#&&. ❛ VERSE ❪ conquer from within . ❫

[hyvyinjie]

hi! Can I ask for a headcannon about Minamoto teru x childhood friend reader? Where teru is really over protective and gentle towards the reader. Reader is a lazy person, and often sleepy, the things he likes are reading comics and playing game in their phone. They also refuses teru's invitation to join the student council. Thank you! :)

why of course! it’d be an honor to grant such an ask. apologies for taking quite a while to do so—though i hope my work meets your expectations, wonderful nonie!<3

—LOST IN THE HAZE OF YOUR DREAMSCAPE.

featuring ; minamoto teru & you as our star.

+ small akane & aoi mentions.

ah, minamoto teru; the very embodiment of perfection—as he was hailed and as he carried himself with utter conviction.

a master of powers, a paragon of academic prowess, and a maestro in all things extraordinary. could there be anything he did not conquer?

yet, his persona, a labyrinth of complexities, as if harboring a multitude of souls within his very being.

now, here you arrive in his peculiar life—meeting with the intricacies of his existence.

when your paths converged, it ignited a tempestuous collision, a clash of peculiar forces.

initially, your mere presence held no sway over him. in truth, he perceived you as an encumbrance, burdened by your languid nature. for he, a relentless pursuer of flawlessness, demanded nothing less.

but lo and behold. fate—that cunning trickster—wove its intricate threads, meticulously mending the frayed tapestry of your connection.

through the passage of time, a tapestry of happenstance encounters and the subsequent flourishing of interactions—a nascent camaraderie took root. he slowly, but surely grew attuned to your idiosyncrasies, harmonizing with your rhythm. while the power to surmount every obstacle at your side eludes him still, he persists, striving to offer his utmost.

oh please have mercy on this young man—forever enmeshed in the whirlwind of his exorcist duties. and yet, even amidst the chaos, his devotion knows no bounds when it comes to those he holds dear.

one might assume that quality time would be sacrificed for the trivial, but fear not, for you found yourself on the fortunate side—the one he’d willingly carved out moments to be with.

initially, your encounters were fleeting, brief snippets of time. however, as the sands of time trickled down, these fragments transformed into meticulously planned sleepovers. he meticulously orchestrated these occasions, ensuring they did not encroach upon his demanding schedule.

your bond thrived during these cozy gatherings, or tranquil rendezvous, where he wholeheartedly immersed himself in your passions—comics and video games.

though not extensively versed in these realms, one might imagine that you—with your infectious enthusiasm to the field—was the catalyst for his exploration and understanding of the realm of entertainment. this was evidenced by the gradual increase in invitations to game nights and his newfound willingness to engage in discussions about captivating narratives. perhaps, you both even exchanged recommendations for comics, as kindred spirits often do.

as the both of you and the world grew older—it became evident that he honed his social skills; presenting himself as a complete package. every aspect of his being held an irresistible allure, captivating the hearts of women, and even some fellow men. many yearned and openly expressed their desire to be the chosen one by his side.

however, even amidst the clamoring crowd, his gaze remained steadfastly fixed upon you.

of course, as the old adage goes; with great power comes great responsibility—the price of his popularity gradually revealed itself.

certain students, teetering on the edge of obsession, noticed the distinct tenderness he displayed towards you, surpassing his general kindness towards all. seizing upon this perceived vulnerability, they occasionally resorted to devious methods, seeking to eliminate you from the equation, taking advantage of moments when slumber claimed you.

naturally, he swiftly uncovered their plot, intervening before they could execute their nefarious intentions.

needless to say, the number of such audacious attempts dwindled significantly. what exactly he did to deter them remains a mystery known only to him and his would-be victims.

still, worried that the possibility of a recurrence and his absence to intervene, he took it upon himself to practically implore—some might even say beg—you to join the student council. this would ensure that he, or even akane if needed, could keep a watchful eye over you with greater ease.

however, true to your nature, you steadfastly rebuffed each futile attempt to persuade you. despite his persistent efforts, you remained resolute in your refusal.

eventually, your golden boy relented, recognizing that his endeavors were in vain…but that was just because he found an alternative solution.

he encouraged—forced—akane to be the one to look after you discreetly whenever he couldn’t. only choosing to partially reveal his intentions to avoid alarming you at the time, as you were unfamiliar with akane’s existence.

or so it had been until he observed that you and the school’s vice president shared a rather unique bond.

although akane would occasionally scold you for being so excessively somnolent, mistaking it for you being irresponsible, hence, occasionally comparing you to the greatness of his lady aoi—teru—ever vigilant and mindful of akane’s every interaction with you, ensured that his usual brutal tendencies were significantly tempered. still—it remained a part of the deputy’s essence, defining his very being, just albeit subdued in your presence.

it could be surmised that akane once attempted to tease—or rather, foolishly inquire, about teru’s subtle yet perceptible shifts in behavior whenever you were involved.

“it’s almost as if you like them.”

in an almost immediate reaction—the president paused, slowly turning his head to gaze at akane, a shadow casting a smile that concealed the upper portion of his closed eyes.

the ginger-haired vice executive, feeling an ominous presence despite the absence of visible eyes, found himself sweating profusely as he cautiously added,

“—to the point where anyone could mistake you for family!"

sensing the gravity of his words, akane mentally vowed to never broach the subject again. he restrained himself from ever mentioning it whenever he witnessed the two of you together.

curiosity gnawed at you as you noticed his all-knowing gaze transform into one of horror whenever you turned your head, as if peering behind you; at none other than the pretty blonde himself, who seemed to be doing nothing wrong, merely proven to have been innocently smiling the whole time, or so he put up whenever you looked back at him.

oblivious to the truth, you always dismissed it as ‘akane’s peculiar moments of ptsd flashbacks’ whenever he saw teru.

however, let me share a little secret with you.

did you know the true reason behind teru’s death stare? no? well, do you wanna know?

then do allow me to spill it for you.

it was simply because akane, using the keyword; "like," insinuated that teru had a ‘liking-only level’ romantic feeling for you. the misconception provoked such a reaction from teru, for he wanted to correct that statement because he loved you, not just liked you.

seriously, can’t people let him finish what he’s saying?

[bones4thecats]

Why is no other Transformers: Prime account writing about this guy?

Spoilers for: Transformers Prime; Predacons Rising

As everyone should know if they understand the basics of the Transformers franchise, they know the two main characters for both sides of the war.

As the series progressed, the main antagonist, that being Megatron, was shown to be a very despicable and horrendous. But, while he was far more shown, there was another antagonist hiding behind the scenes and actions of the warlord.

That being Unicron, the embodiment of everything evil in Cybertronian mythology (I guess...?)

In One Shall Rise; Part 3, which is season 1's 26th episode, it is highlighted that while the dark energon was just previously laid within his spark, he could reanimate hundreds of fallen soldiers inside of the Earth from the years past.

This is also shown to partially happen far ahead in the series, specifically in the film (Transformers: Prime ; Beast Hunters - Predacons Rising), that while Unicron possessed his body, his optics (or eyes) would begin to emit a fog-like substance which was colored the same kind of purple as dark energon.

Now, after the whole battling Unicron and wondering of Megatron is possibly existing inside of his body, Team Prime eventually gets the Destroyer of World's anti-spark stuck inside of the machine that once held the spark of Primus' inside throughout the war.

It is shown from Starscream assisting the once-again-revived mech up from the ground that Megatron once again has been revived. Most likely from the extreme amount of dark energon, which is known to revive beings from death.

And when Starscream tried to convince Megatron that they could now conquer Cybertron with little resistance against their opponents, the Autobots, you could tell that he was tried and kinda wore out, since earlier it was shown that he was being tortured by Unicron while trapped inside of his own mind-scape.

The next verse, which is straightly quoted from the film, it shows the main meaning of this post;

" Your new battle armor will take things to the next level, my Liege. Together we will reunite all Decepticons and once again grind Cybertron under your mighty heel- " -> Starscream " No! " -> Megatron " What? Why? " -> Starscream " Because I now know the true meaning of oppression and have thus lost my taste for inflicting it. " -> Megatron " You've clearly been traumatized, Master. A good power-down and a stroll around the smelting pit will put you back in touch with your inner warlord. " -> Starscream " Enough! The Decepticons are no more and that is final. " -> Megatron

When I first watching this just the other day, I was shell-shocked. I knew that at some point that he had disbanded the Decepticons, but not in this way.

Honestly, when he was exiled by his own mind ordering him to do so was something that made me go: Is he really that bad of a character here?

I believe that instead of focusing on him while he was possessed, we need some pieces of the Reader approaching him after his exile and just trying to be very helpful with his obvious trauma. It just sounds amazing to me. If you write something like that, do please tag me in it so I can read it!

[rocks-d-xerxes]

Chapter 3

Crazy talk

How Ace understood the prophecy.

The card of Ace

The sword of king

This here talks about the names

Luffy wanted to name his firstborn Ace after his brother

Now, in Luffy's mind he thinks Ace was named after the card, the card of Ace, right?

But what Luffy doesn't know is that Ace was named after Roger's sword, the sword of a king.

So.. One Ace was named after the sword of a king, while the other was named after the card of Ace

One born a lion a bear become

The other a dragon one shall come

Ace was born from the bloodline of Roger, Roger who conquered the ocean in itself. Ace was born to be a Lion, to rule over all other animals..

But.. Ace was born a lion but became a Bear, a ravenous predator that has a chance of killing the lion itself if wishes to.

While in the second line, they don't actually mention Luffy's 1st born (Ace).

but mention Edrick, the 2d born who took all the poison, the one whose name means "the one who is prosperous and noble"

Noble, that's what Edrick was and will always be, even before he was born, he was the noble one who sacrificed his own existence for his younger and older brothers to live.

Like a Dragon protecting its hoard.

Yes, dragons ARE selfish and mean and possessive.. But

Edrick was also a brother as much as he was a dragon

His own blood ran thick deep within his brothers

He shared blood with them, there's no way for him to not share his life, and give it all to them.

He was also selfish in a way that allowed him to take everything around him, even poison, he took it all.

And kept only the minimum to his older brother out of respect for his well to too protect the youngest.

Two will die

Too soon

One in a crib, the other in flames

These two lines talk about the fate of the two Aces

With Luffy's son dying in a crib at the hands of Teach's assassin, too soon to be able to have lived mere hours after being born.

The apostrophe, a sign that this is were the fate of Luffy's son separates from Luffy's brother..

what follows it is a past spoken truth.

Prophecies are not like destinies

Destinies are written in stone, and no one is able to change them.

While prophecies are just a series of actions taken by one person to determine their life and death..

A warning one can call them

Luffy changed Ace's prophecy by taking an action against his brother's fate, and Ace changed Luffy's prophecy by running away with him and not getting hunt down by Akainu's provocative.

The other in flames

Ace was meant to die in the flames as a prophecy.. But Luffy changed it

But.. Luffy couldn't change his son's prophecy cause he never knew of it..

That's another way to show how Teach is the complete versa of Luffy.. He changed the fate of Luffy's firstborn by killing him

And Luffy changed Ace's fate by rescuing him

Two will perish

Too soon begone

This verse

THIS FUCKING VERSE

It doesn't just talk about Luffy's two death sons

It talks about all of Luffy's family

His brothers

His grandpa

His father

This verse shows how much little time Luffy had with his blood family

And that doesn't include Garp beating him up

Dragon left his son too soon as a baby.

Garp spent too little time as grandpa with Luffy (he perished too soon) he deserved more time to express his affection to his grandson in a proper and good way.

Ace left Dawn island after ten years of knowing Luffy. Now, I know you might think this is enough for the both of them, but it isn't. Ace hadn't been loved since he first breathed in his life. That's what apostrophe is for, Ace is different than Garp, Garp was satisfied with the time he spent with Luffy.. Ace wasn't, I can feel it in his tears, Ace wanted more, he NEEDED more of Luffy's love.

And then we come to Sabo.. These two lines, they're not separated when it comes to Sabo. He perished too soon..

Now I want you all to focus on the meaning of perishing... Is it dying? Disappearing? Or is it getting removed from Ace and Luffy's lives without even knowing it?

The answer is, all of them, all of these possibilities are a resemblance of Sabo and his brotherhood relationship with Ace and Luffy.

And then we come to Ace And Edrick

I don't think I need to explain how this verse is resembling them.. We got over that point already..

And the king shall be crowned when his two sun's gone...

NOW, for this one, I'mma leave it to you guys to explain and analyze this verse as your mind wishes.

[its-time-to-write]

ch. 5 - hustling for the good life

table of contents

your boots beneath my bed

You, on the other hand, had done your proper research. Watched his highlights on Lust Conquers All and everything. You want to know what exactly your stupid brain is doing, thinking someone like that is cute or (retch) boyfriend material but who gives a shit because you’re probably not going to see him again. 

You’re out of the hotel and in some tiny little cottage just outside of London. No paps, no PR agents or what-fucking-ever, just you, Natalie, and loads of fresh air. She finds you in the yard one morning, plucking a tune on a guitar and humming.

“That’s new,” she grins. “Gonna have a new single out soon?”

You raise a shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe. Might just keep this one to myself.”

Natalie says hmm then turns on her heel to go back inside. 

“Oh,” she says after a few steps, “you should at least send it to him. He might like it.”

“It’s not about anyone!” you call after her rapidly retreating figure. 

“Sure!” she yells back. You flip her off and she says, “I saw that!”

—

Natalie’s booked some coffee shop concert for you, so you’re a little preoccupied with sound checks and meeting your temp band and promising to drink a latte as soon as you’re done singing because fuck sleeping.

It’s sold out which isn’t hard because the place is small, but it’s fun to sit on a stool and sing into a small microphone and be able to talk and joke like you’re the small-town artist you began as.

The crowd goes crazy when you strum the first few notes of Mango, as they sing along to the whole thing. You finish the set and begin thank everyone for coming when you see an oddly familiar face in the very back of the room. You’re not even sure how you caught it because again, it’s crowded, but there it is. He’s with some other people who you’re pretty sure are part of AFC Richmond, but you don’t care about that now.

You pause in the middle of your goodbye and say, “You know what, I’m actually going to play one more song. It’s a rough draft right now, so be nice to me. The working title is Poolside, and you guys are the first to hear it.”

You begin to pluck the repeating melody that’s been playing on repeat in your brain and start the first verse.

I know it’s a bad idea

And I can’t have you anyway

But you’re like a tiny bit of sunshine

I can’t seem to chase away

It’s terrifying and vulnerable in a way you’ve never been before. You’ve played songs for boys before, but never like this. 

You were in a hotel room with Austin one night after one of his movie premiers and just giggling about how stupid it all was. 

“I already have our breakup song,” you’d said, hopping down from the table. “Wanna hear it?”

Austin thought that was hilarious so he said, “Obviously,” so you grabbed your guitar from your room and strapped it on. 

“Alright,” you said while strumming a bouncy tune, “this one’s a little more line-dancey than my usuals. So.”

Austin had tapped his foot while you sang, “A long time ago/in a land not so far away/we met in a bar/and you fucking said ‘hey.’”

It was silly as you both bounced around the room singing about your impending split. Neither of you cared because it wasn’t real, and you had recorded him singing a harmony on your phone. 

You snuck it into the actual track months later, too faint for anyone to actually notice. 

But that was the closest you’d ever been to directly singing someone their song. It was different with Mango because it wasn’t romantic. 

And now it’s different with Jamie, because you’re singing about how dumb it is that you keep thinking about him asking if you were ok at that dumb fucking party. 

You end the song to thunderous applause, and you’re pretty sure bootlegs are going to end up on YouTube within the hour. You don’t care. All you can think of is slipping to the back of the café to claim that latte then sneaking out the back. 

“Nice one, girl,” Natalie remarks as she hands you a cup. “The label’s gonna love that.”

You smile. “They don’t care. I make them too much money for them to care.”

She rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to speak but just stops. 

“Hello? Earth to Nat?” you say, waving a hand in front of her face. 

“Hey,” says a voice from behind.

You spin around. It’s Jamie. 

And god, he looks fucking fit in trackies, Gucci slides, and a neon orange shirt. 

You can feel Natalie sneaking away behind you, and for once, you’re glad to be alone. 

“Hey,” you reply. “How’d you get in here?”

Jamie smiles. “Keeley. She can talk her way into anything.”

You nod, still holding your latte. “Well, usually we have a strict policy about fans who try to come talk to me unannounced, but I guess for you, I’ll let it slide.”

Oh god, are you fucking flirting?

Jamie smirks. “Babe, I ain’t any old fan. Probably number one.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Uh huh. Right. And when did you decide you could call me babe?”

Jamie takes a step closer. “Right about the time Keeley convinced me to ask you out.”

You almost drop your coffee. 

All you can say is a weak, “Oh.”

“She would love to,” Natalie pipes up from behind a stack of coffee beans. “I’ll get you her number and you can set it up.”

Jamie’s looking at you expectantly, and you suppose he probably wants your consent, not just Natalie’s. 

You nod and say, “Sure,” with the same lack of conviction the oh held. Jamie’s expression ripples for a moment, but then he’s grinning and saying “Mint,” before saluting Natalie and exiting the way he came. 

“What the fuck, Natalie,” you say. Your bones feel like jelly. “I can’t go out with him.”

“Yes you can,” she tells you. “And you are. It’s settled.”

Oh fuck. 

—

He texts you the next morning.

hey it’s Jamie :)

I can’t be seen with you, you write back before you chicken out. The press would have a field day. I’m not looking for something public, so if you’re only in this to gain popularity, you’re out of luck. 

It’s a little harsh, but you’re going to be open about this.

no worries, he says. paps r fuckgn annoying. we can do smthg small. 

Turns out something small means sneaking into a restaurant where Jamie’s been going for ages. It has a small room in the back with windows you can see out of, but no one can see in.

“John’s been getting me back here for ages,” he says. “Haven’t had an issue with the press yet.”

It’s all so normal, the way he pulls out your chair and tells you what he likes to order. The way he’s making you laugh and asking you questions about your life, not the ones about your music, but the kind that are actually about you. 

The server comes around with a bottle, and asks, “Wine?”

Jamie looks to you and you shake your head, barely suppressing a grimace.

“All good here, mate,” he says.

“Not a drinker?” he asks once the man is gone. 

You hesitate. You’re about to cross into point-of-no-return territory. 

“I- I don’t know, I can’t really smell it without thinking of my family. They’re all…”

Jamie nods. “I get it. Like me dad. Prick’ll be sober when he’s dead.”

“Yeah,” you say slowly. “Yeah, never had a family event without someone fighting. My mom’s the first one to get out, because she’s the youngest. She saw all that shit and decided it wasn’t for her. She went away to college, met my dad, and never looked back. Course, my uncles started showing up once I got famous. And my aunt, too. She’s probably the worst of all of them. She actually broke into my first apartment asking for money. She smashed a bottle and cut up my face pretty bad… I was nineteen and still trying to figure out my music career and stuff. I still have a scar on eyebrow from it. But, I wasn’t so famous that it ended up on the internet, so…”

You trail off again. Jamie’s looking at you all thoughtful. You’re not sure when he started holding your hand across the table, but there it is. It’s warm and calloused, and he doesn’t seem to care that yours is sweaty.

“My dad’s the same way,” he says softly. “Showed up a month back at a match. Fucking prick. But… can’t seem to cut him off, y’know? He’s fuckin’… family or some shit.”

“Hah,” you say, “That’s what Margarita’s about.”

Jamie’s silent for a moment. “Thought it was about how you really fucking liked limes,” he says finally.

That gets a laugh from you. “I do actually really fucking like limes. But enough about me. How’d you get into football?”

By the end of the night, you’re properly smitten. This boy knows how to flirt, knows all the right compliments and ways to brush his hand against yours or brush a stray strand of hair out of your face. 

This is bad, you think as his lips touch yours. This is very, very bad.

table of contents

[basementdoll]

Wait And Bleed

Murderdolls were on a high with their 2002 debut album. Before Joey Jordison knew it, Wednesday 13 had 30 new songs written…but was going it alone.

Words: Dom Lawson

On July 12, 2003, the band that Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison had formed with his friend, vocalist Wednesday 13, as a bit of light relief from the relentless touring and ferocious intensity of his day job, performed to a sold-out Brixton Academy in London. Within a year of releasing their debut album, 2002’s brilliantly snotty Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls, this goofy, sleazy horror-punk side-project had evolved beyond all expectations, like some kind of many-headed Frankenstein, and won the hearts of thousands of fans. In the UK in particular, Murderdolls rocketed from nowhere to the brink of hugeness, accruing a hysterical army of red’n’black-clad admirers who had fallen wholesale for the band’s party-all-night-and-fuck-the-consequences philosophy. What started as a liberating side-project had mutated into something with the potential to conquer the world…all of which makes the fact that Murderdolls left Brixton, buggered off back across the Atlantic and then vanished for seven years somewhat confusing.

But now it’s the summer of 2010 and Murderdolls are back at last. And so, as Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 settle down on a small leather sofa in the air-conditioned downstairs bar of a swanky Soho hotel to speak with Metal Hammer about their reunion, imminent comeback and brand new studio album, Women and Children Last, it’s finally time to ask the question: Gentleman, where the fuck have you been?

“We don’t bullshit and there’s no reason to lie.” says Joey, shades on and as serious as hell. “After we got done with the tour for Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls, we ended on a high note at Brixton Academy, but then of course I had to go back and start up Slipknot again. Me and Wednesday were still in contact and he had demoed like 30 songs and sent me a CD, but the next thing I know, he’s doing a solo record and he didn’t tell me! I didn’t understand it. I was like, ‘Don’t you wanna do another Murderdolls record?’, but I can’t tell him not to go and do what he wants to do, you know? So I had to go and do my stuff with [Slipknot album] Volume 3 (The Subliminal Verses) and we did the whole tour, and we met up again during that tour. We hadn’t talked in a while, so it was kinda weird, but once we talked and crossed paths…”

“We met in a trailer at Rock Im Park in Germany.” recalls Wednesday. “It was 100° and all the crew people were like, ‘Get in there and work it out!’ and they threw us in there and shut the door! That’s when we sorted everything out.”

Having patched things up after what sounds like a fairly minor falling out, Joey and Wednesday still didn’t exactly rush into a Murderdolls reunion. In fact, another five years have passed since the initial exchange of apologies and explanations. In terms of squandering momentum, this hiatus will take some beating, and yet Women and Children Last oozes a level of intensity that was never even hinted at by Murderdolls first time round. Apparently absence makes the fire blaze harder…

“To other people, eight years [between albums] must seem like a long time.” says Wednesday. “But if you think about fuckin’ everything that Joey’s done and everything that I’ve done in that period, that’s a lot of shit! Combined, we’ve done more than bands do in a 20-year period. Joey did two Slipknot records, a Ministry tour, played with Korn, did Roadrunner United, produced 3 Inches Of Blood and played with Satyricon and I did three solo records, an EP, two country records and started a whole new band…”

“We were never enemies at all.” adds Joey. “We just got confused. After we met up again, we were on speaking terms and having conversations by texting and we were thinking that maybe we’d just let Murderdolls be the band with the cult following that it was and let sleeping dogs lie. But then the moment of clarity came to me about two years ago. I was at home on a break and I was sleeping on my couch and Headbanger’s Ball was on and there was this spark that jolted me awake. The metal scene in America and also in Europe, it’s all the fucking same now. There are some great bands, trust me, but everyone’s the same now. Labels are trying to survive because they’re going down the tubes. It’s all about who can play double bass the fastest. There’s no rock stars anymore. I called Wednesday at that point and I’m still in a sleep haze and I said, ‘Wednesday, I want to make another Murderdolls record!’”

A world apart from the comic book kitsch and pun-filled sloppiness of their debut, the second Murderdolls album might as well be the work of an entirely different band. Although still imbued with the hook-packed sleaze metal sensibilities that made old songs like Dead In Hollywood and Grave Robbing USA so irresistible, the new songs seem to have been beamed in from somewhere much darker and more real than their predecessors. There is no shortage of macabre humour lurking amid the pounding riffs and roar-along rage of Chapel of Blood and My Dark Place Alone but while Beyond The Valley…was all about taking the listener into a grim but ludicrous fantasy world, this record sounds very much like the work of men on a sincere and heartfelt mission. Murderdolls 2.0 mean every last fucking word, and as a result they have become a hundred times more believable. 

“I said, ‘If we’re gonna do this, it has to be full bore and we have to make a real record.’” says Joey. “The first record is great for what it was and I love it, but I consider this to be the first Murderdolls record. This is the first time we actually sat down with a vision and wrote songs together, and it’s been one of the most gratifying records I’ve ever made.”

“We wrote all these songs from scratch, a few feet away from each other in the studio.” grins Wednesday. “The first song we did was Homicide Drive, and the drum take you hear on the record is the first take we did. It all happened that naturally. It was really easy and it was fun. We had a fuckin’ blast making this record.”

Just like their favourite band, Murderdolls fans may well be a little bit older and wiser eight years on from that first flush of anti-hero worship, but the goofy, light-hearted side of the band was always a major part of their appeal. As a result, there may be some who find the idea of a more serious Murderdolls a little alarming, but despite injecting their sound with a little more substance, Joey and Wednesday are still firmly committed to delivering the rock ‘n’ roll goods. It’s just that this time round the fire in their bellies is for real and not just cheap whiskey afterburn.

“It’s still fun but it’s more fun for me because I get to sing about personal stuff now.” explains Wednesday. “I’m not the same guy you saw before. This band has changed - this is a whole new Murderdolls, in terms of what we’re bringing to the table. When I sing My Dark Place Alone, that’s very personal to me. I’m going deep into the lyrics, and that’s something I’ve never been able to do before.”

“The first record, you could say we were a dumb horror punk band or something like that.” adds Joey. “The new one, this is like my other Slipknot, even though they’re like apples and oranges. On this record you go from a song like Chapel Of Blood to Drug Me To Hell, and then songs like Nowhere and Summertime Suicide and it starts getting poppier. It’s kinda like Slipknot, with all that diversity, even though we’re a rock ‘n’ roll band. That’s what’s gratifying to me, having a band that has its own style but is able to inject its own identity into each song. When I used to play in death metal and speed metal bands, it was easy to sit there and write a million riffs. The biggest challenge is to write an actual song, and only then do you know you’re a real songwriter.” 

If everything goes to plan, the new Murderdolls album should swiftly restore the band to the levels of popularity they were enjoying when they took their extended hiatus. But if anyone needs convincing that Women And Children Last is the real deal, they need only acknowledge the presence of no less a figure than Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars, who lends some hair-raising solos to Drug Me To Hell and Blood Stained Valentine, two of the album’s grittiest anthems. Mick doesn’t put on his top hat for any old rubbish, and Joey and Wednesday are visibly thrilled when they talk about his involvement in their new record.

“Mick’s one of the great underdogs and never got the respect he deserved.” says Wednesday. “We see him as one of the great rock ‘n’ roll villains, so what better guy to come out and play for us? It was so natural. He loved it!”

“We didn’t want any guests on this record whatsoever, but this was a little bit different.” smiles Joey. “It was definitely an honour to watch him play on our dumbass songs! I was just sitting there, almost blacking out, thinking about when I had Shout At The Devil on vinyl in my parent’s basement and I was thinking, ‘Man, this is fucked up!’”

Mick Mars aside, Murderdolls remain very much a two-man operation in the studio, but live performance is plainly a major part of what the band stands for and so, with that in mind, Joey and Wednesday have recruited a brand new lineup to assist them in their new crusade. Original members Acey Slade, Eric Griffin and Ben Graves have been usurped by new lead guitarist Roman Surman, bassist Jack Tankersley and drummer Racci Shay, who previously played in Wednesday 13’s solo band. Again, as with the songs themselves, fresh blood seems to have invigorated the whole Murderdolls enterprise. 

“The first lineup and the first everything that we did, it was really thrown together.” admits Wednesday. “We did our first video without ever having played together in a room before. Me and Joey did the record by ourselves and then we found these guys through friends of friends and, of course, it was complete chaos. So this time, we purposefully picked people we knew and that we were friends with, and it’s been great. When we finally got on stage, it was like ‘Holy shit!’”

“What we’ve done now and the people we have now, they’re great players and they’re there for the job.” continues Joey. “They’re not there to fuckin’ party. They believe in the songs and they believe in the project and this is a big chance for all of ‘em. They’re all amazing players. I wouldn’t do this if my heart wasn’t completely in it.”

With a new warcry of “We live, we breathe, we bleed rock ‘n’ roll!” the all-new Murderdolls can hardly be said to have altered the main thrust of their philosophy, but everything about the new lineup, the new album and the intense demeanor of the two men steering the ship suggests that they are in this for the long haul this time, ready to do whatever it takes to bully the world into joining in the fun. Serious men on a serious mission, perhaps, but surely there is still plenty of room for a little chaos, mayhem and debauchery? 

“Before, when we walked off stage, everything else was complete madness too.” Wednesday laughs. “It was a fuckin’ circus, but it was great. But we’ve moved on. We want to take the chaos from backstage and put it on the stage!”

“Now it’s just the most violent, fuckin’ sleazy, hideous, heaviest fuckin’ rock ‘n’ roll you can possibly imagine.” concludes Joey, with a snarl. “It’s a real band now.” 

Women and Children Last is out August 30 via Roadrunner Records. Murderdolls will play Ozzfest in September.

-

Six Stringer Joey Jordison’s Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Which albums inspired you to play the guitar?

“The first record that turned me on was the Stones’ Tattoo You. I remember my dad coming home with the album.”

What was the first guitar you owned?

“A harmony, which was like a Fender Stratocaster. I played it in my first metal band in fifth grade. I started playing drums aged seven and soon ditched the guitar.

How do you achieve your sound?

“I don’t normally tell people how I do it! Ha ha! I used a modified JCM 900 amplifier and a MXR distortion on top of that. I’m always involved with mixing and production and everything, so that has a lot to do with the sound on the record. My amp’s been modified.”

Who’s the most underrated guitarist?

“Probably Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls). He had something about him. Guitar is all about passion and playing with soul and style.”

How often do you practise?

“Right now, three hours a day! I’m going on tour with the Murderdolls so everything has to be up to par. It’s odd talking about guitar instead of drums. Drums always came natural to me. I still practise but I’m pretty much in the groove, but for the guitar I have to work real hard.”

What guitar do you play?

“I recorded with my custom BC Rich Bich. I’ve been using Gibson SGs and a BC Rich Warlock, plus I have my signature guitar coming out.”

[themuslimaharchive]

ASH-SHAHEED / ASH-SHAHID

(The All Observing Witnessing)

ASH-SHAHEED MEANING:

The Witness, The All-Observant, The Testifier.

Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Ash-Shaheed (in Arabic: ٱلْشَّهِيدُ) meaning the one who is omnipresent and all-observing. There is nothing that we do that goes unnoticed, as He is ever-present and sees everything. His knowledge comprehends all, and He will be the ultimate witness on the day of judgment.

MENTIONS OF ASH-SHAHID:

FROM QURAN & HADITH

Arabic Root:

From the root shin-ha-dal (ش ه د), which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to bear witness, to offer testimony, to have knowledge of, to experience, to be present with.

An Attribute of Ilm (knowledge):

To be a witness is an attribute of knowledge. You cannot be a witness without being present or having knowledge or so unique insight or perspective on some matter. Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Ash-Shaheed, THE witness. He is the knower of the Ghayb (the unseen), the things that are concealed or invisible to man. It is because of the attribute of being Ash-Shaheed that on the day of judgment, He will reveal Himself as being the witness to all that has happened.

"Return to your father and say, "O our father, indeed your son has stolen, and we did not testify except to what we knew. And we were not witnesses of the unseen," — (Qur'an 12:81)

This verse also helps us establish a connection to the previous name, Al-Ba'ith - The Resurrector. When we are raised from the grave, we will be held accountable. The only one who can be a judge is the one who has knowledge of the truth, "we did not testify except to what we knew." Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ knowledge is all-encompassing. He is Al-Alim (The All-Knowing) and Al-Khabir (The All-Aware). The explanation of the name Ash-Shaheed is similar to that of those names. We recommend reading the write-up provided for those names to become acquainted with the name of Ash-Shaheed.

Now, as a name of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ it is mentioned throughout the Qur'an a total of 18 times.

Tip to help memorize the meaning of this name:

To help remember the meaning of Ash-Shaheed, it can be useful to make the connection in your mind with this name and the shahadah (the testimony of faith), Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah was ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh (I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger).[1] Here ashhadu means, "I bear witness," "I testify" and the name of Allah Ash-Shaheed is, "The Witnesser," "The Testifier."

Reflection:

The believer benefits from knowing Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Ash-Shaheed. As we mentioned in previous names, it makes us cognizant of our actions. We will be held responsible on the day of judgment, so unattractive qualities within ourselves (e.g., envy, anger, pride, back-biting, etc.) should be conquered as these emotions work against you. This name also encourages humility, admitting mistakes, taking ownership over your actions, and seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ. So on that day, these mistakes will already be wiped from your account.

Remember Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is enough for you as a witness. Whatever good you do, if no one sees or recognizes it, it doesn't matter as Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ sees all. Nothing goes unaccounted for. Having this knowledge allows a person to drop all forms of pettiness. Who cares if you did something good for someone and it wasn't reciprocated. You invited them to your wedding, but they didn't invite you. Allah is the witness, don't let others' lack of care affect the good you can do.

References:

[1] Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan An Nasai (632) and Sunan Ibn Majah (470) | The Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the hadith said: Whoever performs Wudu and does it well, then says the shahadat. Eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter through whichever one he wishes.

[heaven-said]

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄!

whether it be melodies that give you inspiration for your muse or songs that get you into the writing mood — pick 10 songs you find to give you the urge, the drive, or the creativity to write for your muse!

( This took me so long to do lmao-- )

Hero - Jeff Williams & Caleb Hyles

{{ THIS is Gabrel's theme to me, not just the near perfect lyrics but something about the blindly determined tone, the slight ego tied to a suffocating sense of responsibility, and I won't even bother listing the matching lyrics because almost every line fits him to a T-- especially pre-development gabe. For both Hazbin and Ultrakill verse. ( And it's sung by Caleb whomst has a great voice ofc ) Even the line about how children can't win a war could fit Hazbin verse because Gabe thinks of Charlie and her tactics as childish and sees fighting the darkness as just an ancient war. ( Or he did. ) }}

The Truth Beneath the Rose - Within Temptation

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul No longer I can justify the bloodshed in His name Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose? Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door I believed it would justify the means It had a hold over me Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast It is the darker side of me (Forgive me my sins)

The Plagues - Prince of Egypt

{{ I have to list this, its like an obligation on this blog lmao Really captures the conflict of the archangel brothers so well though, but also its ironic the way Gabriel is more Ramses than Moses. Even if its him who brings plagues. }}

Cold, Cold, Cold - The Family Crest

{{ Saw this in some Gabv1el fanart and now I am obsessed with it, it captures a feeling of two people fated to die together at the end of the world so well to me-- just with the intensity of how its few lyrics are sung. }}

See The Light - Ghost

( Thank Do-These-Eyes-Look-Human for reminding me of this song! ) Many a sin I have witnessed And in many indeed I have been Many a rat I have befriended And many a thorn stood between But of all the demons I have known None could compare to you Every day that you feed me with hate I grow stronger Drink me, eat me You will see the light

To The Edge - FF14

All our splendor bathed black in silence Our surrender, a somber reverie Slowly drifting down into twilight Left to sifting through fading memories Know our places, for worth is wordless Evanescent, this writing on the wall Brother, stay this descent to madness Come and save us, catch us before we fall

Noah's Arc - Young Heretics

Noah's Ark can't save us all Binary against the squall And in its wake Good men will fall And finally we can move on We have so much to answer for We asked for help to start this war Can we forgive The things we've done Take our things And move along

Charlie's Inferno - The Handsome Devil

( this one is the silly mood song, but it IS about a man who did everything right and still ended up being rejected by heaven so hoohoo ) You can run-on from your demons until you are exhausted One day, you will have to stop and find out what they wanted Keep on running from those demons 'til you are exhausted You can run-on to those angels until you are exhausted One day, you will have to stop and question what they wanted Keep on running to those angels 'til you are exhausted

False Start - We Were Evergreen

In the fast track I'm a ticking bomb Minor set-back, but I’ve gone too far I can make it just a few more yards I’m not failing, yeah, I’m almost done Can’t believe what just happened It wasn’t me, I know better than losing like this Clear my head, nobody’s saw it I’m up ahead, this is between the footworks and me Four long years I’ve been waiting to conquer this To spoil it up with a point one, a point one I can’t let, let my people down Not again, not after that last headline, that headline...

The Imperishables - Dirt Poor Robins

( A song that does wonders getting me into a scary angel mood lol ) We are the stars that never set The undying north, unfading west Tremble as we're now manifest A sight your perceptions will not accept Are we your relief or boundless grief A thief come in the night The legends of old you've cast away Are flooding back in your memories Nothing on Earth hides from our gaze The wheel of eyes see everything Heaven's desire burns like fire If you hate the light

Tagged by: @cast-you-dxwn & @brokendreamscreation ( It took me forever to settle on the songs for this but thank you very much haha-- )

Tagging: I do not know if anyone else hasn't done this yet, but please do take it! ( especially if we interact a lot, feel free to tag me lol )

[journeytothewestresearch]

sorry to bother, but I've got a question that's been bugging me for a little while. In chapter one of Anthony C. Yu Translation, it states the monkey kings birth rock as an 'immortal stone' then goes on to describe its size. how could a stone be immortal, or is a just a way to say it was favored by the heavens?

I'm not sure, but I've always considered it to be a kind of "scholar's rock" (gongshi, 供石), a category of gnarled, pitted stones that develop in nature. They are often seen in Chinese gardens. The rocks were historically viewed as stand-ins for qi (氣)-filled mountains far away from the cities and towns where scholar-cultivators lived. I wrote the following in an old college research paper:

It’s important to point out that the very first reference to Chinese gardens appears in the Book of Changes. The aforementioned material also states that “Grace [can be found] in the hills and gardens” (賁于丘園). Here, gardens are associated with the wilderness and not a plot in a private residence. The first unambiguous mention of gardens comes from the Songs of Chu (楚辭, Chu Ci, 4th-c. BCE), an anthology of poetry written during the latter part of the Zhou Dynasty. One famous verse known as “Summoning the Soul” (招魂, Zhao Hun) describes how a shaman (巫, Wu) struggles to entice the meandering spirit of an ailing king to return by reminding him of the beautiful women waiting for him “in your garden pavilion, by the long bed curtains”.[7] Such imperial gardens took on a new significance during the following Qin (221–206 BCE) and Han dynasties (206 BCE–220 CE) as certain emperors became obsessed with Daoist immortality and built microcosms of landscapes—rocks for mountains, ponds for rivers, and trees and plants for forests—within their palaces. The hope was to entice lofty immortals to settle there and teach them their secrets of longevity. The first private pleasure gardens arose during the Han. There were two kinds, the extravagant park owned by the wealthy and the simple scholar’s retreat. The former was based on the great imperial hunting parks that served as a symbol for the emperor’s power since such spaces were stocked with exotic plants and animals gifted by conquered territories. Thus, the extravagant nature of these gardens served to broadcast the wealth and power of their owners. On the contrary, the latter were most likely born from privately owned vegetable gardens. The Book of Odes (詩經, 11th–7th-c. BCE), the oldest known collection of Chinese poetry, suggests that scholars during the Zhou dynasty already viewed their simple food gardens as relaxing places of leisure. The idea of a garden serving as a proxy for a mountain retreat was made popular by Tao Qian (陶潛, 365–427), a poet of the Six Dynasties period (220–589). His philosophy is best exemplified by poem number five of his “Twenty Poems After Drinking Wine” series: I built my hut beside a traveled road Yet hear no noise of passing carts and horses. You would like to know how it is done? With the mind detached, one’s place becomes remote. Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge I catch sight of the distant southern hills: The mountain air is lovely as the sun sets And flocks of flying birds return together. In these things is a fundamental truth I would like to tell, but lack the words. ​Here, shear concentration of will transports an individual to the mountains far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This implies that any setting can be one’s own personal Eden, even a garden.

[author-of-all-sins]

Falling away

In the depths of despair, amidst the icy grip of isolation, a soul yearns for liberation. With each verse, the cry for release echoes through the anguish of loneliness. Yet, in the darkness, a flicker of hope emerges—a resolve to sever the chains of despair and reclaim autonomy. United with an inner strength, the journey towards emancipation begins, a solitary odyssey guided by resilience and self-discovery. Each step forward, a testament to the indomitable spirit within, battling against the shadows of doubt. And as the struggle persists, so does the determination to endure, to conquer, and to emerge victorious over the relentless tide of fear and pain.

In the midst of this cold grip on my soul, I yearn for freedom, for my mind to stroll, Through days once simple, now laden with strife, Alone I face this tumultuous life.

Whisk me away, far from this despair, Falling, slipping, from the fear's cold stare. It looms too close, too tangible, too real, I must uncover why, this pain I feel.

No ears to catch the whispers of my soul, Only I witness as I lose control. Amidst the throngs, I stand alone, unfurled, Cannot forgive this weakness, this inner world.

Yet within, I find a flicker of light, A way to banish darkness, to take flight. I've found a comrade, as strong as can be, No need for others, just him and me.

Within myself, the power to endure, To tame the pain, to make it obscure. For another day, I grasp the reins tight, I, alone, control the endless night.

[jovenshires]

Hey sorry for the long ass message but I turned Short Kings by The Chosen in your botb au into a real song so yh here u go <3:

(Also I’m not gonna lie lmao I did use ChatGPT to help a little bit, mainly with structuring)

(Verse 1)

In a world where giants roam, we stand so bold,

Short kings rising, hearts made of gold.

Stature may be small, but we have big dicks,

Rocking through life, we rizz up the chicks.

(Pre-Chorus)

No need for heights that touch the sky,

We'll climb our dreams, no matter how high.

In every step, in every stride,

Short kings, we conquer with pride.

(Chorus)

Short kings, we stand tall,

Against the odds, we'll never fall.

In the echo of our rebel sound,

We rise on up from solid ground.

(Verse 2)

From stage to streets, we command the scene,

Short kings' anthem, breaking the routine.

Chasing passion, super epic as shit,

We conquer the stage, not with height but wit.

(Pre-Chorus)

No need for heights that touch the sky,

We'll climb our dreams, no matter how high.

In every step, in every stride,

Short kings, we conquer with pride.

(Chorus)

Short kings, we stand tall,

Against the odds, we'll never fall.

In the echo of our rebel sound,

We rise on up from solid ground.

(Bridge)

With a fire burning deep within,

Short kings rise, let the movement begin.

In every note, in every chord,

Our anthem echoes, short kings adored.

(Epic Spencer Guitar Solo)

(Chorus)

Short kings, we stand tall,

Against the odds, we'll never fall.

In the echo of our rebel sound,

We rise on up from solid ground.

(Outro)

So let the world know, in every way,

Short kings rock on, brighter each day.

THIS IS EVERYTHING TO ME oh my god thank you so much for taking the time to do this??? i am Honored and this is so good tysm :')

[enqmind]

I'm kinda losing steam, so have the first part of this. (Also, I've been working on this for over a month. I need some encouragement T-T)

The Once and Future Queen

Pre-Raphaelite!Konig/female model(?)!reader, 2.9k words

Warnings: (Likely) Historical innaccuracies, pretension, Dante Gabriel Rosetti slander (aka: accurately describing what he did), TF141 are here with bells on.

Reader notes: Light enough to be easily lifted by Soap, has a family, lives somewhere in England, working class, Victorian.

Part I: Walpurgia's Night

 König was not a poet.

 Neither in his native German, nor this bizarre tongue that felt like speaking three at once.

 He was a man of few words, it only made sense to him that those words be simple and straight to the point. This attitude only made his fellows in the Brotherhood look upon him with rather some disdain.

 With this he was fine, he wasn’t there to mince pretty words and use them to entice young women to fulfil his whims and stroke his ego.

 The whole concept of poetry was a rather strange one to him to begin with. It seemed too prone to misrepresentations to his mind.

 After all, one could not scream a painting of a lover’s embrace, or softly whisper a woodcut of a bloody battle. A bold statue of a conquering hero could not be turned dreadful by a tone of voice or a stuttering delivery.

 No matter how honest the poet, the reader could turn their words to lie in another voice. Be that spoken aloud or just within their own mind.

 It was a folly, he would say if asked. In a particularly thunderous mood he would claim it made men mad. Drove their confidence into levels that tipped straight over the precipice of insanity. That otherwise merely passionate men were made Narcissus with the products of their souls. Or worse, made monsters.

 He had stood there, at the side of a young, lost, woman’s grave. The earth there turned fresh despite her being buried there years ago.

 Simple folly then seemed like madness, and his work thus changed.

 The word of the Bard became ash in his mouth.

 Smitten Juliets, sweet Cordelias and even poor Ophelias losing their glitter and shine. Becoming naught but shadows flickering at the limbus of his sight.

 Never honest. Never real.

 Thusly, he became a Nazarene.

 Vicious Judiths, loyal Ruths and penitent Marys Magdalene became his bread and butter.

 Until he recalled that these too were written in verse, and so the word of the Lord became as cinders.

 An unguided man, he wandered this foreign land as lost and adrift as the island itself.

 Perhaps it was a misunderstanding that brought him to this festival, but he was loathe to confess that he had wished to become drunk upon this Ale as he considered matters French, Roman and British for his work.

 It was here he saw them, on the day of Pentecost that these English did call Whitsun.

 In this place to the North, far from capitals both ancient and modern.

 This dying breed, these men of Morris. Dancing with their bells and handkerchiefs and swords never meant for battle.

 It captivated König.

 Here was legend, myth and mimesis.

 Representation of ancient truths without the lies of verse, except only —perhaps— to gild the lily.

 He took his sketches of the five.

 The leader with his distinctive hat and fashionable beard.

 The man dressed in rich colours and shine, like a jewelled beetle.

 The one with the swarthy skin and bearing of a grand thespian.

 The fellow with the piercing eyes and head shaved like warriors from the far side of the ocean.

 The largest of them, covered in darkness with a skull blacked upon his face.

 The One Four One, the side was called.

 The crowd laughed and clapped and cheered along to each of the dances, enraptured by this tradition that was petering out to its end.

 How it was worth the scorn that König had heard his cosmopolitan brothers heap upon it, he did not know. To him, these men were like warriors without a battle to fight.

 König was a draughtsman and a painter, so he drew and he painted.

 Captured the likeness of these men and their dance. Portraits of them in their mismatched gear titled with their odd nicknames, no sillier than his own.

 It kept him busy, back in his studio engulfed in smog and soot. Now become home as well, for Morris men were far from fashionable amongst his former patrons.

 The Earth had nearly completed her circuit ‘round the blazing Sun when he received a letter from the man that the side called captain.

 They were planning to travel to a new village for the next Whitsun, and König was welcome to meet them there. Price would arrive first, then Soap and Ghost, and trailing along would be Gaz and Roach

 He was rather confused that the invitation requested he join them in late April, as Whitsun would not be for weeks to come.

 He said as much when he accepted their kind invitation, expressing that he would be honoured to join them.

 A simple note was the only response he received as he packed up his meagre home .

 ‘The crowning of the May Queen must be honoured.’

 Another of these strange island customs.

 He pictured an austere woman in the fullness of life, tall for her sex and as imposing as Demeter while she ruled the growing season.

 König sketched such things as he travelled by train and then coach and then buggy to a new village.

 Was this queen special? he wondered. The ur-queen of life and growth, perhaps. So important that the near last of the Morris must attend her coronation.

 He near vibrated with intrigue at the thought.

 Here would be true magic and mystery, unsullied by the madness of verse.

 Price met him at the village’s inn, on the day of his arrival, buying him a drink and then a plate of food after passing his gaze up and down the near starving artist.

 He muttered something under his breath about brotherhood, it dripped with such disdain that König did fear it might land in his ale.

 After, Price perked up.

 “You’ll enjoy this,” he promised.

 Any wondering König might have done about how they would fill the time until May Day was quashed by the villagers. After all, surely a large man like him was there to help.

 He had no heart to say no, and was press ganged into helping them.

 On the third day, his job was to help erect a pole festooned with ribbons.

 This was where Soap and Ghost found him. One large man became two, their third securing the pole so well that naught but the mightiest gale could bring it down.

 After each day of hard work the villagers fed and watered them well. Women presenting them with stews and puddings, men with bread and ale, the children with wild berries and juices.

 The three men of the side ate well, reminding König to as well when he became too absorbed in his sketching of the day’s events.

 On one occasion, Ghost and Price caught him by the arms, Soap taking his papers and charcoal, refusing to return them until he cleared his plate.

 He almost snarled, but the gnawing pain that had settled into his gut asserted itself and cut him off.

 Soap laughed and he and his comrades watched, quietly pleased as König ate.

 He was not a Morris man, but he felt like one in the waning days of the month. Working, feasting and resting together.

 He wondered if this would last, if he was merely an understudy for their absent members. Standing in their spot, keeping their mark ready until they could arrive.

 This uncertainty lasted until the twilight of Walpurgia’s night, the last sunset before the queen was crowned, when the quintuplet once again became whole.

 Pulled along like the sea, König followed the moon of the three to the place where buggies made their stop.

 He sat on the bench and kept watch for them as they passed the time with practice. It was difficult for him to maintain his vigil, fascinated by how they danced as though nothing were missing at all. The glint of their blades and shadows of Roach and Gaz danced as much as they did in the golden hour.

 Only the distant sound of horses kept him from putting the image to paper.

 Hoofbeats blended with the stomp of the rappers into one melodious tune.

 König watched as two figures leapt from the buggy, running at full pelt down the road. The sound of their steps and laughter joined the steady rhythm until they slipped into the dance, replacing shadows like they were always there.

 It was as the buggy drew to a halt that he realised that there was no absence for him to fill.

 A woman’s laugh rose from the buggy, drawing five wide smiles and a curious look.

 Gilded by the setting sun, she stood above them all —even Ghost and König — glorious like a queen.

 This must be her, the monarch of May. Surely she was who the One Four One came to honour, bringing with them a foreign pretence of a king to make record of the ceremony.

 She was not Demeter, far too soft and kind as Soap lifted her by the waist from the buggy, dancing them into a spin before setting her to the ground.

 Immediately she was surrounded and towered over, the side as her court and her court at her side.

 “And so the summer queen arrives,” Price greeted, laughter in his voice as he doffed his hat into a deep bow.

 It was a wry grin she shot back, curtseying low.

 “Of course Captain, this is not an occasion that one could afford to miss.”

 She turned her eyes to König, lit ablaze as the stars crept out to shine.

 “And who might this be?” she asked, looking him up and down as one might a castle.

 “A sixth for a five man band? Why, was including Ghost not challenge enough?”

 The man himself huffed.

 “Her majesty jests,” Soap declared with a conspiratorial grin. “T’was no issue with Ghost at all. Excepting, of course, his demeanour.”

 That earned the Scot a cuff around the head that hurt not at all, if his wide smile bore fair witness.

 Price beckoned König over.

 “To honour the occasion, we invited a titled man to oversee proceedings. A majesty in his own right.”

 A hand fell on his shoulder.

 “A delight, my queen, to present to you a king; König.”

 Those eyes flew wide, and pretty lips parted in a gasp, before she curtseyed low again..

 “Nothing but a pleasure, I’m sure,” she smiled, so beautiful that it made his hands twitch. “To meet you is like a gift from above.”

 She wore admiration on her face like another lady might wear powder and rouge.

 “You know my work,” he realised.

 “Yes. I had the pleasure of seeing it as I attended my lady during a trip to the city.”

 The smile she wore was enchanting, almost enough that he didn’t parse what she said. Almost.

 “Your lady?”

 “Away from here I’m a mere lady’s maid.”

 “A poet,” Gaz corrected, “one who pays for room and board by masquerading as a maid.”

 She gave him a look that seemed to sigh ‘not you too’.

 König’s heart fell to his feet.

 “Not much of one,” she murmured, looking up at him, embarrassed.

 “Tosh.”

 Ghost’s simple comment brought a smile back to the queen’s face. She tugged his shirt to draw him down for a kiss on the cheek.

 König watched them. He wondered how much of the platonic nature of her affection was pure falsehood. How deep could the lies of verse go?

 Price’s hand fell again onto his shoulder, the look in the man’s eyes somehow both concerned and warning in the same expression.

 “We’ll get your bags to your Mam’s and then circle back to the pub, hmm?” he said to her, hand tightening on the painter’s shoulder.

 König found himself almost frogmarched into helping as the others, including their queen, unloaded the buggy of bags and cases.

 “Later,” was the captain’s quiet warning.

 The Morris men and their queen conversed with bright smiles and open laughter.

 Even the taciturn spectre was light. He shared a story with the newcomers of how one girl (soft and kind with a sweet, dark, face) commandeered he and König to help her pick some upstart elderflowers. She’d sat on Ghost’s shoulders to reach blooms to pluck alongside König. A little princess who crowned them both in flowers and thanks.

 Gaz puffed up in pride when König called her a braves Mädchen.

 “Just wait until tomorrow. You’ll see her be really brave.”

 To a man, the One Four One nodded in agreement.

 “I just hope I can do her justice,” the queen sighed.

 Roach patted her on the back with a reassuring grin. The silent conversation between them enough to draw her shoulders back.

 “You’re right. Just… one more pass?”

 He laughed, it running through the group like a plague. Affecting even König through his veil of misery.

 He didn’t speak much, even as they made their efforts to include him in the conversation as though nothing were amiss. To them, he supposed, there was not.

 He was no fool. He was aware that to educated and uneducated men alike, his aversion to poetry was bizarre.

 The expression colouring Price’s countenance told him as much when the queen went into her family home to put away her bag and be smothered in love.

 König told him that he could not stand that which would disturb the grave of a young woman as she slept eternal.

 He had expected confusion, perhaps more scorn, but instead he was given sympathy.

 Soap put his hand on König’s arm.

 A frisson of disgust ran through the side.

 “We heard about that,” Price rumbled, “foul business.”

 “Were you friends?” A question asked by all, but spoken by Gaz.

 He threw his thoughts back to her gentle face and broken soul. They spoke as infrequently as they met. Even as she sat for him, but those silences were amicable. Amicable.

 “Ja.”

 Delusion as it may be, she and he were kindred spirits. This he knew in his heart.

 “I get how you feel,” Soap commiserated, “that guy’s a cunt.”

 It began slowly and then came out of his like a torrent. Chuckle into raucous laughter.

 How direct. How clear. How unpoetic.

 It was like a veil had been lifted.

 The defiler wasn’t a tortured poet, a grieving husband, Alighieri descending into hell.

 “He is a cunt,” König stated. “Ja. Only a cunt would do that.”

 The hand on his arm turned into an encouraging clap.

 “There you go. He’s a cunt. You gonna let a cunt like that ruin something for you?”

 That was wha he’d been allowing, wasn’t it?”

 “No. Not anymore.”

 “Good man.”

 They were swiftly joined by the queen and her family, familiar from about the village.

 The queen mother made shooing motions at them.

 “Get a shift on lads,. They won’t light the bonfire without the guest of honour!”

 The side gave their greetings and the group headed onward.

 The queen’s family was a curious bunch, asking questions about what everyone had been up to on their travels and an inordinate amount about König.

 “So… I hear you’re a painter,” her father had begun.

 “Ja. We’ve already had this conversation.”

 “... Right. I just didn’t know you were that painter…”

 The man awkwardly moved into interrogating Gaz with his wife.

 Odd fellow, but not unlikable.

 It was not an unpleasant walk, König found himself rather enjoying it. Somehow folded into another band without meaning to.

 He stole glances at the queen as they went, the dark shadow washed away. His heart was for from repaired, but now he no longer needed to second guess her quite so much.

 She fidgeted while he looked at her. Dutifully, he averted his gaze as he noticed each time.

 No wonder she was the guest of honour; even in dusty travelling clothes she was wonderful.

 He wondered if she would be willing to sit for him.

 Soon enough they reached the inn.

 The bonfire was small and rather hastily made. He didn’t doubt that they built much more impressive ones to burn traitors in effigy.

 Gaz and Roach were hurried off to place their bags in the side’s room as the innkeeper strode up to the party.

 “Ah, good. You’re here!”

 König could have sworn his heart stopped when the man put a hand on his back.

 “Light the bonfire so we can ward off the witches, then.”

 He looked at the innkeeper, nonplussed.

 The hand patted.

 “Happy wall purge is knack, König,” the man grinned up at him. He looked so proud.

 König nodded, a small smile playing on his own lips.

 “Frohe Walpurgisnacht.”

 He was handed a flaming torch and the gathered village folk cheered as the pile caught flame.

 “From now on, we’ll know our May Queens will be safe from witches!” the innkeeper called to further cheers.

 It was a strange feeling being the centre of attention like this, but it didn’t feel so unnatural as it should. Explaining the traditions of Walpurgisnacht to the queen and other curious souls wasn’t as harrowing as he’d have expected if told he’d be required to do so when he had arrived.

 He expressed as much to Price as the bonfire died down and the side bade the queen and her family good night.

 The captain shrugged and slapped him on the back.

 “Sleep, it’s a big day tomorrow.”

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Sin Comes With Barriers

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ John 8:47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

+  Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all day of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

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SUBJECT: Sin Comes With Barriers

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM HONEST

I AM FILLED JOY

I AM LOVING

I AM SINFUL BUT SAVED

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READ TIME: 8 Mintues & 10 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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   We all have fallen short of the glory of God. I can say I have, and sometimes it might feel that God has given or will give up on us, but he won't; it might feel like we are missing the point every time, and I can understand why it will feel this way because we keep thinking how many more times or how many chances can he give me if I keep dropping the ball, I have felt this so many time and each time I have went to him face full of water begging him to stay because we never know when he will leave. Still, His word says that he’ll never leave or forsake us.

     Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave or abandon you.

  In the CSB version, it says he’ll never leave us or abandon us; a lot of us have abandonment issues, and to even think of another person leaving our lives is a lot, and God wants us to know in this verse and long with a lot more that this is not what he would do ,as many times we come to him for forgiveness he will forgive us it might not feel that way but what we are feeling is the guilt of our sins barring down upon us.

    •Deuteronomy 1:8: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you, not leave or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed

 • Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all day of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

 • Isaiah 41:17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them

  He says throughout all the verses I won't forsake you; I won't leave, a lot of times, we might feel we need to leave or that we shouldn’t bother trying again, but each time we go back and try, we need to give God all we have and say God I need your strength because of course we can't do this alone, of course, we can't accomplish any of these things. 

     Still, with Him, we can conquer so much because we give him everything; he's not trying to make us feel any kind of way but better, and sometimes, with as many times we have been to him, it just feels like I won't ever get it right. I understand this; trust me, I have been in this place of feeling; why do I struggle with this? When we give our souls to God and fast and pray, we can get the power to let go of this problem.

  1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his word is not in us.

   If anyone says they don’t struggle with something or never have, they are lying , but we must be honest about our sins. We must understand that the sin we carry is something we must say we need help with; if we are in denial about what we do and how we handle things, we can't see the end of the tunnel. I know it is hard to admit, and I know it is hard to come to terms with whatever it is, but the best thing we can do is be truthful with God and say, God, this is what I'm dealing with. Please help me, and he will, but we have to start with honesty within ourselves.

•1  John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

•1 John 2:4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him

    Is the truth in us? A lot of times, it is not because we try to make ourselves feel better by denying what we are feeling; we must understand sin can deceive us into thinking we are not wrong with what we are doing and what we are doing is okay and sin isn’t okay sin separates us from a God, a lot of times we feel it’s just this or an itty bit of this. Still, sin can ruin our lives; look at King Saul and Cain. So many others felt and did things that led them down a road they didn’t know they could walk on and they lost so much because of it. 

   God doesn’t want us to feel shame to the point we don’t come to him, but he wants us to come to him and talk about everything so that he can change the way we look at things. We see sin as small and significant, but God sees it as taking us away, and that’s what the enemy wants to do: take us away from God so that we won’t spend time with him or spend time with worship. Still, the moment we see sin as what it is, we will choose God over sin; that’s basically what we do. When we do sin, we are picking it over God. Does God have more weight in your life than what our bodies and minds want to do? 

   ***Today, we talked about how everyone sins. We often sin, and we don’t see sin as something terrible, but we will try to do it less when we look at what it does in our lives. One of the most essential things sin does is create a barrier between us and God; it also opens the door for other spirits to come into our lives. 

   Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.

   We can’t hear God when we sin. We sometimes wonder why we can’t hear him or if he hears us, but he does hear us; we just can’t hear him because it creates a barrier, and the only way to break this barrier is to renounce the sin we have in our life and not commit it.

I tell everyone who is struggling with sin, especially something we can’t seem to stop doing ,we must fast; fasting is showing God , yes, I have this problem, but you're bigger than my problems, please help me, it showing God I don’t want to eat until I have established a plan with you ,God wants us trying every day to see him to be with him to spend time with him. Still, sin makes us feel we are better without him, and we aren’t today; ask the Holy Spirit to help you with your sins and to help you release what you can’t stand against.    ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything we ask to help us conquer sin in our lives. Lord, we need you so badly to help us renounce the sin in our lives so we can serve you; Lord, we desire to worship and spend time with you. we open up our hearts to you to teach us how to be more like you and to imitate you and all that we do, Lord; we love you, and we thank you and praise your holy name, for today we give you honor and glory in Jesus' name amen

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REFERENCES 

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+ Isaiah 58:4 You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today and have your voice be heard on high.

 

+Micah 5:3 They will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time, He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.

 

+ Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith

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FURTHER READINGS 

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Proverbs 8 

Leviticus 8

Ezra 6 

Psalm 4

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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning, February 21st

"He hath said." – Hebrews 13:5

If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God's covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of "He hath said"? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, "He hath said" must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will examine and search the Scriptures to discover what "He hath said." Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt? Since "He hath said" is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as "A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life." So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life.

[viatrixtravels-a]

RELATIONSHIPS

PSA: This is a multiship blog. Each romantic ship gets its own verse so there is no cheating, etc. Romantic and platonic relationships may occur within the same verse/timeline if this has been discussed with all muns involved.

Doubles are also totally okay/welcome! :3 Everyone writes their muse different after all! There's also the possibility that Lumine is in either a romantic/platonic relationship with (insert muse) from blog A, but the other way around with (insert same muse) from blog B!

ROMANTIC

Xiao ll @conquerer-of-demons (crushing) - status: developing/slow burn

relationship level: ♥♥♥♡♡

tag: [the star and her moon - ship w/conquerer-of-demons]

PLATONIC

Kaveh ll @kavehsays (friends) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★☆☆☆

Wrenn ll @starlitwishes (friends?) - status: it's complicated

friendship level: ★☆☆☆☆

Diluc ll @not-the-darknight (friends/mentor) - status: established

friendship level: ★★★☆☆

Beidou ll @the-crux-fleet-captain (friends/sparring partners) - status: established

friendship level: ★★★☆☆

Hu Tao ll @hutao-spirit-soother (friends) - status: established

friendship level: ★★★★☆

Razor ll @lupus-minor-razor (friends) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★☆☆☆

Lyney ll @magical-illusionist (friends with romantic potential) - status: developing (read: Lyney won't stop teasing Lumi)

friendship level: ★★☆☆☆

Diona ll @diona-official (friends) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★☆☆☆

Kirara ll @ask-a-cat-courier (friends) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★☆☆☆

Freminet ll @clockwork-freminet (friends/protective Lumi) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★★☆☆

Xiao ll @vigilant-yaksha-asks (friends/protective Lumi) - status: established

friendship level: ★★★★☆

Lyney ll @hcttrick (friends with romantic potential) - status: established

friendship level: ★★★★☆

Maya ll @starredvisions (twinsies/friends) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★★☆☆

Xiao ll @starredvisions (friends with romantic potential) - status: developing

friendship level: ★★★☆☆

RIVALRIES/ENEMIES

Nigredo ll @primordial-albedo-official (enemies with potential for friendship or even romance) - status: it's complicated

[ofdrivensnow]

... Open specifically to Lucy Gray. ... Set during his Peacekeeper OR second AU verse.

Love was of a thing so fickle. It could tire out and vanish so quickly. He would assume from the lack of it he saw in the Capitol, the nonexistence of it even in his earliest memories; between his parents. And he'd waste all of his potential for greatness, for what in the end, exactly? If he remained here where he sat in the lake house, stuck somewhere in the woods. Would love conquer that itch in his chest? Would Lucy Gray grow tired of him and leave him in the end anyway? The paranoia and trust he yet still had to instill within her ran through him in an unsettling way. Blue eyes watched the brunette as she sat next to him, something else unsettling jarred him. The way he felt ; electricity jolting through him each time she was near. He distracted himself from it when expressing his thoughts out loud on how he could yet leave but she was suggesting the opposite, so Coriolanus quietly asked,

"And if I stay?" What happens then? What does she want their life to be like?

[respondedinkind]

Headcanon: Aging (Alien Verse)

Khan ages differently than humans do, and it's actually a bit complicated to explain, so to make it easier I will try to 'translate' the way he ages into human years.

BRIEF, ROUGH SUMMARY: Khan ages a LOT slower than humans in general, but ages much quicker as a child.

Ok, a bit more general info first, though: The planet Khan (original name: Ka'anh) comes from has a different day / night- as well as year-circle than earth; On top of that, Khan's race was bred to make them grow fast but remain constant for a while after reaching a certain 'age stage', which means that Khan's childhood was over quick and he stays within the certain 'age range' the longest before his body will shift into the 'elder' stage and, ultimately, die because of old age. Very few of his kind, however, ever reach that stage - especially within the military, most of them die sooner because of the wars they're fighting in, meant to give their lifes in return for bringing honor to the upper class & emperors.

Now, to the 'translated' parts - a rough 'timeline' of how Khan's kind (and therefore Khan himself) ages, as well as how education and training works (shown here as an example for the ones who are meant to become elite soldiers). The first number tells his actual age (how many earth years have passed with him existing) while the second number shows his development stage (mental age / physical age)):

They all start out as newborns, as most species do. They are born at about the same development stage as human babies are, so there's no real difference between him and humans. However, from there on, they grow rapidly:

1 year = about 2.5 yrs old (mental / physical development), age of starting the equivalent of preschool and basic education 3 years = about 5 yrs old (mental / physical development), age of starting the equivalent of elementary school and continuation of basic education + added basic military training 4 years = about 8 yrs old (mental / physical development), continuation of the equivalent of elementary school and start of advanced education + advanced military training / drilling 6 years = about 14 yrs old (mental / physical development), age of starting the equivalent of high school and high-level education + high-level military training / drilling 7 years = about 16 yrs old (mental / physical development), considered an adult, end of school period, start of all-day training and adult military education / drilling; Will be send to war for the first time 8 years = about 18 yrs old (mental / physical development), ongoing expert-level adult military education + training / drilling, start of testing-period, said tests need to be passed in order to proceed; Gets send out to war on the regular, becomes an 'official' soldier (lowest rank) 10 years = about 23-25 yrs old (mental / physical development), expert-level adult military training resumes, education happening in between whenever needed, more tests have to be passed; Going to war and conquering entire planets with their assigned division whenever needed (middle rank) 13 years = about 28-30 yrs old (mental / physical development), schedule remains the same as for the previous age section, promotion possible (higher rank) 17 years = about 33-36 yrs old (mental / physical development), the testing-period comes to an end and the last tests need to be passed in order to continue. Ongoing specialized military training + drilling, ongoing wars and missions to conquer planets 19 years = about 36-40 yrs old (mental / physical development), with aging now reaching its momentary peak and slowing down significantly. One final test has to be passed in order to continue; If tests are passed, the subject will reach highest rank (elite soldier). If tests are failed, the subject's life will come to an end at this stage

Khan is currently somewhere within this life-stage, as he has fled his planet right after failing his last test, which makes him about 19 earth years (36 - 40 yrs mental / physical age) old.

The aging process after that looks about something like this:

80 years old = about 40 - 45 yrs old (mental / physical development) 120 years old = about 50 - 55 yrs old (mental / physical development) 140 years old = about 60 - 70 yrs old (considered 'elderly' from this stage) (mental / physical development) 170+ years old = about 70 - open end yrs old (mental / physical development)

As one can see, once a certain stage of age has been 'overcome', the aging process itself will speed up a bit again before an individual of Khan's kind then, at some point, dies naturally.

In conclusion, it means that Khan will most likely become at least 170 earth years old (with it being the most lowest age he could possibly become; Chances are very high he will reach, and possibly exceed, 200 years), if he doesn't end up being fatally injured before it happens. With his body possessing incredibly efficient self-healing abilities, he most likely won't die of any illnesses or diseases that oftentimes affect humans in later age stages. With him aging the way he does, it also means his appearance won't change much in between the age of 19 and 80. As an example: If he were to have a human partner, said partner would, obviously so, certainly look like they're elderly at the age of 80, while Khan still appears to be around 40 years old by then.