#Excited to see what Dual Rulers brings

[solradguy]

I do think Sol has every right to throw Asuka into a wall as few times but I also ask for your proposed reason for why Sol would be making a big ass rocket to vist him. /gen

Oh, you know...

I genuinely don't know what else Sol could possibly be planning to do other than finish what he vowed to do at the end of Begin and at least once in almost every game release before and since haha

[evanthefunky]

Re: my other Aquaman post today, Orm and Arthur should have reached the trident together and maybe THEN had their dual. What was the point of the dual before? Sure, its a catalyst for Mera and Arthur to leave Atlantis after it is cut short, so that they can use the hologram thingy to get the message.

But... was it to prove to the people that Orm was the true king, and that Arthur, who wasn't evenly balanced against Orm, shouldn't be the king? Its a trident-measuring contest to see who's a better fighter?

When you give Orm the "pro" of being a philosopher (during a, uh, Physical, With-Weapons Fight) it makes me wonder. Is that relevant and helpful, actually, to him being a leader of his nation? Maybe it is in regards to him being a wise? leader? Pondering philosophy and being a leader who wants his people to be happy? Content? Etc?

Beside what ignited the whole movie, which is Orm tricking Xebel to alliance with Atlantis because, "oh no, a surface world submarine found us???" moment was orchestrated by Orm (again, why now??) and also deciding to fucking Murder the Fisherman king, (ok, why? The fuck?) that more shows the man is determined, ambitious, and a sprinkle ruthless. We don't really know if he would be a tyrant or a bad ruler. We don't know if he was a good ruler of Atlantis!

He was also already crowned king.

If he hadnt sent the wave of trash and also the tsunami wave thing to the Surface coast, Arthur wouldn't have been very motivated to go with Mera.

In Mera's effort to bring Arthur to Atlantis to meet with Vulko, the one I'm confused on is Mera and Vulko's motivations. Is the hierarchy so bad? Or are they tricking him? Why?

I have a semi-answer from the movie, of course. "Because you're the true heir and need to get the trident. You need to be king." WHY??? If no one else had the trident this whole time, why is it so bad? Has no one else considered alliancing and working together as the underwater nations? Has there... not been an Ocean Master this whole time? Why aren't they working together, in unison, for the sake of the Ocean's populations' benefit? Why haven't they tried diplomacy?

Why! Make! Arthur! The! King! When! He! Could! Be! A! Great! Diplomat!

Half-human and being raised there, knowing the shit that humans do to each other and to the planet, but also still seeing the beauty in the Surface world and the good things people do for each other! He defends humanity and the Surface every moment, even (especially) when Mera complains about it! He goes along with her when she eats the rose because, fuck it, why not? Its silly but its fun. He is so wonderfully human in other ways, too. He's just always excited and eager to show her what being human is all about.

And he also has a perfect view of Atlantis (and other Ocean nations). He is new, he can see the bad things and the good things in one look. Or at least, he can take them in stride, just like he points out there are good things on the Surface when Mera complains about the bad.

He is in a perfect position, not to be a king and ruler stuck in one place vs the other, but to be in both, from both, of both, for both! Arguably, sure, that's the job of the King. But he would have to stay in Atlantis to achieve being King. If he got to counsel his brother in Surface matters, where he calls home, Orm would be able to open up to possibilities of working with the Surface rather than conquering it!

It would show he is a "hero" much better than uh. Being the "true heir". He wants to keep the Surface, his home, safe. Hes open to learning about Atlantis as long as he doesn't have to rule. He gets the best of both, and while he would be hella busy, he gets to learn about Atlantis while still coming home to his parents or somewhere else. He can still help humans settle their differences and keep trouble from happening, like at the beginning of the movie. (Sorta. You get my drift.)

With the authority and familiarity he has in both worlds, balancing each other, he could be the hero that Atlan wanted. Not a king, but a go-between. Still a leader, but not of a country. Of a cause.

That would be so much better.

[nerdingz-obsessed]

An Analysis of Castlevania (Netflix)

In response to mean words from a fren.

My dearest Castlevania simps, it is time to rise up.

My friend (who I will be attacking :)) was dissing Castlevania (szns 1-3) after my recent Trevor Badass Belmont post, so now I must indulge myself with a rant on how much I absolutely love this series. This is a five four part thing, sorta long (Sorry? but if you read then you’ll understand why I love it my friend is wrong) it has minor spoilers throughout, but it's been out for a while so, proceed with caution ig.

TL:DR at the bottom folks.

One: The Nostalgia

When I was a (small) kid, my uncle was a senior in high school. (I think, I don’t exactly remember.) He loved video games and he’s part of the reason I love them today. Mostly I only ever watched him play things like Halo, but one day he was playing this 2-D, fight game, killing monsters and kicking butt. (as he described it.) And later he let me take a turn, and I couldn’t exactly tell you I knew what I was doing, but I remember how awesome I felt as some 7 year old kicking vampire arse. Now, I get to see those characters again as a young adult and it brings me back, especially the kicking monster butt parts, which brings me to...

Two: The Fight Scenes

(Light Spoilers) HOLY MOTHER OF GOODNESS, if you would have told 7 year old me, “this is going to be a badass anime one day and you’re going to squeal with excitement,” I would have laughed in your face. But I’m not laughing now. If you’ve watched it then you just know. From Sypha and MAGIC (I stan so hard lemme tell you) And Trevor WITH THE WHIPSSS (Szn 3 Episode 9 THAT SCENE Ashshishgishguhsi) And Alucard WITH MAGIC AND MAGIC SWORD (YES) And just Isaac (Whom we love to hate and hate to love) And all of the Vamps and their kool little fighting quirks. I just love love love how amazing, fast paced, and epic the fight scenes are. And it never felt incorrect. i.e. yeah Cypher uses magic and she always seems to never never run out of stamina, but to me it made sense, she’s trained for her whole life, always on the road and there are times when she does look appropriately winded. @ my friend Or Isaac, he’s powerful yes absolutely, but we still see his human weakness. @ my friend(I think this goes for all humans when compared to the Vamps and Monsters tho...)

Three: The Animation

Can I just say that this is one of the most aesthetically beautiful anime I’ve seen in a while. Like the fight scenes, for instance, when fire engulfs a lot of the screen it looks beautiful. Okay that wasn’t very specific, here, in fight scenes, the lines change. If you look, you’ll notice in intense fight scenes the lines getting harder, intenser I suppose, it therefore adds that intensity. (Especially by season 3.{Szn 3 episode 9, dual whips got me drippin fam XD}) But it was also so smooth and elegant (Hi I really love the fight scenes in this show. :)) On small details: the details in Dracula's castle and Alucard's hold under Gre- that city whose name I cannot spell. Not only that, but the scenery, my particular favorite: When Isaac is ‘forging’ his first set of monsters when he’s out on his own. I’m a sucker for the way from a distance those red flames (flames?) shot up into the sky, it was just *chef’s kiss* in the scenery department, just ahhhh :

Oh, speaking of Isaac, it’s time to get on to important, meatier things...

Four: Characters

First off, the villains/antagonists are not just evil to be evil. (Unless you’re Carmilla... :| ... I mean ig she thinks she’s justified bc hello, she’s fighting for her peoples... and I mean, she’s badass, but I sorta have to side with humans? idk) Big Daddy Baddy Drac isn’t just “I vant to suck your blood,” his pain is real. I mean, losing the only person you ever truly loved? Heartbreak. Isaac and Hector both have totally a plausible and low-key understandable reasons for their actions. Okay it’s not an excuse for their bad behavior, but the way they respond to Drac. And, back to Carmilla, can we just stan the four Queens that rule. The four ruler thing they have going is Genius! It’s brilliant, they share their acquired and unique skills and there’s no mans to ruin plans. @ my friend

Edit: Yo I didn't even touch on our two sibling bastards from szn 3. Lol. They are great manipulators, you can feel the betrayal hurt just as bad. They're the jerks that you LoVE to HATE >:(

And The side characters and minor antagonist give the story life. They aren't just blown off characters who don't promote the plot @ my friend. They add depth, perspective, atmosphere and life into the story. Some may not be particularly necessary, or may not need all the character building they were given, but none of it felt forced. It made sense with the story and the interactions they had with other characters flowed and was natural. Yeah, that was brief, but ya get the point.

And importantly, our protagonists. 

Trevor Belmont, technically the main protagonist and center for the for the entire story. His character instantly pops of the page as a reluctant hero, but one that is so damn good at his job. His emotions are believable, it's fairly easy to sympathize with him and he is a vibrant character that you can easily follow along with. See the badass Belmont post ✨ here ✨

Sypha Belnades has easily become one of my most favorite heroines. Her personality, physicality and entire character are so vivid and colorful. She is a believably strong character who does not deserve the resentment she gets from @ my friend. I admire the steps that her character has gotten to take in the story and I am so excited for more Sypha. Also ✨ M a g i c ✨

Lastly, Alucard, our troubled, half vampire son who deserves the world and a hug. He is introduced as the badass immortal that we love to see, but seeing how he has to deal with well, everything, is why I so love the writers. They gave us a dynamic in which we get to see someone, who at first didn't care or need for interaction with others slowly realize how much he needed it. And you can see the stages of his development through each episode. It's lovely. He also doesn't deserve the hate my friend gives him. Also, ✨ Tiddies ✨ (I'm so sorry omg)

And Extra ! Extra ! they are all attractive, like have you even seen an unattractive face in any of the characters with surplus screen time? Sure they may not be your type (@ my friend) but they each have their good looking qualities.

Five(ish): Dynamics/Relationships

I'm lazy and can't write another paragraph lol, but point is. Everything in the amazing show flows together so well. Nothing feels awkward or forced, and more importantly everything has a cause and effect factor for other things. Maybe not directly, but it's there. And everything will come crashing together soon, can't ya feel it? As for relationships b/t characters, well, what can I say, they work so well, are unakward, and have me begging for more.

TL:DR:

This show is beautiful and amazing, both in animation and writing quality. Characters pop of the screen as do the scenes. Fight scenes = Epic. Villains = Important + Badass. Characters = Relatable. Writing = Good. Scenes = Pretty. Hotel = Trivago.

And I didn't even get into the details. Smh.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, I hope you had a good time @ my friend

[stringergames]

Downtime Roleplay 4 - Checking Out

Post Session 5 - Misty Eyed

Ireena and Magpie spend some one on one time in the Kolyana Library, as the rest of the party continue to exasperate Ismark downstairs.

Words spoken in Elvish are denoted in italics. Spoiler warning: contains spoilers for episode 5 of Edge of Night

Content warning: grief, implied dead parents, alcohol consumption

"So, Mr Magpie, do you like poetry?" Ireena smiles at him as they climb the stairs.

"I do, it can be very beautiful. I prefer such things set to music, but that's a personal taste." 

Magpie casts a slightly wary eye over the opulent staircase, taking in the disrepair and lack of upkeep. He takes another sip of wine and makes no comment.

"I enjoy the simplicity of poetry, so much can be said with so few words." Ireena is caught up in her own enthusiasm and does not notice Magpie's appraisal of the house. "Novels are good for escaping entirely to another realm, and you already know of my enjoyment of learning through books." This is said in Elvish, with a smile, before switching back to Common. "But poetry will remain my favourite, I think. If only for its love of pain that cannot be spoken in other ways."

Ireena opens a door on the landing that leads to a damp room piled with books, in the centre of which is a chair. The dust marks on the floor indicate that a desk once also stood there, but judging by the fate of other furnishings in the house, this was probably pilfered to become barricade materials a while ago.

Magpie replies in Elvish, quietly pleased to be able to use his native tongue. "Songs are my favourite, I believe. The dual storytelling between lyrics and tune is wonderfully versatile, but poetry definitely has a beauty of it's own, I can see why it calls to you so." He takes an almost hesitant step into the room, and checks back that she's joining him.

Ireena follows him into the study and responds in Elvish, clearly excited to be able to do so. "I wish I had a better understanding of music. It is a rare thing to hear music in Barovia that isn't a funeral march. Unless you encounter the Vistani whose performances are... livelier." Ireena smirks, and gestures to the room. "This is my library!"

Magpie quirks an amused grin at her Elvish, and takes a slow look around the room. "We heard Vistani musicians at the party. They played very well, Sierra was there among them actually. You'll have to see if she'll play the violin for you, it's truly beautiful."

"I would like that." Ireena pauses, wondering how far she can push her luck. "Maybe you would dance with me."

Magpie crouches in front of a bookshelf, scanning the titles distractedly, not so much as reaching a hand out to touch any of them. "I'm not sure you'd enjoy that, I was... never in a position to be taught any of the proper dances, and quite besides, I've been reliably told I have two left feet."

Ireena crouches next to him. "Then I shall simply have to teach you." 

Her smile is soft and her tone no longer teasing. The tension in her shoulders is heavy, but not directed at this conversation or her present company. It is tension she's clearly been carrying for a long time. 

"I like this one." She selects a book from the shelf. "It's long, but it tells the most wonderful story of a hero who journeys to find his way home after a long battle away from those he loves." She strokes the cover wistfully.

Magpie looks over at the book, admiring the cover. 

"Sounds like a compelling tale." He casts his eyes to the floor briefly, and takes another drink of wine before focusing back up on Ireena and the book. "You have so many books, it must be lovely to be able to come here and escape with them."

"Father loved to read. And there weren't exactly many other ways for me to spread my wings beyond this village." She sighs darkly and gestures at the window. "Even before..."

Aware that her façade has slipped again, Ireena straightens her shoulders and attempts another smile. 

"But yes, I am lucky. There are a few tomes in here that predate the beginning of the Von Zarovich reign in Barovia."

"Really? How old does that make them?" Magpie looks very interested at the promise of old books, a shadow that had fallen over his face lifting a little.

"Well over a century! Father rarely let anyone handle them, they're very delicate, but I always loved the way old books smell."

“Incredible. I shan’t ask to look at them, but what are they about? I often find some of the most fascinating stuff is in the oldest books.”

"There's a first edition of some very dramatic plays, and a couple of these epic poems too. If I'm being entirely honest, I am not completely sure I know what is in all of the oldest books Father had. But please, if you would like, feel free to select any volumes that take your fancy to take with you. It is wonderful to finally have a fellow bibliophile to share these with. My brother is not opposed to literature, but he's mostly been too busy with more important things to indulge me in expounding the joys of fiction."

Magpie looks gently surprised. "You'd let me bring some? Just like that?"

"I doubt Ismark will miss them, I will certainly be bringing some with me, and Father hardly has a use for them any more. Of course you may take some, as many as you would like." She laughs a little. "Or as many as you think you can carry, at any rate!"

Magpie laughs a little in return, a hesitant set to his face still. "It won't be many then. Most of us ended up here without a bag. You're sure I can borrow some?"

"Borrow, have, whatever you would like. And while we can't promise armour or weapons, I feel confident my brother can provide satchels or something to carry possessions in." Ireena puts a hand on his arm gently. "I mean it, really."

Magpie flinches at the touch, and pulls his arm away gently. "Satchels would be a great help, I don't think Fox's bag will survive anything else being put in it."

Ireena retracts her hand, but does not seem offended. "I did notice that sewing does not appear to be among Lord Ripley's particular skills."

Magpie laughs properly this time. “Apparently not, though I’m not sure I can say much after the gods awful job I did on those replacement gloves. It turns out not having something proper to cut the fabric with is a significant hindrance.”

"I hadn't liked to mention it, but they were somewhat unorthodox." Ireena giggles. "I wondered if it was some new trend from where you're from!"

“Decidedly not, just shoddy and hurried craftsmanship on my part.” He gives her a lopsided grin. “If you’re certain I can take a couple of books with me, do you have sections you’d rather I chose from? Or perhaps any recommendations?”

"You must feel free to choose whatever you'd like, although I suggest you take something less likely to fall apart when you touch it! But if you are open to suggestions, then I could show you some of my personal favourites?"

“I’d welcome that gladly, I find myself decidedly in a position of rather too much choice, and while I’d often like nothing more than to stay up all night browsing, I fear after the day we’ve had I need the rest.”

Ireena starts pulling books from shelves and various piles. They're all well-thumbed volumes, but don't seem in danger of falling apart completely. They span a wide range of genres: a poetry anthology by a Lord Byron, the classic epic poem she'd picked out earlier, a trilogy of long form fantasy, a collection of old Elvish plays, a couple of shorter looking novels (one historical fiction and one murder mystery), and a nonfiction biography of ancient rulers of Barovia. She sets them down in a pile in front of Magpie.

"This should narrow down the selection somewhat, I wasn't sure what you preferred, so I have chosen my favourites of many genres." She looks between Magpie and the pile a little nervously. "I hope there's something to your liking here?"

Magpie looks at the pile in astonishment, and brushes a gloved hand delicately across the covers. 

"All of it, I'd wager; I'll struggle to pick those that I can carry from such a fascinating collection." He looks up and catches her eye. "Thank you. Truly."

Ireena shows him a flash of the smile she must've had before the recent events of her life, and it lights up her whole face for a moment. 

"You are more than welcome, Magpie. I am aware that the journey ahead of us will be difficult, but I will not regret the opportunity to spend more time with you." She pauses and then adds almost as an afterthought, "With all of you. It will be nice to be able to say I have friends."

"It would be lovely indeed." Magpie looks back at the books, carefully thumbing through a couple of pages and starting to sort them into two neat piles. "After such a kind gesture, the least I could do is help you with your Elvish, if you still want to learn."

"Very much so, if it isn't too much trouble!" Ireena suddenly looks like she might cry and turns towards the door. "We should be getting back to the others, it is intolerably cruel of me to leave them solely in the company of my brother for too long." She turns back, and if her voice cracks, she doesn't acknowledge it. "Besides, as you said, you've all had a very long day. I imagine you will be wanting to rest soon."

Magpie blinks a couple of times at the abrupt change in mood, but makes no comment on it. He drains the last of his wine and sets the glass down, carefully picking up a stack of five books he'd set aside, the biography of rulers of Barovia, Elvish plays, and trilogy of fantasy, balancing them carefully in his arm before picking his glass back up. 

"Are these alright? Is it too many?"

"No, no of course not! That's fine! Would you like some help carrying them?"

"That's very kind of you, but I have a good hold on them, and there's no risk of me spilling my wine." He gives her a cheeky grin. "Well, shall we go and save the others from the company of your brother then?"

Ireena smiles back, small and shaky, but perhaps more real than some of her smiles up to this point. "An excellent idea, Mr Magpie." 

She leads the way back out of the study. She pauses on the landing and points at another door. "I believe that is to be your room for the night, if you'd prefer to drop the books off there, although I have no objections to you bringing them downstairs to share your finds with the others, if you wish."

"I –" Magpie looks torn, and a flicker of something passes over his face. "Perhaps, I'll drop most of them off. Bring just one down. To flick through."

"Great, I can wait here, or just meet you downstairs if you'd rather?"

"I'll be just a second." Magpie smiles at her briefly, and dips into the room to gently place the books down, keeping hold of the Elvish plays, and returning to her quickly.

"Shall we?" Ireena gestures at the staircase.

Magpie nods, and walks alongside her downwards, gently clutching the gifted book to his chest.

*

Written by Francesca Forrest & Nick Drew

Edited by Rowan E. Madden

Edge of Night is a dnd 5e actual play podcast, brought to you by Stringer Games. It is available on iTunes, Spotify & all good podcast providers.

[miasmapuddle]

12/12 portal - mercury's full moon - orion manifests duality & ferocity - venus mourns

The gemini full moon finds luna at the heart of the Orion constellation - bringing a heavy dose of Orion-consciousness down on our heads.

For those of us who are unaware of the section of starseed theory involving the orion conflict - books can and have been written on this archetype and its manifestations. In essence, orion, due to the violent (albeit undeserved) history of its inhabitants, symbolizes duality, oppression, and vile destruction of consciousness. So these themes are currently being illuminated in earth's collective. We are seeing the ugly side of things more clearly than usual, and are undergoing crises of consciousness involving money, love, and our material world.

the full moon in mercury's home will be forming uncomfortable quincunxes (150 degree angle that symbolizes very different energies being forced to work together as one) to Saturn, pluto, and poor sweet harmony-invested venus, who happens to be crossing the path of these two bad guys over the next few days. This venus-Saturn-Pluto action is occurring in the sign of capricorn, making this full moon about the bumpy fusion of the gemini &capricorn archetypes .

As someone with a capricorn moon/stellium & a gemini rising, I have always liked dissecting the Gemini-capricorn dynamic. These two energies have an interesting relationship, one we will be seeing play out over the next few days. Gemini and capricorn are complex, cynical, and aloof. Capricorn is the third to last sign and gemini is the third. Mercury and saturn, their rulers, have a mutually beneficial relationship. Mercury when unaspected by Saturn can create a feckless, superficial, changeable personality that is largely ungrounded in reality. While mercury-Saturn is dark and can be depressive, Gemini and capricorn are both known for their strong senses of humor.

This full moon, it is all about our attitude. We have to be able to see through the smog, to laugh even as things appear stark.

The 1212 portal is bringing deeper clarity and exposing subtle patterns that have long rotted beneath the surface. Both 12 and 3, (the base number of 12 and number of the zodiac associated with gemini) point to a deeper connection, a new level of subtle interpretation.

The awareness that rises, the messages we perceive, the guidance we are granted -- it's all leveling up. It is up to us to listen. If we do not, we may quickly be plunged into old lessons repeatedly in a very visceral way.

Mass awakening does not come without change. Earth quaking, mind altering, heart ripping change. Our old alliances are fizzling out, while other more intimate connections that have proved outdated go out with more of a bang.

But on the other side of the pain, there is a new heart pounding freshness to it all. Endless spheres of potential -untapped, vivid yet unimagined - satisfying like a fresh creamy page and a new pen.

No matter what we pass through the veil of around this full moon, there is something grander, something strange and titillating, just on the other side.

Gemini craves variety and loathes stability, and underneath it all, is able to see the excitement and novelty in even the bleakest situations.

The relationship between mercury and jupiter is also highlighted - with mercury itself in its exile in Jupiter's sign of sagittarius. This is a loud and indiscriminate type of mercury that tends to lack a filter. At the same time, there is a wider grasp on ideology and the pursuit of understanding - though mercury in sagittarius can be dogmatic and thinks itself to understand the secrets of the universe without truly seeking them.

The mercury-Saturn energy is working to balance out mercury's time in Jupiter's domain by defining where we are too loose- too sure of ourselves - too careless or freewheeling.

Jupiter himself is early in capricorn, Saturn's sign, adding to this complex balancing act by the intermediary planets.

This is a time in which the rhythms and delicate balances of nature are revealing themselves to us with special clarity. The veil is very thin the next 36 hours - due to the dual nature of both mercury and jupiter - this full moon is going to look very different for everyone. The only coherent themes will be duality itself, new awareness of our own multiplicity, and instructions on how to intermediate between our own extremes.

[queenofcats17]

BATIM D&D Party

I wanted to write out backstories for the BATIM characters in a D&D world, so here we go. These are very much my versions of the characters, as well as some of my oc’s. 

I also kind of made a story out of it.

I used this to help me decide everyone’s classes upon first thinking about this, but this is also very helpful.

Thank you to @randomwriteronline and @chaostheparrot for their input and help in ironing out what classes would fit each character. 

I especially loved Random’s comment that the Music Department would be, and I quote, “just increasingly off the shit bards”. 

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

Timeline:

Joey and Henry meet up and decide to adventure together. 

Original party is formed: Joey, Henry, Norman, Wally, and the bard band

Henry and Joey get into a fight and Henry leaves the party

Shawn and Grant are inducted into the party

Joey’s party passes through Cordelia’s town and she joins as they are in need of a healer

Asmodeus reaches out to Joey and becomes Joey’s patron

Tom and Allison are brought on. Joey explains that they need another healer and Tom has some experience with magical artifacts. He refuses to explain what sort of magical artifacts he wants Tom for

Joey approaches Bertram to make an artifact for him which leads to Bertram and Lacie traveling with the party in order to gather the materials for the artifact

Joey leads the party to defeat a necromancer holed up in a castle, and takes up residence there once the necromancer is defeated. 

Joey starts conducting immoral experiments, occasionally kidnapping residents from the nearby town

Joey turns his attentions to his party members, beginning to experiment on them

Henry gets a letter, inviting him to the castle. Joey has something to show him...

Now on to the backstories. 

Sammy, Susie, and Jack are all bards who have been friends since childhood. Johnny is Sammy’s younger brother and also a bard. They each have their own reasons for wanting to go out adventuring. Sammy because he wanted to spread his music, Susie because she wanted to see the world and sing for people, Johnny because he was not about to let Sammy see the world without him, and Jack basically because he wanted to be around his friends. They’ve formed a band of sorts. Sammy plays banjo (although he can play nearly any instrument), Jack’s on violin, Johnny basically plays a keyboard, and Susie sings. They’ve been run out of a few towns due to Susie and Sammy’s strong personalities. Sammy gets into fights with people about music and Susie squares up when her friends are threatened. Although there was one time someone broke Jack’s violin and he did a number on them. 

Sammy and Susie will flirt with anyone and everyone. They are disaster bisexuals. Favorite targets are Norman, Tom, and Allison. Sometimes Wally, although that’s mostly Sammy. Meanwhile, Jack has kind of a thing for Grant. And sometimes Sammy. He’s a quiet and distinguished gay. Johnny falls in love very easily and it’s hard to get him to move on from them. He had a crush on Susie when they were all little and Sammy continues to tease him about it. Susie thought it was cute.

Joey: Warlock. His patron is Asmodeus, the Lord of Hells. Growing up, Joey dreamed of adventuring. His parents strongly discouraged this, knowing the dangers that came along with adventuring. They didn’t want him to get hurt. Joey, however, took this to mean that they thought he was too weak to make it in the world. It didn’t help that a lot of the other children liked to pick on him due to his small stature and sickly nature. He threw himself into studying magic, being too weak to class as anything particularly physical. His success was rather...mixed. He was alright at magic, but nowhere near as powerful as he’d hoped. 

He ran away from home at around 18 in order to adventure and find a way to boost his magical power. He ended up in Henry’s town and the two became friends. Joey suggested they go adventuring together and Henry agreed. The two set off on their adventure when they were in their 20′s, forming a party with Norman, Wally, and the bard band. Joey's search for power was temporarily forgotten as he reveled in the joy of adventuring with his friends. However, tensions began to run a bit high between him and Henry, who thought Joey was being greedy and pushing the party members farther than they were capable of going. The two of them fought and Henry left the party.

Joey was convinced he could make it without Henry, bolstering the ranks of the party and continuing to press on as though nothing was wrong. However, this was the beginning of his spiral downwards. He began to throw himself even more into trying to bolster his magic. He started dragging his party into even more dangerous situations in order to find a way to make himself more powerful. 

It was at this point that Asmodeus reached out to him. He appeared as a handsome red-skinned young man and promising he could give Joey everything he desired. Joey took his offer, becoming a rather powerful warlock. 

For a bit, things were alright. Joey was happy with his newfound power. He had to perform sacrifices to Asmodeus, which was a little inconvenient given his party’s moral compass, but the party was already killing evildoers. Asmodeus seemed perfectly satisfied with these sorts of sacrifices, though.

But soon...Joey began to wonder. Why did they have to rely on gods for magical power? Why couldn’t they just have it themselves? He’d seen many a warlock fall due to losing the favor of their patron. It was incredibly dangerous to rely on these gods for power when their favor could so easily be lost. If he could find a way to allow humans to have godly powers without the contract, then he could prevent others from falling. And so, unbeknownst to his party, he began to look into magical artifacts and rituals. 

Norman: Ranger. No one knows what his background is and he refuses to give a straight answer as to what it is. His story changes every time he’s asked. In reality, he was part of a rebellion against the tyrannical ruler of his town. The rebellion failed, unfortunately, and in retaliation, the ruler killed those who had taken part in it. Norman managed to escape, but his family and many of his friends died. He doesn’t like to talk about it. Sammy, Susie, Wally, and Tom are some of the only people he’s told the truth to. Prior to joining up with this party, he tried not to stay in any place for too long for fear of being recognized and turned over to the ruler. Initially, he wanted revenge against the man who killed the people he loved. He plotted out exactly how he would do it, fantasized about sticking the bastard’s head on a pike. But he’s been running for a long time. And that fire has long since been extinguished. Now he just wants to be free from that looming shadow. 

Henry: Monk. He never really planned on being an adventurer. He grew up in a small village that was pretty far away from any kind of danger. His parents ran a bookstore. He didn’t have any siblings. He had a pretty boring life. He met Joey after Joey ran away from home and ended up in Henry’s town. When Joey suggested they start adventuring together, he was excited. He’d never left his town before. So he left with Joey and the two of them began adventuring together with their party. Things were good for a while until Henry and Joey began to butt heads about Joey’s leadership of the group. Henry ended up leaving over this argument. Angry and upset, Henry went away to train at a monastery. It was during this training that he met Linda, who was passing through on her own errands. The two of them adventured for a bit after Henry completed his training before settling down together. 

Linda: Cleric. A follower of the Lliira. She came from a long line of healers, and while she wasn’t expected to follow in their footsteps, it was highly encouraged. Luckily, she was interested in helping people. She chose Lliira as her patron as she had little interest in fighting or continuing the cycle of violence in their world. Once she’d reached the appropriate age, and had trained sufficiently with her family, she set off on a journey to bring healing and joy to all she could. She met Henry when she stopped off at the monastery he was training at during her travels. She thought he was rather adorable, especially since he tended to accidentally hit himself in the face with his staff whenever she watching him practice. She was more than happy to journey with and later marry him. 

Henry works as a historian/librarian in their town while Linda is the local healer. A not-insignificant portion of the town has crushes on both of them. They’re both very kind and compassionate and surprisingly buff. Linda may be a pacifist, but she chops their firewood herself. 

Tom: Fighter who dual classes as an artificer. He’s made a bit of a name for himself as an artificer, but more often he’s just called upon to fix things. He grew up in an orphanage as his parents were killed in a monster attack. He made himself indispensable to the orphanage staff by being the best at fixing things. He taught himself to fix just about everything. Chairs, plumbing, wagons, weapons. You name it, he figured out how to fix it. Once he got older, the orphanage directors apprenticed him to a blacksmith. Tom tried to find fulfillment in it but couldn’t. He ended up training himself as a fighter, while beginning to hone his craft as an artificer, and set off wandering. He found Allison when she’d gotten herself into a fight she wasn’t prepared for and helped her get out. He thought she was a nice woman and decided to travel with her. She gave people hope and he wanted to be a part of that. 

Allison: Paladin. A follower of the goddess Istus. Her family are nobles and frankly bastards. She ran away from home at a young age to join a convent. However, during her journey to the convent, she saw the injustices of the world. So, instead of going to the convent, she went to join a paladin order. The paladins were initially a little unsure about whether to take her on, especially since she was the daughter of a noble and they didn’t want to have her father storming their building demanding her back, but she proved she was serious about the situation. After she completed her training, she set out to help those in need. She met Tom after stumbling into a fight she wasn’t prepared for. The two started traveling together after that. She believes that there is always hope, no matter how many times she is knocked down. There are many who take comfort in her unshakable faith.

Shawn: Rogue. He grew up in the slums of a major city, learning how to pickpocket and swindle in order to provide for his family. His mother constantly told him that there were other ways for them to get by, but no matter how many jobs she or his siblings picked up, they never had enough. Shawn saw stealing from the rich as the only viable option. It wasn’t like taking from the ultra-rich of the city would hurt them, he thought. And it didn’t. They just threw huge fits before eventually moving on. He earned a bit of a reputation among the city guards as a troublemaker. Shawn started having a bit of fun messing with them, which led to guards to target his family. He ended up leaving the city in hopes that it would improve his family’s lives if he wasn’t there. He began to travel, becoming a Robin Hood-esque figure. The poor lauded him as a hero while the rich saw him only as a villain. Joey found him in a holding cell after getting caught stealing from a corrupt baron. He continues to send money to his family even now, hoping that he can still try and make up for the mistakes he’s made.

Bertram: Artificer. Born to a well to do family, Bertram was never particularly interested in adventuring. He was, however, very interested in inventing and figuring out how to imbue magic into the things he created. He ended up becoming a rather successful and sought after artificer due to his uncanny knack for figuring out how things worked and how they could be improved. He began traveling in order to expand his business, which is why he hired Lacie. He needed a bodyguard and she wanted to travel. He ended up encountering Joey when Joey approached him to design an artifact for him. Bertram didn’t particularly trust him, but business was business so he agreed to do what he could for Joey.

Lacie: Monk. Kind of like an older, more tired version of Beau from Critical Role. Her family were wealthy and wanted a son, but they got Lacie instead. They tried to force her to be the ‘perfect’ daughter which led to her rebelling quite a lot. She ended up running away to join a monastery. The monks helped her to deal with the anger and frustration she felt, teaching how to channel it into more productive avenues. She stayed at the monastery for many years, gaining a reputation as a competent fighter and a general pillar of common sense, until she was approached by Bertram to be his bodyguard. She’s been traveling with him ever since. She tries not to pick fights, but she will absolutely finish any ones started by other people. 

Grant: Wizard. From a young age, Grant had an insatiable desire for knowledge. It was this desire that led him to begin to study magic. His family didn’t have much but wanted to send him off to a magic academy so that he would be able to study magic. Thankfully, a magic academy did take notice of his aptitude and sent him a letter. Although Grant excelled at his magical studies, he proved too anxious to function as a power player. He had no interest in playing mind games or working in a court. He was better suited to academia, and so became a professor and scholar after graduation. Grant was more than happy teaching others magic and often regrets leaving his position at the school to travel with Joey, especially since Joey doesn’t exactly treat him well. Joey wanted Grant for his vast knowledge and tactical mind, often treating him as nothing more than a walking encyclopedia. 

Wally: Druid. A follower of the goddess Eldath. He grew up in kind of a hippie commune. He has a really big family and the kids were basically allowed to run free in the forest and do whatever they wanted. He was happy in the commune, but he always kind of wanted to see the world. Plus, he felt a bit bad that he wasn’t as good of a druid as the rest of his family. He just didn’t take it as seriously as others did. He left the commune when he was about 16 and started just roaming around. He ran into Joey and Henry and joined their party because they thought he was absolutely adorable and just a little ray of sunshine. He’s not much of a combatant, because Eldath abhorres violence and won’t fight even to defend herself. The few times he’s tried to fight he’s lost his powers from her. It was easy enough for Joey to take him down in the end. Wally would never hurt a friend. 

Cordelia: Cleric. Follower of the goddess Hel. Despite Hel’s less than savory reputation, Cordelia follows her because it gives her comfort to think there is someone looking out for her parents, both of whom died from sickness. Had a rather sheltered upbringing in a small village where nothing much happened. Roy left for adventure when she was about 15. He returned when she was 17, carried back catatonic by a few paladins. She volunteered to take care of him since both of their parents needed to work. This is how she started learning how to be a cleric in the first place. She was 18 when Joey’s party rolled into town, making her want to go adventuring like her brother had. She specifically latched onto the bard band, wanting to be just like them. Maybe even travel with them. Her parents were averse to the idea, especially after what had happened to Roy, but they didn’t want to quash her dreams. They died later that year from a sickness she could neither treat nor cure. She was devastated, shutting herself in her room for days on end. But, upon Roy’s suggestion, the next time Joey’s party came around she left with them.

Roy: Former bard. Formerly a rather successful bard before an adventuring mishap put him out of commission. He got bored in their little village and set off for a life of adventure. Although he couldn’t play music too well, nor sing, he had a charismatic presence that drew people to him. He was part of a rather large adventuring group filled with similarly eager young adventurers. They were all predictably naive and foolhardy, rushing headlong into danger and getting into their fair share of scrapes and danger. One day, they ended up going on a quest that they couldn’t handle. Roy was the only one who survived. He was found, catatonic, by some wandering paladins who managed to get him home. He didn’t say anything for years until his and Cordelia’s parents died and he forced himself to step up and be there for Cordelia. He was the one to suggest she become an adventurer. Despite his own misgivings toward that career, he thought it would do her good to get away from their town and the memory fo their parents.

Esther: Paladin. Follower of the god Tyr. Although she’s not an adventurer, she still takes her job very seriously. She wants to protect those who cannot protect themselves. She became a paladin after Joey ran away. Specifically, she went on a journey to try and find her brother again. Along the way, she witnessed the injustice and cruelty of the world. It horrified her to see the way people treated each other and the abuses that people got away with. When she returned, not having found her brother, she went through paladin training and became the protector of her town. She later met the man who would become her husband, Robert, when he was passing through the town as a traveling bookseller. The two struck up a friendship, which later turned into a relationship.

[lavellane]

DRAGON AGE QUESTIONS

tagged by: @nordxz​ thanks so much !!! *heart emoji* 

favourite game of the series?

origins! although inquisition is very close as well.  inquisition was my favourite for a very time, but like midway through last year i replayed origins and it just felt.....so good. i really struggled with enjoying dao because of the clunky fighting system but an amazing mutual introduced me to a mod that lets u skip fights basically lol, so i was just able to focus on the story/characters/exploration of the game, which just....made me realize how immensely beautiful the game actually is, and i fell in love all over again aaaaa

how did you discover dragon age?

i was a huge mass effect fan ! mass effect was the game that motivated me to make this blog, actually, and obviously through following people i saw a lot of posts from the da community as well. so i bought origins and inquisition (i had NO idea there was a da2 until half way through awakening lmao) and tried to play origins but HATED it gtrhutgrhugtr and then eventually gave it another try like a month later and completely loved it and now here we are

how many times you’ve played the games?

not as many times as some people on here have - i would say origins maybe four times, da2 maybe twice, inquisition three times. but that also doesnt count all the timesw ive created new games and then abandoned them lol bc theres too many to count 

favourite race to play as?

love me some elf booty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

favourite class?

at first it was rogue dual wielder ! i played as a rogue in every single first-time playthrough and idk i felt that class has always been the easiest/most op. but in the last maybe 2 years it’s changed to mage. ive always been super intimidated by magic classes in every game i play but i LOVE inquisition’s mage classes/specializations and i can never go back now

do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time?

im so so so bad and i usually end up making very similar choices, but usually bc i just......replay the same characters every time hgtuhgtruhgtrui. i REALLY need to make more da ocs to explore more choices but....i dont want to lol i already have to many. i still havent sided with the templars in a playthrough like i just cant do it 

go-to adventuring group?

i always bring my characters love interest with them no matter what, just bc its cute, but usually i try to evenly cycle the other characters around that. i always try to have a warrior/rogue/mage in every party. but sometimes i’ll go warrior/warrior/mage/mage especially if i need to focus on straight damage and a LOT of healing lol

my favourite parties would probably be:

dao - alistair + zevran + wynne (wholesome and also funny)

da2 - anders + fenris + merrill (SO much chaotic energy)

dai - solas + cassandra + cole (i just love them ok)

which of your characters did you put the most thought into?

ashara lavellan, my canon inquisitor who was never supposed to be canon tghtgurhtrg. my original canon inq was a trevelyan rogue, who was super nice and good. i made ashara so that i could actually play as an evil/mean character without feeling bad lol, oh and i also wanted to see what the deal with solas was bc i had heard his romance was good ;;;;) anyway that backfired and i ended up completely falling in love with her, and i STILL couldnt make the tough choices with her so i was like ok maybe she isnt THAT evil and now shes just..... the way she is now i guess lmao

favourite romance?

trhhtruih okay u guys KNOW its solas. u know. i dont even have to say anythiing about it bc...u fucking know

(alistair’s is very close tho)

have you read any of the comics/books?

i havent :(((( im such a bad fan but i cannot deal with ordering online and thats the only place ive been able to find them. im planning on reading asunder and the masked empire as soon as i get the chance (and the money) tho !!

if you read them, which was your favourite book?

nope

favourite DLCs?

trespasser ! its pretty simple and very plot-driven like u didnt have to worry about side missions as much as u would with other dlcs so idk that was... refreshing. but obviously i loved it just bc it was so beautiful and intense and sad (since my chara romanced solas obviously) and that music score????? unbelievable i’ll never be over it

things that annoy you.

can i say the fandom trghuitgrhutrhui

mostly the thing that pisses me off the most is the grey morality. writers trying to make everything deep and Thought Provoking like..... no jerry, slavery IS bad theres no alternative viewpoint lol??????? also the fucking whitewashing makes me see red. 

orlais or ferelden?

ferelden!!!!! (*blows a kiss* for highever)

templars or mages?

mages <3 

if you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one?

i only have like 3 protag da characters and they’re all canon, although emeraude is an au. so ella is my canon warden and ashara is my canon inquisitor, but emeraude does exist in that universe, bc i hc she befriended the warden and alistair when they visited the alienage, and she was very outspokenly angry and didn’t really give a shit that alistair was going to be heir. which alistair really,,, appreciated i guess? so emeraude is made his official elven adviser after his coronation but she also kinda helps out as a royal protector because she’s one of the only people in court they both trust completely lol. also she is....stronk. 

and the only other characters i have for da are obviously side characters who are related to my canon protags so. they’re all canon as well lol

what did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc)

ella named her dog ser bark gthutgrhutghruihtr she thought it was cute ok

emeraude just went with barkspawn since alistair came up with the idea as a joke but she thought the joke was so bad she made them keep it as punishment vjhuightui

i dont really have a hawke oc but.....he named his dog shepard in my playthrough ! like from mass effect ;;;;)))

have you installed any mods?

origins is modded to hell and back and i genuinely couldn’t play the game without mods at this point. inquisition is slightly modded but im in the process of removing them all, and only keeping a few because my game runs pretty terribly with them installed 

did your warden want to become a grey warden?

ella did ! but it was kind of,, a naive childhood dream, she had a really romanticized view of the wardens and she wanted a life of excitement and bravery and adventure, not really taking into consider all the bad things about it (and obviously not knowing the full truth about what it means to be a warden)

emeraude did NOT want to be a warden. she basically had to be dragged out of the alienage because she wanted to stay and protect her community. she never really enjoyed being a warden, although her friendship with alistair was its one redeeming quality 

hawke’s personality?

uh i cant remember the colour/personality thing but he was a combo of funny/ethical. mostly there for memes tho. 

did you make matching armor for your companions in inquisition?

for origins i do ! i always make sure alistair and ella wear the grey warden armour, as well as every warden in awakening. thats like, all theyre allowed to wear lmao.

if your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?

ella would obviously change her family’s murder lol, and emeraude would at least try and change what happened at her wedding, to prevent shianni and the others from being hurt. 

ashara would change romancing solas :((( she was so angry at herself after discovering who he was, and she felt weak and foolish which she HATES more than any other feeling, so she definitely wishes she had never met him for a long time. after she kind of processes it though, and learns to deal with her anger, her answer would be that she wishes she had saved the chargers. it’s the one move she made that actually keeps her up at night sometimes. 

do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon?

ghuitrhuigtrhugtr so many. canon? dont know her. 

the biggest example would be that i hc king!alistair was at the winter palace during the wicked hearts level. because uh..... celene and the fereldan monarchs had been corrosponding for over 10 years, trying to build up rapport, of COURSE the king would be there to see who the potential ruler/s of orlais would be and whether or not he ought to be worried. like. im sorry but alistair was there lol you can’t change my mind. i also hc he helps ashara with information about the grey wardens during this chapter, because ???? it just makes sense??? im so angry i wish this was canon

are any of your characters based on someone?

ok it was unintentional but ashara reminds me of an english teacher i had in highschool who was very scary but also....really cool and i loved her. it was an accident but,, still counts. 

who did you leave in the fade?

gtiturghtugh okay at the risk of pissing off EVERYBODY who reads this, i left hawke in the fade, even though it was a toss up between hawke and stroud. it was ashara’s fault tho !!! she would have 100% prioritzed an alliance with the grey wardens over like,, some guy. it broke my heart but yeah That happened. 

favourite mount?

i like all the elk mounts mostly ! but i never use them bc they sound ugly af

tagging : @trvelyans​ @f3nharel​ @allisondraste​ @ensevens​ @tethraas​ @talizorah​ @fereldun​ if u are up to it <3 and whoever else wants to do this ! 

[ashethehedgehog]

Brothers in Arms

Words: 2,486

Comment: A quick little thing I wrote up for the lovely @tsukimilog!! It’s based off her short comic! This is platonic brotherly stuff, not my usual puzzle romance, just so you know! B) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atem came home that evening from training exhausted. Yugi could tell in the way his shoulders sagged that he had had a hard day, his bangs sticking to his face in clumps he hadn’t bothered to readjust.

“Atem? How was training today?” Yugi smiled gently at him. Atem raised his head to offer a weak smile, sighing loudly through his nose.

“Tough. Exhausting. The priests are unforgiving with mistakes. They say a god never makes mistakes, and I must learn to never make them as well.”

“But you’re still young, and you have a human body. Surely they understand they can’t compare your skills to what Ra can achieve in the sky?” Yugi frowned, reaching out to loop Atem’s bangs behind his ears.

Atem hummed, brushing one of his hands against Yugi’s. “They’re worried if I don’t learn now, I’ll never be able to handle the weight of the dual crowns.”

“Atem, you’re tired, but you’re also stressed,” Yugi noted, coming to sit by Atem’s side. “We should go do something fun! Laugh and have a good time, like we used to, as kids!”

“Yugi, please. I have to rest for tomorrow. They expect me to be up before Ra’s rays.” Atem said, heaving a heavy sigh. He collapsed down onto the daybed, a tired hand reaching up to thread through his bangs.

Yugi watched him tug his crown off, gently dropping the gold onto a nearby table. This calls for a distraction, Yugi thought, a grin spreading over his face.

“Hey, how about we go looking for some dragons! That always cheers you up!” Yugi bounced up and down, snatching Atem’s arm and dragging it along with him.

“Yugi, stop, I- Hey!” Atem yelped as Yugi tugged him forward, and they both fell off balance.

Yugi laughed, slamming onto the cushions with Atem landing on top of him, head on Yugi’s chest.

“Yugi!” Atem groaned, scrambling up on his arms to suspend himself above Yugi.

Yugi shot him a grin, arms looping around Atem’s shoulders to bring him back down.

“Oof!”

“Come on Atem, lighten up!”

“Release me!”

“Only if you promise to have some fun with me!”

“I have no time for fun, Yugi-!”

“Then you have no time for me!” Yugi puffed up his cheeks, glaring at the other.

Atem stilled, eyes slowly raising to meet Yugi’s, looking incredibly guilty. “Yugi, please… I don’t mean to. I always have time for my brother. But… it’s less time, than when we were kids. I have more responsibilities now, and they’re only going to get bigger and more important. By the time the crowns pass to me, I must be ready to wear them high, or Khemet will suffer for my inexperience.”

“Atem, you can take a few hours off. You’re still young. No one’s saying you can’t handle it, but if you don’t know how to make light of a situation that calls for it, then how will you be able to rule justly? All work and no play makes for a dull life, brother.”

Atem smiled sadly. “I’m afraid that’s what being pharaoh means, Yugi.”

“Fine, but let’s at least go for a walk? Just a quiet one?” Yugi looked at him imploringly.

Atem’s gaze flickered between his eyes, and he sighed, smile breaking over his face. “I can’t say no to that face. All right, a stroll around the palace, but no further.”

“I’ll take it!” Yugi bounced to his feet, dragging Atem up as well.

They left their chambers behind, heading to the outlying corridors. Here there were windows cut into the sides of the palace, giving a great and marvellous view of the spiralling city below.

Yugi glanced over at Atem to see his eyes on the ground, his pace trailing slightly behind Yugi’s, a frown etched on his face. The kind he wore when he was deep in thought, something Yugi was beginning to see increasingly.

“You need to smile more. What kind of god doesn’t smile when he sees a land so beautiful?” Yugi beamed, turning to gaze out the window.

Truly a stunning view… he sighed happily, watching the glow of the afternoon rays bathe the city in brilliant shades of warmth. He could feel the life of the city from here, imagine the families crowding together for their evening meals, laughter in the air. He couldn’t remember the last time he had that with Atem, eating as a family, side by side. Most times Atem was required to eat in private, a quiet meal before he returned to his training, often well into the night.  

“It is a beautiful view,” Atem said, pulling Yugi’s attention to him. Atem was leaning against the edge of the gap that marked the window, smiling out over the city. He turned to Yugi, eyes crinkling in happiness.

“You know, I don’t think I stop to admire this enough,” he continued. “So long spent with my head in books and bowed at temples, I had forgotten the simple wonders of the land we live in.”

“The smallest things can make the biggest difference, Mahad said once.” Yugi chuckled, Atem joining in.

“He’s right, of course; one should stop and take a moment to enjoy life, king or not. I hope I don’t forget that, when the crowns are on my brow.”

“Well, no matter what happens when you become king, I’ll be right there by your side. Someone’s got to keep you in check, after all,” Yugi said, clasping his hand in Atem’s.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Atem smiled, squeezing Yugi’s hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day Atem became pharaoh Yugi had never been prouder. His brother stood up on the balcony above his people, all gathered in the courtyard beyond the palace gates, hands outstretched as if to grasp a piece of Ra’s rays that shone off their god’s body.

Atem was practically alight with the amount of gold covering him. Ra’s light caught on every piece of it, setting him aglow, so much so no one could even look at him without being rendered blind from the brilliance.

Truly a god among men, Yugi thought, feeling his chest well up with happiness.

Atem raised his hand, addressing his people with a bold speech about the future of their kingdom. People screamed, people cried, and most of all, they bowed and swore their lives to their king, the living god blessing them with his presence.

As Atem turned in to head to his banquet, Yugi left his own balcony, racing through the halls to meet Atem there and talk to his brother.

He paused mid step as the two high priests appeared in the corridor before him.

“My prince, you are in a hurry to go somewhere?” one asked.

“I’m off to see the king and congratulate him,” Yugi replied.

“The king will be very busy today, accepting offerings and engaging the nobles. Perhaps it would be best to wait, young prince?” The other priest suggested.

“He’s my brother. I should be there for him.” Yugi protested.

“He’s not your brother, he is pharaoh, ruler of all,” the priest said, brows low in disapproval. “This is an important day for him, and if the coronation does not please the gods, his rule will be cursed.”

“We wouldn’t want that for his majesty, would we, my prince?” another joined in.

Yugi lowered his head, teeth worrying at his lip. If Atem’s rule was cursed because of me… I couldn’t… “No, we wouldn’t.”

“Good. You understand your place well, my prince. The pharaoh’s safety and ability to rule come before all else. So long as he bares the weight of the kingdom, he cannot afford… distractions.”

“I understand,” Yugi whispered, walking away. He heard the roar of the crowd below, still screaming their excitement, despite the king having left.

He retreated to his chambers, telling the guards nearby that he had fallen ill and was unable to attend the pharaoh’s banquet. He knew Atem would come looking for him otherwise, and he couldn’t afford to distract the pharaoh on his coronation day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks and months flew by, and Yugi did his best to distance himself from Atem. It hurt him physically every time he saw Atem, caught a glance of his brother’s warm eyes, and knew he couldn’t run up and hug him as he had as a child.

He would turn away every time, sliding off into the shadows to find somewhere free of Atem’s presence. It was mostly easy, as the priests and demands of the kingdom kept Atem so busy, he seemed to hardly realise when Yugi wasn’t there.

The kingdom flourished under Atem’s rule, food plentiful and attacks form neighbouring kingdoms had lessened as treaties and good relationships had been struck between them. Khemet had not seen such a golden age for many pharaohs’ rules, and Yugi still felt the flutter of pride in his chest when he saw and heard the great things Atem was accomplishing.

So it was to be, that one day as Yugi was strolling down a corridor to return some borrowed scrolls, he would run into Atem.

He saw the king first, stopping in his tracks and trying to reverse his steps.

“Yugi!” Atem called, and Yugi froze. “There you are!”

“Pharaoh.” Yugi turned around, dipping his head respectfully.

“Where have you been? It feels like ages since I saw you last,” Atem clasped a hand against his back, pulling him into a hug.

“I was at dinner last night,” Yugi pointed out, trying to wriggle out of Atem’s hold.

He stepped back when Atem let go, keeping his gaze lowered off to the side.

“Yes, but it’s not the same,” Atem said. He stepped forward, and it took all of Yugi’s restraint to not step back. “You should attend court with me today. It will be nice to have someone else there beside me while I judge.”

“But I… don’t belong there, Atem.” Yugi whispered, eyes darting around for anyone else wandering by.

“Nonsense,” Atem snorted. “You always belong by my side. We’re brothers, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but At-”

“Come now, it’ll be good for you to experience a court session. You’re technically allowed to attend them, you know. You are the prince.” Atem sounded amused, but Yugi could also hear some slight confusion in his tone.

“Court isn’t for me…” Yugi tried to drop the conversation, but Atem was persistent.

“The priests have been strangely silent in matters permitting you, so I figured it was about time I did something, let you have some glory to your name as well. Just because I’m pharaoh doesn’t mean that my brother should be given less for being prince.”

“Really Atem, it’s fine, this is where I belong.”

“No, it isn’t,” Atem frowned, stepping forward. “It’s by my side. That’s where you should be, not hiding off who knows where being forgotten.”

No, Atem… that’s how it should be. Yugi lowered his gaze, stepping back. “We can’t.”

“We can’t? Yugi?” Atem’s brows furrowed, and he took another step. “What’s…”

“I can’t do this, Atem!” Yugi finally snapped. He threw his heads in the air, pinning Atem with a serious expression.

Atem paused, flinched, even, carefully watching Yugi. His hand returned to his sides, where they curled into fists. “What are you saying, Yugi? You don’t… you don’t want this? To be by my side?”

“Of course I do,” Yugi whispered, the fight draining out of him. “But I… we can’t, Atem. You’re pharaoh now. And you have responsibilities. You can’t afford to be distracted. I’m too much of a distraction to you and your throne.”

“And that’s what you think you are? A distraction? Nothing more than a trivial moment to take away from what really matters?” Atem growled, arms shaking by his sides.

“I…” Yugi looked down, unable to work out a reply past the lump in his throat.

“Enough. This ends now.” Atem stormed away, feet slapping loudly on the tiles.

“Atem wait!” Yugi took a step forward to chase the other, arm outstretched, but found his strength failed him.

He collapsed to the ground, and with it, the final string holding back his tears snapped.

Fat drops trickled down his cheeks, and he let out a huge wail.

I can’t chase after him any more… this… is how things have to be. Khemet needs its king. He folded further into himself, trying to ignore the raw pain slicing his heart.

He was so far gone he didn’t hear the footsteps growing closer, nor the hand on his shoulder.

“Yugi,” Atem’s soft voice called to him. He froze, tears still streaming down his face.

“A… Atem?” he sobbed trying to blink away the tears. All he could make out was the muddy form of a person in front of him, browns and golds merging in shimmering shapes.

He felt hands at his face, and thumbs brushed over his eyes, taking the tears with them. As his gaze began to clear, he saw Atem standing in front of him, crouched down on one knee with a soft expression.

“I’m tired of people telling me what I can’t do and have. I’m sick of having to push away the most important people in my life, my friends, family… my own brother.” Atem said, looking down at the space between them, like he was too concerned to meet Yugi’s gaze. “I have sacrificed my life and happiness so that I may handle the weight of the crowns. But I see now, that this cannot be done if I must push everyone away. The crowns’ weight is too heavy to bear alone. This is clear to me now.

“This time, the throne will be shared by two. We are twins, after all,” Atem smiled, extending his hand forward. In it was a crown similar to his own, made of shimmering gold with the same patterns as Atem’s carved into it.

It was a crown fit for a king.

“Atem…” Yugi ignored the crown, leaping past it to wrap his arms around Atem’s neck. “I thought I would lose you forever.”

“No matter what happens, you’ll always be the most important person in my life,” Atem whispered, arms wrapping around Yugi.

“And you’ll be mine,” Yugi said, clutching tighter.

“Even when I am forced to marry, and if you marry too, we’ll still be the best of friends.”

“We will.”

They pulled apart after a moment, and Atem raised the crown to Yugi’s brow. “May I?”

Yugi nodded, and Atem pressed it against his skin, feeding it under his bangs and tying the clasps together at the back.

“There. Now Khemet will have two pharaohs ruling over its land and people.” Atem smiled, holding out his now empty hand. “Shall we go let the high priests know of your new status, brother?”

“I would like nothing more, brother.” Yugi said, slipping his hand into Atem’s.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/horoscopes-for-june-2nd-9th-2019-new-moon-in-gemini/

Horoscopes for June 2nd - 9th, 2019 ~ New Moon in Gemini

FCGCT Commentary: We are moving from the mind, to the Heart… not the balancing of the two. The mind conflicts with the Heart, and is the cause for imbalance, pain, fear, suffering and more. It is the Heart and Brain which work in harmony together. The mind… the ego, blocks the Heart, as it Edges God Out. It is the Heart and Brain which work in harmony to allow Balanced Harmonics, your Divine Blueprint. Let go of the mind, and solely flow from the Heart, connected to the Unified Heart in Unity Consciousness.

Horoscopes for June 2nd – 9th, 2019 ~ New Moon in Gemini

By Nadia Gilchrist

Overview

The June 3rd New Moon in Gemini presents a beginning with more than one choice. Multiple options or the theme of duality can keep things shifting, and as Mercury (ruler of Gemini) enters Cancer on June 4th and squares Chiron in Aries on June 7th, the discussion triggered by this Moon will enter sensitive, emotional territory. The detached overview of choices will become very personal and touchy – empathy is the best way to handle whatever comes up. 

On June 8th, Venus enters Gemini and adds light, intriguing energy to all matters involving relationships, self-esteem, values and money. “More than one” becomes desired – we want options and flexibility. But the Gemini Sun’s square to Neptune on June 9th cautions that emerging situations will be deceiving -keep your eye on the facts and don’t get distracted by what might be. 

Aries

The New Moon in your communication sector hi-lights choices, conversations and facts. Much will be in flux, and as Mercury enters your domestic sector and squares Chiron in your sign, you may run into some painful family discussions or uncomfortable knowledge about the past. Treat this as an introduction rather than a final decision. 

Venus into your communication sector can boost your ability to say the right thing or you chances of hearing good news. However, don’t take this to the bank, especially when the Sun squares Neptune – what you hear or say can easily shift, and while it may sound nice, it won’t be long-lasting. Use this energy to inspire and consider new options, but don’t depend on it. 

Taurus

The New Moon in your sector of personal resources can present new choices regarding earned money or self-esteem. Options can be intriguing, but allow things to develop before you say “yes.” As Mercury enters your communication sector and squares Chiron, know that you may hear some unpleasant news, or what you say may be undermined by hidden insecurities. Conversations can be ultra-sensitive when you’re least expecting it.

Venus into your sector of personal resources can open up new possibilities regarding sources of income or new ways of expressing your values. Flexibility is key, but as the Sun squares Neptune, know that much is in flux- don’t rely on any once choice. Rather, keep an open mind and wait to see how things shake out. 

Gemini

The New Moon in your sign can open a door, present you with more choices or trigger a surge of enthusiasm – something intriguing is on the horizon, but as Mercury enters your sector of personal resources and squares Chiron, you may not be able to maintain that lightness and detachment. Money, values and self-esteem issues may start to matter far more than you’re comfortable with, and social prompts can trigger some worries. It’s ok to feel vulnerable – it’s part of the process. 

Venus into your sign brings something hidden out into the open. It may be time to go public or enjoy a new surge of attraction and charm. However, the Sun in your sign square Neptune is a caution to watch the blurry line between personal and professional, dreams versus the facts. 

Cancer

The New Moon in your hidden sector can open up hidden variables and unseen options – secret layers are a possibility. As Mercury enters your sign and squares Chiron, some of what’s hidden will come out via awkward conversations (especially in a professional context) and a sense that all choices will be painful. You may have to identify issues about your future that you’d rather not acknowledge. 

Venus into your hidden sector can increase the thrill of a hidden attraction or dream, but Sun square Neptune reminds you that it really is just a dream. Nothing wrong with fantasy, as long as you don’t project it onto real life. On the the plus side, these energies can be excellent for creative inspiration and heightened compassion/ideals. 

Leo

The New Moon in your social sector can introduce you to an intriguing new contact or group association. Public information will hit quickly, and social status can change just as quickly. As Mercury enters your hidden sector and squares Chiron, watch for a vulnerable undercurrent to emerge – secrets may be revealed, along with hidden wounds. 

Venus into your social sector can amplify the flirtations, fun connections and social charm. Great for connecting with others and making a good impression, but the Sun square Neptune is a caution that behind-the scenes issues (involving money or intimacy) can undermine your image and create false choices. 

Virgo

The New Moon in your career sector can open up a dual career path or more information about professional options. Something new can be multifaceted, and as Mercury enters your social sector and squares Chiron you’ll see the emotional connection via others’ painful reactions to hidden issues, or your own unexpected responses to hidden information. Despite the sensitivity, there’s an opportunity to confront what you’ve been avoiding. 

Venus into your career sector can favour professional relationships or your professional image – light, intellectual connections can work for you, as well as dual paths. But Sun square Neptune is a caution that some of what’s presented may be misleading, especially if a partner or competitor are involved. Someone else can be distracting, and this could involve what you’re projecting onto them. 

Libra

The New Moon in your sector of opportunities can open up a couple of paths in the areas of travel, education, legal matters or publishing. Options can be new and exciting, but nothing is set just yet. As Mercury enters your career sector and squares Chiron, new developments can impact discussions with management or your professional image, as an awkward conversation with a partner or competitor reveals doubts. 

Venus into your opportunities sector ups the intrigue factor for the above, as what’s new or distant is given a layer of charm. But the Sun square Neptune is a caution to check the facts carefully before you leap into the unknown. Belief can override good sense and cause you to ignore certain issues. 

Scorpio

The New Moon in your sector of shared resources can introduce variable options and discussions about taxes, debts, your partner’s finances or intimacy. Watch for hidden layers that you weren’t previously aware of, and as Mercury enters your sector of opportunities and squares Chiron, the discussion can become more  hopeful while triggering more doubts. You may want to take a situation further, but growth will collide with health or routine issues. 

Venus into your sector of shared resources can sweeten intimacy, increase the desire to share or spend. However, the Sun square Neptune is a caution to watch those boundaries – romance or the desire to risk/indulge will be high, but make sure that you can afford the price. 

Sagittarius

The New Moon in your partnership sector can introduce an intriguing but unstable new relationship, or expose the duality of a partner/competitor. Too, a partner may present multiple choices or have trouble focusing on a new goal. As Mercury enters your sector of shared resources and squares Chiron, discussions will quickly become heavy and sensitive. Shared finances or intimacy can be touchy topics.

Venus into your partnership sector can introduce multiple flirtations/attractions or moments of sweetness and charm in a relationship. But Sun square Neptune cautions you to look at the facts rather than the hopes (or old doubts) that you’re projecting. Illusions based on the past can blur the present. 

Capricorn

The New Moon in your sector of routine can present more than one solution, diagnosis or path to self-improvement. Too, a new work project can put extra on your plate as you juggle multiple priorities. As Mercury enters your partnership sector and squares Chiron, the discussion will become focused on uncomfortable domestic issues or an imbalance in a relationship. A partner may not agree with your solutions. 

Venus into your sector of routine can present hope or help in a health or work scenario. New solutions/facts can be intriguing, but Sun/Neptune cautions you to double check all facts – you can easily overlook pertinent information in your rush to get something done or have something work out favourably. 

Aquarius

The New Moon in your sector of self-expression suggests new and flirtatious or creative opportunities. Something light and fun is manifesting (and there may be multiple goodies to choose from), but as Mercury enters your sector of routine and squares Chiron you’ll be confronted with the emotional realities of a health or work scenario. Mundane facts can be a bit of a downer. 

Venus into your sector of self-expression sector can add to the fun/attraction/urge to enjoy yourself. And there’s definitely reason to kick back and take stock of what’s available. But Sun/Neptune urges you to pay attention to money and self-esteem issues – make sure you’re not undermining your security with your desires.

Pisces

The New Moon in your domestic sector introduces family discussions, home business or relocation scenarios with multiple options. There may be two sides to family history or two choices regarding your home/next step. As Mercury enters your sector of self-expression and squares Chiron, you could be confronted with doubts about what’s next or what you deserve/are capable of. Pay attention to the doubts but don’t allow them to derail you. 

Venus into your domestic sector favours home decor, domestic celebrations or affectionate moments with family. However, Sun square Neptune in your sign cautions you to carefully focus on what matters rather than what you hope or suspect. Your own wishes or illusions can blur domestic goals. 

~~~~~~~~~

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[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for Thursday, december 31 of 2020 with Proverbs 31 and Psalm 31, accompanied by Psalm 11 for the 11th day of Winter, and Psalm 66 for day 366 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 3rd revolution this year to fully reset tomorrow)

[Proverbs 31]

Inspired Word

King Lemuel’s royal words of wisdom:

These are the inspired words my mother taught me.

Listen, my dear son, son of my womb.

You are the answer to my prayers, my son.

So keep yourself sexually pure

from the promiscuous, wayward woman.

Don’t waste the strength of your anointing

on those who ruin kings—

you’ll live to regret it!

For you are a king, Lemuel,

and it’s never fitting for a king to be drunk on wine

or for rulers to crave alcohol.

For when they drink they forget justice

and ignore the rights of those in need,

those who depend on you for leadership.

Strong drink is given to the terminally ill,

who are suffering at the brink of death.

Wine is for those in depression

in order to drown their sorrows.

Let them drink and forget their poverty and misery.

But you are to be a king who speaks up on behalf

of the disenfranchised

and pleads for the legal rights of the defenseless

and those who are dying.

Be a righteous king, judging on behalf of the poor

and interceding for those most in need.

[The Radiant Bride]

Who could ever find a wife like this one—

she is a woman of strength and mighty valor!

She’s full of wealth and wisdom.

The price paid for her was greater than many jewels.

Her husband has entrusted his heart to her,

for she brings him the rich spoils of victory.

All throughout her life she brings him what is good and not evil.

She searches out continually to possess

that which is pure and righteous.

She delights in the work of her hands.

She gives out revelation-truth to feed others.

She is like a trading ship bringing divine supplies

from the merchant.

Even in the night season she arises and sets food on the table

for hungry ones in her house and for others.

She sets her heart upon a nation and takes it as her own,

carrying it within her.

She labors there to plant the living vines.

She wraps herself in strength, might, and power in all her works.

She tastes and experiences a better substance,

and her shining light will not be extinguished,

no matter how dark the night.

She stretches out her hands to help the needy

and she lays hold of the wheels of government.

She is known by her extravagant generosity to the poor,

for she always reaches out her hands to those in need.

She is not afraid of tribulation,

for all her household is covered in the dual garments

of righteousness and grace.

Her clothing is beautifully knit together—

a purple gown of exquisite linen.

Her husband is famous and admired by all,

sitting as the venerable judge of his people.

Even her works of righteousness

she does for the benefit of her enemies.

Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her

as she laughs with joy over the latter days.

Her teachings are filled with wisdom and kindness

as loving instruction pours from her lips.

She watches over the ways of her household

and meets every need they have.

Her sons and daughters arise in one accord to extol her virtues,

and her husband arises to speak of her in glowing terms.

“There are many valiant and noble ones,

but you have ascended above them all!”

Charm can be misleading,

and beauty is vain and so quickly fades,

but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe,

and fear of the Lord.

She will be praised throughout eternity.

So go ahead and give her the credit that is due,

for she has become a radiant woman,

and all her loving works of righteousness deserve to be admired

at the gateways of every city!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 31]

A David Psalm

I run to you, God; I run for dear life.

Don’t let me down!

Take me seriously this time!

Get down on my level and listen,

and please—no procrastination!

Your granite cave a hiding place,

your high cliff aerie a place of safety.

You’re my cave to hide in,

my cliff to climb.

Be my safe leader,

be my true mountain guide.

Free me from hidden traps;

I want to hide in you.

I’ve put my life in your hands.

You won’t drop me,

you’ll never let me down.

I hate all this silly religion,

but you, God, I trust.

I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;

you saw my pain,

you disarmed my tormentors,

You didn’t leave me in their clutches

but gave me room to breathe.

Be kind to me, God—

I’m in deep, deep trouble again.

I’ve cried my eyes out;

I feel hollow inside.

My life leaks away, groan by groan;

my years fade out in sighs.

My troubles have worn me out,

turned my bones to powder.

To my enemies I’m a monster;

I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.

My friends are horrified;

they cross the street to avoid me.

They want to blot me from memory,

forget me like a corpse in a grave,

discard me like a broken dish in the trash.

The street-talk gossip has me

“criminally insane”!

Behind locked doors they plot

how to ruin me for good.

Desperate, I throw myself on you:

you are my God!

Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,

safe from the hands out to get me.

Warm me, your servant, with a smile;

save me because you love me.

Don’t embarrass me by not showing up;

I’ve given you plenty of notice.

Embarrass the wicked, stand them up,

leave them stupidly shaking their heads

as they drift down to hell.

Gag those loudmouthed liars

who heckle me, your follower,

with jeers and catcalls.

What a stack of blessing you have piled up

for those who worship you,

Ready and waiting for all who run to you

to escape an unkind world.

You hide them safely away

from the opposition.

As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,

you silence the poisonous gossip.

Blessed God!

His love is the wonder of the world.

Trapped by a siege, I panicked.

“Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.

But you heard me say it,

you heard and listened.

Love God, all you saints;

God takes care of all who stay close to him,

But he pays back in full

those arrogant enough to go it alone.

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.

Expect God to get here soon.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 31 (The Message)

[Psalm 11]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

I am already in the soft embrace of the Eternal,

so why do you beckon me to leave, saying,

“Fly like a bird to the mountains.

Look! The wicked approach with bows bent,

sneaking around in the shadows,

setting their arrows against their bowstrings to pierce everyone whose heart is pure.

If the foundations are crumbling,

is there hope for the righteous?”

But the Eternal has not moved; He remains in His holy temple.

He sits squarely on His heavenly throne.

He observes the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, examining us within and without,

exploring every fiber of our beings.

The Eternal searches the hearts of those who are good,

but He despises all those who can’t get enough of perversion and violence.

If you are evil, He will rain hot lava over your head,

will fill your cup with burning wind and liquid fire to scorch your insides.

The Eternal is right in all His ways;

He cherishes all that is upright.

Those who do what is right in His eyes will see His face.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 11 (The Voice)

[Psalm 66]

Thank You, Lord

For the Pure and Shining One

A song of awakening

Everyone everywhere, lift up your joyful shout to God!

Sing your songs tuned to his glory!

Tell the world how wonderful he is.

For he’s the awe-inspiring God, great and glorious in power!

We’ve never seen anything like him!

Mighty in miracles, you cause your enemies to tremble.

No wonder they all surrender and bow before you!

All the earth will bow down to worship;

all the earth will sing your glories forever!

Pause in his presence

Everyone will say, “Come and see the incredible things God has done;

it will take your breath away!

He multiplies miracles for his people!”

He made a highway going right through the Red Sea

as the Hebrews passed through on dry ground,

exploding with joyous excitement over the miracles of God.

In his great and mighty power he rules forever,

watching over every movement of every nation.

So beware, rebel lands; he knows how to humble you!

Pause in his presence

Praise God, all you peoples.

Praise him everywhere and let everyone know you love him!

There’s no doubt about it; God holds our lives safely in his hands.

He’s the one who keeps us faithfully following him.

O Lord, we have passed through your fire;

like precious metal made pure,

you’ve proved us, perfected us, and made us holy.

You’ve captured us, ensnared us in your net.

Then, like prisoners, you placed chains around our necks.

You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us.

We’ve passed through fire and flood,

yet in the end you always bring us out better than we were before,

saturated with your goodness.

I come before your presence with my sacrifice.

I’ll give you all that I’ve promised, everything I have.

When I was overcome in my anguish,

I promised to give you my sacrifice.

Here it is! All that I said I would offer you is yours.

The best I have to bring, I’ll throw it all into the fire

as the fragrance of my sacrifice ascends unto you.

Pause in his presence

All you lovers of God who want to please him,

come and listen, and I’ll tell you what he did for me.

I cried aloud to him with all my heart and he answered me!

Now my mouth overflows with the highest praise.

Yet if I had closed my eyes to my sin,

the Lord God would have closed his ears to my prayer.

But praises rise to God,

for he paid attention to my prayer and answered my cry to him!

I will forever praise this God who didn’t close his heart when I prayed

and never said no when I asked him for help.

He never once refused to show me his tender love.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 66 (The Passion Translation)

[sweetcinnamonmaplesyrup]

Feelings are stupid - Lucie-Marezi x Saeyoung

coUGH- ok so I made a quick vent, self insert piece and uhh decided to post it on here because why not??? It's a Saeyoung one lol, if you couldn't tell by the title-- it kinda goes into detail about the problem I was venting about too?? So uh yeah- fun fact, is this is also the rewrite because I didn't exactly like the original ._.

Here is the info page of my custom MC, Lucie-Marezi lol (https://sweetcinnamonmaplesyrup.tumblr.com/post/184475667502/lucie-marezi-gohanz-custom-mcpersona)

Just a little backstory to kinda help understand the sort of universe this is, Saeyoung still met Rika at the church and she still trained him to become a hacker. However, she was in a better state of mind, and when V suggested that he become a secret agent, he managed to convince him to take him and his brother in as his own. And basically, Mint Eye never formed, the two had a better childhood from their earlier years and are somewhat normal kids lol

Now, I'm going to go back to writing the actual "x readers" that I've been procrastinating on so that this could be done. Reason being so that my head could be cleared a bit more ^^

Saeyoung fondly remembers how he met his closest friend, and how those feelings quickly turned into a fondness that would envelop him to the point of no return.

 It was his first day in 7th grade, a new chapter in his and Saeran's life. It marked their first year as high-school students, as well as their first year of escaping that hellhole they once called “home” thanks to their foster parents, V and Rika. They were entering the school during the middle of the first term, meaning that everyone had settled into their respective classes and had established friend groups already. Despite all this, he was jumping with excitement that spread over to his timid brother. He remembers how he had woken himself up extremely early, just to get ready and triple check that he had everything that he'd need for the first day. A pencil case filled with pens, pencils, erasers, a ruler, a calculator, workbooks, everything that he needed for his classes.

“Saeyoung,” V had said as he walked into the twins' shared bedroom, “are you sure you need all of that? Isn’t that bag heavy for you?”

Saeyoung grins at his foster father, before placing everything back into his bag in an orderly fashion. “No, I’ll be fine! Besides, I won’t know what classes I have today so I have to bring four workbooks with me!” He replied, doing the same with his brother’s bag when he had finished his own.

V chuckles to himself, before sitting next to his son. “Are you really that excited to attend high-school?” He asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. The boy only returned a strong nod along with a happy hum. “Are you really? Especially this one? Are you sure you don’t want to look into another school?”

The school that the twins were attending was one that Saeyoung had personally chosen, and due to V's differing background to the twins, V wasn’t exactly certain if they would be able to survive even a minute in that place! The school itself was fine, it was just the stories he had heard about the students within the school itself he was concerned about. He had heard that they were a rough bunch, and fights between students were very common. Considering their previous home environment of abuse, V naturally worried if they would be subject to the bullying that occurred within those walls. Especially the smaller one, Saeran. He wasn’t exactly stable without his brother, so if they were to be in separated in any way, V was sure that he wouldn’t be able to cope properly without the presence of his older twin. Especially considering he had never been outside of their old environment without the coaxing of his brother.

Sawyoung huffed, looking to V with a pair of unimpressed eyes that sat behind a pair of circular framed glasses. “V, I made the decision to take myself and my brother to this school, and I will make sure that I do not regret my decision. Besides, they have dual monitors in their computer rooms! And a nice looking garden that Saeran will enjoy looking after! He said it himself that, out of all the schools we've visited, he liked it. It’s close to this house too, just a ten minute walk.” Saeyoung explains, causing the older male to sigh. “If you say so,” He gives the boy a ruffle of his head before getting up to leave. “I will support your decision.”

V left the room, his brother entering shortly after. His eyes were wide with fear as he ran to his brother, clinging onto him. Saeyoung is taken aback slightly, shocked by the sudden move made by his brother. Shortly after, he rubs his brother’s back soothingly. “Saeyoung...” He whispers. “I-I’m scared.” Saeyoung smiles softly. “Ran, we're going to be in the same class, and I'm not going to leave your side.” He tells him. “Besides! We'll be able to hang out in the garden after school, so be strong. We've managed to get out of that place, we'll be able to manage this.” Saeran looks up to his brother with a thankful smile. He needed to hear that encouragement from him.

Then, they were off to school, V driving them there with Rika sitting in the passenger seat. Saeyoung was bouncing in his seat until they saw the school gates, to which he could now feel his heart pound against his chest. It was pounding at an astonishing rate, matching the growing fear within him. Oh god, was he really ready for this? What if he said something wrong that revealed who his father was?

“Ah, you must be the new students.” But he soon found himself in the office of the place, his brother gripping onto his arm while his free hand gripped on the strap of his bag. The Principal of the place was a tall man, who had silver hair and wore a pair of glasses. He outstretched a hand to the two, instinctively backing up. The smile that was on his face turned into a more gentle one. “Hey, it’s ok, this is a safe place.” He said. “I’m Mr Lim, it’s a pleasure to meet the both of you again.” Saeyoung stares at his hand, before reluctantly taking and shaking it. V and Rika seemed to be pleased by his action.

“So,” Mr Lim says, as he turns his attention to the boys’ foster parents, guessing that the other twin wouldn’t be as willing to take his hand from what he could see and heard. “I currently sent a student to grab another who's in the same classes as the two. They should get along well with her, even if she isn’t the most charismatic as the others are, and I believe that having someone who'll be with the twins everyday according to their schedule will be beneficial for the three of them.” Rika smiles and thanks the man, Saeran's grip tightens. Saeyoung looks to his brother.

“I-I don’t think this was a good idea...” He mumbles so that Saeyoung was the only one to hear him. Before he could respond to his brother’s words, a knock came to the door.

“Ah, this must be the student.” Mr Lim walks to the door and opens it, revealing a petite girl. She had shoulder length black hair, with a bang slightly covering her right eye, out rather than having it tied up, a big red flower clip being clipped to her right side and a nervous expression. She wore the school's uniform with silent respect, and had her hands cupped together. She reminded Saeyoung a bit of himself and Saeran in their current situation, which didn’t exactly relieve him. But as her eyes laid onto the twins that stood behind Mr Lim, her expression lit up with excitement. Saeyoung felt a wave of excitement fill him now, staring intently at the girl.

“Saeyoung, Saeran,” The Principal smiled at the two, motioning towards the girl who stood at the door. “This is Lucie-Marezi. Lucie, this is Saeyoung and Saeran.” The girl, who went by Lucie-Marezi, smiled at the two, giving them a small wave. “Hi there.” She nervously says with a smile. “Please, just call me Maple, Lucie-Marezi is too much of a mouthful.” She giggles for a few seconds, before stopping. Saeyoung’s face flushes slightly, not used to hearing the happy and melodic sound. “Saeyoung.” He introduces himself curtly, before turning his head over to Saeran. “This is Saeran. It’s nice to meet you.” Lucie nodded, before turning to the parents who stood behind their children. “Ah, this is Mr and Mrs Kim, their foster parents.” Lucie's gaze returns to the twins for a brief moment as she hears the word “foster” fall out of his mouth.

Foster? She thought to herself. I hope that they're doing better now.. The girl had only ever had one friend in her entire life that had admitted to be in the process of becoming a foster child. Though she didn’t exactly spend much time with them, the time she did spend with them, they spoke badly about what they were experiencing at home and during the entire process. She didn’t look into foster care, and she regretted not doing so with the presence of the new students, but she was sure to look into it at the end of the day to gain a better understanding of the two. She wanted to be able to understand their situation, if ever the topic arose between them.

“Please,” The blonde woman spoke, causing the girl to look at the woman with evident curiosity, “take care of the both of them.” Lucie was taken aback by her words, but she nods. “I'll try my best, Mrs Kim.” Saeyoung and Saeran stared at the girl as she said those words, disbelief engulfing the two. They weren’t used to hearing those words from others, they had just recently gotten used to the good environment at home.

Mr Lim smiles at this. “I suppose the three of you should be on your way to class now. I wouldn’t want you three to miss out on valuable learning time.” Lucie smiles a bit more. “Well, it is just math...” She says, only loud enough for the boys to hear. Saeyoung’s eyes sparkle at the sound of math, Saeran seeming to tug at Saeyoung just a bit more. “We’ll see you off.” V told the two, prompting the both of them to turn around to face V. The boys hugged their parents, before exchanging a few words and then leaving with Lucie to start their new year.

Needless to say, the three became quick friends.

Every morning, as the boys made their way to school by car, they spotted Lucie walking to school in relative loneliness. As they passed her, they’d always honk and wave, chuckling whenever she flinched at the sudden noise. She’d wave back too, and then pick up the pace to meet the two at the gates. When they did meet each other at the gates, the trio walked into the school, talking about everything and nothing. There was never a dull moment with these three, especially with Saeyoung around because as soon as he was comfortable with his new friend, he immediately threw jokes everywhere. It was now routine to hear at least thirty jokes a day, only increasing to about fifty after he got comfortable with the class and teachers. Lucie laughed the most at his jokes, and it only drove him further to make jokes so that he could hear that sound again.

Overtime, that drive made him develop feelings for his best friend. She was adorable, funny in her own way and the kindest human being he had ever met, aside from his own family. Lucie made him feel warm, welcome and appreciated, things he rarely ever felt before. She made sure that not only was he adjusting, but also his brother, which made him feel relieved about getting him to go to school when he had to stay home because Rika had asked him to due to the RFA project she was doing on the side. He was more relived when Saeran came back and started gushing about everything that happened in school on that day.

Saeyoung especially enjoyed the times where the two of you just texted, the anticipation and excitement that came with waiting for messages filling him every time. Whether it was serious conversations or silly ones, he never found himself bored. He found that she had more to speak about over text, and that she spoke honestly and boldly. When he brought up his most devious of plans, she didn’t bother to back him down, she actually encouraged a few of them! It proved one of his many hunches he had when interacting with the girl. And he desperately held onto the hope that, maybe, the hunch he made about her liking him would be possible.

But as it seemed from the very start, her heart was elsewhere.

It was evident that she didn’t see Saeyoung in the way he wanted to. For the first few times they spent with each other, she sat beside a group of boys. There was also the more obvious signs, like her avoiding a specific student with a nervous air around her, the messages she sent talking about the other male, how their classmates expressed their thoughts in a romantic relationship with the two and stating that they “shipped” them. It didn’t take the twins long to get what they meant. There were times where their classmates went a bit too far with their shipping, physically pushing the girl towards the boy, stealing some of her items and giving them to the boy who was then basically obliged to give it back to the girl, the comments they made towards them and sometimes these actions would push the girl to become upset. It was in these times, Saeyoung wished he could’ve been the boy who was comforting her.

Instead, the one who was awkwardly comforting her, was the one who caused her distress.

He didn’t exactly realise when he had fallen, however, he knew he had fallen hard for the girl he claimed to be his best friend. The girl who effortlessly cheered him and his brother on and up. The girl who always wore a smile and never ever stopped laughing. The girl who tried her best to help those who wanted or looks as if they wanted help. The girl who came into his life and gave it a new, and overpowering emotion he wished he had never encountered. The girl who didn’t return his feelings.

Over the next few months, the shipping died down, but their relationship grew. It was evident to Saeyoung, really, because he had basically became her wingman, giving her advice on want to say and do on planned meet-ups. While his heart shattered into pieces, he wanted to see her smiling and happy, so he never complained about their relationship and his position within it.

It wasn’t all that bad though.

He learnt more about her. How she wasn’t the most physically or verbally affectionate person, even if she really wanted to be, and compensated that with her messages and gifts (though occasionally) she bought for him. She ranted about this a lot, getting frustrated and worked up about this, especially when the boy had brought up the topic of trying to become physically closer together while she tried pushing him towards the idea of “uhh, never happening in a million years”. He learnt about her shy and Tsundere-like behaviour, finding it both cute and intimidating (but mostly cute). Though, Lucie also ranted about how she hated how she felt while in love, talking about how sometimes her heart beats so fast that it becomes difficult and hurts to breath. How she hated just having the boy engulf her thoughts 24/7. How she wanted her old, and simpler life back, where she was completely oblivious to his emotions and advances towards her.

Most of the time, though, she went on about how she was conflicted about her own feelings towards the boy. She had remembered what it was like without these emotions that she was experiencing, how she had never even considered him a suitor or a love interest until it was brought into light. Heck, she hadn’t thought about that kind of stuff after she forced herself not to think about that stuff after fourth grade! And then this confession comes up in year seven which just makes all her emotions go bleh! This was insanity to her!

That, however, was all in the past. Specifically, two years in the past.

Saeyoung, being the good and (somewhat) obedient student he was, was completing the homework that was set for the class that day and working at it with immense diligence. He was so very concentrated, even tuning out the music that was playing through his bulky orange headphones that were connected to his red phone that sat on the desk, above a pile of neatly placed papers. He answered question after question the paper held, scrawling the answers in the pages of his workbook. It was maths homework he was working on, specifically how to calculate compound interest. It wasn’t a hard thing for him to grasp, nor his brother, and to be fair, he was finding this work to be just a tad bit boring.

Upon hearing the specific, melodic jingle he had set as the ringtone for the girl, his attention slipped from his work and onto the message that popped up on the screen of his phone which he picks up. All it took was one simple text message for emotions to flood and engulf the boy, enough to distract him from the concentrated state he was in beforehand.

Lucie had confessed to the boy of her conflicting and choking thoughts of her doubtful feelings, settling the issue quite quickly with the opposite outcome she had thought of. It had been around two months from that confession, and the girl had gone back to her usual demeanour, with the addition that she still outwardly rejected being anywhere near the boy, which didn’t bother Saeyoung one bit. It just meant that he got to enjoy her clinging onto him.

He runs a hand through his messy red locks, eyebrows furrowing and heart racing at the text she had sent.

Maple✨: Can we talk?

He hadn’t done something to piss her off, had he? He gulps, as he frantically rakes through the events that had happened throughout the week. The only thing that really stuck out to him was that time during lunch he had tried to tickle her again, despite knowing her dysphoria towards the action. Good god, was she really upset over that?

God7: Sure we can, Syrup ^^

He waits in anticipation for her response, anxiety filling him and his thoughts. Oh god, what if she really was super upset over that and decided to talk about it now? What if it was for the comments made earlier about how the bags under her eyes were looking really bad, even when they weren’t?! What about that time he brought up that boy?! AHHH!!

His thoughts are immediately halted when he receives her response, causing his breath to stop.

Maple✨: You remember Gabriel, the dude who liked me, right? He's in a new relationship now, with Wendy, and I’m feeling extremely conflicted..

Maple✨: I was thinking of just, not even mentioning this to you, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hide this any longer, and besides, you're a genius. Saeran would probably pick up on my depressed behaviour quickly too, and I don’t want you guys worrying about me.

So it was about him. He cringed upon seeing that name appear on the screen, his grip on his mobile device tightening. Did she still have feelings for him? The thought hits him hard, his heart threatening to shatter his slightly mended heart. That couldn’t be true, could it?

God7: Oh really now? How did you find out?

Maple✨: He just messaged me, asking for my advice on what to do with his new relationship.

Maple✨: I knew something was going on between the two of them.

Saeyoung remembers how she had motioned his attention to an interaction with the two, questioning if the two were in a relationship in an exaggerated tone, a goofy smile plastered on her face. Despite that smile, she couldn’t have looked anymore shattered than that time, her eyes giving it away as they threatened to fill themselves up with tears. A sigh escapes his lips as he runs his hand through his hair once again, before typing his next message . Maybe she really did still have feelings for him...

God7: I guess you were.

God7: But how exactly are you feeling again?

Maple✨: I told you, conflicted. I feel happy that he found someone else to find him happy, but I feel hurt. I don’t know why though.

God7: Hm.

God7: Well, you did say that you fell for him in that short period of time, right?

Maple✨: I guess that could be the case.

Maple✨: I just feel really stupid, I guess. I told myself I’d be happy and relieved when he found someone else, and half of me is! But the other half, wished that maybe this wasn’t happening..

Maple ✨: Saeyoung, what do I do?

His heart shattered. So she did like him, and obviously, still saw Saeyoung as only a friend. Another sigh escapes him, his body suddenly shaking. When had it became so cold in here, he wondered. He only wanted the best for his friend, seeing as she wished that for him too. And he wasn’t going to get in the way of that.

God7: Why don't you tell him that?

Maple✨: And make Wendy upset, causing all hell to break loose? No way. Besides, he seems happy with her, and I don’t want to ruin that.

God7: Then why don’t you just forget about him?

Saeyoung takes a moment to process what he had just sent, realising that he had felt anger bubble within him. When realisation hits him, he jumps up from his chair, losing the grip he had in his phone and plays hot potato to avoid it from being dropped. When he manages to safely catch it, he breathes out a breath he had subconsciously kept from being released, before hesitantly turning the phone screen so that it was facing him. He squints his eyes, scared to see what Lucie would respond with. She was, from what he could tell, extremely emotional at the moment, and just saying that would put her off, he had experience to draw from.

But that response held a little truth to him. If she was this conflicted about it, and her desire to see him happy was stronger than the one that wanted them to get back together, why doesn’t she just try to forget him? It wouldn’t be easy, but wouldn’t that be the better option than just moping around over something that couldn’t be brought up?

Maple✨: I wish it were that simple. Really. But I can’t.

Maple✨: And I hate that.

Saeyoung sighs. So she was too sad to really react angrily at that comment then..

God7: Don’t hate yourself over something that you can’t control, Marezi. We can’t control our emotions whenever they spontaneously show up, you know this.

God7: Wasn’t that the piece of advice you gave me? Lolol

Maple✨: ...

Maple✨: You know, I hate you right now.

God7: Whaaat? Moi?

God7: But your pancake has done nothing but spill the truth!

Maple✨: Yeah, yeah, I know. But I’m not exactly the type of person to follow her own advice, besides, they're usually given based from my own experience :/

A soft grin find it’s way to his face, triumph filling him upon the sight of a text face. She didn’t use them at all when she vented to him, only afterwards when she had cheered up. Maybe that was a sign that she wasn’t that upset over this?

God7: Anyway, so Gabriel and Wendy. They’re together. And he just straight up, asked for advice, and then was like “yeah actually, this is for this new relationship I’m in with Wendy.”

Maple✨: Something like that, I think.

God7: ...

God7: Wow. That’s harsh.

God7: Don’t worry, Syrup! Your pancake will make sure to protect your aching heart from those fiends!!

Maple✨: Oh my god Saeyoung;;

Maple✨: Are you seriously derailing the convo right now?

God7: ...

God7: ...Is it working?

Maple✨: ...

Maple✨: I seriously can’t believe you right now.

Maple✨: Maybe I should’ve gone and texted Saeran instead lol.

God7: DON’T DO THAT!! QAQ

God7: He's actually being a good boy and studying. You know how he gets when someone distracts him from studying =v=;;

Maple✨: So I’m stuck with you?

God7: Whether you like it or not, milady!

Saeyoung could practically hear her tongue clicking and see her eyes rolling like she always did in these sorts of situations, bringing a chuckle out of him. He looks thoughtfully down at his screen, the blinking line awaiting for him to tap away at the keys to form a message to send.

God7: But, what exactly did he do?

Maple✨: Well, do you want the details or the summary?

Saeyoung smiled at her message.

God7: All the details, if you please~

Maple✨: Get ready for a paragraph then :P

Maple✨: Basically, he messaged me through Instagram when I figured out that I could still access the Internet. He tried to get my attention, but you know my dad’s internet rules and stuff. I told him the message me via the built in messenger app and just waited for a few minutes. He then came to the app, texting me if I was there. I responded to him that I was and he was like “Alright, so I’m in a relationship with Wendy. Nothing crazy is happening, I’m keeping it casual and I need advice.”

Maple ✨: I mean, I was hoping for this to happen, really! But he was, honestly, a really nice guy. I don’t want to get into the details of that because, ew, too sentimental and cheesy for my taste right now. I won’t deny that in some point of our “relationship” I started to feel feelings. I'm so stupid to be feeling this way, all of this was the result of my actions, why can I just own up to them and stop feeling bad about myself and letting him go?! It’s just a pile of crap that I didn’t want to get into but then life was like “hahah, nope” and threw me into this pile anyway! Which absolutely sucks, because I have other things to worry about these days, like how you and Saeran are doing, the tests and assessments that are being sent out, not this lovey dovey crap I didn’t sign up to! It frustrates me to no end!!

He takes a few moments, rereading the last sentence many times, feeling his cheeks heat up ever so slightly. He chuckles nervously, eager to let the feeling of the butterflies in his stomach out some other way that didn’t involve making any other noise. Saeran, who’s sitting in his half of the room, looks over his shoulder slightly, seeing that his brother had ditched his schoolwork and was most likely talking to Lucie. A smirk finds its way to his features, knowing full well who caused such a reaction to his brother. “Just confess already.” Saeran mumbles to himself, turning back to his work.

God7: Huh.

God7: What a jerk lol

Maple✨: Saeyoung!!

God7: Seriously though. You're an awesome girl, and while it would be hard to get over your first “serious” relationship, I’m sure you’ll be able to do that and find the right person for you ^^ so don’t think that you’re stupid for being upset over this news, it’s all part of the process called moving on. And that process is going to take a lot longer than two months, you gotta be patient with yourself.

God7: You have to remember that, at the end of the day, whether you like it or not, it was your decision to end things. You thought that he deserves better than someone of the likes of you, who ignored most, if not, all of his messages he sent during the holidays. Someone who’s feelings were more stable than yours, and not lasting for periods up to two to three weeks long. You wanted nothing but for him to experience a better love under better circumstances, unlike your in which you were sort of forced together in both times you tried to make it work out. It’s ok to be upset with yourself, but you have to remember what ending you wanted. What you wanted Gabriel to experience without you.

God7: I apologise for telling you to just forget him, and I hope you can forgive this pancake. Honestly if I was told to 'just forget about you', I would’ve hacked into the person’s personal information and leaked it everywhere lol

Maple✨: Saeyoung!

Maple✨: How dare!

God7: Lololol you know it to be true tho

Maple✨: Yeah, I do, and I’m concerned now;;

Maple✨: But I really appreciate your words ^^ thanks for saying that <3

His heart stopped beating when he his eyes landed on the heart. His face turns into a darker shade of red as he bites down on his lip, eager to hold back the squeal that threatened to escape him. It fails, however, as a squeak comes out, a hand immediately covering his mouth. He sits completely still in his chair, like a deer caught in headlights, not daring to make a move. He glances over to his brother, hoping that he hadn’t heard the squeak. Relief fills him as he sees his brother’s hunched back, a sigh escaping his lips. Little did he know, his brother heard it, and he wore a smirk. He was sure to tell Lucie about this tomorrow.

God7: Oh, how you make my heart race! You are oh to gracious, Moonlight!

Maple✨: Pff- dork.

Maple✨: You're bringing out the “Moonlight” now? Geez, what happened this time?

God7: Oh nothing much~

God7: Nothing for you to worry about lololol

Maple✨: You can’t just say that and expect me not to worry!!!

God7: My lips are sealed ;)

Maple✨: Saeyoung Choi!!

Saeyoung chuckles, his heart swelling with happiness and love for Lucie-Marezi. He enjoyed this time they had together, and all the others he had, with the girl, as much as she did with him. There was no doubt about that, especially with the occasional giggles that escaped her lips whenever they spoke, whether it was physically or over text.

Tonight, however, was just another end of the day and step closer to Lucie’s slow realisation of her growing feelings towards her best friend.

The worse part of it all?

Saeran would most likely be the one to tell Lucie about Saeyoung’s feelings before the male mustered up the courage to do so.

[flickdirect]

One of the most anticipated Marvel movies to hit the big screen in 2017 was Thor: Ragnarok and now you can bring this incredible movie into the comfort of your home. Marvel Studios did an incredible job with the cast, music, and dialogue and when it ends you will wonder how time can go by so quickly. It leaves you with a sense of longing that you are sad the next movie will not be released quick enough to satisfy this hunger you have for the next part of the story.

Thor: Ragnarok takes Thor out of Asgard for much of the film. He is imprisoned far away from Asgard, loses his hammer, and ends up on a planet ruled by a very eccentric Grandmaster, where he is forced to fight Hulk in a ring. Escaping the planet of lost things, Thor races back to Asgard to find much changed and Ragnarok on the loose destroying his planet. Turns out that Ragnarok is the least of Thor's problem- he has an older sister he never knew about who wants all of the power and he discovers a history he was never told.

Chris Hemsworth (Avengers: Age of Ultron) is Thor. There is no other actor capable of being Thor. With some actors, you can see how they are playing the character and most do an amazing acting job but Hemsworth is simply Thor. His persona exudes this Prince just trying to help the world. He tries to stay loyal to his family- and brother- despite everything that happens- and he remains steadfast in his loyalty to his friends- new and old. The excitement that Hemsworth barely contains upon seeing Hulk in the ring was childlike, full of innocence and joy that he yells – "YES! We know each other! He's a friend from work!"

Another actor that simply is the character he plays is Tom Hiddleston (Kong Skull Island). Hiddleston is Loki, Thor's brother- or as we have come to find out- his adopted brother. Loki is the character we want to hate but end up loving. Despite what he thinks is deep-seated hatred or jealousy of Thor and their father, the audience- as well as Loki, himself, slowly finds out that despite his horrific actions against Thor and Asgard, adopted blood is thicker than water. Of all the characters, you can see the huge emotional growth in Loki more so than any of the other characters. Hiddleston's emotions are clear as day on his face and in his body movements. His inflections when delivering lines are so on point and natural that one forgets the dialogue is pre-written. Hiddleston also plays off of Hemsworth brilliantly and the two make a great, albeit strained, duo.

The Grandmaster is another brilliant character introduced in Thor: Ragnarok. Played by Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), the Grandmaster is an eccentric ruler of a planet where all things lost are found. The Grandmaster has a very overly dramatic way of speaking and making decisions and Goldblum brought dual emotions to that role as no other actor can do blending both hilarity and seriousness at the same time. Goldblum and Hemsworth definitely have a chemistry in these scenes that makes the dialogue flow and the acting smooth.

Cate Blanchett (Lord of the Rings) is Hela, Thor's older sister. Released from her captivity, Hela wants what she had before Thor existed. Anything good from the royal bloodline is clearly in Thor while all the deception and hunger for ultimate power with no thought in mind of the people belongs to Hela. Unlike with Loki, a character that does the right thing in the end despite all the horrors he caused, there is no sympathy for Hela because she has no redeeming qualities. Blanchett does an amazing job of depriving the audience of any sympathetic thoughts you might have for this character.

I watched the Digital version on Movies Anywhere, which will also point the version to your streaming app, also, for the most part. The video quality is clear and details, to the blue under the Grandmaster's eyes, can be seen clearly. Audio is crisp. Sound effects are heard beautifully and supporting background music does not overpower the dialogue.

The Digital download version also comes with many Special Features. First, there is the Movie with the Director's Intro. This is not your typical "describe every scene and why" into. Director Taika Waititi is funny and unique and a pleasure to listen to and also provides us with Audio Commentary. Other extras are a Gag Reel, 8-But Sequences (see how the flight and battle sequence were created), as well as nine deleted scenes. Even more bonus features are provided in a section entitled "Featured Extras" containing Team Darryl (Darryl looks for a roommate and only the Grandmaster responds); Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years- The Evolution of Heroes (see how each Avenger is developed and why Avengers is so unique- this extra even mentions Avengers: Infinity Wars); and Thor and Hulk: A Galactic Adventure (exploring Hulk and Thor's developing relationship from the first meeting to their exploits in Ragnarok).

Thor Ragnarok is one of the best Avenger movies, to date. It is funny and serious at the same time. The casting is spot on and the continuity between dialogue and acting is smooth and graceful. Grade: A

About Jennifer Broderick A graduate of The George Washington University and Nova Southeastern Law School Jennifer Fischer Broderick’s fascination with the movie world started when she first saw Snow White on the big screen as a young child. When the producers of the movie Annie held auditions in NYC, Jennifer stood on line in the cold to try out for a part and actually made it past the first few try-outs. A vivacious reader, she is fascinated watching books and stories brought to life on the big screen. Jennifer has passed her love of movies onto her children and they are often found planning their weekends around opening premieres.

Read more reviews and content by Jennifer Broderick.

via FlickDirect Entertainment News and Film Reviews

[cccto-semi-pro]

The Remnant of God in the World: Daniel

RECAP & PREPARING FOR CG Daily Reading for Week

Esther 6-10, Psalm 54  

Daniel 1-3, Psalm 55

Daniel 4-6, Psalm 56  

Daniel 7-9, Psalm 57

Daniel 10-12, Psalm 58

Haggai 1-2, Psalm 59  

Zechariah 1-4, Psalm 60  

Resources for Week

Read Scripture Video: Daniel

Read: Daniel 7

FOCUS OF TIME TOGETHER

To participate in an intense study on how to begin reading Jewish apocalyptic literature and to practice these hermeneutic skills together by taking a careful look at Daniel 7.

GROUND RULE / GOAL / VALUE FOR THE WEEK

Goal: Our goal this week is to practice intellectual humility by laying our ideas and presuppositions aside for a bit in order to explore truth in interdependent community. Participate in discussion with an intent to assist in the group’s shared exploration rather than either refusing to participate or trying to coerce the group to see things your way.

CONNECTION AND UNITY EXERCISE (MUTUAL INVITATION)

Share your highs and lows from the week.

OPENING PRAYER

Sit silently for three minutes. As you do, listen for any thoughts or pictures or ideas that go through your mind that may be inspired by the Holy Spirit. After this silent prayer, take a couple minutes to invite one another to share anything they may have heard.

Then read this prayer aloud:

Lord, grant us pure hearts and clear minds; Direct us in discerning what is good and true and beautiful; Guide us along the path of wisdom and lead us in the way of humility; We are frail and fallible creatures; Be near to us, Lord; Amen.

INTRO TO DISCUSSION

This week’s material is an intense study on the hermeneutics of apocalyptic literature using Daniel 7 as our focus. It is perhaps the most rigorous study of the year. We chose to structure the material this way because we didn’t feel it would be faithful to the goal of YOBL or the book of Daniel to skip the hermeneutic work necessary to grow in our Bible-reading skills. Accordingly, there will be more content to digest than usual. Because of this, we’ve changed the normal structure to make the content more digestible. There will also be no structured small group time. Focus your energy on reading and understanding the ideas presented. Then, honestly process your emotional responses to your past and current interactions with apocalyptic literature and the variety of interpretations in the church.

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

Questions for Basic Understanding

These questions are to help us interpret and understand the text as it was intended to be interpreted and understood.

Read:

The Book of Daniel in Context Last week, we began our final series on Old Testament books called “The Remnant of God in the World,” chronicling the final chapters in the Old Testament story about God’s plan to heal the world through His people Israel. In Ezra and Nehemiah, we read historical sketches of the first Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem to start over again by rebuilding the Temple, relearning the Torah, and reconstructing the city walls. We saw this exciting moment of liberation turn anticlimactic as division and turmoil broke out among those trying to be God’s renewed people in Jerusalem. Before long, the same evil and idolatry that led to the punishment of exile in the first place resurfaced, begging the questions: Is exile really over? Has this surviving remnant of the people of God truly been purged and purified of anything? Where do we go from here?

Interestingly, the book of Daniel serves as dual bookends to Ezra and Nehemiah, acting as both preface and conclusion to the return-to-Jerusalem story. In Daniel 5 and 6, we read how Daniel’s skilled and faithful work as a government official combined with his great spiritual wisdom and divine connection to the Jewish God earned him honor with the Babylonian rulers Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar as well as the other kings who eventually overthrew Babylon. Following the “writing on the wall” events of chapter 5, the Babylonian empire was conquered by what is called the Median-Persian Empire. King Darius the Mede, now ruling over the land, was so moved by Daniel’s divine vindication and protection in the lion’s den that he actually endorsed Judaism throughout the empire. Chapter 6 concludes with: “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” When Ezra 1:1 says that “The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm [releasing Jews to go home and build the Temple],” it is fair to say that Daniel was the primary vessel God used to do so. In other words, Daniel’s faithful witness within the Babylonian government was one of the central causes for the release of the Jews from exile. The great restart recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah was only possible because of him.

But also, the book of Daniel serves as a concluding synopsis to Ezra-Nehemiah that at least partially answers the questions raised about whether the exile was truly over and how then God’s people would live. Remember that in Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah recorded a promise from God to release Israel from exile after seventy years. The return to rebuild the Temple seemed to mark the end of this punishment and the beginning of the promised liberation. Daniel was hopeful for this too: “In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom — in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Dan 9:1-2). Therefore, Daniel becomes hopeful that he may indeed live to see the end of exile and goes to bring about God’s promised action by confessing on behalf of Israel. This leads to a shocking and disheartening word from God:

“While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me… He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

“‘Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.’” (Daniel 9:21-24, abbreviated)

In other words, what Ezra-Nehemiah chronicled in story form, Daniel documents in a divine vision-message: The seventy years of exile haven’t accomplished their purpose — Israel hasn’t been purified of its sinful nature and is not yet ready to be the holy people of God who bring “everlasting righteousness” to the world. The seventy years of exile didn’t accomplish all that needs to be accomplished, and therefore exile will continue. Rather than just 70 years, Israel will experience various forms of oppression and persecution for seven times that, or roughly 490 years. This heartbreaking notion proves true over the next several hundred years of Israel’s history leading to Christ: First, as we saw, the Median-Persian Empire takes over, then Alexander the Great and the Greeks, then the Syrian/Seleucid Empire, and finally Rome. For five centuries following the return of the exiles to Jerusalem, life for the Old Testament people of God is a form of continued political punishment. Exile repeats itself over and over. This historical reality is, not coincidentally, both why Daniel was written and also why it was written the way that it was.

Note that the overall book was written about Daniel, but not by Daniel. Though it contains his writings, the writings are pieced together and narrated by someone who refers to Daniel in the third person. Many scholars think that the book was either written or newly annotated around 160 BC, several generations after the first remnant returned to Israel. During this time, the Jews suffered yet another horrendous persecution, this time under Antiochus and the Syrian (or Seleucid) Empire. It is likely that these circumstances of exile, similar to Daniel’s in Babylon, were the motivation for converting the old oral testimony of Daniel’s faithful obedience into the more artistic and formalized literary book we have today. This book, with its hopeful (though cryptic) visions of God’s eventual victory over the violent beasts of world empires and the heroic example of Daniel’s faithfulness, would have been a tremendously valuable resource for another generation of oppressed Jews. In this sense, the historical testimony of Daniel’s life and visions which occurred around 580-520 BC were able to speak powerfully to God’s people in later eras of violent oppression, both in the 2nd century BC under the Syrian Empire as well as in Jesus’ day under the brutal Roman regime. This is, in large part, what made the Book of Daniel one of the most popular literary texts in Jesus’ own day as well as one of the texts most widely referenced in the New Testament.

Ask:

How does hearing the context for Daniel help in your understanding of Ezra and Nehemiah?

Read:

The Book of Daniel as Apocalyptic Literature The literary context that inspired the book of Daniel was the social/political landscape of God’s people centuries after Daniel’s life in Babylon. The landscape of persecution under brutal Syrian rule was eerily similar to the earlier torment of Babylonian oppression. It is this similarity of situations, not the exact details of each historical period, that inspired the form and content of Daniel, especially the seemingly strange visions in chapters 7-12. This differentiation will be crucial as we dive into exploring these texts.

Before we do, however, we must introduce a term: Apocalyptic. We use the term apocalyptic to mean pertaining to the end of the world — an apocalypse (typically where everything somehow explodes). But apocalyptic, or apocalypticism, is also a noun labeling a literary genre that became quite common in the ancient and Biblical world. Examples of Biblical apocalyptic include Daniel 7-12, Revelation, parts of Isaiah, and Ezekiel’s visions of the flying, flaming chariot made of heavenly creatures depicting God’s glory.

These texts strike us as absurd, nonsensical, and even scary. However, the ancient readers to whom these words were written would have felt no such discomfort. They would have been familiar with the symbolism and imagery in a way that would be hard for us to believe. It’s worth it, therefore, to state a truism: We are utterly illiterate at reading apocalyptic literature and stand before these texts at a tremendous disadvantage. They require more homework and hermeneutic effort than perhaps any other books of the Bible. In terms of reading through the Bible in order to become more Biblically literate, the apocalyptic texts are like the big bad bosses at the end of a video game. Indeed, scholar Aaron Chalmers dubs apocalyptic “prophecy on steroids.” It is perhaps apt then that they are mostly found toward the end of the Old and New Testaments. In fact, throughout history, more corrosive ideas and evil actions have stemmed from misreadings of apocalyptic literature than from probably any other.

The term apocalyptic comes from the Greek word apokalypsis which means to reveal or unveil knowledge that was previously hidden. Apocalyptic is symbolic picture-language, almost like political cartoons, that serve to speak both to current realities and to universal types. Specifically, such language was often used to speak simultaneously to various details of real-life present circumstances as well as to elevate the meaning of such things above those particular details to illustrate what is typological or paradigmatic. In other words, apocalyptic isn’t mostly concerned with symbolically predicting specific future events but with illustrating paradigms that tend to repeat themselves throughout history. Typically written in the context of crisis, Biblical apocalyptic aims to encourage hope in its hearers by lifting their countenance above the daunting realities of their current struggle and to illustrate the ways in which God is sovereign and powerful over even the worst the world has to offer. Apocalyptic aims to visually depict to oppressed people the truth that even the worst oppression is not the end of the story.

Consider the following snippets from Aaron Chalmers’ Interpreting the Prophets to help orient us toward this unfamiliar genre:

“Whereas the prophets usually envisage God acting in salvation or judgment within history, these passages seem to anticipate a climactic and decisive intervention of God that brings history (at least as we know it) to a definitive culminating point… Apocalyptic entails the revelatory communication of heavenly secrets by an other-worldly being to a seer who presents the visions in a narrative framework; the visions guide readers into a transcendent reality that takes precedence over the current situation and encourages readers to persevere in the midst of their trials. The visions reverse normal experience by making the heavenly mysteries the real world and depicting the present crisis as a temporary, illusory situation. This is achieved via God’s transforming the world for the faithful…

In apocalyptic, God reveals his previously hidden future plans usually through dreams or visions. Unlike the visions we find in the prophets, however, these are full of elaborate and, at times, strange and mysterious symbolism and/or numbers. Many of the dominant images of apocalyptic belong to the realm of fantasy or myth, or we encounter surreal, unnatural combinations. For example, Daniel 7 contains a vision of four great beasts, including a bear with tusks in its mouth and a lion with eagle’s wings, coming out of the sea, while Daniel 8 describes a goat with a horn that grows as high as the host of heaven. The meaning and significance of these dreams and visions is thus often obscure; serious interpretive work is required…

It primarily served to encourage its readers in the midst of their trials. Apocalyptic literature, like prophecy, is highly situational — it was written in order to address and respond to a specific problem in the life of the community of faith. This situation was usually one of crisis, such as rapid, destabilizing change, a severe drought or plague, or persecution.

For example, critical scholars often associate the book of Daniel (or at least chapters 7-12) with the crisis precipitated by the persecution of the Jews undertaken by Antiochus IV Epiphanes during the early second century BC. The book can be read as a commentary on the dramatic and distressing events that occurred in Israel and the broader world during his reign, which included the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, the outlawing of distinctive Jewish rites, and the execution of those who opposed him. Daniel 7:25 appears to allude to Antiochus with its reference to the little horn ‘speaking words against the Most High, wearing out the holy ones of the Most High, attempting to change the sacred seasons and the law.’

Apocalyptic seeks to encourage, comfort, and exhort the community to continued faithfulness, in spite of whatever opposition or problems its members may be facing. It affirms that such crises are only temporary — God remains in control and he will soon act to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous.”

Ask:

How would you describe the way you were previously taught to think about apocalyptic literature? How does the idea that apocalyptic literature is not primarily concerned with end times prophecies but symbolism regarding contemporaneous political events alter this viewpoint?

Have you ever felt embarrassed or uncomfortable about Biblical texts like Daniel or Revelation or Christian ideologies concerning the “rapture” or “antichrist”? Share any stories or reflections.

Read:

Beginning to Interpret Apocalyptic Literature More from Chalmers: “Apocalyptic texts present unique challenges to the modern interpreter. ‘No other genre of the Bible has been so fervently read with such depressing results.’ Our problems are largely a result of the fact that the apocalyptic genre has no real modern equivalent…

Impressionistic art can serve as a helpful analogy for orienting our reading of apocalyptic texts. An impressionistic painting is best appreciated from a distance. These works are composed of fine lines, dabs of paint and brush strokes that ‘combine to depict scenes of unusual vividness and emotion’. If we stand too close, however, if we concentrate simply on the lines and dabs themselves, we are unlikely to grasp what the artist intended to convey - all we will end up seeing are lines, dabs, and strokes which look rather peculiar and random in their placement. Instead, we need to take a step back and consider the work in its entirety. When we do this, we are able to appreciate how those apparently random and disjointed paint strokes, dabs and lines in fact end up working together to produce a coherent and striking whole.

Likewise, apocalyptic texts needs to be appreciated from a distance. When reading apocalyptic texts, it is worth stepping back and trying to grasp the point of the vision as a whole. What is the overall effect? What is the big picture? What is the overarching sweep of the vision or narrative? Ultimately, we need to move beyond the details to determine the primary message(s) of the entire vision. The ever-present risk is that modern readers will get so bogged down in the details of the visions that they fail to grasp the bigger picture. Or, to draw another analogy, they will see the trees but miss the forest. Individual details may be important (after all, the only reason we have a bigger picture is because it is made up of smaller details), or they may not. What is always important, however, is the significance of the vision as a whole. And, of course, it is often when we have grasped the big picture that the details within this make more sense.

Once we have grasped the big picture of the vision, it is time to focus on the details. The further we move from the general (the ‘big picture’) to the specific (‘details’), the less certain our interpretations may become. In other words, while we may be confident that we have grasped the meaning of the vision as a whole, the significance of certain specific elements within this may elude us. ‘This is not unexpected, given the allusive nature of apocalyptic visions. For much of the vision is an earthly way to think about a heavenly reality, or a present way to think about a future reality. So given our earthly and present limitations, we cannot expect to understand the meaning of each detail.’”

Ask:

Describe a moment when you’ve experienced something like impressionistic art where choosing not to focus too much on specific details helped you to better see and appreciate the overall picture.

Read: Daniel 7. As you do, keep in mind the analogy of impressionist art and focus on the big picture being painted with these images and symbols.

Ask:

What big-picture impression stood out in your mind as you read Daniel 7? In other words, what point is it trying to make?

In your mind, how important is a text like Daniel 7 to your life as a Christ-follower?

How does it make you feel to meditate on the fact that our entire faith tradition is so heavily dependent on a book, and specifically an old book that most Christians and perhaps we ourselves struggle (and often fail) to read correctly?

9. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

There will be no small group discussion tonight.

10. CLOSING

Spend a minute in silence, discerning any invitations the Holy Spirit may have for you — whether to dive deeper into the study of Daniel and apocalyptic on your own, to take a break from YOBL, or to make some commitment based on what you heard in the text. Make any commitments to God in prayer before one another.