#i cannot get over these dress designs oh my merciful lord

[a-mellowtea]

Previously unreleased Volume 1 Penny and Sun concepts, and Volume 2 Neo, Team SSSN, and RWBY dance attire concepts by Eileen "Einlee" Chang.

Taken from "RWBY Archives ~Remnant Promenade Volume 1-8".

[shutteredislands]

REYLO MODERN AU FIC RECS

Hi!! I spent my entire winter break reading reylo fics and I feel like I’ve found some gems! I’m boring and don’t like angst, so most of these are pretty fluffy, however, always read the tags before reading. Anyways, happy reading!

Already Home -  College, Roommates, A/B/O, Soulmates AU - Complete - Rated E - 79k

“Oh stop being all Alpha-y.” She flexes her foot, rolling her ankle as if to prove a point, and he doesn’t miss the wince that crosses her expression. “You aren’t my Alpha, and you definitely aren't my soulmate,” she mutters.

He can’t help but let out a dry laugh. “Thank god for small mercies.”

Okay so this is a trope fest but it was so good! I’m not gonna explain the plot in depth because I think going in blind is best for this!

Baby, It's Just Biology - Professor/Student, A/B/O AU - Complete - Rated E - 113k

For Rey Jackson, trying to finish your degree in Biomedical Science at Harvard is difficult enough when you're one of the few Omegas on campus.

It's made even more difficult when your Professor is the one to trigger your heat. You can't help it, it's just your biology.

An Alpha Omega love story.

This is the perfect balance of angst, fluff and pure smut. This one Is a lot angstier than anything else on this list, but you can see every stage of this relationship and I loved it so much! Please read the tags on this one!

I’ve got you (under my skin) - Nanny/Single Parent AU - On Hiatus - Rated E - 81k

“Hi, I’m Rey. I’m here for the—”

“Nanny,” Ben blurts out dazedly, still trying to remember how to form coherent thoughts. “You’re the nanny.”

Her smile hitches up a little wider. “Well, I might be.”

Suddenly, Ben thinks he might be in for a whole new world of problems.

Because Rey Johnson is still most likely the only thing standing between him and disaster, that much hasn’t changed, not by a long shot.

And Ben can’t seem to stop staring at her mouth.

In which Ben hires Rey to watch his son... but he can’t seem to stop watching her.

Okay so I almost never read WIPs, but this one was left off in a pretty good place so don’t worry about cliffhangers or anything. I am a sucker for single dad!Ben so expect more of these. I loved this fic so much and get ready for a SMUTFEST.

Light My Fire - Rivals to Lovers, College, A/B/O AU - Complete - Rated E - 20k

When rivals Ben and Rey break into a professor's office together, it comes out that Rey might not be the Beta she thinks she is.

I’ve never been the biggest reader of enemies to lovers, until this. This was so so so good! I loved their banter so much, and this is another smutfest lol.

Peacock - Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Neighbors AU - Complete - Rated E - 72k

Thanks to a series of misunderstandings, failed attempts at flirting, and loud Katy Perry music, Ben grows to hate his new neighbor.

Proposing to her wasn't the best solution to his problems.

This is, hands down, one of the funniest fics I have ever read. I cried actual tears because of how funny this is. Slowish burn, but their banter will keep you engaged the whole time. I love this so much!!

An Unexpected Vacation - Scientist, A/B/O AU - Complete - Rated E - 62k 

“You don’t care that someone, that people will watch you fuck?” He looks two seconds away from puking. “Like multiple, multiple people will be able to describe your vagina. They’ll probably analyze it in a boardroom. Someone will feel proud about a shitty PowerPoint full of annotated pictures. They will use words like ‘arousal fluid’ and consult charts and these things will never not be digitally saved. That doesn’t bother you?”

“Are you suggesting my vagina is unworthy of analysis?”

--

In which Rey attempts to bolster her bank account by volunteering to fuck an Alpha in a scientific study. Plans go pear-shaped when she accidentally triggers scientist!Ben’s first Rut.

This was a really funny smutfest and I loved that. I loved Rey and Ben so much, and Ben was the perfect “I hate everyone but you” boyfriend! I love this!

She Doesn’t Normally Bite - Single Parent/Teacher AU - WIP - Rated E - 37k

Ben Solo is a single dad to 6-year old Ellis. Her teacher isn't the old-cat lady that he expects and naturally, sparks fly when they meet. Rey helps show Ben that he is allowed to be happy and the romance is DELICIOUS. There will be the happy ending we all deserve.

Both Ben and Rey have a lot to navigate, and of course - things are never straight forward.

Tw: Bens wife died when their daughter was born - whilst it is mentioned periodically, it does not form a significant part of the story. There'll also be warnings in the notes for the particular chapters it'll be mentioned in.

THIS THE ONLY WIP I WILLL EVER READ REY AND BEN ARE SO FREAKING CUTE AND ELLIS IS SUCH A CUTE KID AHHHHHHH! That is all.

Down an Inch, Up an Inch - A/B/O, Soulmates, Gym Rats AU - Complete - Rated E - 60k

Omega instructor Rey has always been the master of her domain at Rebel Belle Barre and wouldn't dream of dating an Alpha.

When her new neighbors at Supremacy Bootcamp start ruining her classes with their terrible music, she storms over to give them a piece of her mind. She challenges the beefy ex-Marine owner Ben Solo to a plank-off and the loser has to take the other's class. When they spark an unusual connection, can Rey stay away for long?

Has she bitten off more than she can chew with the gentle giant Alpha with the warm, sad eyes?

SMUT FREAKING FESTTTTT. Okay but I loved these two so much, even though I am opposed to working out in any shape or form! I love the non-traditional soulmate part, and I really loved Rey in this. 

Tea for Two - Enemies to Lovers, University Setting AU - Complete - Rated E - 67k 

'"This is a tea house, you know." The plummy, ultra-posh voice startled Rey Kenobi from her day-dreaming, almost spilling the scalding hot coffee over her chest.'

Rey, an American former hacker, turned cyber security expert, has been commissioned by Oxford University to protect their systems from hackers. Unfortunately, she has to work closely with Professor Ben Solo, Merton Professor of English Literature who also happens to be Lord Ben Solo, member of the English peerage. And an unmitigated snob.

She drinks coffee. He drinks tea. He only reads classic literature. She reads Marvel comics. He is nobility. She is a nobody.

Things should go swimmingly, shouldn't it?

SO. MUCH. UNRESOLVED. SEXUAL. TENSION. I loved the slow burn aspect because I sat in bed because I was waiting for them to bone for so long. And after they bone its a smut and fluff-fest I loved this so much!

And They Were Roommates - Roommates, A/B/O AU - Complete - Rated E - 49k

“This isn’t going to work.” He points a finger between the two of them. “This arrangement.”

Her eyes narrow. “You didn’t put any specifications on who could apply.”

“Yeah…” He rubs the back of his neck then, the action making it look longer, making her wonder what it might feel like under her fingers. “You have to know that this isn’t a good idea.”

She knows what he means, she does—but she’s so tired of being brushed aside for her designation that she challenges him anyway. “And why not?”

His eyes bore into hers, his expression blank as he says, “Because I can tell how much scent-block you put on—and I can still smell you.”

In which Rey’s new roommate turns out to be a lot more than she bargained for.

EVEN. MORE. UNRESOLVED. SEXUAL. TENSION. Like these two would be eating cereal and I would be chanting, “bone! bone! bone!” the whole time. I loved these two, and the family aspect of this one was so good.

Imprints - A/B/O, Boss/Employee AU - Complete - Rated E - 74k

“I was happy you’ll be working with someone you know. He’ll take good care of you.”

Take good care of you.

The words send a shiver down her spine, sparking memories that flood her with embarrassment. She feels a strange itch just below her ear, her gland giving a phantom pulse as if her body remembers the incident even still.

Suddenly her triumph fades into dread, the idea of working here leaving a hollow pit in her stomach. Poe is still talking, but she doesn’t hear most of it. Her mind is firmly trapped in the vivid memories of six years ago— in a moment she wishes she could forget.

By the time she hangs up the phone— she isn’t sure anymore if she can do this.

Okay so this is pretty popular so I wont say too much, but it lives up to the hype. Smutfest, fluff and angst rolled into one beautiful fic! 

Bespoke - Enemies to Lovers, Boss/Employee (?) AU - Complete - Rated E - 38k 

When new stylist Rey Jackson receives a request to dress the hottest (and most unfashionable) new actor in Hollywood, she gets a lot more than she bargained for.

Mentally AND physically.

Because Ben Solo is freaking massive.

THIS WAS SO HOT OMG! Smutfest but also super cute. Another “I hate everyone but you” version of Ben I fell in love with. Loved this!

Incognito - Coworkers AU - Complete - Rated E - 30k

“Somehow Rey’s coworkers find out about her Daddy kink. They all kink shame her for it, except her coworker Ben. He has something else in mind.”

This was so funny! Ben and Rey were so cute, and I love Finn and Rose in this too! This was great!

A Home For Christmas - Single Parent, Sugar Daddy AU - Complete - Rated E - 109k

Rey is a struggling single mother who needs to do right by her daughter, even if it means she needs to steal. Ben is sad and lonely, recently divorced for the second time. When Rey's daughter picks him to help her find her mom, their paths cross and their Christmas becomes a little more bright.

This was so freaking cute OMG!! I know I say that a lot, but this was so adorable! I loved Ben and Rey so much, but Nova was obviously the star of the show. I cannot recommend this enough!

Unsuppressed - Office, A/B/O AU - Complete - Rated E - 49k

Rey had only ever encountered two Alphas in her entire life that had been unsuppressed. And now this third one that stunk up the entire building. Not that it stunk, his scent. In fact, it was the most delicious thing Rey had ever smelled. ///////////////////////////////////// Ben Solo closed his eyes as he rode down the elevator from the 40th floor to the lobby, trying not to reach up to his glands to scratch them. Somehow, it felt like he always caught the elevator that was dripping in the Omega’s scent. The one that wandered around the building without any suppressants. The one that smelled better than any Omega he had ever smelled before.

STRAIGHT FLUFF AND SMUT OMFG!!! I loved this so freaking much! This was whatever the opposite of unresolved sexual tension and slow burn. Like Ben and Rey tried to make this a slow burn but they could not keep their hands off of each other. I loved this!

Sunshine and Gunpowder - Hitman, Surprise Parents AU - Complete - Rated E - 48k

She’s a teacher who would do anything to protect her student. He’s a glorified hitman with a heart of black gold.

Together, they make up odd halves of a beautiful whole.

THIS WAS SO CUTE!! Like, yes, I know Ben is a hitman, but when I tell you he was the softest hit man I have ever read, Temiri was so cute in this! I loved Ben and Rey, and their UST made me love them even more. Han and Leia are also hilarious in this! 

It Takes a Village - A/B/O, Surprise Parents AU - Complete - Rated E - 40k 

Who knew that all it would take for Rey Johnson to interact with her enigmatic Alpha neighbor without wanting to melt into a puddle of hormones was a baby being abandoned at her doorstep?

Not her. That was for sure.

THIS IS THE CUTEST ONE YET! I REREAD THIS QUITE OFTEN! LIKE AHHHHHHH SO FREAKING FLUFFY! NOT EVEN A WHISPER OF ANGST AND A LOT OF SMUT I LOVED THIS SO FREAKING MUCH AHHHH! AND THE EPILOGUE MADE ME CRY!

Sensual Storytime - Office AU - Complete - Rated E - 23k

When Rey Johnson starts a new job, her initially antagonistic relationship with Ben Solo from IT turns into friendship... and maybe something more.

Little does she know he also moonlights as Kylo Ren, the creator of her favorite audio erotica. One day at the office, worlds collide, and she realizes the sweater vest-wearing nerd of her dreams is also the tattooed fantasy man she listens to while getting off every night...

THIS IS MY FAVORITE REYLO FIC EVER. I RECOMMEND THIS TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T EVEN LIKE STAR WARS! THIS IS COWORKER BANTER LIKE NO OTHER. AND THE SMUT ? UNPARALLELED. READ THIS NOW!

That is all I have time for right now, but I’ll make another list later if anyone would like that! Please take care of yourself and have a great day! 

[hellaoldfander86]

The Grey Mage’s Quest Ch.19

Word Count: 3603

Tags/Warnings: None

Chapter 19: The Mage’s Fate

Karybdis walked behind the guard along the castle hallway, dressed in his very best grey pants, shirt and cloak with swirly silver embroidery around the edge of the hood with matching gauntlet style leather gloves and grey suede knee-high boots, nervously looking at the bustling activity around him as staff hustled from one task to another. He heard whispers in passing of the elusive “High Lords” being within the castle, the mage knowing full well who they are referring to.

He was happy to see the royal flag fluttering above the castle the day after he was rudely dismissed by the Dragon Witch. He wondered what had transpired after he was ousted, obviously his information about the reversal agent was right, as evidenced by the normal Prince Roman and Virgil that had stood in the cave before he was rudely banished back home, not even given the chance to see Patton and Logan take the reversal agent, and see the quest come full circle, let alone find out what the reversal agent actually was.

Perhaps he now has a second chance. By all the whispers, they are all in attendance in the castle, and he is being ushered towards an audience with them all. He will be able to see them back to normal with his own eyes.

He thinks back to the first morning, at what Logan had told him as the rest still slept after what he had forced them to do the night before, “I hold no ill will towards you, neither will Patton, because that’s just the way he is, but Roman and Virgil will be another story.” Logan had also said that he and Patton would plead his case to the Prince if he is undecided of his fate. He prays to any deity listening that his highness is merciful and that some kind of camaraderie was formed within the group of questors. He and Logan had many conversations that were wonderful and mentally stimulating. He did count Logan as a friend at the very least. Virgil had seemed to be less angry at him as they got closer to the end of the quest, the mage had the hope of some semblance of mercy upon his person.

The guard stopped at a large door and entered. “Your Highness, My Lords, the mage Karybdis the Grey, as requested.” The guard says with a bow to the assembled men within the conference room and steps aside to allow Karybdis to enter. “Thank you, you are dismissed,” Roman says and the guard slips back out the door and closes it, and the mage bows before the men standing before him.

Roman clears his throat and glances at the other sides. “You do know why we summoned you here today?”

“Yes, My Prince. I am to answer for the kidnapping and forced the magical transformation of you, Virgil, Logan, and Patton. What I did was inexcusable, regardless of my good intentions. I throw myself at your mercy.” Karybdis hangs his head in shame.

“Yes, well, there are a few things that are in your favor,” Logan says as he steps forward to stand in front of the mage. “You could have just changed us and told us where to go and made us go get it without your help. But you came along and made the journey as comfortable as possible, providing the transportation, food, and shelter along the way, and even helping Patton when he needed it with the poisoned crossbow bolts. For that, we are grateful.”

Hope nestles within the mage’s heart and he looks up into Logan’s eyes, startled to see that they are a deep blue, since both he and Patton opted to wear their “uncharmed” spare glasses, Roman wore a spare sash, and Virgil had on his old hoodie, so Karybdis will see the side-effects for himself. “I am not a cold-hearted man. I would not just send you into the unknown without the means to survive it. It was my duty to My Prince that I help him, even if I was the cause of the predicament in the first place.”

Roman nods and clears his throat, “And that is why I am not going to toss you into the dungeon. Your skills would go to waste there. No, I have a much better ruling for a man of your skills, since you took the initiative to obtain the reversal agent after hearing of its existence. We will call it community service, at the least.”

Karybdis blinks and stares at the royal side, who smiles at the mage. “Your Highness….?”

Virgil and Patton walk over to the mage and each put a hand on a shoulder, “What Princey wants to say is that he has a job for you.” Virgil says with a shoulder squeeze.

“Y-You would offer me a job after I have kidnapped you and forced a previously un-reversible change upon you to selfishly help me in my quest?” The mage stammers, looking at each of the sides individually in the eyes, seeing no hatred or malice within their stares.

Roman crosses his arms. “The rumors saying that the castle mage is in ill health are true. He has been hounding me for ages about getting an assistant. Since you are well versed in the magical arts you would be a perfect candidate. Plus you can help with the fairy visit preparations, since you know them better than I do, and I already have my hands full with other Realm-related issues that cannot wait.”

“I am flattered that I am being considered. I humbly accept.” Karybdis says quickly before Roman can change his mind.

“Yay! Jasper would love the castle stables! All the apples he could want!” Patton bounces and claps his hands, and pulls the mage into a hug, and Virgil and Logan shake the mage's hand after Patton releases him.

“I am sure you want to publish notes about the after-effects of the reversal of chaos water, being the first to see them,” Logan says with a small smile. “Your colleagues within the Mages Collective would be envious.”

“Indeed they would. But I will leave out names, due to the “sensitive” nature of who was changed in the first place. That is something they do not need to know, and never will.” Karybdis says with a nod to Logan. “You have my word.”

“In that case,” Logan turns and retrieves a small stack of papers from the table behind him. “These are my notes on the experience, and I have interviewed the others, and included their observations, and listed the side-effects. Of course, it is only our eye color that was affected, and nothing else, but it still needed to be written down to be thorough.”

“Thank you, Logan. I appreciate this. I was not in attendance when you and Patton took the reversal agent, and I am grateful for the information.” The mage takes the notes from the logical side, and rolls them up and slips them into a pocket inside his cloak.

“Oh! Your Highness, Virgil, I have something for you both.” Karybdis pulls off his right glove and retrieves something from a pants pocket. He opens his hand and within are two small bottles about the size of a man’s thumb attached to thin gold chains, a glittery substance within each. He then examines the first bottle quickly and hands it to Roman, the second is placed in Virgil’s hand. The anxious side looks at the bottle and raises his eyebrows at the mage. “My fairy hutch beds are designed to collect fairy dust. It is part of my agreement with the fae that stay with me, that I can collect the fairy dust that is shed to use as a potion ingredient. It wouldn’t be right if I kept the dust shed by both of you since you had no knowledge of the agreement I had with the fae, as they consider their dust personal property.”

Roman examines his bottle, turning it so the red fairy dust within shimmers in the light. “Thank you, Karybdis. I appreciate your honesty. You could have just kept it since we did not know of the special purpose for the fairy hutch, but you are well versed in the beliefs of the fae, which demanded that you give it back to us, even if we are no longer fae ourselves. You are indeed a good man.” The mage smiles and bows at the compliment from the royal side.

Virgil looks at this bottle, then hands it to the paternal side standing next to him who smiles brightly as he turns the bottle to make the purple shimmery dust sparkle in the light. “Yeah, thanks,” Virgil says as he takes back the bottle from Patton, and makes the dust shimmer himself.

Roman clears this throat and smiles. “Now since that is out of the way, I am sure you would like to see your quarters and meet Foley, whom you will be assisting for the time being. I have to warn you, he is a bit...eccentric. Even if he is in ill health, he still is very sharp mentally. I suggest you keep an eye out. He likes to play pranks. I surely hope that you can give as well as you can take. The old codger needs to learn a lesson, you have my permission to do so. There is a fairy visit planning meeting day after tomorrow after lunch. I will send for you. We will welcome any input you have to offer, especially on where to locate the fairy accommodations within the castle. Use the rest of today after you meet Foley and tomorrow to move into your new quarters. Jasper will be expected at the royal stables when you are finished moving whatever you need into your room.”

The royal side pulls a cord on the wall, and a young man enters, dressed in white, with Roman’s emblem emblazoned on the front of his tunic. “Your Highness.” He says with a bow.

“Take Karybdis to the mage’s wing when he is ready and show him the quarters that have been prepared for him. Then take him to the castle mage.” Roman picks up a single roll of parchment, sealed with red wax, Roman’s crest pressed into the wax in sharp relief. “Give this to Foley.” He hands the parchment to the guide, who bows, then moves to the door to wait for the mage to be ready to depart.

“Before you go, mage. Here is your letter of appointment.” Roman says as he hands a rolled parchment tied with a string to the mage. “This will grant you unescorted entry into the castle. Until every one of the guards knows your face, it would be advised that you carry this with you at all times. I have included a map of the castle, but if you ask any of the staff in the halls for help, they will point you in the right direction until you can get your bearings.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Karybdis says with a bow, holding the parchment to his chest. “This job is a dream come true. Ever since I woke up in the forest soaking wet while scrounging mandrake root after being struck by lightning, and saw the castle restored to its former glory walking back home afterward, I had the fervent wish to work within its walls. I will forever count my blessings that my ill-conceived plan didn’t land me in the dungeon.”

“According to Metty, that is where you belong,” Roman says with a chuckle after taking in the startled glances his way after the mage’s statement. “Virgil and I may have forgiven you, but she will take a bit longer. You are greatly fortunate that she didn’t turn you into a frog.”

Karybdis winces. “I would rather stay human, thank you. I think I will tread carefully whenever I hear that she is involved in something. With your permission, My Prince.” The mage bows and walks toward the waiting guide. ���Let us go. I am eager to see my quarters and to meet the castle mage personally. Be well.” With a wave to the gathered sides in the room, Karybdis follows the guide out, closing the door with another wave.

“Well, that was a shocking revelation!” Patton chirps with a giggle.

All eyes shift to Virgil. “What?” The anxious side growls. “How was I supposed to know what was happening in the Imagination? I was kinda busy! Stop looking at me like that!”

Patton chuckles. “It’s not Virge’s fault! What’s past is past. How about we take a look at that “High Lord’s Wall” that Roman mentioned. I would like to see it myself.” The paternal side says as he gives the anxious side an affectionate shoulder squeeze and looks at Roman.

“I, too am interested in seeing it,” Logan adds.

“I can give you all a personal tour of the castle!” Roman says with a flourish of his arms. “If you don’t mind the staff we meet bowing continuously, that is. I am pretty sure the whole castle knows you all are here anyway. You all simply must let me show you my home away from the mind palace!” All eyes shift to Virgil, who simply shrugs and flips his hood up over his head. “Okay, Princey. Give us the nickel tour.”

Roman claps his hands and strides to the door, throwing it open and with a flourish of his arms proclaims, “This way, everyone!” and walks out of the room, stopping outside the door to make sure everyone is following and continues on.

Roman shows them the gardens, the kitchen (and his favorite thing to do in the kitchen, sneak cookies out of the cookie jar) “Not as good as yours, Padre. Don’t worry.” as he distributes the purloined treats to everyone. “He’s right. Not as good as yours, Super Dad.” Virgil agrees after trying his cookie. Patton just gives a small smile as he eats his. Logan simply munches on his, stoic as ever, and silently agrees.

Roman continues the tour with his living quarters, the medical wing, and the mage’s wing, having just missed Karybdis as he had left a few minutes before the group arrived. But they did meet Foley, who besides being painfully thin and pale, seemed in good spirits.

“I believe that young lad you appointed as my assistant will do well if he survives the hazing I will be putting him through.” Foley chuckles as he runs his hand over his long, flowing white beard.

“Don’t get full of yourself, old man. I gave him my blessing to put you in your place as he deemed fit.” Roman says as he crossed his arms with a smirk. “He may surprise you.”

Foley waves a hand in dismissal. “Perhaps. I have yet to see anyone go “wand to wand” with me in a prank war and come out not covered in warts.” The old mage perches a pair of spectacles on his nose and looks up. “My goodness! You didn’t tell me that you had brought visitors with you!”

The royal side chuckles. “If you weren’t blind as a bat, you would have seen them when they came in with me.” He clears his throat, and continues, “Logan, Patton, Virgil. This is Foley, the castle mage.”

Foley’s eyes widen. “You brought the high lords to visit me? I am honored!” The old mage shakes each of their hands vigorously. “It is a pleasure to meet you all!”

“I was giving them a tour of the castle, it was only common sense that they should meet you. You are still recovering from your illness, you should rest. We will be on our way now, make sure you take your medicine.” Roman says with a pointed look.

“Yes, yes,” Foley mutters as he shuffles toward his bedroom. “It was wonderful meeting you all. Be well.” He says with a wave as Roman and the sides leave him to rest.

“Here it is, the throne room,” Roman says as he pulls open the huge meticulously carved wooden doors. The sides file in and look around. White marble floor, four huge stained glass windows showing a green dragon, a knight, a red rose and a white horse, Roman’s gold and white throne upon a raised white marble dais with red cushions and Roman’s red and gold shield crest above the throne framed by huge red and gold curtains at one end of the room, a deep red carpet runner starts at the throne and continues down the center of the room toward the opposite wall, where it stops, dividing the room into equal halves. Beautifully woven tapestries along the walls and an enormous gold chandelier in the center with brightly glowing orbs within it casting the room in a warm light. Everyone’s eyes are drawn to the three large shields on the wall opposite the throne, the shields themselves framed by huge gold and red curtains on each side.

“Wow, Roman. These are wonderful!” Patton says with admiration in his voice. “The dogs and cats on mine are adorable!”

“I am quite impressed,” Logan says as he gazes at his shield. “The table of elements serving as the frame is quite adequate.”

“I had a hard time designing yours, Logan. The table of elements around the edge sort of came to me.” Roman says with a smile.

Virgil gazes at his shield, taking in the meticulous way his symbol was recreated with amazing accuracy and the swirling shadows around the edge. “You painted all of these? How long did it take?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Roman sighs, “Maybe a month and a half? I know it took me at least 2 weeks for each, even Logan’s.”

“Impressive,” Logan says while Virgil and Patton pull out their phones and take pictures, and the logical side quickly does the same.

“I would love to get a picture of you on your throne, Roman,” Patton says as he walks up to the ornate throne on the other side of the room.

“Of course!” Roman says as he bounds up to the chair and flops down, one leg over an arm, looking very casual.

“That doesn’t look gay at all,” Virgil says with a chuckle

“Oh really? I could be gayer!” Roman says while putting his hand up to his mouth and “fake yawning” and switches to a piercing “come hither” stare, complete with beckoning hand.

Patton giggles. “Now how about a more serious looking one.”

Roman stands up, straightens his clothes, and sits back down, back straight, putting his hands on the armrests and smiling down at Patton, but then raises his right hand and bends down slightly to rest his chin on his index finger and thumb and softly smiles. Patton takes the picture with a huge smile. “Amazing! Thanks so much for the tour, Roman. I loved seeing your castle!”

“As did I. It was quite educational,” Logan adds with a small smile.

“Yeah. It was really cool seeing where you go when you leave the mind palace.” Virgil says as Roman stands up and walks to a nearby door.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Roman says with a small bow. “You had never been to my castle before, so it was only common courtesy that you get the royal tour!” The royal side places his hand on the doorframe and it glows yellow for a couple of seconds. “Here we are, one door to the mind palace.”

Logan opens the door and sees the interior of Roman’s room. “Please let me know what you come up with regarding a system that lets Karybdis and I exchange correspondence.”

“I certainly will. If you two want to be pen pals, who am I to stop you? Between me and the mage, we should come up with something a bit more reliable than using me as a letter carrier.” The creative side says with a chuckle.

“Hey princey, do you want me to put your bottle of fairy dust on your dresser? I don’t think you want to lose it.” Virgil says as he steps up to the door to go in.

“Certainly, Virge. Most appreciated!” Roman says while handing the anxious side the small bottle he had been holding in his hand for the entire tour.

“I think what we did today was a good thing,” Patton says with a smile. “You did want to keep an eye on him, and this makes the perfect way to do it. Maybe someday I will visit Jasper in the stables! Oh! It’s time for lunch, are you coming with us, Roman?”

“No, I have more meetings to attend, and I will grab something from the kitchen before they begin, but I will be there for dinner. I don’t want to overwork myself. I intend to set a strict schedule to manage all the chaos that is happening right now.” Roman says as he runs a hand through his hair. “I can’t afford to lose sleep or miss too many meals or my mental state will suffer. I will always make sure to make it to the mind palace for dinner, and to get a good night’s sleep.”

Patton nods. “Fair enough. See you at dinner then.”

The three sides file past and enter Roman’s room in the mind palace, and the creative side closes the door after them.

Roman takes a deep breath. Back to managing the kingdom. After getting a sandwich or two from the kitchens, that is.

Chapter 20

[asteriskes-blog]

Temptation 1 (unfinished)

A demon walks in the door of my room, briskly and without looking at me. Gazing down upon the floor, he plops down upon the chest opposite the dresser. He is not frightening, he is not threatening, though his crocodile skin is off-putting. He is dressed business-casual, he seems beat, that is to say exhausted. I imagine that if not for his crocodile skin there would be bags beneath his orange-yellow eyes.

There is even something redeeming in his exhaustion. One feels something akin to pity. His orange-yellow eyes point to me now, piercing, tired, annoyed. As if I’ve just inconvenienced him.

But I am too tired. Done for the day. My business casual clothes are strewn about the floor. His gaze only arouses in me an indulgent and playful indignance. 

“Go away demon, I am too tired now to be corrupted,” I say with a smirk, pretending to be distracted with my book.

“Yeah, yeah” he says quickly, almost whispering. He squints his eyes, scrutinizing me, attempting, I suppose, to make me feel uncomfortable.

“Does it lessen the effectiveness of the manipulation if I know you are trying to manipulate me?” I ask.

“Hmph,” He says and leans back with his eyes closed, his hands behind his head. “No you cannot be tempted like others,” he said, “You have nurtured your own pride, deluded yourself so far that you contrive nearly every necessary pleasure through selflessness. Yes, like the rest you function on pride and greed, but in this you have tricked your mind, deformed your very nerves and neurons so that you are the best sheep you could be, and none may be suspicious of you. I can’t myself tell to what extent its genius and to what extent foolishness, though either way you are a putrid flagellant, a masochist of the first rank!”

From me errupts geniuine laughter and to him I reply:

“Ha tricks, ha delusion. Tell me demom what is this truth from which I deviate? Better yet how does anything I do ill-serve me? So I go about, as you say, a flagellant. So leave my whip and I to our romance. Let us be. So you say I am putrid, well I should not agree with you, but if it is so, let it be so. I am no enemy of vice, less so of the Devil, all you say to me when we take the spin from it is that I which I knew already, and aside from that cherished, is that not, as they say, giving your lord ‘his due?’ So tell me then what is this truth of life I defy.”

Say he:

“Ha, so there you sit, the devil on your left and Christ on your right and you a blissful child holding up an olive branch, No problems. Ha. You are worse than a Christian, you are a Christian who believes they are a Nihilist, believes so because, of course, its fashionable! You think a man may act however he pleases and that you have simply been gifted by providence with a fetish for kindness. How lucky you are truly! How privileged! Ah but you are not so simple as that, I know you Nicholas, as I know all men. You think you can throw up your hands and say ‘I am selfish! I am weak!’ and that gives your morals your moral efforts a rock solid foundation. You try to convince me even that they are of an entirely unconscious nature. Like a beast of the field goes about eating, extricating, fornicating, so there you go all smiles and alms. But you are no animal Nicholas, indeed you are a man and it is clear to me that though you prance about showing off your nuanced understandings, your shrugging cynicisms still you do not grasp the nature of true human selfishness of the capriciousness of your kind. More so still do you misunderstand the devil. He is not some god of old satisfied for the month with a few dead lambs. No he has a goal, a plan for your kind and I assure you, you do not satisfy it. For your morality is not unconscious, it is fraught with ambition and idealism; of visions of a world very different from the one you inhabit. It is not simply that you get a hard on at the half toothed smile of a beggar, that your body is inexplicably overwhelmed with ecstasy at the passing of some progressive legislation. No these sensations are contrived, they are contingent upon their satisfying your designs on as you say ‘making a brighter future for the children’ yes?”

“So I look out for myself and my progeny. So I will my view upon the world. you wish to convince me these designs are of a personally gratifying nature? So be it, this I will not deny. Has your devil something against the will to power? Whatever form it takes?”

“As I have said, the devil, like you, is a man of design, an evangelical, if I may use the term, and your worldview is much at odds with his. Or better said, because your world view is fraught with absurdities, your actions contradict his world view.”

“So I am an enemy to the devil. What of it?”

Haha, first you are mister nuance, tipping your hat to him, now you declare yourself an enemy. Hahaha. How many books have you read? And still you are a fool, always contradicting yourself so as to suit the situation.”

“So I am his friend, so I am his enemy, what is that to me? These are not tangible things, they are of no concern.”

“Oh deep down you are not his enemy I assure you that. And the reason why is very tangible. You see chief among your proud and shining virtues is that of mercy no? Like the god you were brought up on, the god of mercy? You may have ‘fallen from grace’ as you so cutely put it, but still his ideal is burned into you, still you cannot help but be made in his image. But I will tell you what you think you already know- that that god is fiction. But it is not a fiction born of insecurity as you and your ‘intellectual’ ilk seem so confidently to think, no it is a fiction born of hubris! Pure hubris against my master, the true master, the truly merciful.

How is this you say? Lets talk for a minute about mercy- or better put, as neither you nor the devil are in such a position of power over men to distribute mercy, lets call it the simple alleviation of suffering. Suffering is a nice base for you yes? To alleviate suffering can be called, for you, a central goal to bring about that ‘divine mercy’? But I say to you now my master has far better designs for such than you do.”

“Oh do enlighten then, my pride will not be hurt for assenting to the wiser, be he even the Devil! Tell me, your lord doesn’t oppose the principle of skepticism does he?”

“Principle? Ha! No there was a time... but now everything is so muddled Besides what is a skeptic when a man has no say in what he does or does not take for granted. Besides isn’t it obvious? The devil is a utilitarian, his favored may be found among skeptics and believers alike. Besides, the skeptic is not really so fond of his skepticism that he wouldn’t kiss the ground and cry tears of joy at a very inkling of assuredness, of real belief. The skeptic is only concerned with removing all that is extraneous, of getting down to the undeniable, unavoidable truths by way of reduction. But men like you, men like you Nicholas can never be true skeptics, not unaided, not running in the low and pitiful circles you run in, reading the books everyone else has read. No, people like you become like a small child at the edge of the diving board- petrified, afraid to take another step. But you... you have a fierce spirit, I’ll give you that, you are ready to believe anything, you are deep down dying above all to get down to those basic truths, down to that skeleton upon which you may build everything. And I... I am here to help you with this. I am here to give you that so that finally you and the lord will be in harmony.”

As he said this last part his mouth widened into a gleeful smile, though his eyes remained a way which seemed distant and mean, almost struggling.

“Does this look in his eyes discredit him?” I thought to myself recalling the eyes of kinder smiles. “Do perhaps, my eyes discredit me? Are they merely the result of ignorance?” So I endeavored for my eyes to show nothing to him and I asked him to continue.

“I mentioned before hubris, the hubris of the invention of the God of Abraham- your god- whether you accept it or not! You see there was a time when man did not have such wild fancies of mercy. When man did not say to himself: ‘surely there must be something better than this miserable planet. Surely we shouldn’t have to accept, nay, to tip our hats to all that is nasty and bitter. Surely destiny has decreed that one such as I should be sentenced to lay on a couch and eat grapes for an eternity. There are, of course, old ways of avoiding such a nasty fate, but those ways call for certain sacrifices and I am above such. To say that this existence is a zero-sum game... why its preposterous, for if that is the case how am I to be a hero? If that is the case I could not be a thing of goodness, there would be no duality and from me would spring both good and evil things. No, no all the gods love me, and all the gods love my perfect vision of the planet. Why in fact would heaven even make a whole number of Gods if they should always agree? Surely it’d be just as well to have one. Yes, one, one who is the epitome of strength to validate me. A singularity, perfect harmony. No disagreement or internal dissension to rustle my oh so delicate feathers. All that which requires blood of me, all that which brings me pain these mean nothing to an eternity of perfection.’

See back then man at least had to accept the everlasting ‘evil’ nature of the world. They had to grunt and fume and say under their breath ‘oh devil you just wait, i’ll have the last laugh here!’ while they went about toiling miserably, wishing haughtily pity and mercy on the men who-laughing- set lions upon them. But now, in this putrid age we have those ridiculous sort who believe its just a matter of time before all those visions of perfection (which the men of old did not dare taint with the earthly) take over the heart of every man, woman, and child on this planet. Any pain, any toil, any hint of burden is met with offense, indignance, as if it was the most morbid insult! You know well this all, for you are one among them! ‘I shall be the one’ you poke out your chest and say ‘I shall stride forth gallantly into the world and change it irrevocably. Whatever meagre portions I should take I will give this world at least thrice such. Perfection is just on the horizon, and when my progeny sit down to their eternal feast they will look back upon my meagre memory with gratefulness. Perhaps they won’t even remember me then, how delightfully humble of me to take pride anyway, sensuously humble indeed!’ So simple, how simple a life you lead. How inexplicably simple it all is. Take all of that evil and that pain and put it in a rocket ship, send it to the Moon or maybe even to Venus! You think you can just cut that knot like Alexander and all the problems will be solved. That you and your kind deserve nothing but eternal infancy. Protected, warm, safe.

 There is simply no respect whatsoever and that lack of respect, oh I warn you, that lack of respect will be your greatest sin. You say you give the devil his due, but that is a lie, a mocking and sick lie. You say you are reconciled to him while in secret you plot to disenfranchise him; to eliminate him and his memory. He has seen your vision of the world and he saw in that world no place for him. But he need not revenge himself, for that will come in time. He only needs to sit back and watch the world work to see you and your sort wreak havoc upon yourselves and the planet you so imperiously cherish.”

“And how” I asked him seriously “are a few simple acts of charity, a genuine concern for civic involvement and progress, and whatever other deplorable actions of goodness in which I am engaged assure my doom? What doom is this anyway, for which you give me such a lauding credit?”

“Mr. Cox you know well what the chaos is, you feel the anxiety of it every day... I know... you are sensitive to these things. You see the way the world is going, you see the bubble before you- everyday it grows. Every day the civilization declines, the analogies to Rome are no longer so lionizing as they may once have been. Rome, you say, fell from decadence, the same decadence you see all about you everywhere. Not in one group, or one class, but in them all. They have all reaped the benefits for now of men like you, you have built over them a mighty and luxurious castle indeed. And it is upon them that castle shall fall. The knife is coming, it will taste uncalloused skin, it will chase weak and unmuscled legs, and be seen by hearts and minds which will wish that had been so sturdy as they were when they built this castle in the hard times of old.

Into this great shelter you have let reprobate filth! Men who serve neither God nor the Devil. Men and Women who, had they not had their minds and wills dulled by your ease and charity, would, without a second thought, quit your church for my masters call. But instead they, like the beasts they are, go to where the fruit grows ripest. Go to where men like you foolishly give of yourself again and again and again. For you may seek to give threefold what you take. But what about a hundred or a thousand times that? What if of those three thousand not one gives half of what they have taken? It is only natural when you have such lofty hopes to smother your contempt for those who squander your gifts on further reducing their ability to contribute. It is only natural when you distribute such hope that those pathetic masses should say to themselves in their hour of drunken self-pity ‘thank god that the future should find a solution to this all!’

Your kindness has doomed them, your inability to admit to your personality any meanness has filled their hearts with false promises. Your ideologies of tolerance and soft cushions have enabled them. And when the lights go out they will have you to thank. For they are weak and will always suffer, that is their lot. In times of old the church had the courtesy and wherewithal to refer to these as reprobate, as Calvin’s damned. But now that concept sickens you, now you and your society see that word, reprobate, as an evil one, perhaps the most evil word of all. You would dare not utter it for fear of an existential crises, though in secret you hold it for the devil and for those strong few who contradict you.

And those weak and selfish, they and their progeny will receive threefold the punishment you deemed yourself too lofty to give. Perhaps they could have been something great. But instead you gave their fathers and their grandfathers and their mothers and their grandmothers liquor money. Or on the upper crust you celebrated their neuroticism and their vices, you lead them to believe it was better and more righteous to be a victim to their past than to carry on. And so their children and grandchildren were doomed, because you had faith in them.”

“And I should object” I said, “that there are enough strong in this world, that if they all should be good and really devote themselves to good works then real and honest ways to avoid these problems should be found. It is rather the absence of hope and the prevalence of the sort of man I suspect you wish me to be which are the issue. For wherever vice and its suffering is found there is there also one profiting. Whenever some youth proclaims some faulty or naive ideology there are those there among them who wish only for self-aggrandizement and so in pursuit of defend that faulty vehicle with vehemence. It is not only the work of charities to hand out money blindly. Though likely some operate in such a way, most of the sort involved in any kind of charitable activity have a more dynamic view and approach to their involvement in their respective communities. As for the poor wretches of which you speak- the mentally unstable and the addicts- these are the exceptions and not the rule. And not every addict lives the entirety of their life so diseased, for some help may be found, and in that recovery, though it may have been one among a thousand, there is created a real and intimate source of hope for the outcome of good works. There is one who stands to say, ‘so my salvation and the salvation of those like me was a one in a million chance, so through my efforts let us make it 2 in a million.’”

At this the deamon smirked and shook his head:

“And so he should convert another I suppose? Make it 3 in a million, and so on and so on. But what if in the course of gaining those 3 you loose 300? If the 3 have so positive and compounding impact, do the 300 whither to dust? Or indeed do those 300 reprobate drag down the world with them? Swallowing up any bit of good you have built. Indeed what has your centuries upon centuries of good work brought you? Your warm bed and white picket fence? No indeed it was the suffering and oppression of others which gave these to you, gave you your luxuries, your luxury of hope. The luxury of thinking that the nectar you so easily obtain can simply be plucked from the trees and strewn about all over the dismal, suffering parts of the world. The luxury of thinking that the dismal sufferings of these people is somehow the most unnatural denial of the way things should be, that somewhere, in the great soft blanket the world has so carefully stitched for you, some evil ogre has torn a hole causing all those poor people to suffer. 

It simply couldn’t be that it is natural for those people to suffer, that is is natural for someone to suffer, that indeed every ounce of happiness you receive is leached from someone else. 

They know pleasures their forefathers never did. Some, you know the sort, even experienced this ‘earthly perfection’ in their childhood, spoiled and cushioned from every care and misfortune. And when these urchins reach adulthood and taste the first drop of the worlds bitterness become to the acutest extent outraged and offended. You have also the opposite variety- those who���s lives have been so unceasingly miserable that it obviously must be something gone terribly awry with the world. Yes there is always something wrong they say, terribly wrong. It would be an outrage, so they think, that this should be their lot.

Look to your campuses: the haughty vacant smile of the Marxist, or for that matter of the Libertarian. Where have you seen that smile before you wonder. Then it strikes you, where the manifesto now sits there was once a bible,