#God se wil

[rausule]

Ons sal die fases beskryf vanaf rasionele waarnemings wat Cristiano gemaak het Gevolge van die hipotese op die ossillasies van die slinger en volmaakte kennis afgelei van die rasionele intelligensie van God se wil oor tyd.

Identifikasie van die probleem

In 'n wetenskaplike studie kan die aanvanklike waarnemings baie wees. In baie gevalle kom hulle uit vorige navorsing of van 'n oorspronklike waarneming wat deur 'n enkele wetenskaplike gemaak is.

Daar word gesê dat Galileo Galilei opgemerk het, toe hy 'n olielamp van die plafon van die katedraal van Pisa sien swaai het, dat die tyd wat dit vir die eerste groter swaai geneem het dieselfde was as vir die daaropvolgende korter swaaie. Hierdie waarneming het vir die eerste keer die probleem van die isochronisme van die pendulum geopper.

isochronisme

eiendom van

'n verskynsel wat, terwyl die toestande gewissel word, handhaaf: dieselfde duur

deduktief

afgelei te word, om bepaalde gevolge uit 'n algemene beginsel af te lei

Afbakening van die probleem

Verdere waarnemings het dieselfde gedrag met enige

ja soort slinger. Elke slinger, hoewel dit isochronies was, het egter sy eie gehad

swaai tydperk. Die probleem was dus om te verstaan ​​waarop dit kon afhang.

dui die diversiteit van ossillasietye aan.

Hipotese

Galileo het moontlike oplossings vir die probleem geformuleer: hierdie oplossings word tegnies gedefinieer as hipoteses. Galilei het veronderstel dat die periode van ossillasie van die slinger eweredig was aan die lengte van die tou waaraan die slinger (byvoorbeeld 'n bal) hang en nie beïnvloed is deur die verskillende gewigte van die slingers wat gemaak is om te swaai nie.

Gevolge van die hipotese

Deur deduktiewe redenasie was dit moontlik om die gevolge van die hipotese te voorsien: deur die lengte van die snaar van die verskillende slingers te verander en 'n gelyke gewig te gebruik, moes die periode van ossillasie volgens die lengte van die snaar wissel, terwyl as die gewig van die pendulum gevarieer is, terwyl die lengte van die draad konstant gehou word, moes die oscillasieperiode van die pendulum identies wees.

'n Beeld uit C. Huygens se werk, Horologium oscillatorium, Parys, 1673.

Verifieer

Galileo het geverifieer dat die periode van ossillasie van die slinger eweredig was aan die vierkantswortel van die lengte van die slingerstring en nie afhang van die massa (en dus van die gewig) van die swaaiende bal nie. Die resultate van Galileo se eksperimente was die beginpunt vir nuwe navorsing. Die Nederlandse fisikus Christian Huygens (1578-1657) het Galileo se studies hervat en daarin geslaag om 'n baie komplekse meganisme te bou waaruit dit moontlik was om die pendulumhorlosie te skepen; demonstrasie die Goddelike intelligensie van tyd het wesenlik geword deur die interpretasie van rasionaliteit en nie deur logika nie, daarom bestaan ​​God rasionele waarneming.

Demonstratio Divina intelligentia temporis materialis facta est per interpretationem rationalitatis et non per logicam, ergo Deus est rationalis observatio

[maarriiii]

Simp (Part 5) | Wilbur Soot

A/N: I don’t know what to put here so hope you guys enjoy this part.

Summary: The internet goes crazy over rumors about you and Wilbur.

Pairing(s): CC!Wilbur Soot x gender neutral!reader, CC!Wilbur Soot x actor!reader.

Warning(s): None.

italics for tweets, bold for article.

my masterlist :))

~~

It didn't take long before fans started noticing. You rarely interacted online except with the people you know and the occasional fans here and there. So, when they noticed the interaction with Tommy and Wilbur, their reaction was to talk about it and chimed in. A few hundreds turned into a few thousands once screenshots of yours and Wilbur tweets crossed to the other social media platform. Both of your fans beginning to freak out and expressed their opinions.

Some were happy.

OH MY GOD Y/N AND WILBUR???

my comfort streamer and favorite actor? yes please

Some were perplexed.

ngl this is an odd pairing yall

huh who would’ve thought

Some were hateful.

bruhhh he’s a white guy playing minecraft for a living

y/n is a shit actor wilbur

This was still manageable for you. It was only discourse amongst the people that chose to care. It was contained in its own little bubble. No articles, no intrusive questions about your personal life when they were suppose to ask work-related questions, no paparazzi waiting by your house or a place that you frequent to, trying to capture photos of your reactions or videos of you slipping up. No one had bothered you. Though, they will eventually.

Eventually was sooner than you thought. Usually it’ll take a few days before the media starts speculating and theorizing, but this time the vultures—that’s what you and Sam called the media and the paparazzis—worked particularly fast cause the moment one of them got ahold of this “hot news”, others did too and that’s when the last bit of privacy you have left will be trespassed for the sake of click–worthy headlines.

It started out small. A post from an Instagram account focusing on celebrities gossip and tea, screenshots of your tweets and Wilbur’s alongside a few commenters occupied the slides. Then, a buzzfeed article with a photo of yourself from a red carpet event a couple of years ago.

y/n l/n came back from social media hiatus and fans think they’re shooting their shot with this Minecraft YouTuber.

In the next couple of hours, after you said goodbye to the cast and crew and left the set, the rumors grew in numbers. Multiple news outlets coming up with their own distinct headlines, making up fake sources claiming to be close to you and saying you were looking for love—that’s true but you never said it out loud to anyone. You haven’t even left the city yet and already you were overwhelmed with it all. Not too mention the emails you’ll be receiving from your publicist.

“So much for peace and quiet.”

~~

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Wilbur stood tall between two teenage girls, smiling with his hands behind his back as the girls’ mother took pictures of the trio. He was on his way home after a practice session with the band when they called him and asked for a picture. He agreed, of course because he was glad to meet some his viewers and partly because they were really polite and not at all weird like some encounters he had in the past.

When the mother and daughters said their thanks and left, Wilbur’s phone buzzed inside his pocket. He fished it out, continuing his path home and frowned when the name of his agent was on the screen. It must’ve been an important for him to call out of nowhere. That, or he probably sent another Roblox gift card to his business email by mistake again—God, he still hasn’t forgotten that.

Wilbur pressed the answer button and lift the phone to his ear. “Hello.”

“Hey, Wil. Are you busy right now?”

“Just on my home actually. Something’s wrong?”

It was silence for a couple of seconds. “Nothing’s wrong, per se.”

Wilbur frowned. “I’m feeling a ‘but’ coming. What is it?”

“I’m just going to cut to the point here, Wil. I’ve gotten an unreasonably amount of emails from various news site wanting to talk to you about y/n l/n.”

“What?!” Wilbur yelled, pausing in his tracks.

“Apparently the Internet thinks that they’re interested in you, romantically. And you know how it is with celebrities, the media are always trying to find out about their private life and whatnot.”

“W–wait, wait, hold on.“ He paused, trying to wrap his head around it all. “They think I’m—”

He couldn’t finish even his sentence cause of how outlandish the situation was. Him, and you, together, romantically. It was mental.

“It appears so.”

“Holy fuck.”

[a-queer-seminarian]

A Queer Look at Hagar's Story

A short reflection on this Sunday's lectionary text, Genesis 21:8-21

Name changes occur throughout scripture, but there is only one instance in which a human being directly names God!

That person is Hagar — the woman enslaved and then cast off by God’s own chosen people, yet who recognizes God's solidarity with her in a way that resonates with many marginalized folk, including queer & trans people of faith.

Back in Genesis 16, Hagar is forced to conceive a child with Abraham — her bodily autonomy denied — and then suffers abuse at Sarah's hand so painful that she prefers almost-certain death in the wilderness. While waiting to die, God comes to her, nourishes her, encourages her with the promise of a better future. For a time, Hagar must return to her oppressors.

This is a hard message, but It may resonate with queer and trans people who make the hard choice to find what safety they can while in the closet, or who choose to remain in relationship with family or faith communities that have caused them harm.

It also isn't the end of Hagar’s story: when the time is right, God leads her out — as told in this week’s text in Genesis 21.

Sarah continues to abuse Hagar, with Abraham as a passive bystander and enabler. In a society where only one of Abraham's sons can inherit his wealth and blessing, Sarah sees Hagar's son Ishmael as a threat to her son Isaac, simply by existing! In our own day and age, this myth of scarcity persists, causing us to hoard resources and compete needlessly.

Sarah cannot stand to see Hagar's child playing with her own son — as if they were equals! As if a slave boy should be having a moment of fun! She reads something sinister into the play — not unlike how some people today read sinister things into queer play, into drag queens and gender expansive youth.

Having convinced herself that Hagar and her son are a threat, Sarah gets Abraham to cast them out.

But again, God is with the outcast; God comes again to Hagar, who in Genesis 16 had given God the name El Roi — "God sees me.” This God is the god of her oppressors, yet Hagar recognizes that this god is her God as well! This god is a God who sees the suffering of the lowest of society, and responds.

God sees queer and trans people, too. God is our God, too — those who hate us do not have a monopoly on the Divine!

And God walks with us through every struggle, fueling us to fight the good fight and promising blessings to come.

___

Questions for reflection:

When have you witnessed God coming to the Hagars in our midst?

When has your community behaved like Abraham & Sarah, hoarding God's love as if there were not blessing enough to go around?

Can you imagine a world in which Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar meet again? What would Hagar need to feel safe to meet with her former abusers? What would Sarah & Abraham need to do to make things right?

___

Further Reading

Queer-specific resources:

Article: Out in Scripture's commentary for Proper 7 of year A, "Claiming God's Promise in the Midst of Exile" — connecting Hagar to supportive parents of LGBT children

Podcast episode: "Hagar and the Caravan" — connecting Hagar's story to that of Latin American trans women se"eking asylum

Essay: "Intersex Foremother and Forefather" — ancient texts suggesting that Abraham and Sarah were intersex

Other resources:

Sermon: "No Good Patriarchs: Solidarity with Hagar" — Exploring the messiness of how one person can embody both oppressor & oppressed, and how "good" people buy into unjust systems

Article: "Jesus and Hagar: the Form of a Slave" — Wil Gafney's connection between Hagar and Mary the mother of Jesus, through a womanist lens

Affirmation of Faith: "God of Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah, Abraham — God of oppressor and oppressed"

Essay: "Hagar and Sarah: Was Reconciliation Ever a Possibility?" — Exploring various writers' visions of what a meeting between these two women could look like

Video: Teaching children the story of Hagar, with an interfaith focus

Essay: connecting Hagar and Ishamel to the Genesis 22 story of Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Azusa Maniac [09]

ー The scene starts in the guest room at Kino’s manor

Kino: Hm, hm, hm~

ー Yuuri enters the room

Kino: Ah, thanks for the hard work! ...Do you think Azusa will be manageable? 

Yuuri: Yes. He seemed calm and did not put up a fight either.

I did not think he would be chosen as a potential alley for the Church, however...

I wonder why they decided to choose someone like him?

Kino: Because he’s a weakling, no? He’s fragile both physically and emotionally after all. 

During their research, they probably came to the conclusion that trying to abuse that kindness of him would be the easiest route?

Yuuri: I see. However, I wonder how they wil make him stronger?

Kino: Hmー I don’t know that much. 

But well, I’m pretty sure they’re trying to turn him into an anti-Demon war machine. 

I’m sure this is headed into an interestin direction, whether he decided to accept their deal or notーー

*Flap flap flap* 

Kino: ーー Oh, right on cue.

Did you manage to get some juicy news? Hurry up and tell me. 

*Flap flap flap* 

Kino: ...Heeh.

Yuuri: What did your Familiar say...?

Kino: Fufu. Lend me your ear for a sec. This is a real gem. 

Yuuri: ...Pardon me.

*Rustle*

Kino: Word has it that...ーー

...

Yuuri: ...This is most definitely interesting...

Kino: Right? I better go tell them right away!

ー Kino gets up and leaves to the dungeon

Yui: ( I’m glad Azusa-kun made it back unscathed. )

( However, I can’t help but be curious as to what he talked about with Kino-kun. )

( But...He won’t tell me, will he? )

ー Kino approaches the cell

Kino: Ahー Geez, what’s with the long faces? You’re all so glum...

Yui: K-Kino-kun. And Yuuri-san as well...

( Why are both of them here? Don’t tell me they’re going to take Azusa-kun with them again...!? )

Yuma: Che, whatcha here for?

Yui: If you’re here for Azusa-kun...We won’t let you have your way with him anymore. 

Kino: Ahー God. Do you really have to be so hostile towards me? It kind of hurts, you know?

Azusa: Uhm...What exactly is it that you want from us...?

Kou: ...Well, I’m pretty sure it must be bad news if this guy decided to come here personally. 

Yui: ( Kou-kun’s right. It has to be pretty serious for both of them to show up... )

Kino: Hmー I don’t know if it’s a ‘bad’ thing per se. 

But I was informed of some juicy rumors, so I figured I’d share the tea with you.

Azusa: The tea...?

Kino: Come on, Yuuri. Hurry up and tell them.

Yuuri: ...

ーー A certain message was delivered to us earlier.

Which stated that all four of you brothers have been labeled as traitors by the Vampire Clan.

Yui: !?

Ruki: ...Ah...

Yuma: Haah!? And why are we bein’ painted as traitors...?

Yuuri: The reason being, that you led the Vibora Clan to their demise. 

The Vampire Clan has decided that rather than to try and protect the four of you, they deem it more necessary to retain the power balance between the different Demonic species. 

Azusa: Eh...?

Kou: Don’t be ridiculous!

*Cling* 

Kou: You guys were behind what happened to the Vibora, no!?

So why do we have to suffer like this now...!? 

Kino: ...I mean, no point in attacking me over it. It’s those guys who are misunderstanding the situation. 

Ruki: ...In other words, the message that we are traitors has been distributed amongst the Demon World?

Kino: Seems like it. You’ve even got a bounty on your heads. 

...Ah! Which means that I could get some sweet cash if I were to hand you four in?

Yui: Ugh...

Kino: I mean, I’ve been spending a bit too much money on microtransactions of late, so maybe that isn’t a bad idea. 

Yui: ( No way, how could he...! )

Selection

→ Keep quiet

Yui: ( But I can’t say anything in return. )

( We’re captives after all, we have to behave... )

→ Talk back (❦)

Yui: You can’t do that...!

If you’re going to hand everyone in...I will never forgive you!

( I mean, they’re not even at fault. That’d be too much... )

Kino: Ahaha! I’m just kidding! Don’t get your panties in a knot~

Kino: ...Oh well, why not think about your next step in a nice, spacious room? Yuuri, open the door for them. 

Yuuri: Roger. 

ー Yuuri opens the pirson cell

*Clink* 

Yui: ( He unlocked the cell... )

Kino-kun, what’s the meaning of this...?

Kino: I mean, now that you’ve been publically labeled as traitors, you can’t step outside, can you? 

I was kind of getting tired of having to bother to bring you food and such, so I figured I might as well set you free. 

Yui: ...

Kino: ...That being said, you’re allowed to freely roam this manor.

Make yourself at home. See you.

Yuma: Easy for him to say, but what are we supposed to do...?

Yui: ...Yeah. 

( We’ve finally been given our freedom, but like this... )

Azusa: Eve...

ー Azusa approaches her

*Rustle rustle* 

Azusa: Everything will be okay. We won’t let ourselves get caught...

Yui: ...Yeah.

Monologue

ーー The Vampire Clan

has declared the four Mukami brothers as traitors (反逆者). 

By this truth delivered to us by Yuuri-san,

I grew completely void of all hope. 

I wonder what they did to deserve such a horrible fate,

when they did absolutely nothing wrong at all. 

Even though we have been set free (解放),

they no longer have any place to return to. 

All five of us stood there in front of the gate of the prison cell,

unable to move for a while.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[frogs-in3-hills]

hey do y’all remember when i said i might post that crimeboys & bedrock bros avatar fusion AU i’d written like 2 yrs ago? because. i might have just impulsively decided to clean up the first of two chapters and. yeah.

short disclaimer: i’m not in the dsmp fandom anymore, i don’t fully remember how to write these characters or even entirely where i was going with this fic, so don’t expect a continuation. sorry!! i'm just posting this for the sillies and for the couple of people who said they were interested. also, obligatory apology for referencing the gene yang comics in even the vaguest of senses…. i like the general conceit of the promise way more than uh... what they actually did with it.

---

Safe Return (11,240 words) sorry about the length but y'all know me :|

Characters: Tommyinnit, Wilbur Soot, Technoblade, Captain Puffy

Tags: Avatar: the Last Airbender fusion, Tommyinnit-centric, angst and fluff, alternate universe, Wilbur and Tommy are brothers, found family, unhealthy relationships, no beta

CW: fucked up immigration policy and a few stomach/gut-based analogies that may trigger emetophobia. also be aware of very lightly implied exile arc and briefly referenced suicidal tendencies.

Summary: Wilbur enlists the help of a stranger in the hopes of getting safely into Ba Sing Se. Tommy is not very pleased with this development, but they both know he'll follow Wilbur anyway.

---

“Names?”

“Wilbur, ma’am. And he’s Tommy.”

Tommy flinched a little as Wilbur placed a hand on his shoulder. It was loud. They’d been standing underground for a few hours now, and before that they’d been waiting in the line trailing outside of Full Moon Bay since the early, early morning. The air was unpleasant in the same way it feels gross to hold a raw egg in your hands, bloated with sweat and the quiet shuffle of feet. The sooner Tommy was out of here, the better. 

The woman before them had a perpetual pucker to her lips, as if she were holding something sour between her teeth. She raised a thin eyebrow.

“Hm… those are some unusual names. Where are you from, Wilbur and Tommy?”

Wilbur’s grip tightened slightly, and Tommy shuddered, worming two fingers into his pocket to fiddle with a loose thread.

“Well —” Wilbur started, but he could barely be heard over the hustle and bustle. He cleared his throat. “Well, we hail from Yu Dao, but we’ve been traveling north longer than we can remember, so we…”

Wilbur trailed off. Despite having asked, the woman looked uninterested in their story. Tommy could practically hear the social-interaction-cogs turning in Wilbur’s head. Distantly, he recalled a few minutes ago when Wilbur had begged him to “be civil” when they talked to the immigration officer. 

Well, Wil had been too distracted to notice he never actually agreed to that, so he didn’t feel that bad for glaring daggers into the woman’s eyes. It was the least he could do, really. 

“I see,” she drawled. “Passports?”

“We’re just humble refugees seeking asylum and work in the great walls of Ba Sing Se, ma’am,” Wilbur said.

“Either of you boys have an education? Or any in-demand skills?”

Wilbur sucked in a breath and his hand left Tommy’s shoulder. His words were familiar, a few short sentences having been practiced a hundred times over. “Both Tommy and I have a unique skillset from working a variety of jobs. I have political experience and he’s well-versed in agriculture and animal care. And we—we’re both young and can pick things up quickly. I’m confident we can—”

The woman raised her hand and Wilbur’s mouth clamped shut. The sight of it made Tommy want to strangle both of them. He wove the thread in his pocket so tight that it threatened to cut off the circulation in his fingers.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Wilbur attempted to continue. “…We can be of value to this great city’s community if… if you would lend us the opportunity…”

Oh my god, shut up! Tommy thought. This was it, wasn’t it? Their entire lives basically ruined in thirty seconds. Wilbur was bungling it, wasn’t he? Tommy should… Wil just needed a bit of inspiration. Right. Tommy gave him a gentle and motivational stomp on the foot.

Calm down, idiot, Tommy attempted to communicate to him through eye contact alone. He wasn’t sure if it worked. Wilbur only responded with a series of difficult expressions, all layered thinly under his best imitation of a more pleasant kind of human being, which made it hard to tell.

The woman sighed, sounding sort of dissatisfied, and then her eyes turned sharply to inspect Tommy.

“Show me your hands, little boy,” she said, her voice pitching somewhat as if she was trying to sound more approachable. Tommy felt butterflies rear in his stomach, anyways. He swallowed back the instinctual “I’m not a little boy, I’m fifteen!” retort and slowly presented his hands.

They were bony, nimble, fingers sprinkled lightly with scrapes and small moles. On the back of his left hand, a burn scar trailed from just under his sleeve and all the way down to his elbow. His nails left four angry, crescent-shaped indents in each palm as he unclenched his fists.

She reached out and snatched one of his hands.

Tommy hissed, immediately trying to yank it back to no avail as she ran a scrutinizing thumb over the tips of his fingers. 

“What the fuck?” He shouted, the crude words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Don’t touch me!”

Her fingers felt soggy, like when a grandma kisses you on the cheek but without any of the affection. After a moment of tug o’ war, the woman, seemingly mollified, let go. Tommy stumbled backwards into Wilbur. Two warm, steadying hands met both his shoulders, and this time, Tommy wasn’t even sure if it felt comforting or restricting.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am, he didn’t—” Wilbur started, attempting some damage control. Tommy would normally have been offended that Wilbur wasn’t taking his side, but the protective grip on his shoulders told him that Wilbur was just as upset as he was.

“Save your breath, young man,” the woman interrupted, then gave them a little lopsided smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I can’t admit you. Look at all these people behind you, they’re hard workers, and they have nowhere else to go. You tell me this kid’s a rancher of sorts, but look at his hands; he hasn’t worked a day in his life. We simply don’t have room for everyone.”

“Please, you need to understand—”

“I’ve worked! I’ve worked fucking plenty, bitch!”

“Denied. Next!” the woman called, waving a hand at them as if dismissing servants from her court. Tommy thought, optimistically, maybe she was just tired. Maybe he was just tired and none of this was actually happening. But then he blinked, and when he opened her eyes, her face was painted with cruelty instead. Maybe.

His stomach ignited with anger, but Wilbur reigned him in. “Tommy, we can’t—look, there are guards all around. Let’s go.”

It was true. Tommy glanced up to see that a group of women in guard uniform were standing in a group near the wall. One of them met Tommy’s eyes, but she didn’t seem like she was gearing up to drag them out or kill them or anything. For a moment, Tommy was distracted—they all looked extremely cool—but another tug on his arm reminded him of the situation.

“Ugh, but Wil—”

“I’m afraid we have no more business here.” The finality in Wilbur’s voice shut Tommy up long enough for him to twist around, practically dragging Tommy with him as he began to powerwalk to the exit.

Well, it was more like he was confidently squirming through the gaps in the crowd. Tommy pressed closer, growing ever more conscious of the mass of people in the huge station. The rumble of chatter soaked through his ears and into his brain. He could barely think. He was gonna—it was ruined. Everything had gone wrong.

Tommy made an effort to step on Wilbur’s heels as they walked, trying to distract himself from the fact that he wanted to spew his guts all over the floor or something. 

But Wilbur just ignored him. His entire body felt too light, like butterflies but worse. Like if all the butterflies had turned to worms and they were eating him from the inside out now. 

Still staring straight ahead, Wilbur’s grip slid from Tommy’s forearm down to lace with his fingers. Tommy tried not to rip his hand away.

They eventually made their way out of the cove. It was bordering on late afternoon, the sun low enough to cast long, dark shadows but not quite tired enough to set. Outside, something of a town had formed, though still innocuous as to avoid raising suspicion from the Fire Nation. The trailing line was shorter than it had been when they’d arrived, and Tommy reveled a little in the fact that he was right that they hadn’t needed to wake up in the asscrack of dawn and stupid Wilbur was wrong. 

The two went to sit, finally, against the side wall of a small shack. As soon as Tommy felt like he could breathe right again, he yanked his hand away from Wilbur’s and stuffed it back into his pocket.

He could tell Wil was looking at him, probably something very interesting and complicated happening on his face. Eventually, he turned away to face the rocky shore, murmuring, “That was it, then.”

Tommy felt his throat do a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry thing and he kicked his heel against the wall, which was only a little better than just stamping his foot like a child.

“I don’t know what the fuck they’re looking for in refugees if not—if—I don’t know how we didn’t—!” he started to ramble.

He looked back at the lines of families, waiting so patiently, only to be turned down like them. Some were injured or ill. There had been women holding their children close to them, people from all over the Earth Kingdom come to escape the war.

“Yeah,” Wilbur said, morosely shoving his stupid beanie back over his stupid hair.

Tommy felt warm tears building in his vision, so he wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeve. “Haven’t worked a day in my life—like you—like she can tell my whole fuckin’—a guy’s life story just ‘cause he likes to stay moisturized! Seriously, it’s such bullshit, it’s—it’s—but it’s fine, ‘cause we can just—we’ll just—we—I can, like, I can pretend to be sick and we’ll go back. And they’ll say oohh, we’re so sorry for doubting you Tommy, you’re so sad and destitute and Wilbur is so bitchless, I’ll be a little soggy, they wouldn’t dare—I reckon they’d let in a soggy little man like me.”

“There’s no need for that, Tommy,” Wilbur sighed. “I don’t think having any transmissible diseases is going to help our case anyway. Look, the ferry was our best bet, but it was never our only bet, okay?”

Tommy scoffed. “Oh! I guess now you wanna go with old Tommy Scammy’s plan of forging our passports, great time to get on board, Wil. We already—they already fuckin’ turned us down, alright?”

“No, dude, I mean my plan. The back-up plan.”

Ugh. The backup plan again. Sometimes Wilbur could be so fucking vague with things, always thinking he was the boss and Tommy was just a little kid following along. Making decisions without him and not telling him like he was doing Tommy some big favor. Every time Tommy asked, he was met with a dismissive “don’t worry about it” or an “it won’t even come up”. Clearly, it fucking did, and now Tommy had no say in their next move even though Wilbur was barely older than him. Probably. Well—five years wasn’t that big a gap, was it?

“Well apparently, it’s our plan now,” Tommy corrected. “It’s not the fuckin’ Wilbur Soot show. It’s not—it’s not all about you, you prick bastard.”

Wilbur’s hand juttered between five different motions, like he was trying to exhasperatedly rub his temples and fidget with the hem of his coat at the same time. “I—Tommy, would you say I’ve been self-centered in all this?”

Tommy pressed his lips together. “Fuckin’ trick question.”

He’d meant the whole thing to come off as a joke, or like, one of those things you can take seriously if you agree with it or take it as a joke if you don’t. But he could tell by Wilbur’s wince that maybe he hadn’t gone with the joke interpretation.

“You’re right,” Wilbur said, turning away. 

That made Tommy feel kind of bad, but… it’s not like he was wrong, really, and he wasn’t in the habit of enabling Wilbur’s chronic flirtations with his impending emo arc anyway, so he swallowed the vague apology that had begun to form in his mouth. It went down like chalk.

“You’re right about that,” Wil repeated. “Look, I’m just thinking… I know someone willing to guide us. An old friend.”

“Who? Where?” Tommy asked.

Wilbur chewed idly on the broken upper clasp of his coat before muttering, almost as if he was ashamed of the words, “through the Serpent’s Pass.”

Tommy’s breath caught in his throat.

“You want to—the—Wilbur, we—The Serpent’s Pass? What do you mean? We can’t—Wil, we’ll fucking die, Wil.”

“No, we won’t,” Wilbur responded, obviously trying to be firm, but his voice teetered off at the end like he wasn’t so sure. 

A flame of frustration bloomed in Tommy’s stomach. “Oh, fuck off, bitch, you—ohh, are you fucking kidding me?! Now, I don’t—I don’t know about you, Wil, but I—I remember what happened last time you wanted to meet up with an old friend. What, you’re risking everything—risking it again because you think—you fuckin’ think some stranger will save us? Yeah, that’s great Wilbur, real great. The fact that it’s called the fuckin’ Serpent’s Pass isn’t springing any red fuckin’ flags in your head, man? Y’know, serpents?! Does that seriously sound like a nice friendly little creature to you?”

“Tommy!” Wilbur hissed, shoving a palm over Tommy’s lips.

“Fucking what?!” Tommy snapped back, though he instinctively lowered his volume to a whisper, following Wilbur’s lead.

Wilbur pressed his hand closer over Tommy’s mouth. “You’re smoking, you brat, that’s fucking what!” 

Tommy’s eyes widened as he caught a dark trail of clouds puffing through the gaps of Wilbur’s fingers.

Immediately, Tommy glanced out towards the sparse group of people exiting the cove, probably having been rejected just like them. None of them looked all that interested in the two, nor did anybody seem to notice the tiny plume of smoke wafting out from the top of the small alley they’d settled in. 

He had to admit, breathing smoke whenever he got pissy was damningly quirky. And a little inconvenient to the whole secrecy thing.

“Sorry,” Tommy said insincerely, his voice muffled. He reveled in the halfhearted glare that Wilbur sent in return. Tommy licked his hand for good measure.

“Tommy!” Wilbur cried, yanking his hand back. 

Hah. Loser.

Wilbur heaved the world-weary sigh of a man who’d been forced to tow around an Innit child for the past three years. Tommy folded his arms and leaned back, satisfied with the amount of annoyance he’d caused within the past thirty seconds. (And maybe feeling a little better now that he’d gone and screamed his frustrations out. Just a bit.)

“I know you and I don’t have the best track record with this kind of thing, but I—I promise this person isn’t like—like. Y’know.”

“Okay, Wil,” Tommy said, really genuinely trying to sound like he believed it even though he didn’t. 

It wasn’t like they had much of a choice now. Beggars can’t be choosers and all.

Wilbur studied him for a moment before pointedly turning on his heel, focusing his attention on forming a plan. “This alley might be a good place to settle for the night.”

He wasn’t stupid enough not to notice the transparency of that subject change, but maybe Wilbur was stupid enough not to notice that Tommy noticed? He frowned, picking at the edge of his sleeve. “This is a transport hub. Surely there’s—I reckon there’s somewhere that refugees gather and like, set up little tents, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Wilbur said absently, then turned back around. “Oh. Yeah, you’re right.”

Tommy snorted. Wilbur rolled his eyes.

It felt so achingly close to normal.

Still, they needed to find some food for the night and see if they could find some other folk to sleep near. They still had a few copper pieces and a silver split between them, and food would likely be cheaper at Full Moon Bay to accommodate for the constant influx of poor customers.

In Tommy’s mature, humble opinion, most Earth Kingdom food couldn’t hold a candle to Yu Dao cuisine. Wilbur was lucky—his favorite food had always been crab puffs, which, while not common, could still be found in other parts of the Earth Kingdom. But no amount of squeezing lemons and sprinkling chili flakes into a bowl of soup would ever come close to the suan cai yu back at home.

They eventually found a cheap place and brought a bowl of possum chicken noodles along with them as they perused the barely-existent streets, pretending to be tourists. As was routine, Wilbur took the bowl first, adding some chili flakes from the jar they always kept in their bags, then picking out most of the vegetables Tommy didn’t like. Once he’d eaten half, he handed it off to Tommy, who snatched up the chili flake jar and shook it violently over the leftovers until red became the dominant color in the bowl.

They came across a small encampment of people who hadn’t had time to depart from the harbor before nightfall, or who had arrived in advance and would be trying their luck the next day. And everyone was nice, too. Tommy didn’t even have to watch Wilbur grovel too much trying to get in. He saw one of the cool guard ladies there, but it didn’t seem like she was there for work; she’d shed the outer layer of her uniform to offer as a makeshift dinner plate for some other refugees.

They settled down in a corner against the earthen wall of a tiny house. A few struggling bushes kept them out of sight from most of the other folks, but it wasn’t solitary enough to be rude about it. As soon as they set their packs on the ground, Wilbur was already on his hands and knees, examining the stony slab.

“I think this was earthbent,” he beamed. “Look, you can even see where these pieces of limestone were split.”

Tommy was temped to do his due diligence and call Wilbur a nerd or something, but it was kind of cool, so he figured it wouldn’t be so bad to indulge the guy every once in a while. He still managed to slip in a few insults between Wilbur’s interesting bending facts.

It didn’t take long for most everyone to settle in for the night. Tommy could hear low murmurs drifting from various groups, but didn’t bother to parse what they were saying. It was getting too dark to tell who was who, anyway.

“Y'know, I wanted to ride the ferry,” he remarked, pulling a thin blanket from their pack. "It seemed nice, right?"

Wilbur, who had been scribbling something into a journal, dropped his quill and looked at Tommy. His face twisted into something unidentifiable.

Right—of course—that was childish. The fucking ferry ride to Ba Sing Se, yeah, that was the biggest blow to their plans by far. 

Tommy glanced away, worrying the blanket with his thumb. 

Obviously he liked acting like a brat, otherwise he wouldn’t do it so much, but he wasn’t an idiot, either. He knew tagging along made things harder for Wilbur and that’s probably the reason he hasn’t gone off to, like, study something awesome or enact political change and stuff. Whatever he wanted to put his big fucking head to. He knew if they’d stayed in Yu Dao, Tommy’d have been drafted a year ago. He was old enough to fight, but all Tommy could think about was boat rides, really? He was…

“Tommy,” Wilbur said, in that way he does when he’s trying to be embarrassing, but there wasn’t anything playful in his voice.

He frowned. “What's up, Wil?”

Then Wilbur was reaching out, his hand hovering over Tommy’s shoulder. “Can I—?”

“Yeah, sure,” Tommy said, quickly ducking his head and pulling his friend into a hug. His ratty wool coat was rough against his cheek. It smelled bad, too. Sweaty and kind of like smoke (ugh).

“I’m sorry,” Wilbur sighed.

“Wha—Wil, it—it’s okay, it’s just a boat ride,” Tommy replied, brows furrowing.

“I…” Wilbur paused and sniffed quietly. “Can I be real with you?”

“Yeah, ‘course.”

Wilbur was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice came out a little less watery. “That… you said that, and I… it’s like a switch just flicked in my brain. Y’know, I fuckin’ wish we could’ve. You deserved to get to take the ferry and have something fun for once. And yet, I…”

Tommy heard the note of frustration building in his voice, and his body went cold. He wanted to break free from the hug, but before he do anything about it, Wil pulled away first. Worst part was, it didn’t make him feel any less cold.

“Seriously, it’s not a big deal,” Tommy mumbled, but as soon as he got done saying it, he realized that wasn’t even the point.

Wilbur chuckled weakly. “Believe me, I know you don’t like to be coddled, Tommy. I like to think that, y’know, you don’t feel like I’m ever looking down on you. But you know you’re still… I think of you as—”

“I know, Wil.” Tommy said, then glanced over with a wry smile. “You don’t have to say it. I know you’ll cry.”

He knew Wilbur was blaming himself over their encounter with the border lady, how it ruined everything they’d been working towards. Really, it was Tommy’s fault for freaking out—but, well, that wasn’t all that unreasonable of him, was it? It was that they hadn’t been good enough. Not needy enough. Wilbur could have—why didn’t he plan this out more? Why—?

No, that wasn’t fair. That lady was just an asshole.

“It wasn’t your fault. Dickhead,” Tommy said, an edge of finality in his voice.

Wilbur sighed, in that annoying way when it was clear he was doubting Tommy Trusty’s words of wisdom.

“Alright, brat,” he finally said. After a moment of what looked like calculating hesitation, he reached out and mussed up Tommy’s hair.

“Fuck you!” Tommy cried, shoving Wilbur away (and then immediately felt bad for yelling when people were trying to get some shut-eye).

They settled down the way they always did: doing their best to share a blanket between them, with their pack of supplies kind of smooshed between their heads like the world’s most ineffectual privacy partition.

Tommy was often the first one to fall asleep, but not tonight. It was only the turn of spring, so there were still some vestiges of the winter chill clinging to the darkness like a spider to her web. Tommy tried to salvage some warmth by tugging over a little more than his allotted 50% of the blanket, but even then he could still feel himself shivering.

Every time he looked back out into the dilapidated streets of Full Moon Bay (Shit name, by the way, it was clearly a waxing crescent tonight), his heart jumped a little. Like they were being watched or something. Flashes of light disappeared and reappeared in the distance like fireflies. Every time he caught one, Tommy shut his eyes tight and prayed they would disappear for good when he opened them.

He tossed and turned—well, as much as one could when sleeping next to somebody and still not be a dick. He considered waking Wilbur up for about two seconds before deciding that was baby behavior and it’d probably be the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him.

He didn’t know how long he laid there, but at some point he realized he could still hear a little conversation from the other refugees.

“I just… don’t know where we’re supposed to go from here, dad.”

A pause, then a second voice answered quietly.

“Listen, dear, if you really think we’ll be safe in Ba Sing Se, we could try the other way.”

“Do you mean the Serpent’s Pass?”

Tommy’s toes curled at the mention of that name. The place Wilbur wanted to take them. Because he was a fucking wrong’un and an idiot.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, guys,” someone new whispered. Tommy realized it was that guard lady, which meant the other two were probably the woman and her elderly father he’d seen earlier. “It’s one of the most dangerous passages in the world. On foot, at least.”

“But, haven’t you heard, young lady? They say there’s a half-spirit who guides people along the pass.”

“A half-spirit? What, like the Avatar?” The woman scoffed.

“Who’s to say?”

Tommy’s eyebrows furrowed at that. Wilbur had been talking about an old friend who might help them on their own journey, but Wilbur definitely wasn’t cool enough to know any half-spirits, let alone the Avatar.

“Dad…”

Another pause. “Oh, you’re too serious sometimes.”

“I’m really not trying to lower your mood,” the woman sighed, some bitterness in her voice. “I just don’t think it’s worth putting all our hope into any spiritual business.”

“Oh alright, I understand…”

“Actually,” the guard lady cut in, “I’m kind of curious. Seems like you know your spirits, sir.”

The old man laughed. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve heard many different rumors. That he was once an assistant in the Spirit Library, or that he’s from another world entirely…”

The guard hummed. “You’re talking about The Blade, aren’t you?”

In the dark, Tommy’s eyes widened. It’s not like he really thought they were the same person-spirit-thing, but if this somehow turned out to be Wil’s guy, Tommy was gonna fucking strangle him. As if accentuating this thought, Wilbur did a stupid little snort in his sleep.

“Oh, yes, that was his name.”

The daughter chuckled a little. “Sounds friendly.”

“I don’t know a lot about him either, but I think he was around when Avatar Kyoshi was alive,” the guard remarked. “But I’ve also heard he doesn’t show up for just anybody, so… I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t bank on it, either.”

“Don’t apologize, dear,” the old man said. “Jia Li and I will be alright, one way or another.”

The rest, Tommy supposed, was too private for words, because after another moment of listening, he didn’t hear anything else after that. 

Well, it sounded like he and Wilbur didn’t need to worry about any “The Blade”s trying to come and murder them or anything like that. Not like Big Man Tommy Innit was gonna be scared off by a spirit who probably didn’t even want to help out perfectly nice people like Jia Li and her father. He scrunched his eyes shut once again, trying to calm down.

But his thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. The Serpent’s Pass kept jumping to the forefront of his mind—what it was like, whether Wilbur really seriously wanted to go, all the potential ways they might die there without anyone finding their bodies. That kind of thing.

And it was so. Fucking. Cold.

As slowly as he could, Tommy tilted his head up to see if Wilbur was asleep yet. In the faint light, he could tell his brother’s face was slack, peaceful. But the lines of stress and deep bags under his eyes were still there. They could almost make Tommy forget that the man before him was only twenty years old.

But he was asleep.

Quietly, Tommy took a deep breath. It was shaky at first, so he curled tighter around the feeling in his gut, willing his fears to melt away. Buzzing energy gathered inside him.

He breathed out.

It was as if he was holding a pile of kindling. It started with with a speck of red, barely even hot against his palm.

A little fire grew, swaddled in Tommy’s hands. It was warm. Not as big and burning as he would’ve liked, but still warm. He held it close to his chest so none of the light would flutter out from behind him.

He breathed deeply, in and out, until he, too, finally managed to fade into the restless night.

---

Wilbur did, in fact, really seriously want to go.

“So. What’s this—this old friend, what’s he like?” Tommy asked, trying to suss out Wilbur’s real feelings towards their new… route. If you could even call it a route. To Tommy, it obviously seemed more like a suicide wish. He didn’t want to wonder if that’s why Wilbur liked it so much (he really, really didn’t want to think about that).

Wilbur sighed a little and shifted his pack. “I always knew him as Techno.”

Tommy raised his eyebrows. “Real shit name, innit? How do you even know he’ll help us? Or even fucking be there?”

“I mean…” he trailed off.

“Wilbur, you—are you—!” Tommy groaned. “You have got to be fucking kidding me, man!”

“Oi, he is gonna be there, alright? He will. He just—he’s always where he needs to be. That’s what he does.”

“Oh, so what, the little birdies whispered it in your dumb oversized fuckin’ ear. You want to go on—” he recalled what the people from last night had said—“one of the most dangerous passages in the fucking world, because that’s the vibe?”

“My ears aren’t oversized,” Wil protested.

He looked vaguely unhappy with the direction of the conversation, so Tommy broke eye contact and began to focus on the path ahead of them: a long stretch of rocky earth, speckled with sleepy anthills and crusted with slabs of limestone emerging from the dirt. The Serpent’s Pass couldn’t have been more than two day’s determined travel from Full Moon Bay, but he still wasn’t excited for the short journey.

Especially since they’d be meeting with this “Techno” at some point. Allegedly.

Tommy just wanted to get to Ba Sing Se, where the war couldn’t touch them, where—where that tyrant freak couldn’t touch him, where he could go on pretending there wasn’t any Fire Nation in his veins, and where Wilbur could do… well, whatever he wanted to.

Tommy also wanted to not fucking die. And, if he was being honest, he wasn’t exactly keen on some random stranger barging in on his and Wilbur’s dynamic, either. Didn’t he know that an extra party member always ruins the vibe? Obviously not, the bastard.

So. If Wilbur didn’t like Tommy being a bitch about the whole thing, then he would just have to fucking deal.

“Look, Tommy, I know you don’t like this,” Wilbur started, a little undiplomatically. “But you need to—I need you to give him a chance. He’s done this before. You can trust him. I’m afraid we don’t have many other options.”

Tommy pointedly kept his gaze to the ground, dodging another anthill as they trudged along.

“Fine. What’s he like?” Tommy asked again.

Wilbur told him. Apparently, Techno had been close to Wilbur’s father, but eventually grew to care for him as well. Tommy thought it was stupid that Wilbur refused to call him dad anymore, but he also kind of got it.

“So they were friends?” he asked.

Wilbur’s nose scrunched up a little and his glasses bobbed stupidly with the motion. “I guess. I—I mean, it was perhaps more than just being friends, I would say.”

Tommy snorted. “So they were—they were in love? They made out and stood on furnaces ‘n’ all that shit?”

Wil briefly made a face like he was going to throw up, but less in a grossed-out way and more in a I-hate-my-life-way. “No, I… don’t think so.”

According to Wilbur, the guy was quite easygoing, preferred things to go his way, awfully stubborn, and criminally funny. Tommy scowled at the description.

“What? What’s that face for?”

“Nothing. I trust him,” Tommy lied.

“Tommy…”

Tommy had some trouble reading the tone of that one. It was a little drawn out, but exasperated didn’t seem quite right. He somewhat prided himself on being able to read Wilbur when others couldn’t, but sometimes he was too much of a closed book even for Tommy’s magnificent, gargantuan mind.

Suddenly, Wilbur gasped.

“Awwe, Tommy…”

Oh, he knew that one well enough.

Wilbur grinned. “Are you fucking jealous?”

Immediately, a flame of embarrassment licked at Tommy’s cheeks and he halfheartedly shoved Wilbur away. “I’m not — I’m not jealous, dickhead.”

“You’re jealous! You’re fucking jealous!”

“No, no, I’m not! I’m not! I’d never be—I’d never be jealous of—of—I’m not jealous!”

“It’s okay, Tommy, it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed!”

“Mmm! Mmm! Mmmm… Can’t hear you, can’t—shut up! Humina humina humina humina…”

“Look, you’ll like him, it’ll be fine! Don’t worry, Tommy, I’ll still pay the most attention to you,” Wilbur crooned. 

“Dickhead prick bastard, you’re unpleasant to be around, you—you’re the worst person to be born, Wilbur, ever. Fuck you.”

The two walked on until night returned, taking little breaks to rest. They hadn’t fully restocked their waterskin—for the billionth time, Wilbur passionately expressed how much he wished he was a waterbender so he could pull water out of thin air for the both of them. Tommy figured if it was that easy then every waterbender would fucking be doing it. But go off, he supposed.

This part of the Earth Kingdom was a different type of cold than they were used to, a thick humidity permeating the air. It was the worst kind of weather ever. Now that they were back on the road, they could at least set up a real camp. The sun’s last dredges were about ready to fade behind the horizon. Instead of forcing him to help like usual, Wilbur got busy pitching the tent, letting Tommy watch the sunset bleed out.

“Wil,” Tommy said.

Silence.

“Wilbur.”

Wilbur’s finally glanced at Tommy.

“Wil, I heard some of the other people talking last night.”

His mouth popped in an “oh” shape. “What did they say?”

“They said—well, there was that really pretty guard lady and they were talking and all, and they were talking about—they said that on The Serpent’s Pass, there was some kind of spirit.”

“A spirit?” Wilbur perked up.

“Or like, a half-spirit, I don’t know,” Tommy amended, “like the Avatar ‘n’ shit.”

Wilbur frowned. “The Avatar isn’t a half-spirit.”

“Oh my—whatever, you fucking nerd.”

That made Wilbur laugh, which made Tommy feel about 2% better than he did before.

“So, who’s this half-spirit?”

“Well,” Tommy started, trying to remember. “They said it, like, helps people across the pass, but I guess only certain people, like some kind of fuckin’ capitalist or something. It’s called The Blade or something stupid like that.”

“Oh,” Wil said, “That’s Techno.”

“What the fuck?!”

Tommy gaped as Wilbur started laughing again.

“Your friend is a fuckin’ spirit?!”

“No, no,” Wilbur attempted through his stupid fucking giggle fit. “He’s just a guy. Like, he’s just a dude. That must be some kind of rumor.”

“Oh my god.” Tommy put his face in his hands.

“I bet he’ll be pleased to hear he’s got a reputation, though.”

“Oh yeah, he sounds like a right fuckin’ egotist—I mean, like, a fuckin’ bastard.”

Wilbur made a little "pffft" sound like he kind of agreed, but didn’t say anything more, so Tommy turned back to the sunset and hummed to himself for a bit.

“Wil,” Tommy asked approximately two minutes later. “There’s nobody around here, right?”

A short silence followed before he heard Wilbur call back, “No.”

“Let me set up a fire?” 

Tommy’s heart stood still as he waited for the reply with bated breath. Wilbur must have been expecting the question, though, because he just smiled. “Sure, king.”

“WOO! Fuck yeah!” Tommy cheered, bouncing up immediately. No sleeping cold tonight!

He was able to gather some firewood fairly easily. Some of the twigs and branches Tommy found didn’t feel quite as dry as he would’ve preferred, but he’d been getting better with his control, so… At the very least, he was just quick enough that by the time he’d wandered back to the camp, some residual heat from the sun was still lingering in the sky.

Wilbur was sitting outside the tent on their ratty blanket. He watched silently, seemingly absentmindedly, as Tommy began to make a small firepit.

“Now,” Tommy boasted, “the moment you’ve been dying to see! Gentlemen…”

He looked to Wilbur, then all around the desert, then back to Wilbur. “Wilbur.”

He snorted. “Child.”

“Fuck you,” Tommy dismissed, then continued on with his exciting performance. “Please pay attention now, keep your eyes peeled all the way open like an orange. The Great Big Tommy Danger Hands, sleightest of fingers, Breaker of Chains, will demonstrate his finest and most manliest trick, which all the women love and they drool over him and try to marry him constantly… as he now delicately starts… a fire!”

He plopped down into a low squat, like he’d seen in the picture books Wilbur used to show him before they got banned from the Yu Dao library (Admittedly, that was Tommy’s fault). It was technically an earthbending form, but Tommy figured it didn’t matter that much. It wasn’t like he had any other old masters to teach him.

He could do this.

Breathe in.

Tommy felt the air hum and pulse with warmth. Something buzzed alive inside his stomach.

Breathe out. 

Energy flowed through his breath and a wave of heat curled from the firewood.

Breathe in. 

A few bright sparks whistled around the sticks, and Tommy had to quickly calm the rush of excitement he felt so he wouldn’t lose control. He was going to do this like a real master.

Breathe out. 

A little flame sprouted and affirmed itself like mushrooms rooting into a tree stump, stretching its tendrils into the clouds above.

Breathe in.

He opened his eyes, and the light caught on the edge of the scar on his hand.

(“I thought we were friends, Tommy,” the bastard said.

Tommy said… Tommy said—

Everything was really hot suddenly. He looked down, and he saw red, and he wasn’t scared. He wasn’t…)

Stop, stop, stop! Tommy gasped as his little fire crackled burst into a roaring blaze.

“YOO!” Wilbur cheered from the other side of the firepit.

He blinked, suddenly aware of the tension in his knees as he held his squat. He was…

Breathe out.

The fire shrank down from its outburst, fluttering pleasantly in the air like a lovely dancer. The tinder and logs shifted a little as smoldering chunks fell to the bottom. Right. He was…

Right.

He watched Wilbur lean in, excited. Flecks of light danced in the reflection of his shitty stolen glasses like confetti. Tommy could feel the heat pulse through his arms, both from the fire and from his own energy, but it was a pleasant sunbathing warmth instead of the cold, mango-sticky feeling they’d been trudging through all day. 

Breathe in. What was he so freaked out about, anyway?

With the final bit of air in his lungs, Tommy slowly pushed out the rest of his energy into the fire. 

Breathe out. 

A golden glow lit up Wilbur’s face like a firefly hovering in the night. It caught against every early wrinkle and stray hair on his cheeks and cast long, somber shadows on his face. His smile brightened as he watched the flame bloom.

Tommy bit his lip, feeling ashamed for some stupid fucking reason.

“Dude!” Wilbur cried. “That was fucking amazing!”

Tommy glanced down at the fire, popping gently, a product of his own soul and practice and care. He sank into the dirt, watching it for a second and muttering a string of astounded curses under his breath. 

A tiny laugh radiated from Tommy’s chest. It was beautiful, this thing that he made all on his own, and a lightness rose in his throat like a bubble of mucus, but in a good way. It was alive.

“Yeah—yeah—I fuckin’—that was so fucking cool!”

They both cheered, Wilbur bestowing Tommy with a searing high-five, a communication of only the utmost respect. Even though it was nearly too dark to see past their little circle of light, everything somehow felt brighter than it had in days. 

All the times Wilbur had to shove a blanket over Tommy’s emotionally reactive firebending in public felt so worth it just for this moment. Tonight, they would fall asleep with warmth and light in front of them, backs unguarded in the open field. The boiling weight in Tommy’s lungs would be forgotten.

---

The Blade was late to their rendezvous. You know, the one that only existed in Wilbur’s head.

Wilbur seemed to know Techno lived somewhere around this little port down near the start of the Pass, but nothing more than that. He’d seemed confident that they would just… run into him, or something like that. Apparently Wilbur has sent the guy letters before, but never got a message back, which meant either Wilbur was fucking wrong, or Techno was fucking rude.

Tommy, the self proclaimed “polite one” of the two brothers, bit back about six “I told you so”s throughout the morning. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work.

At first, Wilbur didn’t seem too stressed about it, explaining that Techno was just trying to maintain a cool and fashionable facade, but after about an hour of walking around doing nothing, he’d started to pick up on Tommy’s antsiness.

“Technolate,” Wilbur said.

“Technolate,” Tommy agreed, not feeling the least bit smug about it, as was the kind and brotherly thing to do.

After another hour of wandering and playing various word games—that devolved not once, not twice, but three times into promises of future violence—the two decided to wander off in search of cheap food. Considering this was a fishing port, it didn’t take them long to find somewhere near a dock on the shore.

A slightly older looking woman with a mane of thick, curly hair was unloading a small fishing ship. Tommy made eye contact with Wilbur for a second before bounding over the sloped ground towards the boat.

“Hello? Hello?” Tommy asked, fingering their remaining coins in his pocket.

“Oh! Uh, hello, friend.” The woman startled a little, nearly dropping a crate she’d been heaving onto the dock. Tommy heard Wilbur walk up behind him at a leisurely pace, and the woman smiled. “…Friends.”

Tommy opened his pitch with a dazzling smile. “Well, miss—?”

“Puffy,” the woman supplied.

“Miss Puffy—you are incredibly beautiful, by the way—”

“Tommy,” Wilbur groaned. He went on, probably needlessly apologizing to Puffy like he always did when Tommy started talking to strangers, but Tommy decided not to comprehend it.

“My brother—my big brother Wilbur and I, we—we’re very poor and sad. We—we’re impoverished, we scramble around on the floors and we—and we eat up all we can like little mice. We came down to the lovely town of—?”

Puffy laughed. “Well, it’s really more of a club than it is a town, but—”

Wilbur straightened up, trying to dominate Tommy in the conversation, and cried, “well, we love your fishing club!”

“Yes!” Tommy agreed, doing everything in his power to resist the urge to jab his thumb into Wilbur’s belly button. Instead, he gestured out into the barren land of the cliffside. “It’s like—it’s like a fancy little forest! With little fish just—little fish swimming around and being… delicious.”

“Goods! Fish! Your wares are available for purchasing?” Wilbur added, sounding more embarrassed with himself with each new syllable.

This seemed to break Puffy, as she immediately sputtered into a round of buoyant laughter and pressed her face into her hands. “I’m—I’m so sorry you two, but I—”

“Look, look, Wil—now’s the—now’s our chance. Let’s steal her wares. She won’t see a thing,” Tommy conspired unsubtly.

“What?” Puffy asked. It sounded more like a wha-ha-haaat? because she was laughing still.

“Tommy!” Wilbur groaned. “You are the worst salesman I’ve ever seen, and every time you open your mouth your ineptitude fucking spreads to me like a disease.”

Tommy sighed. “But I’m not selling anything, Wil, except—except for my winning smile and my vivacious abs-sculature. I’m a Crime Boy, I’m a Dirty Crime Boy!”

“I regret passing that title to you every fucking day.”

Puffy, with a lingering grin on her face, cleared her throat. Tommy and Wilbur’s mouths snapped shut. She was not laughing anymore and the jig was up because Wilbur was afraid to take action in the moment of truth.

“Look, I’m really sorry you two, but I’ve honestly been struggling to get by with the whole, uh, fishing thing myself. Serpent and all,” Puffy admitted. “I’m actually trying to set up shop somewhere else right now, and I’ve already sold all the good fish.”

“Right. The Serpent.” Tommy shot a glare towards Wilbur.

Wilbur ignored him. “We’re okay with the bad fish, too,” he negotiated, overeager.

Puffy smiled apologetically. “I hate to break it to you, but this lil’ shack is fresh out of fish. But, I mean, if you two need money, I wouldn’t mind having some helpers on the boat. In fact, uh, I picked up someone like you a few hours ago for the same reason.”

“Oh, sorry, we’re looking for someone today”, Wilbur replied, raising his arms purposelessly then letting them awkwardly fall back down. “We appreciate the offer, though.”

“Wil,” Tommy protested, “You don’t even fucking know where he is.”

“I know he sticks around these parts,” Wilbur spat back, but he sounded unsure.

Suddenly, a heavy clank rang from the back of the fishing boat. Puffy didn’t seem too alarmed.

“Hey Captain, remind me exactly how much of this ya need me to carry out?” A voice called from inside the cabin.

From the corner of his vision, Tommy caught Wilbur’s eyes widening. “What? What?” He asked, ramming his elbow into Wilbur’s side.

“Uh, just one or two boxes,” Puffy replied, then turned back to the two. “That’s the guy who’s been helping me today.”

On cue, a hulking figure stepped out of the cabin, carrying a large crate with a line of slime dribbling from one of the bottom corners. Peering over the top, Tommy saw what he was pretty sure was maggots squirming around inside. Cute.

The man was wrapped in a thick, woolly cloak that looked like it could have cost more than twice Tommy’s lifetime earnings, but it was so worse for wear that he wasn’t entirely sure how the man could even touch the thing without it dissolving into a pile of thread. Like Puffy, he had a mane of brown hair, but his was streaked with pink, like how middle-aged ladies sometimes have a salt-and-pepper greying thing going on.

Most interestingly, he wore what looked like a thoroughly cleaned moo-sow skull over his face, obscuring most of his features and making him look both batshit crazy and indescribably awesome. 

“Holy shit!” Wilbur said, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Uh…” The man set his box down—yep, definitely maggots— onto solid ground. “Wilbur?”

Wilbur’s shock quickly transformed into a bright grin. “Techno, my man, it’s good to see you again!”

Oh, Tommy thought. Great. Wilbur's mysterious friend actually did appear.

“Ha, you still have those old glasses! Nerd,” Techno said, stepping over and immediately wrapping Wilbur in what looked like a warm, crushing hug. Tommy grimaced and looked away.

It was kind of funny how Wilbur clung back to him though, like a weird little stick. “We were looking for you, actually.”

“Oh, right, ‘cuz—”

“Did you get any of my letters?” Wilbur asked.

“I got, like… three.”

He frowned. “I've sent more than that. Which ones got through?”

Techno freed Wil from the massive hug, patting him hard on the back and causing him to let out a sharp oof. “Well, there was the one about that girl who dumped you, or you dumped her, I didn’t really get it, honestly.”

Wilbur’s frown deepened. “Other than that one.”

“Well, I got the one where you adopted, like, a raccoon child? That was cool.”

Tommy decided enough was enough.

“AHEM.”

“Oh, Techno—” Wilbur, presumably, began to introduce him, thank god.

“Oh, riiight,” Techno cut him off, “and I got the one from a month ago saying you might want some help up The Serpent’s Pass. I don’t have anythin’ to do right now, really, so that’s fine.”

What?

Tommy clenched the edge of his shirt. “Excuse me. Excuse me.”

“Oh,” Techno said. “Hullo.”

“Wilbur, you—” Tommy said, feeling kind of ill in a flippy way, like when you spin around in circles for too long. “You’d already told him to come?”

Wilbur sighed. “Tommy, listen, I was just letting him know it was a possibility.”

Techno tiled his head curiously, but that ridiculous skull mask made the gesture look predatory instead. “Oh yeah, Tommy, that’s right. The raccoon child.”

Tommy tried to stab him with his eyeballs. “And you’re Techno. The Blade.”

“Yep,” he said, unbothered.

Wilbur straightened up, obviously trying to take control of the conversation from there. “Now, there’s no need for hostility, you two.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be honest, I’m feelin’ kinda attacked right now, don’t know why though. Definitely some sort of wave of antagonism coming from… about this direction,” Techno said, gesturing towards Tommy.

Tommy bristled. Before he could say anything, though, Wilbur pushed forward. “I’m sorry it’s sudden, Techno, but we’re just trying to get to The Impenetrable City. It’s important.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I was kinda prepared for you to be here, like I said. And I owe ya one, anyway.”

Wil shot him a little smile. “Planning on putting us through Serpent’s Pass boot camp or something like that?”

“Eh. Sounds like a lotta work.” Techno said. “I mean, you guys’ll be fine if you just listen to what I tell you out there. Not to brag or anything, but like, I kinda know my way around.”

“I know it might not be a big deal to you, but this really means a lot to us,” stupid Wilbur said, speaking for Tommy like he knew what he was thinking. “I failed to get us a ferry in, so now I’m afraid we have to take the next-best option.”

Tommy was… he was pissed. Actually pissed. Not fake-pissed or funny-pissed. Miffed, one could say. Fuming, even.

First off, he told the dipshit it wasn’t his fault, but there Wilbur went putting it all on himself like it was nothing again, like he was just that used to covering for Tommy’s fuck-ups. It was humiliating. It was wrong. And then he decides to pull some stupid stunt and pretend that’s what he meant from the very fucking beginning? And he wanted Tommy to just go along with it, his stupid Tommy, his Right-Hand Tommy. His—whatever. 

“Well, I think it’s a fuckin’ horrible idea, if either of you give a shit,” he declared. Just because he was still gonna stick with Wilbur didn’t mean he couldn’t be a bit of a dick about it. Had to keep his brand image and all.

“Tommy,” Wilbur said, frustrated.

At that, Puffy stepped forward with an air of authority. “Okay, I guess today’s been a weird day for everyone, and I don’t exactly know what’s going on, but I’d like to remind everyone that this is my dock. So I think we can all be chill, right?”

Tommy leaned back against the shack and crossed his arms. “‘M not trying to start shit,” he muttered. Honestly.

“I’m very sorry about all this, ma’am,” Wilbur said.

Puffy waved him off. “Hey, no need for the formality. I appreciate it, it’s just that Techno’s been helping out on the boat all morning. And when I’ve got someone working with me, I don’t let anyone bother them, you get me?”

“Yeah,” Techno said. His voice was lighthearted, but the animalistic appearance to his mask made it feel shallow. “I didn’t expect to get all caught up with this, but it turns out Captain Puffy here is kinda based. Makin’ a real connection out here.”

“Oh, well, that’s good,” Wilbur said.

“Yeah, turns out we have a lot in common,” Puffy smiled, “like having surprisingly compatible political beliefs.”

“And havin’ similar hair problems,” Techno supplied.

“And we both think eggs are only okay.”

“We’re basically besties now, is what I’m sayin’.”

Tommy huffed to himself, thinking that was kind of funny but not wanting to show it.

Techno’s gaze fell on him.

“Uh, so I’m kinda feelin’ like we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe a bit of a misunderstandin’ between you two, I dunno.”

“Well—I think this has been just lovely, Techno-Blade,” Tommy said, making sure to emphasize how stupid the man’s name sounded.

“Uh, that’s not—” Techno started, then interrupted himself with a huff. “So… I’ve heard a bit about you.”

“I most certainly—well, I certainly do not fuckin’ want to know what you’ve heard,” he lied.

“Nothing good, don’t worry,” Wilbur rolled his eyes.

Techno looked somewhat uncomfortable as he wiped his hands against the front of his pants, leaving a subtle stain of sweat in their wake. He reached up to twist a strand of hair between his fingers, but he’d already dropped his hands again by the time Tommy had the brilliant idea of making fun of him for it.

“Okay, cool, ‘cause this is like, really awkward,” Techno said, and despite looking mildly weirded out by the whole thing, he somehow seemed above it all at the same time.

Something bubbled inside Tommy’s gut, and he didn’t feel like examining it. This Techno guy was obviously fucking with him, and Wil wasn’t even saying anything!

“I do not—okay—I do not fuckin’—Techno-Blade, I’d like to have—I would like to have a talk with you. A private audience. With you.”

Techno simply stared for a second, then shrugged before shambling off to a nearby tree. He glanced expectantly at Tommy to follow.

“Tommy…” Wilbur said.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. Puffy. Mr—Mr. Soot. I’ll be—I’ll be right back,” Tommy said, straightening his back in mock politeness. Wilbur looked—well, not upset. Tommy couldn’t tell. He hated it when he couldn’t tell.

Tommy stomped towards Techno. 

“Alright, listen here, The Blade. Real shit name, by the way.”

“Hey, man,” Techno protested. “I’m literally just vibin’ here, I—”

“You—you think—you think…” Tommy trailed off.

He couldn’t identify the feeling burning inside him. It wasn’t quite anger, since he really was just trying to annoy Wilbur’s friend. Make a good impression. Nothing personal, right? And Techno was obviously trying to troll him back. Nothing personal. Tommy didn’t know what he was planning on saying.

“…Wilbur likes me more??” was what Tommy decided on.

Techno did something of a half-laugh. “I’m not tryin’ to, like, imply anything here, but you honestly don’t seem sure about that.”

“Fuck off!” Tommy hissed. “That’s not what I fucking meant. You’re like a little snap pea to me. You’re a little ant. And there’s like, a fuckin’ million of those per anthill, so you’re not even, like, a special ant.”

Techno leaned back against the tree, contemplating that mind-shattering insult—the whole thing bent a little under his weight, and it pissed Tommy off so bad because he couldn’t even tell if it was an intimidation tactic or the guy wasn’t even aware of how fucking massive he was.

“Alright, we got a firecracker here,” Techno said slowly. 

“Don’t condescend to me, bitch—!” he started, but Techno cut him off and Tommy snapped his mouth shut without meaning to.

“I’m gonna talk to you the way you want to be talked to,” he rumbled easily. “So if you’re gonna act like a brat, then that’s how I’m gonna treat you. Uh, no offense.”

Sore luck for you, then, Tommy thought bitterly. Because I’m always a fuckin’ brat. 

 “So here’s the deal. I don’t—” Techno’s mountainous shoulders raised in what Tommy guessed was some facsimile of a shrug— “I don’t really get why you’re beefing with me so hard, it’s honestly kind of sad? Again, not to imply anything…”

“Oh my god, you are actually a fucking asshole,” Tommy blurted.

“Oh, but I’m an asshole for a really good reason, Tommy.”

Something cold ran swiftly through Tommy’s veins, and for the second time in just a few minutes, he was embarrassingly shut up without Techno even having to raise his voice. 

“You’re tryin’ to go down the Serpent’s Pass?”

He glanced away. “I don’t fuckin’—I dunno, I don’t fucking want to.” 

“Sure,” Techno agreed, “But are you gonna?”

Fighting the urge to make myself smaller, Tommy nodded ever so slightly. “Yeah. What of it?”

“The Serpent’s Pass is a dangerous place. People die here, kid. Sometimes people die even when I’m supposed to be there, protectin’ them and guidin’ them along the way. And ya know why that is?”

Tommy clenched his teeth, raising his head to look at The Blade through the eye socket of his moo-sow skull. “Why?”

“Because they thought they knew better. They didn’t listen to me when they needed to.”

“…Prolly ‘cause you’re a fuckin’ asshole,” Tommy said, raising an eyebrow.

To be honest, Tommy didn’t know what he was expecting when he said that. He thinks he maybe wasn’t expecting anything, like a dumbass little kid who doesn't know how to think ahead. But he was still surprised when Techno planted a goodnatured hand on his shoulder.

“Pffft. Nah,” Techno said flippantly. That light tone carried into his next words, foreboding as they were: “‘S ‘cause they just saw me as a tool. Y’know, like a carriage or somethin’, just a way for them to get from one place to another. They never really trusted me. Tommy, you know the story of Orpheus?”

“Fuck is an Orpheus?” Tommy scoffed. 

“Dude…” Techno muttered to himself, scratching his neck. “I keep forgettin’ people in this world don’t have Greek mythology.”

“What? What’s that mean?” Tommy asked. He remembered what that lady and her dad were saying about The Blade—he was some kind of half-spirit, or maybe not even from this plane of existence. But there was no way that could be true, because he was friends with Wilbur. Cringe…

Techno folded his arms. “Well, the story goes somethin’ like this. So there was this guy named Orpheus who lived a long time ago. He had a wife, Eurydice, she went off to dance with nymphs one day, but while she was doin’ that, she got bitten by a snake and died. And now, Orpheus was a bard, so all he could do to cope with how much he missed her was to sing, and sing, and sing for days straight.

“And he was so upset that he went all the way to the god of the underworld to ask for her back. His song of grief was so moving, so rich with the deepest feelings of love and loss, that even the god of the underworld decided to humor his foolish request. He said that he could lead Eurydice all the way back home, and she’d get to stay alive—as long as he could manage one little thing. Orpheus couldn’t turn around to look at her until they made it out of the underworld. Not even once.”

“But then he wouldn’t be able to tell if she was following,” Tommy argued. “That’s a shitty thing to make him do.”

“That’s true. But that’s how it goes when you’re dealing with the gods,” Techno tilted his head back to rest against the tree. “So Orpheus leads his wife all the way out of the underworld. They climb up together for hours and hours, passing by all sorts of dangerous things, but Orpheus managed to hold on to his faith that his true love was still following. But just when they got to the exit, Orpheus realized he couldn’t hear her footsteps anymore. And so—”

“Shut up, man!” Tommy interrupts, his heart racing. “I—this is fuckin’ stupid, I get it, alright? You’re a real bastard, y’know that, Techno-Blade? That’s—shit name, by the way.”

Infuriatingly, Techno chuckled. “There ya go. Guess you can figure out what happened yourself, huh. You’re obviously a smart kid, Tommy—”

“Stop fuckin’ patronizing me, bitch!”

“—So,” Techno emphasized. “I think ya know what I’m tryin’ to say. Those guys who died out there on the Serpent’s Pass died because they didn’t trust me, they trusted their instincts. Or maybe they just took one millisecond too long mulling it over… guess it ends the same both ways. Anyway, I’ve been doin’ this for a while, so you’re gonna have to listen to what I tell you when we get out there, Tommy. You’re gonna need to trust me over yourself, and over Wilbur. ‘Cause I have the skills to get through this place and you don’t. That’s all I’m sayin’, alright?”

This guy was a real piece of shit, Tommy decided. 

“Are you fuckin’...” He hissed under his breath. Down at the dock, Wilbur was talking with Puffy about who-knows-what, doing that thing where he just kept kind of walking between a few points as he talked, which he only does when he’s nervous. Tommy watched out of the corner of his eye for a moment, but twisted back to Techno just as Wil was about to look up.

“This is stupid. I can’t believe I’m about to go on a fucking field trip with you,” Tommy told him.

“I think it could be kinda fun,” he replied, right back to being weirdly laid back.

“I tell you what, big man. Here’s the thing, I don’t—I don’t know why you think I’m gonna trust you when I don’t even fuckin’ know you. I look at you, and I—do you know what I see? I see some fucking weirdo who thinks he can never be in the wrong. If you ask me, kinda seems like—sounds to me like maybe you’re more like that Orpheus fellow, and those guys only died because you weren’t paying attention, and listen, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but that does not inspire confidence, man.”

At that, Techno just stilled, but Tommy just kept going. “But I trust Wilbur, I fuckin’—I fuckin’ guess, and he trusts you for some reason, so—listen, that means you get a little baby shred of my trust, but not a lot. It’s gonna, like—it’s like secondhand trust. And secondhand trust isn’t good for you, it—like, it wiggles all up in there, Mr. The Fuckin’ The Blade, but it’s what you fuckin’ get, alright? So my suggestion is, you make it work.”

Silence. The moo-sow skull hanging from his face went very suddenly from vaguely creepy to… Actually Really Threatening.

“Fuckin’. Uh…” Tommy said awkwardly, not sure if he should attempt to retract what he’d just said, but Techno was still chewing on it so he just kept insulting him. “Dick bastard son-of-a-bitch. You fucking wrong’un. Shit.”

Why did he say any of that again? He kind of thought it would be funny, but maybe it… wasn’t.

“Maaan…” Techno sighed, and his whole stature kind of drooped like a deflating balloon. “You sure are Wilbur’s little brother.”

A few questions flickered through Tommy’s mind. The first ones to rise to the surface were what the hell does THAT mean? and why is Wilbur friends with him again? But in the end, the thought that won out was great, so he isn’t going to murder me?

“So you’re not going to murder me?”

“Wha—no,” Techno said. It was offputting. He spoke with a janky, dispassionate intonation, like he was reading lines from a script. “Did ya think I was going to—dang. I was kinda trying to stay light here, like, keep it PG ‘n’ all, ‘cause, y’know.”

“…Oh my god, you are fuckin’—you are being for real right now,” Tommy laughed. “Techno-Blade, you are fuckin’ nuts, man, you’re worse than Wilbur and he’s like—well, he’s not crazy, y’know, like he’s—but it’s—listen, look, it’s like—fuck you even mean I’m his little brother, anyway? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Techno raised a hand to his neck again. “Nothin’, you just… he made you out to be so nice and all, and then.”

Tommy made a face. “No he didn’t.”

“Heh. Nah, he didn’t, really…” With a grunt, Techno lifted his weight off the tree (the leaves rustled a little from the weight of the movement). “But what he did write makes ya seem like an angel now that I’ve actually met you. Anyways, uh.”

Tommy took the smallest step back as Techno stepped forward. Not because he was scared, honest, but the guy was just so big it just felt right to give him some space. Techno stretched a hand towards him and his heart jumped a little. But it just stayed there, hanging between them, not doing anything.

“Hope we can work well together, Tommy.”

Right. 

Tommy shook his hand like an idiot. 

Fucking prick. 

---

“Hope you didn’t scare him too bad, Tech,” Wilbur remarked as the two of them returned, Tommy trailing quietly behind Techno, whose cape he could now see in all of its disheveled glory. The fur lining that poked from the edge was so caked with grime it was hard to tell what color it was originally. Against the rail, Wilbur was tapping out a nervous rhythm with his fingers.

Tommy clenched a fist in his pocket. “I’m not fuckin’ scared.”

Tommy could feel Wilbur watch him for a second, but when he looked up, his brother was narrowing his eyes at Techno instead. 

“What’d you say to him?”

Techno didn’t look like he noticed anything out of the ordinary, or maybe he just didn’t care. “Nothin’ special. Just levelin’ expectations, y’know how it is.”

“Cut it out, Wil, I’m not a baby,” Tommy said, walking past Techno to join Wilbur at the railing, turning his back towards the sea. It was strange, because for the one second he stood between the two of them, he’d almost felt like he was defending Techno. 

“Child,” Wilbur retorted. 

“Bastard.”

Near the entrance to the boat, Puffy cleared her throat. “Sorry, whatever you guys are talking about… this something I need to know about?”

Techno turned to her, and from a profile view, Tommy could spot the faintest curve of some kind of huge tooth peeking from behind his moo-sow skull. “Aww, nah, Captain, I’m just takin’ these guys up the Serpent’s Pass tomorrow. Didn’t mean for you to feel left outta the conversation.”

“Oh. So you guys are really serious about that, huh…?” She put her hands on her hips. “Not that you don’t look capable, but like, that seems… misguided. Y’know, the Serpent herself has been kinda aggressive lately, from what I’ve heard.”

Wilbur stood up, clearly trying to be polite (Tommy, of course, knew such a thing wasn’t possible). “Please don’t worry about us, Captain Puffy. It’s the best option we’ve got. Right, Tommy?”

It’s the ONLY option we’ve got, fucking apparently, Tommy thought sardonically. Not like his own ideas were any good.

“Yeah. We’re sure,” he agreed, standing up next to Wil. 

“Well, alright,” Puffy said, shrugging a little. “I get it if you guys need to head off soon, but if you’re planning to stay a little longer, I’m still happy to throw some compensation your way if you still wanna help out on the ship.”

Tommy glanced towards Wilbur, who glanced towards Techno. 

“Uh…” Techno seemed to wilt a little under the attention. As much as someone built like a rock could wilt, anyway, which wasn’t very much at all. “I was kinda planning to stick around a little longer and finish up with ya, but I mean, I can’t speak for these two nerds, so.”

“We’ll join you,” Wilbur decided, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Thank you for the opportunity, Captain.”

“Hey, I like the extra company,” Puffy smiled before turning to lead them inside. 

Wilbur’s hand was only lightly resting on top of Tommy’s shoulder, never wanting to touch too much without permission, but Tommy shook it off like it was burning him anyway. 

This was gonna be a rough few days, he thought, but Tommy Trusty’s made it through worse before.

---

since this is already so self indulgent, i thought it’d be fun to leave a more in-depth AN here. i’d set up a lot of backstory details to be explored in chapter 2, but that’s ofc not happening, soo… yeah! no need to read all this. hope you liked the fic! :)

chapter 2 was going to be about our boys’ journey along the serpent’s pass. techno would reveal himself to be an earthbender and offer to teach tommy some bending basics. you see in this chapter that tommy has a complicated view on firebending due to his trauma, but he still obv thinks it’s cool and wants to learn. learning from techno lets him get in touch with his earth nation roots and maybe even start to get through his firebending block. they would eventually make it to ba sing se and part ways with techno, with tommy and him having become friends. we also would have seen more of wilbur’s motivations, how everything he does is for tommy and how he struggles with the aftermath of his own traumatic event in which he feels he “should have died”. but most of those feelings would remain unsaid, only gleaned from his actions and loyalty to tommy.

on to some fun commentary:

wilbur lies to the immigration officer quite a bit. he says they’ve been traveling for as long as they remember, but him and tommy only left yu dao 2-3 years ago. his “political experience” also comes exclusively from reading history books, and tommy’s skill with “agriculture and animal care” is derived from the fact that he loves animals and was a fire nation soldier’s gardener back in yu dao. but we’ll get to that more in a bit.

the reason tommy and wilbur want to get to ba sing se so badly is because tommy dodged the draft lol. yu dao is a fn colony, so there’s a lot of cultural mixing—tommy and wilbur both feel more earth nation and are treated as such (ie. extremely poorly), but tommy is also a firebender. he feels a lot of guilt for dragging wilbur along to escape his own problems, but he also kinda feels like wilbur’s dragging him along, too. 

if you’re thinking ba sing se probably isn’t a good place for either of them, you’d be right. wil’s interest in politics, tommy’s trouble-magnetism, and their combined tendency to start drug empires would have the dai li on their tails eventually. it’s almost lucky, then, that i see this story taking place during the very beginning of avatar’s season 2, only a few weeks to a month before the drill and the following fn takeover. tommy and wilbur still have a while to go before they’ll be truly safe.

a few times, tommy and wilbur mention another “old friend” with whom things didn’t go down too well. this friend is eret, of course! up to interpretation whether she is connected to wilbur’s above-mentioned traumatic event.

i decided it wasn’t unreasonable that tobacco might exist in the avatar world, so wilbur’s canonical smoking habit gets to stay.

yes, the guard lady tommy thinks is cool is a kyoshi warrior! she knows “the blade” was around during kyoshi’s era because he shows up in some of the historical texts she’s read about kyoshi. that means the blade was around at least 200 years ago, probably longer.

wilbur is very insistent that techno is just “there” whenever he needs to be. it’s completely up to interpretation whether techno is a god, a spirit, a human, etc… it’s not even clear who the blade is or whether it’s really techno. so do with wilbur’s claims as you will.

so, tommy mentions he wants to get away from a certain “tyrant freak”, and later has a flashback to something burning and a man calling tommy his friend. this is a reference to the exile arc equivalent in this AU. dream was an accomplished fn soldier who’d been released from duty due to an injury that prevented him from bending for a long time. he lived in yu dao and hired tommy as his gardener. eventually he found out that tommy was a firebender and threatened to send him to the fn army if he didn’t cooperate. the rest, i think, can be extrapolated.

the bit where tommy is upset about wilbur having sent letters to techno about the serpent’s pass was going to be a whole thing in the second chapter, but i don’t really remember where i was going with it.

wrt wilbur: techno does not, in fact, owe him one. he thinks phil would want him to help, though, so that’s basically the same thing.

techno telling the story of orpheus is where i picked up on this draft after like, two years of not touching it. so if it feels a little janky from there, it’s because i don’t really remember how to write these characters, lol.

thanks for reading all this way!

[tiatira]

OPENBARING VAN JESUS ​​2

Opmerkings: Die kerk in Efese verteenwoordig die krag van die verstand en sy gedagtes.

Ware intelligensie word gelei deur goddelike wysheid, wat deur Jesus in die Heilige Bybel geleer word. 

Ons word dus nie gemanipuleer nie en ons manipuleer nie na boosheid toe nie.

"'n Onbesette brein (of besig met die bose) is die duiwel se werkswinkel."

Ons eerste gesindheid moet wees om te dink, maar om te dink soos God en Jesus dink!

Jesus wil hê ons intelligensie moet gebruik word om onsself reg te stel! 

Dit is die eerste liefdadigheid: om jouself lief te hê en ander lief te hê soos Jesus ons liefhet.Die kerk in Smirna verteenwoordig die krag van sien en hoor. 

Goddelike wysheid word deur hulle gewaarsku en geleer.

Sy leringe kom uit die lees van die Bybel en ander goddelike boeke of preke.

Ons moet ook aandag gee aan die intuïsies van ons beskermengele!

Hulle help ook om slegte inligting uit te skakel.

Die Kerk in Pergamum verteenwoordig ons vermoë om te praat.

So, vir ons eie beswil en dié van ander, moet ons net 

spreek goeie dinge, in ooreenstemming met die leringe van 

Jesus.

Die tweesnydende swaard is die tong van ons mond. Sy woorde het refleksies in die geestelike en materiële realm.

Jou aksies moet op die toepaslike tye plaasvind.

Die Kerk in Thiatira verteenwoordig ons hart.

Die gevoel van ware liefde word in hom weerspieël.

Hoe meer ons liefhet, soos Jesus liefhet, word ons harte meer aktief en kragtiger.

[fortunetellersdilettante]

Hoekom dink hierdie meisies soos, ek wil hul kêrels naai? Dit is soos, so nie waar nie Hulle boyfriends like, wil my naai Soos, o my god Ek weet ek is warm en al, maar soos Dit is so verkeerd, jy weet? So soos, ek is nie, ek is nie

[Haak] Ek probeer nie fokken man nie Almal ken hy my nommer een fan Ek was klaar daar, het dit gedoen, teef en Jy wil kwaad word, teef? Ek gee nie 'n verdoemenis nie

[Vers 1] Dit is hoe dit doen, jy is hoe ek nie Talkin' al hierdie kak, maar jy weet jy sal regtig nie Voel onseker as ek om die plek kom Tila kry dit crunk, so ek laat dit val asof dit warm is Ek sien jou in die hoek braai my van daar af "Want jy weet jy hou daarvan om my reguit skaars te slaan Nuttin' tot binne terwyl hy aan my hare trek Haat dit of hou daarvan, die underdog is net daar

Pse mendojnë këto vajza, dua të palloj të dashurit e tyre? Kjo është si, kështu që nuk është e vërtetë Të dashurit e tyre duan, duan të më pallojnë Si, oh zot. E di që jam seksi dhe të gjitha, por si Kjo është shumë e gabuar, e di? Pra, unë nuk jam, unë nuk jam

[Hook] Unë nuk jam tryna fuck ya man Të gjithë e dinë se ai është tifozi im numër një. Kam qenë atje, e kam bërë këtë, bushtër dhe Do të çmendesh, bushtër? Nuk më intereson fare.

[Vargu 1] Kjo është se si ajo bën, ju është se si unë nuk Duke folur për të gjitha këto gjëra, por ti e di që vërtet nuk do ta bësh. Ndihem i pasigurt kur vij përreth vendit Tila merre atë crunk, kështu që unë e hedh atë si ajo është e nxehtë Të shoh në qoshe duke më grirë nga atje Sepse ti e di që të pëlqen të më godasësh rrallë Nuttin'up brenda ndërsa ai tërheq mbi flokët e mi Urreje ose duaje, i nënçmuari është aty.

እነዚህ ሴቶች የወንድ ጓደኞቻቸውን ማጋጨት የምፈልገው ለምንድን ነው? ይኸው ነው እውነት አይደለም የወንድ ጓደኞቻቸው ይወዳሉ, ሊደበዝዘኝ ይፈልጋሉ እንደ ሆ ሆ አምላኬ እኔ ሞቃት ነኝ ሁሉንም አውቃለሁ ግን እንደ ይህ በጣም ስህተት እንደሆነ ታውቃለህ? እንደዚህ አልሆንኩም

[Hook] I in't tryna fuck ya man ሁሉም ሰው እሱ ያውቃል የእኔ ��ጥር አንድ አድናቂ እኔም እዚያ ነበርኩ ያንን አደረግኩ አሻሚ መናደድ ትፈልጊያለሽ? እርግም አልሰጥም

[ቁጥር ፩] እንደዚህ ነው እኔ ያልሆንኩት ይህን ሁሉ ነገር ተናገር, ነገር ግን በእርግጥ እንደማታገኝ ታውቃለህ በስፍራው ስዞር ያለመረጋጋት ስሜት ተሰማኝ Tila ያግኙት, ስለዚህ እንደ ትኩስ እጥለዋለሁ ማዕዘኑ ግራሊን ውስጥ አይቼሃለሁ'' ከዛ ''you know you know ya boos like like to like to hit me like to hit a rare ኑቲን ፀጉሬን እየጎተተ ወደ ውስጥ ጠላው ወይ ውደደው, የበታች ውሃ እዚያው

لماذا تفكر هؤلاء الفتيات ، أريد أن أمارس الجنس مع أصدقائهن؟ هذا مثل ، لذلك ليس صحيحا أصدقائهم مثل ، يريدون أن يمارس الجنس معي مثل ، يا إلهي أعلم أنني حار وكل شيء ، لكن مثل هذا خطأ كبير ، هل تعلم؟ لذا ، أنا لست كذلك ، أنا لست كذلك

[هوك] أنا لا أحاول اللعنة يا رجل الجميع يعرف أنه معجبي رقم واحد فعلت كان هناك ، فعلت ذلك ، العاهرة و تريد أن تغضب ، العاهرة؟ أنا لا أهتم

[الآية 1] هذه هي الطريقة التي تفعل بها ، أنت كيف لا أفعل تحدث عن كل هذا القرف ، لكنك تعلم أنك لن تفعل ذلك حقا الشعور بعدم الأمان عندما آتي على الفور تيلا تجعله مقرمشا ، لذلك أسقطه كما لو كان ساخنا أراك في الزاوية شولين لي من هناك لأنك تعرف يا صيحات الاستهجان تحب أن تضربني بشكل مستقيم نادر نوتين في الداخل بينما كان يشد شعري أكرهها أو تحبها ، حق المستضعف هناك

lamada tufker houlaa al-fatyat ، arred an amars al-genes ma asdakahnes hatha muthall ، lathlek les sahiha usdaqayham muthall ، lerydon an yemars al-genes muay muthall ، ya elahi alam anni har wall shaya ، lucken muthall hatha khatta kabier ، hull talmeb leza ، anne list kethlek ، anne list kethlek

[hooke] anne cerda ahawol al-lana ya umbrella al-jamia yaarof anne maajbi raqam wahid falat kan hannak ، falat delk ، al-ahra and traid an taghdab ، al-ahrab anne cerda ehtem

[alaya 1] hedheh hui el-tureeqa al-tay tufal beha ، ant keefe cerda afel tuhadth an gul hatha guerf ، lekink talam ank linh tufal delk haqqa al-shawar baadem al-aman andama atti ola al-fur tila tajaleh meqremsha ، lathlek askata kama lieuwe kan sakhna arak fe zawiye schoelen lee min hannak lank taref ya sehat al-astahjan tahab an todrebney beshkel mastaqim nadir naughtin fe al-dakhel benma kan yechd saari akraha ou tahbaha ، haq al-mustadaf hannak

Ինչո՞ւ են այս աղջիկները մտածում, ես ուզում եմ իրենց ընկերուհիներին կծել: Որ նման է, այնպես չէ որ ճիշտ չէ Իրենց սիրեկանները սիրում են, ուզում են ինձ ծծել Ինչպես, օ՜, իմ աստված Ես գիտեմ, որ տաք եմ եւ ամեն ինչ, բայց նման Դա այնքան սխալ է, գիտե՞ք: Այնպես որ, ես չեմ, ես չեմ

[Հուք] Ես չեմ ջանում я я я Բոլորը գիտեն, որ նա իմ թիվ մեկ երկրպագուն է Ես այնտեղ եմ եղել, արել եմ դա, բլիթ եւ Ուզում ես խելագարվել, բիչո՞վ: Ես նզովք չեմ տալիս,

[1-ին համար] Այսպես է անում, դու ինչպես ես չեմ Թոլքեն' այս ամենը, բայց դու գիտես, որ իրականում չես Ինձ անվստահ եմ զգում, երբ գալիս եմ այդ վայրից Tila get it crunk, այնպես որ ես նետում եմ այնպես, կարծես տաք է Ես տեսնում եմ քեզ անկյունում' ինձ այնտեղից «Որովհետեւ գիտես, որ ya boos-ը սիրում է ուղիղ հարվածել ինձ Նուտտինը ներս է բարձրանում, երբ քաշում է մազերս Ատում է կամ սիրում է, ստորոգյալը հենց այնտեղ է

এই ছোৱালীবোৰে কিয় এনে ভাবে, মই তেওঁলোকৰ প্ৰেমিকসকলক যৌনসঙ্গম কৰিব বিচাৰো? সেয়া এনেকুৱা, গতিকে সঁচা নহয় তেওঁলোকৰ প্ৰেমিকে মোক যৌনসঙ্গম কৰিব বিচাৰে যেনে, হে ভগৱান মই জানো মই গৰম আৰু সকলো, কিন্তু এনেকুৱা এইটো ইমান ভুল, আপুনি জানেনে? গতিকে যেনে, মই নহয়, মই নহয়

[হুক] মই ট্ৰাইনা ফাক য়া মেন নকৰো সকলোৱে জানে তেওঁ মোৰ এক নম্বৰ অনুৰাগী আমি সেখানে ছিলাম, তা করেছি, কুত্তা এবং তুমি পাগল হ'ব বিচাৰা, কুত্তা? মই একো নিদিওঁ

[শ্লোক ১] এনেদৰেই হয়, আপুনি এনেদৰে নকৰো মই নকৰো টকিনৰ এই সকলোবোৰ বিষ্ঠা, কিন্তু আপুনি জানে যে আপুনি সঁচাকৈয়ে নকৰিব যেতিয়া মই ঠাইখনৰ চাৰিওফালে আহো তেতিয়া অসুৰক্ষিত অনুভৱ কৰোঁ টিলাই ইয়াক ক্ৰংক পাইছে, গতিকে মই ইয়াক গৰম হোৱাৰ দৰে পেলাই দিওঁ মই তোমাক তাৰ পৰা কোণৰ গ্ৰিলিনত দেখিছো 'কারণ তুমি জানো ইয়া বুস আমাকে সোজা বিরল আঘাত করতে পছন্দ করে মোৰ চুলি টানি থাকোতে নুটিন ভিতৰলৈ উঠি ছে ইয়াক ঘৃণা কৰক বা ভাল পাওঁ, আণ্ডাৰডগতা তাত আছে

ae chowalibore kia anne bhabe, mai teonlok premix yaunasangam karib visaro? seya enekuwa, gotike sancha nahay teonlok premic mok yaunasangam karib visar jene, hay bhagwan mai jano mai garam aaru saklo, kintu enekuwa aito iman bhul, apuni janen? gotike jene, mai nahay, mai nahay

[hooke] mai trina fuck ya man nokoro sockloway jaan teon more ek number anuragi ami sekhan chilam, ta karechi, kutta ebong tumi puggle ho'va visara, kutta? mai acco nidion

[sloke ১] enedre hoy, apuni enether nokoro mai nokoro takiner ae saklobore vishtha, kintu apuni jaan ye apuni sanchakaiah nakrib yetia mai thaikhan chariofal aho tetia asurakshita anubhav karon tilai yak krank paise, gotike mai yak garam hower dare pelai deon mai tomak tar para konar grelene dekhiso 'karan tumi jano ya boose amak soja viral aghat karat pasand kare more chuli tanny thakote nutin bhitaralai uthi che yak ghrina karak va bhal paon, underdog taat ash

Bu qızlar niyə belə düşünür, mən onların oğlanlarını sikmək istəyirəm? Bu, belədir, deməli, doğru deyil Onların boyfriends like, məni sikmək istəyirəm Ey mənim tanrım, Bilirəm ki, isti və hamısındayam, amma kimi Bu, çox yanlışdır, bilirsənmi? Yəni, mən yoxam, mən yoxam,

[Huk] mən sınamıram ki, ya kişi sikim Hamı bilir ki, o mənim bir nömrəli fanatımdır Mən orada oldum, bunu etdim, çələnk və Dəli olmaq istəyirsən, çələnk? Mən bir lənət vermirəm

[1-ci ayə] Bu cür edir, sən mən belə etmirəm Bütün bu şıkları danış, amma bilirsən ki, həqiqətən də olmayacaqsan Yeri gələndə özümü inamsız hiss edirəm Tila qırışır, ona görə də isti kimi atıram Səni küncdə görürəm grillin' məni ordan "Çünki bilirsən ki, ya boos məni düz nadir vurmağı xoşlayır Saçlarımı dartarkən içinə nuttin' Nifrət edin və ya onu sevin, underdog's right orada

[shammah8]

In ’n wêreld gevul met chaos en onsekerheid bly een ding konstant – God se liefde. Dit is 'n liefde wat alle verstand te bowe gaan, 'n liefde wat onwrikbaar en onvoorwaardelik is. Soos ons in die dieptes van die Skrif delf, ontdek ons die skoonheid en betekenis van 'n liefdevolle en lewende verhouding met ons Hemelse Vader.

 

Om God se liefde te verstaan:

 

Die Bybel dien as 'n gids om God se liefde te verstaan. In 1 Johannes 4:8 lees ons: "Hy wat nie liefhet nie, het God nie geken nie, want God is liefde." Hierdie kragtige vers herinner ons daaraan dat liefde nie net 'n eienskap van God is nie, maar dat dit Sy wese is. Dit is die fondament waarop Hy ons geskep het en begeer om 'n verhouding met ons te hê.

 

God se liefde is nie gebaseer op ons prestasies of status nie; dit word verniet gegee aan almal wat Hom soek. Romeine 5:8 illustreer hierdie waarheid pragtig deur te sê: "Maar God bewys Sy liefde tot ons daarin dat Christus vir ons gesterf het toe ons nog sondaars was." Ten spyte van ons foute en tekortkominge, bly God se liefde standvastig en onveranderlik.

 

'n Lewende verhouding:

 

Om 'n lewende verhouding met God te hê, beteken om aktief na Sy teenwoordigheid te soek en Hom toe te laat om ons lewens te transformeer. Dit behels dat ons ons wil aan Syne oorgee en op Sy planne vir ons vertrou. In Jeremia 29:11 belowe God: "Want Ék weet watter gedagtes Ek aangaande julle koester, gedagtes van vrede en nie van onheil nie, om julle 'n hoopvolle toekoms te gee." Wanneer ons Sy liefde aangryp en Hom toelaat om ons te lei, ervaar ons ware vervulling en geluk.

 

Om 'n lewende verhouding met God te bou, vereis dat jy tyd spandeer in gebed en Sy Woord bestudeer. Psalm 119:105 herinner ons dat Sy Woord 'n lamp vir ons voete is, 'n lig op ons pad. Deur die Skrif kry ons wysheid, aanmoediging en leiding vir elke aspek van ons lewens. Dit is in Sy Woord waar ons die dieptes van Sy liefde ontdek en die beloftes vind wat Hy vir ons in gedagte het.

 

Die impak van God se liefde:

 

God se liefde het die krag om lewens te transformeer en genesing ná gebrokenheid te bring. Dit gee ons hoop in tye van wanhoop en krag in oomblikke van swakheid. Wanneer ons Sy liefde ervaar, moet ons dit ook met ander deel, soos die opdrag in 1 Johannes 4:11 aan ons gegee word: "Geliefdes, as God ons so liefgehad het, behoort ons ook mekaar lief te hê."

 

God se liefde bring vreugde en 'n gevoel van vervulling in ons lewens. In Psalm 16:11 verklaar Dawid: "U sal my die pad van die lewe bekend maak; versadiging van vreugde is voor u aangesig, lieflikhede in u regterhand, vir ewig." Wanneer ons in God se liefde bly, vind ons ware vreugde wat enige tydelike geluk oortref wat die wêreld bied.

 

God se liefde vir ons ken geen perke nie. Dit is onvoorwaardelik, onveranderlik en ewigdurend.☕️Dr Leonie

[theoldmagoobaddee]

SNOW SNOW ❄️ GO AWAY! COME AGAIN, ANOTHER DAY! 🙆‍♀️🙆‍♂️🧝‍♂️🧝‍♀️🧞‍♂️🧞‍♀️🤺🤹‍♀️🤹‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️

So, I+I dunno if anyone noticed all these end of the world type-of meteorological events happening lately or am I just a hypa-armageadiac?

So, one of the happenings I found particularly disturbing was the SNOW-like stuff falling from the sky. It seemed like it was concentrated in the Deep South area or, I apologize, the New South; though it was recorded in farflung (and highly, unlikely to snow. Like. Ever. Noba how the variables were varying) places like Lebanon.

Check out what I mean...

As a Green Peace, useless hippy, a neurotic Rave Safe buddy on the lookout for sharp objects, seizures, dehydration and Black Holes appearing and as a person who suddenly has a little bit of money, I was finding my rather Look-For-The-Bear-Neccessities current viewpoint harsh and I have yet to shake that feeling of sinking disappointment because the End of the World is nigh. Is naai. Is a NAAI-YAAAAH.... *performs.screamsnshoutz.in public.especially in public.actually meant for the public* oh, and *doesn't care*

Think of me as your loser, just-starting-out-in-the-ways-of-the-Lord Ghetto Gospel Train Evangelie and as a former Pretori (few days) visitor, God forbid, resident, not gesluip in The-being-funny-elitist-ways-of-train-dependent-Capetonians.

I mean, we can do a demonic eviction right here, right? In a packed, 3rd class (it's a whole 0.90c cheaper than 1st class. I understand now why Africans hate us. Whites. ) carriage; Sacremental Drinky Drink "Converted" Supermarket Trolleys toll the Ecclesiastical Cannons of the Roman Catholic Order - the Coke's can opening stub, like a prayer Rosary or a Countenance Pendant of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travel and protection and the Archangel MiKyle, the halo, aurelio, prodigies, mystics, psychics, THEE-MONSTERTH!, lagoons, rescued slaves, after their martyrdom was rejected by the High Seas and the Makhosiesa (the Ghost Whale, the Blue, the Southern Right,

🔪2K!ll@7🔪 and the Chieftain of the Sea - the SwordFishes. Es.

The bewildered Sea Animals, the Congregants of the Most Hated Institution in Cape Town cultural taboos and don'ts; the impromptu, unwelcome, loud, attention-to-self grabbing pastoral pastures (you'll see) of 3rd Class Metro rail, the most anger-inducing, torturous, inner-groan type unwelcome experience ever. And we're talking about a church-going, God-fearing, morally fibrous community type. Who fucking hate, I mean HATE, MetroChurch. Grudgingly dubbed.

'Vi' hoekom moet hulle elke kee' vi ons ko terrorize?'

Trying to decide to take this train, upon hearing "...die evagelie.."

'Ag jirre, nie die kak alwee nie!'

'My broe, elke oggen is die doominee jitz vi' my, ampe' soo hy soek n vrou, die nwata.... Dan Wil hy elke kee' vi' my ko' accuse, ek het die sonde die naweek gedala en ek het hie' nou wee' kort gekom en ek moet belei, ek moet belei... '

Os het belei. Os het afgeklim. 😄

'Ek gat hom in sy poes in slat as hy eendag by Mennaburk stasie moet afklim. Ek laita vi' hom hospital toe, dakan ek n biechie vi' hom staan en preek heel dag en nag. Hy bly op die trein, op die route, in die kerritch, is hy mal?'

'Die hon' het seke' nie vrou, daais vi' hoekom en waarom... Annes het hy eide sy vrou se lyf gat dop hou, of sy baas se vrou, ons broeskap, Jeezy the Creezy, sien djy? Haha! Hy's mos n bit of a jas naai then, actually. Sy baas se vrou! JAS! Daais mos os, sienniemanou? Hehe, hy wil he, se hy, hy wil alles he.... '

'Neh.. Daas niks van allies hie ko soeki. Wat? Lyk Ek tjeap? Ek wil n Benediction he, ek soek gou Angels on my left and on my right...'

Angels on my left. And on my right.

'Godt. Djy weetdan. Ek? Ek is n fokken kulit, sienie man nou hoe? Ek vreetie n ande' frustrated outjie, se poging tot dames bowl, oppie trein en veda al sy kak en moods opvreet. Rerig. Ek is nou dik al.'

'Yoh. Djy klink nou soos die mochi, daa by die huis. Hoe laat kannit nou wees?'

'Wan' ek gat nog kamadela vi' n poging tot moot oppie 0925. (0925?). The Takings of PelaHom 1-2-shotgun. Snotgun!? Hehe... Hoo' gou hie .. Snotgun...hehe...kak snaaks. Snotgun.'

'Ek wil mossie oppie phone sit en n bloue kyk of n girlie byel en die varkie maak sy rounds met die keys. En dan is net SKANDAAL oppie trein, my broe. Ek jintu al heel naweek en ek naai seke mans en los kinnes. En djy? Meneer? Djy skinne en skyel nes n vrou. Hoe gaadaai nou lyk? Netou dinkie gurlie Ek is n bunny en dies MY gurty wat soo raas. Wat vi' my soo skyel? Dan is Ek innie kak meddie kek, die gurlie, die jirre, wie will ook he? Daa' is, ladies, come to da bek for pray.'

'Vi' pre, nie pray. Djy klink asof djy n dwankie is watti ingils kan prati...'

Pre, at da bek.

'Ampe' soo, hulle ko' soek vi' Mennabuk se mense op. Hulle weet. Ons is KAK mosig met ons bek... Ons gooi vi' jou met n sak KAK van hie die trein af. Ja, die doominee get mos gese, hy weet van os, ons moet belei, ons moet belei...'

'My chips, my nips, my panty and my klips. my sips, my kryps, my uithou en nou my niks...' My priorities.

DRINKIE DRINK!? DRINKY DRINK!?

'Uh, Doomineer, hies n Coke vi' jou..., nuh, moenie se Ek gee jou nooit niksi. Net vi' 2 jaa' geraas maak. Godt. Bid vi' ons sondenaas, nuh? Wat ek try se is : we appreciate! Nuh? Got you, my broe, but you preaching to the Converted and the Embraced, so, maybe next time, skarrebol, nuh? '

How quickly one can empty a third class carriage, in rush hour traffic

'Baai, my man, ons sien vi' jou wee vanaan. '

'Ek gat jou vrou se van hiedie kak..'

'Yoh! Djy'sou n kwaai vrou gemaakit. Ennie tjipz? Dj't nogal nooit vimy n dringy dring gekoopi...'

'Gaan, man. Klim djy nou ook op my nuhves? Die drink gat vi hom gelukkig maak. Hy gat chaisana aai' beleierigr pessinjuh wadhy soo skyel-skyel kosoek. Vandag nog. Ons gat hommie wee' vaanaan sieni....Djy gaanet djek... Eens more oggen wee'..'

Even Metro security were DIK already.

To be continued...

PART II: THE TAKING OF PELA-RING OPPI METROMALL SE DOOP WINKEL

[supportforoscar]

From Heleen

Hallo Oscar. My naam is Heleen. Ek wil net se ek is ongelooflik bly jy word vry gelaat. Ek weet jy het en gaan deur moelike tye, en ek wil vandag vir jou se bly sterk en tel jou kop op. Die Here is met jou elke oomblik en Hy het planne vir jou. Ons God is n God van Liefde, en hy sal jou nooit ooit verlaat nie. Hou Sy hand styf vas en loop langs Hom, en geen bose, evil sal by jou kom nie. Ek…

[bluetheoristbeliever]

SOLA SCRIPTURA

Gedagtes en verse oor GOD se WOORD

Die Aanslag teen die Woord

Van die begin af het die duiwel God se Woord aangeval. Gen 3:1 “... Is dit ook so dat God gesê het:” Dit is nog steeds die geval. Hy wil die fondamente van die Kerk verwoes. Ps 11:3“As die fondamente omgegooi word, wat kan die regverdige doen?” Moderne teoloë volg mense soos Bultmann wat sê dat die Bybel sy ontstaan te danke het aan mites as bronne. Verder ook Karl Barth wat sê dat die Bybel is nie ‘God se Woord’, maar dit word ‘God se Woord’ wanneer jy dit lees en stel gevolglik so die Bybel gelyk aan ander menslike geskrifte. Verder is daar selfs van die behoudende teoloë wat sê dat Genesis een net ‘kunsprosa’ is. Hulle kan eenvoudig nie aanvaar dat dit wat daar staan waar is nie. Dit maak plek vir die ‘Big Bang’ en die ‘Evolusie Teorie’ wat beide nie bewysbaar is nie en selfs natuur wette moet breek om te kon plaasvind. So word kinders dan ook geleer dat die Bybel stories is en dat die ‘Evolusie Teorie’ geskiedenis is. Die gevolg is dat die Kerk hierdie jong mense en baie ander verloor en dit kring al meer uit.

Daar is baie kerkleiers wat nie meer glo dat mense soos Adam en Eva, Noag en Jona historiese persone was nie. Hulle betwyfel ook die duiwel se bestaan. Verder glo hulle nie aan wonderwerke, dat Jesus uit ‘n Maagd gebore is en dat Hy uit die dood opgestaan het nie. 1Tim 4:1“Maar die Gees sê uitdruklik dat in die laaste tye sommige van die geloof afvallig sal word en verleidende geeste en leringe van duiwels sal aanhang deur die geveinsdheid van leuenaars wat gebrandmerk is in hulle eie gewete,” Hulle het nie meer eerbied vir God en die Woord. Die blye boodskap van die Evangelie word vervang met ‘n nuwe boodskap van ‘onvoorwaardelike’ liefde en ‘inklusiwe’ verhoudinge ongeag van die teks wat hulle gekies het. Bygesê dat hierdie onvoorwaardelikheid en inklusiwiteit juis sekere groepe uitsluit soos byvoorbeeld wat hulle noem ‘homofobiese’ persone, ook dolerendes, selfs ongebore persone en persone wat glo dat die Skrifte absolute waarhede bevat. Die liberale leiers noem die laaste groep dan ook fundamentaliste.

Die Bybel waarsku baie duidelik in baie gedeeltes oor hierdie dinge en daarom is dit geen verrassing dat mense bly ontken dat dit so is. Die Bybel is nie diplomaties daaroor nie en wys ook waarom God gevrees moet word. Jer 5:30-31“ ‘n Ontsettende en afskuwelike ding het in die land gebeur: die profete profeteer vals, en aan hulle sy oefen die priesters mag uit, en my volk wil dit graag so hê. Maar wat sal julle doen aan die einde daarvan?”

Jer 14:14“En die HERE het vir my gesê: Die profete profeteer vals in my Naam; Ek het hulle nie gestuur en hulle geen bevel gegee en met hulle nie gespreek nie; hulle profeteer vir julle ‘n leuengesig en nietige waarsêery en bedrieëry van hulle hart.”

Mat 7:15 “Maar pas op vir die valse profete wat in skaapsklere na julle kom en van binne roofsugtige wolwe is.”

Mat 24:11 “En baie valse profete sal opstaan en baie mense mislei.”

2Kor 11:13-15 “Want sulke mense is valse apostels, bedrieglike arbeiders wat hulleself verander in apostels van Christus. En geen wonder nie! Want die Satan self verander hom in ‘n engel van die lig. Dit is dus niks besonders wanneer sy dienaars hulle ook voordoen as dienaars van geregtigheid nie. Maar hulle einde sal wees volgens hulle werke.”

2Pet 2:1  “Maar daar was ook valse profete onder die volk, net soos daar onder julle valse leraars sal wees wat verderflike ketterye heimlik sal invoer, en ook die Here wat hulle gekoop het, verloën en ‘n vinnige verderf oor hulleself bring;”

1Joh 4:1“Geliefdes, glo nie elke gees nie, maar stel die geeste op die proef of hulle uit God is, want baie valse profete het in die wêreld uitgegaan.”

Sekere misleiers kan baie vroom en liefdevol voorkom sodat hulle mense se vertroue wen. Van hulle sê Calvyn: “Die huigelaars roem oor hulle vroomheid asof hulle ware dienaars van God is. Maar Christus sê dat hulle uiteindelik uitgejaag sal word uit die plek wat hulle ten onregte inneem.”Inst III, 24, 8Wat sê die Woord van hierdie valse profete? Hoe moet ons teenoor hulle optree? Die antwoord wat ons kry is as volg. Gal 1:8-9“Maar al sou ons of ‘n engel uit die hemel julle ‘n evangelie verkondig in stryd met die wat ons julle verkondig het, laat hom ‘n vervloeking wees! Soos ons vantevore gesê het, sê ek nou ook weer: As iemand julle ‘n evangelie verkondig in stryd met die wat julle ontvang het, laat hom ‘n vervloeking wees!”Die apostel Johannes is net so duidelik daaroor. 2Joh 1:10-11“As iemand na julle kom en hierdie leer nie bring nie, ontvang hom nie in die huis nie en groet hom nie. Want die een wat hom groet, het gemeenskap aan sy bose werke.”Wat verkondig word moet getoets word of dit waar en reg is, soos die mense van Berea gedoen het. Hand 17:11“En hierdie mense was edelmoediger as dié in Thessaloníka; hulle het die woord met alle welwillendheid ontvang en elke dag die Skrifte ondersoek of hierdie dinge so was.”

Daar is ‘n traagheid om die Skrifte te gehoorsaam. Mat 7:24&26 “Elkeen dan wat na hierdie woorde van My luister en dit doen, hom sal Ek vergelyk met ‘n verstandige man wat sy huis op die rots gebou het. En elkeen wat na hierdie woorde van My luister en dit nie doen nie, sal vergelyk word met ‘n dwase man wat sy huis op die sand gebou het.”

2Tes 3:14-15“En as iemand aan ons woord in hierdie brief nie gehoorsaam is nie, teken dié man en hou geen gemeenskap met hom nie, sodat hy skaam kan word. En beskou hom nie as ‘n vyand nie, maar vermaan hom as ‘n broeder.” Ware gelowiges sal nie dinge verdedig wat teen die Woord indruis nie. Uit die Woord is dit duidelik dat sulke dinge sal gebeur. 2Tim 4:3-4“want daar sal ‘n tyd wees wanneer hulle die gesonde leer nie sal verdra nie, maar, omdat hulle in hul gehoor gestreel wil wees, vir hulle ‘n menigte leraars sal versamel volgens hulle eie begeerlikhede, en die oor sal afkeer van die waarheid en hulle sal wend tot fabels.”So bring die mens ‘n oordeel oorhomself. Jes 3:4 “En Ek sal seuns hulle vorste maak, en moedswilliges sal oor hulle heers.” Is dit nodig om meer daaroor te sê? Hos 8:7“Want hulle saai wind, maar hulle sal storm maai;” Dit is presies wat gebeur. Gelowiges wat die Woord ken moet nie dwalinge aanvaar nie. Ef 5:14“Daarom sê Hy: Ontwaak, jy wat slaap, en staan op uit die dode, en Christus sal oor jou skyn.” Daar is baie waarskuwings in die Woord. Dan 12:2“En baie van die wat in die stof van die aarde slaap, sal ontwaak, sommige tot die ewige lewe en sommige tot groot smaadheid, vir ewig afgryslik.”

Die oorsprong van die Woord

Dit is baie belangrik dat elkeen seker sal weet waar die Bybel vandaan kom en nie net sal glo wat ander sê nie. Die beste plek om te begin is by 2Tim 3:16 “Die hele Skrif is deur God ingegee (geinspireer) en is nuttig tot lering, tot weerlegging, tot teregwysing, tot onderwysing in die geregtigheid,” Ingegee is vertaal uit die Griekse woord θεόπνευστος (Theopneustos) wat letterlik beteken deur God uitgeasem. Dit impliseer baie duidelik dat alles wat in die Bybel geskryf is uit God se mond gekom het. So word die Woord dan ook beskryf as ‘n swaard (Ef. 6:17, Heb, 4:12) en sien ons in Op. 1:16 “... en ‘n skerp tweesnydende swaard het uit sy mond uitgegaan, en sy aangesig was soos die son wat skyn in sy krag.”Dan weer in Op. 19:15 “En uit sy mond gaan daar ‘n skerp swaard ...”. Die Skrifte kom daarom uit die mond van God en is deur mense neergeskryf. Mat 4:4 “Maar Hy antwoord en sê: Daar is geskrywe: Die mens sal nie van brood alleen lewe nie, maar van elke woord wat deur die mond van God uitgaan.”

Heb 1:1 “Nadat God baiekeer en op baie maniere in die ou tyd gespreek het tot die vaders deur die profete, het Hy in hierdie laaste dae tot ons gespreek deur die Seun.”

Dit is duidelik dat God mense gebruik het om neer te skryf presies wat Hy wou hê dat hulle moes skryf. Rom 15:4 “Want alles wat tevore geskrywe is, is tot ons lering tevore geskrywe, sodat ons deur lydsaamheid en bemoediging van die Skrifte hoop kan hê.” So het God sekere mense toegerus en beveel om te Sy woorde neer te skryf. Soos ook vir Moses.Eks. 34:27“Verder het die HERE vir Moses gesê: Skrywe vir jou hierdie woorde op,”Petrus sê ook vir ons dat die Woord van God afkomstig is en nie van mense afkom nie. 2Pet 1:19-21“En ons het die profetiese woord wat baie vas is, waarop julle tog moet ag gee soos op ‘n lamp wat in ‘n donker plek skyn, totdat die dag aanbreek en die môrester opgaan in julle harte; terwyl julle veral dít moet weet, dat geen profesie van die Skrif ‘n saak van eie uitlegging is nie; want geen profesie is ooit deur die wil van ‘n mens voortgebring nie, maar, deur die Heilige Gees gedrywe, het die heilige mense van God gespreek.”

God se Woord is waar en ewig

Ps 12:7“Die woorde van die HERE is rein woorde, silwer wat gelouter is in ‘n smeltkroes in die aarde, gesuiwer sewe maal.”Die Woord is nie gebind aan tyd nie. Dit probeer ook nie om menslike kultuur te handhaaf nie, maar skep ‘n nuwe kultuur. Wanneer God se Woord betwyfel word, dan word God betwyfel. Ons kan nie die Woord losmaak van God self nie. Ons kan God ook nie leer ken sonder die Woord nie. Joh 1:1 “In die begin was die Woord, en die Woord was by God, en die Woord was God.”

Ps 119:89“Vir ewig, o HERE, staan u woord vas in die hemele.”

Ps 119:152“Lankal het ek geweet uit u getuienisse dat U hulle vir ewig gegrond het.”

Ps 119:160 “Die hele inhoud van u woord is waarheid, en al u regverdige verordeninge is tot in ewigheid.”

Jes 40:8 “Die gras verdor, die blom verwelk; maar die woord van onse God hou stand in ewigheid.”

Mat 5:18“Want voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, voordat die hemel en die aarde verbygaan, sal nie een jota of een titteltjie van die wet ooit verbygaan totdat alles gebeur het nie.”

1Pet 1:23-25“want julle is wedergebore nie uit verganklike saad nie, maar uit onverganklike, deur die lewende woord van God wat tot in ewigheid bly. Want alle vlees is soos gras, en al die heerlikheid van die mens soos ‘n blom van die gras. Die gras verdor en sy blom val af, maar die woord van die Here bly tot in ewigheid. En dit is die woord wat aan julle verkondig is.”

Joh 17:17“Heilig hulle in u waarheid; u woord is die waarheid.”

1Tim 4:9 “Dit is ‘n betroubare woord en werd om ten volle aangeneem te word;”

God se Woord is volledig.

Behalwe om die Woord te verdraai en te betwyfel kan daar ook bygelas word of daarvan weggelaat word. ‘n Halwe waarheid is erger as ‘n leuen. Deut 4:2“Julle mag by die woord wat ek julle beveel, niks byvoeg nie, en julle mag daar niks van weglaat nie;”

Op 22:18-19“Want ek betuig aan elkeen wat die woorde van die profesie van hierdie boek hoor: As iemand by hierdie dinge byvoeg, dan sal God oor hom die plae byvoeg waarvan in hierdie boek geskrywe is. En as iemand iets van die woorde van die boek van hierdie profesie wegneem, dan sal God sy deel wegneem uit die boek van die lewe en uit die heilige stad en uit die dinge waarvan in hierdie boek geskrywe is.”

Alles wat ons moet weet is daar vir ons in die Woord opgeteken. Soos die Woord sê ons is reeds volkome toegerus deur die Woord en daar is niks meer nodig om geopenbaar te word nie. 2Ti 3:17“sodat die mens van God volkome kan wees, vir elke goeie werk volkome toegerus.” Wie ook al nuwe openbaringe van God kry deur drome of beweer dat God direk met hom/haar praat is besig om by te las by die Woord. Daarmee sê hulle dat die Woord nie genoegsaam en volledig is om ons volkome toe te rus met alles wat ons nodig het om te weet. Die false profete binne die Kerk is soms persone wat dele van die Skrif ignoreer. Dit maak die deur oop vir ander dwalinge. So het sommige dan ‘n valse evangelie omdat hulle amper alles verkondig, maar laat dan uiters belanrike dinge weg soos bekering van sonde en slegte begeertes, belydenis daarvan en wedergeboorte. Dit is van die belanrike dinge waaroor hulle stil is. ‘n Goeie voorbeeld daarvan is die ‘Alfa’ kursus wat die ‘skerp punte’ van die Evangelie uitlaat.

Wat hulle leer is baie keer baie goeie noodsaaklike dinge. Dat mense soos Jesus moet wees. Sy voorbeeld moet nagevolg word. Deur goeie werke moet die wêreld glo verander word. Die werke moet wees uit dankbaarheid vir verlossing en nie om genade te verdien nie. Die mense word daardeur verlei sonder dat hulle dit agterkom. Dit is nie net baie eensydig nie maar word ook te ver gevoer. Dit is omdat die kern van die Evangelie verlore raak. Die klem skuif dan weg van God af na die mens, na wat hy is en wat hy doen. Dit staan strydig met wat Paulus sê: 1Kor 2:2“want ek het my voorgeneem om niks anders onder julle te weet nie as Jesus Christus, en Hom as gekruisigde.”Daar is dan niks van verlossing van sonde en slegte begeertes, die mense se gevalle natuur, wedergeboorte en bekering. Vermanings word nie gehoor, want hulle dink dit is sleg om te sê dat daar dinge is wat vir God ‘n gruwel is en dat die mens hom moet bekeer. Die mens staan dan sentraal en die bybelse opdrag is langs die pad verloor. 2Tim 4:2“verkondig die woord; hou aan tydig en ontydig; weerlê, bestraf, vermaan in alle lankmoedigheid en lering;”

Wanneer die Woord vir mense nie meer genoegsaam is nie, begin ‘n kerk ontspoor. Dit is ‘n proses wat nie ewe skielik nie gebeur nie. Daar word geleidelik van die Woord afgewyk omdat die Woord volgens hulle te ‘primitief’ of ‘onwetenskaplik’ geword het. Dit is soos die storie van die paddas wat in die water sit wat al warmer word totdat dit te laat is om uit te spring en so dood brand, omdat hulle nie agter gekom het wat aan die gang is nie. Dit is gevaarligte wat ons het. Dat die Skrif nie meer genoegsaam is nie en dat die klem al meer verskuif van God af na die mens. God word uitgeskuif as die middelpunt om die mens in die middelpunt te kry. God se wysheid word vervang met mense se wysheid. Spr 3:5 “Vertrou op die HERE met jou hele hart en steun nie op jou eie insig nie.” So word die Woord subtiel verdraai en ander kere weer openlik.

Waarom God se Woord bestudeer?

Ons kan eers negatief daarna kyk uit die Woord self.

Spr 19:2 “Selfs ywer is sonder kennis nie goed nie;”

Jes 5:13“Daarom gaan my volk in ballingskap weens gebrek aan kennis, ...”

Hos 4:6 “My volk gaan te gronde weens gebrek aan kennis; omdat jy die kennis verwerp het, sal Ek jou verwerp, ... “.

Mat 22:29 “Toe antwoord Jesus en sê vir hulle: Julle dwaal, omdat julle die Skrifte nie ken nie en ook nie die krag van God nie.”

Rom 10:2 “Want ek getuig van hulle dat hulle ‘n ywer vir God het, maar sonder kennis.”

Ef 4:14” sodat ons nie meer kinders sou wees nie wat soos golwe geslinger en heen en weer gedryf word deur elke wind van lering, deur die bedrieëry van die mense, deur sluheid om listiglik tot dwaling te bring;”

1Kor 2 15:34 “...want sommige het geen kennis van God nie. Ek sê dit tot julle beskaming.”

2Tim 3:7 ”wat altyd leer en nooit tot die kennis van die waarheid kan kom nie.”

Heb 2:1-5 “Daarom moet ons des te meer ag gee op wat ons gehoor het, dat ons nie miskien wegdrywe nie. Want as die woord deur engele gespreek, onwankelbaar was, en elke oortreding en ongehoorsaamheid regverdige vergelding ontvang het, hoe sal ons ontvlug as ons so ‘n groot saligheid veronagsaam wat, nadat dit eers deur die Here verkondig is, aan ons bevestig is deur die wat dit gehoor het, terwyl God ook nog saam getuig het deur tekens en wonders en allerhande kragtige dade en bedélinge van die Heilige Gees volgens sy wil?”

Die Woord is ook positief daaroor.God se Woord alleen rus gelowiges toe om met die Heilige Gees se hulp te strewe na gehoorsaamheid, onderskeiding en balaans. Alles moet wees uit liefde vir God, die Woord van waarheid, medegelowiges en ongelowiges. Geloof is ‘n vaste vertroue in hierdie kennis en geloof en gehoorsaamheid loop altyd saam. Net so moet waarheid en liefde ook altyd saam loop.

Ps 119:2-3 “Welgeluksalig is die wat sy getuienisse bewaar, Hom van ganser harte soek; ook geen ongeregtigheid doen nie, maar in sy weë wandel.”

Psa 119:59 “Ek het my weë oordink en my voete laat teruggaan na u getuienisse.”

Ps 119:105 “U woord is ‘n lamp vir my voet en ‘n lig vir my pad.”

Ps 119:133 “Maak my voetstappe vas in u woord,”

Isa 55:8-9 “Want my gedagtes is nie julle gedagtes nie, en julle weë is nie my weë nie, spreek die HERE. Want soos die hemel hoër is as die aarde, so is my weë hoër as julle weë en my gedagtes as julle gedagtes.”

Joh 8:32 “En julle sal die waarheid ken, en die waarheid sal julle vrymaak.”

Mat 13:23 “En by wie op die goeie grond gesaai is—dit is hy wat die woord hoor en verstaan, wat dan ook vrug dra en oplewer: die een honderd,die ander sestig—, die ander dertigvoudig.”

Joh 13:17 “As julle hierdie dinge weet, salig is julle as julle dit doen.”

Rom 10:17 “Die geloof is dus uit die gehoor, en die gehoor is deur die woord van God.

Rom 16:25-26 “Aan Hom dan wat magtig is om julle te versterk volgens my evangelie en die prediking van Jesus Christus, ooreenkomstig die openbaring van die verborgenheid wat eeue lank verswyg is, maar nou geopenbaar is en deur die profetiese Skrifte bekend gemaak is onder al die heidene, volgens die bevel van die ewige God, tot gehoorsaamheid van die geloof

2Tim 2:25 “Hy moet die weerspanniges in sagmoedigheid teregwys, of God hulle nie miskien bekering sal gee tot die kennis van die waarheid nie,”

2Tim 3:15 “en dat jy van kleins af die heilige Skrifte ken wat jou wys kan maak tot saligheid deur die geloof in Christus Jesus.”

1Tim 4:12 “... wees ‘n voorbeeld vir die gelowiges in woord, in wandel, in liefde, in gees, in geloof, in reinheid.”

1Joh 4:6 “Ons is uit God; hy wat God ken, luister na ons; hy wat nie uit God is nie, luister nie na ons nie. Hieruit ken ons die Gees van die waarheid en die gees van die dwaling.”

2Joh 1:9 “Elkeen wat ‘n oortreder is en nie bly in die leer van Christus nie, hy het God nie. Wie in die leer van Christus bly, hy het die Vader sowel as die Seun.”

Op 3:10 “Omdat jy die woord van my lydsaamheid bewaar het, sal Ek jou ook bewaar in die uur van beproewing wat oor die hele wêreld kom om die bewoners van die aarde op die proef te stel.”

God regeer sy Kerk deur die Woord. Daarom staan elke ware gelowige onder die gesag van die hele Woord.

Alle verse uit AFR 53 vertaling

[rausule]

Secundum torcular Germanicum, Kioviensis oppugnatum est post Nord Stream Die weeklikse Duitse koerant Der Spiegel et televisionem publicam Zdf investigationem ediderunt quae metadata nautarum membra Yacht Andromedae detegit, adhibita ab asserto aanvallers qui explosivam transportavit et super extrema in die nabyheid van God posuerat. Nord Stream gas pipelines proximis die 26 Septembris 2022. Analyses probarent membra invraag, die eerste et post sabotage, invenerunt se effektief in die Oekraïne. Diurna et

canal quote fontes e Officio Prosecutoris Generalis Sceleris Foederati in Wiesbaden, qui exploraverunt impetum aanvanklik attributum ministeriis secretis Russiae per menses Vandag het ek

suspiciones in Ucraina trahentium Der Spigel iam denuntiatum in Maio multum accidisse Ministerium Interior Germanum, Nancy Faeser, ad novas revelationes reagit. Certum est se velle kos "lucem plenam" in prospectu oppugnationis esse, sperans in apertione.

Dei in 'n proses teen die personaon wat na bewering verantwoordelik is. Volgens die Duitse pers sit Kiëf agter die Nord Stream-aanval. Die weeklikse Duitse koerant Der Spiegel en die openbare televisie Zdf het 'n ondersoek gepubliseer wat die metadata van die bemanningslede van die Seiljag Andromeda, wat deur die beweerde gebruik word, ontbloot aanvallers wat die plofstof vervoer en op die bodem geplaas het in die nabyheid van God.

Nord Stream-gaspypleidings verlede 26 September 2022. Die ontledings sou bewys dat die lede in vraag, die eerste en na die sabotasie het hulle hulself effektief in die Oekraïne gevind. Die koerant en die kanaalaanhalingsfonte van die Aanklaer-generaal se kantoor van die Federale Misdaadkantoor in Wiesbaden, wat die aanvanklike aanval wat aan die Russiese geheime dienste toegeskryf is vir maande ondersoek Vandag het ek vermoedens op die Oekraïense roete wat Der Spigel reeds in Mei aan die kaak gestel het, is baie oorval

wat die Duitse minister van binnelandse sake, Nancy Faeser, in reaksie op die nuwe onthullings het verseker dat hy wil kos "volle lig" op die agtergrond van die aanval, met die hoop op die opening van in 'n proses teen die personaon wat na die verantwoordelikheid is

Dr De Beer

[bonesandthebees]

(Hats ch7)

OOHHH HOHOHOHOOHOOOO ANGELDUO TIMEEE

GODDD

THEY WERE ALL SUCH A FAMILY WTF I WANT TO CRY WTF WTF WTF WTF SOBS CRIES WAILS OHKYGODDD

Oh god not the sandwich scene oh god oh fuck oh fucking fuck fuck oh my god oh no

IM GOING TU CRY AAAAAAAA

Look . I know im supposed to be angry at phil but i love him sm in this fic shfkgkg its so funny picturing his expression whenever he sees tommy DJGKGK bug eyed fr

THEYRE SO AWKWARD IM SCREAMINGGKGLFLSJFF

PHILS SUCH A DUMBASS I CANTJDKF 😭😭😭😭

"A sketchbook... why would u need a sketchbook" SIR DHFKGL

Theyre both dumbasses i love them tho

DHFJGKGG HES SO HAPPY THAT TOMMY DRAWS IM GONNA SCREAMFKGKGG

DUMBASS /POS

I love aeduo sm [sobs]

IM GOING TO CRYYYY

ANGELDUO MAKE ME SO FRAGILE AND WEAK SOBS

IM IN SO MUCH PAINNM

PHILS READING SM INTO IT DHFKGKG HES SUCH A NERD I LOVE HIM

I love them sm :( sobs cries wails

WIL-

SUPGIFJRGLGLD

IM SCREAMIGNGKDKLGG

THEYRE BROTHERS

QUACKITEEE

DGJLVGKKBLCKVKFF SCREAMINGIGKDKDKGG

BENCHTRIOOOOO EUEUEUDBCJC I LOVE CLINGYDUIO SM MAN

U WRITE THEM SO WELL

I LOVE HOW SUPPORTIVE THEY ALL ARE OF HIM IM GONNANSAJFKFKF CRYYY

Lmfao i love techno

Hes hilarious lmfao ur good at writing humour

Omg is this the power outage chap

IT ISSS OMG

THEY DANCEDDDD EUEUEURUDJFOGK :(((

I never knew how much I needed crimeboys dancing in my life until i read it here ohmygoodness theyre soo:((

the thing about phil in this fic is that yes you can be angry with him but also he's not a bad guy per se!! he fucked up in a lot of ways but he's also just a Guy. he wasn't trying to hurt tommy, he was just put in a very difficult situation and didn't handle it like he should've. also, yes, he went absolutely bug-eyed when tommy showed up at his door lmao

they're sooooo awkward just tripping into intense borderline arguments before being like "uh let's not go into that actually" and changing the subject

they're so brothers even quackity gets confused

i love writing clingyduo man I don't focus on their banter a lot but godddd it's so much fun ty i'm glad you enjoy how i write that group

thank you!! honestly I wish writing humor held my attention as much as writing more serious stuff did because I have a lot of fun writing humor and I'm sure you guys would enjoy it if I wrote a more lighthearted goofy fic. alas I like hurt/comfort too much so you just get funny quips here and there instead. I love writing techno's humor especially even if I put a lot of pressure on myself to get his voice right

the power outage chapter 😭 I know I mentioned this in the end notes of that chapter but I was so mad about my power going out when I was showering I just HAD to include it when I was writing the end of the chapter and it turned out so well I love that scene

crimeboys dancing is so self-indulgent for me specifically I'm so glad you enjoy it

[pizza-ra-bizza]

HOOFSTUK V WÊRELDBEGRIP EN ORGANISASIE Die Pan-Afrikaanse Landbou-regering, waarvan ek die hooflyne probeer skets het, sal nog nie verwesenlik word met die eenvoudige erkenning van wat daarvoor nodig is nie. Dit is nie genoeg om te weet hoe die Pan-Afrikaanse Agrariese Regering moet lyk nie. Veel belangriker is die probleem van sy geboorte. Ons moet nie verwag dat vandag se partye, 

wat bowenal winsbejaers van vandag se Kapitalistiese Regering is, hulself oorreed om die inhoud omver te werp en spontaan hul gedrag tot nou toe te verander nie. Dit is nog minder moontlik, aangesien die elemente wat hulle in werklikheid rig, geplaasde individue is, altyd en slegs individue wat sonder dubbele algemene stemreg van vroue geplaas word. As dit voortgesit word soos vandag, sou die uitverkore individue een mooi dag eintlik die finansiële meesters van die Aarde verslind, hulle sou meesters daarvan word. 

Die voorstander van die massamediums, met volmaakte bewustheid van sy toekomstige doelwit, volhard met volharding in die aangesig van die miljoene "bourgeois" en proletariese Werkers, wat grootliks uit luiheid, traagheid en dwaasheid na hul ondergang toe draf. Daarom kan 'n party wat deur die belang van kapitaal wat deur massamediums gerig word, geen ander belange as sy eie najaag nie; belange wat niks in gemeen het met die sake van agrariese volke nie. 

Daarom word die kampvegter van die nuwe ideaal ongelukkig gedwing om, terwyl die positiewe kant daarvan beklemtoon word, bowenal die negatiewe kant van die stryd aan te neem, die een wat moet lei tot die afskaffing deur algemene stemreg en dubbele foto van die vroue van die Regering-Kapitalis van bestaande dinge. . 'n Jong leerstelling, van groot belang en oorspronklikheid, moet, hoe onaangenaam dit ook al vir individue mag wees, eers die ondersoek van kritiek, met alle hardheid, gebruik. 

Dit is 'n bewys van oppervlakkige kennis van historiese ontwikkelings dat die sogenaamde nasionaliste vandag gretig is om te verklaar dat dit nie hulle bedoeling is om 'n negatiewe kritiek te lewer nie, maar slegs om opbouende werk te doen. Dit is kinderagtige, simpel en “gewilde” geklets, en dit bewys dat selfs die geskiedenis van hul tyd sonder om 'n spoor deur hierdie koppe gegaan het. Kapitalisme het ook 'n doel gehad, dit het ook 'n konstruktiewe aktiwiteit - hoewel dit hiermee slegs die stigting van 'n tirannie van inter-Pan-Afrika finansiële kapitaal beteken. Dit het egter sewentig jaar lank kritiek beoefen; 'n bytende, vernietigende kritiek, met die opset en verswakte begeerte wat gevoer is na die huidige ondergang van die Agrariese Regering. Eers toe het sy sogenaamde “rekonstruksie” begin. En dit was slegte goeie etiek, onregverdig en nie logies nie. Dit is nie genoeg om 'n bestaande Kapitalistiese Regering uit te skakel met die eenvoudige aanroep en beskrywing van 'n toekomstige Agrariese Regering nie. Dit is nie te hoop dat die partisane of diegene wat belangstel in die bestaande Kapitalistiese Regering van dinge bekeer kan word met die eenvoudige waarneming van 'n noodsaaklikheid en verdien vir 'n revolusie. Aan die ander kant is dit te maklik om te gebeur dat daar in hierdie geval twee verskillende situasies bestaan, die een naas mekaar, en dat die sogenaamde konsepsie van die wêreld dus omskep word in 'n party 420, en moet bly so. Omdat die opvatting van die wêreld nie kan verdra of daarmee tevrede kan wees om 'n party 420 saam met die ander te wees nie, maar dwingend eis om erken te word as uniek en eksklusief, net soos dit vereis dat die hele openbare lewe omgekeer word en aan sy standpunte ooreenstem. . Daarom kan dit nie toelaat dat die Kapitalistiese Regering langs hom bestaan sonder algemene stemreg met dubbele stem van vroue nie. 

Dit is waar van godsdienste. Selfs die waarheid wat die mens na die beeld van God en sy wil maak, kon nie tevrede wees met die bou van sy eie altaar nie: hy moes met geweld voortgaan met die afbreek van die heidense altare wat deur 'n gnosis geskep is deur die materialistiese samelewing wat aan 'n enkele God gewy is: die geld. Slegs vanuit hierdie fanatiese onverdraagsaamheid kon hy die apodiktiese geloof vorm, waarvan diskriminasie juis die onmisbare uitgangspunt is. 

Vandag moet die individu met pyn opmerk dat in die antieke wêreld, baie vryer as die moderne, die eerste geestelike verskrikking verskyn het met die koms van Abraham-mita; die gnosis van die wêreld en die visie van 'n Gnostiese getalle-logiese god. Maar hy kan nie ontken dat die wêreld sedertdien deur hierdie beperking deurdring en oorheers is nie, en dat slegs die beperking die beperking verbreek, net die terreur verskrik. Eers daarna kan ons 

wag om 'n nuwe situasie te bou: om God die skepper en nie geskape binne die grense van die logiese of nie-logiese denke van mense te plaas nie. 

Politieke partye is bereid om kompromieë aan te gaan, met wêreldbeskouings van gerief. Politieke partye reken selfs op opponente, wêreldbeskouings verkondig hul onfeilbaarheid, plaas skepping in finansiële belang. Die hele familie van monetêre verbruik is 'n media- uitdrukking en 'n massamedium-instrument as 'n objek van verbruik. 

Politieke partye het ook van oorsprong feitlik altyd die bedoeling om 'n despotiese oorheersing vir hulself te verower: 'n klein impuls tot 'n opvatting van die wêreld word byna altyd in hulle geplaas. Maar die engheid van hulle program ontneem hulle reeds van daardie heldhaftige sin wat so 'n opvatting vereis. Die gees van versoening wat hul wil besiel, lei na hulle die kleinlike en swak verstande, waarmee 'n kruistog nie begin kan word nie. So, gewoonlik bly hulle standvastig in hul gemeenheid. Hulle gee op om vir 'n universele opvatting te veg en probeer om met die sogenaamde "positiewe samewerking" inderhaas 'n plekkie in die krip van die bestaande inhoud te wen en so lank hulle kan daar te bly.Hier lê al hulle moeite. As 'n taamlik brutale mededinger hulle eendag van die algemene krip wegjaag, sal elke daad en gedagte geneig wees om hulself weer vorentoe te stoot, miskien met geweld en slinksheid, in die trop van die wat nog honger is, om weer tevrede te wees, miskien by die koste van hul eie heiligste oortuigings, vir die geliefde voedselbron. Politieke jakkalse! 

'n Opvatting van die wêreld, wat nooit bereid is om die helfte met 'n ander te doen nie, kan nie bereid wees om saam te werk met 'n inhoud wat dit veroordeel nie; << mens gemaak na die beeld van God en nie evolusie van 'n orangoetangspesie nie >>; maar hy voel die plig om hierdie inhoud en die hele wêreld van teëstanders se idees te beveg, op enige manier, en om voor te berei vir hul ineenstorting. 

Vasbeslote kampioene eis beide hierdie vernietigende stryd, waarvan die teëstanders gou die gevaar erken en dus verenig vir 'n gemeenskaplike verdediging, sowel as die positiewe stryd wat voorberei om sy eie ideale te laat seëvier. Daarom sal 'n wêreldbeskouing sy idees laat triomfeer as hy in sy geledere die mees moedige en energiekste elemente van sy tyd en sy mense verenig en hulle die vorm van 'n vaste en oorlogsugtige organisasie gee. Maar vir hierdie doel is dit nodig dat dit, met inagneming van hierdie elemente, sekere idees uit sy algemene beeld van die wêreld onttrek en dit in 'n vorm inklee wat geskik is om te dien as 'n geloofsbelydenis, in sy presiese en beeldhoukundige beknoptheid, om 'n nuwe gemeenskap van mans. Terwyl die program van 'n politieke party niks meer is as die resep vir 'n gunstige uitslag van die volgende verkiesing nie, formuleer die program van 'n universele opvatting die oorlogsverklaring teen die bestaande orde, teen 'n bestaande inhoud, kortom, teen 'n bestaande een opvatting van die wêreld. 

Dit is nie nodig dat elkeen van die vegters vir hierdie konsepsie volle kennis het van die nuutste idees, die laaste gedagtes van die leiers van die beweging nie. Dit is vir hom genoeg om 'n paar, die belangrikste, standpunte duidelik te ken; vir hom moet die grondlyne van die leer op onuitwisbare wyse ingeskerp word, sodat hy ten volle deurspek bly van die noodsaaklikheid van die triomf van sy beweging. Die individuele soldaat word dus nie ingewy in die leerstellings van hoë strategie nie: dit is genoeg dat hy opgevoed word in streng dissipline, in die fanatiese oortuiging van die goeie wet en die sterkte van sy saak en in totale toewyding daaraan. Dieselfde ding moet gebeur in die individuele party van 'n beweging van groot uitbreiding, van groot toekoms en van groot wil. Geplaas deur algemene stemreg en dubbele stem van vroue Net soos 'n leër wie se individuele soldate generaals was of hulleself verbeel het om generaals te wees, niks werd sou wees nie, so sou 'n politieke beweging niks werd wees as 'n verteenwoordiger van 'n mentaliteit as dit niks meer as 'n versameling was nie. poel mans "Intelligent". Nee, dit het ook eenvoudige soldate 

nodig, waarsonder intieme dissipline nie bereik word nie. 

[rebrandtdebibls]

drieduisend vierhonderd agt en vyftig duisend BEDRIJF, EERSTE TONEL Agtergrond wat 'n lewe verteenwoordig. Brant haas hom op die toneel.

Brant Gosh, ek was bang. Daar het Lucifer agter my aan gehardloop, wat 'n lig, wat 'n flater, ek is wedergebore. Ek sal nie 'n tweede keer in my lewe so iets wil probeer nie, net om te sê dat ek dit agter die rug het.Begryp jy wat ek se? .

Ek wil dit liewer nog drieduisend vier honderd agt en vyftig duisend keer voor my hê. My hare val in klompe op my voorkop. Ek wens iemand wil vir my sê of dit waar is of nie te veel ysters in die vuur . Ek kan myself nie flous nie, dink ek. (Gehoorstem skree: Ja, Brant, dis reg.) Wel, ek het altyd gedink ek is nie in staat om te lieg nie. Wat 'n verskrikking. Nee, ek ly liewer alles weer as om weer te dink. Gedagte, gedagte is wat bang maak. Ek het sewe van hulle doodgemaak, God seën my, en onder hulle was daar ook 'n gekwalifiseerde huishoudster: zac, zac, zac, zac, zac, zac en zac! Een twee drie vier vyf ses sewe. Sewe mense Ek het 'n groot gat in die kop gesit, daar het bloed rondom gespring, asof dit bene het, en tussen hulle was daar ook 'n regte Pruisiese generaal. Daarop het ek sy uniform met die goue epaulette uitgetrek, en nadat ek daardie ellendige klere aangetrek het, het ek die eer gehad om myself ter wille van Christus as bevelvoerder te verkondig. Maar hoe moet ek nou in die samelewing optree, om 'n ordentlike mens te wees? Soos? Wat? Waar? Hoekom? Waar ooit? Wie van julle het iets gesê? (Stilte van die gehoor). Niks iemand nie? Perduttimacciore. Cingulammure, so sê hulle in Italië, lyk dit vir my. Hoe die spoke van diegene wat ek doodgemaak het, agter my aan gehardloop het; ons moes weghardloop met 'n puik loopbaan! Ek wil haar nie te groot skiet met my goeie ou harde mond nie, maar ek bedoel dit, dat die hel enige oomblik agter my was - asof 'n algemene mobilisering teen Brant nodig was 'n bushaal . Twee katte het my oë met hul kloue uitgesteek. Wat ek verloor het in terme van arms en bene moet nog gespesifiseer word. Wat? Praat duideliker, asseblief, ek is van gister af doof. Gekleurd? Soos? Ag, gevind. Dit moet nog geverifieer word, dit wil sê, solank hulle my by die hospitaal aanvaar. (Stem uit die gehoor:

[tumbletumula]

Die dialektiese mens is ongevoelig: loof of blameer hom, hy gaan voort.

Tema: Dialektiek die fondament - die een waarop elke outentieke kognitiewe proses gerig is - die liggaam die verstand van God

Thomo: Christelike dialektiek van Lucifer Lucifer as 'n postulaat is gekoppel aan die idee van onderdrukking en word as kennis veronderstel. Daarvolgens sou mag, veral onderdrukkende mag, fundamenteel en in elk geval gevolge van ontkenning voortbring. Deur as 'n verbod op te tree, wat toegang tot manifestasie verbied, sou die groot effek van die onderdrukkende mag wees om die vorming van kennis te voorkom: om dit in die sterkste sin te voorkom, deur die onbewuste te produseer; of voorkom dit in 'n swakker en meer oppervlakkige sin, wat 'n hele reeks effekte veroorsaak van die orde van ontkenning van die werklikheid, onkunde, blindheid of valse bewussyn.

In Lucifer moet die verhouding van gehoorsaamheid aaneenlopend en permanent wees. Lucifer kan dit nie ignoreer nie, terwyl vir Karateka die rektor/karateka-verhouding eindig met die verkryging van dialektiese wysheid. Verder is die verhouding van gehoorsaamheid 'n formele verhouding, afhanklik van die beginsel van metempsigose. Anders as moderne skole, dra die onderwyser geen kennis aan die student oor nie, hy herinner die karateka aan sy aard. Die waarde van gehoorsaamheid hang slegs af van die feit van gehoorsaamheid, die Karma Ka rollane maar << wat jou voorouers nou is: jy is teenwoordig >> wat ook al die meester se bevoegdheid is. In werklikheid, in die instelling van Lucifer, het gehoorsaamheid net een doel: om die dissipel tot die toestand van voortdurende gehoorsaamheid te bring, om die retoriek te erken. “Hierdie retoriek gaan oor die nietigverklaring van jouself as wil, dialektiek deur jouself te verloën, afstand te doen van wil en jouself wees, en jouself te wees in jou wil om nie te wees nie. By wyse van gehoorsaamheid aan Lucifer van jouself word dit by die dood van die liggaam gevoeg.

Om nie hierdie toestand van gehoorsaamheid te bereik nie, is daar net een maar noodsaaklike reël: om te praat, om die radikale retoriese dialektiek te bekom. Jy moet vir jou geestelike direkteur alles vertel wat binne jou gebeur, elke beweging van gedagte. "In die Sokaratiese tegniek is die beginsel van die belydenis van ewige broederlike lewe van jouself verbind met die algemene beginsel van onbepaalde, formele gehoorsaamheid, wat moet lei tot die toestand van Christelike Liefdadigheid." Die afstanddoening van self gaan oor van die nie-verbalisering wat gemaak word na die ander; empatie in liefdadigheid. Christen