#Because if there is no hope no mercy no redemption left in this world

[the-matron-of-ravens]

"The Everlight is the god that I think the Dawnfather is most worried about, and so sort of sent the aspects of himself that resonate most with her in an effort to sort of support her, support his sister. It felt like something that I wanted to explore. And so, you know when, when father Milo says, "Are you a cleric of the Everlight?" Ayden is. He's a cleric of peace, which is just her domain, not the Dawnfather's."

- @nickmarini on The Dawnchild's connection to The Everlight From "D&D Shines When It Sparks On The Universal Part of Humanity:" Nick Marini Talks Critical Role written by Jenny Melzer

[tobiasdrake]

Do you think Anakin Skywalker's redemption balances out the evils of Darth Vader? I ask because sometimes I think about it, and it seems disproportionate to think that killing one old fuck who was harming a blood family member makes up for murdering people indiscriminately for decades. But maybe that's just cynical thinking on my end.

I have such complicated feelings about the redemption of Darth Vader. Because. Like. Star Wars and I do not get along well on a pretty fundamental level. Despite being built on a pretty simple basis of White-and-Black morality - White Hats and Black Hats with very little nuance or moral complexity between - I don't think Star Wars as it exists today really gets morality.

Here's the thing.

At the time it was written, within the scope of what Star Wars originally was, it made sense.

Star Wars was not designed to be this massive multimedia franchise with hundreds of entries and elaborate storylines starring every single character ever to appear for even five seconds. It was not made to be the story of a vast universe with no true main character.

Star Wars was made to be the story of Luke. It's a Chosen One space opera faerie tale about a young boy receiving a call to adventure, discovering great power within himself, and finding his place in the world.

Vader's redemption, as originally written, wasn't about Vader. It was Luke's catharsis; His reward for resisting the temptations offered by both Obi-Wan and the Emperor and instead choosing mercy. Luke ends his story by putting faith in his father's love for him. Vader's redemption is his reward for choosing to believe in better angels.

Strictly within the context of The Story of Luke Skywalker And Nothing Else, Vader's redemption works.

But Star Wars isn't the story of Luke Skywalker and nothing else anymore. Now it is about the vast universe of characters and ideas. This transition has resulted in a lot of friction because the original trilogy made choices that work for The Story of Luke but are not conducive to horizontal storytelling.

Like. The idea of the Jedi being gone, that Luke is the "last hope" for the Jedi because there's literally nobody left but him and Leia? Yeah. Writers have been going "NO HE DIDN'T SAY THAT YOU'RE WRONG" pretty much since the EU began. The original trilogy said no other Jedi but we want to have Jedi characters in stories we write so the original trilogy gets told to go fuck itself.

There are like eighty billion Jedi running around the Imperial Era now. Nobody actually died in the Purge 'cause not being able to write Jedi characters isn't fun.

And. Unfortunately. One of those problems is Vader. Because if he's not just Luke's cathartic reward for believing in his father's love? If we have to actually engage with this man as a "real" person within the context of a universe? Then. Uh. Yeah, he's Patient Zero for unsatisfying lightswitch redemptions.

The problem, the fundamental problem underpinning Vader's redemption, is that he doesn't change in any meaningful way.

There was a bit of that already present in the original redemption. In Empire Strikes Back, Vader wanted Luke to join him and then they'd kill the Emperor together. In Return of the Jedi, Vader joins Luke and then kills the Emperor for him. Right from the get-go, he already wanted to kill the Emperor with Luke; It's only the context surrounding the act that's different.

Within the Story of Luke, it nonetheless works because Luke receives his father's love and approval without compromising his, Luke's moral values to get it. His father kills the Emperor and dies for him, which is super meaningful from Luke's (and only Luke's) perspective.

But as the series grew, Vader's redemption became further devalued. Revenge of the Sith told us that this is a man whose road to wickedness came about when he threw away everything he loved, when he murdered the people in his court, out of a violent and desperate love for his family. For his family, he will betray his own side and slaughter those he was meant to be loyal to. That is the action that brought him to where he is today.

That. Uh. That makes it feel a lot less impactful when he suddenly betrays his own side and slaughters the Emperor for Luke. Like. I don't know how Palpatine didn't see that coming when it's just Anakin doing the thing that made him Vader in the first place.

There is a point to be made that Anakin's love for his family up to that point was possessive and violent. In jealousy and rage, he choked Padme to death. He cut off Luke's hand. This is not a man who loves his family well. But Return of the Jedi doesn't undercut that in any meaningful way. He can be violently possessive of his family and stab anyone who looks at them funny; These two things don't contradict each other.

This man butchered children and lightsaber dueled Obi-Wan because he was mad about his family. Did Palpatine really think he wasn't going to huck him down a reactor shaft for literally the exact same reason, no difference whatsoever?

But that's only the tip of the iceberg, because the developing Star Wars universe makes another significant point about Vader dying for Luke: In the grand scheme of things. Like. Who gives a shit whether or not he loves his son? Insufficiently loving his family is the least of Vader's transgressions.

As early as Attack of the Clones, we see that Anakin Skywalker is a violent fascistic monster with a propensity for genocide. The Clone Wars cartoon does a phenomenal job of portraying Anakin's gradual seduction into fascistic systems of belief.

Anakin loves the idea of keeping peace via brutal military dictatorship. He has "fun" political chats with Tarkin about the merits of a galactic police state. He's emotionally abusive and violently possessive of his secret wife. He slaughters children who've done nothing to him without hesitation, sometimes because he's pissed off at other members of their family and sometimes 'cause that's just the price of keeping peace yo.

Hell, even his desire to kill Palpatine and make his family into the official galactic monarchs gets reframed into something he's wanted since Revenge of the Sith. That wasn't even a reaction to meeting Luke; he's legit wanted to supplant Palpatine with a Skywalker Dynasty forever. And we're supposed to take it as a major act of repentance when he ultimately stabs Palpatine for Luke? This man has been trying to stab Palpatine for Luke for twenty years.

All of this context makes Vader's redemption difficult to swallow in the grand scheme of things. He lived as an unrepentant brutal fascist monster guilty of multiple acts of genocide, chomping at the bit to betray his master for the sake of his family. He died as an unrepentant brutal fascist monster guilty of multiple acts of genocide who betrayed his master for the sake of his family. And the best thing that can be said of him is that he accepted Luke's lifestyle choices in the end.

A sweet moment for Luke, yet far from an inspiring transformation of a vile man into a hero - but which nonetheless inspired a thousand unsatisfying, terrible copycats.

[neuroticbookworm]

Dead Friend Forever, Tee and Redemption?

I'm caught up on Dead Friend Forever (just in time for the finale, *smirks*) and I've been mentally munching on two things since yesterday's episode: 1. Why did the show decide to dedicate so much screen time for Tee so late in its run? and 2. How has it added to what we already know about Tee from previous episodes?

Episode 11 opens with Tee delivering Non to his piece of shit uncle, where he finally realizes that his uncle is running a criminal business and no, he is not gonna gently reprimand Non and then set him free. We're then taken on this journey where Tee finally shows a shred of guilt for what he has done, after Non called him out on every shitty choice Tee made that directly led to Non being in this position. We got a short detour of his struggles with his father, him expressing interest to escape the crime world his uncle has trapped him in, that was clearly meant to elicit sympathy for Tee. But all it did was leave me feeling enraged that this pathetic excuse of a human being was only capable of facing moral conflict when *he's* the one staring down the barrel of a loaded metaphorical gun, and not a second before that. Basic human decency and empathy is nowhere to be seen.

When Non supposedly dies (there's no fucking way, I ain't buying that), Tee goes into the shortest mourning period I've ever witnessed on TV, and then immediately latches onto the first boy that shows the slightest interest in him. That was the extent of remorse he’s capable of. And a more damning evidence of how little he had truly changed his ways after playing a part in Non’s “death” is his behavior in the earlier arcs of the show. He was a petulant, aggressive and avoidant little shit whenever Non was brought up in conversation. So understandably, the choice to explore Tee and the happenings in his life after Non’s “death” in episode 11 had left me feeling angry with the way the show was clearly steering the audience towards accepting Tee’s redemption.

But, was it though? The show also places New directly opposite Tee, in conflict and in their moral drive. Tee was and is driven only by selfishness. He wanted to earn money, then save his ass, then not get implicated in murder and finally not let others dig up dirt on the murder he did help commit. New/Tan is driven by revenge. A funny thing about revenge: it is also deeply selfish. Wanting revenge implicitly means that they have already failed the person they are trying to avenge. New could've started out with the right motivations of wanting to find out what happened to his brother, but he soon got dragged into a convoluted mess of guilt, revenge, rage, depression and substance abuse. None of what he had planned on doing to the gang would help Non if he were alive. It is no longer about Non, the moment he started plotting murders is the moment his motivations morphed from finding Non to helping himself and appeasing his sense of helplessness and guilt.

The fact that Tee and New were clearly placed in direct conflict in episode 11 was so interesting to me because these two characters are seemingly on the opposite sides of this conflict, but are ultimately driven by selfishness. I hope the show focused on Tee’s backstory not to convince us that maybe he deserves redemption, but to show us how much he believes that he does. And I hope that the show will tell him, as he slowly bleeds to death, begging for mercy, that no, he actually fucking doesn't.

[oddmawd]

THE GRASP OF GILDED STRINGS - Chapter 14: "The Curfew Bells are Ringing"

SUMMARY: Through violence and bloodshed, Donquixote Doflamingo carved out a world of his own making. Now someone is mending the broken toys of Dressrosa with gold — and they did not ask the king of the island for permission. In a land he rules with an iron fist, this small act of rebellion cannot go unchallenged...but for all his schemes and plans, Doflamingo was unprepared to meet the woman behind the gold. Through dogged determination, Saffron engineered a quiet place for herself in the kingdom of Dressrosa. She is content in her self-imposed isolation, because solitude means safety when you have an ability like hers. Too bad she’s been noticed by the one man who could destroy her hard-won way of life. Mending broken toys seemed an act of mercy. Now Saffron can only hope the king of Dressrosa will show her the same. (Doflamingo/OC. Explicit content. Unhealthy relationship. Doffy corrupts. This is not a redemption story.)

TAGS & CONTENT WARNINGS for Chapter 14

MAIN LINK: Read the full story on AO3

PAIRINGS: Doflamingo/Original Character

RATING:  E(xplicit) (MDNI, 18+)

WORD COUNT: 16k for chapter 14

GENRE: Dark Romance

FANDOM: One Piece

TAGS: Power Imbalance, Power Dynamics, Original Character(s), Character Driven Plot, Romance, Doflamingo is a horrible person and he will not be redeemed, Corruption, falling in love with a villain, Emotional Manipulation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Kintsugi Devil Fruit, Harems, Murder, Stalking, Spying

WARNINGS: Rated E for adult content & canon-typical violence

EXCERPT from CHAPTER 14:

After his return to the shores of Dressrosa, Doflamingo watched Saffron approach the palace gates every morning from the lofty height of the throne room. Every day he sent Baby 5 to ensure Saffron made it safely up Pica’s stone elevator...not that he had left the goldsmith much choice in the matter. Doflamingo had already sent workers to her horrible barn to collect Saffron’s spinning wheel and other materials the day after he declared she would be permanently moving her work to the palace. She had protested, of course, but those protests had died after he reminded her of the truth they established the day prior when they reunited in her horrible barn.

“My world,” he’d told her.

“Your world,” she’d conceded with eyes averted.

And that was the end of that discussion, despite the adorable pout Saffron sported as she surveyed the workers collecting her spinning wheel. Her expression did little to sway him. He’d just laughed at her, patting her head when they carted the items away, delighted when she swatted at his hand like a kitten pawing a wolf.

Her mood improved when she saw her new workspace, of course. The pill became a little easier to swallow, he imagined, when you chased it with a spoonful of luxury. Spacious and bright, the converted suite with its high windows overlooking Dressrosa was fit for any visiting monarch, and it had housed more than one such figure over the years of Doflamingo’s reign. Now, though, it housed everything a workman like Saffron could ask for, and then some. A private courtyard, multiple chambers for storage or workshops, even a private bath…and the neighboring rooms were rarely occupied, bordering a shared courtyard with a trickling fountain very few ever bothered to approach. A quiet and serene place. It was rather removed from the rest of the palace, naturally, kept in an outer wing, isolated and quiet. Doflamingo had chosen it for Saffron personally. 

The distance from the main corridors of the palace was intention. He didn’t want to be bothered by her noisy work when he wasn’t in the mood for it, you see. Here, she was just distant enough for his comfort, yet still close enough for his convenience. 

But to Saffron, to whom he explained none of this, it was simply more of the luxury she’d likely come to expect from the palace. Her eyes widened at the lovely windows and the ornate marble floor, tracing her gloved fingertips across the large drafting tables arranged for her to work upon, mouth dropping open when she spotted the best tools money could buy sitting in the corner. She couldn’t hide her reaction, her delight, the gasp of pleasure that dropped from her lush lips.

But then, in spite of the lavish accommodations Doflamingo had so generously granted Saffron, her face fell. She looked at him askance, eyes flickering first at him, then at the door.

“The pool.” She swallowed. “It’s nearby, isn’t it.”

“Of course,” said Doflamingo.

Saffron nodded, teeth scraping her lower lip. She did not appear quite as happy as before, even when she looked at the rack of tools that had brought her so much joy only moments prior. But what could the problem possibly be? She needed pool access to complete her job. This was a logical place for her new workshop. Yes, it didn’t have direct access to the pool — this remote wing of the palace bordered the harem wing, and she was at the far end of it — but even so…

Ah. Was that it?

“Oh?” He leaned down toward her with a taunting grin, back hunching to put them at eye level. “Is this not to your liking? Do you want something fancier, perhaps?”

“It’s not that,” Saffron said at once. “It’s…”

But she stopped short. Her eyes darted toward the door — and then to the massive, Doflamingo-sized armchair by the fireplace, which he’d placed there himself. And there it was, the truth of the matter writ plain as day across her lovely face. She was still wary of the harem girls and their assumptions, as predicted. Even though she was not directly underfoot of those primped and polished women, she still worried they’d come wandering and find her, did she? The chances of that were slim, as those women had the collective curiosity of a bread basket, but…

Doflamingo rather hoped they might come knocking. Saving Saffron from their perfumed wrath would go a long way toward earning her favor, and if she wouldn’t admit that they had been bothering her, he’d happily tempt fate a little. And if those girls were somehow encouraged to come find Saffron…well, such a thing would certainly force her hand, so to speak, and push her into coming to him for aid. Truth be told, he’d already thought of all of that when choosing her new accommodations. This new workspace was as much a gift as it was a pretty trap inlaid with marble tile.

But his dear Saffron didn’t know it. She looked around and forced a smile, unaware that she stood upon the threshold of carefully choreographed disaster.

“It’s…bigger than I’m used to,” was all she said, meeting his expectant stare with a polite smile. “And the light is good. It’s perfect, your majesty.”

Truths to shroud a lie unspoken. Silly thing, still avoiding his helping hand. Doflamingo left her to her work, laughing to himself as he stalked away.

Doflamingo continued to keep an eye on her after she took up residence in her new quarters. He watched her every morning from the throne room as she and Baby 5 walked together to the King’s Plateau, his keen eyes missing nothing even from such a high vantage point. Likewise he kept tabs on her work on the pool. Easy enough to do without attracting notice. His personal chambers overlooked the pretty courtyard and its heaven-on-earth array of delights. When she was there, he took meetings from his bedchamber, talking via Den Den Mushi from the shadows as his obscured gaze traced her every move. He wondered if Saffron could feel his eyes on her. 

He half suspected she might. Once, midway through a conversation with Pica, she stopped her work and stood. Slowly she pivoted in place, sunlight catching on her hair — and, for the briefest of flashing moments, a spark of gold at her throat. Her metallic eyes tipped upward and traced the windows overlooking the courtyard. Searching. A frown pulled at her mouth as those arresting eyes alit upon his bedroom window…

He held as still as the shadows wreathing him.

Saffron shook her head and looked away, seemingly convinced the unnerving feeling in her gut was little more than imagination. Pica bent his massive body low to say something in her ear, but she just shook her head once more and pointed at their unfinished project.

Speaking of Pica: Doflamingo had been told Saffron and Pica made a good team, but to see her in action with the high-ranking officer was another thing entirely. The pair appeared to work in harmony indeed. He witnessed them together over the course of many days, watching from afar as Saffron directed the enormous man about his tasks before going indoors to examine plans and place orders. To Doflamingo’s immense satisfaction, she spoke to Pica with confidence, asking him to move stone aside so she could see what lay beneath, or divert waterways running underground to better fit her plans. Confidence — he wasn’t used to seeing that on his timid little doll, but he had to admit the look suited her.

The curve of her smile when she laughed suited her, too. He saw her laugh from his lofty perch when Pica said something that made her throw back her head, grinning and giggling in the sunshine. Gold winked at her throat, copper in her hair, silver in her eyes — and for a moment Doffy bristled, thinking she might be laughing at Pica. But the giant man joined her laughter with a shrill shriek of his own, audible even from afar, and Doflamingo relaxed. 

Tension returned to him quickly, though he hid it when he summoned Pica to the throne room, adopting an easy affectation as he lounged with a leg hooked over the arm of his throne. Pica drop to one knee and bowed his head while Doflamingo looked him over with a nonchalant chuckle.

He was anything but nonchalant behind his massive, leering smile though. He watched Pica’s every move through unblinking eyes when he asked, “Miss Isabella — what do you talk about with her?”

Pica lifted his head, golden helmet with its many spikes winking in the sunlight streaming through the room’s tall windows. “The project, your highness.”

“And?”

“And stone. And Dressrosa.” Each syllable squeaked from his lips like air leaving a thin-necked balloon. “And the weather, I guess.”

“Nothing else?”

“Ah — and you, a few times.” Pica admitted this as an afterthought. “She’s asked about you once or twice.”

“I see.” Doflamingo’s smile wasn’t entirely performative anymore. “And what did she want to know?”

“If you treated your family well.”

“And what did you say?”

“That your family would die for you, of course, and that you protect us in kind,” said Pica. “And she seemed satisfied with that.”

“Good.” Doflamingo’s shoulders drained of tension, and he settled back against his throne. “What do you make of her?”

“Skilled,” Pica said at once. Then, more slowly: “And kind. Won’t last a week in this court without protection. I can see why Monet wants her escorted everywhere.”

The king chuckled. “Don’t think she can handle herself, huh?”

“Hard to say.” Pica shrugged. “Sometimes it’s the quiet ones who snap the loudest.”

This was true. Doflamingo though about that for quite some time, watching Saffron from his high perch. He still wasn’t sure what, precisely, had made Saffron laugh, but in the end he supposed he approved of her relationship with Pica. It seemed innocent enough. A bond between people who appreciated stone, and nothing more.

…he hated to admit that it nagged at him, though — that she’d laughed so easily for Pica, but not for him.

He hated to admit that he thought about it for days.

[Continued on AO3]

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CHAPTER 14 on AO3!

[inuhiime]

╭┈┈┈┈ ₊˚ෆ 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ! ╰ ♡⸝⸝ 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄

' what more must we sacrifice before the end?'

' let me confess a little secret : i have never believed in any god. '

' i wanted to destroy everything. just as much as i wanted to cry. '

' remember this : nothing counts as much as blood. '

' my dear friend, we have gone through so much sorrow. can you even remember my name? '

' what we do is a mercy to the world. '

' never show your face around me again, or i might very well do something we'd both regret. '

' i pray for your redemption. '

' are you going to repeat the same mistakes again and again? '

' put an end to their distress, dear friend, because they cannot bear the weight of suffering. '

' i hope you will remember our journey together. '

' what a disgrace to see you here. '

' what will you remember now? '

' you want to save me? why would you help me? '

' i could not protect them all. '

' aren't you ashamed? don't you realize what you have done? '

' don't ignore me. i know who you are. '

' i wanted to tear this world apart just as it tore me apart. now… i can. '

' i wanted to see you one last time. just one last time. '

' she was all i had. and then i had nothing. '

' a blade does not question the hand that wields it, it merely acts. ' '

' if you can, aim in between the eyes. '

' do not despair. my life lights your path. '

' stay with me until the end. i will give what i can, what i have left. '

' so be it. if this world can't repent from its worst sins and disgusting souls, i will sculpt a new one. '

[theprayerfulword]

May 29

Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"

Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'

May you know that you have an Advocate with the Father, pleading your case, as the Comforter is working in your heart to bring conviction which leads to repentance, which brings hope and restoration. 2 Samuel 14

May you prefer the wisdom of God's righteousness and the reverent obedience of humility which brings beauty in God's sight to your soul, rather than the outward beauty which, for a time, may cover the deformity of a person's prideful and arrogant heart. 2 Samuel 14

May you have the grace from God to discern the insolence behind the words which come from an unrepentant heart, though couched in subservient terms, lest the bitterness it contains come to fruition with great sorrow and pain. 2 Samuel 14

May you trust in God's provision and patiently wait on God's timing to bring to you the things you need for the tasks He assigns, knowing that He will prepare your heart and make you ready, for He will not be so unloving as to give you authority or power before you are matured enough to act responsibly with it. 2 Samuel 15

May you wear the world loosely, not grasping or defending what you have in your hand, clinging only to God in all circumstances, desiring simply that others not suffer when disputes arise, preferring rather to suffer loss and indignities for a time than to bring reproach to the name of the Lord. 2 Samuel 15, 1 Corinthians 6

May you have the same mind in you as did Jesus, Who withdrew when worldly authority would have been thrust upon Him, but stepped forward when His Father's work was at hand, though it meant suffering, which He endured for the joy of the fellowship which would be attained. John 18

May you have, when needed, the Spirit in abundance so that when others do you injury unjustly, you do not respond with passionate resentment, but reason with them redemptively. John 18

I do not allow the proud or arrogant will to stand before Me, My chosen one, for that is rebellion against Me and rejection of the sovereignty of My Son. He, alone, is the One whom I have set over all kings and kingdoms, and given authority over all powers and principalities. For that cause did I cast down the portion of My angelic creation who adhered to and agreed with the aspirations of Lucifer. Though he sang My praise, he desired My place, and the impurity in his heart became evil in his thoughts and rebellion in his hands. My Son lived as a man to bring redemption to men, and those who come to Me through His blood are purged and cleansed, threshed and winnowed, so that no arrogance, no pride, no self-sufficiency will remain. Look to your heart and mind, humbling yourself lest any seed remain to take root and grow, causing harm and loss of the prize that you strive for. It is My mercy and compassion, expressed through My Son, that cleanses the temple before righteous judgment can bring My wrath. Follow My Spirit Who will lead you in the way you must go, for He knows My mind and His leading is true and sure.

May you love God's law and meditate on it all day long, for His commands make you wiser than your enemies, give you more insight than all your teachers, and grant you more understanding than the elders since you keep His promises ever with you, meditate day and night on His ways, and ever obey His precepts. Psalm 119

May you keep your feet from every evil path so that you might obey His word and not depart from His laws, for the Lord Himself has taught you. Psalm 119

May God's word be a lamp to your feet and a light for your path. Psalm 119

May you not stray from God's precepts nor forget His law, though you constantly face attack from the wicked who set a snare for you, for the Lord will preserve your life, just as He has promised, as He accepts the willing praise from your mouth in the midst of your fight. Psalm 119

May your heart be set on keeping God's statutes to the very end for they are your heritage forever and the source of joy to your heart. Psalm 119

May you walk in righteousness and godliness, though you have few possessions and little gain, rather than dishonesty and injustice, though it brings abundant income and much property. Proverbs 16:8

May what you have come to you in righteousness, be held in righteous claim, be used in a righteous manner, be invested in righteous purposes, and attended with a life of righteousness and holiness of Christ. Proverbs 16:8

May your preparation and planning of your journey and purpose give room for God to direct your steps on the way to your destination. Proverbs 16:9

[ereborne]

Hello, happy holidays! For the End of the year ask meme if you'll like to answer any of the following: 8 (game of the year), 25 (a character you created), 14 (fav book), or 18 (a memorable meal)

Happy holidays! I hope they've treated you well <3

8: I don't play many games myself (only Stardew Valley, Minecraft, and silly seek-and-find puzzle games) and my laptop was too tuckered for games for most of the year, but even if I'd been farming nonstop I think the game of the year would still be Final Fantasy VII Remake. Pretty sure it'll be the game of every year until it's all out, and then maybe a couple years more for good measure. I am having such an incredible time following the game as it comes out and @kaylithographica plays through it, and I can't wait to see how Square Enix keeps going with the meta and story changes.

25: Some of the more complex edits I've been trying to work on this week actually revolve around a particular OC, so we'll talk about her. Her name is Mercy, and she was not supposed to be important (folks who have lived with me may be familiar with this refrain). She was supposed to be a filler character! She's an archetype! Her name is Mercy and she has none! Grr rar tragic backstory vengeance quest knife collection! But nooo now she's got layers. She's got depth. We're emotionally invested in her character arc. Damn it. Anyway she befriends her local main characters to use them as pawns in her revenge plot, spends a lot of time with them waiting for them to vouch for her to her target, gives up her first chance at revenge because she has to go save them instead (in a scene so terribly close to the classic 'stand at crossroad, look longingly at selfish goal down the left, turn back fully on goal to run to friends down the right path' that I may rewrite it to avoid cliche shame), and then eventually gives up her scheming entirely because it would be too much of a betrayal of her very best friends the main characters. She was supposed to die in the first rescue, and then the whole story locked up and I had to go back through trying to find the writer's block instigation point, and I realized I've made too optimistic a world to kill her off without friends or redemption. She's (big sigh) thematically significant now. At least she's also very cool.

14: I'm going with my favorite book that came out this year, to help narrow things down: "The Innocent Sleep", by Seanan McGuire. Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors and this is my favorite of her ongoing serieses, and usually we get one a year (usually just in time to be my birthday present to myself! a joyous coincidence) but this year we got two. "Sleep No More" and "The Innocent Sleep", paired stories, one from Toby's point of view and one from Tybalt's. The current state of their world means that these two POVs of the same happenings are wildly different, and it's fascinating (a little heart-wrenching sometimes) to see. Also, Tybalt and his friends dimension-door into Costco in the dead of night and steal all their catfood. It's amazing.

18: The vegeble man had a special on collard greens one time, and I bought a 'bundle' thinking it was your standard grocery-store greens bundle, a generous handful at most. It was more like an armful. Apparently the special was because they'd been sold a literal truckload of greens (perfectly good but disqualified as 'organic' by some neighbor shenanigans) and needed to offload them quickly because the fridge wasn't ready for such a bumper crop. I cooked them in batches with andouille sausage and bacon and just a touch of this amazing miso ghost-pepper hot sauce Duncan has, and we ate them for our next four meals (with grits, with cornbread and grilled tomatoes, with fried eggs and beer bread, and then the last of them mixed into red beans and rice). I really miss not just Southern food but access to Southern ingredients (the 'andouille' sausage I get here is pitiful, and bacon is no substitute for a proper salt-ham, and neither is beer bread always a good alternative to a buttermilk biscuit or quickbread) and it was so nice to have a proper mess of greens again.

[animatorweirdo]

Imagine seeing Mairon again after many years

(Second last of the requests. I hope you enjoy.) 

Requested by anonymous

Warnings: mentions of wars, breaking up, missing, meeting up again. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

-You convinced the valars to let you go to Middle Earth as an emissary to guide the Noldor and the other children for a better future after hundreds of years of pain and bloodshed caused by Morgoth and the silmarils. 

-The Valars neglected those who suffered from the conflict and were in need during the first age: so your heart yearned to help them. 

-Your proposal almost got rejected. You managed to gain the valar’s approval and permission to leave for Middle Earth – thanks to lord Ulmo and those who had been in Middle Earth and seen the horrors that plagued those lands and their people. 

-It was a joyful moment, and you would be forever grateful to the lord of the sea. 

-You took sail immediately before they could change their mind and forbid you from leaving Valinor. Others who wished to do the same – came with you. 

-You planned to guide the Noldoring elves toward a better future and give them a chance for redemption, but in the back of your mind: you wished for a sense of closure for someone you had lost long ago to the temptation of the dark lord. 

-Mairon, your beloved. You two shared a loving relationship before he decided to serve Melkor and become an enemy to the children of Illuvatar. 

-You could still remember that day when he left like yesterday, and the heartache would always return whenever you thought about him. 

-You pleaded with him to stay and change his mind, but he did not budge from his choice and left, leaving you and everything you had behind. 

-You refused to go with him because you disliked the cruel ways Melkor practiced while trying to dominate the world, and Mairon respected your decision since he knew you had a gentle heart, so he held you one last time, bidding you goodbye before leaving. 

-There wasn’t a day when you didn’t think about him. You sometimes hoped he would change his mind and come back to you. 

-You had your hopes up when Eonwe returned from the war in Middle Earth, but you were disappointed when Eonwe told you Mairon had refused to come back and had gone to hiding despite the latter having pleaded mercy. 

-It left you heartbroken all over again, and sometimes you began to think that you meant nothing to Mairon when he left. Did you mean anything to him? 

-So, your travel to Middle Earth might have been an attempt to feel some closure and hope you might see him again. 

-Middle Earth was quite a sight, and you felt excited when you stepped on the docks of Lindon for the first time. 

-However – when you arrived and tried to have an audience with the Noldor’s high king. Your arrival seemed to have caused confusion among the elves. 

-They believed your words since you had a verdict from king Manwe, so they explained another maia had arrived in Eregion, also claiming to be an emissary from the valars. 

-It was now your turn to be confused as you had just arrived with those who came with you, and you would have known if valars had sent someone to Middle Earth. 

-You inquired more about this mysterious maia, but after counseling with king Finarfin’s daughter, Galadriel, who had an insight about the same maia who had arrived in Lindon but got cast out because of mistrust. You had an idea who this maia was, which left you hopeful. 

-You decided to travel to Eregion and finally meet this mysterious emissary. 

-It was just as you thought. It was him, your Mairon. 

-Mairon was skillful in shapeshifting, but no matter what shape or form he took – you could always recognize him. 

-Annatar, the lord of gifts he claimed to be, which almost made you chuckle with amusement. 

-You were happy to see him again but slightly disappointed when you learned what he was planning to do with the elves. It seemed he wasn’t planning to return to the light after all these years. 

-Mairon was shocked to see you again, especially when you recognized him and spoke to him like an old friend. 

-You decided to play along with his story, and it was the first time you saw him caught off guard, but he collected himself and played along. 

-You talked till you managed to get some privacy from the elves and finally speak to each other without holding up a lie. 

-He revealed himself and spoke softly to you. You were happy to hear his voice and have the chance to talk to him again, but you couldn't help but question his intentions with the elves and ask why he would not return to Valinor. 

-He gave simple answers but did not reveal his plans with the elves, which left you slightly frustrated. 

-It turned out he could not let go of his old ways, so he decided to rise like a shadow and continue what Melkor had left unfinished – the conquering of Middle Earth. 

-You knew Mairon desired order above all else, so you fell silent when you thought about your time together. 

-You then decided to ask a question that had bothered you for years since he left to join Melkor. 

”Did we ever matter?” You asked, catching his attention. “Did I ever matter to you, or was I just an obstacle in your pursuit of power and order?” You questioned, looking at him in the eyes. 

He fell silent and didn’t give you an answer. You sighed. 

“I missed you, you know?” You said. “I sometimes wished you would come back to me and things would be like – how they used to be,” You said almost hesitantly. 

“Things — will never be the same,” Mairon said softly. 

“But know this –” He began, catching your hands in his. Your heart beat for a moment before you looked at him, waiting. He rubbed your hands in a comforting manner before looking at you in the eye. “You had never been an obstacle to me, and my feelings for you had never changed,” He said. 

Your heart fluttered for a moment as you had waited to hear those words for a long time, but you held in your emotions since he was still technically your enemy – unless you managed to convince him to turn away from the evil path and return to Valinor with you. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” You smiled. Mairon cracked a short smile for you, a rare genuine smile he had shown you many times and only to you. You two remained seated, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the peace that followed in silence.

[phoenixradiant]

Cabbage and Lettuce for the ask game

"Ask and ye shall receive!"

CABBAGE - Do they deserve their fate? & LETTUCE - Do they deserve their past?

I'm gonna handle these in reverse order because it makes chronological sense to do so, and I'm just gonna use the protagonists since no one was specified.

Cellic:

Lettuce: Not a chance. Man had the perfect life growing up until he was about 10. Then in a single day he became a cripple and lost his father and baby sister. Around the time he'd finally accepted that he'd have to live without them, his mother died to the plague. Then his surrogate parents (who are Maiph's actual parents) die in a magical accident trying to cure the plague. Then his friend and older-brother figure gets gutted in front of him, so that when he finally gets healed all he feels is guilt for being so helpless so long. He becomes a soldier to protect others, but the stuff that happens to him there is almost as bad. The fact that this guy hasn't cracked by the time the plot starts is miraculous.

Cabbage: Yep. He deserves every bit of it. The story may be rough, but afterwards, he gets married, has like 6 kids, spends the next hundred years farming, and then when his wife dies (they were both magical enough to slow aging a lot) he wanders off into the mountains, becoming a legend.

Narra:

Lettuce: Also no. Cellic probably lost more than she did, but he had more to lose. The first twelve years of her life sucked, like, perpetually on the edge of starvation sucked. No big events to speak of, just constant suck. She gets found by one of her grandfather's knights and made a princess, and all she wants to do is help unfortunates like her, and it keeps not working. It's not her fault, but she almost loses hope.

Cabbage: (Very Spoilery) No. Plot happens and she dies not once, but twice. There are three characters in the book who cheat death, and all three of them are dead-for-realsies by the end, but Narra definitely deserved it the least. She had the optimism and moral purity of a literal child, and even after dying once tried to reconcile mercy and love with the reality of the battle she has to fight. The second time she didn't die quickly, either, but at least that time she was surrounded by friends.

Kar:

Lettuce: Maybe. Magrom always was brutal, tricksy, and possessed by a wicked sense of humor, but like with the other two, he was just a kid. Then half his family is assassinated in a night, and from then on, he decided he was going to earn his suffering. He started lying, stealing, and killing almost overnight (he wasn't even a teenager before he made his first body). The only vestiges of a personal code he has left are "Never betray your family" and "Never be ashamed of who you have become." Chronologically speaking, Magrom Karven didn't deserve what he got, but the sum total of his actions vs. his fortunes until the beginning of the story? He 100% deserves it.

Cabbage: Another maybe. Kar goes through a pretty drastic change kicked off by a quest for revenge, where he has to confront the fact that deep down, he'd be willing to die to avenge his brother and protect his niece. He has to face the purely selfish version of himself that he's constructed and admit that he's been lying to himself, ashamed of himself. Once he's accepted that, he can finish the plot, but he could've done that as his vindictive, power-hungry self too. He ends up as High King of Alador, but most of the redemption and reconciliation he does occurs after the plot ends, and isn't actually shown in the book. As a person, he's definitely changed enough to warrant some good fortune, but he hasn't proven it to the world yet.

Zix, this was long! Well, thanks for the ask, hope you enjoyed reading!

[songsofprotestpeacerevolution]

When day comes we ask ourselves, ‘where can we find light in this never-ending shade,’ the loss we carry, a sea we must wade? We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it, somehow we do it. Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished. We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one. And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: That even as we grieved, we grew; that even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious, not because we will never again know defeat but because we will never again sow division. Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid. If we’re to live up to our own time then victory won’t lie in the blade but in all the bridges we’ve made. That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare it, because being American is more than a pride we inherit — it’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception. We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves. So while once we asked, ‘how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe,’ now we assert, ‘how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?’ We will not march back to what was but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce, and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain: If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright. So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left with. Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. We will rise from the gold-limned hills of the west, we will rise from the windswept northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution, we will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states, we will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover in every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful. When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.

Poet Amanda Gorman reads 'The Hill We Climb'

[eternal-echoes]

“What has the Cross left in each one of us? You see, it gives us a treasure that no one else can give: the certainty of the faithful love which God has for us. A love so great that it enters into our sin and forgives it, enters into our suffering and gives us the strength to bear it. It is a love which enters into death to conquer it and to save us. The Cross of Christ contains all the love of God; there we find his immeasurable mercy. This is a love in which we can place all our trust, in which we can believe. Dear young people, let us entrust ourselves to Jesus, let us give ourselves over to him (cf. Lumen Fidei, 16), because he never disappoints anyone! Only in Christ crucified and risen can we find salvation and redemption. With him, evil, suffering, and death do not have the last word, because he gives us hope and life: he has transformed the Cross from being an instrument of hate, defeat and death to being a sign of love, victory, triumph and life.

- Pope Francis, APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO ON THE OCCASION OF THE XXVIII WORLD YOUTH DAY - WAY OF THE CROSS WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE, 26 July 2013

[gwydionmisha]

The Hill We Climb - Amanda Gorman

When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry. A sea we must wade.

We braved the belly of the beast.

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what “just” is isn’t always justice.

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.

We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.

And, yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge our union with purpose.

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

And so we lift our gaze, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true.

That even as we grieved, we grew.

That even as we hurt, we hoped.

That even as we tired, we tried.

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.

If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.

That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb, if only we dare.

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit.

It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation, rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption.

We feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour.

But within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So, while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe, now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.

We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation, become the future.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain.

If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the golden hills of the West.

We will rise from the windswept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states.

We will rise from the sun-baked South.

We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful.

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid.

The new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

[the-sayuri-rin]

The Hills We Climb

by Amanda Gordon

When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade. We've braved the belly of the beast, We've learned that quiet isn't always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn't always just-ice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished. We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one. And yes we are far from polished. Far from pristine. But that doesn't mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true, that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we'll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division. Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid. If we're to live up to our own time, then victory won't lie in the blade. But in all the bridges we've made, that is the promise to glade, the hill we climb. If only we dare. It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it's the past we step into and how we repair it. We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it. Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust. For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception. We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter. To offer hope and laughter to ourselves. So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us? We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be. A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain, If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children's birthright. So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left with. Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west. We will rise from the windswept northeast, where our forefathers first realized revolution. We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states. We will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover. And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful. When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.

[yhwhrulz]

Worthy Brief - June 7, 2024

Stay in faith, no matter what!

James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord -- that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Next week, beginning on June 11, the world will celebrate the Feast of Shavuot, known to many Christians as Pentecost.

During the Biblical festival of Shavuot, the book of Ruth is read. It's a powerful story of faith, restoration and redemption. The book opens with a famine in all the land surrounding Bethlehem, forcing a difficult decision upon Naomi's husband, Elimelech. Now, Bethlehem (beth: "house", lechem: "bread") literally means “house of bread”, so the irony of Elimelech's departure from his home, "house of bread", during a famine, is lost on English speaking readers, but reveals that every detail in the word of God can be meaningful, especially the meanings of names.

Now the name "Elimelech" literally means, “My God is King” -- so immediately, another irony appears: a man whose name expresses the personal testimony of God's authority over every circumstance and His complete trustworthiness, decides to leave the Promised Land, and settle in Moab, across the Jordan -- a land that had become alien territory for the Israelites because of the Moabites' inhospitable treatment of Israel during the sojourn from Egypt. Elimelech either forgot or ignored the example of the patriarch, Isaac and failed to apply the same faith as his forefather had, and to remain true to his own name!

Genesis 26 recounts how that Issac had thought of leaving Gerar (modern day Gaza) to go to Egypt in hope of finding food in the midst of a famine, but instead, he stood firm in faith and remained in the Promised Land. The Lord's response was to bless Issac a hundred fold that same year! [Genesis 26:12] However, we also read in Genesis 12 how Abraham had left the land during a famine and had encountered problems in Egypt that were as frightening or worse than the famine. So Elimelech had these two illustrations, one positive, one negative, both of which might have moved him to choose to persevere through this difficult time, and remain in the place of his inheritance.

Whatever the immediate cause, it seems that Elimelech's departure from the Promised Land was not to be reversed. He died in Moab, leaving a discouraged widow, and eventually, two widowed daughters-in-law. We might ask, what would have been Elimelech's legacy had he stayed and prayed through this extremely difficult and frightening trial in Caanan? What might have been his "hundred-fold" blessing?

Our world today is experiencing famine in various places. Yet famine has many faces, and the various trials and afflictions in our lives can have the same frightening effect to test the metal of our faith. Many of us are being severely tested these days with trials that are shaking us to the core. There are examples of the faithful who have persevered through to victory and received tremendous blessings from the Lord for their stand of unswerving faith. Yet there are also examples of those who somehow did not live up to their own testimony, for failure to stick it out through tough situations. We have these two paths before us.

Pete, Yeshua (Jesus) asked this question; "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"? And in another place He spoke directly to Satan these timeless words; "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God." If there was ever a time to believe these words, it is now, even as the world stands on the brink, and the earth groans in the travail of childbirth. Some of us have the opportunity of a lifetime to get through our particular trial, in faith. The Lord Yeshua will be faithful to us, and He will abundantly reward our faith in Him. Let's stay the course.

Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, Maryland)

Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. - https://t.me/worthywatch/ Be sure to check it out!

Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information.

[despair-to-future-arcs]

As much as you're right hope's peak shouldn't have existed and Ultimate Despair are all but a byproduct of their shitty actions, we should still held The remnants accountables. As much as Junko manipulated them, they chose that style of life and had many chances to back off and redeem themselves, only to reject each and every one of those opportunities. Not asking for execution, because death is far too merciful for what they've done

Okay so your telling me that they had 'those opportunities' you talk about; I want to ask, who else could they turn to if me and Yukio were dead?

I mean y'know how our teacher barely did shit to help our class, made things much worse and even abandon us at the very end and only wanted to save her own skin, the other teachers and the steering committee gave up on us because we all plan to drop out thus to them we were worthless in their eyes.

There was a 'parade' or mob outside with extremely pissed off Reserve Course students who saw the tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy and let's remember Hope's Peak Academy wanted to ignore them when all they wanted was answers and the only people that were their symbols of hope was dead or believe to be dead in my case and the only person they can turn to was Junko Enoshima who offer them that deal of tearing the school down which has hurt them before in the past.

And remember, the parade was blocking all exits which the Reserve Course was going to kill all Ultimates; how do you think any of them would escape, huh? I'm sure from an outsider perspective here, you think they had 'any other option' but no, they didn't; all they had left was Junko since Yukio had killed himself and I was presumed dead.

I know it's hard to picture but that's the thing with cults, they'll give you anything in exchange for loyalty; and given how Hope's Peak Academy was towards the students and my class especially, Junko simply use a clearly flaws and broken system to her advantage and gave Class 77-B what they wanted and thus loyalty; it was the same for many former Ultimates that sided with Junko as well.

So sure, you can say they should repent for what they did but I think maybe instead of that, we should try to find those briefcases and try to put an end to what they did as Ultimate Despair; helping to recover the world and shutting down what they did as Ultimate Despair, which I think would be the best form of redemption.

After all, I think many of us would want that, wouldn't you agree?

[juliansummerhayes]

Daily diary: Thursday, 16 May 2024

KEEPING THE STAR

Keep this star for when you lose the world, when grief and desire become a blurred door that floats away across a plain room without books or kisses. Look to what grows dark beyond the walls, that in night which holds the blue sky singing in its black embrace. It's all spun around a necessary star, star of prisons. Keep it: It has the power to burst from dull thoughts, breathe in airless colors, and roll back the filth of our neglect. Let it pour through the chimney hole patched with tin! Unloved objects-- empty jars, faces in clippings, balls of hair spurned by the brush-- all the children of failure will step forward in its blinding wind, sons and daughters of that before which there is no trivial being.

-- from Keeping the Star, New Rivers Press, copyright 1988 Thomas R. Smith

It’s 05:22 as I type the above words – I am big fan of Thomas R. Smith’s work. I have a cup of coffee waiting to be poured; and the sun is just beginning its ascent across the blue/black sky.

Such is the start of my day.

Why do I do it?

What?

Get up so early?

A habit I suppose; and it’s one that’s been with me for as long as my ragged and dishevelled memory can remember. I know why. Because I feel I’d be wasting my life otherwise. Odd, eh? Very odd. But there it is. It’ll be with me, or so I expect, until the bitter end. 

As of today, well, I’ll do a bit more tidying up of my office and I need to check over my camping gear. I’ll tidy up the house – there’s not much to do – and, as I did yesterday afternoon, I’ll go for a walk. I’m thinking of heading out towards the South West Coast Path or at least close to the sea. I don’t want to drive very far but it would be good to breathe in the sea air and feel the waves beneath my feet.

After today, I’ve got Friday left before I start at my new in-house job. I can’t say that I’m approaching it with any relish especially because I was hoping that my wife and I might have left behind, even if temporarily, our “work” to go on a pilgrimage around the British Isles. Sometimes, these things are not meant to be. Still, I should be grateful for small mercies and if it means I’ve got to spin plates for a few more months then so be it. I mean, what else will I do with myself?

I’ll also read Tim Lilburn’s wonderful book “Living In The World…”. The writing is on another level, and it’s making me want to read Plato which he references a few times in the book. After I finish his book, I’m hoping that “Vale Royal” arrives. This is the book by Aidan Andrew Dun that I shared a while back via a talk that he gave on the book. If you didn’t see that then below is what is said on Aidan’s website about the book:

VALE ROYAL

The valley of the lost Fleet River in Kings Cross is surrounded by the old hills of London, the high places. Vale Royal is a geographical vessel, a symbolic container of the quiet mind, a perfect place to realise the vision of oneness. In the poem Vale Royal the cosmic lifecycle of the Sunchild, the Mighty Youth, born with a vision and dying an early death, reflects the exiled life and redemption of the artist. Chatterton and Blake play his role in the work’s two movements.

Vale Royal moves with the ease and clarity of a fresh spring over ancient stones, making its myths casual even colloquial – an impressive achievement.

Derek Walcott

He has an extraordinary sense of the past. He’s one of those people, along with Blake and Chatterton and others, who are like a divining rod for history.

Peter Ackroyd

So, all in all, a nice quiet day.

If there’s a postscript to today’s diary it’s the fact that Eddie and Alf are now with daughter #3 which makes the house very quiet. But I will do my obligatory walks around South Brent if only to see if I can capture the light with a few photos which has been my way for a very long time.

Take care one and all.

Blessings, 

Julian