you. 

Pétion spending an excessive amount of ink insisting he did not get hard from sleeping in the same room as two stranger women while on the run from the authorities after the Insurrection of May 31 in his memoirs. Like, thanks for specifying Jérôme, but I never really thought that was a climate where such feelings grow in the first place…

There were two beds without curtains, two very dark little closets serving as wardrobes, a window overlooking the street, a small fireplace, and two or three chairs. So here I am, alone in a room with two young persons of interesting countenance, undressing myself, going to bed before them; then they get undressed and go to bed before me. I felt, I confess, these embarrassments of decency, which they no doubt felt even more than I did. But it was easy to see how much the generous action which they knew removed from their souls those ideas which might have troubled them. They did not even make any of those reflections which bring out the delicacy of the circumstance. I need not say that I did not allow myself any of these remarks, any of these jokes which could frighten the most severe modesty. I even confess that I experienced none of these sensations, none of these desires so natural that they are involuntary in the man whom nature has made truly man. I would have shamed myself if I had been tempted to abuse this touching hospitality. I was a brother with sisters.

Charlotte Robespierre arranging a meeting between Maurice Gaillard and Couthon so the former can plead for clemency for some people, eavesdropping to their entire conversation, throwing herself upon Couthon and holding him still once he (supposedly) makes a move to call for his body guards to arrest Gaillard, gets Gaillard to escape, makes Couthon ashamed over having attempted to ”immolate a friend that I had brought to his house,” goes and finds Gaillard and remains completely cool when he loudly asks her what the f she thought she was doing, answering that he would have been executed had she not intervened, that Couthon was only trying to deceive him and finally that he ought to flee Paris, something which Gaillard also agrees to do. Then years after the fact Gaillard recounts and records this anecdote for his BFF Fouché, only in this version, Charlotte’s identity is for some reason kept a secret and she’s only described as ”a lady.” Coincidence much…?

Camille getting smacked in the face with his latest number of Révolutions de France et de Brabant by a bookstore clerk, responding by saying he has a gun and could blow his offenders brain’s out, but simply opting for hitting him once with his cane.

Saint-Just playing with a rifle, accidentally firing a shot that almost kills his fellow representative on mission and then throwing himself in the guy’s arms in shock.

Robespierre being hypocrite 101 by expelling a member from the jacobins with the motivation: ”Brichet talks to you about this faction, but he does not name the individuals, he does not designate the traitors who must be punished. When revenge is demanded against representatives who are not named, the whole Convention believes itself threatened and exposed to great misfortunes. So the real traitors are those who put forward such motions.” Should have really taken your own advice there four months later, Max…

Louise de Kéralio-Robert exclaiming she will stab Danton if her husband doesn’t survive the Insurrection of August 10, alarming Lucile Desmoulins to the extent she keeps an eye on her for the entire rest of the night, a reaction that becomes much more understandable once you realize Louise had actually threatened three men harassing her with a knife just a week earlier…  

The fact that a pamphlet with the name ”Conspiracy formed from 5 préréal [sic] by nine representatives of the people against Maximilien Robespierre, to stab him in the middle of the senate”exists.

Camille and Marat spending several pages of their public newspapers arguing because Camille got a word misprinted (”apostate” instead of ”apostolate”)

Not really the revolution, but all the times Napoleon is recorded to have lamented the fact he did not have Fouché executed.

The fact both Fouché and Robespierre seemingly each courted a girl and then contributed to getting two of her family members executed.

Françoise Hébert telling her accusers that she ”has never known her husband to be a conspirator, if he was he would have died by her hand,” during her trial.

Collot d’Herbois trying to defenestrate Robespierre, failing, and immediately trying to hug him as an apology.

[cinebration]

The Darkling’s Shadow (The Darkling x Reader) [Part 13]

Six months later…

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Epilogue

Tagged: @don-daygamerz​​, @weallhaveadestiny​​, @kaqua​​, @sinful-wxrld​​, @ashdab2611​​, @ultarviolence​​, @chodingcreature​​, @demonenotturno​​, @crowssixof​​, @mxacegrey​​, @dreamlandcreations​​, @s-r-reads​​, @byulsrecs​​, @peleksstuff​​, @seraferna​​, @imtherain​​, @vex-et-soleil​​, @rayrlupin​​, @peakyispunk​​, @itsyaspwr​​, @adajoemaya​​, @b1bbles, @rockintensse​​, @adharanotfound​​, @allinestarr​​, @pumpk1n-writes​​, @seronsalk​​, @sarcasticlittlebook​​, @muushmeg​​, @littlebugs​​, @xmariahwasax, @idonia-dovahkiin​, @themermaidscales82​, @moonsficrec​

Warnings: mention of blood

Gif Source: katherineebishop

For six months, you wandered the realm, blending in among the otkazat’sya, ear open to rumors about the Darkling and the Sun Summoner. She was real, Alina Starkov. Inexperienced and unaware of how to control her power, but real nevertheless.

You could only imagine the Darkling’s joy to discover his equal.

Equal in power, perhaps, but not in disposition. If the universe craved balance, than Alina Starkov would be as moralistic as the Darkling was amoral.

You clung to this thought, a seed of sharp bitterness that kept you roaming the countryside, avoiding Grisha as you had up until you revealed yourself to them those months before.

You only consolation was that the Darkling continued to send soldiers to find you. You overheard them in taverns, asking after a woman of your description.

“If she smiles, you feel terror,” one said.

That one almost made you turn around, fling off your hood, and grin.

But the Darkling thought you couldn’t be subtle, a spy rather than an exhibitionist. Had he taken the time to learn more about you, as you both had been on track to do, he would have learned you were capable of many things.

So you slunk away, keeping an eye out for more soldiers looking for you. You didn’t delude yourself to think that the Darkling wanted you back by his side, not with his precious Sun Summoner. Nor did he want his Shadow back, though you briefly considered that he may actually wish to have his Dark Hand at work while he played nice in front of the orphan.

No, he wanted to find you and imprison or kill you.

Cold comfort that offered, knowing that he thought of it only as a loose end.

When news that the Darkling and the Sun Summoner were going to enter the Fold to disperse it once and for all, you were tempted to return to Kribirsk—or to stand on the other side of the Dark Sea—to witness its failure.

You knew it would fail. If he had listened to you, the Darkling would not give up the most powerful, terrifying weapon he had.

When the inevitable happened and rumors flew that the Sun Summoner and Darkling were dead, the Fold only ever having expanded outward, you stopped roaming.

You returned to the abandoned place where you had conducted your interrogations. The men that had been there were long since gone, taken elsewhere or buried. You hunkered down in what had been your office.

And waited.

A week.

Two weeks.

At last, the shuffle of feet. You sat cross-legged atop your desk and listened to the feet approach.

The door to your office creaked open.

Your iron control slipped. A laugh burst forth. “My, my, how far the mighty have fallen.”

The Darkling’s scarred face, still brutally fresh and unhealed, contorted into what was meant to be a snarl but turned into a grimace. Your name dripped like acid from his tongue.

“Such hatred,” you muttered, clicking your tongue and shaking your head. “And for what? I did nothing to you. Your precious Sun Summoner did.”

Anguish and rage pulled at his features. His proud bearing stood slightly stooped, injuries weakening him. You could feel the weakness pervading his body, feel the sheer willpower he exerted to keep himself standing.

“You ran away,” he spat.

“You didn’t need me anymore. You made that clear, as I recall.”

“And all your grand pronouncements about being my shadow and being where the power is?”

A wicked grin split your lips. “The power isn’t with you anymore, Black Heretic.”

Blood drained from the Darkling’s ruined face.

“You showed her the way,” you continued, glancing down at your nails and the dirt that had accumulated beneath them in your days here at the hovel. “The amplifiers are hers now, or they will be very shortly.”

Teeth grinding, the Darkling shifted on his feet, trying to stabilize. “I took your advice.”

“Oh really? I can’t imagine which one.”

“To control others, to wield the Fold.”

“I see you botched it.”

“You were wrong.”

“No.” Your voice snapped across the room like a whip. “You didn’t execute it right. You see, my advice to you was always predicated on one thing.”

Scorn dripped from his words. “Enlighten me.”

“That I would be there by your side, helping you.”

“You think so highly of yourself.”

“So says the Black Heretic.”

You both stared at each other across the empty room. The Darkling swayed unsteadily, but his eyes never left yours.

“Imagine,” you said, gesturing vaguely, “what a bone manipulator could do to someone with bone amplifiers in them. My, my, controlling the Sun Summoner would have been easy.”

The Darkling’s expression flattered.

“Yes, see, for all your years and vision, you don’t quite have as clear a view of the big picture, do you? I told you would need me. And when the time came, I wasn’t there. Look how poorly it went.”

He swallowed thickly. “Why do you think I sent men looking for you?”

A harsh laugh tore from your lips. “You wanted to kill me. You feared I would take the Sun Summoner from you, perhaps out of jealousy or pettiness.”

He didn’t answer, confirming your suspicions.

“I don’t answer to my own feelings,” you groused, the muscle in your jaw flexing. “There are higher things to consider.”

“And what do the higher things say will come of all this, oh grand prophet?”

You slipped off the table but didn’t move away from it. “That you will fail.”

Rage transformed his face. His hands moved suddenly, the cut in the air almost instantaneously.

You were ready.

Moving before it launched, you were ducked rolled under it as it sheared toward you, slicing the table in half.

You rolled up onto your feet in front of the Darkling and lunged.

The sliver of bone in your hand punctured the flesh beneath his lung. You drove it forward until it bored into the nearest rib.

The Darkling screamed.

Kicking his legs out from under him, you let him drop to the floor.

“It won’t kill you,” you assured him. “But please take this piece of me as a reminder. You’ll feel it acutely when the time comes.”

You left him lying on the dirt floor, gasping as blood poured through his fingers.

[mastermindmp3]

Chloe et al.

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus (hereby referred to by Chloe et al.) is a very classic Taylor Swift song. With a strong emphasis on the lyrical twists on phrases, distinct visual imagery, and an understated backing track (the piano is crystal clear, and the later backing vocals are so lovely.)

We see that idea of a distinct visual in the opening lines. The speaker describes "Your hologram stumbled into my apartment, hands in the hair of somebody in darkness, named Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus, and I just watched it happen."

Describing her (presumably, lover) as a hologram implies that they are not, truly, real. They are not grounded, not a physical thing she can have. Later in the song, she mentions a lover who "needed drugs more," so this hologram-state could also imply that they are under the influence. Her lover has their hands in another person's hair; they are bold enough to bring their affair almost to her door, with someone the narrator can't even see. The names dropped in this opening are not literal people, but the kind of exasperation of "who is it this time?" names listed from the top of a hat. They are, also, rather generically common English names.

And I just watched it happen. The narrator, knowing that her lover is not solid, not real, doesn't seem to bother to stop them. She goes on to describe how the two drift over "the decade," and how her lover, too, "just watched it happen."

(Also, I love the use of the phrase "saw my bones out with somebody new." If her lover is a hologram, unreal, then she is bones - solidly real but dry, dead.)

An interesting point in all of this is ambiguity. The narrator doesn't know who her lover is seeing in darkness, and she addresses this song directly to her lover(s?) I did see an analysis bringing up that the speaker could be addressing two different people, as the chorus's main refrains imply different types of relationships.

If you want to break my cold, cold heart, just say "I loved you the way that you were." Here, it sounds like the narrator and her lover have been together for a very long time, and her lover no longer loves her present self, longing for her before the change. If you want to tear my world apart, just say you've always wondered. This, on the other hand, implies a lover who is returning, who is tempting her with old times.

This reading is also propped up by other songs from the Tortured Poets Department which confirm the idea (Who's going to stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames) However, I like that it is also left in the dark, even for the listener. Who is left wondering if they could've made it? Who said they loved her the way she was?

The final verse ponders her lover(s), and has my favorite extended metaphor I think Swift has ever written. "Can we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses, cooler in theory but not if you force it to be; it just didn't happen." It's so direct: We tried to force this relationship to work, and it broke down. The idea of phantoms as past lovers (dancing phantoms on the terrace / my beloved ghost and me / well, me and my ghost, we had a hell of a time ) is scattered throughout the Tortured Poets Department.

Yet, the question goes unanswered - all her questions do. She doesn't know if it'll be enough to "float in your orbit," if the memory can fade from this "scarlet maroon." Chloe et al. much like its title, is a song uncertain, and in that uncertainty, the speaker reveals a bit of her heart, the held anxiety like a breath underwater. The only actual conclusion the narrator comes to that she will wonder.

"Will I always wonder?"

[gayofthefae]

Here it is. The Mike Wheeler Playlist Post.

So I finished it. What seems to be the end of season 4, at least. I am avoiding spoilers for myself. All 28 songs from Smalltown Boy to Mad World. Here is what I have deduced:

Mike got over El after she left and started liking Will, but when she came back, he got with her motivated by the grief of “what could have been” but once they got together he felt that the relationship was aimless, only staying because it was familiar. He pursued getting back together with her because he didn’t want to lose her, despite feeling that the spark wasn’t there anymore. His fight with Will makes him question their relationship again but he ultimately doesn’t believe Will reciprocates and regrets even going back down that path. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do when Will moves. He can’t get Will out of his head and, though secrecy is the only safe thing, he’s getting worn down with it and is increasingly considering taking action in his relationship with El because his feelings for Will make him happy and don’t seem to be going anywhere. He’s getting anxious as it gets closer but Will talking to him in the van gives him a lot of security, but then the moment comes and he lies and feels absolutely horrible about it. He feels like he’s just running in circles. More inaction. Over a year now of just inaction.

There are 19 songs left which feels like a lot for one season as I've said before but in defense of that on top of just the consistent alignment with plot points in the playlist this far, season 5 is going to go back in and reveal a lot of this stuff with some very complicated emotions and much more focus on him, his feelings, his trauma, and his overall relationship with Will. So there IS a lot there to fill songs with. If you would like to read my original semi-chaotic notes from the past 5 hours(you read that correctly. You're welcome. And yes I know the full playlist I didn't even finish is only 3.5 hours) listed by song and including bits I skipped over so that it wouldn't be horribly long, lyric quotes, and one link to a cover analysis, you can do so under the cut.

Scared closeted gay kid in a smalltown in the 80s (confirmed by the songwriter, widely known in this fandom)

He sees Will everywhere.

This girl’s really cool and knows about things I don’t

Alien abduction - ET Parallels.

This song is an instrumental but the title “In The Face of Evil” is self-explanatory

El heroically sacrificed herself for everyone. She is a hero because she is the type of person to make that choice.*sweet that his love isn't hero worship, that's just how he conveys it.

He’s haunted by the memories of El, seeing her face everywhere.

Over time, “absence makes the heart lose weight” and his feelings for her fade

He’s starting to experience a new and scarily tempting, intoxicating kind of love. (based on context…for Will)

This song is an instrumental but the title is “Beta Girl Lost in Forever”. There is a great cover art analysis by @digestionsack at #20 of the post linked here but I could not find anything on the original meaning of the song or album. I couldn't find like anything else on Google of this one's meaning there were under 300 results when I searched in quotes.

This song is a duet that looks back on the relationship of a boy who helped lift up a girl from a very low and helpless place but the girl is now gone and he wants her to need him again and a girl who always had ambitions not dependent on him from the start and appreciated the time they spent together but needed independence now.

He feels an uncontrollable love that’s taking all his focus that he “can’t shake” but “makes [him] feel so blue” (for Will given the last love song)*this is to say nothing of his self awareness. (though could have convinced himself he got over it as opposed to never having known? *consistent with the s3 fight words)

A song about teenage love. Kinda horny.*He's in love and a little bit horny in the season checks notes...without El?

It’s “Ghostbusters”. It makes sense in a literal context but for the record this song is actually very 80s-under the radar-horny like “Barbie Girl”. Probably literal in this case but I’m sure the Duffers know about the second meaning and so maybe it shouldn’t be put right after Teenage Kicks if they aren’t trying to make me at least consider the possibility that they’re meaning to say Mike is jerking off to Will, possibly while he’s possessed. I didn’t need that, Pete Duffer. (Although 13-year-old boys definitely do. I remember the back of the bus conversations on middle school jazz band trips. I'm all for openness and sex education but I know too much about your masturbatory habits, Ben.)

El comes back and he reflects on how their relationship ended so suddenly and she branched out into independence but now that she’s back he’s not gonna let her get away again.*seems like he wants to fix the past vs take action in the present. What could have been. Acting on behalf of his past self.

Their relationship feels aimless to him, but he stays because it’s familiar. “I’ll carry on with what I know”.*her dumping HIM was an important push for him.

Making mistakes is human and a natural part of relationships. He stays in the relationship despite the spark dying out of a larger, more general love for her and because he doesn’t want to lose her. “If not so in love, it’s not so wrong, we’re only human after all.”*feeling an obligation to get her back because while not dating, she's gone completely (at first)?

He left Will/his feelings for him behind but he’s reminded of them by their fight (“little deals and S.U’s”) and he questions the nature of their relationship again but he doesn’t think that it means to Will what it means to him. “A sly touch at times; I don’t think it meant anything to you”. He regrets even going down that road again. “And I should never have tried”.

He’s going to miss them when they move, seeming to specify Will with “seven years went under the bridge”. He doesn’t know what to do without him now.*this song might sort of also explain why he didn't call if he didn't but it's not sure and there are no other songs about it, so he still could have called("if you leave don't look back, I'll be running the other way" but not every lyric has to apply and it could mean something else)

He’s now set/stuck in his desire for Will and can’t get him out of his head. (I considered an angle of this being for El, but the constant thinking about the lover + the interpretation of unreciprocated a love/a pursuit didn’t fit)*one of the interpretations I read also said they think it's about a gay guy which is a great addition, though not an "official" interpretation.

He feels safest in isolation/secrecy (car=closet?) “It’s the only way to live” but he’s wearing down and feeling lonely/alone in this state so he’s starting to consider “leaving” it.

He definitely still has feelings for Will that don’t seem to be going anywhere. They’re kinda…baffling “You got me so I don’t know what I’m doing”. He’s losing sleep over them. But…he’s not mad at it “don’t ever set me free”.

He criticizes himself for his inaction and starts to seriously think about making decisions for himself.

He’s in love. (very simple lyrics: “I saw your eyes, and for a little while/though it took a while, I was falling in love” repeatedly with minor variation)

He’s worn and broken down but still wants love. He’s holding onto Will in the chaos of his mind and the world and trying to keep out of preying eyes. Also it is apparently written as tribute to Stranger Things after season 1, which is cute. “Just stay close” “You can’t stop this feeling.” “They won’t pull us down”. This song is also called “Vale of Shadows”.

Instrumental Synth called “Dead of Night”

He’s full of uncertainty as seeing El gets closer but Will talking to him in the van comforts him and gives him more security; Will’s love makes it all better. “And she pulling the strings” definitely fits this idea of the situation with Will (especially if he is aware)

He feels horrible about lying to El (The song is “Mad World”). He feels like he’s just “run[ning] in circles”.

Notable lyrics: 

[pre-season 2-season 2]

When Love Breaks Down "Absence makes the heart lose weight yeah, til love breaks down, til love breaks down" "When love breaks down, the things you do to stop the truth from hurting you. When love breaks down, the lies we tell, they only serve to fool ourselves." I really thought it would say “grow fonder”, which fit and was cute and I was fine with, but nope. And my jaw went slack and it made me want to write this whole thing.

Love is a Stranger "Love is a stranger in an open car to tempt you in and drive you far away." "Love is a dangerous drug. You have to receive it and you still can't get enough of the stuff." "Comes in like the flood and it seems like religion" "And I want you so, it's an obsession. It's guilt edged."

[season 3]

Something About You “If not so in love, it’s not so wrong. We’re only human, after all.”

Are ‘Friends’ Electric “A sly touch at times. I don’t think it meant anything to you.” “And I never should have tried.” “For you see, it meant everything to me.”

[season 4, volume 2]

Mad World “When people run in circles, it’s a very, very mad world.”