#Why did God change Sarai’s name

[authorlakisha]

What if the change is necessary?

On Sunday, I had the privilege to share with Greater Grace MB Church (Memphis) on their Annual Women’s Month. The title of the sermon, A Necessary Change. In Genesis 17, God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah because Sarai’s life was being changed. The old name didn’t fit her new place. Yes, it was only 1 letter, but it had significant meaning. What if the change happening, in you or to you, is not…

[actionbythought]

What Say You, Saul/Paul

Let's get a discussion going here. This is DEFINITELY something we can agree to disagree on, if so needed.

The Hebrew name given him by his parents was Saul, but, because his father was a Roman citizen (and therefore Saul inherited Roman citizenship), Saul also had the Latin name Paul (Acts 16:37, 22:25-28), the custom of dual names being common in those days. (GotQuestions.org)

I used to think that his name was Saul while he was an unbeliever and persecuting Christians, and killing them, then at his Damascus Road conversion to Christianity experience, God changed his name to Paul. The issue is there is no biblical evidence of this name change issued by God as He did with Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, for example. As in the 2nd paragraph above and why the verbiage normally used is, "Saul also known as Paul".

Apparently, some names, in those days, were dual. I don't know if this was per the translation from Hebrew and Latin to English, if it was for those with dual citizenship of simply a common custom as the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph states. I just heard someone say, again, that Saul's name was changed to Paul after he accepted Christ -- which I used to say -- but now it drives me crazy to hear this. It's a silly something to drive me crazy and I am not mad, it's just the inaccuracy that bothers me.

Very much like this 2nd subject of human death and angels. Most say that "heaven gained another angel" when someone they know dies. Where I understand where they are coming from, there is no scriptural evidence that humans become angels. Humans will never be angels; angles are a separate creation of God's own purpose for them.

The fact is that angels are created beings by God to serve God as He sees fit. Humans were created by God for companionship and then God made provision for humans to procreate, angels don't procreate. Neither do angels get a 2nd chance at obedience like humans do, read the passages about Satan and his minions and their fall from grace in heaven. Hell was created by God for Satan and his demons. It is a MUCH more glorious thought to get our heads and hearts wrapped around to the Truth that, at our human death, our soul goes to heaven and in heaven we will receive our glorified bodies (more to this), NO MORE PAIN AND SUFFERING. To me it is a much bigger comfort, once you understand the significance and the particulars of what the Holy Bible says.

What say you??

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 17

17:1 God tells Abram to "be pleasing before Me and blameless." This might mean Abram did not hold to his previous record of satisfying God. Shows that it is difficult to maintain a life pleasing to God, even for the greatest of us.

17:2 God is establishing a covenant where God will "multiply [Abram] exceedingly." Wasn't this already stated by God? I assume the previous times were all promises and now it is time for actualization.

Usually, in grammatical structure, you would announce the name of the other before yourself; in this verse, we see "Me and you." This shows God's superiority over man. Thought it would be something to point out.

17:3 Interesting it says that God "talked" with Abram. Usually, we observe that God "says" to someone. The instance of "talking" here shows mutual respect and back-and-forth conversation.

17:4-6 Covenant is established, Abram is to be the father of many nations. Abram's name is changed to Abraham. The name Abram means "Exalted Father;" this could be interpreted as Abram himself being a figure that is worthy to be exalted, or that "the Father (God) is Exalted." The name Abraham means "Father of multitude."

17:7 God says that the covenant will be everlasting for Abraham, his seed, and God.

17:8 God promises the land they are on to them "as a sojourner." This could mean that hey have temporary control over the land until they reach God's kingdom? And God states that He will be their God.

17:9-11 Abraham's side of the covenant is that they should be circumcised. This only applies to the male population of Abraham's seed. What about the female population? I guess when it is mentioned that 'your seed shall inherit the land,' ownership can only be bestowed upon the male heads. If looking through that logic, it makes sense as to why the female population is not mentioned.

17:12-13 This covenant extends to every male in Abraham's genealogy, including those "born in your house, or bought with money." God's statement here tells us that Abraham's servants and the servant's male children also are to follow this covenant. This also states that circumcision should happen on the 8th day. After a child is born.

17:14 The children that are uncircumcised are "cut off from his people; for he has broken My covenant." So now we see circumcision serves as a physical sign of one's faith in God. This covenant can be interpreted to extend to all of those who are followers of God; not just Abraham's blood. This is especially true because we see the inclusion of the servants and children.

17:15 Sarai's name has been changed to Sarah. Why does she need her name to be changed?

17:16 Sarai's name is changed to mark her new beginning as she will bear a son. The name Sarai translates to "my princess." Her changed name translates to just "princess." This could signify God's plan to make her the female head of the future nations with Abraham. This changes her aspect from a local "my" princess to a broader scale.

17:17 Abraham is found laughing and has questions in his mind. I think it is important that it states that Abraham questioned in his mind rather than out loud. The mental question reflects Abraham's humanistic logic kicking in; the fact that he kept the question in his mind tells us that he ultimately believes in God's plan and thus sequesters his own thoughts.

17:18-19 Seems as though Abraham got confused by God's words and tried to fit in humanistic logic by saying that God had meant Ishmael to be the successor rather than a new son. God corrects him and states that his new son shall be named Isaac and he shall be the successor.

17:20-22 Ishmael shall be blessed by God and will beget 12 nations; however, Isaac will be the one who receives the covenant with God. Isaac is set to be born in a year; which means that Isaac will be in conception in 1 month by the old 10-month calendar.

17:23-27 Abraham circumcised his entire house, including everyone that was bought with money; this also includes Ishmael. Ishmael was never granted the same covenant as Isaac, but rather this might be for the prosperity of the 12 nations. If Ishmael is being circumcised, then what is the difference between the covenant held with Isaac and the covenant with Ishmael?

Other Remarks:

When God states that Abram is to be "pleasing before Me and blameless," God states why Abram deserves a covenant. "I will be their God," and "to be your God and the God of your seed after you" tell us that the covenant has to have the people believe and follow God. So the covenant God creates states that Abraham will be fruitful and the land of Canaan will be given to his people as long as they keep God with them and continue to be "pleasing and blameless" and be circumcised. This means that this is God's chosen people; God will grant them safety and prosperity. (v.1, v.8, v.10)

I think God states again that His plan for Abram, is to create a difference between his status as a father of Ishmael and the father of the others. It is through his change to Abraham that he is able to produce a multitude, thus Ishmael is not able to fulfill the multitude expectation. (v.2)

Circumcision only applies to the male portion of those under Abraham because the males were the only ones who could inherit in a patriarchal society. (v.9-11)

Since circumcision is given to all those under Abraham (e.g. servants and his children), it might be a physical sign that you are of God's people; especially since Abraham was God's person. (v.14)

God changes the name of those he changes destiny. Abraham's name was changed to fit his new role as a "Father of multitude." Sarah's name was changed to reflect a change from her local position to one that will live forever. (v.15-16)

The promise of God to give a child to Abraham and Sarah while they were old shows that God's plan exceeds our own. This is portrayed by the confusion and laughter of Abraham followed by God's clarification that the child Isaac will be from Abraham and Sarah. (v.17-19)

Isaac is promised God's everlasting covenant but Ishmael is also circumcised. I assume Ishmael's circumcision was because he was of the house of Abraham but he will not have the same authority that Isaac will have. It was mentioned before that God's covenant will produce countless peoples while Ishmael's has 12 nations; this might be the difference between the two peoples. (v.20-27)

The OSB highlights the first verse because of the Lord's appearance to Abram. This happens after many years (13 years after the birth of Ishmael). The OSB states that this is the Son of God. Does this mean that all physical appearances of God refer to the Son rather than the Father? If this is the Son, it would be the third time we see Him. (v.1)

Questions:

Why does it say that God "talked" to Abram? (v.3)

Why does God mention that they are given land as a sojourner? (v.8)

Why should a child be circumcised on the 8th day? (v.12-13)

It can be thought that we are currently living in the '8th day' of creation, where we are promised salvation through the second coming. Is there a correlation (i.e. foreshadowing) of children being given circumcision on the 8th day (i.e. being accepted into God's promise) and our current '8th day' where we wait for the second coming?

Are there any individuals who are not of Abraham's seed nor his servant but still chose to be circumcised?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to be pleasing and blameless in your sight.

-Mikhael

[wolint]

FRESH MANNA

CHANGE OF NAME

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

We know the prayer of Jabez very well, one of the most popular prayers in the bible. Imagine having a name that constantly reminds one of an unfortunate start in life.

We would like someone, especially our parents to bless us but what does one do when a mother places a “curse” on one?

We quote and pray this scripture, but can we see beyond the prayer?

What is so important about Jabez that the Lord interrupted the genealogies to take two verses to speak of him?

Jabez’s problem started when he was named. Spiritually, our names have a direct link to our destinies and names can be a blessing or a curse to us.

God is extremely interested in names, He was always particular about the names of His children because He knows that we become what we are called and answers to.

This mother named her child based on her experiences, she named him Jabez, because she bore him with sorrow, why? To remind herself of a sad season, a bad pregnancy, or an unhappy marriage, we’ll never know but thank God Jabez had the foresight to cry to God for a change of name.

Who knows maybe after years of bullying, misfortune and ridicule, through prayer Jabez managed to overcome the limitations inherent in his name.

What is in your name?

Is it a blessing or a reminder of an unfortunate incident? Have you wondered what your names are doing for or against you?

I took stock of our names and was thankful our parents named us all prophetically. As bad as life gets, we don’t want our names speaking against us daily each time it’s called out.

Something is always labouring against us, our actual given names or those given us by others, those not-so-nice names like Ichabod as Phinehas’ wife called her child as she was dying from labour in 1 Samuel 4:18-22: "The glory has departed”, this was the fate of a newborn child, because the glory of God had departed from Israel.

Naomi, meaning beautiful in Ruth 1:20 because of circumstances chose to change her name to Mara which means bitter. Naomi attempted to change her name to bitterness, to reflect her hard circumstances. Neither history nor her daughter-in-law Ruth indulged her, and before long, God changed her story.

You too can change your name if the one you have does not suit you, the Lord did that with people because of the destiny He had planned for them and when God changes a person’s name and gives him a new name, it’s usually to establish a new identity such as:

Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17:5.

Sarai to Sarah in Genesis 17:15.

Jacob to Israel in Genesis 32:28.

Solomon to Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25.

Saul to Paul in Acts 13:9.

Jesus changed Simon’s name, meaning “God has heard,” to “Peter,” meaning "rock" when He first called him a disciple in John 1:42.

Finally, there is a name change for all believers: God says in Revelation 2:17, "To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

When we reach heaven, God will change our names. It will represent our own changed identity as we transition from sinful to holy. In the meantime, be sure to only answer to the names God calls you and not one that works against your destiny. I am blessed because my name says so and God’s word confirms it.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for allowing me to align my name to my destiny in Christ through his name in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shalom

Women of light international prayer ministries.

[magnetothemagnificent]

The real significance of Crowley's name:

I don't know why I never thought of this before, but I did now.

In the Hebrew translation of Good Omens, Aziraphale is spelled as אזירפאל, and Crowley as קראולי. Someone who didn't know about Good Omens or how to pronounce Crowley's name would probably pronounce it as קראו לי, (Kar-ooh-lee). I know I instinctively did as a native Hebrew speaker, and I know how it's supposed to be pronounced! But that's not important. What's important is what it means.

The phrase קראו לי means "they called me." This is often used when referring to what one's name was, for example, when introducing oneself, one uses the present tense קוראים לי. But קראו לי is past tense. In context, it can also mean "they called for me," as in being summoned. Both of these meanings apply to Crowley. One of Crowley's main characteristic is his shifting of names. He was called by many names, Crawly, Anthony, whatever name he had before the fall.... Crowley was also called for. Crowley was always being given orders, always being summoned.

What's even more interesting is the way Crawly is spelled in Hebrew. It's spelled קראלי, and, such as before, can be pronounced as קרא לי (Kra-Lee). This change in spelling and pronunciation transforms the phrase into a command: "Call (male) me." Who could Crowley be asking to call him? After his Fall, he would be bitter, begging for anyone to call his name, perhaps his angelic name. Time passed, and he gave up, changing his name to past tense.

Another interesting point is that in changing his name in Hebrew, Crowley is only adding on letter, a 'ו' (Vav). Adding a letter to one's name is significant in Biblical sense, but especially adding a letter that is a part of God's Holy Name, י-ה-ו-ה (Yud, Hey, Vav, Hey). This is symbolic of a person's intrinsic connection to God. The best example is Abraham and Sarah, whose names were changed from Abram and Sarai.

Now we're going to get even more spiritual.

It is said that each letter in the Holy Name of God represents a different approaches to God. The 'י' in it's shape is not grounded. It is consumed entirely by the the Heavenly world, without any connection to Earth. The 'ה' in its shape shrouds a grounded marking. The grounded being is unable to reach up, and its purpose is entrenched solely on Earth. What's special about the 'ו' is that it is a connector. It is a literal line connecting the top and the bottom. It channels the spirituality of the Heavens to the Earth, and the ingenuity of the Earth to the Heavens.

Crowley is a 'ו.' In being a Fallen Angel, he brought a piece of Heaven down to Earth. This was his purpose. He would ultimately channel the two worlds, which he and Aziraphale did in adverting the Apocalypse.

Whether he knew it or not, in adding the one tiny 'ו' to his name, Crowley was accepting his role as the connector, the bridge. He never knew what they called him, or what they called him for, but he was destined to connect two realms. That's how Crowley is special. He's not quite an Angel, not quite a Demon, and has the imagination of a human.

[madou-dilou]

I love how Harrow and Viren are totally king Arthur and lord Lancelot from Kaamelott.

On the left : Lancelot. Right : Arthur.

Harrow and Arthur are haunted by the trace they will leave in history.

Harrow: Soon you'll learn the great lie of History.

Arthur : I am King Arthur. I never despair. Children look up to me.

(Arthur also has a personal chronicler who writes down every great deeds : "Between your sick horses and your dead horses, I would remind you that I have a legend to write !")

Both are anxious about the fact that they may not deserve their place :

Harrow : Ezran is a lucky little boy, but many little boys of the kingdom were born with much less. What have I done to deserve all of this ?

Arthur's mentor : You don't become a chief because you deserve it, you dumbass ! A chief is made by the circumstances, and only afterwards he deserves it !

Arthur himself, to the Lady of the Lake : What about Excalibur ? You want Excalibur back ?! Take it ! Eff with it ! Give it to someone else ! Give it to Percival, if his destiny is so much greater than mine !

Both are guided by a vision of equality.

Harrow : Real justice is a fair system. This fair system should be fair no matter the accident of my birth.

Arthur : Yeah, sure, one by one, it’s easy to be worthy. But the real difficulty is to put everyone to the same level.

Lancelot : *snorts* You still believe this nonsense ?

Arthur : Yes, I do. Salvation, light are for everyone. If it’s just for me, I don’t see why. For the Grail, I built a fortress. It's called Kaamelott. I went through all the kingdom to find knights. I built a table. I wanted it to be round, so no one would be stuck in a corner or at the end of the table. So everyone could take a chance. Even the morons. Even the weak.

Both are trying to be progressist.

Harrow : I want things to change, Sarai.

Arthur : Yeah, about that... I thought we should abolish slavery. And death penalty, while we're at it. Imagine : the first country in the whole world which doesn’t sentence people to death !  In five and ten years, only barbarians will still do those.

Both hate the idea of people sacrificing themselves to save theirs lives :

Harrow : I won't hide myself in an innocent's body while he gives his life to pay for my mistakes.

Percival : That's legit. Priority to the one whose life is more important.

Arthur : WHAT ?! Who told you so ?

Percival : The other knights. They say if we get ambushed, if you are in danger, we must sacrifice ourselves.

Arthur : What ? No no no no no no no no no ! NEVER do that. Never, is this clear ?!

Percival : But, your Grace...

Arthur : No ! If I'm in danger, you run the fuck away !

Both are suicidal.

Harrow : I need to pay the price for my mistakes.

Arthur, after failing his suicide attempt : What is someone who spills his own blood so everyone is guilty ? Everyone who committed suicide is the Christ. Every bathtub is the Grail.

Meanwhile, Lord Viren shares many similarities with Lord Lancelot.

Both are the king's best friend and closest advisor :

Viren : He insisted so I would stand by him for the picture, because he knew I would stand by him through anything.

Lancelot, his hand over Arthur's shoulder : Fear not, your Grace ! I shall protect the Queen from the ferocity of night beasts ! (Arthur, rolling his eyes : Oh, won't you ever chill for like, one minute ?)

Both are surrounded by idiots :

Viren : Yes. History is... Like a see-saw.

Lancelot : I've been saying this from the very start. The Grail quest is for the elite ! (Arthur rolls his eyes). We must put the dumbass aside, or else we just struggle !

Both have a close but tense relationship to their kings :

Viren, to Harrow : And where exactly is that place ?!

Lancelot, to Arthur : So work on acting less like an asshole ! I'm bloody sick of advising a ten year old pissant who can't even find a Grail or get his wife up the duff ! So, yes, I did sit on your throne because I am the one who does half of your job. And fuck you !

Both want to help :

Viren : I wish for humanity to flourish.

Lancelot : That's what I live for. To save people.

Both don't feel worthy of existence if they don't concretely help people :

Viren : Oh, you are powerless, useless ! I thought you would be something special, something important !

Lancelot : A village attacked by thieves, a woman getting beaten up, a limping chicken, there are plenty of oppressed out there ! At least this way I'll feel like I'm useful !

Both relinquish their family...

Viren, to Claudia : Choose the dragon egg.

Lancelot, to Bohort : Get the hell out ! A wandering knight has no cousins !

Both are arrogant :

Viren : I am the law.

Lancelot, to Arthur : You are not worthy of the Grail quest. You don't have what it takes. Even hopping stripped-naked, I'll still go faster than you and your stupid bunch of morons !

Both are saved from suicide by a pact with the devil :

Viren : I have nothing left to lose.

Meleagant, laughing, to Lancelot : I wonder how you were able to wait for so long before cutting your own throat !

Both are frustrated by their devils :

Viren, to Aaravos : What game are you playing at ?

Lancelot, to Meleagant : It doesn't make any sense ! Who are you ? Who sends you ? For how long do I have to deal with your mysteries ? Oh, it doesn't matter, right ? I'm not asking the right questions, right ? For God's sake, it's not complicated to tell one's own name ...

Both are manipulated by the said-devil who stroke their broken ego :

Aaravos, to Viren : How may I serve you ?

Meleagant, to Lancelot : Passion. Perseverance, courage. Ah... If you only had just one single drop of humour within you... You'd be reigning over the world.

Both are pushed to extreme by their devils :

Aaravos : They deserve to be motivated by fear.

Meleagant : A traveller is coming down this way. I want you to kill him.

Both refuse to completely forsake their moral boundaries :

Viren : No, I want for humanity to flourish. (Aaravos : And to fullfil such noble aims, mustn't we... conquer Xadia ?)

Lancelot : I don't kill my cousin. I still have something left from my former values ! (Meleagant : You'll be soon committed to get rid of those as soon as possible.)

I love intertextuality

[bastillewolf]

It’s More About Looks Than Skill (VIII)

Pairing: Ryuk/Reader

Summary: Ryuk finds himself gaining feelings for Light Yagami’s best friend, but she doesn’t know he exists. When he makes the grave mistake of touching her, he makes things a lot more complicated.

Notes: I’m back... I told you I wasn’t giving up on this fic, I just needed some time to get over myself. I’ve plotted down the whole story and its ending, so you don’t have to worry about me not finishing this. It might take some time, but I’ll try not to post once every two months. Sorry, once again!

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list! If I wasn’t able to tag you, please check your settings and send me another ask.

@sarai-ibn-la-ahad​, @rustypotatospork​ @mantisandthemoondragon @baby-queen-girl​ @itscalledtrust​ @emilyshurley​ @killtherandomness​ @selmeuuh​ @felicity291​ @mahou-no-momo​​ @bakarinnie​​ @beccawinter​​ @chantelle-c333​​ @ria-demon29​​

Chapter VIII

It wasn’t until she’d said goodbye to Soichiro and stepped through the hospital doors into the night’s breeze, did she hear Light speak again. She was standing miraculously placed behind a large bush, where they wouldn’t notice her. It seemed the young man waited to see if anyone stepped through the doors before deciding to continue his talk with the God of death hovering in the air behind him.

“Ryuk.”

“Hm?”

“I never once felt cursed since I picked up the Death Note. In fact, the thought never even crossed my mind. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, all thanks to this power. I’m going to create a perfect world.”

“Honestly, I could care less whether you feel cursed or happy to have a notebook. I’ll leave that sentimental crap to you humans. But… Normally humans who come into contact with a Shinigami have nothing but misfortune.”

“That’s interesting. But I have no intentions of repeating that pattern.”

She only allowed her lungs to release the air they’d been holding long after she could no longer hear his footsteps walking off. And only then did she allow herself to finally feel what she’d felt in the pit of her stomach all this time; fear.

 ***

“Are you seeing this?” Lights voice carried over the walkie-talkie, but her attention was directed entirely towards what the TV in front of her was broadcasting. Since phones had become a danger as of late, she’d suggested going for a more old-school approach, if it was only to be able to contact Light when her house was feeling a bit too empty. Which was happening more and more frequently.

She hummed in response.

“Even if you don’t agree with me, all I ask is that you not publicise your views in the media. If you can do that, you will be spared. All you have to do now, is be patient. I will create a better world that we can all enjoy. Say goodbye to the world as you know it. Soon, we’ll have a new world ruled by benevolence inhabited by kind-hearted, honest people. Try to imagine it; a world where the police and I-“

“Switch channels. Now.”

She did as was asked of her, and was faced with the collapsed figure of Ukita, a taskforce member she’d just met only a few days prior. “Light… you didn’t-?”

“Of course it’s not me, you fool. I wouldn’t be so reckless. Now L will think I don’t need a name to kill someone. This impersonator is ruining all my plans!”

“Calm down, Light. This might work in our favour. You and I both know L will take all possibilities into consideration, so it could very well be that he’s already figured out about this person acting as a second Kira.”

“Ryuk-“ she heard some muffled noises in the background, “-didn’t give another Death Note to anyone, did you?”

“I only had two,” she could make out, “and I’m surely not stupid enough to give away my second one.”

“Light, please look back at the screen.”

“Hm?”

“A vehicle has just driven through the front of the station!”

“Well, that’s one way to stop the broadcast.”

It took a while, but eventually a police car arrived at the scene. And another, and another, until the whole building was surrounded.

“That’s… Soichiro? Light, that’s your father!”

“There you have it! The police refused to cooperate with Kira! Instead, they are prepared to fight. And, as much as I fear for my own life while saying so, this is right, and it must be done! Kira has become a very threat to our constitution, and as citizens, we must fight back. I am NHN’s Golden News anchor, Kouki Tanakabara.”

***

“I can only say it’s a shame that the answer is no, it’s clear that the police wish to oppose me.”

“How and why is this being broadcasted?” she asked, scooting Light’s chair closer to the television on his desk. It was the next day, and Sakura TV was airing the Kira imposer’s tapes once more.

“This will not go unpunished. So, I’ll start by either taking the life of the director-general of the NPA, or the detective known as L, who is currently leading the investigation against me. The director-general, or L? Who will pay the price in your refusal to cooperate in the creation of a peaceful world? You have four days to decide.”

Light let out a small chuckle. “You were right all along. There is no need to worry.”

“Really?”

“It would appear that another Shinigami has come to the human world, and somehow that Shinigami’s Death Note has fallen into the hands of someone who agrees with Kira. And this person most likely the Shinigami Eyes, which makes him very deadly. His power to kill surpasses even mine.”

“Or her,” she corrected him, to which he rolled his eyes.

“One thing is for certain, if I leave things I’m pretty sure L will be finished off within the next four days. However, I can’t forgive this imposter for the way he’s tarnishing Kira’s image with his senseless killings. Not to mention if he slips and gets caught, the Death Note will be discovered and that I can’t allow. I cannot afford to leave him alone for much longer.”

“Oh, now I definitely hope it’s a girl. If only to watch you struggle.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t struggle with girls,” he protested.

“You’re right. But let’s just say that it wouldn’t surprise me if you turned out gay.”

“Please do shut up.”

 ***

It wasn’t long before L had invited both of them to his secret location. They were currently standing in front of the quirky hotel, after a reasonably lengthy train ride.

“I suppose your father couldn’t have just picked us up?” she asked.

Light shook his head. “That would’ve looked too suspicious. Right now, it just looks like we’re trying to escape our parents by booking a hotel room.”

“Aw, Light,” she cooed, latching onto his arm playfully, “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

He pulled up his nose in irritation, and she felt the Shinigami that had been holding her hand subtly stiffen. “What- what does that mean?”

“Don’t even bother asking, Ryuk,” Light replied.

“I’ll remind you to behave, Light,” she reminded him, “L probably knows this Kira is a copycat because of the fact that they didn’t need a name to kill the person, and you’d do well to think about the possibility that he might have wanted for that last tape to be broadcasted. I’m not sure how you’re going to get out of this one, as you can either choose to be ignorant, or speak up about your ‘deductions’.”

“Hm.”

“God, I hope it’s gonna be a girl.”

 ***

A short introduction followed between Light and the task force, as she simply gave them all a polite smile. She’d told Light briefly about them, as they’d met once or twice when she had her meetings in the café with L beforehand. At first, Light had been appalled by the fact that she knew more about these men that he did, but eventually did accept the fact that he now had someone who was apparently a more trusted figure in L’s mind.

And as expected, tapes were shown to both of them.

“Do you mind if I ask Light to make his deductions first?” L asked her.

She shook her head. “I understand. You’ve talked to me more than you have with Light. Go ahead.”

“So, what do you make of this, Light? Have you come to any conclusions?”

…

…

…It’s a test.

“It’s hard to say, but there might be another person out there with Kira’s power.”

And so it begins.

 You may also write the cause and/or details of death prior to filling in the name of the individual. Be sure to insert the name in front of the written cause of death. You have about 19 days (according to the human calendar) in order to fill in a name.

 “Are you sure you’re gonna pull this off? Pretending to be Kira, I mean?” she nudged him jokingly.

“I sure hope so. As long as I don’t start stuttering like I used to when I was a kid while we go live,” Light replied, almost too innocently. She knew all he wanted to do right now was strangle her for her comment, which is why she made it now; so he couldn’t.

“You used to stutter? Doesn’t seem very like you, Light,” L noted.

“Oh, he did,” Soichiro fondly recalled, “I remember those two reading out loud in Light’s room, giving a presentation to a whole group of stuffed animals, until he stuttered no more. I was so proud of you that day.”

Light shifted in embarrassment, clearly wanting this conversation to go back to business. “Ryuuzaki, does this look okay? I think I managed to make it believable.”

L picked up the sheet of paper. “Hm, I think you’ve done an excellent job with this. However, if we don’t omit the part that says, ‘you’re free to kill L’, then I’m gonna end up dead.”

What a dumbass.

Light laughed accordingly, “Sorry, I guess I got carried away playing the part. I figured if I was him I’d probably demand that he be killed. I was improvising, feel free to change it to whatever you like.”

“Sounds good. Say, just to make sure nothing happens, I’d have Aihara read the script during broadcast. It’s just as a precaution.”

“Of course.”

What a shame.

 ***

They’d sat down in front of the television once more, which seemed to be a more regular occurrence these days. Soichiro met her gaze.

“Sweetheart, do you have any idea when your parents are coming back?”

She shook her head, “They usually let me know the day before. Their schedules are too erratic these days to be able to plan home visits ahead.”

She knew he pitied her when she’d said ‘home visits’. Parents shouldn’t be visiting their home. They should visit work, and be home.

“But they let me know they’re getting all of the divorce papers finalized, and that because of their absence they think it would be best to keep the house until I move out.”

“Your parents are getting divorced?” Light asked, genuinely surprised, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “They told me when we still weren’t on speaking terms because of our fight. Guess it slipped my mind.”

“Well, you’re always welcome to stay at our house, if you’re missing the comfort,” Soichiro reminded her, for which she was grateful. “I was wondering though - and please tell me if I’m stepping out of line here - haven’t you connected with anyone else yet in school?”

“…Connected, sir?”

“W-Well, you know what I mean-“

“…Oh, uh- No, not really.”

“Well, it’s not any of my business anyway, but while your father is gone, please do tell me if you need me to give a young man a stern look.”

She giggled quietly, her cheeks reddening. “Thank you, mister Yagami. But I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“That reminds me,” Light said, “I think I kind of promised someone you’d go out with them.”

“What?”

Ryuk held his breath.

[mediaevalmusereads]

Strange the Dreamer. By Laini Taylor. New York: Little, Brown Books, 2017.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: YA fantasy

Part of a Series? Yes, Strange the Dreamer #1

Summary: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever. What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving? The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: blood, violence, drug use, rape, sexual slavery, abduction and imprisonment

Overview: I really enjoyed Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, so I decided to give her new work a go. Overall, I also really enjoyed Strange the Dreamer because it had a lot of things that are characteristic of Taylor’s writing that I love - lush, lyrical prose; tragic, star-crossed love; a political conflict involving otherworldly creatures. The reason why I’m giving this book 4 instead of 5 stars mainly has to do with the pacing and the way events played out. There wasn’t anything wrong, I think, with the way Taylor handled her story - it’s just that I felt like things started to rush to a close too quickly, and I would have liked to spend more time in the book exploring character emotions.

Writing: Taylor’s prose tends to fall into two categories: lyrical and descriptive or straight-forward and economical. Part 1 of this book is more lyrical; the metaphors are more fantastical and the prose evokes a sense of longing and fascination. Taylor really captures the feeling of being immersed in a library, surrounded by stories, as well as what it’s like to have a dream (not a dream in your sleep - more like a goal or a wish that has a small or nonexistence likelihood of coming true). Part 1 was probably my favorite part of the book for this reason, as subsequent sections tended to lose that lyrical quality and fall into a style more typical of YA books.

Taylor’s pace is also fairly well-done in that I didn’t feel like I was being rushed or that I was plodding through the book. The only thing I would change in terms of pacing is the book’s ending; I felt a lot of things were dropped on the reader all at once, and though they were foreshadowed earlier in the book (which I very much appreciated), I tend not to like endings where too much happens.

Before I close this section, a couple of notes on descriptions and worldbuilding: though I know teenagers have sexual urges, I was a little put off by the descriptions of teenagers’ bodies in certain places. I can remember a few instances where Taylor describes the look of one character’s breasts, and though it wasn’t gratuitous, I didn’t like that these descriptions were included. I also thought the worldbuilding detail of “women get tattoos on their bellies as a rite of passage/coming of age marker when they become fertile and Sarai longs for one of her own” was a little uncomfortable. It made me feel like the world Taylor built was concerned with showcasing female reproductive capacity, and that just seems exclusionary. While it could have worked if the story was more about pushing back against reproductive regulation or exploring what such tattoos would mean for trans characters, as the book stands, that doesn’t really happen, so it was a weird detail that I felt distracted from the main themes.

Plot: This book primarily follows Lazlo Strange - an orphan who dreams of finding the lost city of Weep - and Sarai - the daughter of a dead god and a human who must hide her existence in order to stay alive. Lazlo is surprised one day when some inhabitants of Weep - led by someone called “the Godslayer” - show up in his library, asking for assistance from the land’s greatest scientists. Though Lazlo isn’t a scientist, he is the most knowledgeable person about Weep and its culture, so the Godslayer elects to take him along. Meanwhile, Sarai and several other demigods live in a secluded Sanctuary, hiding from the inhabitants of Weep so that they won’t be slain on account of their parentage.

Without spoiling anything (which is kind of hard, since there is a lot that happens), I will say that I really liked the central conflict of this book. Taylor does a good job of setting up a problem with no black-and-white solutions; it seems like everyone had a legitimate reason for acting the way they do, and no matter what happens, someone will be hurt.

But perhaps the thing I appreciated most about the plot was that Taylor never sets up a surprise twist that comes out of nowhere. I feel like I’ve read a lot of YA books that drop a bomb on the reader with no set up, and I personally feel like such twists make the story feel less cohesive. Taylor sets up all her reveals and twists by dropping hints early and frequently, and rather than make the story feel dull, I felt like they made the end emotionally fulfilling.

If I had one criticism of the plot it would be that the romance doesn’t feel genuine. Lazlo and Sarai seem to fall in love with each other too quickly, which made it seem like they got together because they just hadn’t had opportunities to meet other people. I didn’t see what they saw in each other aside from looks and special qualities like “oh, he’s able to share my dreams” or “she was kind to me when so many other people weren’t.” I wanted more out the romance, like Sarai falling for Lazlo’s kindness and Lazlo falling for Sarai’s compassion towards those who would harm her. Maybe there was some of that, but it was definitely overshadowed by lengthy descriptions of kissing, which I wasn’t much a fan of. I also wasn’t really a fan of the “dates” that they went on; some parts were cute, but overall, they dragged.

Characters: Lazlo, one of our protagonists, is likeable in that he’s pretty much the embodiment of a lot of book nerds. He starts off shy, completely absorbed with fairy tales and folklore, and loves to roam the abandoned stacks in his library. What I liked most about him, though, was his willingness to help people even if they treat him poorly. For example, there’s a character named Theryn Nero who is basically a Science Bro. He’s rich, beloved by everyone, and gets famous for cracking the secret of alchemy. While he puts himself up as the lone genius, he was actually aided by Lazlo and takes sole credit for a lot of things that Lazlo proved to be key in discovering. Lazlo, though annoyed, never lets his feelings get in the way of helping Nero when the greater good is at stake, and I really admired that.

If I had any criticisms of Lazlo, it would be that I wish his “dreamer” status or knowledge base was put to better use. After Lazlo gets to Weep, he isn’t quite as interesting as he was before, probably because he no longer needs to use his vast knowledge of stories to make his way through the world.

Sarai, our other protagonist, is fairly sympathetic in that all her problems feel undeserved. She is forced to stay locked away in a hidden Sanctuary in order to protect herself and her little found family (composed of other demigods), and though it’s for the best, it also feels stifling. I really liked that Sarai was not single-mindedly fixated on revenge for the things that happened in her past. Without spoiling anything, I will say that something happened which put the demigods and inhabitants of Weep in conflict with one another, and there is no easy solution that would guarantee that the demigods stay alive. Sarai has a lot of dreams like Lazlo - of finding family, of living a normal life, of living among the humans - but it’s not really viable for her, and instead of letting hate consume her, she tries to think up other ways of existing.

Sarai’s “family” is also charming. The group consists of 5 demigods who are the last remaining offspring of the slain gods, and all of them feel fairly complex. They all possess some kind of magical “gift”: there’s Sarai (who can produce supernatural “moths” that allow her to enter people’s dreams), Ruby (a girl who can turn herself into flames), Feral (the only boy, and he can summon clouds), Sparrow (a girl who can manipulate plants), and Minya (a girl who can make ghosts do her bidding). I liked that these characters had different personalities that often put them in conflict. Ruby is boy-crazy and seems to be obsessed with sex. Sparrow is more passive but has sweet moments where she makes a “flower cake” for Ruby’s birthday and braids Sarai’s hair. Minya is completely consumed by her desire for revenge, and it presents some real barriers to finding a solution to the group’s problems.

The supporting characters down in Weep are also fairly compelling. The Godslayer is sympathetic in that he doesn’t revel in his heroic image or title; instead, he feels complex and seemingly warring emotions tied to guilt over what happened to Weep and his role in it almost 20 years prior to the events of this book. The Godslayer’s companions are also sympathetic and have emotions that are easy to understand, and I loved that they seemed to take to Lazlo so quickly. They welcome all outsiders with open arms, but they have a soft spot for Lazlo, which I liked because it meant that he didn’t have to face bullying or gatekeeping from people he had longed to meet his entire life.

The inhabitants of the world outside of Weep were interesting. There’s Theryn Nero, who seemed like he would be a primary antagonist but doesn’t have enough “screen time” to truly be a threat. I liked that his conflict with Lazlo was low-key - it was intense enough to be annoying, but no so intense that their rivalry consumed the whole story or put petty emotions above the greater good. The other “scientists” who follow the Godslayer back to Weep served their purpose; not all of them had rich, complex lives, but they didn’t really need to because if they did, the story would feel crowded.

Overall, there weren’t any characters I disliked, per se. While I do wish Lazlo got to develop differently, there wasn’t much wrong with his character, and I think all of the main players had interesting backstories and motivations, and I appreciated the layer of complexity they all had. I do wish there had been more queer characters though. There is one wlw couple, though they aren’t too prominent in the grand scheme of things. Of course, that could change, as there is a whole second book to go through, but I wish some of the demigods had been lgbt+ so it felt like Taylor’s world wasn’t overwhelmingly straight and cis.

TL;DR: Despite some pacing problems at the end and minor details that didn’t fit my personal tastes, Strange the Dreamer is a lush, evocative fantasy about the power of dreams. Readers who enjoy epic fantasy and stories about gods, star-crossed love, and will probably adore this book.

[revisitingsundayschool]

Genesis 17-20: Circumcision + Sodom and Gomorrah

Covenant of Circumcision - Genesis 17

Synopsis: God appeared to Abram (99 years old at this point) and reaffirmed His covenant with Abram that he'd be the father of many nations. He then told Abram (Hebrew for "exalted father") to change his name to Abraham (Hebrew for "father of many") and that Abraham, his male (the Bible and many Christians still today would define "male" as someone with a penis) descendants, and male slaves must be circumcised to keep this covenant. Sarai's name changed to Sarah (90 years old at this point), and God promised that she would be the mother of nations. Abraham, Ishmael, and the other males in the household were circumcised shortly after.

Circumcision is a procedure of removing the foreskin from the penis. I have been circumcised. I'm honestly not sure if my parents did it for religious or hygienic reasons. I never asked, and I don't have an intention of asking. Now, I think it is a strange procedure if there is not a medical reason for it. It is sometimes compared to other forms of genital mutilation. I don't know how fair or accurate that comparison is because I'm not an expert. I don't feel bad or ashamed with what I have, but I've only a circumcised life in a country where it is a fairly common practice. I feel kinda awkward sharing some of those details with the internet, but it is a connection I have with this story.

Sodom and Gomorrah - Genesis 18-19

TW: Part of this story is about sexual assault. If this is a troubling subject for you, skip to the next section.

Synopsis: God told Abraham that he was going to see if Sodom and Gomorrah were as wicked as people said. If it was he was going to smite it. Abraham asked God if he was going to smite the righteous there as well. God then said if there were 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, he would not destroy it. Two angels appeared as men to Lot (Abraham's nephew) in Sodom. All of the men in Sodom came to Lot and asked to have sex with the men. Lot refused, but offered his two daughters. The men insisted on having sex with the angels. The angels hid Lot and told him to take his family away because they were going to destroy Sodom. They were not allowed to stop or look back. Lot's family left and God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with burning sulfur; however, Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Lot's two daughters then got Lot drunk to have sex with him to be able to have children because there were no other men around.

The way I remember this story being told to me in Sunday school was that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked places, but I don't remember some of the homophobic details written in the Bible. I believe this was simply to avoid talking about sex because my church was homophobic in a lot of other ways. Clearly, this story has been used by Christians to persecute gay people and is the source of the term "sodomy." It is shameful that this story equates homosexuality with wickedness. I believe this story is, in part, responsible for many conservative Christians being afraid of LGBTQ+ people and associating them with sexual predators.

Then there's the part where Lot's daughters rape him to have children. This part always troubled me. I don't know if this part of the story is supposed to show that Lot's daughters were also wicked like the Sodomites. Incest is fairly common in this part of the Bible, but getting Lot drunk and raping him is another level of unsettling.

Abraham and Abimelek - Genesis 20

Synopsis: Abraham and Sarah go to Gerar. She told Abimelek, the king, that Sarah was his sister and gave her to Abimelek. In a dream, God threatened to kill Abimelek if he touched Sarah because she was married. He pleaded because Abraham mislead him. God said that Abimelek did not sin in His eyes, but he had to let Sarah go. Abimelek gave Sarah back to Abraham, and he asked why he lied. Abraham said he was afraid of being killed. Abraham added that Sarah is also his half-sister, so he was not truly lying. Abimelek gave Abraham a lot of things. God then prevented the women of Abimelek's household from conceiving because of Sarah.

This story is very similar to the time when Abraham (who was named Abram at the time) gave Sarah to the Pharaoh of Egypt (see the related post here). This time, they added the detail that Sarah was Abraham's half-sister. More normalized incest in the Bible. Gross.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or in the Discord. The passage for next Sunday will cover Isaac (Abraham's son with Sarah) up until Abraham's death (Genesis 21-24).

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

13th February >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saturday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

   or 

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-24

God banished him from the garden of Eden to till the ground.

The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me – she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”    Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned    from all the animals    and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl,    and dirt shall you eat    all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman,    and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head,    while you strike at his heel.”

To the woman he said:

“I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;    in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband,    and he shall be your master.”

To the man he said:  “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

“Cursed be the ground because of you!    In toil shall you eat its yield    all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,    as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face    shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground,    from which you were taken; For you are dirt,    and to dirt you shall return.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.    For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them. Then the LORD God said: “See!  The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is evil! Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.” The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 90:2, 3-4abc, 5-6, 12-13

R/ In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Before the mountains were begotten    and the earth and the world were brought forth,    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

R/ In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You turn man back to dust,    saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight    are as yesterday, now that it is past,    or as a watch of the night.

R/ In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You make an end of them in their sleep;    the next morning they are like the changing grass, Which at dawn springs up anew,    but by evening wilts and fades.

R/ In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Teach us to number our days aright,    that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long?    Have pity on your servants!

R/ In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 4:4b

Alleluia, alleluia. One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 8:1-10

They ate and were satisfied.

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There were about four thousand people.    He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”    Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned    from all the animals    and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl,    and dirt shall you eat    all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman,    and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head,    while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

OR: --------

First reading Genesis 12:1-7 The Lord spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever (Luke 1:55).

The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

”I will make of you a great nation,    and I will bless you; I will make your name great,    so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you    and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth    shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.)    The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

OR: --------

First reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-11, 16 The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father (Luke 1:32).

When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” Nathan answered the king, “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.” But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?’    “‘It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

OR: --------

First reading 1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it.

David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place which he had prepared for it. David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites. The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD.    David commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren as chanters, to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals to make a loud sound of rejoicing.    They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it. Then they offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had finished offering up the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

OR: --------

First reading Proverbs 8:22-31 Mary, seat of Wisdom.

The Wisdom of God says:

“The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways,    the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; From of old I was poured forth,    at the first, before the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth,    when there were no fountains or springs of water; Before the mountains were settled into place,    before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet the earth and fields were not made,    nor the first clods of the world.

“When he established the heavens I was there,    when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; When he made firm the skies above,    when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; When he set for the sea its limit,    so that the waters should not transgress his command; Then was I beside him as his craftsman,    and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while,    playing on the surface of his earth;    and I found delight in the sons of men.”

OR: --------

First reading Sirach 24:1-2, 3-4, 8-12, 18-21 Mary, seat of Wisdom.

Wisdom sings her own praises and is honored in God,    before her own people she proclaims her glory; In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,    in the presence of his power she declares her worth.

“From the mouth of the Most High I came forth    the first-born before all creatures. I made that in the heavens there should arise    light that never fades    and mistlike covered the earth. In the highest heavens did I dwell,    my throne on a pillar of cloud.

“Then the Creator of all gave me his command,    and he who formed me chose the spot for my tent, Saying, ‘In Jacob make your dwelling,    in Israel your inheritance    and among my chosen put down your roots.’ Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me,    and through all ages I shall not cease to be. In the holy tent I ministered before him,    and in Zion I fixed my abode. Thus in the chosen city he has given me rest,    in Jerusalem is my domain. I have struck root among the glorious people,    in the portion of the LORD, his heritage    and in the company of the holy ones do I linger.

“Come to me, all you that yearn for me,    and be filled with my fruits; You will remember me as sweeter than honey,    better to have than the honeycomb    my memory is unto everlasting generations. Whoever eats of me will hunger still,    whoever drinks of me will thirst for more; Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,    whoever serves me will never fail.”

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 The virgin shall conceive and bear a son.

The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel which means “God is with us.”

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 9:1-6 A son is given us.

The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom    a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy    and great rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the harvest,    as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them,    the pole on their shoulder, And the rod of their taskmaster    you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle,    every cloak rolled in blood,    will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;    upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,    Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast    and forever peaceful, From David’s throne, and over his kingdom,    which he confirms and sustains By judgment and justice,    both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 61:9-11 I rejoice heartily in the Lord.

Thus says the LORD:

Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,    and their offspring among the peoples; All who see them shall acknowledge them    as a race the LORD has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,    in my God is the joy of my soul; For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,    and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,    like a bride bedecked with her jewels. As the earth brings forth its plants,    and a garden makes its growth spring up, So will the Lord GOD make justice and praise    spring up before all the nations.

OR: --------

First reading Micah 5:1-4a Until the time when she who is to give birth has borne.

The LORD says:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,    too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me    one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old,    from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time    when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return    to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock    by the strength of the LORD,    in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness    shall reach to the ends of the earth;    he shall be peace.

OR: --------

First reading Zechariah 2:14-17 Rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,    and they shall be his people,    and he will dwell among you,    and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,    and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!    for he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

-------- ________

EITHER: --------

Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the LORD,    my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies;    I rejoice in my victory.”

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,    while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,    while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons,    while the mother of many languishes.”

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The LORD puts to death and gives life;    he casts down to the nether world;    he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich,    he humbles, he also exalts.”

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;    from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles    and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Judith 13:18bcde, 19

You are the highest honor of our race.

“Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,    above all the women on earth;    and blessed be the LORD God,    the creator of heaven and earth.”

You are the highest honor of our race.

“Your deed of hope will never be forgotten    by those who tell of the might of God.”

You are the highest honor of our race.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,    forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty;    for he is your lord, and you must worship him.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;    her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;    behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;    they enter the palace of the king. The place of your fathers your sons shall have;    you shall make them princes through all the land.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,    praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD    both now and forever.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun    is the name of the LORD to be praised. High above all nations is the LORD;    above the heavens is his glory.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high    and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;    from the dunghill he lifts up the poor To seat them with princes,    with the princes of his own people.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,    my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed:    the Almighty has done great things for me    and holy is his Name.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has mercy on those who fear him    in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm,    he has scattered the proud in their conceit.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,    and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,    and the rich he has sent away empty.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has come to the help of his servant Israel    for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers,    to Abraham and his children for ever.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

-------- ________

Gospel Acclamation see Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: see Luke 1:45

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: see Luke 2:19

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary; without dying you won the martyr’s crown beneath the Cross of the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

________

EITHER: --------

Gospel Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.    Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.    David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.    After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.    Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,    and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 1:18-23 For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,    and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.    When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 12:46-50 Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, here are my mother and my brothers.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 1:26-38 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 1:39-47 Blessed is she who believed.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”    And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;    my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:1-14 She gave birth to her firstborn son.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.    Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:15b-19 Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:27-35 You yourself a sword will pierce.

Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;    your word has been fulfilled; my own eyes have seen the salvation    which you prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations    and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:41-52 Your father and I have been looking for you.

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 11:27-28 Blessed is the womb that carried you.

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

OR: --------

Gospel John 2:1-11 The mother of Jesus was there.

There was a wedding in Cana at Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from although the servers who had drawn the water knew, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

OR: --------

Gospel John 19:25-27 Behold, your son. Behold, your mother.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

[semper-legens]

8. Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Owned?: No, borrowed from a friend My summary: Sarai, newly dead, is a prisoner of Minya, who holds her soul in her hands. Minya is being crushed beneath the weight of the ghosts she holds, both literal and metaphorical. And Lazlo, Sarai’s lover and new god, is stuck between the two of them. But there is another storm on the horizon, and her name is Nova. And she has come for the godspawn. My rating: 4.5/5 My commentary:

The sequel to Strange the Dreamer! I had thought it’d be a while before I could get my hands on this, so my friend lending it to me was awesome of them. I absolutely loved the first one for its rich, lush narrative, fascinating and well-employed themes, and prose that, while incredibly purple, was also incredibly engaging.

So how did the sequel fare?

First up, those themes I mentioned? Yeah, they recur in here in a huge way. I identified the themes of the original as 1) grey morality, 2) the validity of anger and hatred and cycles of revenge, and 3) the power of dreams. The dreams theme is less prevalent here, so most of the page-time is spent on hatred, revenge, and grey morality. More on that in a minute.

I love the character work being done here. So much of the first third of the book is the characters just reeling from the events of the last book, and it really works. Never once did the stakes feel like they were too low, and never once did I get bored of seeing these characters interact. I love the teasing, bantering dialogue they all get, and the ways that the characters slowly adapt to their new circumstances, and the decisions they made. Lazlo and Sarai grow into proactiveness over the course of the novel, which is pretty cool to see. 

That said, I have two criticisms and their names are Thyon and Minya. They both have character development, but for me it didn’t feel all that natural? I feel like Minya wasn’t dwelt with too much after the revelation about the Ellens, so we don’t really see what kind of a person she is now. Same with Thyon, I feel like we saw the start of his character development, but it’s too small and slow to really make any real changes.

We also get a bit more of backstory, for the humans and the gods. Things that are just hinted at are made clearer - like what Eril-Fane went through at the hands of the gods, and his and Azareen’s backstory. There are also some major revelations that pay off things set up in the first back, like what Minya did in the Carnage, or why the godspawn were being created in the first place. It all worked out pretty well! Everything that happened was well paced - I never felt like I was hanging around waiting to snap back to current events while backstory was being told, for example.

Okay, back to themes. So the cycles of revenge are brought forward here, in a literal way. Nova, the new character who is the sister of one of the gods, in the later chapters shows up with the ability to trap people in time loops - literal cycles of abuse. But metaphorically...Nova was abused by her family, tossed aside by the gods, and had to learn to hate. Like Minya, she is shaped by her trauma; unlike Minya, she decides she can no longer take it. Previous ideas of revenge are also expanded on - we see Eril-Fane meet Sarai, his daughter who he almost killed, and Minya is the biggest threat in the early stages of the book for the revenge she wants to take on Weep.

(Speaking of, seeing Minya as the Big Threat for so long and then having her be 1. easily neutralised and 2. taken over by Nova was so effective, I got chills)

Then we have morality. Right off the bat we see the humans of Weep realising that, without connection to the citadel, the godspawn lose their power, so Eril-Fane murdering the children was unneeded. Still, he isn’t a bad person, just a sad one. Minya still wants to destroy Weep - but we see why that is, and while she’s wrong, we can understand. Nova wants to burn worlds to the ground, and she’s entirely justified in some of it. I even get why she almost killed Lazlo. Trauma is hard to get over, and pervades every character’s life with this sweet sadness that is engaging to read.

That’s...about all I got for this one. Join me probably tomorrow for a bunch of library books in quick succession!

[theinfinitedivides]

girl [ɡərl] NOUN 1. what you were once, when your mother birthed you with nothing but a small song and when your father saw you, saw those eyes of yours, saw the depth to them, saw that love, and everything else, would ruin you too and knew–he did not see now, but instead he knew–that he would do nothing to prevent it, so he kissed your brow with paper-thin lips and let your name roll off his tongue like a prayer to Innana. Sarai. (or: what you were once, when you hid behind your father and watched your half-brother rounding up the cattle, in those rare moments that he came to visit and spoke with the dust of Ur in his teeth. you never minded, after all. the affairs of peasants never concerned royalty.) wom·an [ˈwo͝omən] NOUN 2. what you were next, when your father called the family together for sacrifices to the gods in front of the altar and when he took you to the fire and marked you, marked you with a hot knife, marked you with a blade, and molten ink from its tip, and henna branded with it too and spoke–he did not mark you anymore, but instead he spoke–into your skin as if he was healing it with the enunciations, so he kissed your knuckle with trembling lips and let your name fade into the fire of the divine like an oblation, since he had nothing more to give. Sarai. (or: what you were next, when your half-brother caught you behind the alleyway after the feast and sent myrrh and hubris into your mouth, since he was leaving that night and did not want you to forget him and his promise of a marriage, despite what the Mother Goddess might say. you did not mind, after all. he loved you and you loved him back, and that was all you lived for.) bride [brīd] NOUN 3. what you were soon enough, when he came for you, ten years later after leaving you with only the memory of him and the murmur of his heart against your fingertips long ago and when your father held the ceremony at dusk, waiting for darkness, swearing that Inanna could never know of this and when your half-brother–husband, now–took you to his tent and claimed you, claimed you with his lips, claimed you with his hands, claimed you with his teeth, and his strength, and all the breath he could hold in his lungs while sucking the breath out of yours at the same time and asked–he was not claiming any longer now, but he was asking–if you would let him do it again, slower this time, and you did not answer, so he kissed the crook of your elbow with swollen lips and let your name hang in the air like a summons. Sarai. (or: what you were soon enough, in the morning, when you woke to the sunlight splayed across your limbs like a garment and saw him wake, and pulled him closer to you and shut the sunlight out from your eyelids. you think he does not mind, after all. it was your wedding night.) witch [wiCH] NOUN 4. what they thought you were, when a month passed by, two, three and you still had not conceived and when your husband grew quieter, more reserved, listening for something that had not been found, and when he came to you in the dead of night and told you, told you of the voice he had heard, told you of the promise he had been given, told you of the past, and the present, and the future and the God that had spoken to him when he had asked and thought to get to no answer and stopped–he was done telling now, for he had stopped–with only the sound of silence between the both of you, though you thought you had heard him say that you were leaving, so he fell silent with pursed lips and only thought your name, almost like a forbidden thing. Sarai. (or: what they thought you were, when you packed up a month later to follow the God that had spoken and made Himself clear, and you followed Abram and your father like an obedient little lamb. you do not know if you mind, after all. you are dealing with the divine.) mis·tress [ˈmistris] NOUN 5. what you were not but then became, when you stopped in Egypt for a while because the famine was harsh and the grain was few and the sheep would starve, and when the king himself noticed you as you were, as you did not know you were, and when he took you for his own and gave you a maid as a gift, to quell your anxiety, and when later he thrust open the door of your chambers and demanded of you, demanded the truth, demanded an explanation, demanded the reason why his wives were barren, and his livestock dead, and his buildings only dust amid the sand and waited–he did not demand, but he waited–for you to answer him as if you were a prophet, so when you did not he took you and your slave and returned you to your husband and gave your name a hint of contempt, like he cursed your God and his own in one breath. Sarai. (or: what you were not but then became, when the girl told you her name was Hagar and you had no choice but to take her with you, and you marched on to the promised land like a soldier, a warrior. you cannot mind, after all. there is no reason for it.) bar·ren [ˈberən] ADJECTIVE 6. what you had known you were for some time but had to face again, when the years ticked by and the heir that had been promised was not, and when your husband grew more silent than the dark of midnight, sitting there, waiting for something that would never come, and when you took the reins into your own hands and decided to end it all and gave him, gave him your reasons, gave him the weight that was on your shoulders, gave him your servant, and a womb, and fertile soil for his seed because yours was drought-ridden, and watched–you were done with giving, but now you watched–as your slave became your equal in all sense of the word and even more, and as he spoke both your names in half a breath, like he could not come to accept it. Sarah. (his God changed your name, once upon a time. he changed his too.) Hagar. (or: what you had known you were for some time but had to face again, when Abraham’s son was born from Hagar’s womb and he held him in his arms and called him Ishmael like it was a prayer to his God, and you let him. you were not allowed to mind, after all. this was not your son.) moth·er [ˈməT͟Hər] NOUN 7. what you were finally allowed to be, when three men came by and promised your husband that he would have a child, and when you overheard them and their promises and you laughed because it was nothing more than a drop of hope in an empty bottle, and when One of them heard you laughing in your tent and asked you, asked why you did so, asked what reason you had to do so, asked if anything was too hard for the Lord, and His angels, and His prophets and whatever sliver of heaven He was bringing to you here and now, and listened–He had asked enough, it seemed, but now He only listened–for your answer, and when you said you did not laugh He smiled and said that you did, and gave your name back to you like it had never been given in the first place. Sarah. (or: what you were finally allowed to be, when your womb held life for the first time in almost a century and when it gave that life to you in Isaac’s smile, and you laughed again. you did not care to mind, after all. you had a son.) sac·ri·fice [ˈsakrəˌfīs] NOUN 8. what your son was destined to become, after your slave and her child left the camp with a blessing from your God–you did not know if it was theirs, but you know that the boy left with both a blessing and a mark from a covenant that was never destined to be his, in spite of it–and when your husband left in the early morning with your child and your servants and your wood, for you did not hear them leave, and when they climbed up the mountain only for Abraham to tie him to that altar and raise the knife, raise it until it gleamed in the light, raise it until you heard a phantom of a scream in your sleep that caused you to wake, raise it until it was high enough for an angel to see its point, and for a demon to hear the groan of the blade, and for God himself to see the heart of the promise bleeding out on the altar that He had told your husband to build, and for it to fall–for it had been raised enough, and it was high time for the fall–to the ground with a sickening thud, and when they saw the lamb your husband wept your name and the name of your son and the name of your God into his palms like an atonement. Sarah. Isaac. YHWH. (or: what your son was destined to become, but when God rent the heavens in two and scalded divinity from his fingertips into your husband’s he lived. you minded then, after all. your God had saved your son, and that was all you had to thank Him for.)

si·lent

[ˈsīlənt]

ADJECTIVE

9. what you are now, for there is nothing more to be said. you are Sarah, after all. (also entitled: the voice of your mother found tucked between the Dead Sea Scrolls)

(via @the-ichor-of-ruination , for @stgibsonofficial (inspired by your name, and the matriarch that carried it) )

[dam-those-words]

15 Questions Tag Game!

I was (kinda) tagged by @georgiacambrielwritblr!

Rules: Pick a character (or two in my case) from your WIP and have them answer these 15 questions, then tag 15 people!

(Also, I already had this post done but when I tried to post it Tumblr went Thud appearently and deleted it instead, so I had to start over. Sorry for the long wait Georgia lol)

1. What is your full name?

" I'm Aniol Kaminski," The dirty-blonde male on the interviewer's right ruffles his red and gold wings. It takes most of the interviewer's willpower to not stare at them while shaking his hand; of course they've seen wings before, but never like these.

"Mattea Sarai," Says the platinum blonde on the interviewer's left. She completely disregards the interviewers outstretched hand and instead sits back in her wooden chair and crosses her arms.

2. What does it mean?

"Mine means something like, 'Stone Angel,' in Polish, so that's pretty cool." Aniol's voice is a growly-type deep, and paired with his thick accent, it takes the interviewer a second the realize what he said.

"You're so lucky. [Throwback to when his name was actually Lucky lmao] My name means some bullshit like, 'Princess,' or 'God's Gift,' or something. Makes me wanna barf just thinking about it." Mattea says, making a puking gesture.

"Woah there, young lady. Who taught you to cuss?" Aniol grins at her, but the way he flashes it makes it seem more like baring his teeth.

Mattea raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'Who taught you to cuss?' Have you heard yourself?" She leans forward in her wooden chair, putting her elbows on her knees.

Aniol leans forward, copying Mattea. He whispers-- well more like growls-- something too quiet for the interviewer to hear, but makes the rage in Mattea's eyes simmer.

The tension in the room makes the interviewer realize that the wooden table in between them would do nothing if the got into a fight as bad as they'd been rumored to. The interviewer clears their throat and asks the next question.

3. Do you two have any nicknames or other names?

"I don't really have any, but this little devil does call me Bird Boy more often than she calls me Aniol," Aniol nodded towards the girl across the wooden table.

Mattea had snatched a peanut butter cookie from the gold-lined plate in the middle of the table, and now had a mouthful of cookie. She somehow still managed to say, "Are you forgetting about Jexi calling you Ann? Like, Ann of Green Gables?"

Aniol simply rolls his eyes, replying, "I'm not forgetting, I'm just ignoring the fact that you've appearently eavesdropped. And don't talk while eating,"

"Its not like I try to listen to everything that happens in your guys' rooms, especially at night when you guys--"

"Anyway, why don't you tell them what your nickname is?" His cheeks are a bright red as he talks.

Mattea smiles, relaxing a little and shrugging. "I don't really have any, either. Oh, well, Mayson calls me Matt sometimes. But other than that, none."

4. What's your gender?

"Male, obviously," Aniol says, the pink already fading.

"Female," Mattea answers.

"God, we're so boring. I wish we had Dani so they could spice it up," There's a tinge of sadness in his voice. He frowns down at his hands where he holds a small paperclip he had been figiting with, his short and jagged hair falling into his eyes.

Mattea's eyebrows scrunch for a split second before a mask of arrogance passes over he features, and she says, "Speak for yourself, amigo. I'm the most interesting out of the entire Assassin's."

Aniol's returning look is so full of an emotion that the interviewer can't place, but still makes them look away and clear their throat yet again.

5. What is your sexuality?

"I'm pansexual," Aniol says quickly, sitting back in his chair and grabbing a cookie.

The confusion must have shown on the interviewer's face, since Aniol adds on, in a matter-of-fact tone, "It means that I can like anyone, regardless of their gender."

The interviewer nods and turns towards Mattea for an answer.

She had become a completely different person than she was about five seconds ago: she had somehow scrunched in on herself, grabbing her arms as if she were cold. Her lips were pursed.

"I--uh, I don't... I think--" Mattea is interrupted again by Aniol, but this time her expression changes to relief instead of amusement.

"We've talked about it before, and Mattea would like to not answer that question. If we could move on, that'd be great." He says in the same matter-of-fact tone as earlier.

6. Where are you from?

"Poland, though you can probably tell," Aniol says, his accent somehow becoming thicker than before.

Mattea clears her throat, the tension slowly leaving her body. "I'm from here. Akida."

7. How old are you?

"I'm 25. I was born on October 2nd, 2005." Aniol says.

"I'm only two years younger than him, and yet he somehow thinks that he's sooo--" Mattea does jazz hands as she speaks. "--much smarter and wiser than me, even though I obviously am the smarter one."

Aniol rolls his eyes, throwing the last bit of his cookie at her. He hits her directly in the forehead. His eyes go wide.

There's a moment of silence before they both burst out laughing. It fills the small room, and the interviewer can't help but join them.

8. Any special talents?

"Not really. I mean, I'm pretty good at baseball, but my wings get in the way for any sport." Aniol ruffles his wings again in emphasis. The interviewer silently thanks themselves again for remembering to get a special chair to accommodate his wings.

"I'm good at using most weapons, besides those stupid miscellaneous ones. I'm also good at braiding my own hair, which is something even Jexi can't do." Mattea figits with her hair tie, throwing Aniol an arrogant grin.

"Hey, you should put all that on your future resumes. I'm great at weapons, also known as murder, I can tie my hair back like any normal human, and I can be incredibly stupid! I'm the whole package!" Aniol mocks, making his deep voice extremely high.

The interviewer tenses, but is pleasantly surprised when all Mattea does is laugh and look expectantly for the next question.

9. Any kids?

Mattea bark-laughs again, shaking her head vigorously.

Aniol only shrugs his shoulders and says, "In the future, if my partner wants them. But none right now,"

10. What's your aesthetic?

Mattea interrupts Aniol before he has a chance to open his mouth, ticking the subjects off on her fingers as she talks, "Water fountains, pale roses, lip balm, pastel colors, stationary--"

It's Aniol's turn to cut her off, asking what an aesthetic is.

"It's like... your vibes. Like, for you it would be something like... maybe lots of grey and orange things." Mattea explains.

"That sounds stupid, but whatever. I guess mine is cobblestone, rain... uh, bright orange feathers and pumpkins. I don't know what it means, don't laugh at me!" He adds when Mattea tries to cover her laugh up with a cough.

11. Who's your best friend?

"Jexi,"

"Are you sure it's only best friend? Nothing else?" Mattea prods at Aniol's answer.

"Oh shut up. What about you and Mayson, huh?" He snaps back. Her cheeks turn as red as Aniol's cheeks earlier.

"That's not important,"

"Mhm," Though their words suggest tension, their eyes are full of amusement.

12. Would you ever get piercings or tattoos?

"I already have a tattoo," Aniol says, pulling up his grey sleeve to show a black and white tattoo of an arrow on his bicep.

"Wait, when did you get that?" Mattea asks, leaning forward to see it better.

"Jexi gave it to me when we were nineteen,"

Mattea's eyebrows rise. "Jexi did? And you still refuse to acknowledge the fact that she's--"

"Did I not make myself clear, Matt?" Aniol snarls, letting his sleeve fall down.

Mattea snarls right back.

The interviewer hastily asks the next question, hoping to change their focus onto them.

13. When are you happiest?

Aniol throws Mattea one last death glare before ruffling his wings yet again. "When I'm flying,"

"With a certain someone," Mattea tries to whisper but the interviewer hears her anyway, smirking.

"Do you have a death wish or what, Matt?"

"Name a time when I didn't,"

Aniol starts to respond but is cut off by the interviewer, still desperately hoping to get through this interview without a fight. The interviewer asks Mattea the question again.

"If I'm honest, I really like sketching. And archery. And I do like to banter with this idiot," She smiles again, but it's (thankfully) filled with much less venom than before.

That quickly, the tension leaves the room. The interviewer was amazed at their ability to start and end an argument in less than a minute. No wonder these two were always in trouble.

14. What's your biggest secret?

"Oooh, that's a good one. Why don't you go first, Aniol?" Mattea claps her hands, threading them together and putting them on her now crossed legs.

"Oh, uh. I guess... I'm terrified of spiders. Like, I hate then with my whole being,"

Mattea seemingly can't help but laugh at that, trying again and failing at turning it into a cough.

"Hey, you're scared of them, too! Don't you remember when you made Noah switch sleeping bags with you because you thought there was a spider in yours?" Aniol hastily defends himself.

"Yeah, but," Mattea is laughing so hard she can barely talk.

It takes longer than the interviewer would have liked for Mattea to finally calm down, and to ask the question again.

"I think my biggest secret is how I got this necklace and why." Mattea answers, holding out a silver chain with a half-cresent moon dangling on it.

When she doesn't continue, the interviewer decides to move on and get this interview over with.

15. Last question: What's the first thing you notice about people?

"Hmm. I think I notice how they move firstly. That alone tells you a lot about them," Mattea answers, nodding at her own answer.

A grin creeps onto Aniol's face at her, but he only says, "I notice their eye or lips first. I don't really know why, and I honestly should notice their movement first, but," He shrugs.

-

Oh jeez, I'm sorry for the long post lmao!

And idk about 15 people, since tumblr might decide to not actually tag them, but I'll try as many as I can think of!

@supersockosis @toboldlywrite @quillwritten @quilloftheclouds @fruzsiwrites @reeseweston @writeness @bartlebyboys @pens-swords-stuff @msmeaghanrey

As always, you dont have to do this is you dont want to (or already did it), and if I didnt tag you feel free to do it anyway and say I tagged you!

[thyon-nero]

- Sarai thinks she recognizes the farangi when her moth lands on his head

- his nose is broken and his face is hollow but something about it is familiar

- she enters his dream and sees a Weep of ages past

- she knows it is Weep because she has heard the stories as well, tales from the ghosts murmured in secrets and ciphers so Minya does not hear

- how does the farangi know what Weep used to look like?

- he turns around

- he opens his eyes

- Sarai recognizes those eyes

- and he sees her

- he sees her!

- she is supposed to be invisible. she is supposed to be safe.

- but here is this man come to Weep and he knows its past and he knows of her and her secret and he is familiar, somehow

- she asks Minya about it the next day over yet another bowl of bland soup. she doesn't tell all of it, any of it really, but Minya both confirms and denies her worst fears

- Skathis is returned, and he is a farangi of brown skin but those same dreadful eyes and he has power beyond her imagining

- how can he see her?

- and down below the citadel Lazlo Strange awakes after seeing a demon

- an angel

- but she is blue, and too real to be just a dream

- he sees her image in the city and she is not wearing her battle dress and she is not wearing her war paint but she is Isagol

- and he knows Azareen and he knows Suheyla and he knows Eril-Fane and he knows he hates her

- and Minya does not know what Sarai saw, but she can guess and she is afraid

- the gods are dead

- she saw them die

- if the gods are not dead then she and Sarai and Feral and Ruby and Sparrow must be dead

- the gods and their children cannot coexist

- and so Minya denies the presence of this farangi with eyes like her father and skin like the mother she must have had

- and once Lazlo learns about the gods and the godspawn and the death of the gods and the godspawn he steals the flying sled and goes up to the citadel

- and Sarai is wearing her mother's dress and Lazlo has his father's powers and Minya cannot deny the truth anymore

- the gods have returned

- and all their destruction with them

- but for all their parentage Sarai cannot torture and Lazlo cannot kill and Minya cannot move the mesarthium walls keeping her out from the gods yet again

- Sarai realizes the truth first

- she may not remember Skathis beyond a vague mental image, but she knows he did not care about knowledge, only destruction

- Lazlo asks too many questions of the blue girl half-swallowed by the blue walls to be a god

- gods are all-knowing, gods are all-powerful

- and Lazlo is young and curious and as scared as Sarai herself

- and whoever he is, he is not Skathis

- but he still does not know who this blue girl is

- Eril-Fane said she could change emotions

- and Lazlo doesn't know what he's feeling

- it's not love, not yet, but he feels something

- and when she says her name is Sarai he believes it

- she is not her mother and he is not his father and Minya is just a scared girl who does not know what is happening

- but the ghosts reassure her that he is not Skathis

- why would the dead lie? they have no reason to lie

- they are an extension of her they tell her what she wants to hear

- and she wants to hear that this is Skathis, that she can be the one to destroy him fully this time

- even gods become ghosts when they die

- but in her plans she lets Lesser Ellen slip, just a little

- and Lesser Ellen does not tremble before this Skathis imposter

- and Minya is less assured of herself

- but at least the gods are still dead

- and she is not, and Ruby and Sparrow and Feral and Sarai are not

- and Lazlo does not want to hurt them

- he can move the citadel, he can help them

- and Minya feels a tooth begin to loosen, and she wonders if she can move on and grow up now

- the gods are dead

- but their children are not

[spaceyecho]

“Lightbringers always Fall. I hope your sister can prove that fact wrong, but it seems to happen to every God, every Lightbringer. And when... should it happen in your own reality, you will need to be strong. Your siblings will need you and so will your Mother.” Michael’s voice was as gentle as it ever got, eyes trained on the other. “It is not an easy role. I hope you will be prepared for the moment.”

@tcrnishedgrace

Sarai was hoping beyond hope that the angels that Mother had created could break the pattern that the other Gods had started. Pretty much all of Chuck’s universes had their lightbringers fall, Adonai’s, Adam’s, even her own half brother fell. She had wondered if perhaps that was part of why Mother had broken the mold in naming them. 

After all, she was the first Sarai, Liora the first of her name as far as angels went. Besides, at this point the sibling closest to falling wasn’t Liora, but sweet Nitza, which would still be a devastating blow if she did. It’d be devastating to the eldest sister if any of her siblings fell, but Liora? They didn’t see eye to eye, but they were created together. 

“For my mother’s sake, I hope you are wrong. She created us to be a family, so I hope that her intentions in creation were enough to change the pattern.” But still, it is clear that the elder angel’s words cut the young prince deeply.

[twxntrash]

The Champion’s Song Chapter Excerpt

This is the first half of Arryn’s fourth chapter in The Champion’s Song and the part I just finished most recently. Still in the early stages so this scene might be changed in the future.

Working to get Arryn’s chapters done first and then Gwyn’s because their chapters are the most ‘seperated’ from the rest of the story in a matter of speaking as they don’t frequently involving the other POV characters in their chapters like say Ash’s chapters or Sarai’s chapters would.

Just for reference since they are the focal characters in this scene:

Arryn is around fifteen, her father was the last king of the Vale (which is now ruled by the primary antagonist),  

Shay is about thirteen and is a Sun Priestess who has become a permenant traveling companion for Arryn. 

Harod had rejoined them after they had left him at the bottom of the ridge that day, when he had come back to the Kelash she did not know, but when they had made camp hours later at the suns fall she had spotted her uncle stalking across the camp, dirty and dusty from traveling on foot and more nursing his insults at having been forced to walk among the elderly, the weak, and the slaves.

           The warriors did not seem to care that they hand angered the true King of the Vale. To them, he was a man who had laid his hand on their Iirovosh’s bride, a man who was lucky to be alive and in one piece. Any other would have been killed, or had a part cut off of him in retribution.

           The men would look at him as he passed and jeer insults he could not understand at him or laugh and jest to each other at his expense. Arryn wasn’t sure what infuriated her uncle more, knowing they were mocking him, or not knowing what they were saying when they threw insults and taunts at him.

           It had taken him two nights before he would even approach Arryn again, and even then his anger was still present. Yet he did not dare raise his hand or voice at her, not when the warriors of the Kel-Varath could see.

           But the presence of Shay was becoming more a blessing as time passed. Her company becoming more appreciated by the day and keeping Arryn from feeling lonely. Her knowledge had also become more useful and welcomed during the evenings when the Kelash made their camp.

           “Daethrak mumar,” Arryn remembered Shay speaking as the young girl ran her hand through the air while they sat out by the fires one night. Her eyes had been turned to the stars but the fires before them still reflected in the green irises. “The starry sky in the Vunlat,” she had said and then patted the ground below them. “We sit upon the Visharuc mumar, the earthy sea.”

           It had become routine for Arryn and Shay to spend their evenings like that. Usually they retreated to Arryn’s tent after they ate their share of dinner with the rest of the Kelash. Within her tent there was no one to interrupt as only her handmaidens, her dog, and the two warriors set to guard Arryn would be near, Shay could teach without others distracting them.

           Shay would spend these hours teaching Arryn as much as she could each night of the Vunlat; the Kel-Varath tongue, she would teach Arryn of their culture, their worship, to teach her what she could so that when she finally wedded Jhaero she would be a good wife.

           It was slow, learning another language was not an easy task, and yet Arryn felt as though she was growing better in her new tongue with each night. Slowly she was able to better understand the people around her, and soon, Shay promised, Arryn would be able to join the conversations with words strung together seamlessly.

Perhaps when she learned to speak the Vunlat properly, she could speak to Ris and Ayur. The priestess had insisted that it would be wise of Arryn to better acquaint herself with Vosh Rotho’s wives. Though only Ayur had birthed Jhaero, they were both his mothers by the Kel-Varath custom, and would be Arryn’s once they had married at the journey’s end. Arryn would want the women’s friendship and their counsel when that happened. And when Vosh Rotho died and Jhaero became the Kelash’s new Vosh, the two wives would no longer be the wives, but the wise-women of the tribe to counsel the new Vosh until their own death.

A role that would be Arryn’s should Jhaero die a Vosh.

But that was only one of the many customs and traditions of the Kel-Varath, one of many. It was strange to Arryn, before she had been sold off to the Kel-Varath to marry Jhaero she had thought them barbarians, thought they were savages. Everything her uncle had told her, that the cities said of the Kel-Varath tribes had depicted them as bloodthirsty monsters, had claimed that when the Gods of Nine, or the Sun God to those who worshiped Him, created life, that the Kel-Varath had been forgotten when the gift of kindness and empathy, the gift of humanity had been shared among the new people.

None of those stories were anywhere close to the truth.

The Kel-Varath were violent, they were vulgar and had little shame in acts of sex and murder. They fought easily among each other, were quick to draw their blades on their fellow men and did not care if one was killed in the fight. They were raiders and killers who took what they wanted and made slaves of people they came upon to be traded for supplies.

But they were so much more than that, too. Though they did not possess a written language, nor an understanding of the scholary studies, there were still teachers among the tribes. The Ohir taught the children, boys and girls alike, how to ride horses, how to cook, to create a tent, to mend and make clothes from the animals they skinned, they taught the children to hunt and to fight.

The Kelash protected the Ghay as well, the men and women who were too old or too weak to fight or ride ever again. They would guard and protect them and take them to Ashalkir Varath the only city of the Kel-Varath and the sacred grounds of the tribes. There the Ghay would tend to their alter to Varathakun, the Sun God, until their death.

There were other customs too, of course. The binding of man and woman and the nine-month travel they must take together before they can be wed, such as her and Jhaero were undertaking. The tribes did not view bastard children as harshly as the cities did, too. Arryn had also learned that there were two kinds of parents among the Kel-Varath. There were the “blood parents”, the ones who sired and birthed the child, and there were the “true parents” who raised the child. Sometimes these titles belonged to different people, and sometimes a single mother and father were both the blood and the true parent. Yet the blood parent did not have any claim to a child or right to the child’s loyalty, only the one who raised them could be viewed as the one the child owed loyalty too.

           If that were the case, Arryn wondered if that made Harod her ‘true father’. She had never met Gregor Lowther, he had died before she was born while Harod had been the one to help raise her when her mother and Ser Reyne were alive, and had been the sole caretaker of Arryn after the two had died. She did not want to think of Harod as being her rightful parent, it did not feel right, he did not act like a caring father. A caring and loving father wouldn’t sell his young daughter to marry a man she did not know just to get an army.

           The most recent thing that Shay had taught her were the names. All along she had thought Jhaero was her husband-to-be’s true name, and yet that was not the case.

           “The Kel-Varath have two names. They are given their own name, and as they live they carry their fathers name with them,” Shay had said as the two sat in her tent one evening. “Vosh Rotho, for example. His own name is Ro, and as he lives he carries the name of his father, Vosh Thojir, with him. Rotho.”

           “Then Droatu and Molatu…their names are actually Dro and Mol?” Arryn had asked slowly, using the Vunlat as best she could in a clumsy manner. She had known them to be brothers but had not thought much of the shared ‘atu’ at their name. “Who was their father?”

           “Atutrug, a fierce warrior who had been devoured by a serpent demon,” Shay shrugged as she picked dirt from under her fingernails, “or so the slaves say.”

           “Then Jhaero is actually Jhae. Do I refer to him as Jhae when we are wed, or does he continue to be known as Jhaero?”

           Shay smiled easily at the question, “Though his name is Jhae, it would be disrespectful to call anyone by their true name. Always call him by Jhaero or they might take your head off,” she said and gave a small laugh, “It is good that Harod does not know of this, or it is most likely that he would call them by their name and be killed quick.”

           It was not a thought that Arryn wanted to think of, because she knew all too well that Shay was right. If her father knew the ways that the Kel-Varath names worked then he would think that the disrespect would give him some sort of power over them, only to be killed. Even after Varis had been ready to cut his throat open, Harod still acted as though he was superior to the Kelash. They called him the Vosh’droka because of it, the King of Rags. Arryn was glad that her uncle could not speak any of the Vunlat for that reason.

           When her uncle demanded to know what the people around him were saying, Arryn had taken to lying to him, to say that the mockery and insults they slung were in actuality harmless greetings or comments of admiration. It had helped to sooth his anger, but not completely. As long as he was forced to walk rather than ride with the rest, his anger would never be quelled. It was the best she could do and she would take what she could do.

           “What of you, Arryn?” Shay suddenly asked as she tilted her head and continued to smile. “Why are you named Arryn? This one thought that the name was that of princes, not for princesses.”

           She only blinked at the young priestess as she thought of her answer, and then she just gave a shrug as though the girls mannerism had been rubbing off on Arryn. “When I was still in my mothers womb, her and my father had expected a boy, the healers had said I would be born a boy by the way that she was carrying. My father had insisted on naming the child Arryn, supposedly it had been the name of his own father,” she explained and reached over to play with her pups fur. “My father died before I was born, as I am sure you are aware of. My mother decided to name me Arryn regardless when I was born as though to honor him. At least that is what I’ve been told.”

           It had never seemed a fascinating story to her, yet the people who knew Arryn was the name of boys and men would ask why it was worn by a girl. The answer was simply that her father had expected a prince, and her mother gave her the name of a prince for him.

           If she had been given a different name when she was born, she could not imagine what it would have been. The elegant and beautiful names of the ladies and princesses found in the books Shay had given her did not feel like they could ever suit her. Or rather, Arryn did not feel she could ever fit the names, she was not regal or lady-like enough, was not beautiful enough for such lovely names.

           “What of yourself?” Arryn asked as she looked over at the priestess.

           Shay smiled and adjusted the sleeves of her long red robe. “What of this one?”

           “I’ve met many priests and priestesses of the Sun God, not as personally as I’ve come to know you, but within the cities that Harod and I have had to live in before Magister Llyono and before the Kel-Varath, I have met my fair share,” Arryn began slowly and watched Shay carefully. Even with how close she felt the two had become these past few months, she knew very little of the young priestess, and the mystery the girl lived was still a danger in Arryn’s eyes. “I’ve come to know a few things about how the priests and priestesses work.”

           That smile did not fall, it was not challenging nor was it mocking, and though it was worn upon the small round face of a girl barely thirteen, it still sent a chill down Arryn’s spine. “And what things have you come to know?”

           Swallowing, Arryn spoke, “That the people of your temples give up the name of their families. The temple becomes your family and your loyalty,” it was one of the things that stood out to Shay the longer she spent time with her, something she was sure not even Harod had noticed. “Why, then, are you known as Shay Arrion and not just Shay?”

           There was a hum as Shay looked back down to continue playing with the sleeves of her robe. “Ah, this one wonders too, it is a curious thing to have two names and not one.” She smiled and stood up, brushing dirt and leaves from the bottom of her red robe. “The fires need tending, prayers and offerings to give to the father Sun for blessings of a good travel.”

           “Are you not going to answer my question?” Arryn asked as she watched Shay walk to her tent, nodding to the handmaidens who backed away to give her space.

           Shay was still smiling as she paused at the tents mouth, “Perhaps one day you shall know. There is a time for every shred of knowledge, Arryn, but tonight is not the night for the knowledge of Arrion,” she had a hint of mischief in her voice, “You should rest. Tomorrow brings a long ride.”