#goddess of misfortune indeed

[punkpandapatrixk]

Full Blue Moon in Pisces ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

A Super Blue Moon such as this occurs once every decade, sometimes every couple of decades, according to NASA🪐huehue

Finally, with this Super Blue Moon in Pisces many kinds of generational curses and negatively-polarised karmic bonds CAN and WILL be dissolved. Weirdly persistent patterns of misery and misfortune will be broken and you will gain a renewed sense of being alive. This is an amazing period of massive emotional baggage cleansing.

Those who are especially spiritually inclined, some of you have dealt with ancient curses that either you have carried from hundreds—if not thousands—of past incarnations whilst some others have been transmuting those negative patterns in the bloodline you chose to be born into. For many people, this kind of scenario has caused a great deal of traumatic experiences repeating themselves within the interface of Reality they are viewing in this incarnation.

Fear nomo, bebeh~ That’s all done and paid for. You are now free. You are now safe to experiment with whatever Reality you deem fit for the Goddess/God that you know you are🌸

You are your own person now. Go live your Life. Make your dreams come true. Each one of us deserves to see a world of our dreams turn into Reality. Claim that, Honey. Manifest your own versions of paradise on Earth!💫You are protected by Divine forces~😉

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Pile 1 – The Brazen One

c o s m i c – V The Hierophant

Cosmically, you are being freed from the bondage of time. You were born into this world carrying a sacred mission. So strong is this sense of purpose that you grew up feeling constricted by time. You feel like, you’ve got to achieve some great things rather quickly—before reaching a certain age. You’ve always wanted to become a success—whatever that means to you or your society—at a young age. This fear of running out of time, or generally, this rushed necessity to scurry, is very debilitating to you on a psychological level.

I feel like, if you’ve indeed achieved some great things at a relatively young age, still quite none of it feels enough. You still feel lacking, like some grandiose things larger than life must occur. You’re haunted by some kind of potential you still can’t grasp yourself. The simplest doodle of an explanation to that, actually, is that you’re meant to be of great, great service to Mankind, with whatever talents you naturally possess since you were a child.

Some of you reading this may not want to believe this, but this Pile is for the Ascended Masters. Your Soul is either an Ascended Master or you are working down here closely supervised by a very high-ranking Ascended Master. The former scenario is more prominent for many of you tapping into this reading. You are literally a Bodhisattva reincarnated for a great purpose of healing Mankind. If you feel the latter scenario is more resonant for you, you are a sacred medium for the Ascended Master who couldn’t risk being reborn lest she or he loses themselves in this mortal world.

l o g i c – XI Justice

As you can see (if you could view the card on Patreon), Justice on this deck is quite different from its traditional depiction. There is an oracle who mediates the wisdom and impartiality of the Brazen Head as guide for Mankind.

And like the picture you’ve chosen, you have a mind that’s quite well-rounded. You have an innate ability to perceive the wholeness of an issue and provide insights or solutions that would be fair to most everyone involved. You are a peacemaker; a problem solver. And I think, this of you may not have been seen by a lot of people. Worry not, you’ve only been in an initiation phase. Your Light of Wisdom is about ready to be seen by everyone.

With this awakened sense of purpose, I’m pretty sure you will naturally, or maybe ever so suddenly, cease feeling bound by the constraints of time. Suddenly, you’re a new person without fear of limitations. You now understand that everything has its own time to be seen, received, and applauded. Even by logic you know it’s all gonna be yours eventually. I think you’ve fixed your relationship with the God of Time HA The clock doesn’t scare you anymore.

Justice will be served, my dear. If you’ve resonated this much, know that you’re about to get really busy in the coming months and years. Ascended Masters being born on Earth is no small matter. You will be seen. You will be heard. You will serve your purpose. You have no idea how many higher beings are working behind the scenes to make this happen. This is a group project; you just think you’re doing everything alone but that’s the farthest thing from the Truth.

m a g i c – King of Wands

Now, with all of your cards upright, I’d like to convince you that you’ve done the best you could with what you knew. To be honest, there is no more work to be done. You’ve worked so hard on yourself, your spirituality and psychology. You deserve to enjoy Life now. You could say, Life finally begins now—no matter what your age is. You are your own big girl/boy now. You can do whatever you want with a calm heart. You’ve literally set everything in motion in ways that may not be apparent (yet) in the physical world.

Have courage for your Destiny is meeting you halfway. In the meantime, eat your cake, paint your clouds, colour your hair, burn your candles, and continue to believe in your wildest dreams. You, have, a fuckton, of motherfuckers, to prove wrong, baby. Put them to shame. Your weirdest manifestations are yours to claim. You are meant to leave a legacy of awesome and nothing in this mortal world can stop a Bodhisattva such as yourself.

To help ease your heartaches, you might wanna Google what a Bodhisattva is if you’re unfamiliar with that term. Light will be shed upon why you’ve had to endure so much hardships—even if, say, only psychologically—just to feel like you have a place in this murderously chaotic world of nonsensical stupidity.

Much like the roundness of the jelly (pic) you’ve chosen, you’ve rounded up your tenure on Earth. This is very likely your last incarnation on 3D Earth. I don’t think many of you would still want to come back around again LMAO But if you ever change your mind, know with confidence the next time you’re incarnated on Earth again it will be 5D Earth (or 4D, at least, if you feel like it).

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

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Pile 2 – Charting New Territories

c o s m i c – XVI The Tower

You’ve been through a number of experiences that would’ve given other people a major mental breakdown. But you, you were always able to maintain a positive attitude. Somehow, more than most other people, you’re blessed with an ability to maintain a strong faith in the higher powers. You’re not shaken by the unknown. You embrace cycles of transformation, like a snake shedding its old skin. Parasites are left with the old skin. You’re so amazing.

With this Full Blue Moon in Pisces, you’re building a new Tower of your own. A shiner Tower, strong enough to stand for another 10,000 years or so. This is the Life you’ve always wanted for yourself. This basically could translate into your starting up your new business, moving to another country to start a new Life, or even just starting the preparations for this new paradigm of your ideals. Basically, the chess pieces are moving now.

You’re just about to have a great time seeing every single one of your dreams and visions manifest step by step as you continue to live in your authenticity. Your decisions may not always be easily understood by everyone but you don’t care anymore. You’re done caring—carrying other people’s negativity and small worldviews. You’re done with the past. You can feel all your bones rattling—your clarion call is calling, babe~ Tlulululu~📞HELLO!🎆

l o g i c – Queen of Cups Rx

Up until recently, you’ve been deep in an alchemical process of knowing the inner workings of your emotions. You’ve recently come to fully understand how the way you care too much about the people around you has become a disadvantage. You are really kind, you know, very caring, and I hope you don’t see this as a weakness. You weren’t weak at all; you’d just been giving to the wrong bunch of people. These takers are major losers who don’t have it in them to know how to be kind, caring, or generous to other people. It’s alright, this was just your learning process to know how the Devil ticks.

With this, I’m seeing you’ve made a strong resolve to first and foremost prioritise your mental health. Your emotional wellbeing comes first because you’re literally the main character of your own Life. If that should make you step on a few toes, you’re not gonna fret. Their fault for being in your way.

You’re becoming more logical in the way you view how the world works. Things and situations are not always fair, and sometimes, the right thing to do may not always seem the best. But you’re done being a sacrifice to unideal situations at all times. Nomo. You’re choosing not to let your emotions override your sense of deservingness and respect.

m a g i c – 9 of Cups

You’ve raised your vibrations, and now you’re becoming a match to a lot of high-vibe treasures. A lot of them. You’re going to see first hand how your Reality shifts, continuously, to find the right bearing before some things can be decided and become permanent. Your realities are going to keep shifting like that at least until the next Full Moon. In the coming month, you’re going to feel very blessed and glad that you’ve decided to take control of your Life. You’re going to be so proud of yourself, if you aren’t already.

When you’re, let’s say, out and about, you might encounter people or situations that feel rather magical. Like, there’s so much good luck surrounding you and you may be like, ‘OMG, how did that just happen?’ There’s so much Love and positivity surrounding you that you also feel charitable—with your energy, attention, resources. There seems to be this equal give and take between you and the world outside.

I think it’s possible you’re gonna be meeting Soul Mates as well. Or, you could be entering this phase of your Life where you’re meeting what in Buddhism is termed brothers and sisters in dharma. People with whom you share a similar vision to be of service to the world, in a similar fashion. I think you’re going to feel so excited and motivated about the purpose of your Life and how you’re gonna go about it going forward. Tlulululu~📞HELLO!🎆

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

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Pile 3 – Future Builder

c o s m i c – King of Pentacles

On a cosmic scale, you’re being led to become a leader of the New Age of Aquarius. For some, this means you will have a public platform to speak for your causes. It’s not so difficult to wave influence over a group of people nowadays when you have social media, right? For some, this could mean that you will have a new role that will have you seen as an authoritative figure in your field, or immediate home/work/school environment.

For some others, you could get promoted to a new position at your workplace, or get a new work opportunity that is more in alignment with your spiritual values as a human being. Some kind of change that will make you feel greatly proud of yourself, in a grateful manner😊Money and other forms of abundance are coming in steadily, although for some may not be too quickly.

Some of the changes that are happening to you, you may not think that these are spiritual in nature, but they are, and you will gradually understand the meaning of these shifts in your Reality as you go along. The tiny truth of the matter is, you are finally receiving a lot of material abundance because you’ve literally embraced the idea that you deserve to take up space🎉

l o g i c – XII The Hanged Man Rx

I feel very strongly you’ve been having these inner works revolving knowing how to strike a balance between being selfless and selfish. You may have come from a background in which people are expected to always be humble and stupidly selflessly giving, no matter the cost. I know an Asian background or a Christian one could mess up with a lot of people’s psychology. Especially East Asian, I guess? You’re expected to just mingle in the background and flexing your accomplishments is literally considered a severe social misconduct *bleh* something like that

You’ve had to learn the hardest way not to give in to that notion of putting yourself last. The group is always more important than the individual? Fuck that. I come first. Every individual deserves to come first especially when the group setting is not even that altruistic. Especially when the group’s importance is literally serving the blatant selfishness of some of the top/key figures in the group. Nomo. Fuck this and fuck that. I blast open my own pathway. Even if nobody will like me for that, I come first. I take care of me first. How can I be a genuinely kind person when I can’t even be kind to myself?

That’s sort of the learning process you’ve had to go through until you reached this plateau of clarity on how an individual can maintain personal autonomy even when you’re still a part of the group. In spite of your age and how much you’ve experienced in Life, I don’t think you’re anywhere near finishing learning hahah Wise people never stop learning anyway. But for now, I think you’ve graduated some level of a meaningful spiritual masterclass with flying colours~!🌈

m a g i c – XIII Death Rx

You have been reborn, baby~ Out of the old cycle into a new phase of AWESOME. Something about the way you look, I’m sure has changed, too. You’re a much happier person now, you’re more confident. I think your facial expression is different. Your posture is better. Your steps are surer. Your skin cleared up. You’ve got an entirely new wardrobe. Your social media is going through a renaissance. You have a new circle of friends or a new boyfriend even. Everything, is just, different, in ways you can’t really explain.

Your aenergy has affected your physical Reality to morph itself in accordance with your ideals. You’re literally living in your desired reality and it can only get better form here. Need I say more? Just ENJOY~ You’ve worked hard to maintain your authenticity in a world that delights in seeing people kill themselves emotionally and spiritually just to fit in the group.

Your originality is what will ensure your future successes like nobody in your family has ever seen. Trust that, babe—this is New Age of Aquarius. Aquarius is all about being original and eccentric. It’s not like you’re hurting anybody, right? Your level of happiness is going to make everybody regret that they didn’t believe enough in you. They’d wish they coulda treated you better. But do you give a damn? Maybe you shouldn’t. Leave them at the bottom of the grave they dug for you. You go shine your Light for those who resonate with you, you beautiful Angel Goddess Fairy Mermaid Nymph Siren~🌞

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

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[kanotototori]

“Is this run-down nation really what you wanted to create?”

I have Thoughts about this that I don’t know how to quite articulate properly but like, that’s the question, isn’t it?

I think it’s certainly the world Father of right now wants - the chaos of the nation Father created visually embodies it, that senseless desire for indiscriminate destruction - because, as he himself put it, all that he has left is anger, it “doesn’t even matter” what he wanted to do anymore.

I think Mizuchi questioning whether this is really the world Father wanted is a particularly important question to think about for readers right now.

Is this really the world Father wanted to create?

We’ve seen a pretty clear progression with Father in the flashbacks so far: Adachitoka starts off with how his worldview was shaped by the incident with the monk on the cliff that underlies his entire character (life is a constant competition to survive, life is cheap, “winning” means you get to survive, forgiveness is how losers excuse themselves, this world under the sun is hell) and how he hates that status quo, then it shifts into the thought that he wants things to be better in this life, and finally - in the latest Kaya flashbacks - that this system was wrong from the start and that he will fix the world, even if such a thing may be impossible.

Even when Father from the flashbacks seems to expect the worst from people (”aren’t you going to cut off my head or something?”, “I’d thought it to be normal for even family members to steal from each other”, his overall reaction to the villagers being suspicious of him), he was still able to say that the village is “full of good people.” We see little - if any at all! - of the contempt Father regards people with in the Sakura flashbacks and beyond.

All of that is to say: Father didn’t always want chaos and destruction, it actually seems to be far from his original intentions. The strongest link we see between the three flashbacks is that Father hates what he perceives to be status quo, he wants things to be better, he wants to “fix” the world instead of, well, “cull the herd” and “torment the hell out of them” (Ch 60).

With that being said, the math is just not mathing when Father says the only wish he’s been able to wish in his entire life is “cull the herd”, the wish that supposedly brought Yato into existence. Even if you get nitpicky about it and suppose that there’s a difference between “wanting” and “wishing”, I feel like there’s too much of a discrepancy between what Father desires in flashbacks (after all, “the only wish [he’s] been able to wish in [his] entire life”) before Kaya’s death and what we see in the Sakura flashbacks, which take place after.

I’ve ran this point into the ground at this point but gods in Noragami more or less adhere to their “natures”, because they are literally manifestations of certain phenomena/natural features taking human form: Bishamon is indeed the strongest warrior god, Kofuku brings misfortune as the goddess of poverty, Ebisu remains business-oriented through his reincarnations as a god strongly associated with business, even if their general dispositions changed based on guidance from their shinki/human prayers. That nature remains more or less the same.

Yet Yato, as a god himself, never seemed to express any genuine malice even as a child before Sakura, when he was the most “free” of outside influences - he “played” by killing because he knew no better but even then, the first thing he does after his first cull is to run to Father, looking for his praise. Even when Sakura hasn’t “taught” him anything yet, his main concern is what he can do to make her happy.

(There’s more to be said about this but I already expanded on this idea in Part 1-2 of “Father: True Desires, Projection Theory, and Related Thoughts” so I won’t rehash a second time LOL.)

There is still a gap between when we last see Father in Yomi (”I will fix the world”) and Father in the Sakura flashbacks (”cull the herd”) in which the two big missing pieces are Father’s return from Yomi and Kaya’s death that most likely mark Father’s change in thinking. And if Yato was indeed born from Father’s wish, but that wish doesn’t seem to be an embodiment of Father’s superficial desire for destruction, then one has to ask:

Is that run-down nation (and, by extension, “cull the herd”) really what Father wanted to create in the first place?

Much to think about.

I’m definitely worried about how things will pan out in 2 chapters but I have a bit of hope when this question is being posed, yet we haven’t seen Kaya’s death or Yato’s birth. The missing puzzle pieces to the Father puzzle.

Other related thoughts I didn’t know where to fit in:

“I should have just created a nation to begin with instead of you.”

A part of me wonders whether Father says this in part because “Yato” and “the Nation” are diametrically opposed concepts. The Nation that Father has created truly embodies his superficial desire for destruction and chaos (visually, metaphorically, functionally), while Yato embodies Father’s desire for a different world that’s not steeped in Father’s anger and misery.

(And like, obviously a Nation also can’t rebel and try to kill you and go against your whims, LOL. That was probably the main thing.)

I don’t know how much sense this will make buuut both Yato (”why [are you doing this]...?”) and Mizuchi (”why are you like this?”) have posed a “why?” question about Father when we are about to breach the final parts of the backstory for sure... Boy, we about to get to know exactly why (or at least I hope so).

But also re: that Yato page specifically, on the subject of the callback to Father crying from several chapters ago: that scene is linked to one of the most important (imo) expositions we’ve gotten about Father so far, where Yato asks another important “why?” question (”why would he be crying?”) that has been left hanging a little bit.

Boy, we about to get to know exactly why (or at least I hope so)!!!

[midweastindigo]

i have covid and watched ella enchanted for the first time in years. here's how a buddie au can still win

buck isn't a people pleaser by choice - he just doesn't know it. his parents prayed and pleaded with doctors, nurses, with gods, and witches, and the universe itself, to save their eldest son daniel. and so the universe gave them evan buckley. he was able to save daniel, but it wasn't enough. daniel buckley still died. and as curses, or gifts, or forces of good versus evil, go, they went wrong. evan buckley's purpose was to save his brother and he was unable to fulfill that purpose so the buckleys wanted to give him back. but the goddess that gave them a second son does not go back on their gifts, so a deal was struck. how dare they question the motives of a force of nature? how dare they try and return such a perfect gift? they shall keep the child, and that child will listen to them. a pink mark on his face to forever haunt the buckleys of their choices, and.

a most obedient son, indeed.

now, evan wasn't told of this gift, or curse. the only other person who even knew about it at all was his older sister of 6 years, madeline. and she was never to utter a word to her baby brother, lest she be cursed with the same misfortune, or so the buckleys say.

so, evan cannot say no. children exploited it without knowing. teachers made an example out of him. evan's second home was the emergency room.

he leaves, but it is because he is told to 'get lost!' by his father. not because he chooses to escape his prison.

evan buckley is lost when he stumbles into the fire academy, and from the ashes comes buck. and robert nash sees this. when he fires him on the rooftop, bobby finally understands. 'it's like. i don't-bobby, wait. bobby, like i couldn't say no! i've never told anyone 'no' my entire life!'

bobby knows what it sounds like. buck is cursed.

bobby knows cursed people because he is one. in fact, he prides himself in recruiting people who are cursed, whether they know it or not. buck clearly does not.

'buck,' he says. 'i think you're cursed.'

'cursed? like in fairytales?'

'yeah but in real life. i'm not going to fire you, i think you belong on this team.'

'because i'm cursed.'

'precisely. everyone here is. i'll reintroduce you, c'mon.'

and so there are the introductions.

henrietta, cursed to never be on time by her ex who was never satisfied with how much time they spent together. 'sometimes they aren't so bad. the worst was when i was late to my wedding. karen damn nearly called it off!'

howard, cursed with always having love slip right through his fingertips, just out of reach. 'the one who cursed me said it could be broken with true love's kiss. seems i haven't found it yet.'

and bobby, cursed with knowing that everyone he loves will die by his hands. 'my in-laws did not think my punishment of living every day without my family was enough.'

'and me?'

'buck, we think you're cursed to obey.'

'no, all of this is just bullshit, you can't really think-'

'stop talking.' buck stops.

chim says, 'ooh, do the chicken dance!' hen hits him over the head as buck does what he's told.

'you can talk again.'

'- i'd actually believe.....'

the team agrees to never demand anything of buck, even captain's orders are phrased like a choice. buck learns to live with his curse, and is better off for it now he knows what it is.

until abby. abby never figured it out. so when she said 'stay at my place. keep it waiting for me.' she didn't know he would. that he'd have no choice. it took the power of the whole team commanding buck to come to the station for him to leave after four days. even longer, a 'call me' written on a note for buck to stop waiting for abby to come back.

he wanted her to come back, is the thing. he knows the difference between wanting and being forced, and he wanted, hoped, begged abby to return to him. but she didn't. 'no true love's kiss to break this one, huh, chim?'

and then bobby recruits eddie diaz: cursed to never lie.

he's found ways around it, though. fought hard against the gift given to him by a distant relative that thought it would do the diaz family some good. eddie's father taught him that skewing the truth did not equate to lying. and if there was a bit of truth within, eddie could get away with only a minor headache.

or a child and a marriage he was not prepared for.

so instead of having to share all his truths, eddie runs.

and he ran straight into the 118.

bobby, now curse-free thanks to his witch of a new wife, athena, sees eddie at the academy and recruits him. not because he's cursed, though, that's a bonus. eddie is a damn good firefighter. and his curse only aids in his abilities.

his bluntness is no match for buck.

and when he says, 'you can have my back any day,' he means it. it is not forced out of eddie just because it's the truth. and there is no skewing the fact that he will trust buck with his life again. over and over.

he doesn't yet realize how deep that statement shall run. eddie, not yet knowing of buck's curse, presents him with an option. a choice. not an order.

buck wants to have his back. there is no force behind it.

'or, you know, you could have mine.'

[haggishlyhagging]

There have been many attempts by theologians to interpret the fall from paradise story in ways that do not "explain" barbarity, cruelty, and insensitivity as the inevitable result of "original sin." Indeed, the reinterpretation of this most famous of all religious myths in new and more prohuman symbolism is integral to the ideological transformation that must accompany the social, economic, and technological shift from a dominator to a partnership system. But it is also essential that we clearly understand the social and ideological meaning of this important story in terms of its historical context.

In fact, it is only from this historical perspective that the story of Eve taking counsel from a serpent makes any sense. The fact that the serpent, an ancient prophetic or oracular symbol of the Goddess, advises Eve, the prototypical woman, to disobey a male god's commands is surely not just an accident. Nor is it an accident that Eve in fact follows the advice of the serpent: that, in disregard of Jehovah's commands, she eats from the sacred tree of knowledge. Like the tree of life, the tree of knowledge was also a symbol associated with the Goddess in earlier mythology. Moreover, under the old mythical and social reality (as was still the case with the Pythoness of Greece and later the Sibyl of Rome) a woman as priestess was the vehicle for divine wisdom and revelation.

From the perspective of that earlier reality, the orders of this powerful upstart God Jehovah that Eve may not eat from a sacred tree (either of knowledge or divine wisdom or of life) would have been not only unnatural but sacrilegious. Groves of sacred trees were an integral part of the old religion. So were rites designed to induce in worshippers a consciousness receptive to the revelation of divine or mystical truths—rites in which women officiated as priestesses of the Goddess.

So in terms of the old reality, Jehovah had no right to give such orders. But having been given them, neither Eve nor the serpent, as representatives of the Goddess, could be expected to obey.

But while this part of the story of the Fall only makes sense in terms of the old reality, the rest makes sense only in terms of the power politics of imposing a dominator society. For like the later transformation of the horned bull (another ancient symbol associated with the worship of the Goddess) into the horned and hoofed devil of Christian iconography, the transformation of the ancient symbol of oracular wisdom into a symbol of satanic evil and the blaming of woman for all the misfortunes of humanity were political expedients. They were deliberate reversals of reality as it had formerly been perceived.

Directed to the original audience for the Bible—the people of Canaan, who would still have remembered the terrible punishments inflicted on their ancestors by the men who brought with them the new gods of war and thunder—the horrible consequences of Eve's disobedience of Jehovah's orders were more than just an allegory about humanity's "sinfulness." They were a clear warning to avoid the still persistent worship of the Goddess.

The "sin" of Eve when she defied Jehovah and herself dared to go to the source of knowledge was in essence her refusal to give up that worship. And because she—the first and symbolic woman—clung to the old faith more tenaciously than did Adam, who only followed her lead, her punishment was to be more dreadful. Henceforth, she would have to submit in all things. Not only her sorrow, but her conception—the number of children she must bear—would be greatly multiplied. And for all eternity she was now to be ruled by this vengeful God and his earthly representative, man.

-Riane Eisler, The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future

[cafeinthemoon]

Ruins - Chapter I

Chapter 1

Wordcount 2,8k

Title Part I

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Symbols ⭕➕💛

Warning (s): none

Tagging @darling-imobsessed (if you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just send an ask or a message 😉)

N. A.: So... I posted it lmao This chapter has already been posted on my ao3 and Quotev, and the next one will be out soon ;) I've just read snv's manga (haven't watched the anime yet) and enjoyed so much that it couldn't pass without a short story from me at least, so here we have a little romance with the King of Hellheim himself. hope you enjoy it 💜

"Indeed, it's wrong to keep you near me One could call me cruel and deceiving But in your sacred air I am full of light Your loving arms are the true delight To which I'm lost"

(Tamino, Persephone)

Instead of saying that you accepted to be there to pursuit a goal, you’d rather say you were after answers.

The tradition was well known by you: every year, a different region of your world was selected by Valhalla’s divine council for the task of sending a group of young, healthy women from every class, tribe and family available to the gods’ temporary residences where they would learn and serve, having their natural talents sharped to their limit, according their masters’ will. That time, your land was the chosen one, and your family selected you among your sisters.

It wasn’t the case that you longed for it. However, a girl couldn’t just oppose to the divine beings’ decision, and you knew you had no chance to find what you were seeking for in your own land, a small town by the sea where the commoner’s perspectives wouldn’t surpass the art of fishing in the case of the men and the ability of fixing nets in the case of the women, so that the best you could do was to bow your head and go with the others.

***

As far as you could see, there was nothing to complain about in Valhalla: you were all welcomed by Hermes, Zeus’ representative, who guided you to your lodgings and gave you instructions regarding your routine, the houses’ rules and your duties with all the competence and politeness expected from the Olympian spokesman; the rooms were comfortable; the food was excellent; some of the girls were good people, with whom you sensed you could be friends with. And, of course, the beauty of the lands surrounding the residence was beyond description.

Thanks to all those reasons, besides the fact that there was always interesting work to do, even you, instead of being easily swallowed by boredom, found yourself enthralled by your new life.

***

Before you had your first encounter with your possible future masters, you were told that each god and goddess there had their necessities and preferences according to their own personality, domain and history, and they would choose their disciples and servants guided by these parameters. The first weeks of interactions between the girls and the gods had the single purpose of exposing the first group to the examination of the latter, after which every girl would stay under the supervision of the deity who took interest in their qualities.

Some of these assimilations happened right in the first days, almost always involving the girls with obvious, specific talents, such as singing, crafting, dancing, fighting and similar things. Others would take longer to find their place, but eventually would fit in less famous gods’ guardianship. There were others, however, who would accept obscure positions as properties or concubines just to avoid what they saw as the humiliation of not being adopted as apprentices. You, on your side, had the misfortune of not being among the first ones to be chosen, belonging to the minority without guidance, but you already decided you would not submit yourself to dishonorable roles, not even for the gods: you haven’t left your house to end up like this. Besides, your parents warned you that one should take twice the prudence when it comes to divine matters.

***

Unlike your seeking for a divine tutor, finding a favorite place to be during the free hours of your day didn’t take much of your time – soon during your stay, you were lured and trapped by the enormous Library of Valhalla.

Since the intellectual development of the apprentices was among the criteria, all of you were granted access to the vast corridors and the colossal shelves crowded of books, parchments and brochures of every conceivable knowledge area, so that you would stay there and enjoy your right as long as you could. Sometimes, you wondered if there was something wrong in it, for you wouldn’t see more than half a dozen girls there at a time, and they would never stay as long as yourself. Or was it you that were spending too much time among the books instead? There was no way to know.

And if you were being honest, you might have had more to do inside a library than them, since your reasons would go beyond the love for learning.

Months ago, long before you were selected, a dream began to haunt you. A dream of ruins and desolation; of solitude and despair; a dream of a landscape where you were the only living being, and through which you would walk, seeking for something you didn’t even understand. The more you would search for this thing, the farther you felt it from you. Your deepest agony was that, whenever you sensed the slightest chance to find what you wanted, you would wake up and be forced to leave the nightly visions aside until the next time the dream came to you.

You weren’t cheering for being sent to Valhalla, that’s true, but when you discovered the existence of that library, the first thing you did was to start a long, detailed research in the dreams / psyche section to find clues. All the work you would do by yourself, though sometimes you wished you had someone to help you, until you thought twice and decided it was better not to involve anyone in this: that mission was yours, and yours alone.

***

That day you had the chance to start your research earlier, for you didn’t have much work to do, and the little you had was not difficult. You organized your things in the room and, once you had an opportunity, you left the company of the girls and headed to the library, to the already familiar section.

There was a specific book there that you found more interesting than the previous ones, the reasons including its updated grammar and glossary, the quantity of information and the fluid language, sparing your mind of the distractions caused by the far-fetched discourse so common in old works. It was a thick volume, with at least a thousand pages and a hard cover, making it so heavy that you were forced to slow your steps while carrying it from the shelf to the nearest table, but you weren’t bothered by this more than by the difficulties of your research itself.

The book was organized by themes, and each theme was divided in entries like a dictionary, thanks to which you advanced a third of the pages in just a few days. You were now reading an entry about isolation and comparing it to the notes you took about dreams with wilderness and ruins from another book. You hated to admit, but you weren’t seeing results in this study, since the conclusions given by the texts couldn’t be applied to your current situation in life or anything in your perspective. But you knew your dream had a meaning. It had to be that way. Otherwise, why would it keep coming back to disturb you?

You raised your eyes from the page and sighed. Maybe you should give yourself a break. There were large windows near your table that granted the readers a splendid view of the gardens. You stood up and flexed your arms, decided to go there and rest your eyes a bit…

– It’s been a long time since this library saw such a dedicated researcher.

You let out a brief scream and turned immediately to the voice’s direction: you were so concentrated in your activities that you haven’t heard or sensed its owner’s arrival. But once you laid your eyes on him, you had to lean on the table to keep your posture, for the individual you had before you was not one you would take lightly.

There you saw a tall man in light, elegant clothing and circumspect manners walking down the stairs that connected the first floor, where you were, to the second one, which corridors and study tables were invisible from your spot, something you thought to be the reason why you haven’t seen him until now. But, still...

Being able to mask his presence that way, to the point I haven’t heard a single book’s page being turned… It’s equally admirable and disturbing.

The man approached with a calm curiosity in his look, that would go from you to the papers on your table, then back to the little human who stared at him as if caught in the middle of a crime or a child’s game, or so you thought while looking at the slight curve on the corner of his lips. When he stopped in front of you, your first instinct was to step back, but the table was in your way, so you were forced to stay in your place – a normal distance for two humans, but too short when a god was involved. Because his divine nature was clear even to your untrained eyes.

No mortal could be this beautiful.

Defying the passage of time, he had the face of a young man, no marks or lines to maculate the freshness of his skin as far as you could see, though his eyes would not let you be deceived: those were old eyes, heavy with the things they’ve seen through countless ages, and sharp by the same reasons, eyes that you guessed that only a few could stand; above the left one, there was a delicate tattoo of a vine that contoured his forehead until it disappeared under the waves of his gray hair, a conspicuous yet decent attire that would soften the solemnity of his general appearance. His right ear, pointing out among his hair, was pierced by an impressive amount of earrings.

In an unforeseen yet calm move, he stretched his right hand. You startled... until you looked aside and understood that he just wanted to reach the open book on the table. He passed an elegant finger over the lines on the upper side of the page as his eyes read the sentence in a quick look, turning back to you right after.

You were distracted looking at his nails, painted with a dark shade, and needed a moment to process what he said next.

– Dreams and the mysteries of the subconscious – he started, a note of moderate interest in his tone – Many of your people experience attraction to these subjects, but only a few are willing to study them with the seriousness they deserve. But you’ve been visiting this section everyday, taking notes and making comparisons with the same passion of an old scholar. It’s a beautiful thing to see in a young person, I have to admit.

So… he has been there all this time, observing your comings and goings?

He took a step aside in order to examine your papers, and you couldn’t do anything but to look as he took your notes and lists and read them with respectful attention, then compared their content with the books, talking to himself during the inspection.

– So descriptive and organized... An excellent calligraphy… Detailed yet selective… Professional yet passionate…

The man put everything back on their place and turned to you, his inquisitive gaze making you adjust your posture.

He asked your name. You gave him the first and the second one, to which he discussed your origins.

– This is a common name by the sea lands from the … region. Are you from there?

– Yes… My Lord – he haven’t said his name yet, but you wouldn’t leave him without any treatment – My family have been living there for at least four generations. This is my mother’s name too.

He turned back to the table for a brief second.

– By the style used in your notes, I suppose you’ve been doing all of this for personal reasons – and with a soft smile, – It seems you’re trying to figure out the meaning of a dream of yours. Would you mind telling me about it?

You didn’t give him an immediate reply, though you weren’t willing to refuse the request: on one hand, you’ve never talked about this dream with any human, including the people you trusted the most, so that entertaining the idea of revealing it to a god was an even more distant possibility until this day; on the other hand, you were a young mortal from the coast, isolated in their lands now: you were aware of how silly it would be to ignore your disadvantage and say no to one of them. The thing is that you’ve been successful in avoiding this problem by keeping a safe distance from the gods you saw as the most demanding and dangerous… But what should you do when one of them suddenly appears before you and start making questions in a direct yet polite manner, in a way that you wouldn’t even call intrusive?

Perhaps all of this was written in your face, for he ended up giggling after observing you for a while.

– It doesn’t feel right sharing it with a stranger, does it? – and since you stayed quiet, – But let me tell you that it isn’t for nothing that I took interest in it. I myself have been haunted by a dream for months before deciding to come to Valhalla after answers. And, judging by the predominant symbols of your notes, such as ruins and old buildings, our dreams might have similarities. I want to find out how deep they are. And this is so important to me that I don’t mind asking for a stranger’s help to get this.

He finished that sentence with the same soft, discreet smile you caught yourself getting familiar with. Maybe he’s got a point there. And since you yourself weren’t going too far doing all the work alone, counting on someone more experienced than you, and one with a similar case to solve, couldn’t be so bad.

You sighed and turned to the table, to your papers, finally accepting to talk.

– Just like in your case, my Lord, during the months that preceded my stay in Valhalla, this dream would come to me at least one night a week. I would find myself alone, surrounded by what it seemed to a be a desert, or an abandoned land, with ruins as far as the eye can see. I would walk to see what I could find among them, but there was nothing for me there. Still, I wouldn’t try and find a way to leave that place. I wanted to stay, to touch the ruins, to move them, to build something out of them, but some strange force grips my hands, as if telling me not to be arrogant and leave them there, and this is when my hope dies and I wake up with no choice but to wait until it started again.

The man spent a moment in silence, looking at the papers, measuring your words, and during that time your breaths were the only detectable sound between those walls.

He was the first to talk after that.

– Tell me… The last night you had this dream was the one before you came to Valhalla, wasn’t it? And this was probably the time when the dream came more vividly, right?

Your eyes widened.

– How do you know, my Lord?!

Your surprise didn’t affect him.

– Because the same thing happened to me. Now, can you give this place of your dreams a more detailed description?

You nodded and went to depict the aspect of the ruins, the color of the sky, the texture of the soil, the temperature of the surroundings and everything you were able to remember. At some moments, you had to make pauses, as if the memories were as heavy as the dream itself, so that dealing with the emotions evoked by it while awake was as difficult as when you experienced them in your sleep.

There was a sensation of peace, or conciliation, in the air when you finished, which convinced you that another part of your mission was fulfilled – the initial one being the start of your research.

However, your journey for answers was just beginning, and the beginning itself was a pit deeper and darker than your young mind could conceive.

The man, as composed as he has been since the start of the conversation, turned his eyes to you, and you would swear you saw a trace of relief – even satisfaction – in them.

– It’s just as I imagined. This place… is the same of my own dreams. And I know where it is.

You gasped.

– Do you?!

– Yes. This place exists in reality. And it is part of Hellheim.

Part II

[thebowynntradition]

BOWYNN GODS: TYMORA

Tymora  (Ty-mor-ah)    Goddess of fortune, luck and wealth. She is the daughter of Rhya and Daekk, and the sister of Daekk and Hemway. While her brother is the good of material wealth and prosperity, Tymora is the goddess of life wealth. She is the goddess that conjures chance events to go a person’s way, leading them to a fulfilled path, not always just money. She is prayed to often that life goes the way a person hopes for luck in life’s daily encounters. But of course, many see her as a goddess of monetary wealth. Tymora is often prayed to along with her brother Daekk at the same time. But Tymora is also a goddess of misfortune too. What she gives, she can easily take away if people abuse that which she bestows on them.

     The legends of Tymora are endless. She was indeed one of the gods of Alaway that stayed with the first tribes for seven days and nights, teaching the people all she could about fortune and her gifts to humanity.  One sacred tale speaks of a Guild Master who was so corrupt and filled with greed. But he wanted more and more, so he beseeched Tymora to bless him with her blessings of fortune. She refused to do so and so he had her temple destroyed in his city. Misfortune quickly fell on everyone about him, but the guild master himself. But all his people became so enraged with the man’s wealth that they looted his home till nothing was left. Quickly he learned his lessons and built a new and more glorious temple. His wealth and status was never fully returned but he understood why. Many of the legends of Tymora go the same way.

     Tymora is seen as a motherly figure with raven black hair and eyes as green as the summer forest. She is seen clad in a dress and robe of green with white trim and a white mantle. She does not have a formal crown on her head but is disklet that hangs from behind like a halo, which is said to be of silver. She is always seen along with her brother Daekk in her arms, as Daekk is a baby. Tymora is rarely seen in her totem form, which is said to be that of a mouse. Sacred offerings to Tymore consist of small sachets of grain and corn, coins and votive images of mice.

[calekinnieplus]

Also, the Goddess was indeed a former subsidiary god of the Annihilation Demonic Wolf, the Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises. After that ancient god perished, not only did “She” grasp the authority of the Evernight and successfully ascend to the throne of Sequence 0, she also single-handedly destroyed all the descendants of Flegrea, sealed the Antigonus family’s angel within the Nation of the Evernight, and used the Mother of the Sky’s body as “Her” vessel for a descent… That’s ruthless…

If that isn't badass, then idk what to say

Like, DAMN, Evernight?? Badass. Talk about from rags to riches

[idolatri]

Millennia prior, a painter and sculptor by the name of Jyestha lived in Ay-Khanoum. Known for his distinguished works, Jyestha enjoyed a carefree life in pursuit of the arts. While in the prime of his creative life, Jyestha caught the eye of Nabu Malikata. The Lord of Flowers became his eternal muse.

Jyestha dedicated an endless amount of artwork and sculptures in her divine image. His affections for his lord soon took a turn much too sweet for this eraーthe nectar of the Padisarah lingers on his tongue. In an extravagant affair, the Lord of Flowers took her own life, causing the rift between the God-Kings.

Momo Rambles:

I love my God-King ot3 but then I was like 'what if gof was smitten with a human artist' led to 'what if kaveh'. That's why she offed herself before she fell in love with a human which is nono, otherwise she'd turn into a seelie husk. Her doing this devastates Rukk and Desh but you know...

She loves Rukk and Desh but she's lived a hard life and suffering together adds an element of grief, but this human artist is... liberating....A breath of fresh air. There's something alluring and charming in the way he lives his life to the fullest despite the fact that human lives are so fleeting. The way his works sparks different shades to light up her world like she has never seen before, a mix of curiosity and fascination catches the seemingly omnipotent eyes of a god. I'm also a slut for muse/artist ships so sue me

I decided to name him Jyestha which by name meanings are people who are free-spirited, flashy, brutally honest, and a bit selfish. Jyestha is also the name of the goddess of misfortune in Vedic tales, the opposite of Lakshimi. Which also fits because he did indeed bring misfortune and caused the downfall of civilizations

This feeds my reincarnation ship brainrot of: 'I couldn't be with you in this life, but perhaps in a kinder world...we could choose each other.'

This will kinda explain why he and Alh are kinda at odds with one another ( if we go with Alh = Desh ).

Something inside Alh just resents him:

'You took her away from me...from us...'

[ballad-of-medusa]

2020 Huevember

HERMES — DREAM

"The dream of mortals has always been to come and conquer Olympus and the Heavens, and like Icarus, to fly away until their wings burn. If there is indeed a God who knew how to understand and conquer this feeling, it is Hermes: quicker than anyone else when it comes to crossing the sky on either side, the teasing God doesn't waste his time by allowing himself a few moments to simply daydream while fulfilling his duties."

Hermes is known for a God who is finally quite cunning and it is in this that he is similar to Adam. If my OC is not a thief, he is a very good speaker and when it comes to doing business, he is the first present!

THANATOS — PEACEFULNESS

"There is nothing more restful than falling asleep, lulllabied by the sound of the waves. This ebb that goes and comes back, it is so soothing ... That's it, the eternal rest. There is nothing more liberating, more tranquil, than to remain listening to the laments of souls on the banks of the river Styx. From time to time, Thanatos takes a brief moment to simply enjoy this moment when life becomes death and where it begins a new path."

Fubuki was an obvious choice for Thanatos: he has a special affinity with death in general, but most of all, he is a very calm person, even ... slow, to tell the truth. And it's a bit the image I have of Thanatos that is associated with peaceful death.

HADES — MISFORTUNE

"Sometimes it was a small matter to find himself bereft of everything: of the three brothers, Hades found himself with the realm of the dead, alone, without a companion to keep him company while his two brothers went from one love affair to another, both with mortals and nymphs. A few Lampads sometimes try to get God's attention, but Hades remains alone to rule. Perhaps this misfortune is finally not a misfortune?"

And we go on with the deities of the Underworld with Hades! Devis corresponds rather well to him according to me. He is always taciturn, alone, it is really only Coryn who brought some light in his life finally. He has a lot in common with Hades, especially concerning the kingdom of the dead!

CHRONOS — LUCK

"Space and time are the union of two very distinct forces: Fate and Fatality. One believes in second chances, the other tolerates only one path. More often, the second prevails over the first, but it happens from time to time that Chronos manages to break free from his prison to come and change the course of time for certain mortals: the thread woven by the Graeae is carefully cut and tied to another. Nothing could be simpler, let's see!"

Clearly, Yuichiro, we don't expect him to take on the features of Chronos. But do you know that in our great bestiary, well, it is indeed a human receptacle of the God of Fate? And of course, this one is not a nice God ready to help you: with him, second chances often come at a price ...

HERA — JEALOUSY

"Ah, how good it is to be considered the Queen of Olympus. Ah, how unfortunate it is to see her beloved being only a womanizer. If Hera was once respected, she is now considered as a divine who thirsts for vengeance with the love affairs of her dearest Zeus. And yet, she happens to be well to be pitied, to be thus relegated to the row of simple jealous goddess."

Eleonor is frankly a beautiful person who likes to have fun in my opinion. She also has a great attachment to Raymond, which give it back to her more or less, depending on his mood. She knows she is lucky to have charmed him but also that he does not leave anyone indifferent. And she doesn't hesitate to remind them that the place is taken!

✿ Last batch of my 2020 Huevember! Chronos is one of my absolute favorite, I must be honest. Anyway, have a good rest and enjoy 2023.

Adam von Friedholf, Fubuki Leichenträger, Devis Hayes, Yuichiro Rowan Shinkiseki & Eleonor Daïan (OCs) are mine. Art is mine.

[ss3890]

Goddess of the Crossroads

20-Day Deity Challenge courtesy of @broomsick : LINK

“Hecate was associated with borders, city walls, doorways, crossroads and, by extension, with realms outside or beyond the world of the living. She appears to have been particularly associated with being 'between' and hence is frequently characterized as a "liminal" goddess. "Hecate mediated between regimes—Olympian and Titan—but also between mortal and divine spheres."[57] This liminal role is reflected in a number of her cult titles: Apotropaia (that turns away/protects); Enodia (on the way); Propulaia/Propylaia (before the gate); Triodia/Trioditis (who frequents crossroads); Klêidouchos (holding the keys), etc.”

Cult images and altars of Hecate in her triplicate or trimorphic form were placed at three-way crossroads (though they also appeared before private homes and in front of city gates).[10] In what appears to be a 7th-century indication of the survival of cult practices of this general sort, Saint Eligius, in his Sermo warns the sick among his recently converted flock in Flanders against putting "devilish charms at springs or trees or crossroads",[62] and, according to Saint Ouen would urge them "No Christian should make or render any devotion to the deities of the trivium, where three roads meet...". (LINK)

Hecate’s association with the crossroads is perhaps one of the more important aspects of her in regard to my vision of, and experience with, this goddess. 

“Crossroads” in regards to modern worship (and my own) are not so much physical places, but the choices we make: ones we are faced with throughout our lives - whether on a macro or micro scale, at significant turning points or in the small daily choices we face - and each choice leads us down a path. 

Hecate can help illuminate these pathways, but the choice to walk them remains our own. Do you let your misfortune and trauma consume you? Or do you say “fuck you” and keep on going in spite of it? Do we wallow in darkness, or do we choose to follow her light?

“Hecate is an immensely powerful deity and is not one to be taken lightly. She is a genuinely loving goddess but working with her can be difficult. She tests her devotees and throws obstacles in their way. She cares but does not coddle. She will help you, but only if you put in the work. She will not pity you; she will challenge you to rise up. With Hecate, everything happens for a reason. Your life could feel like it’s falling apart, but if you have put in the time and work, everything will come together beautifully at the very end ~ after you have struggled and learned.“ (LINK)

I feel that she has always been there beside me for all the major turning points of my life, and very much in the way described above. Honestly, that’s what I really like about her. The good, the bad, the ugly...she has held up her lantern and bid me to take the paths that move onward and upward - paths that have shaped me into the self-assured woman I am today - because only I was able to stand up and walk them for myself. 

In doing this, I have found an inner strength that no one else could have given me...and being able to save yourself is a powerful thing indeed.

[faithtay]

NAME: Faith Taylor

PRONOUNS: She/Her

FACECLAIM: Anya Taylor Joy

AGE: 356

SPECIES: Vampire

RANK: Princess

OCCUPATION: Co-Owner of The Crimson Stage

BIOGRAPHY:

Born during the height of Puritan New England, Faith was a girl with the misfortune of being born to a shamed mother. She never knew of her father, only ever hearing the whispers of the sin her mother committed that resulted in her. The sin ran through her, her presence shunned by the community and the church of a God that was meant to judge her.

She grew up under that shadow and did her best to repent for a mistake that wasn’t hers to atone for. She was kind, virtuous, and prayed to a power that never lifted a finger to help her. Still, that wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Unlike her mother, she rejected the advances of the men around her, but try as she might to avoid committing sins, she wasn’t immune to those committed against her.

“Witch!” The word rang through Faith’s ears even now, after nearly four-hundred years. It was that day that Faith discovered the dirtiness of humanity and the selfishness of men. There was no redemption. She had rejected the wrong man, the brother of one of the poor souls who seemed eternally inflicted with witchcraft. The finger was pointed at her and she was immediately bound in chains. Of course the daughter of the local unwed mother would be a witch—the devil’s touch already ran through her blood. Her name was signed in the red book before she was born.

It was in a cell where Anna found her. She took pity on the girl and saw strength behind the hardened eyes of the girl who refused to cry. Anna was the true Goddess, the one Faith happily submitted to. Her mistress casted judgment over her and deemed her worthy of an afterlife—a rebirth filled with power. The irony of what she had become afterwards never struggled to bring a smirk to Faith’s lips. They had indeed found a monster, just not the one they were expecting, and they would pay for it with their lives.

Faith never looked back. Anna had given her the power to decide her own fate and she took every advantage of it. She followed her mistress for the next hundred years, learning under her tutelage and understanding the truth behind humanity and their endless cycle of sin. It was through her travels that she found another girl—one that tugged at her dead heartstrings enough for her to beg Anna to cast her judgment once again. Her mistress agreed and brought Adeline into the fold.

It wasn’t long before the two girls left their mother’s nest, living the life she had given them to their fullest. They rampaged around the country, enjoying their freedom with their mother’s approval. They were absolute menaces and nothing could stop them. It wasn’t until Anna decided to make a home in New York did the girls settle down. They helped Anna build her empire, dutifully, and destructively, along with their other siblings, and earned the life they have now.

Today, Faith continues to work for Anna, being one of her most loyal followers. Despite three-hundred years of reckless abandon, she is still very much a hedonist, her main motivation being having fun. It isn’t uncommon to spot her enjoying the night life and messing with the poor souls who are too enchanted by her beauty to listen to their instincts that told them to run. She made a vow after turning that no one would ever find her in chains again and she intended on keeping it.

[adportashq]

NAME: Faith Taylor

PRONOUNS: She/Her

FACECLAIM: Anya Taylor Joy

AGE: 356

SPECIES: Vampire

RANK: Princess

OCCUPATION: Co-Owner of the Crimson Stage

BIOGRAPHY:

Born during the height of Puritan New England, Faith was a girl with the misfortune of being born to a shamed mother. She never knew of her father, only ever hearing the whispers of the sin her mother committed that resulted in her. The sin ran through her, her presence shunned by the community and the church of a God that was meant to judge her.

She grew up under that shadow and did her best to repent for a mistake that wasn’t hers to atone for. She was kind, virtuous, and prayed to a power that never lifted a finger to help her. Still, that wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Unlike her mother, she rejected the advances of the men around her, but try as she might to avoid committing sins, she wasn’t immune to those committed against her.

“Witch!” The word rang through Faith’s ears even now, after nearly four-hundred years. It was that day that Faith discovered the dirtiness of humanity and the selfishness of men. There was no redemption. She had rejected the wrong man, the brother of one of the poor souls who seemed eternally inflicted with witchcraft. The finger was pointed at her and she was immediately bound in chains. Of course the daughter of the local unwed mother would be a witch—the devil’s touch already ran through her blood. Her name was signed in the red book before she was born.

It was in a cell where Anna found her. She took pity on the girl and saw strength behind the hardened eyes of the girl who refused to cry. Anna was the true Goddess, the one Faith happily submitted to. Her mistress casted judgment over her and deemed her worthy of an afterlife—a rebirth filled with power. The irony of what she had become afterwards never struggled to bring a smirk to Faith’s lips. They had indeed found a monster, just not the one they were expecting, and they would pay for it with their lives.

Faith never looked back. Anna had given her the power to decide her own fate and she took every advantage of it. She followed her mistress for the next hundred years, learning under her tutelage and understanding the truth behind humanity and their endless cycle of sin. It was through her travels that she found another girl—one that tugged at her dead heartstrings enough for her to beg Anna to cast her judgment once again. Her mistress agreed and brought Adeline into the fold.

It wasn’t long before the two girls left their mother’s nest, living the life she had given them to their fullest. They rampaged around the country, enjoying their freedom with their mother’s approval. They were absolute menaces and nothing could stop them. It wasn’t until Anna decided to make a home in New York did the girls settle down. They helped Anna build her empire, dutifully, and destructively, along with their other siblings, and earned the life they have now.

Today, Faith continues to work for Anna, being one of her most loyal followers. Despite three-hundred years of reckless abandon, she is still very much a hedonist, her main motivation being having fun. It isn’t uncommon to spot her enjoying the night life and messing with the poor souls who are too enchanted by her beauty to listen to their instincts that told them to run. She made a vow after turning that no one would ever find her in chains again and she intended on keeping it.

[histoireettralala]

To avoid disgrace- Forebodings.

In his memoirs, the maréchal de Bassompierre, himself a victim of political disgrace following the Day of Dupes, recalled an alleged conversation with Concini in 1616, not long after the death of the favourite's daughter. An emotional Concini had declared himself to be capable of overcoming such a loss, but not his own ruin and that of his wife and son, which he claimed to see "before me with my own eyes." His fears derived from his observation of life and human nature, and he had added that "man rises to a certain level of happiness after which he descends or falls, depending on how high and steep was his climb." Aware that his own good fortune had been immense, Concini was haunted by a premonition that the tide had turned and he had tried in vain to persuade his wife, the queen's long-time friend and companion Leonora Galigai, that they should make "an honourable retreat". Both would pay with their lives for the failure to act upon these forebodings, and Bassompierre remarked that his intention in telling this tale was to "show by this example how men, particularly those who fortune has favoured, have thoughts and premonitions of their [impending] misfortune; but not the will to act to avoid it."

These words were, of course, enriched by hindsight and a dash of personal animosity, and scholarly studies of the tragic couple suggest that if anyone was urging retreat from public was it was Leonora. Yet both Gracian the theorist and Bassompierre the political man of action had placed great weight not just on the fickleness of fortune, which was a commonplace of early seventeenth-century thought, but also the idea that a favourite or minister could extricate himself from the court by an act of will. In reality, as Bassompierre had perhaps unwittingly revealed, life was more complicated, and Concini was constrained by the attitude of his wife, or she by him, and both had to think of their future and that of their son. There is, it is true, some evidence that the couple considered flight back to their native Italy, and had even converted some of their assets into more readily transportable jewellery and cash. Unfortunately their titles, offices, lands, and pensions were in France and if they wished to preserve them that option was ruled out. To abandon worldly ambitions and make a noble retreat from public life was a lofty ideal worthy of any classical or Christian moralist, but to imagine Concini walking serenely away from the malicious court of Marie de Medici is hard indeed. Their status as "Italians", and as amongst the principal beneficiaries of the queen mother's largesse, had caused great resentment and they were an obvious target for the rapacious aristocratic cabals fighting over the spoils of the monarchical state. In such a ruthless world, there was much more to be said for trying to consolidate their position at the head of the government rather than take the risk of allowing power to pass into the hands of others. Where Concini erred was not in failing to heed those nagging doubts about the flightiness of the goddess Fortuna, but in needlessly antagonizing Louis XIII. Richelieu and Mazarin would learn by his mistakes, and both clung to power limpet-like until the bitter end, using the wealth and patronage at their disposal to entrench their families so deeply within the aristocratic networks of kinship and clientele that it proved impossible to dislodge them.

Julian Swann- Exile, Imprisonment, or Death- the Politics of Disgrace in Bourbon France.

[forfeda-project]

NA MORRÍGNA

One of the most enigmatic characters in all of Irish literature is the Morrígan. Alternatively described as a goddess, a trio of goddesses, a collective of battle spirits, and even a gloss for the Greek Furies, the Morrígan was known as a prophetess and a shapeshifter, appearing frequently in the form of a scald-crow. When appearing as a trio of sisters, the three Morrígna are most commonly named as Morrígu, Badb, and Macha, although other names such as Fea, Anand, or Nemain are given in other sources. The name "Morrígan" itself may even have been seen as a title rather than a proper name, which was assumed by different figures at different times. One of the Morrígan's most notable appearances is in the Táin Bó Regamna (the Cattle-Raid of Regamna), a prequel story to the better known Táin Bó Cuailgne. In the tale, the hero Cú Chulainn has an encounter with a strange, red-haired woman, whose presence is preceded by a terrible cry from the North. The woman, driving a chariot with a one-legged horse and accompanied by a man and a cow, tells Cú Chulainn that she is a satirist, and gives him a cryptic poem before transforming - chariot and all - into a black bird on a branch. Now recognizing the woman as the Morrígan, Cú Chulainn says he would have handled things very differently, had he known it was her. In response, the Morrígan tells him that misfortune would have resulted either way. Cú Chulainn insists that she has no power over him, to which she replies "I have power indeed; it is at the the guarding of thy death that I am, and I shall be," fortelling of Cú Chulainn's tragic fate, and the role she would play in bringing it about.

[piedpiperslists]

Taehyung One Shots (XVII)

* s - contains smut

Castle (II) by @satnin-darling s wc~7.7k / ft JJK, idol au, polyamory au, PWP Summary: It's another day in the SOOP and there's something about the way Taehyung and Jungkook are talking together beneath the awning that somehow ends up with you on a pleasurable tailspin.

All I Want for Christmas by @hazytaezy s wc~3.8 / friends to lovers Summary: Taehyung's hands would make a very nice necklace indeed.

Taste of Love by @vopegist wc~2.4k / strangers to lovers Summary: Getting to taste food from almost every restaurant or cafe in the city during holiday season sounds like a great idea when you’re not a food critic. But you are, and you can do nothing but come to terms with the fact that every place you would have to visit will offer you the same old boring holiday experience. As it turns out, Goût d'amour is different.

Winter Bear by @army-author wc~8.3k / fantasy au, shape-shifter au Summary: When you enter a toy store looking for a gift for your niece, you don’t expect to go home with a teddy bear that can shape-shift. But this Christmas seems to be a little stranger than normal...

Boundaries by @kooktrash s wc~4.4k / ex-FWB Summary: No one knows about the two weeks last summer where all you did was spend nights in his arms. It was never supposed to happen, but as it rounds that time of the year again you can’t help but fall into the same pattern, neither of you could avoid it anymore.

Sugar Plum Wishes by @army-author wc~12.7k / fantasy au Summary: You wish for a boyfriend for Christmas. A passing winter fairy decides to grant your wish…

Blood Moon by @strwberrytae s wc~6.6k / established relationship, roleplay au Summary: For one night, you’re strangers. In one sultry, dark night, all of your fantasies could come true. Nothing was planned except for the time and place. Everything was in Taehyung’s hands. All you have to do is play along and see where the night takes you. So as you slipped on your dark red dress that hid the matching lace lingerie, you could instantly feel yourself slipping into character. Tonight, you would discover what it means to roleplay as a sexual fantasy with an equally experimental partner. Tonight would be a night you would never forget.

Muse by @btsmutimagines s wc~4.5k / established relationship Summary: Taehyung is an artist and your body is his muse.

The Little Death by @sahmfanficbts s wc~6.2k / chocolate shop owner!reader, old friends to lovers Summary: You and Tae were best friends growing up. Now that you've both grown up, you're busy chasing your dreams and reaching them. But there's an emptiness that even chocolates cannot fill.

Moon Breaker by @magicalsalamander s wc~17k / werewolf au Summary: Tales as old as time were passed through the werekind. If a human and a kind were to be mates, the moon would take them, the misfortune, to serve the Goddess. Taehyung, a kind, had always heard of the tales told by his elders. The alpha of his kind. He didn’t expect to find his mate, one of the non-kinds. Would the moon reap her back?

[bernkastel11]

𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒏 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘

ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1

A long time ago

There were Twin Princesses who were born into the Solareth Clan,the Imperial Family of the Aurous Empire

They're twins but everything about them were so different

They were fraternal twins

Their name was Arabella and Linarisa

They were born in everyone's blessings

But since the beginning, only one was blessed

This is the story of the Unblessed Princess,one of the twins,who were unfortunate at the start

My sister,Arabella Rose Solareth,were the Sunshine of the Empire

She has warm golden hair, a common trait of the Aurous Empire's people

She was adored greatly by everyone because she was blessed with loveliness and beauty

She was the happiest little girl

My name is Linarisa Luna Solareth, who were the more unfortunate sister. I usually went by Linaris

As a child, I was already shunned by society

I was born with deep ocean colored hair unlike my sister. Many said I was an illegitimate child and I was seen as one

My parents never really cared about me and neglected me, they regarded me as a useless child

The reason I had deep ocean colored hair is because of the magic I possessed. The Court Mage explained that,she felt the aura coming from me

I was indeed a legitimate child

My misfortune continued when we started adulthood

On Foundation Day, Arabella show everyone that she has the Infamous Gifted Power of the Solareth Clan, Eternal Light of Heaven.

Eternal Light of Heaven was the power the Golden Goddess Aurous bestowed upon the Solareth Clan, the First Emperor of Aurous Empire had it and it has been passing on to the descendants of the Family.

What makes it special is that it is rare and only a few descendants were born with it

Arabella was gifted with that special power

I wasn't pleased much with the discovery, again my sister got blessed with a great gift

But that doesn't mean I do not have one

I was gifted with Shadow of Darkness

It was the reason why I had deep ocean colored hair

No one cared about it so I kept it a secret

The magic is very lethal if not use carefully. Why?

Because the shadow can engulf anything and destroy it

Then my life became more horrible to me

The man I loved, Jilian Felis Septir, who was a Duke, got engaged to Arabella

Yes she and I both loved him

I continued to see Arabella getting more affection from our mother

While I was left behind

I was also her daughter so why?

Next part —>