#sorting of the righteous and wicked

[pastorhogg]

The Final Catch

When Jesus Pulls in the NetA Day in the Life of Jesus When Jesus told stories, they weren’t just clever illustrations—they were windows into eternity. In Matthew 13:47–52, He paints a vivid picture that echoes through the ages: a fisherman casting a net into the sea, catching fish of every kind. Some are good. Some are not. But all are gathered in. And then comes the moment of sorting. This…

[withinkandquill-aa]

Like/reblog for a starter from Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, primary muse)! Length may vary. Feel free to specify verse.

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Okay hear me out poly!bartylus x reader

Animagus reader who can turn into a niffler and is constantly giving barty her findings because reg would make her return them! They also exclusively wear silver because she likes gold shiny things lol

A Bored Barty

Bartylus x Reader

Summary: Barty is bored, alone in his dorm room- until his darling treasure brings him a treasure of her own.

WC: 1.1k

CW: Nothing really. Kisses used as weapons of war. Dont write for Regulus much so forgive me ( Art cred: kprk_pkrs on Twitter)

Barty was bored.

A dangerous thing, really.

He laid sprawled across his bed, one arm hanging off the side, tossing a small, silver knut into the air, catching it, then throwing it again. He had already read through all the interesting books in the dorm, bothered his least favorite housemate, and debated sneaking into Slughorn’s stash for a bit of fun. But even that felt like too much effort.

He sighed dramatically, letting his head loll to the side. The dorm was still, the air thick with the kind of midday lull that made his skin itch- drew you down to this unbearable tired. He needed something. A spark. A game. A bit of madness to wake his bones.

And then-

A soft, skittering sound at the doorway. Tiny claws against stone. A flicker of movement in the corner of his vision.

Barty turned his head sharply, and his entire mood shifted instantly the second he saw that familiar teal coat.

“Oh, there’s my girl,” He purred, pushing himself up on his elbows as you- small, sleek, and utterly adorable in your niffler form- scurried towards him with purpose. 

A purpose that gleamed between your paws.

Barty let out a delighted, wicked little laugh, eyes gleaming with manic glee as you proudly presented your newest prize- a golden ring, ornate and entirely not yours.

“Well, well, well,” He cooed, sitting up fully and reaching out to pluck it from your grasp. He examined it between his fingers, tilting his head as he recognized the engravings. “Now, this is entirely too big for you, innit?”

He grinned. You grinned (or, at least, you looked quite pleased with yourself). Preened? You preened.

Then- 

The door slammed open.

Barty didn’t even flinch. If anything, his day had just gotten much better.

Because there, standing in the doorway, looking half-feral and wholly pissed, was Regulus. 

Barty could kiss you for this. Truly, he could. And, in fact, he might.

Because what was better than both of his partners being in the same room? A pissed off Reg.

“You,” Regulus growled, storming forward, shoulders tense, hair slightly out of place like he had run here. “Tell me you did not let her steal from Avery of all people.”

Oh he just adored you.

Barty just tilted his head, considering. Then he smirked. “Define ‘let.’”

Regulus made an exasperated sound, reaching for the ring in Barty’s hand.

Barty, quick as a viper, yanked him down by the collar.

Regulus barely had time to blink before Barty’s mouth was on his, stealing away every single ounce of righteous anger in one swift, practiced move.

Regulus, like the absolute fool that he was, immediately squeezed his eyes shut. Barty always found it the cutest thing- Regulus unable to help himself. As natural as a moody cat flicking its tail, as a lion roars and as a cougar stalks- Regulus Black closed his eyes for kisses.

Barty smirked against his lips. Eying the cute way his nose scrunched up and he let out a sound close to a whine- protests he never truly meant. The adorable sight complete with him reaching for Barty’s pockets; already knowing what Barty was up to.

And somehow? His free hand still slipped the ring into his pocket without obstacle.

You, still perched on the bed, let out a soft hum of approval, tail flicking as you watched with an utterly smug sort of delight.

Barty deepened the kiss for just a moment- long enough to enjoy the soft, reluctant way Regulus gave in before he pulled back with a smirk.

“What was that you were saying, love?” He purred, tapping Regulus’s chin lightly with his fingers. “Something about our dear ol’ Avery?”

Regulus huffed, eyes fluttering open, already scowling as he reached for Barty’s pocket again. “Give. It. Back.”

Barty grinned. “Give what back?”

Regulus glared. “The ring, Barty.”

“The ring?” Barty echoed, feigning confusion. He patted his chest, then his sides, then even made a show of checking under the pillow. “Hm. Don’t seem to have it.”

“You-” Regulus cut himself off, jaw tightening. Then his sharp gaze flickered to you, still perched happily on the bed, tail flicking with amusement.

“And you,” he accused. “You know exactly what you did.”

You tilted your head, ears twitching, looking every bit the picture of innocent curiosity.

Barty’s grin only widened. “Oh, come on, Reg,” he drawled, fingers lazily tracing circles on Regulus’s waist where he still had him held close. “Look at that face- does that look like the face of a thief?”

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose, as if trying to summon the patience of Merlin himself.

“Turn back,” Barty said suddenly, looking at you now, voice smug and expectant.

You blinked up at him.

“Go on, love,” he coaxed, a lilt of challenge in his tone. “Let’s see those totally empty pockets of yours, shall we?”

For a moment, you debated staying in your niffler form- safe, small, and easy to scamper away if things got sticky. Barty looked ready to bite- Regulus too. But both were looking at you like they already knew.

With a soft huff, you shifted back into your human form- warm magic rippling over your body as you transformed.

Barty let out a bark of delighted laughter the second he saw you.

Because, oh, you were full of it.

Your pockets bulged comically, weighed down with far too many treasures- little trinkets and stolen baubles pressing against the fabric, revealing shapes of coins, buttons, and Merlin knew what else.

Regulus made an outright wounded noise. “Oh, for Salazar’s sake-”

Barty grabbed your wrist and yanked you down into his lap, laughing as he did so. “You absolute menace,” he grinned, wrapping his arms around you tight. “Not a dull moment with you, hm?”

You wriggled slightly, but Barty just adjusted, pulling Regulus down with you in one smooth, easy move- trapping you both in his arms. Regulus made a sound of protest, but it was weak at best, his cheek pressed against your temple, caught between exasperation and reluctant affection.

Barty smirked against your hair. “Now,” he murmured, voice slow, teasing, “should we even bother to check her pockets? Or should we just accept the fact that our little niffler is a bloody menace and move on?”

Regulus groaned into your shoulder. “You both drive me mad.”

Barty just laughed, pleased as anything, nuzzling shamelessly against the two of you as you let out a small, smug hum of victory.

Because in a few hours, Regulus would make you empty your pockets and identify whose riches were whose. He’d likely scold you but give up half way through when he sees those pretty eyes of yours gloss.

He’d make you return them and Barty would be alone in his room again. Waiting.

But right now? 

He felt alright.

[tanadrin]

Back in the naughties, especially in New Atheist circles, you used to see the line a lot that the reason religious people invented the afterlife was because they were scared of dying and they needed a comforting lie to sleep better at night. Incidentally, that's not true; aside from the problem that people in the past generally believed in their religion, and this whole line of reasoning (along with "religion was invented solely to control the masses") assumes a level of cynicism by religious leaders that historically is actually quite rare, we have a pretty good cognitive framework for why human beings tend to come up with a belief in spirits, ghosts, and gods, and why that tends to lead to a belief in an immaterial spirit world and (quite naturally from there) an afterlife.

Research into the cognitive aspect of spiritual beliefs has explored human intuitions about the self include its partability and permeability, which I think I've mentioned here before; our intuitions about ascribing agency to phenomena in our environment, even when no agency is immediately evident (a sort of overly-cautious tripwire for evading predators) and our overactive tendency toward pattern-matching lend themselves naturally to belief in invisible, intelligent agents shaping the world around us. When you combine that natural tendency to believe in such agents, plus intuitions about a self that can include a separate immaterial component, and the ways in which (for example) the feeling of a familiar presence can be triggered by some stray bit of sensory input or a misinterpreted environmental cue, it is very common for societies to develop a belief that the dead continue to exist in some form and continue to act in the world, possibly from some invisible spirit realm, because that is something that people are just straightforwardly experiencing on a day-to-day basis. In that sense, belief in something like a soul and something like an afterlife is more like a belief in rainbows or solar eclipses--sure, people might get the underlying phenomenological explanation for what they're seeing wrong, but they're not speculating, they're doing their best to interpret the actual experience of feeling the presence of dead loved ones and their apparent agency in the world.

That said, in the case of Christianity, we also know historically the framework that motivated the development of specifically Christian doctrines about the afterlife, which emerges from the context of Second Temple Judaism at the turn of the era. Here, the motivation was not one of comfort stemming from fear of death, it was one of morality and the problem of evil. Earlier thinking in the sort of broader Levantine cultural sphere had mostly envisioned the problem of evil as being one related to divine favor and punishment; God or the gods rewarded the righteous and punished the wicked in this life (cf., for instance, all the narratives in the Old Testament where God sends this or that conqueror to punish the people for their sins). Increasing philosophical sophistication, literature grappling with the ways in which the world could be patently unjust (like the Book of Job), and political circumstances like the conquest of Judea by the Romans and the evident lack of divine retribution against these oppressors, all led to dissatisfication in some quarters with that earlier theodicy. IIRC the influence of Greek philosophy and Greek thinking about the afterlife also played a role here.

Transposing the balancing of the moral scales to the afterlife, as some Second Temple-era thinkers did, helped construct what felt like a more intuitively correct theodicy: the wicked still got their comeuppance, even if you didn't get to personally witness it, and the righteous still got their reward. The exact nature of that comeuppance was up for grabs for a long time--there are like three different competing visions of what damnation looks like in the New Testament, and it's not until later that "eternal conscious torment" wins out as the favored position among most Christians. The righteous were always guaranteed salvation; but we know this wasn't a sop to people who were frequently scared of death because the idea that martyrdom guaranteed salvation was so compelling you had Christians begging the Roman authorities to put them to death, and even groups like the Circumcellions who attacked armed soldiers with clubs in the hopes that they could provoke martyrdom-by-cop. And you could paint these guys as fanatical outliers, but again, people in the past generally believed their religions, and we have mountains of writing, art, poetry, and music by Christians over the course of two thousand years where people are worried about a lot of things related to death (did I live a good life? will I go to heaven?) but who do not seem to be philosophically troubled by the question of whether the afterlife actually exists.

And of course the conflict between reflective and intuitive cognition is relevant here; one might reflectively believe in the afterlife, but intuitively recoil from deadly harm. I do not want to suggest that religious belief can trivially overwhelm human instinct to survive. But "the afterlife was invented as a comforting lie" is overly dismissive and flattens a complex phenomenon. It is, in its own way, a comforting lie--the lie that people in the past were all stupid, superstitious rubes, that we are infinitely smarter and more sophisticated than them, that progress will ultimately consign all such supernatural thinking to the dustbin of history. That such thinking is quite deeply rooted in our cognition and we may never be able to dispense with it entirely is very much at odds with a lot of the 2000s era all-religion-is-indoctrination children-are-born-atheist triumphalist cliches.

[bananonbinary]

not to be all "this 100 year old children's book is problematic," but it is very bizarre to realize just how extremely uhhh. colonial? divine right of kings? pro- caste systems? the oz books are. the first one ends with every member of the party except dorothy getting a kingdom to rule over. ozma is the secret lost heir to the throne. the flying monkeys and the field mice in the first book, and pumpkin head and the sawhorse in the second book either offer or are pressed into service to our heroes. there's very much the idea that some people should be "under" other people to the point that they will do anything and everything their ruler says, although it seems to be based more on "virtue" than on any sort of physical characteristics like sex or race (eg, the wicked witches' deaths were both Righteous because they were oppressive, but the tin woodsman, lion, and scarecrow all "earn" their kingdoms by being kind.)

i am interested to see how this worldview shows up in the rest of the series. even the rest of The Marvelous Land of Oz, since that's supposed to be pro-suffrage, which is a bit of a weird clash of ideas to modern sensibilities.

[whomstsnek]

Spoilers for Curse of Strahdanya episode 7!

Transcription of Shepherd and Sarnax's conversation in the vineyard (https://youtu.be/GEJpkqn4co8t=13608)

SHEPHERD: Uh, so, uh, wha— I mean, what do you do? You just, you just replant it? I mean, you-you gotta know something about this, right?

SARNAX: I believe it is as simple as it seems, Shepherd. The power of this crystal, this gemstone, you saw what [] allowed me to do with [].

SHEPHERD: I mean, I-I-I, I’ve, I’ve never seen anything like it, let-let’s be realistic here, Sarnax, I don’t even know what I saw.

SARNAX: I do. I saw the power of Gherix. I saw the confirmation that I am on the right path, and that Strahdanya will burn in dragon’s fire.

SHEPHERD: Gods, I hope you’re right.

SARNAX: I am. Do you not feel it yourself?

SHEPHERD: I mean, I—

SARNAX: Do you not believe, Shepherd?

SHEPHERD: Damn it, Sarnax, I— look, I had another dream, alright?

SARNAX: You did?

SHEPHERD: All-all-all this talk about-about— look, it— I don’t want you latching on like you do, alright? Just-just, we’ve been talking a lot about this order of some silver dragon, and-and of-of course, we’re talking about it, w-we’re-we’re dealing with it, of course I’m gonna dream about it, it-it doesn’t mean anything, alright? I just…I had a dream and I— and I, I pictured, uh, it was almost like I was seeing through somebody else’s eyes, and I looked upon, and-and-and, like, again I was some sort of silver dragon something, and-and…and I took off, and that was it, that was the dream.

SARNAX: But clearly, this is a form that speaks to you, does it not?

SHEPHERD: What— what— what— what do you mean? What are you getting at?

SARNAX: How do you feel when you take the mantle of the dragon, Shepherd?

SHEPHERD: Well, I-I mean, I— I— I see Barovia, and, and I see it burning, and…I’m gonna be honest with you, it feels good. This-this land is evil, we know it, we know what we need to do, and-and if some silver dragon might-might lead the way, if they were trying to do what I think they were trying to do, then they probably were on the right path? I guess?

SARNAX: I believe they were, even though they were of silver scale. Just a touch of a dragon’s breath is a beacon of hope, and I believe that [] is this order that holds one of the keys of our salvation. [thanking subs]

SHEPHERD: Look, listen, I— [sighs] The good doctor, he-he-he taught me a lot, he taught me to ride, he taught me to shoot, he…he-he made me who I am today, alright? And he-he would sprinkle in a lot of what he knew of-of-of some god he worshiped, but- but I…I didn’t take it to heart, I couldn’t even tell you who it was, but there was, there was something that he always said, and, and I can’t let it go. He-he would always just say, he said: those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward, but if they fall as the Lord of Lies fell, the flames, the sword, and-and I…I can’t help but thinking that-that-that it-it’s very…it’s a little too on-on point, because, I think that Gherix is-is the flames, and, we’re looking for that goddamn sword, and I-I just can’t— I can’t let it go. Look, I-I saw what Gherix can do, and…and…I-I prayed to him. I-I don’t even, I don’t even know how to pray, but I prayed to him, because I saw her dead on the ground, and, and, I didn’t know what else to do. And you-you did it! You did what everyone needed you to do!

SARNAX: I did not do that, Shepherd. [as Mikey] I’m gonna put the gem back into my coat, as I’ll walk up, and I’ll put my hand on your shoulder. [as Sarnax] Shepherd, the flame sword, I do not believe that is a mere coincidence. There is a passage, a saying, from our sacred texts, written by Ezzex of the Edelwood, and it goes: the path of the fate soul is beset on all sides by the tyranny of the highborn and the treachery of wicked souls. Blessed is he, who in the name of righteousness and pure faith, shepherds the lost to the forest of darkness, for he is truly the garden’s keeper, and the savior of doomed children, and I will rain flame upon thee with great judgement and furious anger, those that attempt to corrupt and devour my chosen, and you will know I am the Fire Lord when I bring my inferno upon thee. Now I have been using upon this passage, from the moment we have stepped foot into Barovia, and, Shepherd, I believed that I was the faithful, shepherding the lost to the forest of darkness, the lost being the peoples of Barovia, and that is a nice thought, but I do not believe that to be the case. Shepherd—

SHEPHERD: Sarnax, don’t.

SARNAX: It is you who are the shepherd.

SHEPHERD: No, no, I—

SARNAX: It is you, I have seen it in the flames, and Professor, Kana, Victoria, they are the lost.

SHEPHERD: Why-why-why would you put this on me? Why?

SARNAX: And I, I am the inferno. I do not believe that I will be returning from this land. I do not believe I have a place back in Avantris, and whatever it is we achieve here will be my end, and it is up to you to shepherd the others home.

SHEPHERD: How can you say that?

SARNAX: Because, I have seen it in the flames.

SHEPHERD: I-I’m not gonna leave you, I’m not gonna leave anyone.

SARNAX: Then it will be I that leaves you. That is the power of fire, it spreads uncontrollably and consumes all, even those that wield it, and you must be prepared Shepherd, to be the shepherd that your name implies, for it is not me, and I saw that today.

SHEPHERD: This was just a job. I-I mean, this was just to make sure that we all got here and back safely. How-how did this happen?

SARNAX: There is no coincidence, Shepherd. You’ve seen it in the cards. Every single one, placed before us on the table, has proven true; it is fate. You think the Good Doc Cogburn told you all of that in levity, but it is true: when the Lord of Lies fell it was by the flame and sword, and so Strahdanya will fall, as she is a lord of lies herself, by flame and by sword and it will be us that wields it, but you must be prepared to not fall to your knees. The others are the lost, the children that you oversaw are the lost, and it is your job to shepherd them through this forest of darkness.

SHEPHERD: Alright, alright, I— ok. I…I don’t know what to say.

SARNAX: Say nothing, but return this to the soil of the earth. [as Mikey] and I give it to him.

SHEPHERD: [as Andy] And I will gently place the gem in the soil, and use my boot to cover it with, uh, dirt.

SARNAX: [as Mikey] I’ll look over at— as I’ll give you a nod. [as Sarnax] These seeds will grow the renewal will return from the destruction, not just at this vineyard, but to the entire land of Barovia, and it will be you, the shepherd of the lost in that darkness.

SHEPHERD: I…I-I don’t wanna sound like I don’t trust the others, but what if we lose them? What do we do?

SARNAX: We will do what you know must be done. The tyranny of wicked souls. Do you think that the professor, Victoria, or even Kana are immune? They must all be dealt with the same, but as long as they walk the path of the faithful soul—

SHEPHERD: The righteousness.

SARNAX: The path of righteousness, yes. They will be spared, as will all who follow that path.

SHEPHERD: Alright. Alright. Ok, understood.

SARNAX: Let’s go back inside.

SHEPHERD: Sure, sure, lead the way.

SARNAX: No, Shepherd. You lead the way. I will light your path.

SHEPHERD: Fine. [as Andy] and I’ll walk back towards the, uh, the winery

SARNAX: [as Mikey] and I will follow.

[theanoninyourinbox]

DAEDRIC PRINCES OF THE SKYRIM AU

DAYS OF WORK COMPLETED!!! Have some short descriptions of each Prince - and a quick tidbit - all Princes can assume a feline form, but some choose not to.

Hircine is the Hunt and the Prey, the fear and terror of being pursued, and the thrill and joy of pursuit. He is teeth in the bowels and blood on the tongue. The Father of werewolves is based on a wolf and a stag.

Azura is Sun and Moon, Day to Night, and all transitory periods therein. Crowned with roses of her own flesh, and touched with stars. The beloved of Dunmer and Khajit is based on a maned lioness.

Peryite is pestilence and plague, illness and crawling death, and all else is mystery. He once appeared as a dragon, but such a form is beyond him in the lands of Skyrim. In these current times, he appears as a Skeever, covered in boils and growths.

Clavicus Vile is bargain and trickery, treachery and lies. But Clavicus Vile is warning and wariness, care and concern. Two faced and two headed, it is said that he was once one headed, but a mistake left him attached to another - but none know which is which.

Hermaeus Mora is knowledge and knowing, memory and forgetting, and things better never known. A keeper of secrets, and a bringer of madness, but a true neutral Prince. He is known for his many eyes and tentacles.

Mephala is lies, murder, and the doings of the night. They weave a web of seduction and death, but to what end only they know. The spiny-backed orb weaver/black widow is also known as the Androgyne, a patron of those who see gender differently.

Molag Bal is the King of Strife, of Schemes, and Harvester of Souls. He desires nothing more than to have all mortal souls in his cold clutches. The komodo dragon based Prince is the Father of Vampires.

Boethia is he who deceives and she who is treacherous. The cobraconstrictor would love nothing more than to overthrow authority, but can be settled by great tournaments in his name. She is also patron to those who change gender as a serpent sheds their skin.

Ithelia is the Forgotten Prince of Paths, found only in old scripts held by Hermaeus Mora. He claims she would have destroyed and rewritten the world to something horrible, but can the Prince of Memory be trusted when all his knowledge would have been made moot?

Jyggalag is the Lord of Order, unrelenting and mysterious. Little is known of this Prince, other than his hate of Sheogorath...

Malacath is Lord of the ostracized, bringer of vengeance, and ultimate Chieftan to all Orcs. Despite his bloodthirsty nature, he loves and cherishes his mortal people, once fathering a child with an orc. Sadly, that tale is a tragedy, but to this day Malacath wears the warpainted paw print of his son.

Meridia is the burning glory of the sun, bringing life and light upon the world, but also scorching rays upon her enemies. As one of the most morally righteous Princes, many favor her and her hatred of the undead. However, her strange form and lack of a volume control can be offputting at times.

Namira is the Lord of cannibals and corruption, and Mother to all sorts of scuttling creatures. She delights in darkness and sundry, and blesses her followers with her wicked appetite.

Nocturnal is the shielding dark of the night, and the hidden shadow. She is forgotten faces and void itself. And the nightingale is luck and chance - well loved by thieves and assassins alike.

Sanguine is a party animal in the worst possible way - the Prince of debauchery will drag the most pious of cats and make sinners of them. Despite this, he is not evil - he just has wildly different morals. He is also one of the most personable Princes.

Vaermina is one of the worst of the Princes - a lover of tortures both physical and psychological, and will inflict pain and suffering on anyone and anything. Her too-long mouth produces nightmare inducing venom and fog.

Sheogorath is Prince of chaos, cheeses, and calipers. He is king of pranks, both harmless and harmful, and has a mind few can understand. His appearance is strange - an unknown creature, perhaps an ape, split down the middle, with cat ears. He has been quoted as saying “nya” often.

[lurafita]

I have this head canon that Asmodeus’ progeny have a sort of geas on their eyes. Not out of love for his children but more of a possessive/righteous sense of “you will Never collect my mark as a trophy”. Anyway, someone even touches the area around Magnus’ eyes with Ill intent and they are flambéd with hellfire and sent directly to edom. I also think that extreme emotional rage can trigger whatever fucking monster lurks in the parabatai bond (I mean let’s make use of that, that sounds like a fun plot device that was never used) so some ignoramouses kidnap Magnus one tries to go for his eyes and is fried and Alec gets there in time to see the attempt and turns rabidly feral. And moral of the story, it’s the only thing Alec and Asmodeus agree on, even if their reasons are different. Anyway, your John wick au made me remember this.

I know Asmodeus is super trash, but I have such a weakness for him being a good dad to Magnus. Or at least a protective dad, even if he is too selfish to let Magnus follow his own desires and would rather have him by his side in Edom. So even though Asmodeus is super trash, I still like the thought that he does hold genuine love for his son, even if it is twisted. So I definitely stand behind the protection eyes thing. Though they only really help if someone tries to remove his eyes while Magnus is still alive, if they kill him first and then remove the eyes, even if they still get vaporized, that wouldn't help Magnus a whole lot. BUT, it is still a protective measure, and making Magnus completely invincible would get boring quick, so I fully support the headcanon. The parabatai bond thing is interesting. I must admit, and a lot of fans will probably loudly and vehemently disagree with me, - but I'm not a fan of the whole parabatai thing. I have only seen the tv show for shadowhunters -, and I'm honestly not interested in the books after learning about some of the things that the books have that the show doesn't, - but from what I have seen of the parabatai bond in the show, it just doesn't seem worth it at all. We weren't shown how it is an advantage in a fight, only how it is a really bad disadvantage if your parabatai gets hurt and then you feel that pain too and then it's a two for one deal because both are then useless. The bond also didn't seem to inspire great loyalty, as it didn't keep Jace from going behind Alec's back early on, and it didn't keep Valentine from throwing his parabatai (Luke) to the literal wolves, and it just didn't appeal to me at all from the show's perspective. Nevertheless, I could get behind actual useful sideeffects of it like a berserker powerboost kinda thing if strong emotions get channeled through and then kinda wind themselves on repeat and reach ever greater heights and yes, I do absolutely adore the thought of Alec just seeing red and killing whatever he needs to to get Magnus safe, so I give many kudos to the bond beast monster hiding inside parabatai pairs. :-)

Also, how you doing? I hope you remember to drink enough water. Stay hydrated. And try to get enough sleep. It's important to fill your battery back up.

[lichtluxx]

Much is said about hell. How the bad people will be sent there when they die so they can be punished for their wrongdoings. So let's talk about hell for a little, shall we? What's this place?

In the Bible, there are six words that can be understood as the "Hell" we know of and they are: Sheol, Hades/Hell, Abraham’s Bosom, Gehenna, Tartarus, and Abaddon. These six places can be considered as different names and/or interpretations for just two realms. We will analyze each of them.

Sheol

When not translated as "Hell," Sheol is often rendered as "Grave" or "Pit." Sheol is simply the realm of the dead, where both the righteous and the wicked go. It is described as a place of silence and unconsciousness rather than torment. The Tanakh does not portray Sheol as a fiery place of punishment but as the common destiny of all humanity, though the righteous and the wicked were separated into different compartments.

Additionally, the Tanakh mentions individuals who avoided Sheol and went to heaven — Enoch and Elijah — who were righteous, but their ascension was not a direct result of their deeds; rather, it was a gift given to them by God.

In the New Testament, Sheol is presented as a temporary holding place for the souls of the unfaithful who await resurrection and judgment on the Day of Final Judgment.

Hades

In the Septuagint, the Greek term Hades is used to translate Sheol. Those familiar with Greek mythology will recognize this as an apt translation. Like Sheol, Hades was the abode of the dead and not necessarily a place of suffering. It was divided into three realms:

The Fields of Asphodel: Infinite meadows of asphodel flowers where most people went after death, regardless of whether they lived virtuously or sinfully. Souls resembled staggering zombies or ghosts drifting like leaves in an endless wind after drinking from the waters of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, erasing their memories of life. They simply existed.

The Elysian Fields and the Isles of the Blessed: A sort of paradise reserved for heroes or those of extreme virtue in life. Essentially, it was a peaceful and happy realm within Hades, though its exact nature varies depending on the source. Later classical literature introduced the concept of reincarnation, stating that if a person was virtuous enough to reach Elysium after three successive lives, they would go to the Isles of the Blessed after their fourth life to dwell among legendary heroes for eternity (both realms were still part of Hades, meaning even the most virtuous still ended up in Hades).

Tartarus, which in early Greek literature, it was a vast abyss as far below Hades as Earth is below heaven. It was where the Titans were imprisoned. However, by the 5th century BCE, Tartarus evolved into a dungeon where the most wicked people were confined and subjected to ironic punishments. Some were redeemable and underwent a form of purgatory, while others were trapped forever. Yet, "eternal damnation" as we know it was not yet a solidified concept — very few were evil enough to be imprisoned in Tartarus forever, so the average person was not at risk. One would have to directly and personally offend the gods in a particularly brutal way to end up there.

Tartarus appears in the New Testament only in the second epistle of St. Peter, where it is referred to as the place where God imprisoned the fallen angels, mirroring Zeus’ imprisonment of the Titans in Greek mythology.

Additionally, myths mention individuals who avoided Hades and went to Olympus — such as Ganymede and Psyche — not as a direct result of their actions but as gifts bestowed by Zeus. The fact that Hades was a near-universal fate avoided only by a select few, with compartments separating the righteous from the wicked, shows that Sheol and Hades are mythologically interchangeable. When the Bible was translated into English, Hades was replaced with Hell (from Old English Hel), which is both the name of the Norse underworld and its goddess, making it a fitting substitution.

Abraham’s Bosom

Abraham’s Bosom appears in the New Testament only in a parable told by Jesus, where the righteous leper Lazarus is carried by angels to this destination after death, while a rich and wicked man ends up in Hades, distinctly separated by a chasm. The account aligns with Jewish beliefs about Sheol, where the dead were gathered in a general holding place — though the Jewish version featured a river with an angelic ferryman (similar to Charon) instead of a chasm, allowing passage from one side to the other through the intercession of Abraham.

This indicates that Abraham’s Bosom is the compartment of Sheol reserved for the virtuous, much like the Elysian Fields in Hades.

Gehenna

Unlike Sheol and Hades, Gehenna had a more tangible origin. It refers to the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom, a location outside Jerusalem where garbage, animal carcasses, and even executed criminals were burned. During the First Temple period, it was also the site of Tophet, where some kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire — an act later cursed by the prophet Jeremiah.

By the Second Temple period, Gehenna became a symbol of divine judgment and destruction. Jesus used the term metaphorically to warn of the consequences of rejecting God but never described it as an eternal place of burning souls (the fire was unquenchable, but not the soul itself). Finally, in Rabbinic Judaism (diverging from Christianity), Gehenna became a figurative name for a place of spiritual purification for the wicked dead, akin to Catholic Purgatory.

Abaddon

Finally, Abaddon means "destruction" and is used in the Bible to refer to an abyss, often appearing alongside Sheol. In the Book of Revelation, it is described as an abyss where a fallen angel of the same name dwells, implying it is Tartarus.

Hell

Summarizing everything above, what we know as Hell has two compartments: Abraham’s Bosom for righteous unbelievers and the Valley of Hinnom for wicked unbelievers, while the faithful avoid Hell altogether and go to heaven. Although Hell is a negative consequence for rejecting Jesus, it is not a bad place to be if you were virtuous in life — Abraham’s Bosom is a paradise in its own right, unlike Gehenna (also known as Tartarus or Abaddon), which is a place of real torment, and even it may not be eternal for some.

Over time, Gehenna was conflated with Hell as a whole, and the confusion became so great that the Catholic Church established a dogma called Limbo (from Limbus, meaning "edge") to refer to Abraham’s Bosom, since Christians used (and still use) Infernum ("Hell") to refer only to Gehenna.

Dante’s Inferno is the best example of Catholic Limbo being depicted much like the Biblical Abraham’s Bosom. The same occurs in Islam, where Gehenna (Jahannam) is often presented as the sole alternative to the Garden of Eden (Jannah), though Limbo (Qabr/Barzakh) also exists in Islamic tradition.

That said, traditional Jewish sources teach that there is a spiritual realm of punishment for sin in the afterlife, but it is not an eternal fire to make you suffer for eternity. The Jewish version of “hell” is essentially about repentance for not having fulfilled your potential and the “purification” of your soul to remove impurities, it is about not having done enough, not having fulfilled your purpose – at least, that is what I interpreted after researching.

The Christian hell, however, is more literal in this sense. It is about fire and punishment for the wicked, those who were bad people and did not accept Jesus while they still had the chance. To them, hell is eternal, a place from which you have no chance of escaping, and there is no point in repenting if you are already there, because God will never heed your prayer.

[tophatpatriot]

Do you have any sort of headcanons for Hellsing characters? <3

That’s actually a very good question. To be honest, I don’t really have any headcanons for the Hellsing characters—except for the Major. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m a huge Major fan (maybe even a bit of a crazy simping poster, haha).

If you ask a lot of people why they’re drawn to that chubby little marshmallow of a man, most of their answers will probably be things like: “Oh, he’s so good-looking,” or “He’s just such a badass villain.” And sure, those things might be true. But for me, it’s more than just his physical presence. His quotations and speeches are genuinely fascinating and—dare I say—inspiring.

Now, I know what most people would say: “He’s a Nazi—how can he be inspiring?!” or “Dude, he literally enjoyed killing people, whether they were his enemies or even his own soldiers.” And yes, that’s all true. The Major is evil, without a doubt.

But there’s a saying I really believe in: “Take what’s good from a person, and leave whats Bad.” And that’s exactly what I do with the Major.

Ever since I watched the Hellsing series, I’ve noticed that most of the Major’s sayings actually have deep meaning—especially his iconic war speech. I’ve been spending time examining them and looking into their deeper interpretations.

There’s just something about the Major that makes him so intriguing. He’s not the type of person who speaks at face value. His words carry weight. They’re layered, symbolic, and often philosophical in a twisted way. That’s what really draws me in—he’s not just shouting nonsense or being evil for the sake of it. There’s intent, there’s purpose, and most of all, there’s conviction behind everything he says.

Here’s an example: In episode 3 or 4—during the roundtable meeting between the Hellsing Organization and the Vatican—the Major introduces himself. In the scene where Maxwell says to him, “You’re insane, all of you!”, the Major responds with, “Did I just hear someone from Iscariot questioning my sanity?! Then let me ask you: if your God would allow my madness to flourish across the globe, then wouldn’t any God like that be just as mad as I am?”

I’ve seen a lot of people interpret this as proof that the Major is an atheist and that he completely lacks belief in God.

However, I believe that in this dialogue, the Major is essentially saying to Maxwell: "Look, let’s assume your God is truly on your side. If that’s the case—if your God is so righteous and I am so wicked—then why hasn’t He destroyed me yet, hmm?"

This interpretation is further supported by his next line: "We are the finest of the Third Reich! Do you have any idea how many people we’ve killed?!"

As we know, the Major holds a high-ranking position in the SS (Schutzstaffel), specifically the rank of Sturmbannführer, which translates to "Major" in German. The SS was an elite paramilitary organization under the Nazi regime—infamous for its brutality, fanaticism, and unwavering loyalty to  the Nazi ideology.

So when the Major says that, he’s basically throwing it back at Maxwell: "Yeah, we’re evil—like, the worst of the worst. And yet, your God has done nothing to stop us."

Then comes another interesting line: "I’m insane?! You didn’t have any objections 50 years ago! But never mind that—try to stop me, then, you self-proclaimed normal people!"

In this line, the Major is actually implying that Maxwell and the Iscariot Organization had collaborated with him during the Nazi regime. He’s calling out Maxwell’s hypocrisy, essentially saying:

"You are the truly wicked ones. You claim to be righteous, to have God on your side—but in reality, you're just as evil. The difference is that I show my true face. I don't lie to people. I don’t pretend to be just or claim to guide them toward salvation. You, on the other hand, hide behind faith while feeding off the people's wealth and strength."

He's also pointing out, "Oh, now that I’ve grown powerful, you’ve suddenly turned against me, hmm?"

And when he says “But never mind that,” he’s not dismissing the accusation—he’s taunting them. It’s his way of saying, “Fifty years is a long time. Maybe you’ve changed

Maxwell remains Silent Unable to debate back or prove hes innocent

And this is just one of the Major’s dialogues I’m currently working on—all of his speeches, including his war speech, which has such deep interpretations. I’ll be posting my interpretations of each saying/quotes soon. Let me know what you think! :D

[gwynrieldreams]

Night Court parallels with the Greek Underworld

In a previous post, I analysed how Rhysand and Feyre are the Hades and Persephone trope, due to their bargain and the symbolism that surrounds them (you can read the whole post here).

So, if Rhysand is Hades and Feyre Persephone, then the Night Court is the Greek Underworld. As we know the Night Court is divided in three parts: Velaris, Hewn City and Illyria. We also know that the underworld is divided in three parts: Elysium, Tartarus and Asphodel Meadows.

Velaris - Elysium:

Elysium, otherwise known as the Elysian Fields, Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults. It was initially separated from the Greek Underworld – the realm of Hades. Only mortals related to the gods and other heroes could be admitted past the river Styx. Later, the conception of who could enter was expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic. They would remain at the Elysian Fields after death, to live a blessed and happy afterlife, and indulge in whatever they had enjoyed in life.

The Elysian Fields were, according to Homer, located on the western edge of the Earth by the stream of Oceanus, the great river which encircled the entire world.

Velaris, also known as the Court of Dreams and the City of Starlight, is a hidden city on the western side of the Night Court of Prythian. Velaris is built like a crust atop rolling, steep hills. The hills are flanked by a broad, winding river the color of the deepest sapphire, the Sidra River, that snakes across the landscape into the sea.

Velaris' breeze smells like salt and lemon verbena.

We also know that Velaris is this utopian place, where the inhabitants live happily and apart from the world, for few are privy to the well-guarded knowledge of the secret existence of Velaris and the Court of Dreams.

Both places are considered some sort of a paradise, accessible only to a few people who are considered good, righteous, heroic, the chosen ones. Those few can indulge in whatever they enjoy and live a happy comfortable life. Both places are built on edges flanked by a river.

Hewn City - Tartarus:

In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato's Gorgias, souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment.

We also know that geographically, the Underworld is surrounded by a series of rivers: The Acheron (river of woe), which suspiciously sounds like Archeron, The Cocytus (river of lamentation), The Phlegethon (river of fire), The Styx (river of unbreakable oath by which the gods swear), and The Lethe (river of forgetfulness).

The Hewn City, also known as the Court of Nightmares, is one of the two main cities of the Night Court of Prythian. It's located under the mountains of the Night Court and is the domain of High Lord Rhysand.

It is an entire metropolis carved from the dark stone of the mountain itself. Every surface is carved with lovely, hideous artwork: figures dance and fornicate, beg and revel, pillars are carved to look like curling vines of night-blooming flowers.

Water runs throughout the city in little streams and rivers tapped from the heart of the mountain itself.

The Hewn City is ruled from a castle inside the mountain, which is the official seat of the High Lord of the Night Court. The gates to the castle are carved into great, scaled black beasts coiled together in a nest of claws and fangs, sleeping and fighting or devouring each other. Between them flow vines of jasmine and moonflowers. The throne room within is of polished ebony.

The place is known as the "Court of Nightmares" due to the occupants' violent principles. Traditionally, the Hewn City was the home of the High Lord of the Night Court and the place from which he governs his territory. However, in the case of Rhysand, he vastly prefers Velaris and the Court of Dreams. Rhysand has assigned Morrigan to be in charge of Hewn City, but the inhabitants of the Hewn City are ruled primarily by Keir, who serves as a Steward for Rhysand, making the Court of Nightmares a haven for all those who oppose Rhysand's practices or philosophies and preferring instead the ancestral values of the treacherous Night Court. They're happy to stay in the Hewn City, rarely leaving, ruling themselves, and being as wicked as they please, for all eternity.

Both Hewn City and Tartarus are located underground. Their inhabitants are known to be wicked. Both places are a form of imprisonment, since their inhabitants aren't allowed to leave. Hewn City is surrounded by many rivers similar to the Underworld.

Court of Dreams - Court of Nightmares:

Hypnos is the personification of sleep. He lived in the Underworld, in a big cave, which the river Lethe ("Forgetfulness") comes from and where night and day meet. They call this area the Land of Dreams. His bed is made of ebony, and on the entrance of the cave grow several poppies and other soporific plants.

Velaris smells like lemon verbena, while Hewn City has night- blooming flowers, jasmine and moonflowers.

Lemon verbena uniquely affects melatonin production, a hormone synthesized in the brain that helps regulate the normal sleep-wake cycle.

Night-blooming Jasmine's fragrance is more than just a pleasant aroma; it's a gateway to better sleep. Studies and traditional practices alike recognize the sedative qualities of this plant's scent, making it a natural ally against insomnia.

Moonflower is a night-blooming flower. The blooms open at dusk and last through the night, closing with the morning sun. Consuming large amounts of seeds can cause hallucinations in rare cases.

Similarities: Land of Dreams // Court of Dreams - Court of Nightmares, ebony bed // ebony throne room, night-blooming flowers with soporific qualities, river of Lethe // rivers and streams.

Illyria - Asphodel Meadows:

The Asphodel Meadows or Asphodel Fields was a section of the ancient Greek Underworld where the majority of ordinary souls, souls that lived a mediocre life, were sent to live after death. It was one of the three main divisions of the Underworld.

Illyria is the northern region of the Night Court. The region of Illyria includes steppes and mountains where there are multiple War-Camps where Illyrians live and train.

Unlike High Fae, Illyrians have rounded ears. Some Night Court citizens view them as lesser faeries, however due to their human-like appearance

Illyrians are neither High Fae nor lesser faeries, although a lot of the High Fae consider them as nothing more than expendable aerial cavalry at best and mindless soldiers grunts at worst. Most have a negative opinion about Illyrians.

Other than Rhysand and Feyre being a parallel to Hades and Persephone, there are other Night Court habitants that parallel known habitants of the Underworld.

Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery. Hecate is often shown as a triple-bodied.

I've already made a post analysing how Hecate, is the inspiration for the tog Triple-Goddess and how she relates to the Archeron sisters. You can read the whole post here.

• Erinyes are chthonic goddesses of vengeance. Their Roman counterparts are the Furies.

• When Nesta Archeron asks her what she was, Amren replies that she was "a messenger and soldier-assassin for a wrathful god who ruled a young world." Sarah J. Maas has confirmed that Amren is an Old Testament Angel

Both avenging spirits. Amren has many similarities with Fury Axtar.

• While Hermes did not primarily reside in the Underworld and is not usually associated with the Underworld, he was the one who led the souls of the dead to the Underworld. In this sense, he was known as Hermes Psychopompos and with his fair golden wand he was able to lead the dead to their new home. He was also called upon by the dying to assist in their death – some called upon him to have painless deaths or be able to die when and where they believed they were meant to die.

• The name Azriel, closely resembles Azrael. Azrael is the canonical angel of death in Islam. Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael holds a benevolent role as God's angel of death; he acts as a psychopomp, responsible for transporting the souls of the deceased after their death.

• Nyx is the goddess of the Night and the daughter of Chaos.

• Nyx is Feyre Archeron and Rhysand's son. As shown in the Bonus chapter of The Court of Silver Flames, it was Rhys who came up with the idea for Nyx's name. "Rhys pointed to one of the walls of books in the study. A leather-bound tome floated toward his open fingers. He wordlessly flipped to a page and then passed it to me. I scanned the text inside. “An ancient night goddess." “From around the time of the Trove, actually,” Rhys said. “She's mostly been forgotten now, but I like the sound of her name. Why not use it for a boy?”

• Thanatos is a High Fae lord who lives in the Hewn City of the Night Court.

• Thanatos was the personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person.

• Nesta's power is described as death.

Another myth associated with the Underworld is the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. @creativelbd on tiktok has made a video explaining how they could parallel Nesta and Cassian, so go check it out.

[aliteralactualfactualgremlin]

One thing that’s really starting to bug me about conservative christianity and the particular beliefs I was raised with is just how dismissive of human emotion it is

Cause the bible talks a lot about how the heart is wicked and deceitful and the source of all evil and conservatism (supposedly) values being logical more than emotional (the irony) so having this ingrained in my mind from a young age I felt like I had to be constantly vigilant to suppress my emotions for the sake of remaining “logical” or “righteous” and would often feel ashamed for just experiencing my feelings (aka being human)

And now I struggle trusting my intuition in my practice and will find myself doubting if what I’m feeling is really the gods or my own imagination and or demons trying to trick me

Not to mention I still will find myself trying to dismiss my feelings at times because I’m just “being irrational” (which don’t even get me started on all the sexism connected with that phrase in those sorts of circles)

It’s weird to finally be in a place where I can begin to recognize the ways in which christianity fucked me up despite how devout of a follower I was

[judesmoonbeauty]

A Briar Dream - Chapitre Deux

Please Note: This is a series. Please read Chapitre Un first. WC: 1,782 CW: Brief mentions of assault and torture Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship, Series, Love Bites, Kissing, Tending to wounds, First morning together. Pronouns: She/Her Pronouns Summary: He noticed the strap of her nightgown had slipped from her shoulder, and before placing it back in its proper place, he leaned over he gently bit it. “You’re nothin' but a pain in the ass, ya know that?”.....“That's right, lil' lady. I need specimens for my experiment. See you later.”.......Spiteful and to the point, at least that's how it seemed on the surface, but knowing Jude, he likely wanted her to rest at the castle safely. Dividers: @/natimiles

In the first breath of morning, a pair of warmly woven bodies could be found buried under layers of sheets. Jude's body stirred first as it was accustomed to waking up long before the dawn ever broke. Slowly opening his eyelids, his sight gradually adjusted to the darkness, which finally brought her into his view. He blinked for a moment, recalling the previous night's events, and exhaled in relief that she was safe - for now. Her sweet scent continued to pervade him and the comfortable atmosphere start to lull him once again. This was when a new feeling was born within him – reluctance.

He never had an issue springing from bed no matter how worn out his mind and body were, but for the first time in his life he wanted to linger in this moment and never surrender it. He wrapped his long arms around her waist and pulled her in closer to his body, nuzzling himself into the back of her hair. However, he was soon fighting within himself at how ridiculous he was acting for wanting to stay in bed with her. The fact that his resolve to leave for work had weakened for just a moment caused a wicked grin to creep on his face.

“You'll pay for makin’ me feel like this princess,” he whispered as he kissed the back of her head. After which, he removed the hair covering her neck so he could check the bruising. The violent bruising was now mixed with numerous marks of his love bites from last night; he was disgusted at himself for almost failing to protect her, so he did what he could to carve out that bastard’s marks he left behind. But Jude knew that could only do so much because the mind scars differently from the flesh. Still, she would face worse dangers in the future for being with him, and she accepted it wholeheartedly. So, he promised her something other than, “I’ll always protect you,” though he'd do his best to do so.

“Anyone who touches you, I’ll torture the bastards so slowly that they’ll wish I was strippin' their flesh from their bones instead.”

The back of his forefinger stroked her cheek, and after lighting a lamp, Jude crossed the room towards a desk that held all sorts of medicines, salves, and bandages - things that had become a staple in his life - and now will become one in hers too. He hated that thought so much that he slammed the desk drawer shut to vent his feelings, but this was now her life and there was no way she'd ever escape from him. Her option to be free to live in peace and happiness was gone, but just as that self-righteous Earl is always going on about being honest about one’s desires, Jude decided he was going to be honest with his and keep her by his side. Nothing was going to prevent him from dragging her along for the rest of their lives, no matter how disdainful, bleak or sinful his actions would be. He wanted to be with her, to see how far she could grow, to watch her light move him in ways he never thought possible, and to see those eyes overflow with determination and fearlessness.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he skillfully rubbed the salve on her neck, carefully dressed it with bandages, and then got dressed himself. Strapping on his sword, he started walking for the bedroom door, and that's when another feeling that had been absent in his heart was born – apprehension.

Will you be all right waking up by yourself after you were attacked last night? Would it be so bad to just wait another hour….but what if she doesn’t wake up then?

“Tch, this is stupid,” he says while turning back towards the bed.

He noticed the strap of her nightgown had slipped from her shoulder, and before placing it back in its proper place, he leaned over he gently bit it. “You’re nothin' but a pain in the ass, ya know that?”

“Nnng-Jude?” she groggily called out his name and when Jude saw her smiling happily at him, he pinched her cheek and told her to keep her voice down.

“Nnn….oouch.” Jude snickered at her and then soothed the pinched area with his thumb. Pretty cute when she whines in pain. Ha, I’m gonna make ya cry out more than that just ya wait. Watching her lean her cheek into his palm with a slightly provocative look on her face, Jude commanded her, “Back to bed princess.”

“Work....hard”, she mumbled.

There were many things that he expected you to say to him, but “work hard”, was not one of them. He had half expected her to ask him to stay with her since she was still probably still shaken up from last night, but that’s just who she was - someone who was as resilient as she is bold.

“Just who do ya think you’re talking to? 'Course, I will.”

Jude gently scoffed at her with a sweet smile when she quickly shot up up on her knees, swung her arms around his neck, and kissed him goodbye. Jude was taken by surprise, but the small current of electricity from her soft lips urged his hand to trace the small of her back and return a sweet kiss. The tips of their tongues tickled and teased at the each other for a few moments longer, filling the dimly lit room with sounds of intimate morning greetings, as it would be for many days to come…….

Later that morning she joined the other members of Crown for a lively breakfast, greeting them with an even brighter smile than usual. Everything was as it should be and as every one chatted, she learned that not only had Jude almost kicked Liam’s head in with his foot while hurling abuses at him for putting her in danger, he also threatened William for assisting Liam, and demanded restitution from them both before he left the castle that morning.

Naturally, both men gladly offered to pay Jude for the trouble, Liam with the most regretful countenance, and William with a most unaffected one. Apparently, Jude was so angry that he grabbed William by the collar, which shocked almost everyone who walked in on the scene, but no one dared to intervene.

Alfons laughed as the recounted the entertaining memory to her, “Ahaha, guess how much Liam has to pay Jude?! Up to half of his earnings from both Crown and La Scala for the next six months! And our dear king of Crown has to invest in Jude's business for the next half year as well!”

“It's not very nice of Jude to threaten someone like that......but I can understand his anger.....when something beautiful is almost stolen from you," said Elbert as he finally took a bite of an apple slice that Alfons had been trying to force feed him.

Liam couldn’t take it anymore and decided to throw himself at her feet begging for forgiveness, as he explained his motive to her and berated himself at the same time for making yet another mistake. Looking at him with pity, she gently stroked his head that was laying on her lap.

“It’s….not your fault Liam. You didn’t know he’d do something like that to me, and because of you and William, Jude and I are together again, so thank you.”

Teary rose-colored eyes looked up at her as he was soothed by her words of reassurance, and although he still lamented that Jude probably hated him, the dramatic spectacle over. Although, deep down she quietly wondered if William really had no inkling at all. Roger stood up from the table and slung his gun on his back to leave, “Well, I hope you've learned your lesson. I'm off to go hunting.”

“Hunting?” she asked.

“That's right, lil' lady. I need specimens for my experiment. See you later.”

No sooner had Roger left did Victor come bursting through the door with a basket of aromatic pastries, and crescent smile on his face.

“GOOOD MORNING, my beloved cursed ones!!!! And our lovely Robin too! Now, now Liam none of that! You weren't tortured and you're still alive, so that means that Jude doesn't totally hate you. Now, eat up.”

Liam obeyed Victor with little push back, and was soon back to his whimsical self as he munched on the buttery scones given to him. Asking one of the maids in her elementary version of sign language, she received a copy of the newspaper and began to scan over the financial section. She thought that it would be best to become more knowledgeable about the trends of the market now that she would be working more closely with Jude. Unable to make any sense of it, she gave up and decided to should study up on business first prior trying to understand foreign jargon. Turning her attention to the front page she began to peruse it. After studying her for a bit, William asked if there was anything of interest printed on it, so skimming the front page a little more quickly.

“Hmm, I don't think so. Let's see....there's reconstruction taking place at a nearby park........the amount of stray dogs in London are recently at an all time low.......Hmm. Oh! I almost missed this, “Soon to Open: Deux's Emporia – A Collection of Curiosities, Baubles, and Wonders from Around the World.”

“How exciting! When does it open? We should take a field trip, and then go shopping at Harrods!” Victor's eyes were shining, but soon lost their luster, “Ah, well. That shall have to wait I'm afraid.” He takes a small note card from his breast pocket and gives it to her, and after recognizing Jude's script she quickly read’s it.

“Was late to work ‘cause of ya, Princess. There's a pile of contract renewals that need to be retyped. Start with those, ‘n don't even think ‘bout leavin’ the castle for the time bein’, ‘specially without a Crown member. - Your Beloved Jude Jazza.”

Spiteful and to the point, at least that's how it seemed on the surface, but knowing Jude, he likely wanted her to rest at the castle safely. Although, the contracts are probably payback for delaying him this morning, they're also probably meant to help keep her mind busy. She let out a slight sigh and replied to Victor with a smile.

“It seems you're right. I'm going to be quite busy for the time being.”

[Chapitre Trois] [Master List]

@ichigostellaglynn @mrslelouch @atelierquinn

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[ser3nityst4r]

Ninth Head

The wind blew fiercely as Riddle, the stoic Housewarden of Heartslabyul, stood triumphant, his eyes gleaming with a chilling victory. Ace and Deuce, their faces flushed with defeat, hung their heads, their initial bravado shattered. Yuu, their friend and confidante, watched in disbelief, a fire of righteous anger simmering within.

'Hmph. You didn't even last five seconds. That was all you had, and still you thought to challenge me?' Riddle sneered, his voice laced with disdain. 'You must be utterly humiliated. I guess my mother was right. A man who cannot follow rules is a man who cannot achieve anything.'

Deuce, his anger simmering, retorted, 'Tch... We agree that rules should be followed. But forcing others to follow nonsensical rules like the ones you've enacted is tyranny!'

Yuu, her voice shaking with indignation, chimed in, 'You can't just abuse your rights as a Housewarden to do whatever you please.'

Riddle scoffed, his arrogance unwavering, 'I am the one who decides what is wrong and right! What sort of pitiful education have you received, that you cannot follow such simple rules? Clearly, you were born to parents with no great magical capability. And as a result… You lack even the basic education necessary to attend a school such as this. It's quite sad.” He feigned pity, attempting to provoke the trio.

Deuce, his jaw clenched, his anger reaching its peak at the mention of his parents, snapped, “You little…” 

Before anyone could react, Ace, with lightning-fast reflexes, delivered a sharp jab to Riddle's face, silencing his mocking words. 'Eugh! T-That hurt!' Riddle sputtered, his composure shattered.

Ace, his voice steady and fierce, countered, 'Kids aren't trophies for their parents to flaunt. And the accomplishments of a child aren't determined by the worth of their parents. It's not your parents' fault you became a tyrant - or anyone else's. You've been here a year and haven't even made a friend who will tell you you're outta line. And that's on you. Maybe you had some rigid upbringing from a relentless helicopter-mom. Is that all you are? An extension of her? Can't you think for yourself? You call yourself the 'red sovereign'? You're just a baby who's good at magic.'

Riddle, his face now crimson with fury, screamed, 'Shut up, Shut up! You know nothing about me! My mother is right and that means I'm also right!' Grim snarled “What kinda logic is that?!” Ears flaring with blue flames as his claws came out at the aggravation of the situation.

Crowley, the Headmaster, appeared at the scene, his voice echoing with authority, 'The challenger has been disqualified due to physical violence. If you do not cease your conflict now, I'll have you written up for breaking school rules!'

But Riddle, lost in his own self-righteous fury, ignored Crowley's warning. And then, out of the blue, an egg sailed through the air, striking Riddle squarely on the head. 

'Huh? An egg?' Riddle mumbled, bewildered, until he saw the bright yellow yolk dripping down his face. 'Heh heh... Ah ha ha ha! You say YOU'RE fed up?! I'M the one who's fed up with all of YOU! No matter how strict I am, no matter how many heads I remove, you keep breaking the rules! All any of you care about is doing what YOU want to do! If the guilty party won't come forward, then I'll pass judgment on all of you! Clearly, none of you value your heads!'

Cater and Trey, sensing the escalating danger, rushed to intervene. “Cease this improper behavior now, Mr. Rosehearts,” Crowley commanded. “I expect better from you.” But his words fell on deaf ears.

With a malevolent grin, Riddle unleashed his power, his dark emotions surging through him. Rose bushes erupted from the ground, their thorns twisting and growing, reaching for Yuu, Ace, and Deuce. 'Mighty roses, tear this brute to pieces!' he roared, his voice infused with venomous rage.

The air crackled with wicked magic, engulfing the courtyard in a dark and dangerous aura. The crimson roses, fueled by Riddle’s anger, began to slither and dance, their thorns glowing with an ominous red light. The courtyard was plunged into darkness, and the chilling cries of the roses filled the air, carrying with them a promise of impending doom.

[licncourt]

Licncourt you're right as always about female coding and you hit the nail on the head about Louis!

My opinion about Lestat is that he was portrayed as the stereotypical bad woman: vain, shallow, cruel and foolish but beautiful. But he was also a victim whom the narrative constantly forces to forgive and love his abusers because that's the only way he becomes worthy of being loved. It happened with Magnus, Akasha, Armand and also with his father (the only time Lestat didn't want to forgive someone... but was pushed to do so) It's frustrating if you think about it, because that's what society expects of women.

I'm really glad you think so!! He's so girl to me but in the right way, not the Anne Rice way.

I was sooo happy when I read this because !!! You are absolutely onto something here that should be examined further. There's some overlap between Louis and Lestat for sure when it comes to female-coding, both of them being portrayed as over-emotional and somewhat effeminate etc, but it's really cool how the rest contrasts in such an interesting way, like a Venn diagram. I've talked plenty about Louis being pretty directly analogous to the stereotypes of a lustful, weak-willed, hysterical woman whose primary assigned value is beauty, but there's a LOT to say about Lestat too.

I love what you said here because the first part really feels like a throughline tying Lestat to the women who helped established the Bad Woman archetypes in the literary canon like Medea (vindictive and treacherous), Lady Macbeth (power-hungry for personal gain), or Delilah (a calculated honeytrap for "righteous men"). In spite of his anger and mistreatment of Louis, most of Lestat's flaws in the trilogy are strikingly feminine in the literary sense. He's quite literally portrayed as a cruel, shrill gold-digger who dickmatized a rich husband and trapped him with a child.

Yes, he's an angry, domineering man, but it's the impotence behind his anger that pivots towards the stereotypically feminine. Throughout IWTV, he's all bark and no bite, yelling, whining, throwing books and sulking, even having an affair to punish Louis for his coldness and lack of affection versus anything more direct and aggressive. It really reads like the idea of a bitchy housewife tormenting her husband while trying to get her way and take revenge.

In addition, I really like the comparison of him with the wicked mother archetype, a maternal figure who poisons the daughter with her own trauma and anger (Clytemnestra-esque) and creates another monstrous woman in her own image. I've mentioned this before, but I think the creation of Claudia can be read symbolically as a conception, pregnancy, and birth, Louis draining her as a sort of insemination that's useless on its own but is "gestated" or made into a whole (a vampire child) by Lestat/his blood. In those terms, Lestat is immediately set up as a mother figure to Claudia, then again later when she's situated as a direct rival and narrative parallel to him. Generational trauma is passed from Gabrielle to and through Lestat and into Claudia as if he was also a daughter in the chain.

In terms of victimhood, what you said is also very interesting because it's one of the few places where this female-coded Lestat slips through and re-emerges really prominently in late canon despite AR's attempts to masculinize him. In trying to redeem him and make him "perfect", she puts him back into the feminine role with the societal expectation that a woman should forgive her abuser and take the high road, empathize with him even, especially in religious communities (interesting considering AR's wild rollercoaster ride with Catholicism). It's as if Lestat's disdain for Magnus is an unpleasant loose end she needs to tie up so he can be "good" now.

I think it's interesting too that the only abuser that the narrative doesn't ever give a sympathetic sort of pass to is Akasha, the sole woman who inflicted this kind of abuse on Lestat and a victim of bodily exploitation in her own right. Even the Marquis receives the narrative's sympathy as a repentant old man, even Magnus the monster. Not Akasha though. She's just a bitter man-hater and Lestat has to choose whether he wants to be also.

(Btw this is such @nasnyys business and what he screams into the void about every day so I'm making him a part of this. Everyone go talk to him about Lestat and evil woman allegories.)

[somethingclevermahogony]

OC Interview

Thank you for the tags @mk-writes-stuff and @kaylinalexanderbooks!

For this one I am going to be using two characters that are both from The Testaments of the Green Sea, but from different cycles. Akard is from the Ninma Cycle, Batricca is from the Mikrab Cycle. Both of these interviews will take place before their first introduction in their respective cycles, gotta avoid those spoilers.

Are you named after anyone?

Akard: "Named after anyone? Well I suppose all nobility are aren't they? As for a specific person...no, or if there was such a person, my father never told me about them."

Batricca: "My grandfather, may he rot, gave me the name of my mother."

When was the last time you cried?

Akard: "Cried...well I would rather not say, if that's alright with you."

Batricca: "370 years ago. I was a fool then, crying over a liar and a coward."

Do you have kids?

Akard: "Kids? I don't have time for that, not yet at least, some day, maybe."

Batricca: " I forget....somewhere around 165, I think."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Akard: "Of course I do, sarcasm is the third language of the Apunian court. The other two? Apunian and Lies."

Batricca: "Sarcasm is the art of those without the power or respect to talk seriously."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Akard: "Not to sound...vain, but their clothes. You can tell much about a person just by looking at their clothes. Where they came from, their tastes, their status..."

Batricca: "Their posture. How do they hold themself before me? How do they act in the face of the War Queen?"

What’s your eye colour?

Akard: "Brown, like acacia wood. That's what my nursemaid used to say."

Batricca: "Blue, like the cloudless sky."

Scary movies or happy endings?

Akard: "Hmm...I'm assuming a movie is some sort of story and song. When you say happy, does that include just stories? I like stories in which the wicked are punished and the righteous are elevated.

Batricca: "Hahahaha! I do love scary stories, because they are always about me, well at least the best ones."

Any special talents?

Akard: "I like to think that I am quite good on a chariot. I can paint, I'm not a terrible lyre player..."

Batricca: "Talents? I have many. Too many to name. I can pull apart a wall with my hands, I can pull a sturgeon from the river with no hook, I can bend swords with my teeth. Are those talent enough for you?"

Where were you born?

Akard: "Apuna, in the city of Nashawey, if my father is to be believed, it was in the Fapacha's stable."

Batricca: "The City of the Sinutrax tribe, in the burial mound of my great grandfather, where my grandfather left my mother to birth me...and to die."

Do you have any pets?

Akard: "I had a hound, and two cats. But I gave them into the care of one of the other members of the Fapacha's court. They don't do well at sea. Their names were Tumel, Senaha, and Hiruru."

Batricca: " Do the 17 tribes count?"

What sort of sports do you play?

Akard: "I used to wrestle, I did some chariot racing, some foot racing too, and I did my fair share of bird hunting."

Batricca: "My sport is war."

How tall are you?

Akard: "Something like...five feet and seven inches? Tall for the Apunian court."

Batricca: "Eight feet and five inches, at my last count."

What was your favourite subject in school?

Akard: "I enjoyed learning history, even if Kishetal was only an afterthought in the minds of my Apunian tutors."

Batricca: "School? Do I look like an olive-sucking southerner to you?"

What is your dream job?

Akard: "Oh that's easy, following in my father's and my grandfather's footsteps."

Batricca: " Where I am now, while....more is always better."

Tagging @illarian-rambling , @roach-pizza , @willtheweaver , @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling , and @revenantlore