#YOU HAVE GREATNESS IN YOU HAROLD. YOUR MIND﹐ THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SEE. ( thomas ernest )

[fatherofmachine]

GENERAL CHARACTER TAGS.

[clovis-enthusiast]

Little thought about The Tyrant’s Tomb. [SPOILERS!!!!]

oKAY, so I’m gonna start off by saying that, as usual, Rick Riordan’s writing style never fails to impress and draw me in to keep reading and not stop until I’ve devoured every last word. I was DESPERATE to read this book because it took me longer to get it than usual, and I was trying to go into it spoiler free (aside from reading the snippets that Uncle Rick posted on his Twitter every now and then.) I pretty much managed to do so, and it made the experience that much more emotional for me. I went into The Burning Maze KNOWING that Jason was going to die, but I had absolutely no idea what I’d be facing in this book.

Camp Jupiter

I’m just gonna flat out say it; I was never really all that interested in Camp Jupiter in the beginning. I didn’t like the majority of the characters (aside from Dakota who is my legal son) and the camp structure (though accurate to the Romans) seemed too strict and harsh to me. The ranking systems confused me, and it all in all just did not appeal to me the way Camp Half-Blood does. However, the more I read, the more attached I grew, and although I still MUCH prefer Camp Half-Blood and would choose it in a heartbeat when choosing between the two camps, it still became an interesting place to read about. I ADORE the idea of New Rome and the sharp contrast of silly demigods like the fifth cohort vs. the strict rules and upbringing of the camp.

When Jason died in The Burning Maze and the next book was set to take place surrounding Camp Jupiter, I grew excited. I REALLY wanted to meet more of the demigods of the Roman camp and explore them more (mostly Dakota but I digress.) Although I knew reading about everyone’s reactions to Jason’s death would be hard, I fought through it and was somewhat surprised by the lack of grieving that was presented. I mean, the ENTIRE first few chapters were ALL about Jason’s coffin and Lester and Meg grieving and trying their best to get it to camp but when it actually got there there really wasn’t that much of an uproar. At first I thought that was strange but looking back at it the Romans are brought up to be strong and not let emotions take over them, and people like Hazel have to show absolute strength. Besides the camp was already in mourning over DOZENS of other campers at the time.

That was another thing that sort of bugged me. I was absolutely ITCHING to meet some new characters and granted I got a few, but the majority of the ‘newer’ characters had already been killed and served only as the undead army.

THAT WAS SO FUCKED UP. It was one thing that I think Rick did a really good job with in upping the deep and darkness of the Riordanverse series. Can you imagine fighting your undead comrades and friends?? Like holy shit, that was emotional. I was super worried I spoiled something for myself on Istagram bc I read a post someone made about Jason trying to get the undead Romans to follow him instead or direct them away from camp, but I should have known it wasn’t true since he was literally burned.

Frank

Speaking of burning, I ACTUALLY thought Rick killed Frank off. Up until this book, I hadn’t really realized how much I loved this man. His character is just so well-written and likable and when he sacrificed the wood, I was like NOOOOOOOOO. I was SO grateful he came back in the end because I was sure Rick would never hear the end of THAT one if he allowed it to really happen. On the bright side, my baby boy can now enjoy his life with a little bit more vigor and less fear now that the stick is gone for good.

New Characters

Lavinia Asimov: Okay, Lavinia is a REALLLLLLLY weird character to me. She reminds me a lot of Lou Ellen to be honest, but for some reason, she doesn’t appeal to me as much as Lou Ellen does. (Maybe it’s just because I tend to prefer minor characters) Her rebelliousness seemed a little too... forced at times?? And her whole thing with the dryads and fauns was kinda weird too, but I guess since she likes Poison Ivy, it makes sense. However, she kinda did grow on me, I suppose, and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her.

Poison Ivy: I REALLY wished we could have met her even just once. Lavinia would not shut up about her and was CONSTANTLY rebelling against the rules in camp just to see her, so I wanna know just what kind of a character she is. I’m sure she would have been very interesting and sassy to have been Lavinia’s love interest lol

Pranjal: He’s a good boy!!! Not quite sure how to pronounce his name properly, but his appearance is adorable and I LOVE the fact that he’s a son of Aesculapius because he’s one of my favorite gods soooo... I really wish we could have seen more of him!! He’s kinda like Clovis in the way that he has like one important part, gets mentioned like two times afterwards and then never again :^/

Aristophanes: he’s a cat,,, i love him,,, 

Harpocrates: This was SO interesting and out of the blue to me having gone in spoiler free!! He’s earned a new spot up in my favorite gods list because of how interesting and mysterious he is. His concept was great and although i was sad to see him sacrificed, I hope that he and Sibyl are together wherever they are bc that was damn cute and made me so emotional afgkjldg why did Apollo have to be such a dick as a god,,,

New names with little to no info: Carl (Roman demigod,) Reza (Roman demigod,) Reginald (faun,) Felipe (faun,) Harold (faun,) Lotoya (dryad,) Buster (unicorn,) Muffin (unicorn,) Whagadoodle (unicorn,) Shirley (unicorn,) Horatio (unicorn,) One Eye (pegasus,) Small Ears (pegasus,) Boost (pandai,) Ida (Roman demigod,) Caelius (Roman demigod,) Thomas (Roman demigod,) Colum (Roman demigod,) and Terrel (Roman demigod)

Lester/Apollo

MY BOY HAS GROWN!!! He’s so human now, and I’m so proud. He doesn’t even second guess sacrificing himself or humiliating himself to save his friends. I just... I have a lot of feelings over his character development. Rick handles him SO well, and I just,,, I love him,,, i am,,, in love with him,, i would date lester papadopoulos

Meg

She’s grown to be such a doll!! I was SUPER annoyed by her in the first books, but now she’s my daughter. I love that she’s actually expressing emotions other than ‘annoying 12 year old’ now. Like I wanna protect her.

Reyna

She was a pretty good character in this book and her leaving the camp was a HUGE surprise to me. I kinda wish she was still praetor because idk Hazel just doesn’t rlly seem as fit for it as Reyna was, and I like Reyna a lot, but idk i guess it’s coolio. I was also glad Rick cleared up all the romance discourse about her too though the way he did it was kinda weird (she literally was using the word ‘ship’ out loud like wh-- and i don’t remember the venus thing at all so maybe i missed it from a different book? idk it came out of nowhere to me)

Ella and Tyson

I actually like Ella a lot now!! I used to find her quite annoying, and her relationship with Tyson felt forced, but now that I had the time to get used to her and figure out her character a little more, I do like her. She sort of treats Tyson weird, but I think towards the end, I fell for their relationship more. Tyson was literally excellent, show-stopping, breath-taking, amazing,,, like YESSS KING I LOVE YOU AND YOU PEANUT BUTTER-SMELLING SELF (that one scene where he just started dancing and apollo didn’t know if it was for the ritual or just bc he felt like it killed me)

Character Deaths

Dakota: I AM NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS ONE FOLKS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO REREAD THE SAME SENTENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT I WASN’T HAVING A NIGHTMARE. I PHYSICALLY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT RICK KILLED HIM OFF. I’M STILL EMOTIONAL OVER IT, AND JUST AJSDHF;AMNJ ‘;  NOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS THE SECOND SIBLING POLLUX HAS LOST IM GOING TO  S C R E A M  HE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS AND HE DESERVED BETTER DAMN IT I’M LITERALLY IN SHOCK LITERALLY DO NOT TALK TO ME LIKE I’M STILL IN SHOCK FROM CREST’S DEATH IN THE LAST BOOK TBH AND NOW THIS??? NOW I’M SCARED CLOVIS IS GONNA DIE JSDKLFKS the only thing that gives me comfort is that Jason can be with his friend in Elysium now fuckkkk,,, rick why did you do this to me,,, I LITERALLY CANNOT EXPRESS HOW UPSET I AM I WILL  N E V E R  HEAL

Don: Don was sort of a comic relief character in SoN, and it was very sad to see him go. He reminded me a lot of Grover, and his death scene with Lavinia ACTUALLY made me tear up. THIS BOOK MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL GOD DAKOTA AND DON WERE LITERAL BABIES RICK GIVE THEM BACK

Bobby: listen,,, we never even met this kid rlly and i was still super sad when lavinia had to kill him again and hannibal is without him and just ughhh whyyy

Julia’s mother, father, AND foster parents: HOLY SHIT RICK WASN’T THAT KIND OF OVERKILL??? I felt so bad for the poor girl, especially cause she’s like six??? But it’s very sweet that Terminus adopted her. I really liked that.

Jacob: AAHHHAHA this one made me sad too!!!! he was such a minor character, but he reminded me of Damien White and Ethan Nakamura (if he were allowed to actually be a kid,) so I think that’s why I was sort of partial to him. The way he died was SUPER horrid too, so I just,,, im big sad for him (on a good hand, he went down F I G H T I N G)

Mentions of anything relating to Hypnos or his children

Yes, i am keeping track, sue me. Somnus was mentioned one time in this book as one of the gods Apollo briefly considered summoning to his aid, and it is presumed he has some sort of tribute at Camp Jupiter had he not before. You’ll make another appearance someday Clovis, I know it :’^D 

Final Thoughts

I literally CANNOT wait for the next book (which I presume is the last one.) From what it seems, we’re returning to New York, so Camp Half-Blood will be present. I can’t wait to see my babes again, and I’m REALLY hoping more minor characters will be allowed to shine (cough clovis cough) but like i KNOW some will die and just,,, im sad,,, dakota’s death has wrecked me,,, but on the side note, the new book is coming out in my last year of school!!! i’m so excited because this series holds emotional value to me like i’ve literally gone through my high school career with trials of apollo like it was with me the whole time and it’s one of the only things that keeps me going. i just,,, i have no words to express how much this series and all the others mean to me...

thank you so much for keeping me going, uncle rick. i can’t wait to see how this all ends :^) <3 

[probably-writing-x]

Further (2)

This has been the most requested thing ever on my page so thank you all so much for that <3 I'm kind of falling in love with this series and I sincerely apologise for breaking all of your hearts xx

~~~~~~~~

"Isn't it just great to have your big brother home?" Tom grins as he hands you a pack of eggs from the fridge, "You get to make me breakfast every day now!"

You roll your eyes and grab some milk and butter too, "It's just great, I've really missed it,"

He chuckles and kisses your head, wrapping you in his embrace, "I have missed you though, sis. It was way too long this time,"

You push him away, "Don't get all soppy on me Thomas. What do you fancy for breakfast then?"

"Bacon and eggs? I need something to get me through the gym today," He jokes, hopping up onto the kitchen island and letting his legs dangle down.

"Speaking of which, do you mind if I come with you today?" You ask nonchalantly, running your hands through your hair to tie it into a messy bun.

Tom frowns and speaks with puzzlement, "Yeah sure but don't you normally go with H?"

"Yeah but I-" You stop yourself, shrugging as you move past him to get to the sink, "Just fancied a change,"

"Okie dokie, just don't put me through my paces too much," He kicks you as you walk away, making you stumble into the person who had just entered the kitchen - Harrison.

"Sorry," You mutter quickly, turning away from both of them before your blush became too obvious.

Harrison doesn't respond, simply heading over to the sink to fill up a glass of water.

"Everything okay mate?" Tom asks, raising his brows at the boy in question.

"Yeah, yeah, just didn't sleep very well," Harrison shrugs, leaning up against the counter beside Tom.

"Well (Y/n)'s making breakfast. What do you fancy?" Your older brother encourages, evidently trying to cheer up his friend a little.

"Oh no thats fine I'll uh... I'll just make my own,"

You clench your jaw a little and have to give everything you've got to not visibly roll your eyes.

Haz had been acting this distant ever since that night when you'd made your deal. He hadn't just 'kept things as they were'. He'd outright put effort into avoiding you at every cost and making barely any conversation with you. And it had led you to do the same over the past week. You'd started to accept that he simply didn't want to spend time with you anymore. Maybe he saw no use for it now there was no romantic prospect. Either way, he'd been acting like a bit of a dick.

"Ooh shit Harry asked me to wake him up at nine," Tom exclaims, leaping down from the island and rushing upstairs, "Harold!!"

You busy yourself with the food in front of you and start to whisk together a batch for scrambled eggs.

"You okay then?" Harrison asks quietly, fiddling with the hem of his sweatshirt.

You turn to look at him and raise your brow, "You're talking to me now? This is an improvement,"

"Don't be like that," He sighs, running a hand through his hair, "I didn't know how to act after that night,"

"We said we'd be normal Haz. And you acted as far from normal as humanly possible," You snap, "You think that's sustainable?"

"Do you think it's sustainable for me to act like I don't have-" He stops when he realises he may be talking a little too loudly, quietening his volume before continuing, "Feelings for you?"

"And what? You think it's for me then? You think you're the only one having to act like there's nothing there," You don't even question the last bit - that was exactly how he was acting.

"That's not what I me-"

"Whatever it is that you mean Haz, you need to figure it out. Because we both know things can't continue like this. So take your time and fucking deal with things," Your bottom lip quivers, "Because I can't lose you as a result of trying to avoid that exact ending, okay?"

He fights every urge in his electrified nerves to not reach out and hold you, kiss those shaking lips and prevent any possible tears falling from those glassy eyes. And he wins his fight. So the two of you stand in awkward tension in the middle of the empty kitchen, wishing more than ever for your brothers to interrupt.

But it's just you and him. Five feet apart and feeling more separate than ever.

~~~~~

"Fucking hell (Y/n), I thought we said we'd go for a light workout today," Tom sighs, doubling over with his hands on his knees, "What's wrong with you?"

You chuckle and use the towel to wipe the beading sweat from the back of your neck, "I had a lot to work through,"

Tom stands up and grabs for his water bottle, "Yeah, about that," He starts, pausing breathlessly to take a gulp of his drink, "What's going on with you and H?"

You internally stop for a split second, "What are you talking about?"

"Come on," Tom rolls his eyes, "You've been off with each other for at least a couple weeks now. Did you have an argument or something?"

"No I mean we just-" You shake your head, never ever wanting to lie to your brother, "We're fine,"

"Come here, come on," He encourages, dragging you over to the bench propped against the wall of the gym, "I can tell when you're hiding something so I'll sit here until you spill,"

You sigh and let yourself welcome the second of preparation, "Don't be pissed at me, okay? But I think there's something I should tell you,"

"Oh god," Tom mutters, a million possible thoughts coursing at a thousand miles an hour through his head.

"Harrison made a comment about a photo I'd posted on Instagram and I thought he was out of line. So we had a bit of an argument. We didn't want to tell you or the boys because we didn't want you to be in the middle of anything. But we spoke earlier and we're better now," You nod, having to clench your jaw a little to stop your typical truths from spilling out afterwards.

"Oh, oh okay," Tom sighs, evidently slightly relieved, "Well that's not as bad as I thought,"

You laugh a little and your lack of words was generally a tell tale sign that you were lying or uncomfortable.

"But don't feel like you have to keep anything like that from me or the boys," He clasps your leg in a brotherly manner, "You don't have to hurt yourself just to make sure we're comfortable or whatever. However bad the thing is, we'll deal with it eventually," Tom chuckles.

"Thanks Tom. But please stop having these soppy moments with me, yeah?"

He locks his arm around your neck and ruffles your hair, "If you want me to be an asshole brother then I will be,"

"Alright alright," You laugh, pushing at his chest to get him away from you, "Tom! Fuck off!"

And for a second, it feels like you hadn't just lied through your teeth to your big brother. That second passes far too quickly.

~~~~~

"You're still in your pyjamas? Have you done anything today?" Tom laughs as you and him enter the lounge.

Paddy and the twins are all slouched across the couches watching a film on Netflix - oblivious to you two until Tom speaks up.

"Just because you went to the gym once, you really want to talk about being lazy?" Sam laughs, "Dude you didn't even know how to work the washing machine until a couple months ago,"

Tom hits him over the back of the head and, amongst their arguing, you take the opportunity to dismiss yourself.

You dump your gym bag onto your bed and instantly make a beeline for Harrison's room, knocking on the open door.

He swivels in his chair as soon as he hears you, "Hey, how was the gym?"

"Tiring," You smile, "And the person before me in the shower used all the hot water so that wasn't great,"

He chuckles and scratches at the back of his neck, suddenly dropping his jovial tone to be more serious, "I'm really sorry about how I've been acting (Y/n) and I just wanted to-"

"No no, don't be silly. You don't need to apologise. But I'm glad we know where we stand," You nod reassuringly, "The boys are none the wiser but I'm starting to think their reaction wouldn't even be that bad,"

Harrison laughs and spins round in his desk chair once again, "Are you kidding? Are we talking about the same boys?"

You chuckle and shake your head, "Maybe that cold shower's made my head go funny,"

He laughs again and you find yourself wanting to pocket the sound for some kind of soundtrack to your life. The happiness of a boy you loved. It was a damn good sound after not hearing it for a couple of weeks.

"I've got to get on with this but I'll see you later, yeah?" He assures you, gesturing aimlessly to his laptop screen.

The Harrison before that night would've asked you to stay and would've wanted you to sit on his bed and distract him the whole time. But there had to be boundaries now, for the sanity of both of you. And the concept of later was something you were happy to hold onto.

And it gave you the opportunity to really consider the prospect of Tom's previous words at the gym. This was hurting you. He wouldn't want that. And he promised that your brothers would find a way of dealing with whatever you told them. Maybe this, with Harrison, could be that whatever.

So, as you flop back down onto your own mattress, you do so with a smile somewhere between devious and hopeful. And that was a mix you were happy to move forward with.

~~~~~

"(Y/n) get your ass downstairs! We made you dinner!" Harry yells unnecessarily loudly from the bottom of the staircase.

You groan and roll yourself away from the bed, jogging down the stairs to see your brothers, "You did what?"

"I know it's very unlike us but it was Paddy's idea so that probably explains it," Sam explains, setting down some cutlery at the table.

"Yeah that definitely makes more sense, thanks buddy," You smile to Paddy, wrapping your arm around him quickly.

"Although is it possible to burn pasta because I think that's what we've done?" Harry comments guiltily.

"It smells and looks great guys, have more faith in yourselves please. You're not as incompetent as you pretend to be," You roll your eyes.

In fact, the boys were actually all good cooks and they knew enough to make their own meals easily. But you loved cooking, ever since you'd been little. It was one of your ways of fighting against being the only sister. They couldn't bully you if you were the one giving them food ;)

"Where's Haz too?" Tom points out, "Haz! Food's ready!"

Again, he yells just as loudly as his brother did, forcing Paddy to hit him on the back.

"And you wonder why your neighbours complain," The youngest of you all rolls his eyes, somehow more mature than Tom at the minute.

You then hear Harrison coming down the stairs and turn to see him.

"Take your time mate," Harry shakes his head, carrying over some plates to the set table.

"Oh, thanks for making dinner boys but I'm going out tonight," Harrison comments and it is then that you see how's dressed up he is.

He has his finest pair of Chelsea boots on, skinny black jeans with a branded belt, a burgundy button-up that you'd bought him for his birthday and his 'fancy' denim jacket on top. You even catch a sniff of his 'for best' aftershave that you helped him pick out after the two of you spent an hour smelling every single one in the store.

"You've got other friends, huh?" Tom comes up behind you, folding his arms as he fakes his offence.

You and your siblings had now formed some sort of interrogation line as you all focused your attention on the adopted member of this family.

"No, not exactly," Harrison shakes his head, "I've got a date,"

You can't help your instant reaction to let your shoulders drop and a lump block up any words from escaping.

Did heartbreak have a sound? Because it was sure as hell listening when Harrison said those words, and it was a feeling that made you feel like your legs were going to give way as you pinned all attention on the sudden shattering of your heart.

"Well, good luck mate. Don't fuck it up," Tom jokes and you faintly hear the other boys make a few comments, "(Y/n), any advice for the main man?"

Your eyes then finally lock onto Harrison's. Those orbs that you'd be more than grateful to get lost in every time they were on yours. This time, they just seemed to act as another catalyst to your body's attempt to rip your heart into unfixable pieces.

"Just," You start, your voice feeling smaller than normal against your swirling mess, "Just be yourself,"

You're sure there's a glimmer of guilt in his eyes as he listens to the words but you break eye contact before your heart can decide anything.

Harrison bids farewell to everyone after that and you're so caught in your feelings that you visibly flinch when he closes the door behind him.

"You alright (Y/n/n)? You look like you've lost something," Sam chuckles, reaching over you to grab the pot of the pasta dish that they'd made.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," You mutter. It's him that I've lost.

~~~~~~~~

Tags: @imarypayne @sunshine112 @bringmethehorizonandpizza @supernatural-girl97 @vibhati123 @butithasntkilledyouyet @faefictions @carisi-sonny @trap-house-homiecide @spiderrpcrker @tommydaspidey @oneblckcoffee @darlingtholland @fanficparker @xxtomxo @httpfandxms @jackiehollanderr @bookish-and-shy

[obsessivestar]

Steamy Love (A Tom Hiddleston x Reader) Part 20: ~Together~

Summary: Now that you're sleeping in Tom's room, the guest room is open. Time to see a good friend, but not before Tom gets his fix.

Warnings: *Slight lemon thrown in at the beginning.

Read it on my Wattpad: @/HiddlesStar

Word count: 1'920

Tags: @theoneanna @midnightdragonzero @drakesfiance @kcd15 @ihthr @deviantsendbyreallife @bookgirlunicorn

The first week of you and Tom publically being together was a rather amusing, yet positive one. Tumblr was still not over the public kiss, and your best friend certainly wasn't over the fact that you were in the same house as him, never mind sharing a bed.

"How long have you been sleeping in his room?" Your friend asked through your headphones, currently in a Discord call with them.

"Couple weeks now, really.." You smiled somewhat. "The other room is just kind of the guest room now.."

"Well, now I have a reason to visit for a week!" Your friend spoke in a happy tone. You'd really like for them to come down, actually. While you enjoyed the friends you were making here, you missed (BF/N).

"I can talk to Tom about it when he gets home, if you really want to come down." You gave a soft smile. Tom had gone out for Betrayal related business, so you were home alone.

"Does it feel weird referring to him?" Your friend asked curiously.

"Kind of, even after the last couple days.." You chuckled. "I don't even like using his last name. It feels to official and professional, like its a stage name.."

"It's his real last name, right?" They asked.

"Yes, of course it's his real last name. It's just, like...I call him Tom or Thomas or Big Dog, but if I use his full name, it's like I'm talking to a completely different person."

"It's like you're one of those female interviewers that just endlessly hit on him throughout the whole interview." Your friend joked, immedietly getting you to laugh.

"That's so accurate!" You laughed.

"Right?" Your friend laughed along with you.

After the long chat with your friend, Tom returned home with a couple pages of paper and some groceries he had decided to grab while he was out. You met him in the kitchen and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before helping him put some stuff away.

"How was the meeting?" You asked him, seeing the little smile on his face.

"We've made quite a big decision, but I'm excited for it." Tom admitted, his smile growing. "We'll be performing at the Harold Pinter for a couple months."

"Ooh, starting when?" You asked, getting his help with some of the top shelf stuff in the cupboards.

"March." He replied. That was rather convenient. You and Tom are supposed to wrap up filming just before Feburary for this film, so that gives him a nice little break before going back to work. That'll also give you two a chance to spend some real, quality time together. It already sounded wonderful.

"The theatre is back at home.." Tom smiled. "Will be nice, being able to sleep in my own bed."

"Bet you miss your dog, eh?" You smiled, getting a soft smile returned from him.

"I do." Tom nodded. "He's a good boy."

It didn't really occur to you now what him going back home meant. While you've come together now, your real homes are in different countries. Different timezones. When the time comes for you both to return home, would the relationship really last?

"Speaking of missing, I was wondering if my friend could come down for a couple days next week?" You asked, sitting up on the counter once all of the groceries had been put away.

"That's...(BF/N), right?" Tom asked, leaning against the counter somewhat beside you.

"Yeah! It's just...I haven't seen them in a while. They're super chill. They're not gonna freak out when they see you." You smiled, making Tom chuckle slightly.

"I'm not against it. This is your home, as well as mine.." He replied, moving more to be in between your slight open legs. "Though, it may be hard to keep my hands off you while they're here.."

You smirked, wrapping your arms loosely around his neck. "That just sounds like something you'll have to deal with, big dog." You teased, getting a grin from Tom.

"Then you won't mind if I take you up against this very counter, right now?" He offered, your smirk turning into a rather surprised, and nervous gaze.

"Ah--" You chuckled nervously. "Th-That's s-so sudden."

"Mm. Maybe.." Tom hummed. "But if I won't get to ravish you for nearly a week, I should...feed my cravings while I still can.."

You liked the tone in his voice. He was rather friskier than you imagined.

*************Lemon lol****************

Next thing you knew, you were up against the kitchen counter, facing away from the much taller male with your trousers and your panties in between your legs, Tom's body pressed up against you from behind. His hips grinded up against yours with his length sliding in and out of you at the perfect pace, his low moans let out in your left ear. You never thought this position could be done well, but Tom definitely knew what he was doing. You could feel his pleasant heavy breathing on your neck, feeling him nip at your ear and cling onto your neck, his strong hands holding you up some.

In just a few moments, he finished deep inside you, a sudden loud moan escaping him as he tensed up against you. The warm feeling made you release a bit as well, a weak whimper leaving your lips. He carefully pulled out of you, somewhat relaxing against you. A little snicker escaped him. "F-Fuck, I can't get enough of you.." He panted, carefully helping him turn you so he could pull you into a deep kiss. You gave a warm little smile, cupping his cheeks and kissing him back. God, this relationship was both like a porn video and a genuine rom-com romance rolled in together.

************K ur good it's done************

You made sure to mention it to your friend the next day that they would be able to come visit, definitely not mentioning what had happened in the kitchen. In the next couple days, you helped them find the perfect driving route and entertained them as best as you could as they updated you on they're little road trip to you. Eventually, near the end of the weekend, your friend arrived at your front door. You greeted them with a big hug. You really missed them. You haven't seen them in months.

"Hey!" You smiled happily, pulling them into a big hug. "What's uuuuuuppp?"

"Heeeyyyyy!" Your friend chuckled, pulling back after a moment. "It's been too long, girl!"

You heard Tom come around the corner to see who had arrived, seeing you and your friend greet each other. When your friend pulled back from you, they noticed Tom, kind of taking a moment.

"Oh God, hi." They chuckled, placing a hand on their chest.

"You promised not to freak out." You pointed at your friend, giving them a disapproving, but playful look. That got a little chuckle from Tom.

"I'm not freaking out." Your friend gave a slight nervous smile. "You cannot get mad at me for needing a moment. Do you see who's in your living room?"

"Yes. My boyfriend." You chuckled, looking back at Tom. "My scruffy little man."

"He is getting a little scruffy, actually." Your friend pointed out, pointing at him with a friendly smile.

"Ah. Thank you for noticing." Tom smiled, stroking the facial hair that had begun to grown around his mouth and along his jaw. His hair was even starting to grow and curl up at the back of his head. It looked really nice.

Tom walked up to meet your friend as they got their shoes off, holding his hand out.

"Hello, I'm Tom.." He greeted them, though they already knew his name.

"I'm (BF/N)!" They chirped, politely shaking Tom's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Tom smiled. "A good friend of (Y/N)'s is a good friend of mine.."

Your friend couldn't help but smile brightly. They were probably a bigger fan of Tom than you were, before you became close with him. I mean, you didn't even recognize him when you first met.

"Let me show you your room!" You spoke to your friend, helping them with their bags as you led them to the guest room. Once you were both inside, your friend closed the door

"Girl, you get to wake up to that?" Your friend spoke in a soft tone, wanting to stay quiet.

You chuckled. "I know. He's so hot.." You agreed. "I still can't believe it sometimes.."

"Holy shit.." Your friend fanned themselves comedically, making you laugh. "Is he growing all that hair out? For real?"

"He said he wanted to change up his style. I really like it." You nodded, helping your friend go through their luggage so they could take out anything they needed later without having to go digging for it.

One of your friend's favourite hobbies is photography. In fact, Another reason why they came down was to find some nice sight seeing areas. Maybe she'd even take some pictures of you. Or, better yet, of Tom.

"I really wonder how long it'll all grow." You spoke, still talking about his hair.

"He kinda likes to change it up every now and then, eh?" Your friend smiles, getting up to help you with their photography equipment. You gave a soft nod. "He's been getting a lot of compliments whenever he joins my streams. He really likes the chat."

"I watched a video that were, like, stream highlights of you two. Y'all are cute."

"We really are.." You nodded with a big smile. "He's great. I honestly feel like he makes me feel things that I've never really expected to feel in my whole life..."

In more ways than one.

"Oooh, think you're falling for him?" Your friend asked with a playful little push. You gave a soft, bashful laugh.

While you knew they were being playful, hearing the question aloud actually gave you a strange feeling in your stomach.

You haven't thought about it much, but you've been with Tom for nearly 2 months now. You spend plenty of time together on and off set, you make mad amounts of love nearly every day and you feel genuinely cared for. He's treated you like royalty lately, and you've truly never felt or seen this level of devotion and passion in a relationship before. Not Ever. Not until now.

"I'm..." You paused for a minute, giving a soft smile. "We haven't really gotten there yet, but...I really care about him."

Your friend returned the smile. "Well, y'all are cute. That's all that matters right now." Your friend replied, focusing all of the attention on their luggage for a little longer.

"Yo, (Y/N)?" Your friend suddenly spoke up again after a couple minutes.

"Yeah?" You looked at them, raising a brow.

"What the hell is 'Leg Day'?" They asked, looking rather confused.

Your cheeks immedietly got a little pink. You had remembered in the last live stream you did with Tom, he mentioned the infamous High-Rise 'Leg Day' inside joke you two had created in regards to the first love scene where Laing lifts Charlotte's legs up. He had referenced the joke while talking about how Zero Suit Samus fights in Smash Bros. Ultimate. He didn't explain it, though, keeping the inside joke as an inside joke.

"Umm.." You paused again. You really weren't sure how to explain it, or even if you should explain it. It was a bit...personal.

"Well...it's..."

[morallydraconequus]

Gordon in Wonderland, Ch 3: A familiar face at a Caucus race.

Gordon remembered that one time Thomas wanted to fly. Well, Gordon could clearly state that he hated his experience of flying, and flying in general.

“I have no idea how Harold can get used to this. I'd rather be stuck on rails than this horrid flying.”

The cloud was getting bigger and turning into a dark grey tone. The tiny blue engine - Gordon would prefer big instead of tiny but it didn't seem appropriate in this situation - felt a drop of rain on his face. In fact, his body felt like he was soaked in water.

“If the steam is water that is evaporated, it'll be light enough to form a cloud. If the cloud becomes heavy so will the steam and soon, it’ll turn back into water. Which will mean it will rain soon… and I'll fall along with the rain!”

As he deduced, Gordon began to drop down.

Unlike the hole, Gordon could tell that it wouldn't be such a long fall... but a much harder landing.

Instead of cold, hard earth that would shatter Gordon into pieces - do note that Gordon’s imagination had got the better of him - he landed on fluffy pile of feathers. The pile was actually a bird, however Gordon wasn’t even sure what species it was.

The bird squawked in surprise, causing Gordon to fall onto the ground. Luckily, he landed perfectly on his wheels but Gordon couldn't say that he’d felt any pain. The bird wasn’t as lucky. Distracted, it crashed - not very gracefully - on to the ground. Having realised that he didn’t rely on tracks at the moment, Gordon chuffed up to the animal. His friends barely see Gordon’s sympathetic side, but those feelings did exist in Gordon.

“Are you alright?” he asked, hoping for any sign of life. He would feel very guilty if there were none, but it wasn’t entirely his fault.

“I was, until you crashed into me!” snapped the bird as it struggled to retain its posture. It appeared to be an eagle with navy and indigo feathers but the voice - particularly his accent - made it very easy for Gordon to identify.

“Vinnie?!” gasped Gordon. The eagle was indeed some version of the North-American engine from the Great Railway Show. He wasn’t too familiar with Vinnie, but he had heard enough from the other engines. Specifically Thomas and Phillip, who weren’t too fond of the bully.

The rude bird only responded with a wary eye, staring at Gordon.

“What are you?” demanded Vinnie. If he had asked ‘Who are you?’ instead of ‘What are you?’, Gordon wouldn’t be so offended. “What am I? Pardon me, but would you like it if I asked the same question in that tone? I would’ve said that you’re a brainless buffalo with those manners!”

“How dare you call me a brainless buffalo, you insect!” growled Vinnie - though Gordon wasn’t sure how birds could growl. The eagle’s shadow surrounded the tiny engine as Vinnie prepared to attack. “You’ll pay for that.”

Before Gordon could move, Vinnie was suddenly smacked away to the side, causing another embarrassing fall.

“Vinnie! How many times do I have to tell you to be nice?”

The creature that saved Gordon was an magenta elephant with floral decorations, which reminded him of another engine from the Great Railway Show.

“Ashima?”

The elephant smiled gently at Gordon, as if to calm down a frightened and shy animal. Gordon was more confused than frightened.

“Well, what’s your name little one?” Ashima asked politely. However, Gordon didn’t like being labeled ‘little’.

“My name is Gordon. And if you wish to know what I am, I’m a steam engine.” Gordon explained, so that there was no misunderstanding.

“A steam engine?” asked Vinnie, who was recovering from a hard fall, “You looked like a funny caterpillar to me. Why are you so small? And how did you hit me in the sky?”

Vinnie was going to make a further remark, but he saw Ashima raised her trunk as if she warning the bird to choose his words carefully, and he was wise enough to not say anymore.

“I’m actually very big in my real size,” explained Gordon, “Apparently, I shrink or grow depending on how much water I have in my boiler. And right now, my boiler is empty.”

“Ah, then I can help.” Ashima placed her trunk in a nearby lake to suck up the water. She then withdrew it and sprayed Gordon with water, being careful not to make the tiny engine fly away with too much force.

Gordon did not appreciate how his boiler had been filled, but grateful for the kind action; he remained silent.

Gordon’s boiler wasn’t very full, but he grew until he was half of Ashima’s height. He decided that his current size would have to do for now, but was glad that he was bigger than Vinnie. At least he could have some dignity. The eagle was not intimidated whatsoever.

“Well, we better hurry to the meeting.” said Ashima. “We’re not bringing him along, are we?” grumpily asked Vinnie. Gordon did not like that he was referred in such a grim tone.

“We might as well Vinnie. Flying Dodo might want to meet Gordon.” reasoned Ashima.

“Who?”

“Some flightless bird who’s somehow in charge of our meetings,” explained Vinnie, “If they had to pick a leader they should’ve chose me.”

‘I can see why they didn’t.’ thought Gordon. “If he can’t fly, why is he called ‘Flying Dodo’?”

“He’s actually very fast, surprisingly. He believes that he flies because of the wind rushing through his feathers, thus, he won’t respond to any other name except ‘Flying Dodo’.” Ashima answered.

When the three arrived to the supposed meeting, there were a number of animals who resembled competitors from the Great Railway Show.

Axel of Belgium was a lion with black fur and a red mane with yellow streaks.

Carlos of Mexico was a silver and black hawk.

Etienne appeared to be a blue rooster with a white and red crest.

Frieda, like Vinnie, was an eagle except that she had blue feathers that have a yellow tip at the ends.

Beside Frieda was a small green wolf, Gordon assumed that the wolf was Gina.

A huge, bulky bear with red and blue fur with white stripes seemed similar to the Russian engine, Ivan.

A peacock with blue feathers and white, orange and green tail was wearing a crown identical to Rajiv’s.

Raul of Brazil seemed to be another big cat - probably a Jaguar - with yellow, green and blue fur. The fur colour made it hard for Gordon to tell what exactly Raul was.

The Australian engine, Shane, was a gold and green emu - though Gordon expected him to be a kangaroo.

Yong Bao clearly stood out the most, he was a Chinese dragon with scales matching the colours of his paintwork.

A silver kestrel - who Gordon recognised as his cousin, Spencer - glared at him.

“Ashima, Vinnie, what have you brought here?” Spencer questioned with distaste. Gordon was not happy being referred as ‘what’ rather than ‘who’ again.

“I’m-” “I do not recall asking you to speak!” interrupted Spencer. He was as rude and pompous as Vinnie! Gordon wondered if the other engines saw Gordon as the screechy silver bird.

“Ignore Spencer, he always acts as if he’s in charge without Flying Dodo around,” pardoned Ashima, “He is a steam engine named Gordon. He changes size depending on how much water he has consumed. Vinnie and I found him while we were on our way here.”

“Though I suggested we abandoned him first.” muttered Vinnie. This did not escape Ashima’s ears.

“After I stopped you from attacking poor Gordon! He ran out of water and you tried to attack him whilst he was so small!”

This caused a commotion amongst the herd.

“Silence! What is all the fuss about?”

They all went silent as a new creature joins them. Gordon knew that voice immediately. “It can’t be him.”

The creature is revealed to be a vermillion dodo who strode in with such confidence that even Spencer and Vinnie had shut their beaks.

“Flying Scotsman?!” exclaimed Gordon. The dodo chuckled at Gordon’s shocked expression. “Flying ‘Dodo’, dear lad. A pleasure to meet you, little Gordon.”

Gordon was aware that the water in his boiler diminished by quite a lot, to the point he had shrunk down to be three quarters of Flying Dodo’s height. It had either been a long journey, or the water evaporated faster than usual.

“Excuse me, but I do not take being called ‘little’ very kindly.” “My apologies! And what’s this about Vinnie trying to attack our innocent friend?”

Vinnie straightened up. “He fell from the sky and the vile little thing crashed into me!”

“It was by accident! If I had control of my landing, I wouldn’t have crashed into you at all.” rebutted Gordon.

“He’s anything but innocent! He called me ‘bird-brain’! He’s guilty!” Vinnie claimed.

The members who had wings gasped at the word, ‘bird-brain’. Gordon was very certain he said ‘brainless buffalo’ instead.

“If anyone’s guilty, it’s you for attacking another animal,” scoffed Flying Dodo, Gordon decided to let the fact that he was not an animal to slide, “I made this very clear every meeting. ‘All animals are equal. All animals are our friends and allies. No animal should harm another on purpose.’”

“But let’s not forget that ‘Bird-brain’ is a very awful insult to those who have wings.” reminded Frieda. “Almost like a crime.” said Shane. “It is crime!” cried Rajiv. “A crime indeed!” added Carlos. “Hear, hear!” agreed Etienne.

‘The nerve of him!’ thought Gordon as he saw a hidden smile on Vinnie. ‘He’s trying to frame me for a crime I didn’t commit!’

“Is this true, Gordon?” queried the dodo, “If it is, I’m afraid we will have to punish those who commit crimes.”

“Actually, he didn’t,” interrupted Ashima, “Mind you that I have very good hearing and Gordon did not insult Vinnie with that horrid slur. But I did hear him say a ‘brainless bull’.”

“I think we could let that slide,” said Ivan. “Bulls aren’t very bright so that statement is true.”

“And by the looks of this, said statement was used as a line of defence.” spoke Axle.

“Which justifies the statement.” included Yong Bao.

“But Vinnie’s charges shouldn’t be dismissed.” uttered Raul.

“Time to announce the verdict, Flying Dodo.” responded Gina.

“Well then, by this testimony of Ashima the elephant, I announce Gordon the steam engine innocent and our new comrade. Vinnie the bald eagle, however, is found guilty of attacking another creature on purpose.” concluded Flying Dodo.

Spencer swooped in front of Flying Dodo and landed on Gordon’s funnel, much to his disdain.

“If I may Flying Dodo,” spoke the kestrel, “I’m afraid that Vinnie has some anger issues, thus he wasn’t in his right mind. The proper solution is to help him control his temper and in order to do that, you need to pardon him first.”

“It seems that you’re right,” agreed Flying Dodo, “By this testimony of Spencer the kestrel, Vinnie the bald eagle is pardoned.”

The rest rolled their eyes and sighed as if this had happened frequently. Gordon could see that Vinnie and Spencer were partners in crime, easily fooling the dodo who wasn’t a smart creature.

“Well, that’s settled. Back to the agenda-” Gordon blew his whistle, frightening Spencer as he cried in shock and fluttered off Gordon’s funnel. “Whoops! Forgot you were sitting there, Spencer.” Everyone but Vinnie and Spencer laughed at the embarrassed silver kestrel who haughtily walked on the ground. “Forgotten, my tail feathers.” Spencer mumbled angrily.

“Anyways, time to make a note of those who aren’t present today,” said Flying Dodo,

“Shankar the tiger.” “He sends his apologies but he has to help take care of the cubs with Noor Jehan.” replied Rajiv.

“Tamika the Koala.” “She’s had a rough day so I decided to let her sleep in. She’s nocturnal after all.” spoke Shane. “Aubrey and Aiden the wallabies and Isla the cockatoo couldn’t make either.”

“Hong Mei the Ibis.” “Hong Mei, Lei the crane, An An and Yin-Long the pandas were slowed down by a recent storm. They send their regards.” reported Yong Bao.

“And I of course have come in the place of Beau the Bison.” said Vinnie.

“The last animal who isn’t present is Hiro the pheasant.” “We haven’t heard anything from him,” answered Ashima.

“He’s probably hanging around with that old barn owl in the forest,” muttered Spencer, “This owl himself prefers to not come at all. Vinnie and I barely got his name because of his silly mind games and riddles, only Hiro was able to coax him out. Though we almost never see him outside of the forest.”

“Very well,” continued the dodo, “This weather has been very odd lately, it has rained longer than usual and we’re all still dripping with water.”

Gordon knew that the ‘odd weather’ was from his own doing but remained quiet.

“We’ll have to come up with something to dry ourselves. And no Rajiv, you won’t be reciting that long poem about the crown on your head for us to hear until we’re dry. We all know how you found it.”

The peacock slumped sadly.

“How did he find that crown?” Gordon whispered to Ashima. “He got caught by some thieves but escaped with the crown and he calls that poem ‘The Grand and Wide Tale’ which was named after his own tail.”

“I’ve got it!” announced Flying Dodo, “We’ll have a caucus race! This will definitely help us dry ourselves. And there will be a prize for the winner!”

The interests of the herd had perked up, especially Gordon. In no time at all, everyone was waiting behind the line until the caucus race started. Though, Gordon had no idea what the dodo meant by a ‘caucus’ race. Gordon heard the word once when he overheard a conversation about politics once but what did it have to do with races, he wondered.

Thankfully, Ashima filled more water into his boiler so that he was big enough to race, slightly smaller than his original height but it would have to do. Racing was a part of Gordon’s interests, he did admit that he liked to show off once in a while. Obviously, Spencer and Vinnie would be trying to beat Gordon at his own game, as he could tell from the glares they shot him.

“Ready, set, go!” cried Flying Dodo. On cue, Gordon chuffed as fast as he can, building up on speed. He was half-way to the finish line and didn’t see any other racers come past him.

“This is such an easy race!” Gordon muttered under his breath. But then he saw the progress of the others.

Some were jogging, a few were simply prancing about while chatting and the rest hadn’t even crossed the line yet! They were all going at whatever pace and went whenever they fancied, as if they didn’t care much about getting first place. Flying Dodo was riding upon Ashima’s back and she didn’t even mind. “The wind is flowing through my feathers,” he spoke to Ashima, “I’m flying!” “Yes you are, I can easily see that.” agreed Ashima, who was too kind to point out the truth.

“What on earth…” Gordon was stunned at the sight and slowed down due to the lack of competition in this race. “Maybe this is what he meant by a ‘caucus’ race.” The engine mumbled.

Taking Gordon by surprise, a blur of blue and silver rushed passed him. “See you at the finish line, insect.” mocked Vinnie while Spencer chortled like an entitled, wealthy snob. Gordon had seen many ‘snobs’ in his younger years, ignoring the fact that he used to act like one when he was much younger.

Vinnie’s insult brought Gordon’s attention to his own size, he was shrinking so much. “I must have used a lot of water! I can’t let them win but refilling my boiler will take too much time. When my water runs out, I’ll be too slow!” Coincidentally, Ashima and Flying Dodo were by Gordon’s side, aware of his dilemma. “You can always catch a ride with us.” suggested Ashima. “A wonderful idea! Climb aboard Gordon! You can fly with me!” added Flying Dodo.

Gordon had concocted a plan to beat the two birds at their own game.

“Fly… Ashima, grab me with your trunk and throw me towards the finish line as far and as hard as you can.”

The pink elephant was puzzled but complied. “Are you sure about this? You might get hurt.” “I can take it. I have my safety valve on.” Gordon reassured, knowing that neither of them knew what a safety valve was really for.

“If he has a safety thingy, I’ll allow it.” announced the dodo.

Ashima swung her trunk back and forth to create momentum. With an underarm, or rather undertrunk throw, Gordon was launched high up in the air but not too high. As he zoomed past Spencer and Vinnie, they both lost their coordination for a bit from shock. “Flying steam-engine, coming through!” he shouted with a smile. The two birds flew faster with determination to defeat the engine at the race. “I’m not losing to you a second time, insect.” grumbled Vinnie.

Gordon lost his smug grin as he forgot one part of the plan, the landing. As his body was directed towards the finish line and the ground, Gordon began to regretted his decision and closed his eyes for certain impact. He would for sure shatter in shards like he thought before, or even dig into the earth and be stuck there for the rest of his life! Again, the engine in peril exaggerated his thoughts of his demise.

Spencer flew closer to the ground in hopes of crossing the line first. “I’ll show that shrinking engine-thing who’s better.” he vowed.

“I, Gordon the not-so-big-at-the-moment engine, will leave my express to-” Gordon’s rushed will was interrupted by another familiar landing on feathers. He bounced off and made it across the line safely. The bird that he landed on this time was Spencer, who had unfortunately tumbled the rest of the way after Gordon, followed by Vinnie and the rest of the animals.

They were all waiting for Flying Dodo to announce the winner and the promised prize, especially Gordon who had won first place despite Spencer was moaning how he crossed it first until Gordon made him face-plant.

“I now declare that the winner is…” Flying Dodo made a dramatic pause to the surprise of no one.

“Everyone!”

“What?!” exclaimed Gordon and Spencer in sync. “Everyone’s a winner in their own way.” explained the dodo. The rest aside from Vinnie and Spencer agreed with smiles and congratulating each other. Gordon joined in reluctantly.

“So I literally threw myself to cross the line first for nothing.” “Technically Ashima threw you but it wasn’t for nothing,” Flying Dodo grinned as if he had another position to give, “Since you came first, you can give out the prizes!”

Spencer smirked at Gordon’s nervous expression. “Good luck with that.”

After a minute of mumbling and thinking, Gordon finally spoke.

“As the one who has no gifts or trinkets to give away, I have something better for your rewards. I will grant each of you a title to your name.”

“What good are those titles? What’s wrong with our names?” rudely asked a disappointed Vinnie.

“Having a little object would probably rot or rust away, a title lasts forever.” answered Gordon, satisfied as the rest of the animals agreed with him.

“Ashima, I grant thee the title of ‘Ashima the Kind and Helpful’.”

“Axel, I grant thee the title of ‘Axel the Calmly-Collected’.”

“Carlos, I grant thee the title of ‘Carlos the Happy-Hearted’.”

“Etienne, I grant thee the title of ‘Etienne the Polite and Mature’.”

“Frieda, I grant thee the title of ‘Frieda the Confidently-Strong’.”

“Gina, I grant thee the title of ‘Gina the Sweetly-Swift’.”

“Ivan, I grant thee the title of ‘Ivan the Comedic and Friendly’.”

“Rajiv, I grant thee the title of ‘Rajiv the Beautifully-Caring’.”

“Raul, I grant thee the title of ‘Raul the Spiritedly-Eager’.”

“Shane, I grant thee the title of ‘Shane the Devoted and Carefree’.”

“Yong Bao, I grant thee the title of “Yong Bao the Faithfully-Inspiring’.”

Honestly, Gordon mimicked how the Queen would give someone knighthood, thus he used ‘thee’ instead of ‘you’. He also created the titles based on what he knew about them from the Great Railway Show. He hesitated at giving Spencer and Vinnie’s title, unsure what to give them without offending them in any way.

“Spencer… I grant thee the title of ‘Spencer the Proudly-Egotistic’. Egotistic is a special word for very confident.” Spencer didn’t seem to be offended at all and accepted it. Thankfully for Gordon, Spencer bought into his definition of ‘egotistic’.

“And Vinnie… I grant thee the title of ‘Vinnie the Competitively-Speedy’.”

Vinnie had also accepted his title, but Gordon glimpsed a small smile on his face. Evidently, Vinnie would not have fallen for such a trick.

“What title should I have?” asked Flying Dodo. “I do like my title now.”

“What about we just add something to it?” suggested Gordon, “How about…”

Gordon thought about his own brother, “ ‘Flying Dodo the Grandly-Optimistic Leader’?”

“I like that title very much!” agreed the dodo.

“Flying Dodo, I grant thee the title of ‘Flying Dodo the Grandly-Optimistic Leader’.”

“What title should Gordon have?” Ashima (the Kind and Helpful) wondered. “We’ll give him his title.” Shane (the Devoted and Carefree) proposed.

All the animals, excluding Spencer (the Proudly-Egotistic) and Vinnie (the Competitively-Speedy) who both just remained silent, cheered in agreement.

They all huddled up to discuss the title for Gordon. When they dispersed, Flying Dodo (the Grandly-Optimistic Leader) puffed his feathers with pride.

“Gordon, we, the animals of this meeting grant thee the title, ‘Gordon the Greatly-Wonderful Steam-Engine’!”

After hearing his title, Gordon felt a spark of a rare emotion. He didn’t recall the emotion’s name, but he liked it. He felt thankful. He felt like his fictional heart - fictional because engines don’t have physical hearts - had warmed up.

“My, thank you.” Gordon was basically speechless.

“You’re welcome.” Frieda (the Confidently-Strong) replied.

“I think I can declare this meeting dismissed.” Flying Dodo (the Grandly-Optimistic Leader) announced.

Gordon then remembered why he was caught in this mess.

“Excuse me, Ashima. Do you know Per- I mean, a rabbit?” Gordon stopped himself from saying ‘Percy’ in case that wasn’t his name in this world, or the name of someone else Ashima knows.

“A rabbit? I know a lot of rabbits, but none of them come to the meetings. Could you be more specific.”

“Well, he’s not completely a rabbit. He’s an engine like me but a bit shorter and he lacks a tender. He’s green but was more gold and red the last I saw him and had ears and a tail of a rabbit. He moves quite quickly.”

“Strange… I did see a green creature rushing towards that way when I went to the meeting. Perhaps that’s the ‘rabbit’ you seek.” Ashima answered, pointing her trunk to a path that disappeared into a forest.

Before Gordon left, Ashima filled his boiler until he was about his normal size, slightly bigger to be exact.

“Thank you Ashima. Goodbye!” “Farewell Gordon! Good luck!” Ashima called after Gordon chuffed his way into the forest, following the dirt path beneath him.

Authors note:

The caucus race isn’t really highlighted in the Disney film, however, I couldn’t leave behind the concept of a race where everyone went at whatever speed and whenever they like.

Thanks for @mystarsignisno for editing this chapter!

[sinceileftyoublog]

Big Ears Festival 2019: 3/21-3/24

BY JORDAN MAINZER

While it’s easy every year to spot patterns among the Big Ears Festival lineup, the fest is one equally unconcerned with trends/scenes or purism and instead fascinated with rediscovering and redefining canon. Across the worlds of experimental/ambient music, jazz, and folk, the curators aim to spotlight both those with impressive CVs and ones taking advantage of their newly acquired musical platform. As I wrote last year, you can become as much of a festival curator, too, something that wouldn’t be possible if all of the performing artists didn’t have an equal seat at the table. 

But it’s not just that the festival is diverse in terms of genre, gender, and race. It’s that the sets--diverse within themselves--are born of organic collaboration. You could camp out to see various performances celebrating 50 years of ECM Records, about as established in the world of music as you can get; minutes away, you could catch someone like Lonnie Holley (who has been releasing music only for this decade) perform a one-time collaborative set with half of Fugazi. Perhaps a Big Ears Festival isn’t what it is for you without witnessing the artistic marvels of seemingly perennial participants like folk heroes Rhiannon Giddens, Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck, and Rachel Grimes, or Knoxville music organization Nief-Norf. If that’s the case for you, they’re thankfully hard to avoid, unless for some reason you’re averse to simultaneously seeing them play with legends like Richard Thompson, Bill Frisell, and Harold Budd or contemporary genre defying masters like Mary Lattimore.

Rhiannon Giddens and friends busk in Market Square

As for this year, most sets had some elements of drone, if not deep listening, some more explicit than others. Alvin Lucier performed twice throughout the fest, joined both times by Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi and once by Joan La Barbara. Budd was featured three times--I caught his set with Nief-Norf and Lattimore, which started with minutes of ambient gong playing and eventually seeped its way into the crevices of the cathedral. Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, who just released an album together called The Transitory Poems, dueled on piano in the dark Tennessee Theatre, fast-paced, anxious, and monotone with some occasional typical flowery playing from Iyer. Rafiq Bhatia’s performance of his Broken English album combined his drone guitar picking with rolling drums and bass/synth and visuals, its peaks and valleys exuding the most exciting elements of post rock. This Is Not This Heat perhaps provided the most exhausting, exhilarating performance of the entire weekend. Multiple drummers, three-part chanted, breathy harmonies, woodwind shoved right into the microphone--it was the type of set that transformed you physically as much as mentally, probably the most at the festival since Swans in 2015.

Rafiq Bhatia performs Broken English

Charles Hayward of This Is Not This Heat

Experimental elements delved into even the ECM sets. Frisell and upright bassist Thomas Morgan toed the line between minimal and sterile, succeeding most when their songs felt like short sonic experiments. (The two have a great album out on ECM next month, Epistrophy, recorded at the Village Vanguard in NYC.) One of the surprise standouts of the entire weekend was the Mathias Eick Quintet. The Norwegian trumpeter created tones that were soft, somber, evocative, and weepy, a refuge from the rest of the band’s noise, and his rarely used singing voice was truly haunting, especially when harmonizing with violin. (It didn’t hurt that Eick was beaming on stage, grateful to be there and follow up Frisell, one of his idols.)

Mathias Eick Quintet

Mercury Rev

Normally, this experimental spirit pervades the entire lineup, so I was a bit surprised to see that two of the festivals headliners were full-on rock bands, even if ones pushing the boundaries of pop with their grand ambitions. You can’t deny that Mercury Rev and Spiritualized are gloriously uncool and maybe even a little corny, but their strict adherence to their artistic visions made their sets highlights of the weekend. To call Mercury Rev singer Jonathan Donahue “theatrical” is the understatement of the century; his Wayne Coyne-meets-Daniel Rossen coo is bested only by his miming of conducting an orchestra. The band provides instrumental fodder--half Wonka-esque chamber pop, half psychedelic glory--for Donahue’s sense of wonderment. Of course, the set was heavy on Deserter’s Songs, their opus that permanently shifted their aesthetic for the dreamier, and probably a good thing considering their more Big Ears-y album was their underwhelming latest, a Bobbie Gentry covers record. 

Jason Pierce of Spiritualized

As for Spiritualized, they’re touring off of a great new record, And Nothing Hurt, and they presented it in full during the latter half of the set. Jason Pierce sat perched on a chair for the entire set, donning sunglasses and reading off of a lyrics sheet. The hope that pervades the new record was actually bested by the song choices for the set’s older songs: “Hold On”, the glorious “Come Together”, early 90′s gem “Shine A Light”, the yearning “Stay With Me”, “Soul on Fire”, and the happiest version of Ladies and Gentlemen weeper “Broken Heart” you’ve ever heard, saddled with doo wop harmonies from the backup singers. Sure, the band delved into some noisy interludes and a strobe freakout during “On the Sunshine”, but for the most part, this was the new Spiritualized, pleasant slumbers and all.

Sons of Kemet

But to call Big Ears a festival for the mind and for the sheer listener is reductive; mobile music reigned supreme just as much as still vibrations. Perhaps this was perplexing to a crowd that tends to be older and very, very patient. A jazz fan I spoke to was perplexed by the currently thriving South London jazz scene, two of its brightest, Shabaka Hutchings-containing stars, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, providing two of the most stimulating sets of the festival. The former’s combination of saxophone, tuba, and drums times two yielded a set that slows down only when the audience--not even the band--physically needed to do so, their latest album Your Queen Is A Reptile one of the most vital jazz records in recent memory. Yes, it’s also that neither Kemet nor Comet are jazz purists (more like rock-adjacent and jazz-inspired) that might have otherwise overwhelmed the ECM crowd, but by the end of both sets, even casual onlookers were hooked. The latter’s combination of King Shabaka’s saxophone, sort of hype man Dan Leavers (Danalogue) on Roland keyboards, and Max Hallett (Betamax) on drums was more primal despite their sound more electronic and space-themed, incorporating aspects of ambient techno into their funk jazz. Their latest record Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery has established them and especially Hutchings as major players in the global scene, if they weren’t already.

Junius Paul (left) plays bass for Makaya McCraven’s (right) set

The Chicago area brought a couple scene-specific acts to the festival, though one was certainly more niche: Jlin’s pseudo-footwork was an admirable retrospective of her now untouchable three-album discography (though I’d love to see Big Ears book a collection of footwork producers). And Makaya McCraven, whose Universal Beings was a relatively global album (despite what he says) offered a blissful, nimble set of slow-burning grooves from that record and Highly Rare, with a band that included bassist Junius Paul and guitarist Jeff Parker of Tortoise.

Overall, what made Big Ears Festival special this year is what makes it special every year: that any one person can come away with an experience 180 degrees from another person. But that’s increasingly happening because the festival refuses to be pigeonholed into one realm of experimental music, sometimes acknowledging that you don’t have to be experimental at all.

[timotheetea]

Could you write a post "50 unusual facts about Timmy"?

Don’t know how ‘unusual’ these are, but here’s 50 facts/quotes:1. “To love someone is to become them, and that love is an act of empathy, and that to take on your [lover’s] name in an expression of love is to totally reveal yourself as a human being and to offer yourself as a compassionate lover and friend.” 2. “(Happiness is) that feeling of flow. I think you can accomplish flow doing anything, it can be stapling papers, it can be playing sport, it can be the way you drive a car. If you can achieve that kind of ow where it becomes mindless, sensory and instinctive – that’s happiness.” 3. He grew up in hell’s kitchen, Manhattan, 43th and ninth, in a 33-floor high-rise so close to the clouds that ”it felt like we were literally floating in the sky”. & “I grew up in this melting-pot of cultures in the 33th floor of a tower floating above the sky, and I felt like it let me be free to find myself.”4. Favourite actor: mainly he mentions Joaquin Phoenix, but one time he said it was Louis de Funès. 5. “This is the dream, to be at the forefront of any film… I get to be a part of something that is beyond any sort of acclaim, affecting people on a visceral level when they see it, or at least some members.”6. What does love feel like to you? “The definition changes by the day, and what I can think of today as far as what love is to me would be having the security to receive warmth.” 7. “I was in college for a little bit and it felt like a clear decision to not [finish]; it was scary because I didn’t want to rob myself of growing as a human. But it’s been the exact opposite: going from set to set, working with creative, open people, having mentors rooting for you. There’s education within that, I guess.”8. His father’s side of the family is from La Chambon-sur-Lignon and saint-Agréve in France 9. “I want to pursue other things creatively, not so much music, but definitely writing and directing. I’m going to be very, very patient about that. The dream as an actor is to be economically self-sustainable and what this year has been is beyond that now. I’m getting a creative license of sorts.” 10. How did your parents meet? “My father, who’s French, was on a business trip in New York for Le Parisien. He’s a journalist, who now works for the United Nations. My mom was a dancer, now she’s in the real estate business. I can’t tell if my sister and I feel more French or American. I stayed in New York while she’s been living in Paris for quite some time. I spent every summer in France until I was 15 years old, but New York is my home.”11. What do you read in your spare time, do you prefer essays or literature? “Literature. I’m currently obsessed with Russian authors. Tolstoj, but also Dostoevskij. Crime and Punishment is a gut punch.” Also he said he’s read Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Homer, and Lord Byron, books mentioned in Prodigal Son. About reading: “Maybe the deep narratives that comprise most books are really daunting.” 12. He’s really good at improv 13. Timothée Chalamet’s high-school drama teacher Mr. Shifman on the naturalism of his acting: “He just happened to come to my room for the callback audition, and I remember his audition because I gave him the highest score I’ve ever given a kid auditioning.” 14. He mentioned James White as his favourite film. 15. He watched interstellar 12 times.16. Blue Valentine is his favourite romantic film. 17. “I saw The Dark Knight when I was thirteen, before I applied for LaGuardia, and Heath Ledger made me want to act” in another interview: “When I was 12 years old I petitioned my mom and grandma to see Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight with me. I left that theatre a changed man. Heath Ledger’s performance in that film was visceral and viral to me. And I now had the acting bug.”18. His favourite reality tv show is I love New York 19. He said La La Land was so inspiring, it felt like an ode to his grandma’s life. 20. He wanted to be a famous footballer growing up. “I am French, after all.” & “I was a coach at a soccer camp in France. I coached 6 to 10-year-olds when I was around 13. I was good at it, but the pay was not acting money.” 21. Up until he was 15 he went to France in the summers to visit his father’s side of the family. 22. His sister Pauline is 26. 23. His great great grandparents were jewish immigrants who were fleeing prosecution. 24. His mom once called their family a ‘nuclear family’. 25. He’s got a turtle named ertle. 26. His parents have been married 32 years - I believe their anniversary is on October 13th. 27. His grandfather is Harold Flender, who wrote Rescue in Denmark28. He went to the elementary school ps87 29. He went to J.H.S. 54 Brooker T. Washington on the upper west side which he called a “miserable, miserable 3 years” 30. His old roommates were Giullian Gioiello and Kristina Reyes 31. He once said about his high school LaGuardia: “Truthfully I went because I thought there’d be less academic work!” 32. “I naturally have a me-against-the-world mentality and I’ve been fighting it since I was 13. It’s felt like it’s only gotten me in lonely, angry places.”33. He studied Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University. He said about Columbia: “I felt like I was another product on the factory line.“ 34. He used to live in the Bronx on the Grand Concourse 35. “Fourteen was the worst year of my life. Sixteen was the worst year of my life. Seventeen, 18 and 19 were pretty bad, too, but 15 was excellent for me. I know what the “special, beautiful room in hell” means. It just speaks to John’s genius in seeing the world through the eyes of this age.” 36. “LaGuardia was my Thomas More in that I was surrounded by kids like me who were outgoing and obnoxious and needed a ton of attention.” 37. Did you have support from your parents, Timothée? “Oh yeah, I’ve been very lucky. One article [about Prodigal Son] started by saying that I had a “challenging upbringing in Hell’s Kitchen,” and my mom was incensed. She said, “What are you talking about? You had babysitters!” But we all have our issues. Whatever genetic loading I had put me through trials and tribulations I almost didn’t make it to the other side of, but I’m here now. I wouldn’t be able to do a play like [Podrigal Son] without having gone through that.” 38. “The most humbling part of these experiences is realizing how ladder-oriented it is,” he said. “And that’s only fair. It’s a testament to gatekeeping, I guess, and you do have to earn your stripes.”39. “Columbia takes a wholehearted academic commitment that I think I have in me, but it was just not where my mind was at the time.” 40. About Prodigal Son: “It’s been kicking my ass, but in the best way possible,” he says of the run, with its eight- and even nine-show weeks. “There are some days when I go home, especially during the rehearsal process, and I’m like, ‘Wow, this is really hard,’ but the lower the lows, the higher the highs. When I have those days where I feel like everything clicks, it’s the most exceptional feeling in the world. The ups and downs are crazy, but it feels like every muscle is being used on stage.” & “I have to get up on the nights when I feel like I don’t have it in me and find a way to wrench it out of me and get through the nights when it feels amazing. The story is so emotional and it hits so close to home. I was living in the Bronx last year and I was losing my mind, and I get to exercise those demons every night.”41. “I’ve always had that smaller guy’s mentality, and I fought my entire life and tried to assimilate more, but [acting in Prodigal Son] is like a mental exercise that I get to be this guy and people are watching. I feel like it serves a purpose and my me-vs.-the-world mentality is not just dragging me down like I usually feel. In fact, it’s being put to some good use.”42. “I’m going to enjoy every second of this—it sounds cheesy, but I think of myself as an actor third, an artist second, and a fan first,” he said. “But I have genuine fear of having the inability to replicate this moment again.”43. Similarities with Elio: “An openness to life—to the universe, a yearning for deep experiences, hopefully.”43. “New York in the summer is my favorite time of the year; there’s something special about it.”44. About borrowing Call Me By Your Name (the book) at a college library: “I didn’t give it back for a year and I had a fine of $100, so before this movie gave me a career it took money from me.”45. “When you’re suffering, or grieving, the only thing you can control or protect yourself from is the added layer of shame, beating yourself up over heartbreak, or forbidding yourself the pain.”46. “No sexuality, just love.”47. Do you have a secret party trick?“A capacity for self-loathing.”48. He auditioned for Spider Pan, “I read twice and I left sweating in a total panic.”49. “Now that my foot is in the door, I’m locked and loaded. I’m focused.” 50. “The villain in Call Me by Your Name is the tragedy of love—what seems to be part of the deal you sign with someone when you experience an amazing time with them.” 

[marvelsmagic]

Secrets- Tom Holland

Pairing : Prince!Tom x Princess!reader

Summary: Princess Y/N is 21 years of age this year. According to tradition, she must choose a suitor by the end of the year. When eight suitors show up to the palace, she must find the one to give her heart. Will she find love among all the politics and affairs of state?

Warnings: language maybe, love triangle oops, might be some sexual themes later on

Words: 2988

Song: Beethoven’s 5 Secrets - The Piano Guys

AN: I’m so overwhelmed by all the love and support I received on Light, my first ever fanfic. You guys really are the best. I’m thinking Secrets will be a series. If you want a second part, let me know!! I took inspiration from the Selection series, Reign, The Swan Princess, and a ton of other things, so I’m really proud of how all the ideas and concepts work together.

Disclaimer: Please do not copy my work! I worked hard on this and I really am proud of it. I own all of the original characters, but none of the real-life people who appear.

13 years ago - March

Spring was blooming all about the castle. Flowers decorated every available surface. Servants and guards scurried about, trying to finish up their assigned tasks before the celebration began. In the Great Hall, pastries were strewn across tables, every size and color. The windows were open wide with long flowing blue and silver drapery hanging from them. The palace seemed to take a breath of the fresh spring air.

A string quartet sat in the corner, practicing for the occasion. The sounds of laughter and music filled the air. The maids sat in the corner, sewing their ladies gowns and gossiping about the guards who were training outside in the courtyard.

It was the Spring Equinox Celebration, put on every year by King and Queen Y/L/N. It was meant to celebrate the end of a harsh winter and the promise of a fruitful harvest season. Each year, the King and Queen would invite all their friends and family to the grand event. All of the most eligible families in Westport would come, including the nobles and knights. Even royalty from other kingdoms would come to join in on the celebration.

This year, as in years past, the King and Queen invited the royal family from a small neighboring Kingdom called Mirea to come to the celebration. They hoped that an alliance could be formed, as well as specific trade regulations to benefit both kingdoms.

The leaders of Mirea were King and Queen Holland. Their entire family had been invited to the celebration. Queen Holland had stayed behind in Mirea, as she was with child and did not want to risk travel with a baby on the way. However, King Holland was attending and there were rumors floating throughout the castle saying he was bringing his three eldest sons along with him.

This was big news in the Kingdom, as young Princess Y/N had just turned 8. King Y/L/N had been searching for potential suitors for his daughter for a few years now, hoping that her marriage would provide stability in the country and ultimately bring peace throughout the land.

All he hoped was that his little girl would find love despite all the politics and affairs of state. Hopefully, she could find a way to have both.

Present Day - March

“I cannot... believe… you are…. forcing me to do.... this,” I spoke softly to my mother. She was pulling on the strings of my corset and it was getting difficult to breathe.

“Hold still, Y/N,” my mother scolded me gently, “I am almost done.”

That was enough to quiet me. It was hard to disobey a mother who was always the epitome of grace and elegance. Being regal came so easily to her. I had no such luck. My hair always stood up every which way. I hated wearing corsets. I would much rather be riding my horse than attending a banquet, anyways. I sometimes think I was never meant to be a princess.

“There,” she said, tying up the last piece of my corset. I turned to look at her.

“Y/N, I am not forcing you to do this,” my mother stated for the tenth time that day, “It is tradition that the princess meets all of her suitors on the day before the Spring Equinox celebration. You’re twenty one years of age this year. Tradition says you must choose your future husband before the year runs out.” She sighed at the end, clearly bored with having to repeat herself so much.

I already knew this information, but I hoped that if I kept complaining she would eventually change her mind. It was hopeless but I hoped regardless.

“But mother, I do not even know any of the suitors,” I complained, “How am I expected to find love with a complete stranger?” My mother gave me a quick look of disappointment.

“I found love with your father. You forget that we are not so different, Y/N,” my mother stated.

She turned me around so we were both facing the mirror. I studied her face carefully, and then my own. We had the same eyes, the same mouth curled up into a half smile. We were around the same height with a similar build. I had my father’s nose and eyes. “If your father and I found love, it is possible for you, too. Please tell me you will try. Please tell me that you will at least give it a chance,” my mother said. I could see the pleading in her eyes. This was important for her and my father, and for the kingdom.

I sighed. “I will try my best mother,” I said in a defeated tone. After seeing her look of sadness, I added a smile. It seemed to make her feel better.

My mother smirked, a facial expression that is far too rare on her in my opinion. She winked at me and said, “Besides, not all of the suitors are strangers. We cannot forget about our dear Prince Thomas from Mirea. The news of his departure is running rampant through the castle.” She was laughing at me.

My cheeks burned. I had not seen Prince Thomas in years. We had been childhood playmates. Every Spring Equinox for years, Thomas and his brothers had come to the castle during the celebration. Naturally, Thomas and I hit it off and became fast friends. We got into a fair amount of trouble. I remember the lecture I had received from my mother the year that Thomas and I ended up drenched in water and mud, when he dared me to hop in the fountain with him. I smiled at the memory. It had been so many years ago.

However, now that Thomas was heir and learning his trade from his father, his family had not been to the castle in years. He still wrote occasionally though.

“Mother, Thomas and I are friends, nothing more,” I stated while rolling my eyes. It was a habit that my mother was not fond of. It was un-lady-like or something according to my etiquette teacher, Ms. Catalia. I had never excelled in etiquette class, which did not surprise anyone who knew me well. “Besides, I would bet that he only is coming to be a suitor out of politeness or obligation, not love.”

My mother moved closer to me. She kissed me gently on the forehead.

“My dearest, you have much to learn,” my mom said with a smile, “I will send in Henrietta to assist you in getting ready for the Arrival Ceremony. Just remember, things have a funny way of working out. I am proud of you no matter what.”

“Thank you, mama. I love you,” I said. Tears were forming in my eyes against my will.

“I love you more, dear,” she said as she was leaving the room. I sighed when I heard the door close. I stood close to the mirror, examining myself one last time.

“You can do this,” I whispered to myself. I don’t think even my reflection believed me.

A knock sounded at the door just as Henrietta was helping me into my shoes. I despised the silver heels, but unfortunately it was mandatory in the princess handbook.

Henrietta opened the door and curtsied deeply as my mother and father walked into my room. I stood from my seat at the vanity and twirled, giving them a good look at Henrietta’s hard work. I was wearing a deep royal blue gown that shimmered in the light with long lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. My hair was in delicate curls down my back, and my makeup was fresh but still stunning. My tiara sparkled in the sunlight, casting prisms across the room. I could honestly say I had never felt prettier.

I could see my parents approved. It made me feel better to know that I wasn’t letting them down.

“It’s time,” my father said. He seemed nostalgic as he looked at my mother lovingly. I couldn’t help the touch of jealousy that I felt. How could two people be so lucky to find love in a world of policies and protocol?

As we walked to the entrance where my suitors awaited me, I could not contain my nervousness. My palms were sweating and my heart felt like it was going to explode. My stomach seemed to contain a thousand butterflies as I got closer and closer to the rest of my future.

We stepped in front of the great oak door. Just beyond this door was awaiting a variety of suitors, from the most eligible families in the entire land. Suitors who chose to be here. Suitors all waiting for me.

I visibly gulped. My mother, sensing my distress, came to my side.

“Now, there is nothing to be worried about,” she cooed while fixing the side of my dress, “You will stay here and the suitors will come through one by one. I believe they counted around eight.  There were many more, but we decided to keep the number small for safety reasons. Keep each interaction fairly short, just a minute or two. Do not forget to thank them for being here and remember to smile. You are happy they are here, remember?” She nodded at me and made sure I understood what she was saying.

I nodded. Here we go.

The doors opened and my suitors approached.

My first suitor was Harold Direman, the son of a noble family from Northport. I had never met him but I had heard many stories. Nasty stories that should never be repeated. The maids would gossip about him and all of his nasty deeds. I prayed internally that my exposure to him during this experience would be limited.

“Your Highness,” he said as he took my hand and kissed it. His lips lingered on my hand far longer than necessary. The way he looked up and down my body was enough for me to know I would not be marrying Harold Direman. He seemed unable to meet my eye and much too focused on my chest.

Politely, I responded, “Thank you for coming, my Lord Duke. I hope that your travels were not too uncomfortable. I hope you can find comfort and rest in our home and enjoy all that Westport has to offer.”

I could see him eyeing me up and down, clearly undressing me in his head. This was making me so uncomfortable. He responded with a wink and a simple, “I plan on enjoying all that Westport has to offer, Your Highness.”

As he walked away, a shiver went up my spine. If all of the suitors acted this way, I would never stay sane. I caught my mother’s eye. She seemed uncomfortable, too. She sent an apologetic look my way.

The next suitors were rather nice though, which made me feel better about the whole experience. Duke Alex George from Kiere and Frederick Port from a noble family in Westport. Alex seemed nice enough, although shy. Frederick enjoyed riding, so at least we have that in common. I breathe in and out, trying to calm myself.

Three down, Five to go.

Prince Javan from Archania seemed kind and was quite handsome, although I had somewhat of a hard time understanding him through his accent. I would definitely have to read about Archanian culture. It seemed very interesting.

I was starting to feel dizzy with all of the pressure.

Another suitor walked up to me. A beautiful blonde boy with the bluest eyes you have ever seen. I had heard of him before. His name was Prince Michael Whitson from South Harbor. My mother said he had all the makings of a fine king.

I curtsied and addressed him formally, “Your majesty, thank you so much for making the trip. I hope it went well?”

“Very well, actually. I quite enjoyed the countryside. It’s my first time in Westport. I had no idea it was so beautiful,” he said. His voice was rather pleasant, almost as if he were singing. He chuckled lightly. My cheeks flushed red. His eyes pierced me as he looked directly in my eyes. My eyes seemed unable to focus on anything but those eyes.

“I’m glad you enjoyed,” I said warmly with a smile, “I will have to take you sightseeing sometime during your stay. We have many beautiful sights to pick from.”

“It seems to me that everything in Westport is beautiful,” Michael says softly looking directly at me. His blue eyes seem to look beyond me, almost into my soul, but strangely enough I am not uncomfortable. My stomach flutters as I blush and look away.

“Well, I hope that you enjoy the Celebration. Westport welcomes you,” I say, still blushing from his flirtatious words earlier.

“Thank you, my princess,” he says graciously as he walks away. I watch him as he goes. My heart is pounding. Maybe this suitor system isn’t as bad as it appears.

I sigh. 5 down, 3 to go.

Next up walks James Katton, an earl from a newer kingdom I have never even heard of, even from many years of geography lessons. I can tell that he spends a lot of time in the sun. His skin is the color of caramel, and his hair is a dusty brown. He seems nice enough and he enjoys reading. My mother always said I needed to marry a scholar, a man who could keep me in check.

I had an interesting interaction with Duke Cal Robertson of Mirea. He only spoke two words to me the entire time. He said a quick “Thank you” and walked through the door. I would be offended but I believe he may just be awkward by nature. I catch my mother’s eye and plead with my eyes. She chuckles into her fan and looks away quickly.

1 to go.

When I see the next suitor approaching, my heart nearly stops. Could this man be my Thomas from so many years ago?

He is much taller than me, and he has gotten strong. I can see the layer of muscle underneath his suit, which is fitted to his body perfectly. My breathing hitches in my throat. His jawline is very sharp, and the angles and bones on his face could not be more perfect. His hair has become curly, poking out in certain places despite all of the effort I’m sure went in to styling it. He looks at me with big warm brown eyes. Yes, that’s my Thomas. Suddenly, it is just him and I, and the rest of the world vanishes.

He walks up to me, a smile playing on the edge of his lips.

“Princess Y/N,” he addresses me with a deep bow. His voice has gotten so much deeper, and it sounds as though it has been dipped in honey. Suddenly, my ears have a new favorite sound. His eyes glint mischievously making me blush.

“Prince Thomas,” I reply with a smile and a curtsy. He takes a look at me, gazing at me in a way that makes my heart pound.

“Looks like I finally caught up to your height,” he said with a hint of a laugh. As children, I was always much taller than him. I would never let him hear the end of it.

“It quite suits you… although it took you long enough,” I added. We both laugh. His kind eyes have not changed. I take a moment to observe them fully. Yes, they are the same. They still have flecks of gold and green that change in the lighting and with the weather.

“Thank you for coming to be a suitor. It meant a lot to my parents,” I say quietly, while looking him in the eyes. He glances over to where my parents are and smiles at them. Turning back to me, he smirks.

“Just your parents?” he asks with a glint of humor in his eyes. The audacity of this boy. A smile is tugging on the corners of my mouth and I cannot hide it.

“And to me,” I add. I give him a warning look. This boy is driving me insane.

“I would not have missed it for the world, Princess,” Thomas says sincerely. My cheeks light on fire. While I knew that each of my suitors was here to win my hand in marriage, it never felt as real as it did in that moment.

I swallowed involuntarily. My hands were shaking, and my knees felt weak. I looked at Thomas once more.

“I hope you enjoy your stay. Westport welcomes you,” I state with a half smile. His brown eyes look into mine one last time. He seems reluctant to leave. I want him to stay, but I was instructed to keep the arrivals short.

As he walks away, I watch him go. My heart still fluttering from the interaction. He is so different from what I expected. Better than I expected. I smile to myself.

Right before he turns the corner out of eyesight, he turns to look at me again. He smiles at me. The sun hits his face just right. I smile back, fiddling with the material of my dress nervously. He chuckles silently and rounds the corner, now out of my sight.

I breathe in deeply. I did it. My parents walk over to me with warm smiles.

“Very well done, darling,” my father said,“that seemed to go very well.”

My mother nodded in agreement. “You are a natural,” she said, taking my hair into her hands and fixing the stray pieces. “And tomorrow, the real fun begins.”

My heart leaps. This is not what I asked for, but it’s what I have. I think of my eight suitors, all within the walls of the castle.

Let the games begin.

[fatherofmachine-a]

TAGS - CONTACTS

[pamphletstoinspire]

Eucharist: Far More Than a Reenactment

With Image:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eucharist-far-more-than-reenactment-harold-baines/?published=t

Can Priests Really Change Bread and Wine Into Christ’s Body and Blood?

Q: My brother does not believe that a priest can change bread and wine into Our Lord’s body and blood. My brother argues that when Christ said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” he as God could make those changes.

My brother also points out that Jesus never said, “I give you apostles the power to do the same.” Jesus simply said, “Do this in memory of me,” meaning the apostles should reenact the Last Supper like a stage play so that people would remember Jesus.

I cited the Gospel of John (6:22-71) and said that this passage has real meaning only if Jesus meant that the apostles and priests after them had the power to give us Christ’s body and blood. My brother, however, wants more. He asks, “When did Christ give this power? How?”

A: Your brother seeks an explicit command that the apostles could turn bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist. The Church has understood “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19b) as precisely that command. Your brother chooses to interpret memory in a way different from how the Church has understood it over the centuries.

If your brother were correct about the Eucharist as a stage-play reenactment, why did St. Paul become so upset with the Christians in Corinth who brought their social and economic divisions into the celebration of the Eucharist, discriminating against poorer Christians (1 Corinthians 11:17-22)?

Paul then goes on to provide the New Testament’s oldest description of the Eucharist (11:23-34), including the warning, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (v. 27). How could Corinthian Christians participate unworthily in a reenactment?

The people who heard Jesus speaking about the bread of life in the passage from the Gospel of John that you cited realized that Jesus was not speaking about ordinary bread. We know this from their reaction and the decision of many disciples to leave Jesus (v. 66). Why would Jesus teach about the Eucharist if only he could celebrate it?

The entire Church believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist for almost 1,200 years before the Western Church accepted the term transubstantiation to describe its belief about the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus during the celebration of the Eucharist.

The four Gospels were given to a faith community, which remains their best interpreter. Your brother is able to quote the Gospels only because the Church has cherished them and passed them on to each generation.

If your brother were correct in his interpretation, then there is no significant difference between the Eucharist celebrated in your local Catholic parish and the reenactment of the Last Supper as seen in movies or in stage plays.

Catholic actors who have portrayed Jesus in the world-famous Passion play in Oberammergau, Germany—or in similar contexts—know the difference between what they are doing and what a priest does at Mass on Sundays or weekdays. The priest acts in Christ’s name and on behalf of the Church.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#611), “The Eucharist that Christ institutes at that moment [Last Supper] will be the memorial of his sacrifice. Jesus includes the apostles in his own offering and bids them perpetuate it. By doing so, the Lord institutes his apostles as priests of the New Covenant: ‘For their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth’ [John 17:19].”

The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Christian life, as Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church teaches (#11). That is far more than a reenactment.

Perhaps a prayer composed by St. Thomas Aquinas may say it best: “O sacred banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of his passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us. Amen.”

Spiritual Communion

Q: What is the Church’s teaching about spiritual communion? I haven’t heard about this in many years and wonder if it is still practiced.

A: Spiritual communion is a way of uniting oneself with Christ when the person is unable to participate in Mass because of great distance, poor health, imprisonment or some other reason.

No specific prayer is required for this, but people often begin with Scripture readings, devotional prayers or prayers from the liturgy. This reaffirms the individual’s desire to live as a follower of Jesus.

Invested With the Brown Scapular

Q: Several weeks ago was First Communion Sunday at our parish. Seeing the children having their pictures taken with their parents, grandparents and others evoked our own First Communions.

I asked my wife when these children would be invested with the brown scapular. She said that is no longer done. Do local bishops decide this sort of thing? Do pastors? Did Vatican II eliminate the scapular?

A: Let’s begin with a bit of background for anyone unfamiliar with this voluntary practice. A modern scapular consists of two decorated pieces of cloth connected by two cords or ribbons and worn over a person’s shoulder (scapula in Latin). Some people choose to wear a scapular medal. Some religious communities such as Benedictine monks and nuns, the Cistercians, Dominicans and Trappists have a full-length scapular (approximately calf to calf) as part of their habit.

According to The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Devotions and Prayers (Liguori), the Church has approved eight Marian scapulars. The brown scapular, the oldest and the most popular, is linked to St. Simon Stock, an English Carmelite. Mary reportedly appeared to him in 1251 and recommended the wearing of a scapular, a visible sign of a person’s commitment to Christ after the example of Mary, the first disciple.

I am not aware that any parishes now have automatic scapular enrollment for First Communicants. Parents are free to promote this devotion among their children. The brown scapular is also linked to the Marian devotion of the Five First Saturdays.

An Internet search for “brown scapular enrollment” produces numerous links. People can also write the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, P.O. Box 2162, Middletown, NY 10940- 2162, or the Society of Mt. Carmel, 1317 Frontage Road, Darien, IL 60561.

Addressing Priests as ‘Father’

Q: Jesus said, “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Why do Catholics continue to call priests Father?

A: When Jesus said this, he was emphasizing the need for a religion that is at least as interior as it is exterior, for religious integrity and for a sense of service.

The passage you cited also says not to call anyone rabbi (teacher) or master (verses eight and 10, respectively).

Do you call your male parent Father? Don’t most Christians do that? If so, are they violating Jesus’ command? Christians have not understood Jesus’ command as preventing them from calling someone teacher. In our society, the term master is used rarely.

This is not to dismiss Jesus’ teaching on the subject of titles. Chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew opens with 36 verses on the scribes and Pharisees and ends with three verses of lament over Jerusalem.

If all of us strive for what Jesus requested, using the terms father, teacher or master in any context will cause fewer problems.

St. Paul described himself as a father to the Christians in Thessalonika (1 Thessalonians 2:11) and in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:15). Applying the term father to priests is a custom and not an obligation.

Why 12 Stones If Judas Betrayed Jesus?

Q: On the Sixth Sunday of Easter, the second reading was Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23. This describes the author’s vision of the New Jerusalem with 12 courses of stones as its foundation, inscribed with the names of the apostles. How can there be 12 stones to represent the 12 apostles when Judas betrayed Jesus?

A. One Scripture passage often answers a question arising from another Scripture passage. That is the case here. Acts 1:15-26 describes the selection of Matthias to replace Judas. This happened between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The 12 apostles emphasize the continuity of God’s revelation in the Bible: 12 tribes, 12 apostles.

Written by: Diane Houdek

[jeremystrele]

Celebrating + Advocating For First Nations People, With Social Enterprise Clothing The Gaps

Celebrating + Advocating For First Nations People, With Social Enterprise Clothing The Gaps

Creative People

by Amelia Barnes

Clothing The Gaps co-founders: Gunditjmara woman Laura Thompson (left), and Sarah Sheridan. Photo – Bri Hammond

The social enterprise has recently opened a Brunswick store, in addition to their online store. Photo – Bri Hammond

The social enterprise supports the health of First Nations peoples through fitness initiatives, all of which are funded through sales of their Australian-designed and made merchandise. Photo – Bri Hammond

Their best selling item is the t-shirt designed by climate activist and graphic artist, Carla Scotto. ‘Carla gifted us her ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ design to use on tees when we had to stop using the Aboriginal flag. The Always Was tee is our best seller while we fight to be able to #FreeTheFlag so we can celebrate it freely again,’ says Laura. Photo – Bri Hammond

Clothing The Gaps is at the forefront of a national debate to ‘free the flag’. Photo – Bri Hammond

There are 22 people on the Clothing The Gaps team, 19 of whom are from the Aboriginal community. Photo – Bri Hammond

‘One thing that we do really encourage people to think about is what else are you doing, beyond wearing the tee? The tee is one part of the puzzle, but it’s far from the complete picture,’ says Laura. Photo – Bri Hammond

Clothing The Gap items are usually designed in-house, and then then made in Thomastown. ‘We have a strong focus on local manufacturing, and we are the first Aboriginal business to be accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA). This means that all of our Australian made range is ethically created. People often have the idea that if something is made in Australia, that it is done so ethically. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Using the systems of checks and balances provided by ECA means that we are able to ensure that people are protected and valued in our supply chain,’ says Sarah. Photo – Bri Hammond

‘We have a strong focus on local manufacturing, and we are the first Aboriginal business to be accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA). This means that all of our Australian made range is ethically created. People often have the idea that if something is made in Australia, that it is done so ethically. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Using the systems of checks and balances provided by ECA means that we are able to ensure that people are protected and valued in our supply chain,’ says Sarah.  Photo – Bri Hammond

Members of the Clothing The Gaps team! Photo – Bri Hammond

Clothing The Gaps (formerly known as Clothing The Gap) is a social enterprise supporting the health of First Nations people. 

While the organisation is officially only one year old, co-founders Gunditjmara woman Laura Thompson, and Sarah Sheridan, have been working in the health industry for years.

Laura and Sarah met in 2014 when working at Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (a Community-Controlled health organisation Laura’s grandmother Edna Brown, Aunty Alma Thorpe, and mother Rose Dwyer, helped establish) and the two bonded over their shared passion.

‘We loved working together… Our skill sets were complementary to each other, and most importantly, we were ready for a new challenge,’ says Laura. ‘So, we took a giant leap of faith in stepping out on our own in a new business called Spark Health, which specialised in Aboriginal health promotion.’ 

Clothing The Gaps grew into its own entity in 2020, partially in response to customer demand for merchandise, and partially due to the pandemic. With COVID-19 forcing most of Spark’s face-to-face programs on indefinite pause, Laura and Sarah decided to channel all their energy into this new pursuit.

The work of Spark Health has now transitioned into the Clothing The Gaps Foundation, and we can’t wait to see it continue to grow from there,’ says Laura. ‘To think that we now have a foundation that is currently fully funded by the purchases of our supporters is incredible. We are now able to self-determine the impact, with no strings attached.’

With the groundswell of Blak business support over the past year, and a renewed focus on the Black Lives Matter movement globally, it’s been a non-stop year for Clothing The Gaps. In particular, Laura and Sarah were at the forefront of a national debate to ‘free the flag’, leading to a Senate enquiry. They sat down with us to reflect on the journey so far! 

Can you briefly tell us about the work Clothing The Gaps does?

Clothing The Gaps is an Aboriginal-owned and led social enterprise that exists to celebrate, educate, motivate and advocate for change. As a social enterprise, we reinvest back into the sustainability of the business, and directly support our foundation’s work to add years to Aboriginal people’s lives through motivating communities and people to get moving right across the country. 

We know the power of physical activity in creating and maintaining positive physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Regular physical activity is a key protective factor against chronic diseases and can help us to live healthier for longer.  

How has the social enterprise evolved over time? 

We are so stoked to be able to offer a wide range employment opportunities, including entry-level roles, in a really safe and supportive environment. We have a team of 22 people, 19 of whom are Indigenous, working across impact, operations, design, brand, retail, warehousing and distribution. We are so proud of that!

You were featured in the media several times last year with regards to the ‘Free The Flag’ campaign. Where are things at with this issue now, and how do you hope it’s resolved?

Editor’s note: The Aboriginal flag was originally an artwork created by First Nations artist Harold Thomas, which was then flown as a flag in 1971. The artwork was later proclaimed as the official flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia in 1995. 

Harold Thomas has always retained the copyright of the flag’s design, which he currently licenses to three companies for commercial use. One of these is the non-Indigenous company WAM Clothing, making them the only company that can sell clothing featuring the Aboriginal flag.

We’ve just wrapped up a great Indigenous Round in the AFLW where we worked with every team to continue to educate and raise the profile of the issue through sport. We know the power of sport in this country to create social and political change, and working alongside teams across codes to use their own platforms has been epic. In 2020, we saw the AFL men’s Indigenous Round stance lead to a Senate inquiry into the use of the Flag. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first flying of the Aboriginal flag, and we are pushing hard to see the flag free to celebrate this incredible milestone birthday. Two simple things you can do to support us are sign and share our online petition, and write to their local MP using our easy letter template. 

What is the design and manufacturing process of your merchandise?

We love that we are able to hold a majority of the processes in house. This means that we are able to create a whole heap of jobs for Indigenous people under our roof, all the way from idea to impact. 

Our designs start in-house and are directly linked to a campaign impacting the Indigenous community that we want to see elevated through conversations and actions in society. Our merch has a message and tells a story – the #FreeTheFlag tee and associated campaign is a great example of this.

We then work with our local manufacturing team, just a few kilometres down the road in Thomastown to bring these ideas to life. We are accredited as a business through Ethical Clothing Australia and we manufacture Australian made products as much as we can locally to support local industry and reduce our environmental footprint. Caring for Country is really important to us as a team and as a business.

Once the physical product has been created, our legendary warehousing and distribution team based at Sydney Road then fulfil orders and ensure the shop is fully stocked. For many of the staff, it’s their first job and we’ve loved watching them grow and take on new challenges. 

Some of the items you sell are labelled ‘ally friendly’, but not all. What’s the distinction, and why is this important for non-Indigenous people to understand? 

We created the ‘ally friendly’ and ‘Mob only’ logos to make it easier for both our supporters, and us! It helps to clearly and easily communicate which of our pieces are for allies, and which pieces are just for Mob to celebrate. 

We create our products with Mob in our hearts and then everyone else in mind, but sometimes we create something that is culturally specific, that is just for Mob only, for example our ‘Shades of Deadly’ tee which will be released soon!

One thing that we do really encourage people to think about, is what else are you doing, beyond wearing the tee? The tee is one part of the puzzle, but it’s far from the complete picture. We ask people to continually reflect on opportunities to create conversations and practice anti-racism in their world. We all have a role to play in this. 

Do you ever experience activism fatigue? 

Campaigning, advocacy and education are at the core of our brand and it is part of our responsibility to leverage our platform for change. 

Our tees allow us to continue to advocate when we are experiencing activism fatigue. It enables you to wear your values on your tee, and to continue having conversations when your voice is tired.

This is where we need people to see issues that affect Indigenous peoples as issues are not just issues for Indigenous people to address. This heavy workload can’t just rest on the shoulders of a few. 

What are some goals Clothing The Gaps hopes to achieve in the near future?

When thinking about what we hope to see happen in the near future, we are absolutely focused on seeing a free flag this year. We also can’t wait to announce our next virtual run, and officially launch the Clothing The Gaps Foundation.

We are also working on our next drop – it’s full of conversation sparking pieces. We can’t wait to see it out in the world and expand our retail to include wholesaling so more places can stock our conversation starters!

Clothing The Gaps 744 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria Tuesday-Friday: 11am-6pm Saturday:  10am-5pm Sunday-Monday: Closed clothingthegaps.com.au

[julesdelorme]

Genius by Harold Bloom Jules F. Delorme Literary criticism, true literary criticism, that deconstructs and doesn’t just attack, that isn’t just a collection of soundbites, criticism that is whole and aims at our higher selves, seems to have gone the way of the dodo. We get most of our information in soundbites and memes today. And longer, more thoughtful, in depth criticism seems to be very much a lost art.

Harold Bloom might well have been the last truly great literary critic. He made you want to read. He broke down why Shakespeare or Milton were great, what made their work so special. He could be provocative and opinionated, but most often these were tools in his hands to get your attention. Once he had it he kept your attention with thoughtful deconstruction, breaking down passages to show you what made them work, what made them so powerful.

Harold Bloom was rarely boring.

I have to admit, when I saw his book Genius, a Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds, on the shelf at my local bookstore, I grabbed it up without much inspection, based almost entirely on Bloom’s name, and assuming that it would be a work on genius in general. I expected passages on Einstein, Freud, Jung and Thomas Aquinas. It didn’t even occur to me that, this being Harold Bloom, this book would be exclusively on literary genius. Even as a writer myself, I’m not sure that I would have chosen to spend good money on a book about one hundred literary geniuses. I doubt very much I could have named anything close to a hundred literary geniuses and many of the names in this book I’d never even heard of before. Some of the names I may never read.

I don’t agree with all of his choices, both in who he chose to include and who he didn’t. Some of the passages seem far too short and some seem too long. 

But that is part and parcel of great criticism. It requires the critic to take a point of view. One of the greatest film critics of all time, Pauline Kael took the point of view that small verite films are good and big ones are bad. She turned on Stanley Kubrick for making 2001, saying he had sold out to Hollywood. She once wrote an article claiming that Star Wars and Jaws had murdered cinema. I don’t agree with any of those things, but her ability to break down a single scene in a film and explain why it worked or didn’t work was nothing short of art. She was also, as is Bloom, a very good writer. 

I’ve often found myself disagreeing with Harold Bloom too. But I have never, not once, found his writing to not provoke me into thinking more deeply about why I disagreed with him or why I agreed with him.

That, to me, is the sign of a truly great critic.

Great critics, quite literally, teach us how to think.And they definitely are a dying breed.Don’t get me wrong. I love that IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes and Goodreads exist. They democratize opinion about movies and books and give all of us access to feedback about any book or movie with a few clicks of the keyboard. But in democratization we also become subject to denomination, to census more than individual opinion. You’re probably scanning this piece or not reading it at all because it’s too long. But that is the point. Art, great art, is textured and complex and difficult. You have to sit with it and struggle with it, to pause and really take serious art in. And writing about it should, I would even go so far as to say has, to reflect that.

That’s not to say that every single thing has to be deep and mysterious or it isn’t worthwhile.

A fun read, a fun film is a pleasure of its own kind.

But have we become a culture of the glib, of the soundbite and the meme?

People like Harold Bloom remind us of the beauty of depth, of complexity, of Genius.

And Genius, as a book, can be said to be Bloom’s sequel to How To Read and Why in that it presents us with a list of what Bloom considers to be one hundred of the greatest writers in history. In doing so he invites us to explore some of these writers, discover some we never knew about or only vaguely knew about and maybe go back and rediscover some writers we read but did not fully appreciate. He presents poets like Hart Crane and Emily Dickinson and prose writers such as Cervantes, Beckett and my beloved Faulkner. He gives each writer a chapter in which he deconstructs one work or one piece, giving you some idea why this writer is special.

Since he is presenting one hundred writers it is of course a long book.

And it’s not always easy.

Some of the writers are obscure and difficult and he doesn’t present them as anything but.

But he gives you a glimpse of greatness, one hundred glimpses of greatness. 

Some you will appreciate this immediately and some may take some time to sink fully in. And some you will just not see the point of this book or of Harold Bloom.

But they are there for you.

 what Harold Bloom does, what he hopes to do, is to give you glimpses of these genius writers’ daemon, their spark of inspiration, while maybe, just maybe sparking your own daemon along the way.

Genius is not an easy book.

It wasn’t meant to be easy.

But I don’t think Bloom is asking you to abandon your Stephen King, your Harry Potter, your romances or your fun reads at all. Of course those books have their place and they are deserving to be read.

I think that he’s just trying to show you that the deep end of the writing pool may be a little intimidating but some of it is well worth the venture away from the shallow end, however briefly.

As I said, Harold Bloom might well be our last great literary critic.

That may not attract you. That may not speak to you.

You may have abandoned this piece about his book a long time ago.

But, if you haven’t, if you’ve read all of this piece despite its length and challenges, then maybe you should pick up Harold Bloom’s Genius, A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative minds.

I did.

And I can honestly say that I have a long list of writers that I now want to explore. And that my thoughts on writing have been greatly expanded.It’s not a book for everybody. Nothing Harold Bloom ever wrote was for everybody.

Most of what he wrote challenged us to think more deeply about what we are reading and why.

If you sincerely don’t care about that at all, don’t read this book.

If you do, read Genius, or any other of Bloom’s many books.

They’re more fun than you might expect.

And you will definitely be smarter for having read them.

I, for one, think that you couldn’t ask for more than that from a truly great critic. https://www.facebook.com/delormewriting #writing #writer #writers #poetry #poem #poems #poet #JulesDelorme #JulesFDelorme #delormewriting #ScarboroughWritersFightClub #book #booksbooksbooks #bookshelf #author #authors #goodreads #GoodreadsChoice #critic #critics #criticism #greatwriters

[thesportssoundoff]

3 am late March Mock Draft Madness

Joey

March 21st

Up early, looking for something to do. Decided to do a mock draft! Click inside for the goods;

1) Cleveland Browns- QB Sam Darnold, USC

John Dorsey drafted Pat Mahomes with Alex Smith as a one year short term stopgap solution in KC and faces a similar chance with the top pick Cleveland Browns. With Tyrod Taylor as a "get competitive!" holdover, Darnold is your guy who waits in the wings. In an ideal world/perfect scenario, this is the modern day Kitna to Carson Palmer transition.

2) New York Giants- QB Josh Rosen, UCLA

I don't believe the Giants at this point in time would take a QB at 2 but somebody is going to make a move and give up heaven and Earth to get their QB. Josh Rosen is ready to play now and while I don't see all pro QB, I think he can be a starter for a long time for some team. We've seen other teams amass picks to get value (Tennessee mainly) and the Giants might be best suited to replicate the concept with the #2 pick.

3) New York Jets- QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

The Jets made a move up to 3 which says one of two things; 1) they got desperate/jumpy and jumped up figuring they can grab one of their top 3 QBs or 2) they have some sort of unspoken word about the Giants NOT trading and NOT wanting a QB. In this scenario, they snag Baker Mayfield who really brings everything the Jets haven't had in some time. He's their chance at a swagger induced QB who can completely change the tone of a franchise. It's been rumored they REALLY REALLY like Josh Allen (and the Mike Maccagnan profile QB is normally the prototypical big armed big bodied passer) but I have to believe this is where Mayfield goes. If you're moving up to grab Josh Allen, you're moving up to grab someone else's QB.

4) Cleveland Browns- CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State

Once Cleveland gets their franchise QB (in theory), all bets are off on what they could do next. Bad teams with needs everywhere have the benefit of drafting purely BPA because BPA fills a need no matter where you take it. Quenton Nelson and Sanquan Barkley will be in the discussion for some but it's worth remembering Jon Dorsey has had a ton of success with mid round RBs. Denzel Ward is by far the best DB in this draft class no matter how tall he is or isn't.

5) Denver Broncos- RB Sanquan Barkley, Penn State

The Broncos offense suddenly becomes fun and complex. With locked in WRs Damariyus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders plus Case Keenum in the midst of what most will hope to be a career long renaissance, the Broncos COULD take a QB here but instead opt to grab "the best player in the draft" according to most. Barkley helps transform and reconfigure a Broncos offense in need of an identity boost.

6) Indianapolis Colts- DE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State

Easy enough I suppose. Thought about Quenton Nelson here and there's a good chance that Indy will move out of this spot but Matt Eberflus has a profile on DEs, a profile I'm familiar with given his time as the Cowboys linebacker coach. Bradley Chubb was a true combine hero at 6'4 270 lbs and has the ability to transform a talentless Indianapolis defense overnight.

7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- S Derwin James, Florida State

Speaking of Combine guys, Derwin James! James to Tampa Bay feels like such an easy fit to match up; a star defender who can play a variety of spots right away. James was rusty recovering from ACL surgery but the NFL is going to get the best version of Derwin which could mean Eric Berry-esque potential. If ya don't believe me then check his athletic profile and who it comps to.

8) Chicago Bears- OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

The Bears have their franchise QB and now need to build around him. They spent in free agency to build a team that could help Mitchell Trubinski in his development and Matt Nagy comes from Kansas City where the offense, at its peak, was all about giving your QB time and allowing him to play quick and loose. Quenton Nelson is the "safest prospect in the draft" (the CURSE OF THE SAFEST PROSPECT!) and immediately replaces Josh Sitton. It's not a "sexy" pick but he would immediately make Chicago better and allow for guys like Taylor Gabriel, Allen Robinson, Trey Burton and Chicago's ridiculous RB corps to do work.

9) Miami Dolphins*- QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville

I feel safe in saying that some team will sneak up to 9 or so and grab the last remaining QB of value. John Lynch doesn't mind moving picks or trading around to get the guys he needs and some team (Buffalo/Arizona/Washington?) will come calling to this spot. Lamar Jackson is only not a QB if you're an dull mind when it comes to what a QB should be able to do. I'm going with Maimi to move up a smidge and get Lamar Jackson after Tannehill ended back to back seasons on the shelf.

10) Oakland Raiders- LB Roquan Smith, Georgia

Not since MAGA and the Angry Video Game Nerd has a movement so focused on bringing us back into the past been thrust upon us. Jon Gruden has said he wants to bring football back to 1998 and his big money deals respective to position to a long snapper and a fullback (Keith Smith is a great dude and a fantastic story about triumphing vs adversity so he deserves every penny) have helped us see what that means. Roquan Smith helps us further go back to 1998 with a top 10 pick for a fantastic Tampa-2 esque linebacker at the WLB spot. Smith can do it all despite his lack of elite height and could play weak or middle for Oakland.

11) San Francisco 49ers- CB-FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

Fitzpatrick is my guess for the early round 1 slider although really good corners tend to go early. 9ers can get a guy who can play in their base defense at either corner or S depending on how things shake out in FA with Eric Reid.

12) Buffalo Bills- DE-OLB Harold Landry, Boston College

This is basically who I imagine the 49ers would take at a spot like this. The 9ers had SERIOUS pass rush problems in 2017 and with a young QB and a developing hip offensive scheme under Kyle Shanahan, a key pass rusher would be a great idea. If not? Buffalo could always use pass rush help right? Riiiiiight?

13) Washington Redskins- DT Vita Vea, Washington

I'd reaaaally hate this as a Cowboys fan. Vita Vea in Washington would be scary when you combine DL guru Jim Tomsula with a physical freak like him at the nose.

14) Green Bay Packers- LB Marcus Davenport, UTSA

Pass rushers are a premium, nothing else will be said as often as that statement throughout April. The Packers really need help on defense and a guy like Marcus Davenport who has traditional rushed out of a 2 point stance will be of interest to them for sure. Davenport also did himself plenty of favors with a fantastic combine.

15) Arizona Cardinals- QB Josh Allen, Wyoming

The Cardinals are almost guaranteed to do some moving and shaking come draft time and I'd bet for sure they don't pick here. They lack a lot of the draft capital to move up (just 5 picks) so they could go backwards OR they could use 2019 picks to go FORWARDS and take a QB. Either way, pencil in a QB at this spot if they stick around. Sam Bradford is bound to break something eventually.

16) Baltimore Ravens- WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama

Ozzie Newsome and Alabama. Ridley and Crabtree give you maybe one last gasp with Flacco at the helm of the Ravens offense.

17) San Diego Chargers- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech

So close, Cowboys fans. Edmunds flirts with taking a big drop to 19 but is gone at 17. Can play ILB or OLB in the Chargers 3-4 scheme with elite rushers like Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram around him.

18) Seattle Seahawks- OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

For the love of God please help Russell Wilson.

19) Dallas Cowboys- WR D.J Moore, Maryland

The Cowboys seemingly will focus their efforts on two spots early; WR and LB. Anybody outside of those two positions will fall under either a best case (elite talent slides) or a worst case (wiped out at the two spots) mentality. The Cowboys might like Ridley more but DJ Moore is the better athlete and flat out better fit in their offense.

20) Detroit Lions- RB Derrius Guice, LSU

The signing of LaGarrette Blount doesn't prevent Detroit from further collecting help for Matt Stafford. The Lions are chasing the Vikings in their division and will have to contend with Minnesota's defense---so why not double up on great running backs? OL and DL help are a priority as well.

21) Cincinnati Bengals- OL Connor Williams, Texas

If you remove the fact that he weighed in under 300 lbs, Connor Williams had himself quite the combine. New Bengals OL coach Frank Pollack values OL who can scoot and jump, two things Williams excelled at at the Combine. The question is whether he's a guard or a tackle BUT I figure Cincy will have to figure that out themselves.

22) Buffalo Bills- WR Courtland Sutton, SMU

Bills need additional help at the WR spot. The Alshon Jeffery comps are apt with Sutton who will need time but can grow to be a #1 WR. Low floor, high ceiling in the case of the 6'3 Sutton.

23) Los Angeles Rams- OLB Arden Key, LSU

The Rams have acquired plenty of back end talent for this defense en flux and also moved on from linebackers. Arden Key, if focused/healthy, is the sort of guy who can transition this defense to the next level. He comes with questions across the board but he can rush the passer and Wade Phillips, having seen him work with Spencer and Ware, knows how to unlock talented edges.

24) Carolina Panthers- TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina

The best all around TE in the draft for a team that's going to have to come to grips with the end of the Greg Olsen Era.

25) Tennessee Titans- LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama

The general consensus, from my research at least, is that it'll be defense for Tennessee. Torn between Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans, I opted for the more consistent higher floor thumper MLB type.

26) Atlanta Falcons- DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama

Back to back Bama Bros! Payne was largely unproductive in college, to an almost laughable degree, but tested out really well at the Combine and might just be a case of the scheme stifling the player. He'll immediately give Grady Jarrett some help on the interior of the Falcons DL plus with Takk McKinley and Vic Beasley on the edge, the Falcons can really give OL hell.

27) New Orleans Saints- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State

A fella with the name and look of a guy who Bruce Willis fights in a Die Hard movie, Leighton Vander Esch reminds me a lot of Jaylon Smith at his time in ND. Big athletic flashes with some passiveness to his game especially in the run. Give him a year or two to bulk up and the Saints could have a stud linebacker to add to their already impressive young crop of defenders.

28) Pittsburgh Steelers- DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan

Really was stuck here. No major QB of note, not gonna be ballsy enough to grab a RB, they just added Morgan Burnett and there's no linebacker I really feel a liking for. The perfect 3-technique, Mo Hurst would give the Steelers some help at the 3-4 DE spot. Just didn't see a really good value spot here.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars- QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

This would be a great spot for Isaiah Wynn but the Jaguars spent on guards in free agency. A WR would be cool here too but  Mason Rudolph would give the Jaguars a developmental QB behind Blake Bortles who fits some of the rules and models that old school types like Tom Coughlin abide by (look up the BP rules on drafting QBs).

30) Minnesota Vikings- OL Isaiah Wynn, Georgia

This is big time value for the Vikings who get to continue to rebuild their offensive line. Wynn is one of the best technicians in the draft for OL.

31) New England Patriots- CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville

The Patriots traded for Jason McCourty and have Stephen Gilmore but depth doesn't hurt at corner, am I right? Jaire Alexander is a freakishly good corner and insane value at 31 if he can stay healthy and if you can overlook his lack of elite height.

32) Philadelphia Eagles- RB Ronald Jones, USC

The Ronald Jones to Eagles bandwagon has been hot for a minute now. Don't ask ME to change that.

[tornrose24]

Captain Underpants is the living personification of the friendship between George and Harold (part 2- reflections on the film.)

WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS for the film so read at your own risk. It explores the events of the film as well as provide a look into both personas of the same person. Go back to part one if you want to know more about this study in the following link:

https://tornrose24.tumblr.com/post/161139186922/captain-underpants-is-the-living-personification

OR click the keep reading tab if you have seen the film.

....Well, wow. In some ways the film proved my study right and in some ways it challenged it. Its funny, I’m tempted to say that Captain Underpants inherited George’s confidence as well as Harold’s love for cute things. He might as well have been like an overgrown little brother to the both of them, but its also clear that he’s still technically Krupp if he was more confident and took a level in kindness. Though half the time its always easy to keep forgetting that he’s actually someone under hypnosis. Anyway, lets take a look at the film….

The film starts right on George and Harold covering the story behind their creation in his origin comic, which demonstrates the collaboration within their friendship/putting their talents together and showing their creativity. I also found it interesting that the voice we hear for Captain Underpants in the 2D animation of the comic was Ed Helms instead of either Kevin or Thomas and I wonder if that hinted at something. Was that the voice the two imagined for him or was it to foreshadow what was to come? Yet already we see that Captain Underpants keeps the two together and symbolizes their friendship. He’s the creation that they take the most pride in, as they mention a little later on. But it leads right to Mr. Krupp’s introduction and what does he do? HE RIPS THEIR COMIC UP! It PERFECTLY symbolizes and foreshadows that he will soon try to separate the two boys in addition to already setting himself up as everything George and Harold is against. Remember how I said one persona tries to separate them, but the other brings them together in the first part? Its immediately demonstrated even before the actual Captain Underpants character shows up! (On a side note, since that ripping up the comic thing happened to Pilkey in his youth... was it ok to make him relive that in that? I hope he was ok with it). And, wow, way to cause Harold so much stress and give us that imagine spot after giving him and George their punishment Krupp (jerk face). Even after he tells them his punishment and is out of sight, he still feels like an ominous force against them and it terrifies Harold who doesn’t want to be alone. I understood that Krupp was technically doing his job-some teachers need to separate students in class so that they can get their work done if they can’t keep themselves in check and something like this would have to be under extreme circumstances-but he’s so eager over the idea of destroying a good friendship between those two boys. Its really something that he shouldn’t enjoy doing, but why? Of course it later becomes an extreme case of irony when they come to an important realization about Krupp, but we’ll get to that later. Because karma is NOT kind to Krupp and he gets a very ironic yet very fitting punishment for his cruelty towards the boys and his students. It was a little different in the book, but in this case I would say he completely brought it upon himself. Yet there is something much more going on here and it goes much deeper. Something is not what it seems in the first quarter of the film, but I’ll also get to that later. In retaliation for Krupp’s actions, George hypnotizes him but it is the two boys together who agree to make him become their prized creation in a perfect collaboration that reflects how they operate. George usually comes up with the ideas and Harold brings them to life and when they make the fateful command they are in perfect synchronization. The product of their friendship takes over the man who was so opposite in every way and he comes to life, stands with confidence, and lets out a glorious ‘TRA-LA-LAAAAAA!’ And after they take in what they have done with such awe and disbelief, they have a good laugh over it.Yet in the world of Captain Underpants, irony is still as strange towards the boys as it has been for Krupp when things get out of hand.... When Captain Underpants decides to seek out trouble, the boys are forced to go after him and it starts a chain of them trying to look out for him and keep him out of trouble as if he were a younger brother or a student, thus forcing a role reversal between them and the man he used to be. Still they work together to keep him safe and hey they got an adventure out of it too (operating that crane and driving it for one thing). Also its noteworthy that CU was very quick to be drawn towards them after his ‘birth’.... almost like an imprinting sort of thing. And when I think of it, the boys could have done something much worse to him before he became CU or even left him on his own to meet an unfortunate demise and yet they didn’t. They are both well meaning and good at heart and that all also lived in CU. I thought CU’s interactions with the boys were sweet and there were times were it was easy to think of him as an accomplice in the things that happened at the school. If they did something, he would go along with it, including the funniest rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ I’ve ever heard (and thank the stars they were able to get Ed Helms to sing for even a brief moment). Honestly, if he was their age he would have made a great addition to their team. He was so much like a kid and it was sweet that he wanted to help the boys make the other students happy, but of course it went out of hand really fast. CU was limited by how much George and Harold put into him as a character in their stories and was of course a reflection of the minds of two fourth graders as opposed to a more careful adult. Sadly the chaotic side had to be with the good counterpart while the only one who had order had to be the mean counterpart. And that really is such a blow because those boys were not only juggling a ticking bomb in the form of a kind man who could easily turn back into their principal up to that point, but CU unintentionally helped Krupp separate the two as they long feared. CU WANTED to bring them all together in his own way but his naivety and lack of caution became his undoing as much as it had been for the boys. The climax was pretty interesting to observe to because it was really reflected that George and Harold were the true protagonists of the story and for half of it they had to do a lot of figurative fighting in order to save the day, though all it took was for them to be true to themselves and overcome the power of that ray. Yet beforehand they used CU as a distraction since that was all he seemed to be good for to them at the time. For that one moment they took him for granted but when it seemed like he was doomed, they were horrified for him. It was kind of a nasty hint at what was about to happen to them in nearly losing their sense of humor–they almost lost him and in turn they almost lost themselves. It’s not until George and Harold’s friendship is able to overcome... whatever that ray thing was called again, I don’t remember... anyway, its fitting that after that they both are in trouble in a place they can’t easily escape from on their own, they call out for help. And this call for help (not just from his creators but his friends) awakened CU and caused him to ingest that green stuff that caused him to the exact super powers that the boys created for him and come to their aid when they truly needed it. Both George and Harold really did save the day though their friendship and their creativity. And everything they were was gifted into one being who worked alongside them, even when he could have gotten them out of there and tried to take on the bad guy by himself when he finally got those powers. Instead all three worked together–the creators and the creation. The final treehouse scene was really good, but when I think back on it, it made me realize that both personas and the events of the film worked on a way that lead to the boys realizing that no matter what would happen they would always be friends and that something like being placed in different classrooms can’t change that. It’s a moment that makes them wiser and a little more mature. Yet it’s this acceptance that leads to them deciding that they need to make amends/fix their mistakes and destroy the hypno ring to erase their living fantasy they created together and bring back a man who represents the reality that they must face, but they will do so with newly gained wisdom and maturity. I admit I wondered if something would happen like this in the film, though it turned out differently (I was expecting a sad but heartwarming good bye hug, darnit!). CU did bring them together, but he also unintentionally helped them learn that friendship can truly last forever and can not be destroyed if the bond is too strong, even if you ever seem so far away from each other. And as corny as it sounds, I think they knew he wouldn’t be gone forever because in a way he would be as everlasting as their friendship.

Now let’s look at the force that threatened to force the two away and why I personally think he is far more interesting than his book counterpart. Even if Krupp was trying to keep the two apart and wanted to suppress their creativity, he was unintentionally strengthening it when they resolved to make their classmates be happy and laugh at their comics and pranks. But why on earth would this man take so much joy in separating these two when it turns out he is alone without any friends of his own? And yeah I know he has relatives in the books but it’s so much different here.  Was this the ‘spreading the bitterness’ that Helms hinted at in one interview? Its easy to see him as the mean principal as a child, but when you look at him with an older mind then you realize that something has to have gone wrong for him to be like that and never change. I think he was so keen on destroying that friendship because he never had it and maybe he might have been jealous but I could be reading too much into that last bit. One moment that stood out for me was when Krupp finally signed the documents without anyone to stop him and was of course ecstatic about it... but then he sees the casserole Edith made and he quickly just died out and looked so depressed. Did he realize that he just condemned the boys to a fate much similar to his own? That he destroyed something similar to what he possibly wanted more than anything no matter how much he might deny it? Something that he unknowingly had with the last couple of people he would have wanted it from? Were the boys at least able to achieve something he possibly never had that he still doesn’t have the confidence to reach for? Or did he realize just how hollow this ‘victory’ actually was when he himself didn’t have the thing he sought to destroy? That has to be one figurative slap in the face for him and maybe more so than the irony and karma that haunted him the moment he destroyed the comic and solidified his status as the cruel principal. Its so mind blowing that DreamWorks Animation took this character with little hope of redemption in his source material (nor was he seemingly deserving to have the affections of anyone who could have chosen someone better) and was able to look carefully at him and give him a vulnerability and humanity. The way they showed his house, looking so battered and hostile on the outside, yet so dark and isolated within (complete with not so cheerful blue tones similar to those within the school, yet much more darker) was a great way to reflect and convey who he was to George and Harold as well as the audiences. The books were aimed at children and yet these people took a long look and realized that so much more could be done with him. So now it all ties into the last few scenes of the film in which the man who separates now becomes the man who binds. When George and Harold realize that perhaps the reason CU could be so nice was because he had friends and Krupp was the opposite because he was alone, they work together to set him up with Edith in their own way through ‘the prank for good.’ And its through this collaboration together that they not only help bring genuine happiness in Krupp’s life, but it leads to him starting to be a little nicer in turn by returning the comics to the boys... and revealing that he DID read them AND he enjoyed them, though in a way someone might try to regard a guilty pleasure. This is important because, in proving the favorite fan theory correct, this means that the power of George and Harold’s friendship and creativity was shown to Krupp through those comics and they were good enough that he enjoyed them as much as he would never admit it. They unknowingly gave him something to make his life a little brighter, which also meant that the living embodiment of their friendship was placed within Krupp and was also waiting to find the goodness that was suppressed to help lead him to his own happiness and for him to hopefully become a better person. The man Krupp could have been no longer has to be a sad illusion, but perhaps he can now be able to work towards becoming like that man. The greatest irony of it all is that the creation of George and Harold that Krupp was so against at the beginning was how the boys were able to see that he was alone and that he did have the potential to be good. It’s why I like the movie more than the books because it allows children to try to see adults in a different light and acts upon Pilkey’s notes that adults would find it harder to look within to reflect and change themselves over just yelling at the world. I should also add that it is super crucial that educators need to be aware of the interests and hobbies of their students in order to encourage them and help them succeed. And while the book version of Krupp fails so horribly at that, the movie version was finally able to open up and recognize the talents of George and Harold and tell them that what they made was actually pretty good. In doing so it could improve all three of their futures and those who attend the school, as well as an understanding of one another for the better. And I should point out that CU also helped both Krupp and Edith out in the romance area. Especially with Edith because he was open, kind, and gave a sweet compliment towards her, which seemed to help her become a little more confident. I think it was cute that CU also seemed to like Edith very much since he was still technically Krupp, but with his confidence at the front. I know he didn’t seem so keen on romance in the books, but if CU was momentarily rendered speechless and took in Edith’s fully exposed face with such awe then it suggests how much of the original personality is able to come through and keep CU alive like a real person instead of him just being someone under a trance. I DO want to know what the heck Edith saw in Krupp to begin with. Did she get to see a glimmer of the goodness that was suppressed before the events of the film? I can think of other literary characters who could have been far worser crushes, but that aside everything about the relationship is super adorable. (And I’d love to gush about it some day).

So... what is the takeaway from the film? Friendship and creativity have more power then we think and we are truly blessed if we have them in our lives in some way or another. George and Harold were able to cause change for positivity, bring humor and light in others lives as well as for each other, stop a mad man by being themselves, see the pain within their greatest antagonist and bring him joy (and hopefully help him become a better person) and it was all thanks to their greatest creation who embodied their ideals and the best within them, as well as the idea that compassion and having some much needed optimism can lead to a better world. But of course, the boys could not get rid of Captain Underpants forever and it was fitting that he came to their aid once again in the finale. (And on a side note, it looks like Edith is in for one heck of an interesting love life, but its one that she’s apparently open to). And thus the movie ends with the boys and their creation that they are trying to hold onto for safety/make sure they don’t lose him once again as silhouettes against a full moon in a parody of the silhouette of the bat-mobile against a full moon in the 1989 Batman. The final image being a perfect summary of a series of stories that challenges so much while entertaining generations of readers who can bond over them while they all have something within them that makes them unique or is waiting to come out.

[quotespicture]

https://quoteswithpicture.com/90-helpful-death-quotes-on-the-ways-we-grieve-2019/

90 Helpful Death Quotes On The Ways We Grieve (2019)

Looking for helpful death quotes that will bring you calm? These quotes about death will help remind you that each and everyone of us grieves in a different way.

Death is one of the most difficult things that any of us will have to deal with in our lives.

It is personal, unique, and very different from person to person.

Often times, people will judge the way someone else grieves because it is not the same as the way that they would personally mourn.

Some folks even go as far as to assume that someone is NOT anguished (by their definition), because they do not show it in a way that fits into this individual’s view of what grief should look like.

Here are some thoughts and quotes about death, as well as the unique view we each take of it.

Inspirational Death Quotes About Mourning

1.) “Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion to death.”- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

2.) “You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news.

They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly — that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” – Anne Lamott

3.) “There is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”- Winnie the Pooh

4.) “If I can see pain in your eyes, then share with me your tears. If I can see joy in your eyes, then share with me your smile.” – Santosh Kalwar

5.) “Deep grief sometimes is almost like a specific location, a coordinate on a map of time. When you are standing in that forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place.

But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in that same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

6.) “And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief.” – William Cullen Bryant

7.) “There is an hour, a minute – you will remember it forever – when you know instinctively on the basis of the most inconsequential evidence, that something is wrong.

You don’t know – can’t know – that it is the first of a series of “wrongful” events that will culminate in the utter devastation of your life as you have known it.”- Joyce Carol Oates, A Widow’s Story

8.) “When a friend of Abigail and John Adams was killed at Bunker Hill, Abigail’s response was to write a letter to her husband and include these words, ‘My bursting heart must find vent at my pen.’” – David McCullough

9.) “A feeling of pleasure or solace can be so hard to find when you are in the depths of your grief. Sometimes it’s the little things that help get you through the day.

You may think your comforts sound ridiculous to others, but there is nothing ridiculous about finding one little thing to help you feel good in the midst of pain and sorrow!” – Elizabeth Berrien, Creative Grieving: A Hip Chick’s Path from Loss to Hope 

Beautiful Yet Profound Sayings and Quotes about Death

10.) “When your fear touches someone’s pain, it becomes pity. When your love touches someone’s pain, it becomes compassion.” – Stephen Levine

11.) “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.

The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”- Fred Rogers

12.) “The reality is that we don’t forget, move on, and have closure. But rather we honor, we remember, and incorporate our deceased children and siblings into our lives in a new way. In fact, keeping memories of your loved one alive in your mind and heart is an important part of your healing journey.” – Harriet Schiff, author of The Bereaved Parent

13.) “What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller

14.) “She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts.” – George Eliot

15.) “Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” – Henry James

16.) “We can endure much more than we think we can; all human experience testifies to that. All we need to do is learn not to be afraid of pain. Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don’t deny it, don’t be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever. One day, the pain will be gone and you will still be there.” – Harold Kushner, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough

17.) “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy

18.) “Honest listening is one of the best medicines we can offer the dying and the bereaved.” – Jean Cameron (dying of cancer)

Helpful Quotes About Death of A Loved One

19.) “When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.” ― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

20.) “But she wasn’t around, and that’s the thing when your parents die, you feel like instead of going into every fight with backup, you are going into every fight alone.” ― Mitch Albom, For One More Day

21.) “Sadly enough, the most painful goodbyes are the ones that are left unsaid and never explained.” ― Jonathan Harnisch, Freak

22.) “The death of a beloved is an amputation.” — C. S. Lewis

23.) “For as long as the world spins and the earth is green with new wood, she will lie in this box and not in my arms. “— Lurlene McDaniel

24.) “If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them.” —James O’Barr

25.) “When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.“ – Kahlil Gibran

26.) “Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.” – Emily Dickinson

27.) “Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.” – Unknown

28.) “What is lovely never dies, but passes into other loveliness.” – Thomas Bailey

More Uplifting Death Quotes

29.) “You give yourself permission to grieve by recognizing the need for grieving. Grieving is the natural way of working through the loss of a love. Grieving is not weakness nor absence of faith. Grieving is as natural as crying when you are hurt, sleeping when you are tired or sneezing when your nose itches. It is nature’s way of healing a broken heart.” – Doug Manning

30.) “For some moments in life there are no words.”- David Seltzer, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 film adaptation)

30.) “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” – Norman Cousins

31.) “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” – Unknown

32.) “Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.” – Henry van Dyke

33.) “It is as natural to die as it is to be born.” – Francis Bacon

34.) “All men think that all men are mortal but themselves.” – Edward Young

35.) “To fear death is to misunderstand life.” – Unknown

Comforting quotes about death

36.) “Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which cannot exist when I do?”—Epicurus

37.) “If life must not be taken too seriously, then so neither must death”—Samuel Butler

38.) “Death can come at any age, but the pride of life fools a person into thinking that day is far away.” – John Buttrick

39.) “None of us knows the day of our death. However, if we knew that death is actually our acquisition, we would remove the fear of death from our lives.” – Sunday Adelaja

40.) “It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but retire a little from sight and afterwards return again.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

41.) “Death is but a door, time is but a window. I’ll be back!”—Ghostbusters II

42.) “Death is nature’s way of saying, ‘Your table is ready.’”— Robin Williams

43.) “Men fear death, as if unquestionably the greatest evil, and yet no man knows that it may not be the greatest good.” – William Mitford

44.) “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”— Mark Twain

45.) “The truth I have been seeking — this truth is Death. Yet Death is also a seeker. Forever seeking me. So — we have met at last. And I am prepared. I am at peace.”— Bruce Lee

Quotes about death of a friend

46.) “We go to the grave of a friend saying, “A man is dead,” but angels throng about him saying, “A man is born.” – Henry Ward Beecher

47.) “The death of a friend is equivalent to the loss of a limb.” – German Proverb

48.) “Those we love never truly leave us, Harry. There are things that death cannot touch.” ― Jack Thorne

49.) “But fate ordains that dearest friends must part.” – Edward Young

50.) “This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look sad.” – William Shakespeare

51.) “Even the best of friends cannot attend each other’s funeral.” – Kehlog Albran

52.) “You cannot stop loving your friend because he’s dead, especially if he was better than anyone alive, you know?”-Jerome Salinger

53.) “When our friends are alive, we see the good qualities they lack; dead, we remember only those they possessed.” – Jean Antoine Petit-Senn

Inspirational quotes about death

54.) “If you ever lose someone dear to you, never say the words they’re gone. They’ll come back.” ― Prince

55.) “How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?”—Carson McCullers

56.) “Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time. It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.” Leo Buscaglia

57.) “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”— Chuck Palahniuk

58.) “I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”— Winston Churchill

59.) “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.”— Nelson Mandela

60.) “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”— Steve Jobs

Quotes about death to bring you calm

61.) “No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.” – Martin Luther King Jr

62.) “I’m not afraid of death because I don’t believe in it. It’s just getting out of one car, and into another.” – John Lennon

63.) “A fact of life we all die. But the positive impact you have on others will be a living legacy.” – Catherine Pulsifer

64.) “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake.” – George Bernard Shaw

65.) “No one here gets out alive.” – Jim Morrison

66.) “Death is an ending. Death is a closing. Death is idle words in the ebb and flow of life.”- Elizabeth Edwards

67.) “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.” – Thomas Campbell

68.) “Life asked death, ‘Why do people love me but hate you?’ Death responded, ‘Because you are a beautiful lie and I am a painful truth.”—Author unknown

69.) “I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.” –Corazon Aquino

70.) “I am not afraid of death, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” – Woody Allen

Death quotes to calm you

71.) “While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.” – Leonardo da Vinci

72.) “Death is not the end of life; it is the beginning of an eternal journey.” – Debasish Mridha

73.) “Not only is death inevitable; death is necessary for us to inherit the new life we are to enjoy in Christ.” – Max Lucado

74.) “Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” – Mother Teresa

75.) “To die will be an awfully big adventure.” – Peter Pan

76.) “Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you”—Welcome to Night Vale

77.) “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and the other begins?”—Edgar Allan Poe

78.) “Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.” –Napoleon Bonaparte

79.) “Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.” – Langston Hughes

80.) “Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names.” – Proverb

Other profound death quotes for loved ones

81.) “The idea is to die young as late as possible.” – Ashley Montagu

82.) “Life is like a very short visit to a toy shop between birth and death.” – Desmond Morris

83.) “It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.” – Victor Hugo

84.) “The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity.” – Seneca

85.) “As soon as you’ll realize that it was a gift, you’ll be free.” – Maxime Lagacé

86.) “Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive – the risk to be alive and express what we really are.” – Miguel Angel Ruiz

87.) “There is only one god and his name is Death, and there is only one thing we say to Death: ‘Not today’.” – Syrio Forel

89.) “After your death, you will be what you were before your birth.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

90.) “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch Albom

What do you think about these quotes about death?

Something we should all remember is that each and everyone of us grieves in a different way.

Each one of us has a different memory and relationship with the person who has passed away.

While some grieve openly, (others keep it to themselves) and put on a stoic face.

The important lesson to learn is that death and grief are very unique and individual processes. What is right for us may not fit another.

Hopefully, these quotes about death will help you embrace and grieve as you need to, and let others do the same.

What do you think about these death quotes? Do you have any other inspirational quotes to add? Let us know in the comment section below.

[minnamarie1983-blog]

Quotes for Thursday June 29,2017

achievement quotes Every man who accomplishes things sees first in his mind what he wishes to do. He puts away all doubt. It makes no difference how small or how large the thing you want to do may be; if you have an unlimited confidence in your ability to do it, you willdo it.--Charles Fillmore Four steps to achievement: plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully, proceed positively, pursue persistently.--William A. Ward Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.--Warren Bennis Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.--Vincent Van Gogh Greatness ... consists in doing great deeds with little means and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks.--Russell Conwell (Acres of Diamonds) Happiness... it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.--Franklin Delano Roosevelt === Dream quotes Dreams get you into the future and add excitement to the present.-Robert Conklin Dreams come in a size too big so that we may grow into them.--Josie Bisset Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.--Sir James M. Barrie Dreams, ideas, and plans not only are an escape, they give me purpose, a reason to hang on.--Steven Callahan Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up and do them.--Roger Von Oech == Faith quotes Faith is a knowledge within the heart beyond the reach of proof.--Kahlil Gibron Faith is affirming success before it comes. Faith is making claims to victory before it is achieved.--Robert Schuller Faith is an invisible and invincible magnet, and attracts to itself whatever it fervently desires and calmly and persistently expects.--Ralph W. Trine Faith is better understood as a verb than a noun, as a process than a possession. It is an on-again, off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not sure where you're going, but going anyway.--Frederick Buechner Faith is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a Gift from God.--Blaise Pascal === Goal quotes Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog The great and glorious masterpiece ofman is to know how to live to purpose.Michel de Montaigne Most "impossible" goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite size chunks, writing them down, believing them, and then going full speed ahead as if they were routine.Don Lancaster Your goal should be just out of reach, but not out of sight. Denis Waitley and Remi Witt I am always more interested in what I am about to do than what I have already done.Rachel Carson Purpose is what gives life a meaning. C. H. Parkhurst === Happiness quotes Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people brings happiness.--Rabbi Harold Kushner Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.--Edwin Percy Whipple Cheerfulness is a very great help in fostering the virtue of charity. Cheerfulness itself is a virtue.--Lawrence G. Lovasik (The Hidden Power of Kindness) Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy.--Gretta Palmer Happiness is a by-product. You cannot pursue it by itself.--Samuel Levenson Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.--Ralph Waldo Emerson Happiness is a present attitude--not a future condition.--Hugh Prather === Strength quotes Always remember, there is more strength in you than you ever realized or even imagined. Certainly nothing can keep you down if you are determined to get on top of things and stay there.--Norman Vincent Peale Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that's what makes you strong.--Sarah Dessen The awareness of our own strength makes us modest.--Paul Cezanne (Letters) Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.--Phillips Brooks Each day brings new life, new strength, new dreams and new hope. May you find courage, confidence and hope to reach out for your dreams.--Lailah Gifty Akita  It’s not in numbers but in unity that our great strength lies.--Thomas Paine Know your strengths and take advantage of them.--Greg Norman Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.--Drew Barrymore