#conclave headers

[editfandom]

CONCLAVE, 2024

[sabrinismos]

filmtwt packs 🛸

[nghtcrwling]

Conclave (2024)

★ like or reblog if u save

[mariacallous]

Sede vacante. The Holy See is vacant.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, died at age 88 on Monday at his residence in Vatican City. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he led the Catholic Church for 12 years.

Francis was hospitalized for 38 days in February for double pneumonia. His doctors later revealed that he had had two close brushes with death. Francis was discharged from the hospital a month ago and had made several public appearances since. Most notably, he attended the Vatican’s celebrations on Easter Sunday. “Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter,” Francis told the crowds, before being driven across St. Peter’s Square on the popemobile, waving at the faithful. In hindsight, it was a fitting send-off for a pontiff who had become the people’s pope.

At times like these, the ways of the Vatican can appear mysterious. What happens after a pope dies? Who governs the Holy See? And how is a pope elected? Most non-Catholics are probably trying to remember the plot of the 2024 movie Conclave right now.

All eyes are now on the camerlengo, or chamberlain, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell. He will run the Holy See until a new Holy Father is elected. No time is wasted after the pope dies. His body is quickly embalmed and then put on display for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Next comes the funeral, which also takes place in St. Peter’s Basilica or, if the weather permits, just outside, on St. Peter’s Square. The dean of the College of Cardinals always presides over the ceremony. Giovanni Battista Re, the current dean, has served in the Curia since the 1960s. If anyone knows how to compose a homily, it’s a man who has seen the deaths of multiple popes.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, popes have been buried in the ornate grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. But, in 2023, Francis decided to break with protocol. He will be interred in St. Mary Major, a basilica in the center of Rome, because of his “great devotion” to the Virgin Mary.

Although the official mourning period for the pope lasts nine days, the process for selecting a successor starts as soon as he has drawn his last breath. As the Italian proverb goes, morto un papa, se ne fa un altro. When a pope dies, another is made. In other words, not even the vicar of Christ is irreplaceable.

The new pope is chosen by conclave, the papal election dramatized in the hit film. It occurs roughly two weeks after the pope’s funeral. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in it. This means that, out of a current total of 252 cardinals, 138 will pick the next leader of the Catholic Church—a global institution with more than 400,000 clergy members and 1.3 billion lay Catholics.

The conclave occurs in the Sistine Chapel, beneath a ceiling painted by Michelangelo. The doors are locked, and the cardinal electors can have no contact with the outside world. During this time, they are supposed to let the Holy Spirit guide their decision. Concretely speaking, it works like this: Cardinals are given a piece of paper with a header in Latin that reads simply, “I elect as supreme pontiff,” and they write down the name of their chosen candidate below.

To win, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority. Until that happens, voting continues. Only one round is held on the first day of the conclave, but after that, up to four rounds can take place each day.

While the conclave is à huis clos, the outside world watches closely. The cardinals have only one way to communicate their progress: a chimney on St. Peter’s Square, connected to the Sistine Chapel. When a vote is inconclusive, the cardinals burn the ballots. In a separate furnace, they add chemicals to produce black smoke. When a pope has been elected, they burn the ballots one last time; this time, the smoke turns white. Habemus papam.

Conclaves vary in length. In 2013, Francis was elected after only 24 hours. By comparison, it took cardinals five days and 14 rounds to choose Pius XI in 1922.

Though the conclave is the final act in “making” a pope, what happens before matters, too. In the days leading up to it, the dean of the College of Cardinals convenes general congregations. All the cardinals, regardless of their age, take part. General congregations provide an opportunity to discuss the direction of the church and the qualities that the next pope should have.

The whole process is akin to politics, just swap the dark suits for bright red soutanes. “If history teaches us anything about papal conclaves, it is that the Holy Spirit is far from the only influence at play,” said Jessica Wärnberg, a historian who has conducted extensive research in Vatican archives and written a book on Rome and the popes, titled City of Echoes. She added that it has always been political. “Historically, major political powers, such as France and Spain, worked hard to sway voting. Today, factions are shaped along more ideological lines.”

But campaigning for the papacy is nothing like campaigning in a liberal democracy. For one, it’s very hush-hush. There are no leaflets or campaign ads. For another, cardinals eyeing the papacy are never open about their ambitions. Instead, they rely on allies to quietly drum up support. Subtlety is the mot d’ordre.

That’s not to say Vatican politicking isn’t ruthless. Think Game of Thrones but without the bloodshed. Various factions in the church push their champion. But if he isn’t able to garner enough support, a champion is ditched without mercy, no matter how preeminent he might be.

And, just as in Game of Thrones, it isn’t immediately clear who will win in the end. This is especially true of the upcoming conclave. “All bets are off when it comes to predicting who will succeed Francis,” said Philip Shenon, a former investigative reporter at the New York Times and the author of Jesus Wept, a new book on the modern church. “There’s no obvious front-runner.”

One reason why is that Francis completely overhauled the College of Cardinals. He appointed 110 out of the 138 cardinals who will vote in the conclave. That’s nearly 80 percent. The catch: Many of them come from far-flung corners of the world. They have spent little time together and therefore barely know one another.

Who wins is thus anyone’s guess. “It might be somebody very exotic, since many cardinals are from the other side of the world,” said Frédéric Martel, the author of In the Closet of the Vatican, an investigation into homosexuality in the church that draws on 1,500 interviews, including with prelates. “In fact, it might be a big surprise,” Martel added, “since nobody will have known of the sociology of the new conclave!”

This hasn’t stopped all of Rome from buzzing about the papabili, or the “pope-able.” For Martin Palmer, the CEO of FaithInvest, an NGO that works closely with the church, and a member of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission, the next pontiff will come from one of two factions within the church: He will belong either to “the right wing” in the United States and Africa or to the more liberal “Francis appointments” in Asia and Africa.

On the right, Palmer identifies Robert Sarah, a 79-year-old cardinal from Guinea, as a papabile. Sarah has long been in the mix to succeed Francis. A former prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican department overseeing the Latin Church’s liturgy, he is the anti-Francis candidate.

A traditionalist heavyweight who doesn’t pull his punches, Sarah has echoed the white-nationalist Great Replacement conspiracy theory. Europe, he said in 2019, is at risk of being “invaded by foreigners, just as Rome has been invaded by barbarians.” As he sees it, the continent is locked in an existential battle with the Islamic faith. “If Europe disappears, and with it the priceless value of the Old Continent, Islam will invade the world, and we will completely change culture, anthropology, and moral vision.”

Without surprise, Sarah takes a hard line on homosexuality. He has slammed Francis’s decision to allow same-sex couples to receive sacraments. And he has likened “homosexual and abortion ideologies” to “Nazi-Fascism and communism.”

Another conservative contender, Palmer said, is Raymond Burke, a 76-year-old cardinal from the United States. Best known for his love of the cappa magna, Burke is as outspoken in his statements as in his fashion choices. He has repeatedly criticized Francis—so much so that the pope took away his subsidized Vatican apartment. The American papabile has close ties to the Make America Great Again movement. For many years, he was an ally of Steve Bannon until the two fell out. Still, Burke remains a power player in U.S. conservative Catholic circles.

In the age of Trump, however, that may be a liability. Palmer, who was recently at the Vatican, said that “the negative impact of Trump around the world has significantly cast a cloud over right-wing American rhetoric. Burke and by implication Sarah are seen as tainted by their association with Trump-style politics.”

As a consequence, a staunch conservative like Sarah or Burke may not have the numbers to win. “Sarah and Burke have zero chance—or as many chances as Trump to win the Eurovision,” Martel quipped. “They are ultra-right-wing and ultra-marginal figures. It’s a joke!”

Shenon put it more diplomatically. “Well, conservatives could try, and they probably will,” he said. “But when the doors to the Sistine Chapel are bolted shut, there just aren’t that many of them in the College of Cardinals—at least not enough of the rock-ribbed archconservatives who would vote for a candidate who would reverse Francis’s legacy.”

The next pontiff, Shenon predicts, will at least maintain some degree of continuity with Francis. “Whatever happens, it’s fair to assume that the next pope will not have a dramatically different vision of the church’s future,” Shenon said. He believes that the cardinal electors appointed by Francis “doubtless feel great loyalty to Francis’s progressive legacy.”

Among them, Shenon identifies Cardinal Pietro Parolin—the Holy See’s secretary of state since 2013—as an “obvious candidate.” The 70-year-old Italian prelate would respect the late pope’s agenda. He has said Francis’s reforms were “the action of the Spirit, [so] there can be no U-turn.” If the cardinal electors are looking for a safe pair of hands, someone who knows the Curia and can safeguard Francis’s achievements, then Parolin is their man.

In a similar vein, Martel points to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the 69-year-old archbishop of Bologna. Zuppi has Francis’s trust. Crucially, as the head of the Italian Episcopal Conference, he’s also popular with many prelates.

But if they want a bolder choice, then cardinal electors could go for the Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson. The 76-year-old is the chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Social Sciences. He has long been ranked as a papabile, even though his star has dimmed after he fell out with Francis. But don’t count him out, said Palmer, who has worked with Turkson and thinks that “he really speaks for the engaged African Church.”

Palmer also thinks that Cardinal Luis Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, has a serious chance. Hailed as the “Asian Francis,” Tagle is a progressive. He backed Francis in his drive to protect the environment and his plans for a more inclusive church. “My vision for a synodal church is a church that rediscovers this wonderful gift of the Spirit given to the whole church in Vatican II,” Tagle said in 2023, referring to the Second Vatican Council, which modernized the church in the 1960s and has been attacked by conservatives ever since.

The Filipino prelate has also taken a more compassionate approach to doctrinal matters, deploring the “harsh words that were used in the past to refer to gays and divorced and separated people, the unwed mothers, etc.”

At 67, Tagle is young by papal standards. Francis was elected at 76, Benedict XVI at 78. If he does become pope, then he would have the time to enact sweeping reforms. “In recent years, Francis has seemed pretty convinced his agenda—and the spirit of Vatican II—will survive his papacy,” Shenon said, “which is why he keeps insisting with a smile that his successor will call himself John XXIV.” John XXIII was the pope who initiated Vatican II. Tagle could well be the kind of successor Francis envisioned—perhaps even taking the name John XXIV.

If neither conservative nor liberal factions manage to win enough support among the cardinal electors, then a compromise candidate may emerge. “Historically speaking, divided conclaves have often favored ostensibly neutral candidates,” Wärnberg said. “A papabile with a lower public profile, such as the careful and erudite Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary or the reserved and pragmatic Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, could, therefore, emerge.”

In recent months, another ostensibly neutral prelate has shot up to the top of the papabili list: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. He’s Italian but has spent most of his career in Israel. This means that he isn’t associated with the Curia and remains something of a blank slate.

On many key issues, Pizzaballa has kept his cards close to his chest. And when he hasn’t, he has sent signals to both liberals and conservatives. With liberals, for instance, he backed Laudato Si, Francis’s 2015 encyclical on environmental justice. But Pizzaballa is also open to the Latin Mass, prized by conservatives. “The cardinal is very meticulous in liturgical celebration and has no problem with the traditional Mass,” David Neuhaus, a former patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told National Catholic Register.

Despite being only 59, Pizzaballa has plenty of political experience. In 2014, he orchestrated the “peace prayer” in the Vatican Gardens, a landmark summit between Francis, then-Israeli President Shimon Peres, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Similarly, Pizzaballa has tried to strike a measured tone over the Gaza war, talking both about the horrors of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacres and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Another compromise candidate could be the Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny. “If the conclave is looking for a safe caretaker pope to ease the transition from the dynamism of Francis, Cardinal Czerny, the cardinal at the head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, is also a possibility. Quiet, efficient, and running the Laudato Si Dicastery, it is his dicastery that will guide that most radical of encyclicals,” Palmer said. “But don’t expect the church to be quite so on message about climate or the environment post-Francis.”

Conclaves aren’t an exact science. With a few exceptions, they are notoriously difficult to predict. The papabili seldom get to sit on the throne of St. Peter. The Italians have a proverb to that effect. Chi entra papa in conclave, ne esce cardinale. He who enters the conclave as pope leaves it as cardinal.

[flowerandblood]

The Gate of Salvation Masterlist

[ young pope • Aemond x catholic • female ]

[ warnings: soft sex content, masturbation, fingering, sexual tension, smut, angst, anxiety, manipulation, doubts related to faith, religious guilt, chauvinism, more warnings inside each chapter ]

[ description: During the conclave, a new pope is elected, but to everyone's surprise, he does not intend to show himself to the crowds waiting for him. His ideas terrify the cardinals, and one of them convinces his niece, who is studying marketing, to talk to the new head of the Catholic Church in his presence. Masterlist graphic by amazing @aegonx. Main theme: sexual tension & holy touch. ]

A mini-series created as a thank you and celebration of my 2'500 followers. I initially plan that it will have about 3 chapters.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The Song of Songs (Oneshot) Death and Ressurection (Oneshot) The Salvation (Wedding)

Aemond as a Pope Edit Series Characters Moodboard Headers for the Series Aemond NSFW Alphabet

[leia-organaa]

My sister and I watched Conclave, so I was able to convince her to watch The Young Pope, which to me is the best, weirdest series ever and my favourite of all time. I mean, my Tumblr mobile header is still Pius XIII in regalia with Ray-Bans (?) and I haven’t changed it since, so yes that show still has me in a chokehold.

I was reminded of how bizarre but beautiful it was and what a pity that not more people have seen it, but at the same time I think that’s fine, too. It’s a little too eccentric, much too niche, and may turn off an audience that is inclined to see something more plot and relationship-driven, rather than something that is, at its core, just really introspective.

I liked Conclave and saw it as a cool, slick political thriller dressed in Curia aesthetics. TYP (and I suppose The New Pope, too, to some degree) is something else entirely. I’ve seen comments on TYP and how it seems vapid, or does not really have much to say, more style and lacking in substance. Fair enough. But to me, it captures the struggles and doubts of an average lapsed Catholic when it comes to faith. Not that you have to be Catholic to appreciate what it’s trying to say (although some understanding of doctrine might shed some light on Lenny’s admonishments, and how well they just get that Catholic guilt we joke so much about), but I think it helps to be a little open to the possibility of something more out there, or at least the idea of what such faith means to people.

[radishanatomy]

i finally made an intro post

🌱 call me radish (all pronouns, all nouns; adult)

✒️ The Exorcist of Venice and The Real Housewives of Vatican City

🏷️ tags: #askradish (asks always open!) #from the root brain (personal tag) #blessed be thy q #exorcist of venice #rhovc

🐢 main fandom: conclave (2024) but i might branch out

🧍‍♂️ header image is the life-size sergio castellitto cardboard cut-out that watches me sleep. his name is 2d-esco

🙅 dni: minors, bigots

🥕 p. s. i know radishes are hypocotyl (not root) tubers

[thebawdybaldurian]

Intro to my Rook (and some smut!)

A brief intro to my canon Rook and how she will tie into my main fic, Mages and Lovers. I wanted to add a deeper background and connection to how she knows Varric. There’s also a little smut at the end, because why not? She will be romancing Lucanis, but is paired with a different, mysterious Veilguard character for this!

Content and Warnings: discussions of death/suicidal ideation/grief, sex with a spiritual entity, triple penetration, magical sex.

NSFW pairing: femme Rook x Vorgoth

Background: Maene Ingellvar was born somewhere in the country of Nevarra and left abandoned in the Necropolis as an infant. She was raised collectively by the Mortalitasi and later joined them. By luck or perhaps abandoned because of it, Mae proved to have a deep connection to the Fade and spirits as a medium. Maene is a Dreamer and can enter the Fade at will. She tends to connect more easily with spirits and creatures than other humans. Despite this, Maene is incredibly perceptive and is frequently chosen to attend gatherings of the College of Magi as one of the representatives of the Mortalitasi. She befriends birds, corvids most frequently, and has had a pet rook named Ferdinand for several years.

She was scheduled to attend the Conclave with a few other Mourn Watch mages, but they were delayed and witnessed the explosion from many miles away. They rushed to Haven to aid in healing and offer funerary rites. Maene caught the eye of Leliana and Cassandra, who saw the Fade expert as a valuable asset to add to the Inquisition, code named Rook. She briefly left the Mourn Watch to help restore order, doing scouting work and patching Fade rifts near populated areas until the Inquisitor could close them. Once Corypheus was defeated, Maene returned to Nevarra, where she was soon caught up in more trouble that would see leave the Mourn Watch for a second time on a forced sabbatical. Varric offered her the chance to track down Solas and she jumped at the opportunity.

Scene lead up: Once Corypheus revealed himself to be the cause of the Breach, Varric asks Leliana to send one of her most tactful scouts to bring a message to Hawke, who was living on a small farm in Honnleath with Anders. Maene was chosen, given a letter and sturdy horse to ferry her to and from the small village. She brought the letter to ‘Anne Amell’ and returned to the village to wait for her response.

Smut starts at the NSFW header

Lene went to the tavern in town in search of Rook, not seeing the dark-haired scout at any of the tables. She went to the bar to inquire with the owner, who also rented out the few rooms upstairs. “Have you seen an incredibly pale, dark-haired woman?” Lene asked.

“By Andraste, I thought she was a ghost at first, striding in here in that long, black coat,” the owner clutched her chest. “She just went up to her room. Second door after the stairs.”

“Thank you,” Lene nodded as the owner gestured towards the stairs. Lene climbed up them, knocking gently on the second door at the top of them.

“Just a moment!” Rook shouted from the other side of the door. She opened it after a few moments, her pale cheeks slightly flushed.

“Sorry, I hoped I’m not disturbing you?” Lene asked, seeing the woman’s flustered expression.

“Oh…no…I was just getting ready to settle in for the evening,” Rook replied, motioning towards her bare feet. Her coat was also off and her shirt was half unbuttoned.

“I just wanted to ask you a few questions,” Lene replied as Rook welcomed her inside.

“Certainly, I will answer as best I can,” Rook nodded, pulling one of the rickety chairs from a small table.

Lene sat in the other, watching curiously as Rook manipulated the fire to make it burn brighter and warmer. “You…are a mage?” Lene asked, surprised at the woman’s open use of magic.

“Oh…right,” Rook nodded sheepishly. “I keep forgetting that people in the South aren’t as accustomed to seeing it used so freely.”

“Where are you from?” Lene asked, Rook’s accent too subtle to identify. “Tevinter?”

“Nevarra,” Rook replied. “I’m part of the Mortalitasi.”

“The death cult?!” Lene blurted out, regretting her tone instantly. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s alright,” Rook pressed her lips tightly together, starting to get used to this reaction. “Few outside of Nevarra understand our connection to death and the Fade.”

“What do you do then, exactly?” Lene asked, nervously playing with her shirt.

“We preserve the dead and offer funerary rites…coordinate the consecration of spirits into new vessels…fulfill last requests and investigate suspicious deaths…”

“Oh…that’s not what I…so you…don’t just…raise the dead…unwillingly?”

“No, necromancy isn’t about control, it is about renewal. Raising an unwilling body is against everything we stand for,” Rook replied, sensing that this was a sensitive subject for Lene to discuss. “Death should only be the next step to of a person’s journey. It should be peaceful.”

“What if it isn’t?” Lene asked bluntly, her brow furrowing with grief. “What if someone dies violently? What if they are…used to…?” Her voice caught in her throat. “Are they still…okay?”

“They will still pass on,” Rook reached her hand across the table to offer comfort. She was also used to this sort of reaction when discussing her work. “Though their spirit might become fractured in the Fade…that is something I am trained to mend as well.”

“Can you…reach specific people?”

“If I know who to look for…is…there someone you’d like me to speak to? Is it the man that lives in your house?”

“What?” Lene’s eyes widened, wondering how Rook knew about Anders.

“I sensed something when I was at your door earlier,” Rook replied, letting a soothing aura emanate from her hand onto Lene’s. “A deep sense of loss and grief. He’s half on this plane and half in the Fade.”

“He’s…not…dead…even though he wishes he was sometimes,” Lene sighed. “It’s a very long story and I don’t want to tie up your entire evening…I haven’t even asked what I intended to.”

“That’s alright. I’ll be here for at least another night examining the Fade rifts outside of the village.”

“Can you do something about them?” Lene asked. “I…tried,” she made a small flame in her other hand to show Rook she was a mage as well. “But I was never trained in that sort of thing…I was an apostate…before this whole mess started.”

“I can patch them temporarily,” Rook nodded. “But only our Inquisitor can close them completely.”

“Who’s that? Varric mentioned her briefly in his other letters.”

“She’s a very powerful mage…and very determined,” Rook replied. “She has some sort of mark on her hand that allows her to manipulate the Fade…it’s incredible,” Rook added with enthusiasm.

“She closed the Breach? And heads the Inquisition?”

“Yes. She might be our only hope of stopping this emissary creature.”

“Corypheus,” Lene frowned. “I had dealings with him in the past…that’s why Varric sent you to me.”

“I see,” Rook nodded, starting to get a clearer idea of who ‘Anne Amell‘ actually was. “Are you able to return with me to Skyhold then? They said that you might.”

“I’m not sure,” Lene shook her head. “The man…I live with…I’m afraid to leave him alone. That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you. How long the journey would be?”

“It is a few days ride on a horse. We’d be slowed a little doubled up, but my mare is strong.”

“Alright,” Lene sighed. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“I understand,” Rook nodded. “Perhaps I can come by tomorrow and speak with him? I might be able to help once I know the full story.”

“That would be wonderful,” Lene smiled. “Thank you, Rook.”

“Please, call me Maene….my actual name,” she replied, giving Lene a nod.

“You can call me Lene…or Hawke,” she got up from her chair. “I won’t keep you any longer tonight.”

NSFW

Lene left Maene alone in her room and she locked the door, letting out a long sigh. She began unbuttoning her shirt again, casting a summoning spell with her other hand. “Now…where were we?” She smiled, not turning around but able to feel Vorgoth’s presence behind her.

“TENDING TO THE FLESH,” Vorgoth’s deep voice made her skin prickle.

“And much needed,” she replied as a spectral tendril emerged from their robes.

It reached up to pull her messy bun loose, then trailed down her neck. It crept along her chest as she slowly pulled open the buttons on her shirt, splitting into two tendrils to caress each of her nipples under her bodice. She let out a soft moan, slipping her shirt off her shoulders. “By the living…it’s been too long,” she bit her lip, the whispered touch of their magical appendages making her nipples stiff.

“WE DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE AWAY FOR SO LONG,” Vorgoth replied, another tendril reaching out to caress her ass as she began sliding her pants down.

“How is the Necropolis?” She asked, arching her back as the tendril brushed between her legs.

“THE BREACH IS FELT EVEN THERE. THE SPIRITS ARE RESTLESS…” Vorgoth bellowed, their magical connection allowing the shrouded construct to share the pleasure she felt.

“Does that include you?” She teased, knowing the entity was not known for their humor. Vorgoth let out a bristling noise, the tendril between her legs slipping inside her with a wet suck that made her gasp. “I thought so,” she let out a pleasurable exhale.

She wobbled over to the bed, her knees quivering as the tendril followed her and continued to slowly fuck her. She pulled back the linens before climbing into bed, exhausted from her long ride and intending to sleep once they were finished. “Mmmmm fuck!” She arched her back again, knelt on her hands and knees to give Vorgoth a pleasing view. The warm ectoplasm of their shared pleasure slowly oozed down her thighs as the tendrils continued to magically fuck her. “That feels…so good…” she moaned. “I missed you.”

“SHALL I CONTINUE WITH ONLY THIS?” Vorgoth asked, a smaller tendril brushing against her spread asshole.

“You read my mind,” she looked back at them with a pleased smile.

“I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING TO YOU,” Vorgoth replied, the fog emanating from their shroud growing more dense as they grew more excited.

“I know…it’s just an…ummmm…expression,” she grunted as the tendril eased into her tighter hole. “You…ahhhhh…know my body so well…”

She rocked slowly against Vorgoth’s magical appendages, ectoplasm now dripping onto the bed. She cried out loudly until another tendril moved to fill her mouth with a wet suck. Her eyes rolled back as she was filled in every hole, writhing in pure ecstasy. The tendril tasted like the finest of salts, making her drool down her chin with hunger. She closed her eyes tightly as her climax drew near, clawing her fingers and toes into the mattress. Vorgoth pulled the tendril from her mouth right before she came, teasing it along her lolling tongue so they could hear the sweet moans of her little death. “Yes! Fuck! Vorgoth! Don’t stop!” She cried out, her entire body shivering as fog completely enveloped her, tickling every inch of her skin.

“PRAISE THE LIVING!” Vorgoth bellowed, unclasping their hands for a moment as she came in a long moan.

It was complete and utter ecstasy, bringing her near the precipice of death from overwhelming sensation. She collapsed in a puddle of slack muscle, breathing hard into the mattress as Vorgoth’s tendrils retreated into their robes. “EXQUISITE AS ALWAYS,” Vorgoth said, waving a hand to pull the blanket over her before clasping them back together in their usual stance. “YOU MAY ALWAYS CALL UPON ME FOR SUCCOR, MY TREASURED FLESH.”

“I’m certain I’ll summon you again soon,” she smiled happily, her eyes already getting sleepy.

[invinciblerodent]

Where was Tristan during the events of Inquisition? Did he ever see the Breach? Did the smaller rifts effect him in anyway?

Ooh, fun! Love this! Storytime! (man, I'd love to have the cc so I could put a header with his actual face here to break up the wall of text. I'll just put in his BG3 mockup, lol.)

(i hope in veilguard we'll get a wheel for the eye color selection because man, this is way too red. he looks far too much like a vampire.)

I don't know if the game is gonna contradict me on any of this and there are some kinks to work out still lol, but I don't think he saw the Breach- definitely not in person at least.

I like to think that, around the time of the divine conclave, he was somewhere in the north of Orlais, just about a day's travel south of Perendale. (Near the Nevarran border, not terribly far from Weisshaupt or Kal-Sharok.)

I haven't gone that far into this thought yet, but my little idea so far is that he had been traveling as a recruiter and sort of a quasi-assistant to his mentor/friend, Warden-Lieutenant Iselva (an Orlesian city-born elf mage and spirit healer). It was around the time they were about to reach the border that they both started hearing the false Calling, but it was only she who chose to heed it.

I imagine Tristan to be kind of caught at that weird halfway-point between having a death wish, and clinging with white-knuckled fists to life, which makes him kind of reckless and prone to making stupid decisions (which is why he even chose to take up arms at Ostagar to begin with), but he's also scrappy, and very much driven to survive by any means necessary (which was the reason he could cheat death in the first place).

He's not the type to bow his head and submit to the Taint, possibly not even once his time truly does come. If he is to hear his Calling (which, with how close he already is to death and how the whole undeath of everything might affect the progression of the Taint, could take days or decades, there's no knowing), he would still want to drag it out for as long as possible, stave it off while he still feels he has a Purpose, whatever that may be. On top of that, he was at that point never told what the Calling would do beyond being an annoyance, why he'd head to the Deep Roads when it starts, and, at the time, he was also barely in his thirties- though nothing about him is entirely normal, he still felt it unusual, suspicious for someone so young to be hearing it.

But Iselva was an older woman by then, a respected and high-ranking acolyte well past her 30th year in the Order. She knew all too well what would happen if they delayed too long, and was adamant that while the both of them starting to hear it at roughly the same time was odd, it was not unheard of (they had spent most of the last decade very close after all, sleeping in the same tent, sometimes in the same bedroll for warmth), and that they should pivot, head towards Kal-Sharok, both head into the Deep Roads at the first opportunity, and die with dignity, as a Warden should.

They got into a horrible fight one night, their worst ever. She insisted, he refused-- she pulled rank, he took offense, and the whole exchange ended with her calling him a stubborn fool, and the two of them parting ways: with him continuing towards Weisshaupt, and her towards Kal-Sharok.

That was the last he's ever heard from her, and though the circumstances of her leaving did tarnish her memory somewhat, he's mourned her as she deserved: as a comrade in arms, a leader, a teacher, and a trusted, beloved friend.

The road to Weisshaupt was slow going without her guidance, and he got lost on the way multiple times, so even though the fake Calling had stopped only about two or three weeks later (iirc! I'll need to check the timeline on this), word of what happened in the Western Approach reached Weisshaupt shortly before he did. Until then, he had assumed that its end marked Iselva's death- now he knows the truth, and knows that she was just another victim in this whole mess.

I like to imagine that somewhere in the Anderfels, there is still a small rock with her name, and the date "9:41" carved crudely into it, nestled between the protruding roots of a tree.

...... and as i'm proofreading myself, it seems that I totally forgot the smaller rifts lol- I don't think he ever was close enough to one to actually feel it, but had he gotten close to one, I think he would have felt an uncomfortable pull of the Fade. And, if he happened to be, say, close to death or unconscious near one, I suspect he could have gotten possessed.

I don't really think of Purpose as a fully realized presence like Justice, it doesn't live in him, but it more just kinda hovers at the edges of his consciousness. Its influence is subtle and unfocused, and if Tristan does wind up dying or losing consciousness in an unfortunate spot where the Veil is thin, it might be able to reach through.

I like to imagine that this is the reason why Tristan suffers from insomnia, and once asleep, has troubles staying that way: being too close to the Fade just... makes him feel like there are ants in his eyes, lol.

[cere-racha]

…and welcome! call me cere.

first and foremost, please note that I am an adult, minors dni (18+)

☆ and by what name do you wish to be called? innocentius ☆

icon by the talented @valfeathers depicting Mello (Death Note)

header is the Jack of Hearts game (Alice in Borderland, s2e4)

dividers via @enchanthing

currently writing: oughhhhexamszn what aren't I writing

will trigger an unskippable dialogue scene with me:

☆ death note

☆ conclave (2024)

☆ path to nowhere

☆ monster - naoki urasawa

☆ dc comics

final bosses:

☆ my ocs! I occasionally post about them with little to no context (tag: 'eiri & yv')

☆ jayce talis. if you don’t like him, talk to the wall. or me. talk to me about him I love him.

☆ (deep, deep sigh) sunday from hsr. hmu if you're on the asia server.

cere's dlc:

too many early to mid 2010s anime to list here, some recent ones too.

↑ lies. I will be listing a few choice ones:

highlights: dunmeshi, death parade, fmab, ohshc, mtp, aot, jjk, kuroshitsuji, tg

sports anime: bllk, free!, yoi, sk8, hq, knb alllllll the good stuff 

yugioh, unironically

guilty pleasure otomes — tears of themis, l&ds, ex-mysmes ftp veteran

off (mortis ghost)

stardew valley

merlin (bbc, however I fw with medieval texts heavy)

d&d

mxtx’s danmeis

classic lit (mostly western, though I am slowly changing that)

ancient lit

alice in borderland

podcasts! think wtnv, tma/tmagp. I’m enjoying malevolent atm. also any call of cthulhu playthroughs I come across. 

used to be into k-pop! skz and svt ults - I enjoy music of from most mid 3rd to early 4th gen groups, some 2nd gen stuff too, but will not know anything from like... 2019 onwards

office hours (or otherwise afk):

archaeology

law

“criminology”/social theory

theology

archival studies

philosophy

ballet

literature

ancient history

trivia:

permanent resident of the law school library

eternal lover girl, with the exception of my mantles as:

schliemann’s no 1 hater

lombroso’s no 2 hater

habitual scribbler

the epitome of jack of all trades, master of none

prone to random bouts of art appreciation and run-on sentences

will always go feral for (in fiction and art): eye imagery, themes of corruption and religious imagery

favourite flavours/food: ginger, aniseed, chilli and lime

re: the ballet thing, I'm cecchetti trained with some vaganova background

genuinely devastated that I won’t be able to give everything in life the attention and passion it deserves, so until immortality becomes an option, I’m going to make every day count.

if I’m active on here, I’m probably procrastinating.

t&cs:

basic etiquette required. if you wouldn't say something to a stranger on the street or a creator at a con then what on earth is it doing in my asks?

I'm a massive proponent of simply not engaging in that case so don't expect a lesson, callout or anything that gives you an iota of undeserved attention. critical thinking welcomed.

a/n: if you’ve made it this far past the divide — thanks for reading! feel free to reach out with recs or thoughts, I’d love to hear from you <3

[little-lightning-lavellan]

JUST KIDDING...

Trying out a new header for the fic... let me know what you all think! For the WIP portion of this Wednesday, here’s a preview for the new chapter! (Link to the full chapter below)

Reminder for this one (and all chapters, honestly) that Solas & Mellan are not perfect people, none of the characters are.

Chapter 8, History Has Lied to Us

Be that what it may, men like Varric would still hold to their word: these questions made for better stories. Even if those stories were difficult sometimes, and those questions even more difficult to answer.

“Now, if we pull these Mages from Ferelden, that could nearly double the strength of our current forces.”

“Yes, and if we do so, we run the risk of not only favoring the Mages in this conflict, but we appear to place Ferelden in a higher standing than other nations.”

“Well, we must make a decision in regards to our stance at some point.”

“What say you, Aislin?”

The elder of the two Heralds stood, looking over the group’s latest reports on the Breach and its surrounding conflicts, lips pressed firm as she pressed a knuckle to her mouth in thought. Looking up, she sighed, before shifting her weight to rest with her hands on the edges of the table.

“The Commander already knows my stance on the issue. I say we move forward.” Looking to her right, she acknowledged the second Herald. “Mellan?”

Leaning with her back against the stone wall, Aislin’s twin used her weight to push herself off, coming up from behind the other elf to state her case. The elder of the two was usually the one to make the final call on these matters. This was a natural rhythm that the advisors had fallen into, particularly Josephine.

‘I mean no disrespect to the lady Mellan, but Aislin has the more… diplomatic air. She seems to fare better in this setting.’

That being said, all three knew that the older twin would not budge on an issue without consulting the other first. The day their lives changed, they had made a similar vow to that they had made when they first left for the conclave: they would do this together, or not at all.

Cont. reading on AO3

Tagging my glorious amazing beta-reader and darling love @varric-tethras-editor who helps me with my english daily, as well as @ashalle-art @emerald-amidst-gold @dreadfutures @the-dreadful-canine-writes @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @pikapeppa @noire-pandora​ @oxygenforthewicked​ @shift-shaping​ and anyone else who might have something to share today! ^_^ (But, as usual, no pressure! Love you all <3)

[yama951]

Saw my brother watch the third MHA movie and man, that opening was a horror story.

It does churn an idea/narrative thread for the eventual sequel of Way of Hisashi the House Husband though.

One of the Samuel Cole Peterson Foundation operations was called “UTNAPISHTIM” named after the survivor of the Babylonian flood story, basically Noah, that also became immortal. Said plan of the operation is putting as many quirk immune people on immortality treatments and on a spaceship away from Earth.

Given the whole “super trigger“ thing, I imagine the HUMANITY FIRST plan has operation DELUGE. Once enough quirk immune people are taken off Earth, thousands of super trigger bombs, probably called quirk nova bombs to keep with the theme, would be triggered in the waters and in the air, putting enough nova to amount a percentage in the Earth’s atmosphere, then they just need to wait for the problem to sort itself out then recolonize the planet.

Of course, other issues in the setting meant that operation DELUGE would never really happen. I do have a quote available to act as a header for the operation paper if it ever gets on the story...

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. - Revelation 21:1, the Conclave Bible

Other operations listed on the fanfic actually mean something.

[the-royal-courier]

Stories from Argus: With the Light

Edited by Risri Elthron, Submitted by Kcin Berry

(Editor’s Note: This story was sent to us from the front lines of Argus. As we receive these missives from our fighters on that world, The Royal Courier will publish them under the header of Stories from Argus.)

A group of soldiers in the fields of Antoran Wastes, show how hope can stay alive.

Journal Entry: Day One

I have decided to keep a log of our battle through Argus. Knowing I nor my friends may never return to our beautiful home. We’re prepping the Viindicar as I write this now I sit with the Highlord of the Argent Order, Ithresh as well as the young priest named Sehryna. Our second in command Judas is here as well. Everyone here seems so excited about this Invasion, I suppose I am as well but I’ve got this sinking feeling in my stomach that something is going to happen to us.

Journal Entry: Day Seven

So much for keeping a daily log for our attack. Already have missed an entire week.

Ithresh had us go on a private mission on Argus to a place called “Nath’raxas” just a few days ago, we were aided by the Highlord of the Scarlet Conclave named Crowley. Once we arrived at this place we found a group of warlocks, Felguard and these foul twisted beasts I believe the natives called Ur’zuls.

Like a fool I jumped into the fray and attacked the Ur’zuls. There were five of them, I took my blade and ran through one of the monsters while Highlord Ithresh, ever stoic in his posture went in with Judas to attack the warlocks and Highlord Crowley attacked the Fel Guard.

It was all so fast, so much red in my vision that I could barely comprehend the massacre we unleashed on these demonic beasts. I remember being bitten through my plated armor by the massive gaping maw of an Ur’zul right on my arm. I still remember the feeling of the metal plate crushing down but I managed to fight through the pain and rend the beast in two.

It is amazing what a man can do when his veins are pumping during the fighting. When I calmed down, I took note of my surroundings: corpses strewn about the fel cracked ground of the Legions minions.

We thought we had won the day until a large shadow crept up from behind our young healer Sehryna. She was lifted from the ground by her head by a massive Eredar male. He raked his fel claws up her back and tossed her into a nearby wall as if she were nothing but a ragdoll.

What were we thinking bringing such a young woman with us to such a horrible place? Ithresh had us form up to take the Eredar down. Crowley stood his ground ahead of us, alone against the monster. An impressive sight to see. He managed to hold his own solo against the Eredar. He had an odd calm to him as if he knew he could defeat the beast with nothing but himself and the Light guiding his blade.

In my haste I rushed to help Crowley but ended up getting smacked away and into a wall. I pried myself loose from the wall and turned my attention to Judas. As if he knew what I was thinking, we ran behind the Eredar together and in-sync we stuck the beast’s legs and severed his tendons simultaneously and sent him crashing to his knees. The Eredar let out a furious roar.

Crowley alone stepped up to the man and dropped his sword. He raised his hands from his waist and it looked as if several orbs of light came from his fingertips. The Eredar let out a loud howl of pain and within moments a blinding light seemed to tear the demon in two, when the light faded nothing but ashes remained behind. It was a sight to see for sure. It was then I realized, we may actually be able to defeat the Legion.

If one man can decimate a beast so powerful. So fowl. With nothing but the light as his weapon. Maybe. Just MAYBE we can win this fight. Crowley, If you are to ever read this know that you gave me faith in the Light. You are the one who made me realize that we have a chance.

The forces on Argus make progress against the Legion’s demons. We must prevail, for the Alliance and for Azeroth.

The Royal Courier thanks you, Mr. Berry  for sending us copies of your journal and this inspiring story of victory on the field of battle.  Thank you for fighting for all of us!  

Send us your stories from Argus.

[an-idiot-named-iz]

A new header (and profile picture), since I felt it was time for a replacement. Starring my kid!Inquisitor: Nomaya Lavellan!

She’s the 10-11 y/o daughter of Sethra Lavellan, who’s the clan’s First. Nomaya is a mage, and she came into her magic at a fairly early age: about seven. The clan quickly learned that she had an affinity for fire magic.

Some more facts about her under the cut!

(also, slight spoilers(?) ahead for da: inquisition)

Nomaya was sent to the Conclave with her mother, Sethra, and her uncle, Ilriel.

Her father was killed when Nomaya was first coming into her magic. Someone in a human city, nearby where their clan was settled at the time, had started a rumor that Clan Lavellan’s mages were practicing blood magic. Templars arrived with the intention to kill, and her dad died protecting her and her mother from them.

They stayed much further away from human settlements from then on, and rarely went anywhere near that particular city again.

Nomaya developed a horrible fear of humans and templars, due to her only interactions with them being negative, and the stories she heard only reinforcing her preconceptions.

She’s curious about everything to an almost dangerous extent, so she loves how many new places she gets to see as the Herald of Andraste (which is probably the only thing she likes about the title).

“Why do I have to be the Herald of Andraste? Can I be the Herald of Mythal? That sounds better.”

Due to a penchant for getting into trouble and her hatred of human nobles, her and Sera get along wonderfully, and Nomaya starts looking up to Sera as a big sister...

...Which leads to Sethra unofficially adopting Sera.

Nomaya loves stories, so if she’s not with her mother, uncle, or Sera, she’s probably listening to some of Varric’s tales - or trying to recite her favorite Dalish ones to him.

She also gets along really well with Cole, even though she found him creepy at first. She helps him to help other people, especially after he becomes more human.

...Sethra unofficially adopts Cole too.

Nomaya’s wanted to learn how to use a sword, or a similar weapon, ever since her first encounter with templars, so she could defend herself even without her magic. However, Sethra was very much against the idea, dreading the thought of her daughter rushing into battle. So, respecting her mother’s wishes, she of course went to her Uncle Ilriel behind her mother’s back and learned some tricks with a sword from him.

Sethra was not happy when she found out.

“Mamae, I DO respect your wishes, but your wishes are wRONG.”

After the Iron Bull joined the Inquisition, Nomaya started bothering him to see if he would teach her to use a greataxe. However, since most of the greataxes in the camp were twice her height and way too heavy for her, Bull taught her some of the basics for wielding two-handed weapons with a slightly-larger-than-average sword.

Sethra was not happy when she found out.

“Mamae, why do you let me explode stuff, but don’t let me near sharp things?!”

Those are some little facts about Nomaya, as well as her mother and uncle, somewhat. Thanks for reading! 😊