#[[this won't apply to the icons i already have of him from some of the spin-off lullaby mods]]

[digisims2]

Sims 2 on Windows 11

Alright, the new computer with Windows 11 is up and running and Sims 2 has been installed. These are the steps I took to get it running and looking pretty:

Installed the game through EA App

I installed "George" so I won't need to start the game up through EA App and let it waste resources and spy on me.

I ran the 4GB patch on the Sims2EP9.exe and TS2BodyShop.exe

I ran Graphics Rules Maker and tweaked things through that enabling it to use my full texture memory etc

I installed the EmptyStandbyList since without it I got pink flashing very quickly

????

Profit.

If this helped somebody else out, you're welcome! :)

(long, pretty messy and image heavy version of this process written as I did it is behind the cut. I mean it, it's very long!)

added my graphics card in the video cards file manually

did the common graphics rules tweaks (these) manually

applied 4gb patch to bodyshop and game exes

tested bodyshop, it started up but has no smooth edges, otherwise textures are good and new projects export and import as supposed. 4GB patch works as supposed. It'll likely require tweaking it through nvidia control panel so leaving that for later.

Started up game, after turning the edge smoothing on it looks this good (no mods thus the boxy shadows):

6. However my log is reporting only 1gb of RAM for the game to use, will have to reapply the 4gb patch and try again. But it's using all 12 gb for texture memory so that's cool, I probably won't need to worry too much about pink flashing but I'm going to stress test it a little.

View distance maximized:

Shaders work:

"I probably won't need to worry too much about pink flashing" I said earlier and then left the lot and:

:'D But looking at task manager I see my standby memory has filled up the remaining RAM already so this is actually working as expected, I just forgot one step.

7. installed the EmptyStandbyList.

8. This is where I closed game, applied the standby memory fix, rechecked my exe and remembered that you weren't supposed to run it in compatibility mode so I turned that off but just in case I also reapplied 4gb patch and restarted the game. Now it's correctly showing me 4GB of RAM to use for the game so that should be handled.

Side note: Mr. Humble spawned, I haven't seen him for years as I have mod to stop him from appearing. Was this sim always so ugly? It looks like his face is melting.

No pink flashing after leaving the lot this time:

But it crashed when I clicked on the sims icon.

New try, game restarted and this time we'll go straight to CAS and... *immediately gets distracted* There are this many bin families by default?

I've used clean templates for years so this was an unpleasant surprise. I don't like them, you're all getting nuked soon once I've made sure the game runs as supposed and can go ahead installing clean templates. So then to the CAS, it loads and I click to create a sim and....

Oh. Okay then. :| Guess I'm missing some tweak still. Let's try graphics rules maker instead, it should also easily fix my resolution etc since I forgot to do that manually.

One restart later, are you fucking kidding me?

but hey, nice crisp textures. Too bad it's so tiny I can't see shit. (I realized this was my error after a moment, I thought graphics rules maker said minimum resolution in the spot I didn't change but it actually says maximum, so I fixed that and all is good) But I'm gonna ignore that now and try loading CAS again, pls work.

.... Hell yeah, at least that finally loaded up as supposed.

She is beauty, she is grace, maxis defaults really ruin her face.

After the final restart with screen size etc fixed I went back and forth to different lots trying to make it flash pink and it never did so I'm going to say this was success.

So to recap:

Installed the game through EA App

I installed "George" so I won't need to start the game up through EA App.

I ran the 4GB patch on the Sims2EP9.exe and TS2BodyShop.exe

I ran Graphics Rules Maker and tweaked things through that enabling it to use my full texture memory etc

I installed the EmptyStandbyList since without it I got pink flashing very quickly

????

Profit.

And seriously, that's all, even if this post ended up this long.

I still need to get smooth edges in bodyshop but that will likely be done with nvidia control panel rather than texture settings. Here's one more random maxis sims image to end this with a pretty picture instead of just huge wall of text.

[the-mocking-robin]

MJ: Stop avoiding the Pinned Post

Yeah, ok.

Hey all. I'm MJ, 30+ years old, a fairly fresh he/him/they transman. I'm located in the USA and work within the central time zone (-6 UTC, I think).

Triggers will be tagged for you upon request outside of what might be considered typical tags to include (nsfw, gore, abuse -- all which I plan to tag without prompting). Please let me know if there is something specific you want tagged and I'll include it to the best of my ability.

Rules and expectations below, but for the sake of everyone visiting:

I have a habit of writing dark and disturbing subjects around my muses. It's best to assume Dead Dove and "proship" content will occur in this blog than not -- I don't have any clear plans for most of it right now, but I'd rather you have the ability to leave this blog and keep clear of the possibility than just trust that I wouldn't write these things.

Again, ask me to tag if you'd like to stick around and just need to avoid certain subjects.

Blacklist and blocks are your friends.

Morality policing is... so Tired. If you have issues with writing dark subject matter, for both our sakes, please block me now. My preoccupation is with the well being and safety of real people in my real community -- fictional characters don't deserve the stress some people want to attach to them.

Public Call Outs are unnecessary and lead too often to abuse of those subjected to them. It's too much hearsay. Too much actually malicious intent and not enough care for fellow bloggers. I will block you if I have to; witch hunts are never fun.

You need to talk to me if you expect me to do things for your comfort on your dash. I will not accept anxiety as an excuse for you to not communicate with me. This is an inherently social activity with a ton of strangers -- I absolutely NEED you to communicate boundaries and expectations with me if you feel I'd forgotten anything.

In-Character needs to be completely separate from Out Of Character.

If you can't separate yourself from your muse and take arguments, romantic interests and other such things as a personal attack/judgement, then we can't play in the sandbox together. I will block and blacklist the second I see anything that implies you're just writing self-insert role play.

Format as you please; I probably won't. My preoccupation is the execution of character and the experimentation of scenarios within that character... not text and icon aesthetics. I've tried it. It's exhausting.

You do you, though, it legitimately looks amazing what you're doing. [/genuine tone]

The usual applies: This is a colored, queer and disabled space. Ableism, racism, queer-phobia and all that will not be tolerated. I'll block you and I won't give you a warning about it -- THIS is the warning.

This is already a lot, but I'll update this as needed.

[pastamansta]

🔥 Tim Burton (him as a person or his aesthetic, your choice!)

"Beetlejuice" (1988) reminds me a lot of another film I watched recently; "Tombstone" (1993). Sold by an aesthetic and a FANTASTIC performance from a side character, audiences were conned into loving a mediocre film. I'm not Lindsey Ellis, so don't expect me to talk about the cartoon.

"Batman" (1989) and its sequel is proof that Burton will not be giving up his aesthetic for God or money. Gotham is heavily disconnected from both the film and its source material, with little reason other than its director. There's a reason no one calls these "Keaton's Batmans," they call them "Burton's Batmans." Jack Nicholson is great as The Joker, but that's no hot take. The hot take is that Devito is too horny as The Penguin, and it makes me uncomfortable for a film that's already so sexual.

"Edward Scissorhands" (1990) is a bitter, bitter film where artist finally meets muse. Not, like, in the plot, but in the production. Depp and Burton were made for eachother... or at least that's what I'm supposed to think. This movie's just too messy, however, and can't decide where its focal point lies and leaves me wishing I had just watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) instead.

"Sleepy Hollow" (1999) leaves me, a fan of the original text, I know that's probably a weird thing to say, miffed, even if understanding. Outside of some pacing issues, it's a bold reimagining that feels like Burton attempting to get out of his comfort zone... but I just didn't need this story to be turned into an homage to B-horror. Go watch that Disney short, eh?

"Big Fish" (2003) is his best film. I am hardly qualified to speak on it, and even if I did, I would cry. So, you know, just go watch that shit.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) is destined to be compared to "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971), and why wouldn't it? In thirty-four years since the making of the original, not a single person worth listening to said "i need this done right," including Burton himself, which is why he tries to add so much, but no amount of additions changes the fact that he casted his muse instead of someone who could, you know, act like Wonka? So, you know, destined for failure and to be loved by everyone who won't watch movies made before 1987.

"Corpse Bride" (2005) is one of only two claymation films that Burton would actually direct, and he uses this time to steal a Jewish story and make it less Jewish. I don't like the ending or the songs and it feels like it could be cut in half and achieve the same effect.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007) literally doesn't have the iconic opening number from the stage play??? Overall, there's rarely a pairing of source material and director that works as well as this one... If only I enjoyed the source material, eh? So dark, so bitter, so edgy, so... nothing. I never think about this movie. When I do, I think of Mrs. Lovett's dream sequence and remember the good old days of "Big Fish" (2003) when Burton liked to use color.

"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) is one of my guiltiest pleasures in all of film. It is the reason why every time Disney announces a live-action remake, my ears perk up. If all of them were as wild, unhinged, original, creative, and inspired as this one... Well, I think Disney might not be fucking bleeding money right now. No one ever even mentions that it's a sequel to the original animated film. A SEQUEL, not a remake. Sometime movie-goers surprise me with how little they think.

"Frankenweenie" (2012) blows. I don't care how unique it is, I do not like it.

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2016) is one of the funniest remnants of the teen dystopia genre. Like, it hardly applies, but is trying SO HARD that it's unbelievable. Also, props to Mr. "Black People Aren't My Aesthetic" for casting Samuel L. Jackson as a dude who eats white babies. (I do not mean that.) Seriously, this is proof that Burton, as a modern director, should no longer be taken seriously.

"Dumbo" (2019) is AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHA I FUCKING HATE THIS DUDE HOLY SHIT

If I didn't mention, I haven't seen it. Yes, I know I skipped some big ones. I may watch them one day, but I am in no rush.

[hellaverse-kinblog]

Official Hellaverse kin blog!

Seeing as so many blogs hate Hazbin/Helluva and refuse to do them as sources, here we are! Your rescuers! No need to thank us, we know we're great.

Asks are: open!

Sinners in the inbox: 3!

Queued: 0!

Information on what we will/won't do, DNI, guide to requesting, and info about the mods under the cut!

About the mods:

We are all technically one person! We're one guy who kinshifts a lot, but since we're all so distinct, we're gonna refer to us all as different mods! Plus, it's fun.

Mod Angie 💉 - He/It/♡, I like pink and gore ♡♡♡

Mod Bastion 🪡 - He/Him, I like, um, Alastor, I guess? And dolls.

Mod Husk ♠️ - He/Him, I like cards.

Mod Rosie 🥩 - She/It, I like people!

Mod Val ❤️‍🔥 - He/It, I like fashion and showing off. ❤️

Mod Vel 👠 - She/It, I like fashion too, and I really like being the PR girl.

Mod Vox 📺 - He/It, also the owner of @voxtagram--8k, I like myself.

Mod Adam 🦴 - He/him. I like girls and music.

Mod Lucifer 🐍 - He/him! I like ducks, I guess. And my daughter.

Guide to requesting: Right here!

DNI: Literally no one. As a singlet, we have no stance on endos, we don't give a shit about mspec gays/lesbians (and why do you? Let people live.), and we don't mind getting hate. If we have a funny enough response, we might even post it!

What we'll do:

Icons, replycons, edits (like of the official refs of the characters), wallpapers, moodboards, stimboards, fashion kits, care kits, kinfessions, canon calls

What we won't do:

Tarot readings/pendulums, playlists

Other things we won't do:

Explicit abuse, explicit NSFW (suggestive is fine, we just don't wanna do that), heavy gore (some is fine, like if you want guts/meat in your mood/stimboard), SH (for mood/stimboards) (obviously none of this applies to kinfessions, kinfess whatever you want and we'll delete as we see fit)

Whitelist:

Hazbin Hotel

Helluva Boss

Anything Hellaverse related

Blacklist:

Literally anything else

Tag list:

welcome to hell! 🔥 - Ask answered

speak of the devil! 🔱 - Mod posts

someone needed some help! 👑 - Request accepted

do i go to double hell? 💔 - Request denied

go to hell! already there darling! 💌 - Hatemail

luci's listening... 🍎 - Kinfession

it's a happy day in hell! 🐍 - Canon call

(^ These two get their own special tags)

spawn of satan 👁 - Completed request

straight from the pride ring ❗️ - Request skipped the queue

through the gates of hell ⭕️ - Queued request

Main disclaimer: We're a human being. We won't be available all the time. We're gonna try our damnedest, though.

[longeyelashedtragedy]

Have you already been asked for Deki?

nope! the Orange Guy (as he's been called lol) in my icon! thanks Anon for providing me with what's clearly going to be my most controversial post 🤪 (i don't know if i've ever used this emoji before, what a historic day)

favorite thing about them: it's gotta be his loyalty to the people he loves. sometimes it's even to the point of stupidity, or "you didn't have to do that." but i've never seen anything quite to his level of devotion and committment. all heart ZERO brain on this man. not one brain cell. it's all in the heart.

he's also really hilarious* and like. kinsey 7. nothing will convince me this man is not 100% gay and only married because he's a religious catholic.

(*i don't like most "comedy" because i have an odd sense of humor, and if i want to have a laugh, i'll more often than not put on some liverpool movren content because of how genuinely fucking funny they are together. i always wind up laughing out loud. standup comedians WISH they were movren however he is also funny on his own, albeit sometimes unintentionally...i think)

last--his appearance, duhhh. if i could look like a man i'd want to look like him, this is a known fact. he's got just the right vibe of strong, confident masculinity and the fucking shoulder/back/arm situation is 🔥

least favorite thing about him: ...do you hear me heaving a heavy sigh? lol. i won't go into the graphic details, but the amount of time i've spent being his pro bono defense attorney when it's not deserved! (some things are also not worthy of defending.)

i remember there was a post a while back that said something like "whatever your special interest was at the beginning of the pandemic is always going to have a weird level of significance to you." and at first i was like doesnt apply to me--football was my thing before the pandemic, and it still is. but then i remembered that the pandemic hit just as i was developing an interest in this fool 😂 i guess that explains everything.

favorite line: HOW DO I CHOOSE????? he's so quotable. he also once responded to one of my questions on an insta takeover--he only chose 3 twitter questions and i'm convinced he picked mine because my display name at the time was "Monlyfans" lmao. maybe on one of his lajvs with šime when he was like "who are all these people on instagram pretending to be me????" and šime was like "they're fanpages" or the classic on his southampton twitter takeover, "Peter Crouch is so tall OMG". orrr on his twitter q&a two years ago, when someone asked "your wife or Mo?" and he went "don't make me choose..."

brotp: oh it's gotta be him chilling with Domo, even though tbh. he's so GAY to me that most dudes he talks to make me wanna ship it, lol. i kind of liked him with timo at zenit...oh and when he was gay mentoring dalerka and mostovoy, who seemed to do very well with his teachings (RIP kustovoy)

notp: hmmm. deki x trashy american right wing culture, lmao

otp: it's always that impossible choice of šejan vs movren. they're both so different. something about movren really gets me because i think it has a lot of layers of depth that is not discussed, and i love the contrast especially toward the end of their time together at liverpool, of like global beloved star vs 4th choice center-back on the bench, and how dej had not one ounce of jealousy or resentment toward mo...Idk that's just quite special

random headcanon: i don't think i have one.

unpopular opinion: sigh...i've expressed this before and am Weary...but the lockdown fucked him up hard and he absolutely never recovered mentally. and that just makes me feel bad. you don't have to! but i do and i'm glad that i do. maybe it could have all been different yknow? especially because i've seen similar things happen to people i'm close to in real life.

song i associate with them: well, aside from 'sin pijama' lol...i only really associate songs with him because of my movren fanmix (only time i've ever made a good fanmix for a football ship! and as i've said, it's a very 'i liked the movie Garden State too much when i was a teenager' fanmix lol (guilty as charged)) (lmk if you want me to link it somewhere) some of them are more "mo," some are "dejan," and some are a mix. i'd say the dejan ones are:

-moment's silence (common tongue) by hozier: singing boldly about oral sex and the catholic church? that tracks.

-the only living boy in new york by simon & garfunkel: uh the gayest and most loving song alive? but also the story behind it makes me think of what i said about movren earlier--the "flop" being just so happy for the star. (not saying paul simon is more of a "flop" than art garfunkel LOL but the idea of him writing a song for his friend going down to mexico to be in a movie, and just being affectionate and proud about it! idk!)

favorite picture of them: ahhh...how about:

also this from ligue 1 for the LOLS 😂 if i had a deki rainbow jersey i'd never take it off

[atlanbula]

A Star System

Hello! Welcome to the system blog for the Atlanbula system--a system where our inner world is a palace under a sea of stars.

Rye is our core/host, and as far as we are aware, is always fronting/cofronting. They have their own blog over at @rubberduckyrye and this BYF basically applies to this blog as well.

One of these days Rye will probably draw references for what everyone looks like, but only a few have been made for now.

Just remember that we're pretty new to all of this stuff, so be gentle with us.

DO NOT INVOLVE US IN SYSTEM DISCOURSE. WE WILL NOT BUDGE ON WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. You will be blocked if you start nonsense.

Anyway, onto introductions:

-Rye (They/Them) - Core/Host. Fronts the most. Typically other alters can only co-front with them, but some of them can remove control from them. Appearance Here.

-Muse (They/Them) - fragmented/split apart, no longer exists as they once were. We suspect they have become the Palace itself, or at least one room in the Palace where "muse" alter fragments are created.

-Wrenn (He/Him) - Fictive, kind of? Wrenn takes on a similar appearance and personality to the character "Wanderer" from Genshin Impact when he is "Wrenn". He has taken up the role of taking care of the system's body--trying to "repair" it if you will. He likes cooking and gaming. He's notable because he has been fronting a LOT and has been very productive. Appearance Here. (Not my Art)

-Piper (They/Them) - A pure fragment/remnant of Muse. They appear to be a sort of gatekeeper, and monitors and controls Alters/Tulpas(?) that were created for writing purposes. They appear as a god of Creation and can shapeshift. They are also responsible for eliminating any Alter that poses as a threat to someone already established in the system (I.E. Dottore based alters are eliminated before they are fully formed for Wrenn (Wanderer), for example) Appearance Here.

-Poppy (They are a Creature they don’t care for pronouns) - Active, recently discovered. A little creature. They now harbor more than they did before in terms of anxieties and worries, but after putting them in an enclosure they seem to have calmed down quite a bit. Won't really be available for asks.

-Stardust (They’re a kitty, they do not care about pronouns) - Active. Mainly protects Chibi/Skylar. Likes to take over the mouth and growl when upset. Otherwise quite an affectionate kitty… though we are pretty sure that Stardust was hunting Poppy down, and even if they failed to catch them, it was definitely contributing to the “fear of death” issues. Won't really be available for asks. Appearance Here.

-Chibi/Skylar (They/Them) - Child Alter. Inactive. Very impulsive and sometimes it takes a hot second for them to really remember what the word “no” means. Very young, probably 6 years old. Fronts the second most aside from the core, and from Wrenn. They can overwhelm Rye and take control before Rye can reel them back in. They only really front when they want to play, so they probably won't be around for asks either. -The Panther (Unknown Pronouns) - A newly discovered alter that acts like a protector of the system. Similarly to how Piper prevents harmful alters from forming to protect alters who have already formed, the Panther protects Aidyn from external stressors by eliminating "problematic" alters that correspond to Trauma or may result in some kind of social trauma. -Theos (He/Him) - Once a child alter that hated the world, he's really grown into his own and become a mediator for when two alters are having an argument that is so explosive it causes every other alter to "shut down." Sadly I only have old art for him so here's a cool little icon for him instead.

So... What’s a “muse” Alter?

These alters stem from the alter once called Muse/The Crystal Room where Fragmented Muses are made, and are typically for the sole purpose of developing characters and story writing. AKA, Fictives, or perhaps tulpas are a better term for it? We're not sure. Every character I/Rye write has an “alter” like this, and there are too many of those to list here. Wrenn is technically a "muse alter" but since he's kind of grown into his own, I won't be listing him here again.

So I’ll be listing the “muse” alters who are more than just “muses” in the system now.

-Chara (She/Her) - Active. Has a rare ability to dampen the emotions of any other Alter. Likes to remain logical, but struggles with socializing. "Chara" From Undertale. Appearance Here. (Kinda old art sorry...) -Delta (He/Him) - Active. When fronting, thoughts become like static, and hyperactive. Delta's Appearance here. Racing thoughts combined with hyperactive thoughts creates “hyperthoughts”, and Delta is sort of the center of these kinds of thoughts. Means I can’t “read” him as well as the others. When he Fronts, a static effect is cast on the mind and it can feel pretty thick and oppressive. He can be frantic and not make a whole lot of sense when he speaks. "AU Sans and Frisk" From an AU of Undertale. -Light (He/him) - Active. An errored-out blackberry Doggo who is an AU Mutt. He's very abrasive and blunt, but means well. Appearance Here. -NiGHTS (They/He) - Semi-active. Likes to control dreams. Another pure remnant of Muse. Him and Piper share similar memories. "NiGHTS" From NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. -Evan Becker (He/Him) - Semi-active. Is a bit of a rebellious spirit who dislikes it when the system is treated unfairly, and will urge us to speak out against such things. He has a slider for his appearance where he turns from a fandom character to an OC. "Nameless Bard" From Genshin Impact -Venti (He/Him) - Semi-active. Can be pretty quiet, but likes to play music and helps us feel safe when we're having a hard time. When he is upset, the whole system riots because he is the sweetest and most gentle of everyone. "Venti" From Genshin Impact.

Finally, we have one more special “Muse” Alter who is a system within a system–yes, we are talking about Kokichi. And yes, Kokichi’s system has had more time to figure their shit out so that’s why they have more clearer roles than the main system does.

-Kokichi Ouma (He/Him) - You know him, you love him, but he doesn’t really do much else except being Extremely Loud. Can be pretty insightful though--loves to chat. "Kokichi Ouma" From Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Appearance Here.

 -Mizu Hopps (They/He) (Physical Protector/Memory Holder) - Child Alter (around 7-9 years old) Sustains memories of physical abuse. Has an "attack dog" mode. Normal Appearance Here. Attack Mode Here.  -Kenrou Oshiro (He/Him) (Internal Self Helper) - Information hub. Often co-fronts with Kokichi rather than fronting completely, knows all of the information the other alters have learned. Appearance Here.  -Koko (He/Him) (Emotional Protector/Memory Holder/Slight Gatekeeper) - Child Alter (around 5 years old) but is older than he appears, and sometimes shape shifts to that age. Holds happy memories. Co-fronts often with Kokichi. Child and Teen Appearance Here.  -Yuuki (He/They) (Gatekeeper/Memory Holder/Slight Persecutor) - Used to protect Kokichi from certain memories. The “boss” of the system. Rarely fronts. Appearance Here.  -Hibiki (He/Him) (Persecutor) - Harbors the system’s self-hatred, and feels the self hatred in full. Used to blame Kokichi for this, and thus fed the self-hatred back to him. Created a feedback loop of awful, but things have been a lot better as of late. Rarely fronts. Appears mostly as a sludge monster but also can appear as a human. Appearance Here.  -Aijiro (He/Him) (Memory Holder) - Holds the memories of the Killing Game, bit of a wild child and has even less of a filter than Kokichi. Appearance Here.

For tagging purposes, when an alter makes a post or RBs a post, they will tag it as their name. We don't have tags yet, so keep that in mind.

If we feel the need to, we will add on more information as necessary.

[theadventurerslog]

Sam & Max Hit the Road | Part 1

The Adventurer’s Log

Release Date: 1993

I wanted to get on some LucasArts games here, and because making decisions is hard I put the games I currently have in my backlog to the vote and Sam & Max won, so here we go. I am familiar with the series; I've read some of the comic years ago, although I don't remember much, and I've watched the TellTale games. This game, however, is completely new to me.

There shall be chaos. There shall also be me getting stuck because early '90s LucasArts adventure game. I remember my first times with Monkey Island and Grim Fandango (remastered in Grim Fandango's case, but still applies). The Steam copy did come with the manual and hint book, so that hint book may or may not get some use. It depends on how stubborn I'm feeling.

While I got the game off Steam, I'm running it through my instance of ScummVM, rather than what it came with, so all my settings are in place. Theoretically. I still mucked up the graphics settings and wound up with things way too smoothed out and smeary because of it. So there is going to be a graphical shift from the first few images to the rest of them. Sorry about that.

Also, it's voice acted! Which I knew before playing, but not before the game was decided on. I only found out from checking on some other stuff. It's taking me a bit of getting used to because I'm used to their TellTale game voices, but it's settling in pretty well already.

Anyway, let's get this show on the road. Opening with:

this guy mad at a woman for not wanting to go out with him and who can blame her with that attitude. In a mad scientist sort of lab. And going directly to threats.

Yeah, he's a real charmer.

But Sam and Max, Freelance Police, and their Desoto to the rescue! And for me, the very rare time of me remembering what model a car is.

They had some back and forth before Sam sicced Max on the guy while he poked at the woman's ropes and didn't appear to make any progress while the fight went on.

Max came up victorious. But it turned out the guy was a robot all along.

And worse, the head was actually a time bomb! So they skedaddle with it leaving the woman still tied up, though she pretty unfazed by it and said she would never forget them--or maybe that was a threat...

Then a credits sequence, a 'pleasantly understated' one according to Sam, before the game fully starts in their office. And they remember they still have that ticking time bomb and wonder what to do with it.

Max with the solution: just chuck it out the window. Which they do. Problem solved. A bus may or may not have been hit.

And Max is a prime example of why I needed to get my graphics sorted: he's practically lost an eye! And I don't know what's going on with this mouth.

Anyway, then the phone went off with the next mission from the Commissioner!

"Due to the arbitrarily sensitive nature of the mission", according to Sam, they have to meet a bonded city courier out on the street.

But first I had to poke around the office and learn the UI.

In the bottom left corner is a box which acts as inventory and verb selection. However there is a more efficient way to use verbs and that's cycling through them with a right click. The verbs are: Look at, Pick up, Talk to, Use and Walk. Each one has two icons: the base action and an alternate that tells you the action won't work.

I didn't have any inventory yet aside from Max himself because you can use him like an item.

I also talked to Max and learned the conversation system. Rather than text options you get icons that mean different things, so what will actually be said is a surprise.

From left to right:

Question Mark - Question Exclamation Mark - Declaration Rubber Duck - Non-sequitur Paw wave - Stop Then the next four slots are situational, so here I can ask Max something related to himself.

There were some things to toy with in the office but nothing to get, so I popped out and found another office next to theirs: Flint Papers, a private detective. There was a fight going on and some thug got thrown out. A little conversation around him but otherwise carry on. Just another day. We had a courier to meet.

The street outside is pretty rough. Just ignoring Max poking at the blood. Or, hey, maybe it's tomato juice. Who can really say?

And that's one messed up cat, who turned out to be the courier. Unfortunately, due the secrecy of the Commissioner's orders, he swallowed the message and had a hard time coughing it up. I looked around the area to find Bosco's store (I know that name from the other games!), but there wasn't anything I could do with it, and a place labelled Bad Food, but I couldn't get to it. I did briefly consider getting bad food to get the courier to, um, vomit up the message, but thankfully that wasn't the answer. I tried using the car which took me out to the map where there were some other locations, but I figured, it's the start of the game; my solution is going to be on that street and I have zero reason to leave. So back I went and realized I could use Max on him. So, Max got right in there and got it out. Courier cat seemed fine, but blech.

The Commissioner's orders were to investigate some trouble at the carnival, so it was back to the Desoto for real this time!

Onward to the carnival were I ran into two men leaving. It seemed they were looking for someone and they had no time for my pair. And I don't trust 'em anyway.

A fire-eater wouldn't let me enter anywhere until proving I was here for a reason; the Commissioner's orders sufficed. Then I went into the Hall of Oddities where I met Shep Kushman and his conjoined(?) brother Burl.

(Burl's voiced by Danny Delk! I encounter him once again. I'm up to three known times with Murray from Monkey Island, King Otar from King's Quest VII and now here. I forgot! The Special Editions of Monkey Island 1 and 2 too. Just my little yay moment. Back to business.)

I learned from the brothers that their main attraction, Bruno the Bigfoot who had been on ice escaped. And that's not at all. He also kidnapped their second main attraction, Trixie the giraffe-necked girl from Scranton.

I also found out the pair I ran into were the internationally renowned recording star, Conroy Bumpus, and his assistant Lee-Harvey. Bumpus is apparently an insane country-western singer, or maybe insane because of the country-western singing, or because he wanted to buy Bruno and Trixie from them. Or all of the above really. He wasn't happy to find out they were gone. So... interesting to keep in mind.

It was time to look around the carnival for some information starting with scooping some left over Bigfoot hair off the floor. I also found, and of course took, a jar with Jesse James' severed hand as you do. Then I found Trixie's trailer, but it was locked and it didn't seem like there was anything I could do there. Right nearby though was a mini-game, Wak-A-Rat!

I played it and won a battery-less lightless (I misremembered) flashlight.

I also found a Lost and Found tent that was apparently run by someone very grotesque and I couldn't see inside when entering, just got dialogue.

I carried on to find the Cone of Tragedy which is a ride surely everyone would want to partake in. Of course I sent the pair onto it.

What a swell time.

Asking the guy running it about Bruno gave me some info that there was a rumour that one of Bruno's buddies hangs out in there.

So I did find the Tunnel of Love... But when I checked my inventory I discovered everything was gone. I didn't want to keep going without any of my stuff so I went to the Lost and Found tent but I needed a claim ticket, so it was back to the Cone of Tragedy, where I figured my stuff was lost after all that whirling, where I was able to get a ticket. I got all my stuff back plus extra! I got a magnet with a fish on one side of which read "World of Fish". That actually opened a new location on the map--World of Fish, naturally.

And then I left the carnival. Yeah, I, uh, managed to already completely forget to go back to the Tunnel of Love. Easily distracted? A little brain-fried? Just that excited by fish? (never).

Before I went to check out World of Fish, there were three burger spots that all turned out to be gas station/convenience stores, Snuckey's. They each have a different mascot outside and their clerks have slightly different appearance details like a mustache or glasses; otherwise they're all identical. Oh, I think the guy eating ice cream at the counter has a different colour shirt from store to store too. I notice these details, but forbid I remember going back to the Tunnel of Love.

I found out the mystery of those horse rides. "This is what they do to merry-go-round horses who won't stay with the pack". A mystery of life I didn't know I needed solved. I also scooped up an empty paper cup. One man's trash is another dog's treasure or something.

I learned the clerks are all trained at Snuckey's U. One skill of use to us was the ability to open any jar and I was able to get him to open the jar with Jesse James' severed hand. Now why I want that freed is beyond me, but if the option's there, take it! Max also needed the bathroom and was given a key and left and everything. I feel like there may be something to do in that window of time, but I have no idea what what this time.

I also tried grabbing a few things and walking out... The clerk caught me and I had to put it all back. Add money to the list of needed things. Or some way to do without. I genuinely don't know whether to expect to find money, or find out some way to commit theft.

After touring the stores I went to the World of Fish.

I got some fish here, but I also saw some fish stolen by a whole helicopter.

Just scooped 'em right up.

I talked to the fisherman, who's actually allergic to fish, but a job's a job I guess and it's not being made any easier by the pilfering helicopter. Turns out it's been taking them to the Ball of Twine Diner in Central Dis, Minnesota. That opened the location on my map.

Giant Ball of Twine time! There are some giant balls of twine in the US, aren't there? I mean, not like giant diner sized balls, but big.

Twiney. Giant even.

Fish thief!!

I took a cable car up to the top of the restaurant. There was a scene showing a dangling thread and they comment about wanting to pull it. I don't know how to go about doing that yet, nor do I know how to get to the chef if it's even possible. Twine pulling would be good, but for now I entered .

There was a guy bending metal tools. I had him bend one for me because more inventory is always good. I also offered Max.

"He already looks pretty twisted." Well, he's not wrong.

There were also some loose electrical wires. I was able to connect them to a set of viewing binoculars so I could control their direction and speed. I didn't see anything of particular interest, so maybe something for later or maybe just something for touristy fun!

I didn't find anything more to do inside so I went back out and called it there.

I'll do one last sweep of this twine ball area. Given they comment on it, I'll definitely have to pull that loose thread. My current theory is that pulling it will wreck the whole thing which would certainly put a stop to the fish theft. And with this pair? In a comedic adventure game? Wanton chaos and destruction to solve the problem seems entirely likely.

I was going to go on about how if I couldn't do anything more with the twine ball restaurant I would try going back home and then to the carnival, except while double checking an earlier detail, I was reminded that I completely forgot to ever go back to the Tunnel of Love to actually explore it. So that will be my next step. See, I remembered eventually.

Also, I had thought I got a screencap of the map early on, but I never did! So here it is in its current state.

--

Time: 1:05

[cheemken]

pls can u tell us mre abt ur ocs

BFKDBSKS OFC owo

Anyways under the cut, also I'm just gon write stuff abt the first three I redrew, I'm gon add some facts for the other four tomorrow hahah

Elmara

•in her 50s, well, physically that is, since she's the Goddess of Darkness, she's basically immortal

•a retired actress, through one of their sets, that's how she and her ex met

-ofc, bc of the pressure of the people and their manager, that's how they got together

-she did try to believe there was smth good in him, but yeah ever since they had their kids he changed, or rather she finally just how fucked up he was

-so when they got divorced, she really fought to keep the kids. They divorced when Jacob (their youngest) was still around 3y/o

•really really really likes tea, the kids are sure the other 70% of her is tea

•since she still has her own dark magic, she uses it to create shadow like beings to guard around their home during nighttime

•after the incident with her ex husband, she homeschooled the twins Wilhelm and Yvonne, Percival, and Jacob

-it took years of convincing before she finally relented and listened to her kids to let them go to actual school

-the incident, well, when the twins were 7, Percival was 5, and Jacob was 3, they were kidnapped by their father; shit happened, he had them hostaged, was broadcasted, and he showed everyone just how he burnt Percival's face w a branding iron

-when Elmara saw that, she went batshit man, like really used her dark powers to turn every camera off, got to the safehouse her ex was, broke the lights and killed him then and there

-no one really saw that she's the one who did it, ofc, so she made the excuse that he really was losing it and killed himself

-everyone believed her bc why wouldn't they

•believes her brother is out there somewhere

-despite her bitterness, she does miss him

~~~~~

Katarina

•aroace, she/they icon, we stan

•looks can be quite deceiving, she actually works at a local shop near their home

-in her late 20s

•got her scar from a fight during her highschool years

-she was so proud of it bc she won that fight

-she doesn't really have to work, but she somehow wants to be independent and not rely on her mother's money all the time

-really close w the manager of said shop, wc is a sweet old lady still trying to run the place for 10 years now

-really soft spoken when it comes to her boss ngl

-she actually didn't try to apply for the job as a clerk, she was called in to fix smth since she's a mechanic (but didn't get to finish her degree)

-they ended up applying bc they saw the manager and went "yeah, this place is gonna go bankrupt and Im too attached to this old lady at this point" after their boss gave her cookies as a thank you

•honestly rather dense ngl

-one customer was flirting w them and they're there wondering why she kept coming back when she said once she's going broke

•protective of her siblings ofc

-altho, she does get pissed at the twins sometimes but hey, they just love to mess w her

•really good cook, everyone's fuckin surprised

•actually saw the dark beings her mother made during night one time

-scared the shit outta em, but they didn't tell anyone cause she thought maybe she was just tired and was seeing things

•quick tempered, broke a ton of phones during her teen years

-Elmara had to make a compromise that if she breaks another phone she won't be getting one for another ten years

-that made her more careful with her stuff

~~~~

Luka

•genderfluid, he/they icon, we stan

-also in his late 20s

•an absolute freeloader

-Katarina has to force him out of the house sometimes and makes him help out in the shop

•is in a band as a lead singer

-tried to rope in Katarina in his band, but to no avail

•loves to help the twins w pranks

-got in trouble a few too many times

•took music in college, somehow it actually payed off

-his band is actually quite successful

-then again, he has the Galeas name, so he was already famous

•hes the type of sibling that can sense someone in distress a mile away and would try to cheer them up w his music

-he actually sang for the twins when they were still younger

-thats why they're close w him

•heard someone shit talk his mother once, threw hands w them and surprisingly he won

-it was 1v4

-Elmara was so fuckin worried abt him but his siblings were impressed

•lowkey a mama's boy actually, Elmara spoiled him rotten when he and Katarina were younger

-yeah really the opposite of Katarina

[omegalomania]

highlights from the virtual signing joe did back before his book tour, cause i havent seen anyone talk about it yet:

ppl who participated in the signing got to do a sweepstakes for a merch package and when the spokesperson was showing it off joe was like "and it's got a LOCKPICK and a GARROTE and a BALACLAVA so just DO WHATEVER DAMAGE YOU LIKE"

he introduced black flag, his favorite band, to his daughter and she thought it sounded terrible lkdfjldjfkd

when fob went to induct green day at the hall of fame joe mentions smoking weed with joan jett and miley cyrus. icon.

he regrets not having better tools to deal with his anxiety about touring and worrying about how every time he got in the van he'd be leaving home. "...and i wish i had, instead of looking out the back window, looked toward the front of the van and realized i was with four or five of my best friends and that i was in safe company."

re: the rest of the band, "they are like brothers, at the end of the day. it's a brotherly relationship."

his 8 year old begs him to watch horror movies and r-rated movies with him and he tells her she can watch them when she's 30

"let's talk about music. nothing better than talking about music. don't listen to it. just talk about it."

when asked about his proudest accomplishment: "i love all my children equally. but here's the reality. i am SO proud of fall out boy because it's a gigantic band that i started as a teenager. we just did stadium shows supporting GREEN DAY."

he's also super proud of the damned things and how honored he was that scott ian from anthrax, one of his personal heroes, trusted him to do so much writing

the interviewer goes, "all right here's a softball" and joe goes, "SOFT ME. uh, what?"

his favorite guitar is his 1965 reverse-body gibson firebird

his favorite transformer is grimlock

this question was supposed to be a lightning round but when asked "nintendo or sega" he says nintendo and then spends about 3 minutes talking abt punchout and then rattling off obscure sonic trivia. i love him.

his favorite video game is final fantasy 7. he says he "nearly flunked" out of middle school because of it.

he has a hard time picking a favorite horror movie since he loves horror but he picks "texas chainsaw massacre" as the one that affected him the most. he also recommends "anything for jackson" because it will "give you nightmares, if you are interested in having nightmares"

his favorite star wars character is yoda because his wisdom applies to real life very frequently

a fan-submitted question talked about with knives and how much the fan liked his vocals and both the interviewer and joe smiled REALLY big!!!!

sadly he doesn't like singing that much cause he doesn't like his voice. also he says fall out boy has a really good singer already. but he won't rule out doing some solo venture and recording super distorted vocals someday

re: what he wants to be remembered for the most - "having a sick bod, man."

"no, genuinely, i want my children to remember me as a good father. that's like the truth. and for having a sick bod."

he really doesn't hold any grudges about the hazing he got in the early days of touring because it was an initiation ritual and it weathered him quickly to touring life. he doesn't think people could get away with it now though.

"if you're gonna punch somebody though, do it when they're not looking"

re: favorite song to play live - "i don't care" because it "Just Rocks." and it's really fun!

his bluetooth in his car started playing "of all the gin joints in the world" and he texted patrick about how good of a song it was and how it'd be nice to play it live again

"as the kids maybe used to say, it SLAPS." brief discussion regarding the difference between a bop and a slap.

currently most of his musical ambitions lie in whatever fall out boy will do next

he tried scoring and composing for commercials and the like and he found that he really does not like it that much

he apologizes for not getting a haircut before the livestream. "this is just how i am, sloppy and unpresentable." (note: he was doing this livestream after a 13-hour flight from rock in rio in brazil)

[captnjacksparrow]

Hello.

So is it just me or Naruto suddenly becomes smart and analytical when it comes to helping or rescuing Sasuke? It happened in the forest of death when Sasuke is about to give away the scroll to Orochimaru and Naruto berates him saying Orochimaru is still going to attack no matter the scroll. Or when Sasuke is about to leave Konoha to join Orochimaru and Naruto says that it won't be a free deal. Orochimaru will have his body and his life in exchange of power. Maybe I am biased, but it just feels that Naruto, who is not known for being analytical or strategic, suddenly becomes smarter when it comes to Sasuke. Maybe there are other examples.

What do you think?

Thanks for the ask anon☺️

Naruto suddenly becomes smart and analytical when it comes to helping or rescuing Sasuke

Smartness/analytical sense usually goes with Naruto by how he comes up with a quirky plan in a very difficult situations with just a simpler jutsu.

Example, Naruto and Sasuke worked together as a team to bring down Zabuza. Naruto defeated Neji in chunin exams. Naruto defeated Pain by using Transformation jutsu, smoke bombs, rasen shuriken as a three step attack. Naruto saved entire shinobi alliance by teleporting everyone with the help of Minato.

The situations you mentioned are highly indicative of how Naruto is emotionally perceptive and protective, especially towards Sasuke.

Let's go back to Episode 1.

He was just a 12 year old boy who could able to understand the words uttered by Mizuki in episode 1, "It's not that Iruka is afraid of the scroll, it's just that he is afraid that YOU have that scroll".

I didn't understand what that means in the beginning. After rewatching the episode and only then I understood it's true meaning. Naruto after knowing kyuubi is sealed inside him, thinks that Iruka is only concerned about the sealing scroll because Naruto may use it to release the seal rather than protecting the scroll from Mizuki altogether. Meaning, Naruto thinks Iruka doesn't trust him entirely. See how Naruto is perceptive towards people's emotions.

However, What happened later is the iconic scene which changed our Titular character's fate and he went onto apply the same concept he learnt to every villain he ever met. That is Acceptance and Forgiveness.

And Naruto is a person who learns from his mistakes and corrects next time.

Coincidentally, the two scenarios you mentioned is somewhat similar to what Mizuki asked Naruto to do. Mizuki told Naruto to steal the scroll and perform the jutsu inside it to pass the Academy Graduation. Naruto believed him not knowing his ulterior motives.

Now, Orochimaru is also doing the same thing. He is asking Sasuke to do something. Give the Scroll/Come to me, I will give you power. Naruto already knew Orochimaru is a bad guy as he sent one of his snake to swallow Naruto, don't you think he can see through the lies after experiencing the same with Mizuki??

The mere thought that a garbage like Orochimaru is using Sasuke before his eyes is something intolerable for Naruto.

Naruto is not being smart here. He is heavily invested on Sasuke in terms of his Emotions and becomes extremely protective. Meaning, the mere thought of him being in danger always heightens his emotions to the edge. Because everytime Sasuke acknowledges Naruto in his own stubborn way, Naruto's emotions changes too.... just like his emotions heightened when Iruka acknowledged him in Episode 1.

Proof??

Sasuke died protecting Naruto. Saying 'My body moved on its own'. Haku tells him 'He died protecting his precious person'. What happened next?

Naruto released the Kyuubi chakra for the first time due to his extreme rage despite collecting mass hatred from his villagers for about 8 or 9 years.

Sasuke tells Naruto "I want to fight you too". He gets extremely happy and wins the fight against Kiba.

Sasuke again tells Naruto "I don't want to see my precious friends die in front of me again".

He smashed Gaara into pulp.

Sasuke finally admits 'For me, you became my closest friend".

And later he sprouted his first tail.

When Sasuke was branded as an international criminal, Naruto hyperventilated due to his extreme suffering.

[I don't count Naruto sprouting 8 tails for Hinata as a means of love. Coz, even if Sakura jumped and got her ass kicked like that, the result would be the same]

Somehow Sasuke always brings out extreme emotions out of Naruto, be it happiness or rage or suffering, which is a clear indicator of how Naruto places Sasuke above everyone else.

Now, you tell me, If there is a person whom you love more than yourself, is being used by some trash before your eyes... Just like how you were being used once, how can you not become extremely protective?

Maybe I am biased, but it just feels that Naruto, who is not known for being analytical or strategic, suddenly becomes smarter when it comes to Sasuke.

You are not biased anon, it’s just you worded it differently. 

Smartness refers to using your brain. Love or emotions refers to using your heart. Naruto always pours out his heart before Sasuke.

The correct way of putting it is,

Maybe I am biased, but it just feels that Sasuke, who is known for being analytical or strategic, suddenly becomes dumber when it comes to Naruto

Sasuke decided to give the scroll to Orochimaru only after Naruto appeared in the scene. 

Sasuke decided to seek power from Orochimaru only after he felt inferior to Naruto and according to him, the bond with Naruto is making him softer, in other words weaker.

In short, it’s just Sasuke’s dumbness makes Naruto looks smarter. So Naruto is desperately using all his powers and past experience to protect Sasuke at all costs.

[sea-side-scribbles]

Behind The Mask

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34851811/chapters/87246346#workskin

Chapter 3

Morrie agreed to meet him again the next day. At ten in the morning! It was awfully early for Nick, but since Morrie spent every afternoon playing the piano at the bar, it was his only option. However, Nick was in high spirits when he entered his suite, picked up his guitar and gave in to his emotions that had bubbled up inside him. He felt inspired, excited and also deeply moved. He hadn't experienced such a creative phase in a long time. The lyrics kept running out of his mouth along with the melody. Hours later he had filled a tape with songs and sent it to Virgil with the blower, together with an order for a new tie. The sun had long risen by then. With a look at the clock Nick noticed that he had only one hour left until he'd meet Morrie again.

He performed his showering- and dressing-up-ritual, applied some fresh make-up and used hairspray to give himself a cheerful look. To refill his energy he consumed one pill of Joy, a yellow pill of the drug that used to liven him up and multiple mugs of coffee he ordered in the restaurant. Prepared like that, he felt ready. His heart was beating rapidly but he assumed it was because of Morrie.

Nick waved at the pianist when he saw him and then watched him approach with pleasure. “Good morning, Mr. Memento”, he greeted him happily. “Good morning, Nigel...I hope I didn't make you wait...” Morrie looked at the empty mug in front of Nick. “Don't worry, you're perfectly punctual. I came here early.” “Huh...I haven't met such a clocklike journalist before...” Despite the somewhat wry statement, Morrie looked agreeably surprised. “How are you?” “Right as rain”, Nick answered beaming, having forgotten about yesterday's incident already. “And you?” “Uh...just peachy, thanks.” The other man awkwardly sat down and pressed his palms against each other. “So, let's start, shall we?” Nick opened his bag and pulled out the tape recorder. Eyeing it, Morrie said half-jokingly and half-nervously: “I guess I have to watch my tongue from now on...” “Oh, you mean...” Nick realized that the tape unnerved him. “Don't worry, you can trust me. I won't use anything you don't like. And I'll give you the draft of my story of course.” He gave him an encouraging smile.

Morrie didn't seem to be convinced. He pondered, eyeing the tabletop as if it was made of some very peculiar material. “I'd rather learn more about you first”, he stated. “About me? You want to turn the tables yet?” Morrie looked him into the eyes and Nick tried to hide how nervous he became. “I like to get to know people before telling them my secrets...You're making me curious, Nigel.” There was a sudden warmth in his words that made Nick's heart skip a beat. “You said you're a fan. How long have you been a fan, and why?” Nick was glad that the caffeine helped him to think. He quickly made up a small biography, hoping he wouldn't need too many details. “Well...I hope I didn't exaggerate...I've been a fan of the Make Believes since their first big hit. I didn't know you earlier. But you've always been my favourite...or better...you still are. And why? Well...because you've been the most creative...you've been an icon...Just as I said...The band had never been the same again without you. I tried to find to after you left, as you already know, I didn't succeed...” Nick gave him a shy smile.

Morrie crossed his arms, thinking. “I indeed was fed up with all the hubbub about my person...And after being kicked out like that...It was the worst Nick could've done to me...Without a goodbye, without anything...as if we never...” Morrie stopped and caught himself. “Whenever one of these journalist got hold of me they always asked me the same questions. Then they bothered me with all these ugly things Nick said about me in the press or with what they made up themselves judging by Nick's behaviour.” Morrie shook himself as if he wanted o shake off the memories. “Believing me was not an option. I had no chance but to escape.” He looked at Nick. “I wasn't that hard to find in the beginning. You could've found me...Where have you been?”

Nick had tensed up during Morrie's answer. The way he had gotten rid of his former lover was a sore spot that Nick normally used to numb with Party Favors. Whenever his brain had tried to remember he had fought it. He had never wanted to remember. Not that! Now it seemed like his brain had deleted the memory anyway. “I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it...”, he made up. “I...I guess I kept overdosing with Joy to forget. I couldn't stand it and I couldn't even read or write about it. I'm sorry. I should've been by your side...” Once again, his true feelings gave his lies just the right tone. His expression was begging when he looked back at the pianist. Morrie avoided his gaze. “Well, I guess there was nothing you could've done for me...In the end, it was a done deal...from the beginning...I should've known...The way he looked at me when he saw me for the first time...” Morrie got caught up in his memories again and Nick sat up.

“Envy”, Morrie spat. “Pure envy... and fear...He must've tried to ditch me from the start, but he couldn't because he needed me to become famous. And then, just when he thought he could make it on his own...” Morrie made a quick gesture as if he whipped dirt off the table. “Boom, I was out!” Nick gulped, clutching his bag until his fingers began to hurt. That's what Morrie remembered? That's what he thought? He blinked. It was worse than he had expected. “Are you sure?”, he asked carefully. “Envy? Fear?” Nick was on the verge of tears but had to fight them back at all costs. What had Morrie done to their lovely first meeting? How could he? Nick wanted to grab him, shake him and shout at him, but all he could do was asking questions.

Morrie still avoided his gaze. “Yes...that's what it was...Now, after everything that happened I'm sure...First, I didn't understand..I've been very naïve back then...Nick didn't show his true self again after this, he wasn't stupid after all...He acted as if we were friends...really close friends even...I got to know his true colours much later... He went so far like this, lying his way up to the top, but now it looks like the tide is turning.” Finally, Morrie looked back at him with a wholehearted smile. Nick forced his lips into a smile, but he wasn't sure if it looked convincing. “Is anything wrong?” Morrie lifted an eyebrow. Nick blinked, not to fight away tears but rather because his sight became blurry. “I'm okay...I'm just...”, he heard himself say until the noise in his ear became too loud and his eyes gave up.

When he woke up, he lay on the floor. Morrie knelt next to him, looking at him in shock. Nick's cheeks felt like they had received some effective slaps. Gasping for air, he rolled over to rest his elbows on the carpet. “Careful, boy!”, Morrie warned him. Nick stayed on the floor, slowly breathing in and out, counting to three between every step. Soon, he sensed his body again. He moved his fingers first and when he was pleased he slowly got up and sat back down on the chair.

“I'm terribly sorry...I'm alright...I just need...”, he stuttered, not knowing where he should go from there. Morrie sat down and gave him a concerned look. “Do you feel pain?” “No”, Nick huffed. “I'm just a little weak...” “Did you have breakfast?” “No”, Nick admitted. “Only coffee, but...” “How much?” “Uh...three or four mugs...they're so small here...” Morrie sighed. “Brilliant, and all of them on an empty stomach!”, he scolded. “No wonder you're sick. How much Joy did you take?” “Only one pill...” “Are you sure?” Nick closed his eyes. The drug... Morrie must've noticed something... “Perhaps a bit more?” He rather suggested that he overdosed on Joy. Morrie shook his head. “You're killing yourself.” “I don't normally do this”, Nick began. Morrie interrupted him again. “Then act normal, at least for this interview! After that, you can go on treating yourself as awfully as you like! But while we're on it, I don't want to be worried about you. Understand?”

Nick jumped a little at the harsh tone. “I'm sorry,” he said again, very meekly this time. “But you're giving me a chance, right?” “You have to take care of yourself”, Morrie insisted. “Listen, I'll give you a recipe that will spare your stomach.” Nick began to write down Morrie's elucidations. However much he tried, he couldn't hide that he had no clue what the pianist was talking about. “You can't cook, am I right?” Morrie's wary look was all over Nick. Nick smiled apologetically. “I can make coffee.” Morrie shook his head. “Enough with the coffee!”, he shouted, then he wiped his forehead, pondering.

“Alright”, he said when he made a decision. “I guess I have to show you the basics, just so that you survive until your story is done.” Nick eyed him. “You'll teach me how to cook?”, he asked after a pause. “That's what I said”, Morrie answered more surly. “Also, I guess my home is a better place to talk about, well, private things...”, he added quietly. “Good idea!” Nick's eyes beamed again. He was about to get up when Morrie threw in: “Not today, I'm afraid, it's already late for me...” “Oh...” Nick was disappointed. But he was certain that Morrie wouldn't let a stranger into his home without preparing himself. It still meant that he must've earned Morrie's trust, or at least his sympathy.

“Will you survive until tomorrow?”, Morrie asked sternly. “Of course!” “You'll eat for once, something easily digestible...How about a chicken soup? You can tolerate that?” Nick nodded. “Good. And then you go to sleep, for god's sake! And no coffee tomorrow!” Nick was about to protest, but Morrie held up his finger. “No back talk! Only tea and breakfast. Something fatless, am I clear?” “You mean rusk?” Nick made a face. “Fine with me, if you can't come up with anything else”, Morrie said without pity. “If you throw up on my carpet, this is over, am I clear?” Nick visibly shrunk. “Clear”, he said meekly. “Then we'll meet again at 10 o' clock at my place?” “Sure...where is your place?” Morrie told him the address and Nick wrote it down. “You'll thank me for this, Nigel.” Morrie got up, showing that he was done with talking to a stranger for today. “I thank you already.” Nick looked up to him. His friendliness caught Morrie off guard once again. “It's okay...”, he soothed Nick. “Just...sleep well, you hear?” “Okay...” “Until tomorrow.” “Yeah...until tomorrow....”

Nick watched him leave, feeling slightly wistful. But when he looked back at his notes, he couldn't help but to praise himself for his success. Putting them back into his bag, he thought about them. Should he follow Morrie's advice? He didn't want to have another breakdown, so he actually ordered the soup Morrie had recommended. It would be an exhausting morning, getting up early without coffee, but it would be worth it. Morrie had invited him to his home! For the first time he had to thank his rebellious stomach. He quickly ate the soup and then went back to his suite. First he wondered if he should look for some fun before he went to bed, but when he changed his clothes he noticed how tired he was. Happily, he eyed the sheets of paper he had filled with lyrics the night before. They were scattered around in the room. Now he'd grant himself a break. But how was he supposed to wake up this early?

Nick remembered something and began to search all the shelves and cabinets in the suite. At the beginning of this convention, Virgil had given him an alarm clock that Nick had shut away immediately. Now this thing would be useful. When he finally had the purple clock in his hand, it took him a while to set the alarm. Then he thought he made it and placed it on his bed stand. After turning off the lights, he lay awake on his bed for a while, thinking about Morrie, until his tired body fell asleep.

[artificialqueens]

Gimme Love, 8/9 (Miz Cracker/Blair St Clair) - Grinder

AN: Oof! After this part, we have one more chapter. Things start to look a little bit better for Brie in this part of the story. Not completely, but she's getting there. Enjoy!

TW for this chapter: mental health mentions

2020

A week later, still no change on the Ed Sheeran thing. Launch day was just around the corner, and my nerves were wrecked. And Jujubee still hadn't spoken a word to me.

It was only morning time, and I hadn't even been awake for 5 minutes. Already so many things were playing in my mind.

I still hadn't reinstalled Messenger. So I had no idea whether Blair had replied or not. I really wanted to just forget about her already, but it was slow. I probably should have applied for counselling sessions with HR. I hired a lady a few years prior named Dela, and apparently, she was brilliant.

But therapy could wait until after the launch.

I had seen Jujubee at work a few more times, either making eye contact and looking away just as quick or trying to say hello at least. She'd just brush by.

I tried texting her but never received a reply. As much as she had pissed me off, I missed her. A lot.

"Hey, this is Jujubee. Leave a message."

Beep.

"Hey, Juju, it's me." I paused, struggling to figure out where to go from there, "Look, I...I know things are bad between you and me. But I...I don't want to lose you."

I couldn't think of what else to say.

'Please, talk to me?'

'You mean a lot to me.'

My silence was going on too long. "I...hope to see you at the prelaunch party...OK. Bye"

I hung up, burying my face in my pillow, feeling very pathetic. And because I was impatient, I thought to try reinstalling Messenger and try there.

Or was that too much? And did I really want to risk seeing a reply from a certain someone?

...Fuck it, I was doing it. I'd just ignore her. Yeah, I'd do that.

Blair: Wow. I didn't think…

I never clicked a message quicker. I sat up with my back against the headboard, eyes already reading the message.

Blair: Wow. I didn't think you'd actually reply! For sure, girl, we need to hang out! I'm in New York for two weeks anyway. Perfect timing, right? Give me a call as soon as you get this. TTYL.

"Oh my God." I let the phone slip into my lap. How was this real? How the fuck hadn't she found that message creepy? Were things starting to look up? I couldn't just leave her on read. It was sent last week, meaning she was still in New York.

Good. This was good.

But still, why didn't she address the confession to my feelings? Why was she avoiding the subject?

Sorry, you have to hear my innermost thoughts, all these questions. It just goes to show the whirlwind my head was experiencing.

Make a move, Brie.

My thumb hovered over the phone icon in the upper right corner. Do I just...do it?

Yes.

I clicked the button. It rang for a few seconds, the nerves telling me to just give up.

"Hello?"

Why the fuck do the people on the other end always say 'hello' like they didn't see who is calling them?

Why was I even thinking that?? Focus, Brie.

"Hi," I said.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd call." She sounded surprised.

"I'm sorry I keep doing this," I said too quickly. "Anyway, yes. Let's hang out."

There was a moment of silence, and I realised how panicked I sounded.

"Brianna, are you OK?" I heard the concern.

"What? Yeah! Of course, I am." I cleared my throat, "Just a bit...stressed out. Trying to...deal with this launch thingie and...deal with Ed Sheeran, I don't know," I laughed nervously before almost slapping some sense into myself, "I'm not majorly stressed out, though. I can still hang out."

She laughed. And fuck I realised just how much I missed it.

"You always made me laugh. You wanna grab a coffee?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Great! When are you free? I would say today, but I'm stuck with this thingie…" She replied.

And a thought hit me. "Actually... there's gonna be a party for my thing. It's for that project I told you about...back on Prom night, I don't know if you remember."

"Of course I do, Brie. I've been following all the media coverage. It's pretty awesome."

"You have been?" I sounded a little too excited and then reminded myself to not sound too desperate, "I mean, that's pretty cool. But yeah, there's a party the night before the launch. I could add you to the list."

"Yeah, of course! I'd love to come."

"Fantastic. I'll send you the details."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then."

"Thanks."

"I can't wait."

"Me too."

"Bye, Brianna."

"Bye, Blair."

She did the awkward half-spoken "bye, bye, bye," and hung up.

I threw my phone down onto my duvet and puffed out a breath of air.

"Yes!" I punched the air, "Yes. Fucking yes."

Shit was definitely looking up.

I found myself loading up my emails. "Dear Ed Sheeran, I appreciate your enthusiasm about participating in our project. However, after some thinking, we would love for you to perform at the event instead. This is strictly for your safety and the safety of everyone else. Sorry for the inconvenience. Kindest regards, Brianna Caldwell and team."

Sent. Easier than I thought.

No matter what the reply would be, I felt strong. Two problems down in less than ten minutes.

All that was left was Jujubee and Mom.

Fuck...the Mom problem.

It wasn't that I didn't love her. I adored the woman with all my heart. But I was still afraid of that recurring conversation, the memories of how I was a problem child. And if it wasn't that, it was my Grandpa.

Funny how those were always the recurring topics, things I didn't want to address. And now, on top of things, we were going to have to talk about Piggie's health.

I sent her money for his medical bills, so maybe things were different for him.

But still, the other topics of conversation I just wish we could avoid…If only there was something else to talk about...

Wait.

I stared at my phone and instantly became very still.

There was one subject that had gone unaddressed for so long - too long. Oh, God.

Half an hour later, I was in the kitchen, shaky hands pouring a cup of coffee. I couldn't call Mom immediately. I needed to will myself, build up my willpower.

After two cups, I found Mom's name in my phone book, hesitated to hit call but forced myself.

I breathed deeply, taking a seat at the breakfast counter and put the phone to my ear.

Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring…

She answered but was silent.

"Mom?" I spoke.

"Hey, honey." She sounded deflated.

"Did you get the money?" That was all I could think of to start with.

"Yeah. It's actually really helped. He's already showing improvement." She paused. "Thanks, baby."

It was painful how thankful she sounded, yet so miserable.

"Mom, I'm gonna come see you," I confirmed.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I smiled upon hearing how she lightened up. "I'm sorry about last week. My phone just...cut off, I guess."

I heard a sniff before she spoke again, "It's OK. When are you coming around?"

"Well, I got the launch this week, so maybe not now. How about 2 weeks?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. I have a job interview to prepare for anyway. I applied to this new boutique that opened in town. My interview is next week."

"That's great!" I was actually excited for her. Things weren't just looking up for me, it seemed. "I'm really happy for you."

"Yeah, me too. I'm not even nervous. Just ready to start working again. Anyway, how about you?"

"Actually, Mom…" I paused, squeezing my hand into a tight fist.

"What's wrong, Brianna?" She lowered her tone.

How did she know? I didn't even sound sad. Mothers intuition? Because I always thought that was bullshit. Like, if I was a Mom, I'd be the worst in picking up on things.

"You there?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, I just…" I licked my lips and swallowed. "Mom. Why was I adopted?" I sighed. "Why did they give me up, Mom?"

She was silent for a moment. I could practically feel how she turned cold. "It's time, isn't it?"

I nodded, not that she would see, "Yeah. I...I need to know."

"OK...How about we talk about that when you come here?" She asked.

"No. I...wanna know. I need to know." My voice cracked. "Or I won't be able to move on."

She's silent again…just for a moment. And I felt like I crossed a line.

But she spoke. I hadn't crossed any line.

"OK...Brianna? I just want you to know that I love you, and I always will. No matter what, I'll never stop loving you." Her own voice was cracking now. "When you came into my life, I never realised I could be so happy, how I felt when I met you. You were this...little light that brightened the dark...a reminder that life wasn't so bad. And I promised I'd give you the best life. I'd be the best parent you'd ever have." She paused again. And I knew she was crying. "Brie, it wasn't that your parents didn't want you. I'm sure they knew that they would have been the luckiest parents in the world." She was crying. "Brie. They...they went for a drive one night. And it was raining really bad. And they…"

She was silent. But I nodded slowly, my eyes just staring at the counter, glassy with tears. "I-I understand."

"I'm sorry, baby." She whimpered. "I should have told you this years ago. I...I didn't know it would affect you for this long. I'm such an idiot."

I held my forehead in my hand. "No. No, Mom. You're not. You had no idea." I sniffed.

"I know. I know. But I just...I...How do you tell a child something like that?"

"Don't worry about that, you idiot. I know now." One of the tears finally slid down my cheek. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Brianna."

I smiled, wiping the tear away. And then a quiet laugh escaped. "OK, I can't lie. I don't wanna leave you like this right now. Let's talk some shit or something."

She laughed in return. "God, you and your potty mouth."

[dailyaudiobible]

05/26/2021 DAB Transcript

2 Samuel 9:1-11-27, John 15:1-27, Psalm 119:49-64, Proverbs 16:1-3

Today is the 26th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm sorry…I was…I was like chewing something. Okay. I think I'm all in the clear now. I didn’t want to chew so close to your ear. So, here we are, the 26th day of May already to take the next step forward as we continue this journey. And first up, of course, we’ll be moving back into the Old Testament, which lands us back in second Samuel squarely in the life of King David. So, we’re reading from the Evangelical Heritage Version, the EHV, this week. Second Samuel 9, 10, and 11 today.

Commentary:

Okay. Second Kings today. It’s like we were going along so well. What happened? All of a sudden what happened? David has been this upstanding, upright, godly God-fearing king who brings justice to his people. The people respect David. They know what he went through with Saul and they watched his ascension to power and the way that he was humble in all of it. And the next thing we know, we flip the page and Bathsheba's naked taking a bath and he sees her, and he sends for her and she comes and she's another man's wife and…I mean…she gets pregnant, so they get together. And it's a difficult situation because it's the king. So, does…you know, she doesn’t really have any say in the matter, her husband Uriah is off fighting a battle on behalf of King David while King David is sitting in the palace sleeping with his wife. And then it turns out she's pregnant and she sends word back. So, now she is bearing a prince, the royal a royal child. And David's got this situation. But he seems to be decisive about what he is going to do and it's like what is going to do is only bad. He calls for Uriah the Hittite to come from the battle and what he’s gonna do is kinda give Uriah a furlough so that he can go home and be with his wife, get rested up, maybe cover-up the pregnancy. Not maybe. Cover-up the pregnancy and all that transpired to make her pregnant. But Uriah won't behave after that fashion. He has honor for his fellow soldiers his king and the battle, the mission that they are on and he won't…he won't do it. The irony is now, that Uriah is acting more like David than David. And David is acting more like Saul than anybody else in this situation. Saul tried to send David into battle lots of times to get him killed. Now David, after seeing that he's not going to get Uriah to go home and cover this whole thing up, sends him back to the front lines where he will most certainly be killed. And he most certainly is killed. One of the little, little pieces of this story that is so fascinating is, later on when we kinda get to the end of David's life and his reign we’ll meet a lot of names, like a big recap, all the different kinds of people that were involved in what they did and there will be the valiant soldiers…like the best of the best of the nation, they'll be named, the mighty warriors, the mighty warriors of Israel, the mighty warriors of King David and Uriah the Hittite was one of them. One of the most loyal, dedicated gifted committed warriors David had. He had him killed to cover up what he had done, which looks way more like Saul. And we’ll continue this story because it hasn't…I mean we’re kind of in the middle of this story. So, we have some more territory to cover but what seems to become quite apparent in this story is very very similar warnings that came through Moses. When you get into that land and you don't have anything to fight for anymore and all is going well, when you find that you are living in houses you didn't build, and you’re eating from vineyards you didn't plant, all is well all around you, prosperity is the norm then don't forget who your God is because when you make that turn it may take a minute but it's over. In so many ways that is what we see here. David has been a warrior, he has been fighting, he has been honorable, he's been holding and clinging to God for his very life. So many times, he’s clinging to God as the only hope to stay alive and God has kept them alive, but now he has subdued his enemies. He has been blessed. He has everything that he could want, and he wants Bathsheba. He wants something he can't have, he’s not supposed to have, but he's got it all and peace is on every side, and there's no reason to cling to God for dear life anymore. And, so, he gets himself to the position where this type of thing could happen. It doesn't have to…I mean for us to apply this to our lives doesn't have to be adultery, doesn’t not to be sexual, doesn’t not be anything like that. It could be anything that can distract us, anything that can make us self-sufficient, a decision that we make out of our own strength and out of our own power and out of our own means to do something, to do something despite God, to do something without consulting God, to do something that we might even know God would not approve of but we’re in a good place, we’re resourced well, we’re gonna do what we want to do because we’re not clinging for dear life. We've lost the plot of the wilderness, which is exactly what Moses was telling the children of Israel before they came into the promised land, “do not lose the plot of the wilderness. You are utterly dependent on God no matter what. And, so, when you get into the promised land and it doesn't look like that anymore don't forget.” David obviously has forgotten, at least for the moment, and we are guilty of the same so many times in our lives. So, let's think about that because the thing that we continually pray for is blessing and relief from the pressures around us, but when the pressures are relieved we no longer need to cling in utter devotion to God, we have things back under control and we…we repeat the cycle. If we could get off that train, if we could just truly finally realize we are utterly dependent on God no matter what, no matter what the circumstance. Whether the circumstances are trying or whether we just have infinite abundance, we are still utterly dependent upon God. When we lose that plot…I mean…this is one of the central plots of the Bible. Like all…what…let's just continue to watch. We’ll see what happens to a people when they lose that plot and then we can understand what happens to us because we’re in the middle of it right now. And as we can see from the story of David when you lose that plot, really really bad things can happen.

Prayer:

Father, we don't want to lose that aspect of the story. It's a central deep foundational part of our story. You have created us. You are our Creator. We are dependent upon You. We are not independent of You. We need You for survival. And You have only ever been willing to Father us, yet we just act like rebellious children most of the time. So, forgive us, because it is from Your hand that all good things that have ever happened in our lives have flowed, and we have no desire to dishonor or disrespect that in any way. But we do when we…when we get lost in our own story, when we get disoriented and upside down and start believing that we have control, and we have power and if You’re not gonna come through then we’re gonna come through. And we just get this thing so upside down and it has led us to the same place, some sort of destruction of our own making in some sort of way in our lives. And, so, we’re asking for forgiveness. We’re repenting, we’re changing our mind about this type of behavior. We repent. You are our only hope. We are utterly dependent on You for everything. Help us to remember this Father, we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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And the Daily Audio Bible Shop is full of resources that are intended to be used as we take this journey through the Bible in a year. And, so, check that out.

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And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the little red button up at the top or there are a number of numbers that you can use, that you can dial. In the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number to call. In the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number or if you are in Australia or the lands down under 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi DAB family, I’ll call myself Child of God. I’m a faithful listener since October of last year and first-time caller. I’ve begun journaling daily and logging prayer requests. Though I’ve been a Christian all my life the DAB has helped me grow so much spiritually, especially my prayer life. After hearing Momma D from Indiana’s request for prayer for healing for her marriage even after two years of petition because of being encouraged by God Smile’s story, I decided to ask the DAB family for prayers for my broken family. We live in a small rural town and our three married children with young families all live here too, serving the Lord faithfully. We have a 30-year family business. We’ve raised our family here. After our middle son finished college and joined our business conflict began plaguing us. I was constantly playing mediator in the roles of wife and mother. My husband feeling betrayed if I’d side with my son on issues. Our success has made him prideful and headstrong. Delegating the work and spending little time actually managing the business or being there yet unwilling to let go of any power and decision making. He had an affair 4 years ago, he blamed me for it, and it went on for two years. This shattered our world. My kids were our rock for me through it all. Counseling helped me but my husbands hardened heart became more hard and the relationship between him and our son became worse. Our son sought counseling, but his father refused. Our son left the business 1 year ago and now his father goes around painting him as ungrateful, unappreciative, and disloyal. Things have gotten very ugly. We’re now separated. Please pray for wisdom and direction as I navigate through this storm, for my husbands hardened heart to be softened and for my hurting children and grandchildren. Thank you.

Hey DAB family it’s His River and Rain here calling from the UK. I’ve just been listening to the 8th of May and I’ve just heard our sisters Viola’s voice and I just want to pray for her Lord. She’s a very servant, prayer-filled member of the DAB family and she’s always calling in to prayer over us, always calling in to, you know, just give her prayers and give her blessings and comfort to people, Lord. So, I just want to pray that our sister Viola and she’s such a God-filled woman, you know, spirit filled and…and everything and I just want to continue to say God just to bless her just to love on her, comfort her. She’s always praying for us all and I’m just so glad God that you’ve chosen her, you’ve chosen Viola to be part of this family, you’ve chosen her at this specific time to be with us all, to praying for us all. And God I just ask that You continue to bless her and continue to favor her, continue to just fill her with Your Holy Spirit and anything that she’s going through God cause she continues to pray for us, she continues to pray for…for, for the DAB family. I just ask that anything that she’s going through, Lord may you bless it Father God, may You heal and restore anything that she’s going through and just continue to just fill her up God so there’s, you know, less of us and, you know, less of me and more of You, less of me and more of You God in every situation. We ask the same for Viola God. We pray over her so much God and we thank You so much. And so, to sister Viola, we love you, we love you so much and I love hearing your voice, I smile every time I hear it. And I just want to give blessings and ask that God blesses you and favors you and keeps you. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family. You guys have been a huge encouragement to me just hearing everybody pray for each other. I just joined the family in late February, early March-ish and I’m play catch up. So, you guys are about a month ahead of where I am so now but I’m still hearing all the prayers and all the people who take a genuine interest in the life of their fellow Christians and…and those people hurting and…and trying to lift them up and…and I came here looking to just find a place to hear God’s word and…and I think God has brought me here to…just to soften my heart and give me a heart for others. And you guys demonstrated that so well and I want to say thank you. And…and just keep it up guys. And Have a great day.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible listeners Isaiah 66:16-20 Come and listen all you who fear God let me tell you what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth, His praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened. But God has surely listened and heard my voice and prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me. Psalm 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us that our ways may be known on the earth…that Your ways Oh Lord may be known on the earth and Your salvation among all the nations. And I just want to praise God for what He has done. I had been praying for my youngest son Jordon who had gone…7 years ago had gone off on the wrong…the…the evil ways of this world. I mean he had…was bound by the enemy. And I never…my husband and I never stopped praying, we fasted, we prayed, we interceded, we always let him know that we were there for him, loved him and thank God last year he accepted Jesus all on his own through a YouTube video of a street preacher and now as of today he loves Jesus, he has surrendered his whole life. He has made King Jesus, king of his heart. He got married in February. He is having a baby and God is good. So, keep on praying for your sons and your daughters. Do not let the enemy take ‘em, you say no Satan you will not take my kids. My kids belong to God. Be like a dog on a bone, do not let go. Keep trusting in God with faith, tenacity and just keep on praying for your children. And ask God to guide you by His Spirit with what to do and how to help them in any way shape or form and pray for other believers to be placed in their life to be given the…the word of truth…