"The Morrígan"

First off, I apologize if this has been thought of or posted before either in reddit or youtube. ( I have yet to find anyone talking about it"
This is just some food for thought as I've been heavy into Elden Ring lore lately. I really enjoy watching youtube videos about Elden ring lore and story. Love watching tarnished/ vaatti and others just to name a few.
I Love trying to tie in real life history or mythology and how it possibly inspired story decisions. It can possibly help us uncover story secrets before they are revealed.
This is going to be all over the place, because I don't have a ton of time to make a huge presentation but I'll try and give you the cliff the notes of what I uncovered and hopefully it inspires someone smarter than me to piece something together.
I first stumbled upon "The Morrigan" mythology when I was watching a Quelaag video and she mentioned how the deathbirds are keepers of the flame. It got me thinking about how in old roman pagan times there was a group of woman called the vestal virgins who were in charge of keeping romes sacred flame. So I googled what that flame in roman/pagan times represented. I somehow stumbled across Brigid or Brigit meaning 'exalted one who was a goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the daughter of the Dagda and wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán. (From Wiki)
According to myth, the Tuatha de Danann resided in a mythical country described as the underworld.
They live in the Otherworld, which is described as either a parallel world or a heavenly land beyond the sea or under the earth's surface.^\1]) Many of them are associated with specific places in the landscape, especially the sídh mounds; the ancient burial mounds and passage tombs which are entrances to Otherworld realms.^\1])^\2]) The Tuath Dé can hide themselves with a féth fíada ('magic mist')^\2]) and appear to humans only when they wish to.^\1]) ^{( kinda like how Melina appears to us})
She has some crazy similarities to Marika, the flower that represents her is dandelion/sunflower that we see all over the lands, the animal that is most associated with her are lambs... found all over limgrave. Also was known as the goddess who could create trees or something like that. I won't bore you with all the things, but if your interested there are a lot of associations that can be tied to the goddess Brigid and the Elden ring story if you have time to research it.
I dove deeper in Wikipedia and clicked on the link for her father the Dagda. He is considered the great god of Irish mythology And things got a bit interesting here for me. He is often described as a large bearded man or giant. Again I need the help of you guys to try and tie these mythological gods to a possible connection to the Elden Ring characters. I have a few ideas for this guy.
The Dagda has several other names or epithets which reflect aspects of his character.
One being Eochaid

Eochu or Eochaid Ollathair ("horseman, great father" or "horseman, all-father

There is a sword in Elden ring called The Regalia of Eochaid, ( Treasured sword of Eochaid, a lesser, long-vanished domain )
I think the old man in the photo from the DLC trailer could be this Dagda character or possibly one of the Giant skeletons sitting on the throne in the under ground.
The Dagda has an affair with Boann, the goddess of the River Boyne. She lives at Brú na Bóinne with her husband Elcmar. The Dagda impregnates her after sending Elcmar away on a one-day errand. To hide the pregnancy from Elcmar, the Dagda casts a spell on him, making "the sun stand still" so he will not notice the passing of time. This kind of sounds similar to Rhadan holding the stars back? I have a feeling there was a secret child had out of wedlock of some kind that will be revealed in the DLC, possibly its messmer?
comparisons are starting to seem more than a coincidence.
I noticed on Wiki that one of the Consorts for the "Dagda" was someone named the Morrigan
Consort means - a wife, husband, or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch.
When reading up on the Morrigan, I was astonished and some of the things I found.
The Morrígan or Mórrígan, also known as Morrígu, is a figure from Irish mythology. The name is Mór-ríoghan in modern Irish before the spelling reform,^\1]) and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen".
he Morrígan is often described as a trio of individuals, all sisters, called "the three Morrígna".^\5])^\9])^\10]) In mythology membership of the triad is given as Badb, Macha, and the Morrigan, who may be named Anand).^\11]) It is believed that these were all names for the same goddess
The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and fate, especially with foretelling doom, death, or victory in battle. In this role she often appears as a crow, the badb.^\2]) She incites warriors to battle and can help bring about victory over their enemies. The Morrígan encourages warriors to do brave deeds, strikes fear into their enemies,
Doesn't the Badb sound like Melina?? she often appears as a crow, Melina has a crow tattoo on her eye. She Morrigan encourages warriors ( us the tarnished ) to do brave deeds?
Her role was to not only be a symbol of imminent death, but to also influence the outcome of war. Most often, she did this by appearing as a crow flying overhead, and would either inspire fear or courage in the hearts of the warriors. In some cases, she is written to have appeared in visions to those who are destined to die in battle
The Morrígan is described as the envious wife of The Dagda and a shape-shifting goddess
I'm not 100% sure of this obviously, but It sounds like Melina is one of three sisters who are a Triple Deity. Is the Morrigan the dusk eyed queen, marika and someone else? or are Melina / miquella and Melania all the same Goddess?
The more you look into this mythology, the inspiration is all plastered all over elden ring.

The Morrigan: Triple Goddess of Death by Anna Otto Contra is another great page I read up on this.

Known as a triple goddess, consisting of three distinct entities, She is often associated with death and is considered a guardian of the dead. As a shapeshifter, she possesses the ability to transform into various forms.
As a goddess of death, Morrigan is believed to have a close connection to the realm of the dead. She is sometimes seen as guiding and protecting the souls of deceased warriors(tarnished?), ensuring their safe passage to the Netherworld

The Three Sisters

In the legends of the Morrigan and her three sisters, Badb, Nemain, and Macha, a powerful trio emerges, each with different aspects of war, death, and transition.
Nemain, another sister, assumes the role of the comfort goddess in the transition of death (Fia or deathbed companion?)
This passage is even more insane... possible connections to Ranni or Mesmer?
Lunar circles and snake coils are also significant symbols associated with the Morrigan. The lunar circles represent the moon’s influence on the flow of life and death. This symbolizes her connection to the cycles of nature and the passage of time. The snake coils and triple snake spirals reflect her transformative abilities and the shedding of old skin to reveal new beginnings. They represent the cycle of rebirth and renewal, capturing the Morrigan’s association with both death and regeneration.
I know I'm all over the place with this, but I was hoping to inspire someone in the community to maybe make a more clear connection with this Irish Mythology and the story of Elden Ring and maybe uncover an unknown part of the story.
Again I apologize if this has already been covered somewhere, but every link I click on Wikipedia regarding this group has crazy inspirational connections with the Elden Ring Story.
If you had the patience and curiosity to read through my ramblings your a legend lol.
Please post your thoughts, ideas...

hello everyone or anyone or more realistically no one. I am here to hopefully meet someone and develop a genuine connection. I recently got out of a relationship... probably a few months ago and was feeling a little down and I don't really like dating apps so I thought I would give this a try. so hopefully I could find someone interesting that also finds me interesting and we could build something together whether that's purely a friendship or relationship.
so on to the details, I am obviously 29 from california, im pretty liberal or progressive or whatever you want to call it so I would probably get along more with people who are open minded. just so you all know I do have piercing and tattoos, which I know can be a deal breaker for some, im what I guess some would call alternative and definitely attracted to alternative women but that is far from necessary. I love listening to music and going to shows, so if you have any recommendations please let me know. I'm very much into a lot of different types of metal, indie, jazz, noise, honestly im pretty open to new music. I very much enjoy playing video games, my favorite all time is probably elden ring I might go back for another play through as it's been such a long time. anything dark or horror related is my favorite to talk about, watch or experience. I have frequently asked people what's your favorite scary movie but no one really gets the reference even though that is still a legitimate question.
as much of a homebody as I am i do enjoy going out with the right person and experiencing new things. nature and animals I absolutely love. it makes kind of sense as I work with plants and going back to school for that field as well. just so you know also vegan. as far as animals go i have a bunch of cats, I've had many dogs in my life but none right now, and im thinking about getting a snake as well, long story short if you need animal pictures I got you on all the pictures.
I am pretty terrible at introductions,as im pretty shy but after a bit and especially one on one I tend to become way more talkative and rant as you can probably tell already.
I'm really not looking for anything in particular, just hopefully a good connection and genuine soul. I can be a little bit clingy but im working on that. I will say that I do hope I could find someone that could potentially materialize into a relationship but does not have to.
well I thinks that's all I have for now, maybe we'll talk soon

This is my second ever time going to SNM. I wrote up about my first time and how magical it was and I'm so glad I got to go again because let me tell y'all I somehow managed to have an entirely new experience this time.
I got the Oz Guest ticket to ensure I got an Ace card, and I was the first one off the elevator. I was dropped off on the 5th floor, alone, which was quite creepy with all the hospital beds and tubs and the forest. There was no one for several minutes, and I was disoriented and couldn't find the stairs or any way out. I drifted between the tub room and the forest, and eventually a nurse appeared in the tub room. I observed her wringing clothes in water, and draping them across the tubs, staging them like they were people. This process was slow and I heard a noise in the distance so I followed that into the forest, where I saw one other guest watching the cottage in the forest. I noticed finally that there was actually a nurse inside, eyes closed, only visible from one angle so I hadn't seen her when I passed earlier.
With nothing else to do, I stood there watching for what seemed like ages. Surely, at some point, she would do something? It was so long that I thought for sure I was missing a lot of the show. I wondered if it was worth it. I wondered what the other guest was wondering. A few others passed us, but no other characters for the longest time. Then a bell chimed, and the nurse finally opened her eyes. She looked out at us, stood, and....closed the window. At this point I was sure I had just wasted my time. I was debating leaving. But no one else was moving. But surely, this was a waste of time. I turned to leave, and suddenly the nurse from the tub room appeared, crying, and the nurse inside the cottage opened the window to observe her. I must say the lighting here was excellent, but then the lighting in this show continuously impresses me. I have never been a lighting nerd but this show has made me realize how impactful lighting can be to a show. It's used masterfully in many scenes.
But back to the show. The nurse finally came out, and touched hands with the other nurse. They walked. I walked. We all wove through that forest, until the tub nurse ran suddenly, and we were running too, and then we were locked out from a gate. The tub nurse appeared in a window to the tub room, and danced as we watched. This small dance seemed to me like she was on the edge of a cliff, and her grief took her over as she fell suddenly off the edge. Not fell, leaped. I read this scene as a woman tortured by grief taking her own life, while a friend? Colleague? Observed.
Then my cottage nurse turned and walked slowly back to her cottage. She opened the door a crack, and turned, staring at me. I stepped closer. She opened it further. Cautiously, I stepped inside. She closed the door behind us. What transpired next was a magical experience I will not soon forget, with the taste of tea on my lips and whispered words about a moon like decayed bark and a sun like a wilted sunflower and stars like flies pinned to place. Blood will have blood...
I left and there was no one outside the cottage or indeed in the forest at all. I made my way through it and the tub room and finally found another hallway. I'm going to be honest, I do forget where I wandered then, and I may definitely be mixing up the order in which the following scenes happened because the night was a fever dream. But I witnessed scenes I did not see the first time I went last month. Somehow, by luck, other than the ending scene and the rave I did not see any duplicate scenes.
I saw the porter - who I don't think I ever encountered last time - and his dance in the hotel lobby is my new favorite. It's so full of raw joy, and though he was clearly an older man he danced with boyish jubilance that was infectious. More than a few of us observers were absolutely dancing along with him as we watched. I also found his interactions with the Boy Witch fascinating and their choreography at the telephones was my favorite by far.
The Boy Witch was another character I only saw in the ballroom and the rave last time, but who I witnessed several scenes with this time around. He's far too fast for me to follow, but I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time several times throughout the show. It was the same actor as last time, and I have to saw I think he plays the character really well. He's clearly sought after by everyone he encounters, seducing and drawing people in. I loved every scene with him almost as much as the Porter. Also, is the snake tattoo his or his characters? It's really beautiful, either way.
I saw two very intimate scenes with the Bald Witch, who I wondered how I missed last show but found out I didn't - she wears a wig through part of the show 😅 The little room she cleans up in a few times throughout the show off the side of the lobby is where I encountered her most. Once solo, and I felt almost bad I stepped into the room with her because I'm not small and I know I partially blocked the view of people outside of the room but fortune favors the bold right? I did try to squeeze myself into a corner, which only resulted in another person coming in to fully block the view from the hallway. That person caught the eye of the bald witch instead of me (I should have just stayed out blocking them 😤) and was allowed to touch her head in a very intimate moment.
The second time I caught her in there was by following a woman whose character name I don't know, after the ballroom scene where the two of them move the trees and then embrace. This time I did not care if I blocked people, me and one other person were in the room and watched the two women clean themselves up and reapply makeup. When the other woman left, I stayed with the bald witch (now wearing a wig), who fascinated me.
At some point I ended up in the rave bar before the rave began. I didn't know the "Hell Here" sign changed to "Hello There" before the rave! Every time I had seen it previously it had the o and t unlit. I saw Hecate readying for the rave. The music changed, and she danced, and eventually she made gasping sounds. Each gasp seemed to be a summoning. A ritual, drawing the other characters towards her. Her scream initiated the rave, and this time I had front row view from a different angle than I had previously, so it was like seeing it new all over again. Every bit as incredible, but different enough to feel like a brand new experience. And again, the lighting, seriously I'm a lighting whore after this show. I will forever judge theater experiences by their use of lighting compared to this show now. I hope whoever is in charge of lighting design is paid handsomely because seriously their work really drives the story. The music too, but I'm more impressed by the lighting tbh.
After the rave, I debated trying for the Hecate 1 on 1 since I knew what triggered it from last show, but I wanted to try new experiences this time so I tried to follow the Boy Witch instead. But I couldn't keep up, and there were too many people, and the next thing I knew I was by myself wandering empty halls again.
I can't remember if this happened before or after the rave, but I saw Agnes in the hall with all the shops. She went into a bedroom, and lay to sleep, where the tailor (not sure that's the characters actual title?) snuck in through the closet and put her capelet over her as she slept. When he left, she woke, and she locked the door to the room. I watched her put on makeup, and then go into the closet. Me and the 3 others watching kind of looked at each other, wondering if we should follow. Two of them tried the door, to find it's locked. Once I knew that I plowed into the closet and had a delirious thought about going to Narnia but no, I just ended up back in the shops hallway, where I saw Agnes meet the man who had covered her when she slept, and together they went into the clothier, and danced as he presented her with fabrics to choose from, and when he left she stole his money, and he brought her flowers, and then she went back to her room. She went next to the detective agency, and wrote a letter which I couldn't read despite trying over her shoulder (I'm a creep, this show makes me feel like such a voyeur lol).
At some point I ended up back in the lobby, watching the porter and the Boy Witch and two women and I think MacBeth? Dancing on the lobby desk, which was wonderfully choreographed again. Instead of following the others I stayed with the porter and situated myself in front of him as he made a tiny boat out of a card. Then Agnes was there, ringing the bell for the porter, and I realized then we'd had a reset because I had seen this scene already. I went to take the boat origami, but as I reached for it another guest snatched it away - like literally, she had been pressed to my side the entire scene, her fingers twitching so she clearly knew the opportunity would be coming. I thought that was a little uncalled for, but whatever, I'd already had a few very special moments today I wasn't going to let one instance sour anything.
I left to find another scene as I had watched this one already, and ended up back at the Manderlay bar by accident. Took that opportunity to use the restroom and grab a quick drink because a woman was singing and she had a lovely voice. Listened until her song was done and when I went to leave, the guy who was the greeter at the start of the show asked if I want to enter a different way, and took me in through the "main" entrance which somehow I had never gone in through before?? This deposited me in the lobby of the hotel of course, and I wandered until I encountered two people running towards each other and embrace, sobbing. The man went on, and far too many people followed him so I followed the woman, who went into the room with the lit cross where Duncan(?) body is. She unwrapped him and used true loves kiss to bring him back to life. Together they went to the ballroom and danced, which was beautiful. Then she left, and I followed our resurrected Duncan because I had NO IDEA he came back to life at any point from last show so I was like bro what are you gonna do with your new life??? Well, he decided to retrace his steps of course, clearly confused and slowly remembering what had happened to him as he went first to the cross room, then to the place of his murder, then through to the room he dances in before his murder, and then he went running. I tried keeping up but well, I am not a runner.
Somewhere along the way I end up back in the ballroom, having followed someone I encountered in the hall. I thought oh great, banquet again, let me wander and see if anything else happens elsewhere since I have already seen this? But as I went to leave, the Porter and a woman came in, and positioned themselves in the back of the ballroom. I had not seen this before as I'm usually at the front, so I decided to stay and see if they do anything interesting. And this is when I realized the show was ending, because the banquet turned into a hanging, and we were then all ushered out.
Second time going to this show, and I feel I saw a whole new show having witnessed so many scenes I hadn't seen last time. I wonder how many more I am missing? I hope to see it once more next month, and maybe finally see the entire show and put together the pieces of plot. I definitely feel that this time I was able to absorb more, and found myself actually applying motives and thoughts and words to scenes that had none. I love that there are very few spoken scenes - it leaves the experience up to the beholder to interpret, and I know from reading others recaps that we all kind of notice different inflections that mean different things to us and change how we view a scene. I'm only sorry i waited so long to see this show - I wish I could have seen it more often to truly capture all of it.
But, I may have another chance next month! Until then, I for one will definitely be getting a good nights sleep after all that walking today 😂

Please be 30-45 if you're going to message me.
Me: https://imgur.com/a/W9O0uUj
A bit about me: I love old school turn based jrpg's (SaGa Frontier, Chrono Trigger, Wild Arms, I can go on) and am currently replaying Dragon Quest XI as well as a fresh game of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, tabletop rpg's (D&D, 7th Sea, Desolation etc.), and music (such as stoner metal/rock, hair metal, some hip-hop, although I like many things).
For the boring stuff: No kids, never married. I work from home and spend my days working on reports. More interesting stuff: I am a dog mom (her name is Honey Havok) and snake lover (all animals, really), liberal, love to cook, a bit of a wrestling mark (AEW, GCW, NJPW, etc.), and love to learn new things.
The real stuff: I am demi/asexual, and have depression and anxiety. This means I am not always the easiest woman to deal with and my moods can fluctuate. I try not to take my feelings out on others though, I'm just a bit of a crybaby. I am currently living in MA although not exactly married to the area. I'm thinking of moving back to NH eventually.
In general, I am pretty laid back, have an odd sense of humor (give me all your questionable memes, dad jokes and dark humor). I'm also a little spooky in that I love taxidermy and wet specimens. I don't have a huge collection (yet) but it's growing slowly.
As for the kind of men I enjoy...I tend to like them nerdy, strong, and even possibly intimidating. Tattoos are a plus as is a well-kept, very short beard. Mohawks are one of my weaknesses. I also greatly value good communication skills and a sense of humor. I would like for us to be able to express ourselves without fear of judgement and be able to laugh at the absurdity of life together. I love the written word and appreciate men that are intelligent, witty, and able to participate in a little banter. Make me fall for your words and mind.
I am ideally looking for a non-smoking 30+ nerdy and/or alt guy with a good personality, similar interests, is in or near the US (possibly open to someone who would relocate to the northeast), and who is open to something serious after we get to know each other and build up a close friendship. However, I am open to friendship as well, just let me know.
If anything in my post sparks your interest; feel free to message me with a little about yourself, a picture so I can put a face to the name, and why you chose to message me. Bonus Points for dog or reptile pictures. Low effort messages will be ignored.

Last night my university appeared on the news.
As I watched the broadcast, listening to my old television set sputter and cough like a used car engine, I swore the temperature plummeted several degrees. The newscaster was still droning on in the background but it could’ve just been static. Meaningless.
It is always the same with this news broadcast. Burned and charred stone and concrete lying around in a pentagon in a way that could make any abstract artist proud. I try, whenever it comes up, to ignore everything scrolling on the screen. Or at the very least, skim through the programme. The less details I remember, the better.
But every time, my eyes are drawn to one tiny thing on the screen. It stands out screaming, a splash of red in an ocean of black. I can’t forget it no matter how hard I try, and it slips into my nightmares and I wake up screaming.
A rune of a blood-stained sword, inked in red and carved neatly in the stone.
“This is our pride and joy,” he nodded, gesturing to a rune of a blood-stained sword. His sunflower name badge read James and he was cute. Tousled hair, playful freckles–the works.
I swear girls swooned when they saw him.
The year was 2004 and I wished fighting over James was the least of our problems. Even now, during orientation week, a great hush fell over our little tour group. Everyone shifted their feet nervously and tied their fingers into knots.
James laughed.
“The stories about Helena Sword? That’s just it. Stories.”
“All the stuff you heard about her before you came here, they’re simply not true. Just something stupid to scare the freshies, that’s all.”
He trailed off in the middle of his speech, staring off into the distance.
“It’s been a thousand years after all…”
He laughed again, but it was as empty as the wind blowing down the halls. He cracked a smile, but his face was pale like the rest of us.
“Anyway,” he said, “the library is just down this hallway too. When our founder, Sir Gallus, founded this place, he sought out books from all over the world…”
As the rest of the tour moved on, I couldn’t help but stay behind. I was no archeologist, but there was something about this rune that would not let me go. I stroked the rune, fascinated by how my fingers crossed tall ridges and tiny valleys. It was very simply carved, almost like a child’s drawing of a sword brought to life, but as I turned to catch up with everyone else, I realised I wasn’t alone.
She was pretty, a girl around my height and build, with striking red curls and a rather long neck, almost like a giraffe. A tattoo poked out behind long blue sleeves, dressed in red ink. The girl turned to me and grinned sheepishly.
“Are you lost?”
I frowned. “Sorry?”
“The tour group moved on without you,” she stated, pointing ahead. Indeed I could hear James’ voice in the distance, rambling on about the portraits in the halls. I looked back at her and she nodded grimly.
“My name is Ginny,” she said, extending her hand. I shook it. It was as cold as ice. In fact, when I looked at her, it was like gazing at an ice sculpture, with frosty eyes and dainty lips.
“It’s my first day here too. Except well…my parents brought me here yesterday. So I know this school inside out. Do you want me to show you around? You don’t need that tour group. Especially since they well…abandoned you.”
My head was suddenly foggy. “Yes, please,” I mumbled.
In spite of her offer, Ginny didn’t say much as we walked through the campus. Didn’t point out anything interesting landmarks or anything like that; didn’t talk much about herself either. Instead we wandered through the grounds, enjoying each other’s company. It was the beginning of autumn, and golden leaves were falling down and the trees looked like they were on fire. Overhead we could hear migrating birds singing. It was lovely.
Eventually we reached my dorm.
And hers.
Ginny was my roommate. I found it strange, since I didn’t recall having a roommate or asking for one; and even if I did, wouldn’t I be informed of it months ago? Someone that I would share my life with for the next three years? But then she looked at me and smiled and all my questions flew out of my head. I mumbled a yes to her offer of assistance and we spent the rest of the afternoon making our dorm look like home.
Then we went down for dinner and were joined in the mess hall by two other girls, Ivy and Cleo, who told us their room would be next door to us. We sat down with our mashed potatoes and roast chicken and they immediately drummed up conversation, talking about their lives before they came to university, what they hoped to achieve during their time here, and everything in between.
“So what are you guys studying?” Ivy asked.
“Psychology,” I said. Helping people has always been a lifelong dream.
“Computer Science,” Ivy and Cleo said at the same time.
We all looked at Ginny. She stared back, completely taken aback by the question.
“Um,” she said, “Computer Science too, I suppose. That’s getting popular, right?”
“Yup,” Ivy mumbled, her head bowed over her mashed potatoes like a broken flower. “Everyone is fighting to get their slice of the Internet these days…”
We continued our meal in silence, the conversation suddenly over. We walked up together, too, and it felt strangely uncomfortable. A dark cloth had fallen over our little group, leaving behind an itch we could never scratch.
Finally we reached our dorms and we looked at each other.
“Well, good night then,” Ivy said. Cleo was already inside and I could hear her brushing her teeth.
“See you at breakfast.”
“Good night,” I said. Ivy nodded and closed the door.
Ginny was already in her bunk, her nose in a book. There was already a stack next to her, as tall as a mountain, and by the glare in her eyes, passionate and intense as fire, it looked like she was going to be reading all night.
“Don't classes start next week?” I asked with a frown.
“Yeah,” Ginny said distractedly. Her eyes were glued to the pages and she was flipping through them so fast her hands were a blur. “Just wanted to get started so I’ll be well-prepared, that’s all.”
She peered down at me, her icy blue eyes fixated on my muddy brown ones. “Go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled, and soon I slipped away from the real world for a world of restless dreams.
For some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night.
I got my torch from under the bed and checked the time on my alarm clock. 4am.
Great.
I lay down on my pillow with my eyes open. I strained my ears, listening out for the sounds of nature. Back home there were birds that sang no matter what time it was, porcupines and rats scavenging around our trash, and crickets that performed symphonies that lulled me into slumber.
But out here there was nothing.
Great.
I couldn’t even hear my roomie. I didn’t really peg Ginny as the type who snored, but her bunk felt…empty. I peered upwards and couldn’t make out her shapeless form huddled beneath her blankets. Books were strewn all over her bunk, their pages wide open like the wings of lost paper birds.
I yawned and squeezed my eyes shut. It was too early to do anything and as Ginny said, we had a lot of things to do tomorrow.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh!!
It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Or rather, that of a clawed hand scraping down someone’s flesh, their hooked nails peeling off their skin in strips.
I groaned and smashed my pillow against my ears, but even my fluffy shield did nothing to muffle the loud screeches that rattled from my ears down my spine and to my toes.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh!!
I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I wobbled out of bed, clutching the bed frame as the world spun in front of my eyes. I breathed deep as another eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh screamed in my eardrums, making my hair stand on end.
Then I heard someone scream.
Was that Ginny? An image tore through my mind of my roommate in the corner, slowly strangled by rusty iron chains that curled around her body like venomous snakes. I know I shouldn’t open the door–it is a critical mistake made by so many horror movie heroines–but the thought of Ginny, alone, made my heart shiver.
So I yanked open the door.
There was Ginny, frozen like a popsicle stick. The shadows gathered and morphed into a hooded figure that blanketed her bodice.
Something—someone—slithered towards her, dragging behind a long blade. Eeeeeeeeeeeh
Ginny opened her mouth. Was she screaming?
But no, the silhouette brushed up against her skin and whooshed right past her, disappearing into the dorms. Ginny looked over, saw me screaming, then ran over and knocked me back in the room, locking the door shut.
“Are you okay?” she asked urgently.
I nodded a yes. Everything I felt at that moment couldn’t be put into words. It was dammed somewhere in the back of my throat, fighting to get out.
But I just couldn’t.
“What did you see?”
Nothing. Just nothing. My mind was blank. Everything was a hazy mess zooming around through my neural pathways. I sat down and rubbed my head. The room was spinning out of focus.
I needed to sleep.
“Yeah, sleep tight,” Ginny said kindly, pushing my blanket up to my neck. I curled up like a cooked prawn and breathed in deep. It smelled like home.
“Good night, Ginny,” I mumbled.
“Good night.”
We woke up to a sea of noisy chatter. It sounded like a thousand parrots squawking at the same time.
Eyes closed, mine still hazy, I stretched—and immediately bumped my head against the wooden frame.
Ow.
People were talking—no, shouting. It rang in my ears like a bloodcurdling scream. I groaned and attempted to muffle it with my pillow above my ears. Why do people have to be so goddamn loud?
Finally I gave up and sat up straight, forcing my crusty eyes open. Ginny was already gone, and her nightgown was draped across the top bunk like a country flag. The door was creaking in the wind. It slammed against the wall and came back strong.
Ow
Ginny came back. Without a word she took me by the arm and dragged me out of the room. There was a crowd mulling outside Ivy and Cleo’s dorm and as we passed I could hear snippets of their conversation:
“Dead…”
Ginny marched past them and took me down the stairs and to the mess hall, her eyes staring straight ahead like the world had vanished around her. Then she sat me down on one of the benches, took a sip of water and stared at me, her face white and shaking.
“WHAT?”
Even in the foggy haze of sleep, the bizarreness of the morning and the crowds outside the dorms were getting to me. All I had was questions, and I hated having so many questions.
For the first time since I met her, Ginny’s eyes didn’t meet mine. “So uh, you know the guy leading you around yesterday? When we first met?”
The description scratched my memory, and then I remembered. Tall and lanky, with tousled brown hair, freckles and a charming smile. He had a sunflower lanyard pinned on a checkered shirt–and that badge contained a name.
“James?”
“He…”. Ginny took a deep breath.
“He is dead. They found his body this morning.”
Ginny was still talking but I was barely listening. I only met this boy yesterday but it felt like I knew him forever. I felt like I was being pulled under, my reality torn asunder, everything that I know just…shattering around me.
Dead?
My throat was dry. Closing up. I sounded like a strangled cat.
“Yes,” Ginny confirmed dryly.
I looked at the two empty seats opposite me and that momental wave of dizziness turned into nausea.
“Bathroom,” I said.
Ginny watched me go, unblinking.
I rushed to the first unlocked toilet I found, ignoring the glares of girls already in queue. I gagged and watched my dinner and what little of my breakfast I had eaten swirl down the bowl. Then I flushed and staggered out. Everything was lit up way too bright; the chattering of students heading to their classes was way too loud; and I sat down in the corridor and closed my eyes.
I wasn’t sure how long I was out, because the next thing I knew someone was shaking me awake and helping me on my feet
“Come on,” Ivy said.
Her voice was brittle, her face pale. She was as fragile as stained glass, and she could barely walk herself. We limped together, nearly tripping over each other as we went up the stairs, until we collapsed, tangled between each other in a rope of legs.
That was when I felt something sharp brush across my cheek, drawing blood.
I looked up to see a hooded figure standing above us, wearing black gloves and a cloak made out of human skin. Her eyes were glowing crimson as she raised the sword. Rust gleamed at its sides like dew.
The sword slammed down, nearly missing Ivy’s leg.
We looked at each other, barely breathing, barely a word said between us. Then as if on command we got up and hightailed it back to our dorms. Through the shadows as we ran I could see a girl my age watching.
Her red curls shone in the dark like fire.
Ivy slammed the door behind us and shoved chairs up the edge to boot. I wasn’t sure it could hold a sword slicing through a wooden door but it would have to do.
Ivy sat on the bed and closed her eyes, whispering prayers in her native language. I didn’t feel like talking either
Author's Notes
If I remember correctly, this one is about a student who haunts the university 300ish years after her death. She is a witch, immortal and summoned by touching ruins. Her main weapon is the titular sword and instead of wielding it herself she hypnotises other students to kill for her.
The next scene is Cleo framed for killing James, the first sinister look at her powers of hypnosis.
The ending reveals that Ginny (taken from Ginerva, a romanized version of Queen Guinevre, yes me and JK Rowling had the same line of thinking) and Helena Sword is the same person and hypnotising all the other students. She dies when the narrator burns the school to the ground accidentally while trying to get away, ending the curse and resulting in the ruins at the start of the flashback.

What am I looking for? Well mostly for someone to speak to on a consistent basis who I gel well and get along with well.
As for myself I am a blunt and honest person so if you ask me something and want a straight answer I'm your guy for giving an honest assessment even if you don't like it. That being said I am kind and caring and will ask about your day and life and anything going on I can help with I will offer.
In terms of my hobbies or interests I am a massive animal lover, this can be confirmed by my cats at home my snake and the dog! All of whom live in perfect harmony and who I never want to turn into tea cosy's for meowing at 4am...
I am also a gamer, I play my pc mostly which is my main source of entertainment however I also have access to my switch and my ps4 in case the mood takes me! I am also a big board gamer these days which I must say i enjoy alot!
I am a gym goer and do enjoy a good strength session for sure.
Music is also something I love, very into my rock music and a lot of the old west coast rap music right now.
Tattoos! Several pieces of art on my body including a Bowser and a Pokémon tattoos, yes I display my nerdiness proudly!
I am also in the process of a complete change in my career which is really exciting for me !!
If you fancy a chat about anything above or anything in general come and say Hi!

I’m sick of hearing the hateful words that my parents tell me about my tattoos, I don’t know how to deal with it anymore and today has just been horrible.
I don’t currently have any big tattoos, kind of similar to a couple of patchwork designs on my arms and ankles. Nothing too dramatic, a butterfly, a sihlouette of a snake, some flowers, the usual. All of which my parents hate, they hate tattoos on me in general which is very hypocritical because 1) I’m a tattoo artist and 2) I have given them their own tattoos. 2-3 each parent.
I decided to book in a larger piece for myself, a half sleeve, and it’s going to be a rabbit that’s been shot with an arrow and some flowers. (I’m aware that things like these aren’t everybody’s cup of tea)
I showed my parents the design today and was told how horrible it looks. Which is something that is common whenever I show them what my next tattoo will be. I’ve heard just about everything from them, how gross my tattoos look, how skanky it makes me look, how terrible they are etc etc. They keep sending me other tattoo ideas to get instead which are cutesy cartoony stuff which is the complete opposite of my design. They keep telling me how bad of a tattoo it is going to be
I’ve had equal if not more people tell me that the design looks amazing but I still get incredibly upset at how my parents react to them.
As someone who is a tattoo artist I feel that it’s so incredibly rude of people who tell others their tattoos look gross or look disgusting. That’s your opinion, sure, but don’t tell me what I like (and have in my body for the rest of my life) is shit.
Also before it is commented I can’t just not show them, it was the deal I made with my dad when I first turned 18 (am well over 18 now) that I show him designs beforehand if I was to keep getting tattooed and if I wasn’t still living at home I would’ve already stopped showing them beforehand.
I have tried talking with them, telling them how I feel, I’ve argued I’ve done everything to try and get them to understand my point of view for over 6 years now and it’s just really getting to me today. I dont know how to make it hurt less what they’re saying.

I got lazy towards the end but idc
Randy deserves to have the same amount of world championships as Ric and Cena. Probably not gonna happen but he has never been a part timer. His feud with the company was much better than Punks (his acting, the story, the shock of what he did). His feud with Cena was much better than Rocks (Rock comes back to fuel his ego,which is okay he does bring entertainment with him, but Randy and Cena were the same generation and definitely the hero and the villan). And his match with the Undertaker was one of the best of all time at such a young age. It was amazing to see, Randy kicked off Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak by showing that not even with the help of his father could he beat the phenom. To this day it is one of the greatest feuds of all time, and he did it at such a young age. Granted The Undertaker did push Randy's career a whole lot, but the dead man would not do it if he didn't see talent in him. After Cody's victory against Logan, It would be the perfect time for Randy to turn heel and have a ladder match against Cody for both of the titles in which Cody wins the United States Title In the first half. Cody would then go on to defend the title against John Cena at Wrestlemania, giving Cena the perfect ending to HIS story, and the "my time is up, your time is now, defend that title the way I would" moment...or something like that. Cody fulfilled his story, now it's time to fulfill his purpose, defending the title on RAW and Smackdown, paying tribute to Cena on the first episode of RAW after Wrestlemania by saying "YOU WANT SOME COME GET SOME" giving the guys from NXT a boost and opening windows for crazy returns or debuts. Cena can finally retire knowing he was beat by the best in the company. Cody is not ready to be a WORLD champion. His story was great and such an amazing experience, but as he said when one story ends, another one begins. He is the AMERICAN Nightmare, his tattoo is AMERICAN, his clothes are AMERICAN, he just needs that AMERICAN BELT, on which he can put those eagles that he wanted...AMERICAN. The title itself looks like shit at the moment anyways. The US title did way more for Cena's character than any world title. Kids looked up to him the same way they look up to Cody right now. It only makes sense for the two superman of two different generations to battle it out for the U.S title, and bring back it's worth after the last few champions. Obviously Cody would have lost the world title to Randy, this is where Cena would come in and judge him on that after what everyone did to help him get it, so if Cody would lose the US title to someone, it would be him. He could also say something like "Gotta hand it to ya, you beat everyone since your return, but I can't let you wear that belt until you beat me." I'm sure they can come up with a better reason as to WHY they would feud but it's the best way to send Cena to retirement instead of having him lose to SOLO or Roman OR having him team up with superstars that just don't need it. Don't get me wrong, Roman should go up against the best of the best but Cena is not a good opponent for him. Last time they were in a feud it was like they were fighting for nothing. Cody needs to stop coming out in suits and come out with his gear on, with the coat and shit so his image becomes memorable and he can be recognized on billboards and on covers of products. Cena can also call him out on that. After Cena passes the torch to Cody, Cody begins inspiring new generations to be kind, respectable, not be jackasses like the heels he's gonna face, and become a childhood hero to many. Now, how does Randy become a heel? Well Randy used to be one and he used to cheat alot to win. As mentioned before he got a lot of help from his daddy, he wasn't this big and scary, he snaked his way to victory like a true viper. Well ironically he got outsmarted by a version of himself, a spoiled entitled annoying Logan Paul, not once, but twice. Since his return he has been playing by the rules, beaten everyone including Drew McIntyre, only to get robbed in the end. So he's done playing by the rules and wants his title shot against Cody. He complains to Cody that he has been robbed by Logan, to which Cody describes Logan to Randy and says "Sounds like someone I used to know". Randy makes a classic annoyed heel face. Cody then being Cody pays respect to Randy's father saying he was a hero of his, that maybe he could have learned more from him instead of calling him to fight his battles for him. Randy gets angry and starts shouting at Cody, talking about how Dusty was never there for him, but was there for everybody else in the locker room. He gets in Cody's face jaw cletched veins popping and says "You wanna remind me who was there teaching you everything they know? You wanna remind me who lift you up on their shoulders when you won your first Universal Championship?". He calms down, gets closer to his ear (no homo) and says "I'm your real daddy"...Looking at this site, seeing Orton look down on Cody, being taller and bigger than him, we realize that Cody is faced with his first real threat, not AJ Styles(who lost at WM and got a title shot wtf), not Logan Paul (Cody said: gimme that title lil bro) but a ghost from his past, someone who he used to call a friend not too long ago, and someone who he knows VERY WELL how dangerous he is, someone who's diabolical doings he's witnessed first hand, is coming for his titles... and he is bigger, stronger, wiser, and has been cheated out of every major title opportunity and title match since his return. Future promotions would consist of Randy getting into Cody's head, making him remember the traumas that he caused him. Maybe an RKO to Cody's wife. Randy hearing voices and attacking his friend Owens, sending him to the hospital only to realize what he's done later. Cody saying something like he thought he wouldn't see that side of him again and telling the WWE universe that the voices are back etc. Now... match wise... Cody has beaten everyone he's faced, won the Royal Rumble twice. Randy was the rightful winner of an Elimination Chamber and a Fatal 4 Way. Don't remember if Logan cheated last match but he probably did idk. Not only is Orton protected by the cheating but his back hurts alot even tho he said he's at a 100% once but ig they changed the script. No matter. Instead of all these things being an excuse for losing. They become an excuse for winning with cheap shots and stuff. He can maybe win the way he beat Cena, making Cody complain about it and Cena calling him out on it. Nonetheless, Randy's back is injured, Cody's a victim of a cheap move by Randy, They split the titles, setting them up for a future rematch. Meanwhile somewhere else in WWE Judgment day just lost their last piece of gold to Drew. Damien starts blaming erryone. Finn Balor has had enough and goes demon mode on everyone. Blah blah blah fast forward The Demon wants his title back that he never lost.(idc what the rest of the judgment day do...rhea will probably go psycho ex on dom if she heals up idk). Randy already hearing voices gets tickled some more by The demon. Randy tickles Finn a lil. Maybe Finn respectfully leaves the judgment day but they still friends so Randy's voices tell him to do bad stuff to them and showcase it to Finn, or maybe Finn can remind Randy what he did to his friend Kevin and fuck with him some more. BTW since Jey doesn't need a title to be relevant, he just wins king of the ring, but we will have to give him something soon cuz that dance will get old. Jimmy could come through and win the intercontinental championship and rub it in Jey's face, Jey wins, at the end they hug eachother squashin their beef and you hear THE TRIBAL CHIEF RETURN. Jimmy is hyped, Jey is confused, Roman comes down alone with no Paul or anybody for the first time in years looking all serious and the show ends. Fast forward CM Punk wins the royal rumble and challenges guess who. CM Punk finished his story bla bla most predictable sht ever (sorry I just don't get why he special, he old, out of shape, gets injured all the time, what is he the best in the world at BROOOOOO?) But that's what most of the fans want so I wouldn't change it. So anyway, Jey is defending his title and SOLO and the other two cause him the title which pushes jey to join Roman. Roman is asking SOLO why he doing stuff he wasn't ordered to do and then the rock comes back bla bla PAUL HEYMAN is rescued by Roman from the bad bloodline oooOOooOoOooO. And we finally get Roman VS Rock. And I hope Rock doesn't steal the spotlight from his cousins nomore. Idc what the rest of them are doing but at some point in his career, Jey needs to get abs and muscles and take a world title from Roman and ONLY ROMAN. Logan Paul teams up with his fuckboy buddies and helps them retain the titles. R-Truth don't need a title to be special and Miz izzznt Miz right now. Finn wins the title at Wrestlemania from Randy aaaaaaand fast forward to next year at Wrestlemania 42 someone is Universal champion idk who and Cody is facing him for the championship BUT Randy cashes in weeks before Wrestlemania and becomes 16 time World Champion. Sharing the spotlight with the teacher and the hero...is the villan. He wrestled till he couldn't wrestle anymore.
Moral: Cody's reign has been boring Randy is known around the world by current wrestling fans, past wrestling fans, and people who haven't watched wrestling at all. His music ICONIC rko ICONIC matches ICONIC Cody is what kids wanna see We want Randy on Netflix doing controversial shit like kissing Cody's mom in front of him

Hi dear friends, everything in my inventory is up for trade and up for sale.
I also buy/sell skins via Crypto/CSGOFloat.
Check out my CSGOFloat stall here, almost every high tier item is listed here: https://csfloat.com/stall/76561198021680043
(This List only contain items above $100 I have a lot more items in my inventory, check that out on my profile)
This list is not always up to date there is more unlisted items in my inventory! feel free to add me to discuss offers. The fastest way to get a response is to send me a direct trade offer through my trade link.
Tips to communicate with me: be informative on what you're interested in and if you wish to buy with cash/crypto or trade.
My discord: antonbeastskins
Links to my profile / trade offer
Steam Profile: https://steamcommunity.com/id/antontrades/
Trade offer: https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffenew/?partner=61414315&token=WGyxdHWU
Every item is up for trade, don't be afraid to send an offer! Buyout
[H]
★ Butterfly Knife Emerald - FN - 0.007
AWP Dragon Lore - FN - 0.03 Titan Holo Scope
AWP Dragon Lore - FN - 0.06
StatTrak™ AK-47 Redline - MW - 0.13 4x IBP Paper Kato 14
Glock-18 Dragon Tattoo - FN IBP Holo Best Pos
★ M9 Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.006
★ M9 Bayonet Ruby - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Emerald - FN - 0.03 FLAWLESS
★ Karambit Ruby - FN - 0.01 FLAWLESS
AWP Gungnir - FT - 0.20
★ M9 Bayonet Black Pearl - FN - 0.03
AK-47 Wild Lotus - MW - 0.13
AWP Dragon Lore - FT - 0.17
★ Sport Gloves Superconductor - MW - 0.13
M4A4 Howl - MW - 0.09914636611938477
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.031
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.05
★ Sport Gloves Vice - MW - 0.12
★ Sport Gloves Vice - MW - 0.14
★ Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Talon Knife Black Pearl - FN - 0.02
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono - MW - 0.14 T2 Kimonos
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono - MW - 0.126
★ Karambit Fade - FN - 0.009 99.55% Fade
★ Karambit Fade - FN - 0.02 90.94% Fade
Glock-18 Fade - FN - 0.001 99.6% Fade
★ M9 Bayonet Fade - FN - 0.01 99.60% Fade
★ M9 Bayonet Fade - FN - 0.007 99.29% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.01 98.27% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.00 93.78% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.04 80.45% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.02 100.0% Fade (MAX FADE)
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.06 82.08% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.06 85.36% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.03 82.77% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.03 82.99% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.03 82.13% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.01 96.77% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.01 100.0% Fade (MAX)
AWP Fade - FN - 0.03 93.02% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Gamma Doppler P2 - FN - 0.00
★ Stiletto Knife Ruby - FN - 0.00
★ Stiletto Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Stiletto Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ StatTrak™ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.04 99.29% Fade
M4A1-S Knight - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.006
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.03
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.05
★ Flip Knife Ruby - FN - 0.006
★ Sport Gloves Hedge Maze - FT - 0.201
Sticker Titan Katowice 2014
AWP The Prince - FT - 0.20
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P1 - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P3 - FN - 0.03
AWP Desert Hydra - MW - 0.13
★ Ursus Knife Ruby - FN - 0.006
★ Butterfly Knife Marble Fade - FN - 0.03
★ Butterfly Knife Marble Fade - FN - 0.02
AK-47 Gold Arabesque - WW - 0.41
★ StatTrak™ Karambit Gamma Doppler P3 - FN - 0.01
★ Karambit Gamma Doppler P4 - FN - 0.02
★ Ursus Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
Souvenir AK-47 Gold Arabesque - BS - 0.684
★ Huntsman Knife Ruby - FN - 0.007
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious - MW - 0.12
★ Huntsman Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Marble Fade - FN - 0.01
★ Karambit Doppler P3 - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Doppler P1 - FN - 0.03
★ Driver Gloves King Snake - MW - 0.14 Clean Knuckles
★ Talon Knife Fade - FN - 0.00 99.9% Fade
★ Falchion Knife Emerald - FN - 0.02
★ Sport Gloves Vice - FT - 0.33
★ Karambit Tiger Tooth - FN - 0.06

Trigger warning - religious differences
I always bragged about how awesome my extended family was. NO family is perfect, but I heard horror stories and always counted my blessings that I had strong ties with my Aunt and uncles since I was raised an only child. That was until a few months ago when my last living Aunt, whom I considered a second mom, shattered me.
Ok, some backstory here. My aunt is a Jehovah’s Witness. Now before you get all judgy, I have always loved her, my uncle and her son with all of my heart. I still do. I respect that they have found faith and live by this code on the daily. I have met many people from their congregation and loved them all (ok, a couple of exceptions). I also appreciate the community they have and love they all show each other. If it weren’t for the religion itself, I would have converted.
I, however, am pagan and have always been since I was about 5 (even the first book I signed out from the school’s library was about witchcraft). Not raised that way, but always found spiritual comfort in nature and the natural world. I have a very strong connection and dedication to my Powers That Be and work every day to help the world be a better place. My Aunt did not know my religion until about 7 years ago. That being said, she and I would have very philosophical conversations when we hung out together. Even at the age of 8, I would listen to her preach to me and ask questions to which she never had answers. I remember her telling me how only 144,000 people would be allowed in heaven and didn’t I think that would be wonderful knowing that our whole family could be together again after we died. We’d all be in heaven if we were all Jehova;s witnesses. I had gone with her many times to do field service (door to door) and asked her why they do that if there’s only a certain number of people allowed. Didn’t that lessen her chances of getting in because I’m sure there were many people more deserving than myself. How did she know for sure she’d be one of the ones to get in and was that fair to keep bringing people into the religion when all the spaces were probably already filled up?
At 8 years old, I had many questions and was just trying to figure these things out. Since she was an adult, I figured she had the answers. My questions were not with malice, just for a want of better understanding. When she didn’t have the answers, I'd ask my mother and grandmother. While they were extremely amused, they said they never understood either. They never said anything bad about her or her attempts to get them to convert, just allowed me to explore religion and spirituality as I wished so I could make my own decision of what was right for me.
Once I was an adult, I avoided talking to her about religion, but found that if I didn’t ask questions and just let her talk, it made her happy. I know she’s a good person at heart and that’s all that matters. After my Mom passed, my aunt and I talked almost every week. I loved talking to her and she became even more like a mom to me. She gave me encouragement and we supported each other through health and emotional crises. I’d make it a point to try and visit at least once a year for a few days so she could visit with my daughter and I. We’d always do lunch with her friends and I loved it. I fell in love with some of the people in her congregation and wished we could live closer to hang out more. I, however, never wavered on my spiritual beliefs, but I have never cared about the religion, race, or sexuality of anyone. If we got along, we were friends and that was that.
My aunt and I had come to an understanding that I would not convert and that we would love and respect each other regardless. Religious talk was off the table for the most part until both of my uncles (my aunt’s two brothers) passed and she had a very hard time dealing with it. She was the last surviving sibling and she was sinking into a depression. I’d talk to her at length and listen to her as she mourned the fact that she would never have contact with them (and my mom) in heaven because they never converted. When she asked me what I believed, I told her that I believed that the soul lived on after the body died and that I believed in reincarnation. I explained my beliefs were closer to hindu and buddhism than christianity (so she had context). We had very long talks and she expressed that she respected my views and actually found comfort in talking with me.
That was until my daughter and I opened our store about 3 years ago. It’s a metaphysical shop and we have crystals, teas, gifts, jewelry, candles and more (about 10% strict;y pagan). My aunt was happy for us until it dawned on her that we might sell pagan stuff. I told her what we sold and she asked me if I was a witch. I replied that I suppose that was one way to describe me, but, again, I considered myself spiritual and that I followed a path closer to buddhism, hinduism, native american. I sent a couple of pictures of the jewelry that we made and she said when we came down, we should bring the jewelry making.
We did, I brought down our best crystals to wrap and bracelet materials and my daughter and I made her a necklace with a very expensive stone (A $200 piece). She brought her friends over and they picked out crystals that they wanted, made bracelets and such. We had fun and I was happy to do it, though I wasn’t expecting people that I had never met before. Still, we had fun. My daughter and I also brought her a basket with local items from our hometown, (Raw honey, handmade stoneware mugs, cutting board, herbal tea and some other items made by us as well) She was thrilled. My aunt and uncle had taken a couple of bad falls a few months before and so my daughter and I made them hand carved cedar walking sticks as well because we knew they went for regular walks and thought it would help their balance. It felt amazing to lavish expensive and heartfelt gifts on them as I has struggled so long with money. I was finally in a place that I could do it. To say the gifts probably totalled in excess of 1K is on the low side, but I was still happy to do it.
Besides the fact that they tried converting my daughter when I wasn’t around, it was a lovely visit. The only problem I had was with a new person my aunt introduced us to. This woman, we’ll call her Dee, ignored me and only talked to my daughter. She was my age if not older, but conversed with my daughter, 17, like I wasn’t there. They traded contact info and Dee insisted that they keep in touch while my daughter was in college. Dee said she was going to keep an eye on her. I thought that was odd, but I did enjoy the feeling of having an extended family sort of since I actually had no family besides my Aunt.
Let’s jump forward to the following year and we were struggling financially. Not horrible, but unable to lavish the gifts that we did the year before. Instead, I created a beautiful aromatherapy candle, some delicious herbal teas and we found a couple of very rare antique tea cups that had amazing value to them (about $100 a piece). We made a basket for her and I decided we would cook for them. (gluten free, soy free, dairy free etc). Our visit went so well, it was great to see them. We just enjoyed hanging out with them and talking. They loved the meal we made for them and the dairy free organic chocolate I made. Everything was great until the day we were leaving. Dee showed up and again ignored me, talked to my daughter and chastised her for getting a pet snake as that was an animal associated with the devil. My daughter is one to push the envelope a bit and said how she wanted to get a tattoo as well, one of a snake. Both my aunt and Dee were shocked and said she should never get a tattoo.. Again related to the devil, I went to the bathroom as I was not involved in the conversation and knew my daughter could hold her own. Little do they know that my daughter is also trans. I told her not to say anything to them just yet. I came back to them talking about how college was going and I thought my aunt and Dee would faint when she said her college roommate was male. She quickly explained that it was fine because he was gay and how awesome he was (he is btw). She quickly realized what I meant when she saw their reaction to him being gay. It wasn’t that she was living with a boy, it was that he was gay and “why did he choose to be gay.” I tried redirecting the conversation a couple of times, but they ignored me.
They finally let it go, but just after Dee left, we were getting ready to depart as well. My aunt returned the basket I made for her (minus the expensive tea cups). She said she could not accept them as they were touched by the devil. Shocked, I asked what she meant. She said that because they came from my store, they carried Satan's influence and she could not have them in our home. Truthfully, I explained that I made those items for her and that the only things that came from the store were the teacups. She was confused why I had gotten upset. When I explained that I gave her a gift and if she didn’t want it, she could regift it or throw it away. That gift came from my heart with all the love I have for her and that I didn't need to know her opinions about the gifts because It insinuated I, myself, was evil and it was extremely hurtful. She basically continued on insisting that I was just not aware of how much Satan had a hold of me. All I could do was tell her how much I loved her and leave.
I didn’t take her calls and cried about this for over a month. I finally felt strong enough to talk to her and again she insisted that because those items touched my hands, they were influenced by satan and she wished I could understand how they just can’t have that influence in their home. Frustrated, I asked how she could shop at grocery stores or buy anything from department stores because she can’t guarantee that those items didn’t touch hands that were influenced by satan. Also , I asked her how they could have eaten the food I prepared for them and why did they even invite me into their home to begin with if that’s the way she felt about me. She suddenly needed to go.
We talked a few times since then but it always came back to religion. At one point I asked her again why she would even invite us to her home if she felt that way. Her response was to save my daughter. The pain and heartache she has inflicted is immense, but I cannot bring myself to argue the point because I’m afraid if I make my point to her, it will break her. She’s in her 80’s and I believe has the beginnings of dementia. Her religion brings her comfort and I don’t want to say anything that might make her doubt her religion at her advanced age.
I’ve decided it is probably best for both of our mental health to stop all contact with her( with the exception of sending cards telling them how much I love them) even though I’ve always seen her as a second mom. AITA for making this decision and not trying to work things out with her or allow her to believe that I still might convert?
*** Please understand this is not a bash on any religion. Everyone has the right to believe in whatever religion they wish. That includes me, so if you feel the need to bash them or me for our spiritual choices, you can move along ***
I have never felt like I needed to hide any part of me from my friends, family, and the public in general. Not until now. Buckle up, this is a bumpy ride.
I've always been kind hearted, almost to a flaw. I took care of my grandmother, my step-dad, my mom and helped with a family friend during long term and terminal illnesses. I had my daughter and, without her father's help, raised her on my own with very little to no support. I helped friends with their farm who left me homeless in the end because I want interested in an extramarital affair. I lost my home and all that I loved including my husband because he lied to me and never paid it mortgage while I was recovering from an illness. In short, I have had a tough life, but it has never made me turn my back on anyone who needed help or in difficult family when they were ignored by the others. That's just some background before I tell you this situation.
Three years ago, after a bout of covid, my daughter was suicidal. She had been in the top three of her HS class and yet at that point almost failed her junior year. Not knowing if she would have the emotional strength to face college and adulting in general, I set up a plan B for her. I started a store in her name and that way she'd have something at least to fall back on if she was unable to function in the m-f 9 to 5 world. We started slow by doing craft fairs, seeking crystals, candles, jewelry, and gifts. We were kicked out of one because the person running it assumed we were witches. She was not wrong exactly as we identified as pagan, but we lived our life closest to the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, not traditional wicca. These were people who knew us for years and were considered acquaintances if not friends.
Our business flourished and we ended up opening our brick and mortar that fall after remodeling our garage/ barn and turning it into a store front. Even though I run it for my daughter, it is hers and we work together to keep it going.
In the past few years I've lost my mom, and two uncles. I have no family besides my mother's sister and her husband which we were pretty close. My aunt knew that I was pagan and had tried recruiting me into her religion since I was 5. Even at that tender age her religion never made sense and I would ask her questions to which she never had answers. I accepted her and respected her and her religion even though I didn't agree. I loved the people she introduced me to that were in her church and I always got along with them. That is until we visited the year after we started our store. My aunt was thrilled about us bringing crystals down and making jewelry with her. We met a new friend of hers (middle aged woman) who ignored me completely and oozed affection on my daughter. She got my daughter's contact info and contacted her frequently. Trying to convert and ”save” her. My daughter wasn't having it as even though she was in a delicate state, she is very level headed and strong willed.
This year we visited and we brought herbal tea, candies, and rare vintage tea cups for my aunt. The day we were leaving, she handed back everything but the vintage tea cups and told me she couldn't accept them because they were touched by Satan (aka made by my hands). To say I was devastated is an understatement. This woman was always like a second mom to me and we had grown closer after my mom passed away. It was a 20 hour drive home and I cried most of the way. I cried for weeks after a well. Thinking of it now still brings me tears. As she was telling me that Satan had a hold on me and that she was trying to save me, all I did was remind her how much I loved her and my uncle. Every time since then that we have talked, she says the same thing, but now she told me I was a lost cause. I feel like trying to stay in touch is detrimental to her mental health ( and my own). I don't want to give up or abandon the last of my family, but I can't talk to her and endure the endless insinuations that I'm evil because I don't believe in her religion. She took a bad fall and broke her arm. The last time we spoke, she talked as if it was my fault for bringing the devil into her home.
While I could usually brush this off as delusional ranting, it hits hard because the same day she fell, my dad died. I know the Powers That Be only give as much as we can handle, I just wish they didn't have so much faith in me.
They are in their 80s. I know in all the pieces of my broken heart that they'll never be able to accept my daughter and I unless we change religions and it has crossed my mind just to say we have to put her at ease, but I can't lie like that to them and we cannot betray ourselves like that either. By

Hi dear friends, everything in my inventory is up for trade and up for sale.
I also buy/sell skins via Crypto/CSGOFloat.
Check out my CSGOFloat stall here, almost every high tier item is listed here: https://csfloat.com/stall/76561198021680043
(This List only contain items above $100 I have a lot more items in my inventory, check that out on my profile)
This list is not always up to date there is more unlisted items in my inventory! feel free to add me to discuss offers. The fastest way to get a response is to send me a direct trade offer through my trade link.
Tips to communicate with me: be informative on what you're interested in and if you wish to buy with cash/crypto or trade.
My discord: antonbeastskins
Links to my profile / trade offer
Steam Profile: https://steamcommunity.com/id/antontrades/
Trade offer: https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffenew/?partner=61414315&token=WGyxdHWU
Every item is up for trade, don't be afraid to send an offer! Buyout
[H]
★ Butterfly Knife Emerald - FN - 0.007
AWP Dragon Lore - FN - 0.03 Titan Holo Scope
AWP Dragon Lore - FN - 0.06
StatTrak™ AK-47 Redline - MW - 0.13 4x IBP Paper Kato 14
Glock-18 Dragon Tattoo - FN IBP Holo Best Pos
★ M9 Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.006
★ M9 Bayonet Ruby - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Emerald - FN - 0.03 FLAWLESS
★ Karambit Ruby - FN - 0.01 FLAWLESS
AWP Gungnir - FT - 0.20
★ M9 Bayonet Black Pearl - FN - 0.03
AK-47 Wild Lotus - MW - 0.13
AWP Dragon Lore - FT - 0.17
★ Sport Gloves Superconductor - MW - 0.13
M4A4 Howl - MW - 0.09914636611938477
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.031
★ Butterfly Knife P2 - FN - 0.05
★ Sport Gloves Vice - MW - 0.12
★ Sport Gloves Vice - MW - 0.14
★ Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Bayonet Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Talon Knife Black Pearl - FN - 0.02
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono - MW - 0.14 T2 Kimonos
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono - MW - 0.126
★ Karambit Fade - FN - 0.009 99.55% Fade
★ Karambit Fade - FN - 0.02 90.94% Fade
Glock-18 Fade - FN - 0.001 99.6% Fade
★ M9 Bayonet Fade - FN - 0.01 99.60% Fade
★ M9 Bayonet Fade - FN - 0.007 99.29% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.01 98.27% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.00 93.78% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.04 80.45% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.02 100.0% Fade (MAX FADE)
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.06 82.08% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.06 85.36% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.03 82.77% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.03 82.99% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.03 82.13% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.01 96.77% Fade
AWP Fade - FN - 0.01 100.0% Fade (MAX)
AWP Fade - FN - 0.03 93.02% Fade
★ Butterfly Knife Gamma Doppler P2 - FN - 0.00
★ Stiletto Knife Ruby - FN - 0.00
★ Stiletto Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ Stiletto Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
★ StatTrak™ Butterfly Knife Fade - FN - 0.04 99.29% Fade
M4A1-S Knight - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.006
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.03
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P4 - FN - 0.05
★ Flip Knife Ruby - FN - 0.006
★ Sport Gloves Hedge Maze - FT - 0.201
Sticker Titan Katowice 2014
AWP The Prince - FT - 0.20
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P1 - FN - 0.02
★ Butterfly Knife Doppler P3 - FN - 0.03
AWP Desert Hydra - MW - 0.13
★ Ursus Knife Ruby - FN - 0.006
★ Butterfly Knife Marble Fade - FN - 0.03
★ Butterfly Knife Marble Fade - FN - 0.02
AK-47 Gold Arabesque - WW - 0.41
★ StatTrak™ Karambit Gamma Doppler P3 - FN - 0.01
★ Karambit Gamma Doppler P4 - FN - 0.02
★ Ursus Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.03
Souvenir AK-47 Gold Arabesque - BS - 0.684
★ Huntsman Knife Ruby - FN - 0.007
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious - MW - 0.12
★ Huntsman Knife Sapphire - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Marble Fade - FN - 0.01
★ Karambit Doppler P3 - FN - 0.02
★ Karambit Doppler P1 - FN - 0.03
★ Driver Gloves King Snake - MW - 0.14 Clean Knuckles
★ Talon Knife Fade - FN - 0.00 99.9% Fade
★ Falchion Knife Emerald - FN - 0.02
★ Sport Gloves Vice - FT - 0.33
★ Karambit Tiger Tooth - FN - 0.06

Dont tread on me snake tattoos

Don't Tread on Me

"The Morrígan"

The Morrigan: Triple Goddess of Death by Anna Otto Contra is another great page I read up on this.

The Three Sisters

Dont tread on me snake tattoos

Don't Tread on Me

"The Morrígan"

The Morrigan: Triple Goddess of Death by Anna Otto Contra is another great page I read up on this.

T​he Three Sisters

The Three Sisters