#and goes looking for god are some of the most affecting‚ disturbing scenes within this post apocalyptic genre. the rest of the film once he

[dalekofchaos]

Why Voldemort is a terrible villain and how I’d improve Voldemort as a villain

As much as I like Voldemort, when you look back on the books. Voldemort is a terrible villain. Yes he has the Horcruxes and has loyal followers...but that’s it. In this post I will be examining why Voldemort is a terrible villain in Harry Potter and how I would improve Voldemort as a villain.

Let’s look at Voldemort’s track record

No clear motivations. The movies do absolutely nothing to flesh out Voldemort, but that's understandable, they're the movies. But even in the books, there is no clear reason for Voldemort doing any of the things that he does. During the flashbacks in the Pensive, Tom is a disturbed child who has a tendency to torture animals, lure other children to creepy caves and steal stuff - all of this is bad, yes, but why? Why is Tom Riddle "evil"? I know the explanation that the canon somewhat provides: that Voldemort doesn't know love/friendship/connection because he was conceived under the trickery of a love potion, and his mother was abused But, even if you accept that explanation, that does not justify Tom Riddle being innately evil and monstrous. Why is he racist/supremacist? If he really is a natural genius with a detachment from human emotion, shouldn't he also be detached from things like blood supremacy, ancestry and mortality? Just because he's a sociopath doesn't mean he will automatically turn into Hitler.

Wages a Wizarding war, but couldn’t even conquer his own Wizarding Nation

He couldn’t become Minister Of Magic. Instead he dicked around in Borgins And Burkes and instead wanted to become Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor.....for reasons. He could’ve used his power as Minister Of Magic to gain followers, especially the fanatic pure blood families and the impressionable Slytherins and cover for his Horcrux murders. But nooo.

When Voldemort DOES take power by force during the second Wizarding War, he does barely anything with it. Voldemort owns the government and has an army of evil. Where does he plan to launch his attack on the world? At a god damn highschool. Yes I know he attacked Hogwarts because of the last Horcrux. Didn't need to get that far if he didn't act like the world's worst Bond villain and monologued for enough time to let Harry either escape or for the Deus ex machina to arrive on que. The first two times it happens, yeah I get it. You're a villain who is up himself, shit happens. But by book 5 when he is still doing dumb shit it's unforgivable. How hard is it to issue a kill on sight order to your hordes of evil? I mean FFS you have legit werewolves on your side, who can sniff out a drop of blood miles away and yet you do nothing with them? Not only do you fail to kill a defenseless baby but you can't evil kill the kid when he's locked up in your second in commands basement.

He isn't particularly charismatic or a decent leader. He does have tons of followers, for reasons. Seriously, except for fear and opportunism I can't understand why anybody would want to fight for him. I mean, I get that he is basically magic!Hitler, but actual Hitler could at least hold speeches. Actual Hitler had arguments why his rule would be good for the German people. Voldemort doesn't. Voldemort treats his followers like shit and tortures or kills them if they aren't useful any more.

He didn't do his homework and doesn't knows the magic lore good enough. He manages to kill himself two times because of lore he really should have known about. The first time he fails to see the magic love-charm, the second time he doesn't recognizes the arcane rules of wand ownership. Those are stupid, avoidable mistakes for somebody that is supposed to be the greatest dark mage of his time.

He isn't even a particularly good mage. He manages to get statemaled by Harry and defeated by Dumbledore. He never does anything truly remarkable with magic that we haven't seen other characters do the same or better (the cave in book six is pretty good, but that's already has best showing). All we see is “AVADA KEDAVA.” Cool, I’ve seen every damn villain use that stupid fucking spell and yes it is a terrible spell.

His plans are... well, they are shit. If your plans get permanently foiled by a bunch of meddeling kids, you should think about retirement, not world domination. The plan in "Goblet of fire" only works out because of dumb luck. "Orden of phoenix" works out because of Harrys incompetence. The plan to kill Dumbledore only worked cause Voldemort used logic and had one of his followers do the work for him. The rest of his plans fail gloriously.

Voldemort's goals. He... wants to be immortal, but why? Because he's afraid of death? Why is he afraid of death? He literally spent his childhood cutting open rabbits. He excelled in all fields of academia and is arguably very intelligent; intelligence tends to negate superstition. Okay, fine; let's assume he's afraid of death. But even if we look for another explanation: maybe he wants to live forever in order to stay in power.

Voldemort wants power...Why does he want power? Why does he want to, quite literally, take over the world? It makes no sense. He has no reason to care about any of that. Even if he's prejudiced against Muggles, what exactly gives him the willpower to actually gather followers, build a legion of darkdoom evil squad and kill everyone? His motivations are never explained, and he is introduced to the story as a 2-dimensional "bad guy". Even from the 4th book onward, Voldemort is never actually fleshed out. He simply goes from bad guy to "extremely bad guy/"super fucking evil". It's shallow. It's a bad character. He isn't even a character. He has no depth, nuance, relatability or layers to him. He's just a textbook douchebag who exists simply to give the protagonists something to do, because otherwise the stories would just be about magic school.

Let's look at the closest and most obvious reflection: Adolf Hitler. It's painfully obvious that Voldemort's movement is based on Nazism. But if you read Mein Kampf, Hitler actually believed what he was doing was justified, and provided reasons for it which he thought made sense. Even if it was objectively flawed, he believed it. That's what makes a good character in fiction; even if they're actually batshit fucking insane and critically evil, you can make them relatable if you go inside their head and show the audience why they're doing what they're doing. Even if the audience doesn't agree with the character, the audience understands why the character thinks this way. Unlike Hitler's diary, Voldemort has no level of self-introspection, no actual justifications. He's a walking plot device, and that's ridiculously bad for a 7-book-long story where he's the main antagonist. I don't remember a single interaction, scene or exchange where Voldemort is shown to have any degree of self-awareness. The youngest we ever see him is when Dumbledore visits him in the orphanage, and by that point he's already evil as balls, for seemingly no reason. Even when Harry is talking to him in their final fight, Voldemort only hisses and spits out superficial threats and a shallow understanding of the events around him, and actually has no idea who he is, or why he's doing what he does. . If he were a realistic character, this lack of self-awareness would build up over time, would create self-doubt in him, and he would go through a character arc where he "found himself" and learned what he really wanted. And then, maybe he comes back and does some crazy shit, but this time he does them with glorious conviction, and has no shame in admitting it. The audience knows him now, and he's a great villain. But that's not what we got. Remember the 13-odd years Voldemort spent floating around like a puff of gas, possessing rats and squatting in Quirrel's turban? Why did his character not develop? HE HAD THIRTEEN FUCKING YEARS TO REFLECT ON HIMSELF. He literally had nothing else to do. He could've become such a complex character. Think about it: a bland, textbook villain gets cucked into infinity and now can't actually do anything but bide his time. It would clearly affect his personality, especially if it lasts 13 goddamn years. But when Voldemort is revived in book 4, he's still just "look how evil I am.exe". He had literally no character arc of any kind. That's actually impossible. No sentient human being can have the same personality, goals and motivations after over a decade of exile. He's a badly-written villain, plain and simple.

It seems like a very poor decision to make the antagonist of 7 thick books this unrelatable and bland. It also makes no sense because Rowling has written consistently excellent characters throughout the series. Why not make Voldemort a real character?

So here is how I would improve Voldemort as a villain

Motivation. So since it's universally accepted that Salazar was against Muggleorns because he grew up in a time where Wizards and Witches were being burned at the stake. What if Voldemort had similar intentions cause he grew up in a time during WWII and the Cold War and saw how powerful and dangerous the Muggles were becoming with their nuclear weapons and wanted to protect magic kind from the Muggles and viewed the Muggles invading a possibility. So he became Lord Voldemort and formed the Death Eaters to finish Salazar Slytherin’s work to protect magic kind against Muggles and Muggleborns. It could’ve started out as noble, but turned racist and evil in the end.  

As Tom Riddle, he becomes the Minister Of Magic or given a position of power secondary to the Minister Of Magic. The Lord Of Magic. It’s important that prior to becoming Lord Voldemort, he should hold a position of political power within the Ministry Of Magic. In Hogwarts, it is said as a student Tom was charismatic, charming and a wolf in sheep’s clothing. So why not use all that for politics? He could use his charm and political power to turn the Ministry Of Magic against the Muggleborns and against the Muggles. He would write a book explaining in detail why he believes in what he believes and that gives him the following he needs. The Book in question would be called “Magic Is Might!” The old Pure Blood magical families and impressionable young Slytherins would follow him like moths to a flame.  He could use his newfound political power to research all forms of magic and even the dark arts. He could make Horcruxes in secret. As Voldemort he would gather allies who were rejected by society like Werewolves and Giants. But despite what the Horcruxes do to his face, he could use magic to keep up appearances. He wouldn’t just be seeking to wage war with the muggles and muggleborns. First Voldemort has to take over the Wizarding world. 

Treats his followers like allies. Voldemort does not use fear and the threat of death and torture on his most trusted allies. Tom Riddle’s the Knights of Walpurgis hold key positions in Tom Riddle’s administration and then the Death Eaters are born and Voldemort treats them with respect and admiration. In a sense, he treats the Death Eaters like family.

The First WIzarding War should have been about Voldemort waging war on the other Wizarding nations. This would truly show how terrifying and powerful Voldemort really is. Would also explain why the other nations did not interfere in the second war, cause they were that terrified of Voldemort. The Order Of Phoenix was barely able to win and drive Voldemort from power. 

Voldemort’s fall was because he was desperate. He was ousted from power and Dumbledore, the OOTP and Aurors are on his trail. His body is failing him, so he desperately needs to create a new Horcrux. So he kills The Potters. He fully knew that Lily used the love charm to shield Harry from him. So He saw a way out. Voldemort purposefully destroyed himself so he could gain a new Horcrux. 

Plus, we can have Voldemort hide the Horcruxes in the nations he conquered. So Voldemort can hide them in -Russia -Germany -America -Hogwarts -France Obviously Nagini would be by his side at all times and well Harry is the last one. For context of how Voldemort conquered these nations. Imperio, subterfuge, and mass hysteria. He took out the Wizarding governments and implanted them with his thrawls.

Make Voldemort as hated as Umbridge. Here’s how.

In my hypothetical scenario where Voldemort hides the Horcruxes in different Wizarding Nations, make 8 books. Book 7 ends with everyone graduating from Hogwarts and the fall of the Ministry. 

This way, after graduation, the Ministry has fallen and it ends with the Big Seven on the run. In Book 8 they are all on the hunt for the Horcruxes. Not just for Horcruxes, but international allies to unite the Wizarding world against Voldemort. It ends with the final confrontation being at the Ministry. Voldemort's endgame plan is not just to wipe out the Muggleborns, but wiping out the Muggles. He has the Magic equivalent to a Nuclear bomb. Voldemort wants to destroy the Muggles and recreate the world in his image. Magic Is Might! He plans on using it and Harry has to stop him before it's too late

Voldemort fails because the Horcruxes are failing him. It isn’t immortality, it is only temporarily longevity and every time one of his Horcruxes gets destroyed, his body breaks down and his soul is in an even worse shape.  When Nagini is destroyed, it is over. Voldemort thinks if he can kill Harry, he will live forever as the prophecy states “only one can live forever.” so he believes if he could just kill Harry, he can win. But Harry deflects his curses and sends it right back at him. Voldemort dies as he did in the book. Powerless, alone and human.

[bb8sworld]

i have taken to lovingly calling this the picnic fic. is this fic self-indulgent? yes, yes it is. incredibly so. many thanks to @doublesunsets who brought forth the idea of a picnic in the park with obi and feeding ducks together. this was oodles of fun to write! there’s nothing but pure fluff ahead, so if that suits your fancy, then i hope you decide to give this a read. enjoy!

pairing: obi-wan kenobi x reader

word count: 4.7k (my god)

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The whole situation had started out innocently enough.

You and Obi-Wan were cuddled together on the couch in your room, him laying on the cushions with you draped over him like a blanket, the both of you completely at peace in your position as you simply relished the moment. With his heartbeat thumping steadily in your ear and his hand running over your back in comforting circles, you couldn’t of anywhere else you’d rather be. In fact, you think that if someone tried to move you from your spot you might very well hiss at them and cling onto Obi-Wan—not that he would complain, considering he feels the exact same on the matter. Having you so close helped center his mind to this moment instead of thinking and worrying about all the duties he still had to uphold outside of your room. It also didn’t hurt that you would occasionally place gentle kisses on his chest, causing his heart to flutter a little faster and his stomach to swoop. It wasn’t very often when the two of you got to spend quiet time together where you two could actually act like a couple and indulge in all the normalities that others took for granted.

On the holoscreen before you both was a completely trashy romance holodrama playing. It was one of those dramas with lackluster acting, predictable dialogue, cringy scenes, and a two hour build up for a kiss with the leading couple that happens in the last two minutes—and you both secretly loved to watch them together. Sure they weren’t anything to write home about, but they were fun to poke fun at and they were mind-numbing enough to get your minds off of the daily stresses you two had. Besides, it was much nicer to get invested and mad at the “will they, won’t they” song and dance the lead couple did than at the current state the galaxy was in.

The holodrama had just about passed the halfway mark when the scene on the screen changed to the lead couple going on a “totally platonic” picnic together that involved casually hand-feeding each other food, friendly cuddling on the picnic blanket, and not-at-all-flirtatious dialogue. You couldn’t but let out a laugh at the scene and how ridiculous it is. You felt Obi-Wan’s hand on your back still as he turned his attention away from the screen and onto you.

“Care to share what you find so humorous?”

You let out another giggle before you give a slight, albeit awkward, shrug before answering, “It’s just…picnics are one of the most cliché dates you can go on as a couple, everyone knows that.”

Obi-Wan had certainly not known that, but he wasn’t going to admit to that. Not yet, at least.

“And you find that…funny?” he inquires.

“I find it funny because it’s also incredibly romantic. Who in the galaxy goes on a picnic with the person of your affections if not to go on a date and romance them?” you respond, as if stating the obvious. “The picnic date is a staple outing for romantic partners, not friends. And if you’re the one asking someone on a date, it’s understood that you’re going to try and woo them.”

Obi-Wan takes a moment to consider your words. The two of you had far from a conventional romantic relationship given how your love was confined behind closed doors and hidden in the shadows. Because of this, it was rare for you two to act like a “normal” couple and “woo” each other, and he couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if he was asking too much of you by being in a relationship with him. If you two weren’t together, you’d have the freedom to openly love someone.

But instead you chose him of all people in the galaxy, and while he may not understand why at times, he wasn’t going to let it go for the world.

Which also brings him back to his current predicament: “normal” couple dates. Your “normal” was certainly different from others, but he had always thought it was enough. But what if it wasn’t? Were there normal couple things you missed partaking in? Should he make more of an effort to demonstrate his love for you? He’s not the type to get insecure about your relationship, but every now and then he’ll see other couples be openly affectionate or you’ll give a soft sigh at a romantic scene in one of these awful holodramas and he can’t help but wonder if you miss any of that. If he voices his worries, though, you are always quick to quell them with your reassurances that you don’t care about any of that. As long as you have him, that’s enough, and you’ll stay by his side until he doesn’t want you to anymore (which he can’t even begin to fathom not wanting to be with you, not loving you with every fiber of his being that his chest often hurts at the mere sight of your smile, but that’s beside the point).

He decides not to voice any of this, though, not because he fears your answer will change, but because he knows it hasn’t. You’ve been persistent enough in the past with your reassurances and affections that his little worries over stuff like this feel just like that: little. So instead, he decides to respond with something else.

“Well then you must’ve gone on plenty of picnics, my love. I imagine you’ve had many people try to woo you.”

You can’t help but laugh once again. “Pfft, as if. I’ve gone on one, maybe two actual picnics in my life? And trust me, I was not wooed either time.”

“Only ‘one, maybe two’? I find that hard to believe.” You lift your head off of his chest to make eye contact with him as you respond, “Well you better believe it because it’s the truth and I would never lie to you, Obi.”

Obi-Wan smiles at your response and leans in for a quick kiss, crappy holodrama now entirely forgotten. You hum into the kiss, conversation momentarily put on pause by the best distraction of them all: each other. But while it’s nice, you pull back early with a smirk on your face.

“Besides, if either of us here has been wooed via picnic many times over, it’s obviously going to be you. You flirt with anything that breathes and you know it.” A scoff is your immediate reply and you lift an eyebrow at the affronted look on his face.

“For your information, I do not flirt with anything that breathes. I do have some standards and the Jedi Code to uphold—”

“—mmm, and you’re definitely upholding the Code well—”

“But regardless,” he interrupts any other teasing comments you were about to make, throwing an unimpressed look your way that quickly softens, “I leave all my affections for you.”

Your face heats up at that comment as it usually does whenever Obi-Wan tells you something sweet and loving. You try and fail to fight the cheek-straining smile tugging at your lips. Damn him for successfully harnessing the powerful ability to make you fluster. Despite you two having been together for the better part of a year now, you’re still caught off guard by the loving words he gifts you with. You’ve learned to treasure each and every one, not because he doesn’t give you many, but because he always manages to make you feel special and loved like none other. Others may try to convince you otherwise, but Obi-Wan Kenobi is a secret romantic, and you’re the only one who gets to see this side of him. And you love it.

“Well you certainly know how to make me feel special, now don’t you?” you tease. “If I weren’t laying on top of you right now I think I’d be swooning.”

He smirks at you before responding, “Darling, I thought we had agreed not to lie to each other?”

“Oh shut up and kiss me already,” You’re barely able to finish your sentence when his lips find yours in a tender kiss. You can practically feel the smug satisfaction radiating off of him at his success in making you be flustered and weak-hearted, but you can’t find it within yourself to care when you’re savoring one of Obi-Wan’s many sweet kisses.

When you pull away, you both share a smile before resuming your previous position, focusing back on the holodrama that was ignored. It’s quiet once more between you two, and as you’re laying there in peace, you realize you never did get an answer from Obi-Wan.

“I know we were joking earlier, but have you really never gone on a picnic before?” Your voice isn’t terribly loud, not wanting to disturb the peaceful environment surrounding you two, but you’re itching for an answer.

“Unfortunately not. Jedi Code, remember? No being wooed for me, at least not publicly.” You only hum in response to that, not wanting to push the topic further. You place a quick kiss above his heart before snuggling back down, eyes back on the holodrama. Eventually, your eyelids start to get heavy and sleep starts to pull softly at you as Obi-Wan resumes rubbing his hand up-and-down your back. And if thoughts start running through your head about how you can swing a picnic date with Obi-Wan and properly woo him, well, he doesn’t need to know. Not yet, at least.

Too bad the reality of planning picnics hits you like a punch to the face once you’re awake. There’s just so much to consider regarding the “where” and “when” and “how” of organizing a picnic that you’re overwhelmed in seconds.

Regarding the “where,” at first you thought it might be sweet to have a mock-outdoors picnic by bringing plants into your room and laying out a blanket on the floor, but then you realized that trying to get that many plants in the room may give it more of a jungle adventure feel than intimate romance. Plus, where would you even get all those plants? And what would you do with them afterward? Needless to say, that idea was scratched pretty quickly. Were plants even a necessary addition? you wondered. Perhaps not. Probably not. Hopefully not.

But then came the other half of this equation: the “when.” It was hard enough to find time to be alone together because your schedules often conflicted, and you’d hate to go through the trouble to procure food for a picnic only for one or both of you to be busy. You’d have to look ahead at your schedules to see if you had any free time…except your schedules were prone to changing on a moment’s notice. Maybe you could ask for time off. Do Jedi get vacation days?

There were too many variables at play here, and without either the “where” or the “when” figured out there couldn’t possibly even be a “how.”

So yeah, planning wasn’t going that well.

Ugh.

Were planning picnics usually this hard? Or was your case just uniquely special? You sure hoped not, otherwise this was about to be the only picnic Obi-Wan would ever go on in his life. And it very well may end in disaster.

You were still stumped on how you were going to pull off a proper picnic when you and Obi-Wan were sent off to Naboo for a week-long mission filled with meetings, negotiations, and conflict. Every ingredient needed for a completely fun off-Coruscant trip…oh who were you kidding, this was going to be one long, drawn-out trip that would put you in tears if you could openly cry in public without it being weird. At least Obi-Wan’s along for the ride, that’s a silver lining, you mused.

It was on the fifth day of your trip to Naboo when the unexpected happened.

You were in the room you were staying in when you heard a knock on your door. You weren’t expecting anyone, and as far as you were concerned, the next meeting wasn’t until after lunch, so the morning and early afternoon were open for whatever you wanted to do. You were hoping to maybe spend it with Obi-Wan, but looks like fate had other plans.

Except when you open the door, the very man consuming your thoughts was standing there, wicker basket in hand and a pleased smile on his face.

Oh.

Oh.

“Obi-Wan…what’s that in your hand?”

“This?” he lifts up the wicker basket, “Well, I heard from Senator Amidala that the meetings for today were cancelled, which means we have the day to ourselves, so I thought we could go on a picnic,” he says innocently, as if you’re not having an emotional spiral over how he beat you to your own endgame and organized his own first picnic date.

“Oh you sneaky little bastard.” It slips out without a thought, but it leaves Obi-Wan amused more than anything.

“What? I thought you’d like to be wooed, my love.”

“I–well–sure, but did you have to beat me to the punch? I had this plan to make your first picnic special and surprise you with it, not have you surprise me with one,” you ramble. At this, Obi-Wan’s cheeks blush a light pink and he swears his heart melts right then and there. Of course you would try to surprise him with a picnic date. You were aware of how new he still was to dating and being in a romantic relationship, so you were always introducing him to various romantic activities and gestures. He would be lying if he said he didn’t love every second of it, if he didn’t love you. The besotted look on his face that follows these thoughts is subconscious.

“Any picnic with you would be special whether you planned it or I did because you would be there,” he tells you earnestly. He grabs your hand and gives it a loving squeeze, “And who’s to say we still can’t go on your picnic?”

You pause briefly at that. “I guess you’re right.” You close your eyes and let out a quick huff to regroup yourself before opening them again to look at his dazzling blue eyes. You give him a brilliant smile that makes him feel weak in the knees at the very sight of. “So, where were you planning on taking me for this picnic of yours?”

He smiles right back at you as he says, “That, my dear, I think I’ll leave as a surprise.”

And a surprise it was. He took you to the rolling hills in the countryside of Naboo, flowers of all colors blooming among the vibrant green grass with a crystal blue lake not too far off in the distance forming from a waterfall, trees scattered about. It was absolutely gorgeous and secluded, which meant you could be affectionate towards each other and treat this as an actual date without having to look around every minute or so in fear of being caught.

God, Obi-Wan had really outdone himself.

You turn your head to look at him, hearts practically manifesting themselves in your eyes. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

He places a kiss on your forehead before saying, “Not yet today.”

“Well I do love you,” you say. “Very much.”

“And I love you too.” He gives you a quick kiss on the lips before adding in a quiet whisper, “More than I can possibly explain.”

You two begin to wander, hands clasped together, in search for the perfect spot to set up your picnic and lay down the blanket nestled inside the basket. You mutually decide on a shaded area underneath a tall tree overlooking the nearby lake and quickly start to make work of setting up the actual picnic. The blanket is unfolded and laid on top of the grass, the containers of food are brought out, and the bottle of emerald wine is placed on the blanket. Everything looks delicious and well-thought out, and your heart melts at the obvious effort Obi-Wan put into organizing this date. You’re about to close up the basket when you notice a jar of…something, left in the basket. You pull it out to inspect it, thinking it must be food you forgot to pull out, but when you take a closer look, you’re confused.

“Dry oats?” you inquire. Your stomach suddenly gets queasy at the thought of eating them, and you make your hesitation known, “Are we making porridge on this picnic? Because that may be a deal-breaker, Obi. Porridge is bland and disappointing and you know it.”

Immediate laughter is the response you get, causing you to look up from the offending oats at the source of that glorious sound. The pure joy on his face, the crinkles by his eyes, the smile that tugs a little too tight on his cheeks…you bask in it all, wishing this one moment of absolute ease and love could last a lifetime. It’s not often when Obi-Wan can let loose like this, and every time you witness his carefree side, unadulterated love and happiness fill your heart because you get to bear witness to it. You wish you could bottle up this moment and keep it forever, but since you can’t, instead you spend every precious second soaking in every fine detail before you. Because of this, you’re almost caught off guard when he stops laughing and finally composes himself enough to respond.

“They’re not for us, my darling, they’re for them,” he points to a flock of ducks in the distance. There aren’t many, but that seemed to be because they were coming and going as they pleased. Some lazing about in the water, others flying out of the lake and into the sky, and some landing in the lake for a quick swim. It was a rather interesting sight to look at, peaceful too.

“How kind of you to consider the ducks,” you poke at him, though there is no malice in your words. “But wait, I thought you feed ducks bread. Isn’t that the standard food of choice?”

Obi-Wan begins doling out dishes and silverware to you both as you tuck the jar of oats back in the basket.

“Well, you can feed bread to ducks, but it isn’t advised,” he tells you, “Bread itself has no nutritional value for the ducks, so while they might enjoy it, they’re filling themselves up on food that will ultimately lead them down a path of malnourishment. And there’s also the risk of them gaining weight from all the bread consumption to the point where they can’t fly anymore.”

“Huh,” you say, curiosity and shock filling your tone, “I didn’t know that.”

“Many people don’t, they just assume bread is okay to feed them,” Obi-Wan comments. You hum back in affirmation, but something about his response feels…well, not quite wrong but…textbook. It sounded as if he was reading from an ornithology book, or at the very least one of those “introductory to” articles that you rely on when you can’t recall something and you need to brush up—

Wait a second.

If you didn’t know that fact about ducks and many other people didn’t either, how would Obi-Wan have known? Maybe he’s fed ducks before, but he would’ve mentioned something when you were first discussing picnics, yeah?

Unless… 

“Obi-Wan,” you begin tentatively. “How did you know that tidbit about not feeding the ducks bread?”

“What?” he looks back up at you from where he was opening up one of the containers of food, a slightly stunned look on his face.

“What you just said about feeding the ducks, you said not many people knew about it, and I certainly didn’t, so how did you?”

Silence is your answer as he immediately looks back down, fiddling with the container lid he just took off. You pick up on the light dusting of pink on his cheeks, way too sudden to be a result of overheating or warmth, especially since you’re in the shade. The puzzle pieces slowly start falling into place and the bigger picture is taking shape. The duck feeding, the blanket, the wicker basket, the excellent arrangement of food, the bottle of emerald wine—surely he couldn’t have remembered all that after barely paying attention to a cheesy picnic scene in a trashy holodrama.

“Obi, did you research about feeding ducks before this picnic?” you ask. Still silence on his end, but the pink on his cheeks begins to deepen, and your theory suddenly seems much more plausible. “Wait a second, love, did you do research about picnics after our conversation?”

Your hands immediately latch onto his arm and you scoot closer to him on the blanket, practically cuddled into his side now, food and wine and quacking ducks momentarily forgotten. “You did, didn’t you? Oh maker, Obi-Wan, you didn’t have to do any of that to ‘woo’ me! I’d be swooning even on a tattered blanket eating bland porridge and ignorantly feeding bread to those poor ducks.”

Despite his now flaming red face, Obi-Wan looks up and his blue eyes latch onto yours. His hand cups your cheek softly, thumb tracing along your cheekbone, as he takes in the pure, unbridled happiness on your face and the way your eyes sparkle in the sunlight. He knows he didn’t have to orchestrate any of this to the degree he did or dedicate research to picnics of all things, but he wanted to. He wanted to give you a slice of normality, a date where you can be open and loving, a day where you felt truly loved and appreciated, no questions asked. And there was so much more that he wants to give you one day—a husband, a father to your children, a life off of Coruscant, a love that didn’t have to be tucked away out-of-sight, out-of-mind—but for now, this was a start. A taste of what could one day be a reality. He would do anything for you if you asked and he would give anything to have one more second with you.

And so, with nothing but love in his heart, it’s with absolute fondness that he responds, “I know. But it’s what you deserve.”

Honestly, how could you not kiss him after a comment like that? In fact, you kiss him several times over, time itself feeling as if it had stopped despite the slow moving clouds and blowing blades of grass around you suggesting otherwise.

“This is the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” you admit when you separate between kisses. You get one last kiss on your lips before Obi-Wan fully pulls himself away, pleased smile donning his face.

“Let’s hope you still think so when we find our food has been infested by insects,” he remarks jokingly. That gets your head whipping away from him to inspect all the open food in front of you. Thankfully, the pesky critters haven't stolen much of the food from you both aside from a bowl of some fruit salad. You donate the beloved salad to critters before you open the rest of the food and start to dish some of the non-infested food out on your plates. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan goes to open the wine bottle he brought. You’re just about done making up your plates when you notice Obi-Wan staring at the wine bottle in silence. And it clicks.

“Obi,” you’re trying so hard not to giggle, “Did you forget the corkscrew?”

A beat. “It would appear I have.”

You try to stifle your laughter at his misfortune by putting your hand over your mouth, but even so some peals of laughter escape. Despite the faux annoyed look on his face, Obi-Wan’s heart sings at the sound of your laughter.

“Can’t you just, you know,” you wave your hand at the bottle and poorly mimic Obi-Wan’s posh Coruscanti accent as you continue, “use the Force.”

“That’s not how the Force works.” Your slight amusement is met with an unimpressed look. Not a moment later, however, his hand waves through the air and you’re startled by the sound of pouring. You look away from him and what do you know, the bottle of wine is just magically open now and pouring itself into two glasses. Funny how wine bottles can just do that. Must be a Naboo thing. Or perhaps there's a nearby magical duck rooting for this date to go well. Whatever it was, it definitely was not Obi-Wan frivolously using the Force like he’s not supposed to.

“Right, of course, silly me for suggesting otherwise,” you concede.

After that, the two of you finally dig into the meal, sipping on wine, talking about everything and nothing, and absorbing every moment within each other’s presence. It’s a simple afternoon spent in the fields of Naboo, surrounded by beautiful colors, the calming sound of running water, and far off sounds of quacking.

And later, once you’re finished with your food, you finally do go and feed the nearby ducks the offending oats. The ducks themselves are more than enthusiastic to be fed by you both, and you try to feed as many as you can, except in your efforts to throw some farther into the lake, you find yourself losing balance and falling in. And unfortunately for your lover, you bring him down with you after you grab his arm in hopes of regaining support.

Soaked in sodden clothes and surrounded by ducks quacking in despair at the realization that the oats are no longer being served hot and fresh before them, the two of you sit there awkwardly in the shallows of the lake before a shared cacophony of laughter breaks through the soft sounds of nature. Between your peals of giggles and your current situation of sitting in a lake, the moment is clumsy and loud and wet, but also wonderful and real and unexpected. This picnic is somehow both every cliché under the sun and yet completely out of the blue at the same time.

Obi-Wan is the first to get up as the laughter dies down, his Jedi robes dripping with muddied water and his boots squelching as he walks to shore. He offers a hand to you, which you gladly take, and you haul yourself up as well. His hand guides you out to the open field before pulling you down to the ground to lay in the sun in hopes of drying off some before you have to pack up and head back. You both simply lay there quietly, linked only by your hands, as you absorb sunlight and make a small puddle around you with your sodden clothes.

"Maybe we should quit while we're ahead in the picnic date department,” you suggest, “Because these take an absurd amount of planning and I’d rather not fall in another lake."

A squeeze of the hand is your response, and when you turn your head to look at him, you see that he’s already staring at you, a gentle smile on his lips and love in his eyes.

“Maybe,” he ponders, “But you must admit that this was quite the memorable afternoon, my darling.”

You shake your head fondly as you keep your loving gaze on him, choosing to keep quiet, because how else could you respond? You certainly couldn’t deny his claim. This was easily the best picnic you’ve ever been on, and probably the best one you ever will go on. And you know that you’ll be thinking back and mentally reliving several moments from this date when the distance between you two grows as he goes off on another mission, leaving you behind with a yearning heart. Because at the end of the day, he’s the one who holds your heart for safekeeping, and while circumstances may make your love hard and difficult, it also adds a layer of wonder and importance. Nothing about your relationship is “normal,” but it’s your normal and it’s too good to let go.

So you’ll take odd dates like these and the hidden tender moments and mentally scrapbook each one—because you’d rather have loved and lost than not loved at all.

And with Obi-Wan, you know your love is worth it, and even if you lose him, you’ll still have won.

[cjrae]

Lucifer Is Not A Nice Guy. Or; Why Chloe Decker will not get a recap of Seasons 1-3.

So, I’ve been running into a lot of commentary and/or fanfic that goes something along the general lines of, “I can’t wait for Chloe to find out everything Lucifer’s been through for her!” The reasoning behind this seems to be a mix and match of the following

- If she had just understood Lucifer’s perspective of the last three seasons, she would have had a better reaction to her partner literally being the Devil.

- If Chloe knew about certain key plot points; Malcom’s bullet, Lucifer killing himself for the antidote, Lucifer killing Uriel to save her, Candy was just about Lucifer protecting Chloe from himself, she would understand just how much Lucifer loves her.

- If Chloe knew about her status as a literal miracle ordained by God, she would see that she and Lucifer were meant to be soulmates (after a potential freakout).

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that these impulses are necessarily coming from an insane place. All of this seems to be rooted in what is the bedrock of a successful romantic relationship; communication. If Lucifer and Chloe had been communicating more clearly in Seasons 1-3, a lot of their issues would, if not go away, at least be something they could face together as a united front.

Granted, that wouldn’t be much of a TV show, now would it?

But what’s bugging me is an underlying assumption that’s being pretty throughly ignored. If Chloe knew everything that Lucifer had done for her, she would be grateful and would accept Lucifer entirely because he has proved that he loves her.

Stop the bus!

Where have we heard this trope before? I’ll give you a hint - it’s in a lot of places, but it’s very prevalent in romance. The Nice Guy who does Things for the object of his affection, who only learns to return that affection once she knows of his sacrifice and/or actions.

Here’s the TV Tropes page, if you want a refresher. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NiceGuy

Um, guys? We do remember who our main character is, right? The Devil is very definitely not a nice guy. Who remembers Chloe’s description of him when she’s confronting him in 1x06 about his container being stolen?

Actually, let’s take a closer look at 1x06 for a minute. All italics are mine.

Chloe: “For the first time, I don’t think you’re being honest with me. You have this mysterious container that was stolen - that someone was willing to kill for. You make shady deals with shady people. You’re violent, your personal records only go back five years and the books from Lux are way too clean.”

This is 100% accurate, everyone. We’ve seen Lucifer engage in every bit of the behavior Chloe accuses him of here. He may not lie to her (as he goes on to reassure her further into the scene), but that doesn’t prevent him from obfuscating the truth. And that’s exactly what he does within this very scene - he tells her two truths about what’s in the container (”a gift from my father” and “Russian dolls”) while concealing what’s actually been stolen (his wings). 

We’ve seen Lucifer be violent before too - before it’s always been pointed at people who we, as the audience, have little to no sympathy for such as the agent Lucifer throws through the glass or Malcom’s drunk partner in the bar. Here in 1x06, though, we see this illustrated twice and not to Lucifer’s benefit. 

First is only a scene later as he quite literally hunts their suspect down through the warehouse, taunting him as he stalks his prey, only for the man to throw himself off the building when Lucifer finally catches up with him and flashes his Devil face. This is already pretty damn disturbing and is demonstrably unnecessary. The police have recovered the container without Lucifer needing to catch and question the man, which makes their suspect’s death not only gratuitous but also means that the man can’t stand trial for shooting the head of the biker gang. Still, Renny was just a “bad guy,” right?

The second time within 1x06 that we see Lucifer become violent is his therapy session with Linda, when she attempts to break through to him with the use of his Father’s name for him - and he screams at her and punches a hole straight through her wall and out the other side in a completely uncontrolled display of celestial strength.

These are important early character moments for Lucifer and they do help us, the audience, establish that Lucifer is not evil. You can see how disturbed he is when Renny throws himself off the building, his shocked, quiet line to Chloe “I couldn’t stop him.” It never occurred to him that someone might kill himself out of fear of him. And he knows, even in that moment, that his behavior in Linda’s office is completely out of line - he doesn’t even look at her, he just runs away and doesn’t go back to therapy until episode 8. 

And this is only a single episode in the first season, people. Lucifer demonstrates over and over that he is not a nice man to the world in general. Part of what makes Lucifer compelling is that we see him begin to offer kindness to others as his own capacity to feel and deal with his own emotions expands.

But a Nice Guy? The trope of the Nice Guy is based on a contractual obligation - I perform acts of service for the object of my affection and in return I receive love/sex/acceptance. 

Huh. I know where I’ve seen favors before in this show and it’s also not something Lucifer does out of kindness.

C’mon, guys. Do we really think Lucifer wanted Chloe to accept him out of a sense of obligation for everything he’s done for her? As if all of his actions in Seasons 1-3 were some kind of favor that is to be repaid with Chloe’s love? This is not to say that some of these major plot events won’t come up in any potential future seasons, but I suspect that if Chloe is brought up to speed on these events they will be connected to a current issue/plot point that’s much more pressing than comforting herself or Lucifer. 

Also, we the fans are able to re-watch and remember what happened. Chloe’s own memories are probably much fuzzier - some major events will stand out, but the fine details are probably pretty faded. Don’t believe me? How well do you remember the details of a work conversation you had a year ago? A month ago? Heck, how about yesterday?

After all, to quote Chloe Decker herself, “Going backwards is not good for anyone.” 

In short, Chloe doesn’t need a recap. She already knows how much Lucifer loves her and some of these events that people keep bringing up are far more likely to cause conflict than understanding if they’re ever brought to her attention. I mean, killing Uriel may very well have been justifiable homicide, given that he was actively threatening to kill two other people, but the idea of presenting a fratricide as proof of love would probably have most sane people run screaming in the opposite direction, let alone a homicide detective. Lucifer dying/killing himself to get to Hell? That’s even worse. 

And let’s not get started on the idea of Lucifer needing to hurt her in order to protect her, (thank you, Candy). The show runners have already teased the idea of Chloe finding out her miracle status, so this one is the most likely past event to come up, I suspect. So, show of hands, who thinks Chloe would be beyond pissed?

Chloe Decker owes Lucifer Morningstar absolutely nothing. That’s what makes her acceptance and love of him so powerful. To introduce these past events is to allow the specter of obligation to color every single interaction they’ve had - along with guilt. And some fans are speculating with the very best of intentions, in the name of open communication.

But we all know where good intentions and guilt lead, now don’t we?

[lululawrence]

2018 Fics Written by lululawrence

Master Fic Masterpost / Buy me a Coffee?

A Dream is a Soft Place to Land (5k)

“It’ll be like a perpetual sleepover, Lou,” Harry had said. “It’ll be great.”

And it was...except it also meant that Louis’ long time, barely there crush on Harry had only grown into a full fledged, real life version of playing house where Louis all too often found himself pretending he and Harry really were together when they definitely were not.

Or the one where Harry might have told his friends that he was dating someone and has to show proof for their party on New Year's Eve. His best friend and roommate Louis is the obvious choice...but things don't exactly go as planned.

We Made a Start (2k)

“Hey! I thought your phone got taken away after that stunt you pulled in Chem,” Louis said brightly, relieved her best friend was going to rescue her from her awful reading assignment, even if it was only temporarily.

“It was taken away after that stunt she pulled in Chem,” a voice that definitely wasn’t Harry’s said.

“Oh...hi, Anne,” Louis greeted, suddenly nervous. Anne had never called Louis before, not when Harry wasn’t already at Louis’ house for a sleepover or something.

“Hi, Louis,” Anne continued. “Based on your greeting, I’m afraid I already know the answer, but I have to ask.” Anne’s voice was obviously filled with worry despite the fact she was trying to veil it with calm. “Harry doesn’t happen to be at your house, does she?”

Or the one where Harry's hiding, Louis knows just where to find her, and more comes out of the evening than either expected.

Tell Me That You've Got Me (3k)

In some ways, Harry felt like Louis was his older sibling as much as Gemma was. He certainly showed just as much affection as Gemma did. Whenever Harry would succeed in something they knew was difficult, both Gemma and Louis would celebrate by placing a loud, smacking kiss on Harry’s forehead.

As they got older, Gemma pulled back her affections. She was tired of her brother constantly hanging around, and she found ways to elude him. Harry couldn’t blame her, really. The hardest part for him, though, was not being able to be around Louis as often.

Louis never withdrew his physical affection like Gemma did, though. He continued giving Harry kisses on his forehead, much the same way he did with the ever growing number of younger sisters he had at home, to say hello and goodbye. Harry had come to rely on it. Gemma would bid him hello and goodbye with a soft smack on the side of his head, and Louis would kiss him wherever her hand had landed.

Or the one where Harry was always Louis' best friend's younger brother...until they grow up and once innocent forms of affection come to mean a little bit more.

I Don't Mean to Frustrate (14k) 

Louis didn’t always feel like he had to hide. His family had known he would likely present as an omega from the time he was young and, despite the fact that male omegas were rare and had all the usual prejudices against them plus some, his loved ones were always caring and supportive.

Looking back on it, Louis sees quite clearly that had things gone differently, had three very specific scenes in his past played out with even a slight adjustment, he would likely be living his life as a happy and out male omega. Dwelling on that too often wasn’t good for him, though, because the fact was, they had happened. The outcome had been what got him where he was today: in the middle of a world tour feeling absolutely exhausted and needy, but not being able to tell anyone, not even his bandmates.

Or the one where Louis is an omega pretending to be a beta, but what happens when Harry, his (pining) alpha best friend, learns his secret?

How Much My Heart Depends (6k)

Louis is an alpha working as a fraud analyst who keeps having Bad Days. Harry is an omega working in Quality Support who shares a cubicle wall with Louis and only wants to help. Maybe this is the perfect chance for them to finally meet face to face.

I Will Care For You (15k)

“Afton, I just don’t know what I’m going to do,” Harry whined. “I’m going to adopt her, but I have no idea how to take care of her when I’m here as much as I am and I can’t really afford to raise a child on fewer hours. My family can only help so much, but I’ve already been relying on them too much this past week.”

“Oh, Harry. Just get yourself a nanny.” Afton threw out the suggestion and Harry sat up. How had he not considered that?

“How much do you need to pay a nanny? If I cut some expenses, I might be able to handle that, if they lived in. Would they expect more of me, since I’m an unmated alpha? Like, they wouldn’t think I’m some dodgy alpha looking for a nanny to become a bondmate or anything, would they?”

“Shut up, Harry,” Afton demanded. If she wasn’t a beta, Harry almost felt like she might have put some alpha timbre into her voice with that line. Either way, he did shut up to listen to her as she continued. “Reach out to Louis. He’s our usual sitter and he’s lovely. He’s come on some hard times, too, so you could probably convince him to work for you for cheap, especially if you’re having him live with you too.”

Hold Me Tight and Don't Let Go (19k)

Louis’ mind was whirling and a mess of information about application deadlines and talking to his mom about options he had for next year and the failed test and how she might react when he gave her the news. Louis was near his spot and he knew as soon as he got there he could let the tears and frustration flow, but when he turned the corner to his special space his whole body froze.

“Who’re you?” Louis bit out. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That came out way more harsh than he was intending. “Sorry, I just-”

Louis was interrupted by the boy, previously curled in a tiny ball and crying into his knees, stumbling to his feet, saying something Louis couldn’t understand, and wiping away at the tears. He straightened his glasses, grabbed his bookbag, mumbled something a second time, and then he literally ran off.

Or the one where Louis is barely holding himself together when he meets Marcel and an unexpected friendship might be just what both of them need.

Can We Talk for a Moment? (15.5k)

It was widely known that alphas were never as common as betas or omegas. It is believed the reasoning for that was safety for their packs. Each pack could only have one Alpha, and in order to keep order and make sure there was no mistaking who was in power, once the successor had been named, other alphas would be forced out of the pack.

The populations grew, as was to be expected with time and all manner of developments, and while the packs got larger and joined together, the number of alphas never increased.

Harry didn’t care for the reasons behind the phenomenon. In the end, it didn’t really matter. All he knew was he was the only alpha within about a thousand mile radius, and he was a complete and total disappointment.

Or the one where Harry is a shy, nerdy alpha, Louis is a loud omega punk, and there's more to both of them than their reputations.

I Like Digging Holes (6.5k)

As soon as the video loaded, Harry practically choked on his tongue. It was a video of Louis writhing on his bed, moving his mouth to something. It was probably a song they had played, because he had tagged Harry specifically saying, “Thank you for my Morning Jam!” in bold white text.

All of that was great, but Harry really couldn’t get past the fact that Louis was topless, his tanned and tattooed torso looking like it was glowing as he sang along to whatever song it was.

“Harry,” Zayn said, snapping his fingers. “Oh my God, what is going on over there?”

Harry looked up from his phone, wide eyed with his cheeks burning. He truly had no idea if they were live again or not. He’d lost complete sense of his surroundings and time thanks to Louis’ erotic video. Harry knew he hadn’t meant it that way...or at least, he assumed Louis hadn’t...but it didn’t change the fact it absolutely was.

“You’re back on in five,” Liam said. “Pull yourself together, Harry.”

Or the one where Harry and Zayn host the Breakfast Show and Louis is a popular YouTuber who catches Harry's attention.

Back to How it Was (52.5k)

Harry carefully stood up and was on his way to the window to look outside when he ran his hand through his hair, and it stopped entirely too soon.

He froze then began fervently patting all over his head. Where was his hair? He’d been growing it out for a couple of years now and it was finally almost to the length he’d had as a goal the entire time. How could it have gotten cut off overnight?

Harry rushed over to the mirror hung on the wall adjacent to the window.

Oh shit. What the hell was happening? Harry leaned closer and saw that not only was his hair cropped shorter than he’d ever wanted to go again, but it looked like he had the beginning of crow’s feet by his eyes. Those definitely weren’t there yesterday! And what happened to his tattoos? He still had some of them, like the star and the letters he’d gotten for his mum and Gemma, but most of the rest were missing and there were a few he’d never seen before instead.

What. The. Fuck.

Or the one where Harry goes to bed angry with his bandmates and wakes up in a universe where One Direction was never formed and he has to find a way back home. Home definitely has nothing to do with his best friend and bandmate, Louis. That would be ridiculous.

Not the Desperate Type (6.5k)

“First of all, I’d like to tell you how disturbing it is that you’re this familiar with your neighbor’s sex life,” Liam said, amusement lacing his tone.

“Fuck off,” Louis said, laughing.

“Second, that is really very sad. How bad is the stomping? Are you sure your neighbor doesn’t like it fast like that?”

“With the amount of cleaning the guy does, I think he’s taking out his sexual frustration on the cleanliness of his apartment. I can’t imagine the guy makes enough mess to require daily vacuuming.”

It sounded like the guy was actually moving furniture above him as he was sweeping now. Damn. Did Louis miss the seven minutes in heaven or was the guy angry because he didn’t even get that much pleasure today?

“I’m kinda afraid with the amount of noise he produces while cleaning that one day I’m gonna look up through my ceiling and be able to see him.”

“Tell him we wish him a better sex life and that we’re rooting for him if you do.”

Or the one where Louis' neighbor has a series of unfortunately short sexual experiences and Louis can hear every. Single. One.

Just Enough (to Feel My Body Come Alive) (14k)

As soon as the door closed behind him, Louis leaned against it and let out the breath that he’d been practically choking on just moments before. He’d been able to hide behind his metaphorical armour until Harry, the barista, had approached the table. That one moment somehow cracked Louis open enough that he’d felt a surge of joy for just a second, and that second was enough to scare the shit out of him.

He couldn’t let anyone in like that, not even for a laugh. Especially not another cute boy.

What Needs to be Done (10k)

Harry continued walking in the direction he’d been headed before he found himself at a break in the woods. That...wasn’t right. Had he gotten turned around?

“Where’s the sun?” Harry muttered to himself as he looked around. The entire world was in shadow and the sky covered in clouds.

“Not going to be able to find the sun for the rest of the day, mate. I expect it to rain here shortly.” a high voice said, startling Harry. For the second time in ten minutes, Harry made a sound very unbefitting of a dragon as he careened towards the earth.

This time he wasn’t sure he should bother getting up again.

“You better watch yourself or you’ll end up killing someone. I’ve never met such a clumsy dragon.”

Harry blinked and looked around.

“Looking for me?”

Harry looked directly below his head and sitting right beside his clawed foot was an incredibly sassy looking hedgehog.

Or the one where Harry's a dragon, Louis' a hedgehog, and maybe if they come together with other new friends they can get the spells reversed.

I Knew From the First Time (6k)

Harry: NICHOLAS I MIGHT CRY THIS GUY IS PERFECT Harry: HE STOOD UP FOR THIS ADORABLE WOMAN WHO REMINDS ME OF BARBAEA TO TAKE JKS SEAT Harry: Unfortunately this means I don’t have as good a view of him now BIT STILL

Nicholas: You’re a horny bastard who needs to get laid. I am not trusting your judgement on men at the moment.

Harry: I will have you know I have excellent taste in men, horny or not. Harry: Besides, you’ve gone far longer without getting laid than I am currently at, so whose judgement should we not be trusting, hmm?

Nicholas: I don’t like what you are implying, thank you very much Nicholas: But seriously. I’m not going to believe how beautiful this man supposedly is without a photo

Harry: Grimmy. Are you implying I should take a sneaky pic for you??

Or the one where Harry definitely doesn't take a sneaky pic of Louis on the Tube. Absolutely not. (Except maybe he does.)

Something Classic (5.5k)

Marcel did not peak in high school. High school was full of dress codes and bullies and he never would have made it through if not for Zayn and Liam.

College has finally arrived, and Marcel is excited for his chance to finally be able to express himself in ways he wasn't able to before. He never could have accounted for how leaving his high school uniform in the past could change everything.

Especially once he meets Louis Tomlinson.

The World will Open its Arms (4.5k)

Harry scrubbed at the countertop. It wasn’t even dirty, but it was three in the morning and the girl who was supposed to relieve him over an hour ago never showed. He was now on hour ten of his shift and his feet hurt and his back ached and he was trying not to cry, thanks to more fucking judgmental alpha truckers who could smell it on him.

Of course they could. He practically lived at the diner. The entire place reeked of it.

Unbonded pregnant omega.

How I Feel Inside (9k)

From the time they were young, Louis, Harry, and Niall all knew their secondary genders. Louis was alpha, Harry was omega, and so was Niall.

Louis was the oldest and also an early bloomer. The day before Thanksgiving at the hormonally insane age of thirteen, he had needed Harry. He always did, but then he was humping a shirt Harry had left behind at their last sleepover while he popped his first knot.

Louis = Alpha. Check.

Harry’s presentation was far more talked about. He was sixteen and sure he was coming down with the flu in the middle of gym class when Louis came barging in. Harry was confused, but as soon as he smelled Louis, he dropped fully into his first heat in the middle of the gymnasium.

Harry = Omega. Check.

Niall was different, though. He always had been. He didn’t mind it, he took great pride in it usually. But then they had graduated and he still hadn’t presented. Maybe he was just a late bloomer. But maybe he wasn’t an omega at all.

So, Niall = Beta. Check.

But then a month into the fall semester of their senior year, Niall disappeared.

We've Come Too Far (14.5k)

“Harry! I can’t believe we’re finally meeting! This is great!”

Harry breathed in and Greg smelled like fabric softener and mint. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but that combination was even better than he’d hoped for. God, he was ridiculous.

As they walked into an unmarked room, Greg yelled, “Louis! Come meet your partner in crime slash competition!”

Harry looked at Greg in confusion.

“That doesn’t even make sense, Gregory,” a voice called. As the man drew closer, Harry almost choked on his tongue. How was it even possible to be in the presence of the two most beautiful men in the UK? It was absolutely Not Fair.

Or the one where Harry has had a crush on Radio 1 DJ Greg James for years before he finally has the chance to meet him. What he didn't take into account was the beautiful intern that just might overshadow Harry's interest in Greg.

I Just Wanna Give You Love (18.5k)

Graham Norton appeared on the screen introducing his guests and out of nowhere, everything in Louis’ world was turned upside down.

Louis gasped as he intently took in the man on the screen, smiling and waving from his seat beside Sir Ian McKellen.

“Oh my God,” Louis said before it all sank in as to what it meant. “Holy fucking shit!”

“Louis William, you watch your mouth,” Jay said. “What has got into you?”

Feeling like a madman, his palms to his cheeks, Louis couldn’t help the tears of surprise, relief, and fear as he turned to his mum. “What colour are his eyes? What do you call that colour?”

“Louis, are you telling me that the man on the screen, Harry Styles, is your soulmate?”

Or the one where the world is in black and white until you meet your soulmate, but Harry is world famous and Louis is...well...not.

(That’s Just) The Way I Am (17k)

There was no way Harry would want to bring anyone out for an introductory trip like this. The fighting between himself and his father was sure to be be worse than usual and father still hadn’t accepted Harry’s pansexual identity. Harry wasn’t dating anyone at the moment, but at this point he almost wished he were dating a man just so he could incense his father.

The door jingled, pulling Harry’s attention away from the window and to the man who had just walked into the cafe.

Now that was exactly who Harry should try bringing home. The man was dressed in ratty black skinny jeans and what was obviously a self cut tank top that used to be a Stone Roses t-shirt. His black chucks had holes in the canvas, indicating exactly how old they were, and his maroon beanie wasn’t in much better shape.

The more Harry studied the man’s smoky eyeliner rimmed eyes and the lipstick he had swiped on to match his hat, the more Harry started hatching an idea. What if Harry really did bring this man home?

This is a Rainbow War (15.5k)

“So what are we doing?” Niall asked as he slipped in.

“Harry seems to really like rainbows,” Louis said, purposefully vague. “So let’s go ahead and make sure he’s really in the spirit.”

Louis untaped the flag he’d used to hold it together and showed Niall what he had inside. He’d been keeping a wide variety of flags from each show and gathering them until he had enough to cover Harry’s entire dressing room with them.

“Oh this is going to be great,” Niall said with a chuckle.

“Oh my God,” Shawn said excitedly. “It’s going to look like someone puked pride flags all over a campsite.”

“Exactly,” Louis said.

Or, the one where Harry's a famous singer, Louis is part of his road crew, and after Harry gives Louis a special assignment regarding rainbow flags, things maybe turn out a little differently than either of them planned.

Can I Have Your Attention, Please? (16k)

Forty-five minutes later found Nick dancing and singing along to the awful hold music that played as he still waited in queue to speak to someone as he made himself some avocado toast. Luckily, in the time he’d had waiting for a human to speak to, he’d been able to scrape together two work outfits that would hopefully be enough to tide him over until he got his own luggage back.

“Someone needs to fucking answer the phone!” Nick sang loudly and off key to the jazz music playing out of his phone’s speaker. “I want my own shampoo back,” he continued as he swung his head around and twirled with the avocado back to the fridge. “I don’t like Fifi’s bodywash and her moisturizer makes me break out!”

Staring to full on shimmy back to his perfectly made toast, the call disconnected and left the kitchen ringing in the silence.

“Bollocks,” Nick sighed.

...or the one where Nick develops a crush on the man whose bag he accidentally grabs at the airport. It is obviously just a coincidence that the man shares a first name with the pop star whose Instagram Nick lusts after as well.

Great Minds (They Think Just the Same) (8k)

This entire thing was going to be an utter failure. Why had Louis agreed to this? Why had he allowed Harry to convince him it was a good idea? He didn’t know anything more than the basics about being a DJ, and while he wanted to learn, he’d hoped he could get a bit more instruction. He’d had a bit back in 2012, but Louis also thought it would be more hands on than just the few verbal instructions Nick had given him before he kicked off the show.

Nick Grimshaw, whom Louis absolutely one hundred percent refused to call Grimmy, was sitting across the table from him, bopping about looking adorable in his headphones as he laughed at tweets and texts that were coming in. Too bad he was a dick.

Or the one where in an attempt to get the Breakfast Show back to the number one morning show in the country, the BBC brings on Louis as a co-host with Nick. They only thing is they don't really get along... until they do.

You’re Here, Where You Should Be (5.5k)

Harry gave her mother a wide, pleading grin and finally gave up on her hair. It had been only a marginally decent hair day anyway. No one here cared if it looked nice or not, so messy bun it would be.

Hands caught in making sure all her hair was up and not held so tight as to give her a headache, Harry (naturally) had her arms up when she froze in shock.

Louis Tomlinson was in her family room.

Or three years after having last seen her best friend, Louis shows up at the Christmas party Harry's family throws every year. Old feelings might not be as buried as Harry had thought.

Nowhere to Land (23.5k)

“Harry,” Gemma said slowly and softly, like she was afraid of startling a frightened animal. “What exactly do you remember of the past few weeks?”

Rubbing his forehead, Harry scrunched his nose up in confusion. “Was I acting really off? Cause I’ve felt so strange for weeks. I remember most of it, but it’s all fuzzy around the edges, like I was there, but not really.” Harry put the glass down and looked back at her, feeling a little sheepish. “That’s quite mad, isn’t it?”

Gemma shook her head and reached out for Harry, wrapping him in a tight hug. “No. Not mad. Makes perfect sense. Welcome back.”

Or the sequel to Back to How it Was where other Harry has returned to himself with only foggy memories of the past few weeks. He finds himself with a new workout routine, recordings of interviews he doesn't fully remember choosing to do in the first place, and a budding relationship with a man he remembers from the X Factor but doesn't really know now. Doing the best he can, Harry tries to put the pieces together of what happened and where he's going to go from here.

[nilewiggins-blog]

Most flagrant Movie Sex Clips Ever

Sex scenes in films tend to be romantic, sensual and steamy. Sometimes they're a little awkward, sometimes funny or amusing, and frequently a tad disturbing. Then there are the scenes which might be just downright disgusting. In honour of Universal Pictures' The Change-up, that is on Blu-ray and DVD from 23rd January, these filthy sex scenes are just what we're celebrating. Inside the film, Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) includes a weekly rendezvous with Tatiana (Mircea Monroe), a 9-months mother he apparently met at childbirth class. While she's lovely, the scene is certainly not as she charges into the flat demanding wild animal sex. Feeling quite sorry for Dave (Jason Bateman), who is trapped in Mitch's body at the time of the encounter, we chose to trawl over the past two decades and relive other films that made us wince, cringe, and canopy our eyes. 10. Harold & Kumar Head to White Castle, 2004 Kumar (Kal Penn) shows the world how intense an affection affair with drugs is often as he moans in pleasure during intercourse which has a giant bag of weed. While seemingly every stoner's dream be realized, it's questionable how this asexual bag of marijuana is capable of doing much without actual areas of the body. 9. American Pie, 1999 With a most classic sex-with-an-inanimate-object scenes, we cringe as Jim (Jason Biggs) is caught by his dad having sex along with his mother's freshly made pie. It forever changed this is of warm apple pie generating us ponder the similarities between baked goods and sex. 8. Jack Frost, 1996 Jim's American Pie crush Shannon Elizabeth once was crushed by way of a killer snowman within this cult classic, noticably because of its hilariously poor acting. While should have been a frightening rape scene, it's wise a sordid sexual encounter from a snowman along with a teen girl. Aside from the indisputable fact that Frosty looks like an enormous marshmallow, the grossest part is most likely that he is poking her with his carrot nose.

7. Good Luck Chuck, 2007 Having women literally lining up to nap together with you probably appears like heaven to many men. Chuck (Dane Cook) learns it could be the other when you're carrying it out with all the type of freaks which are more tightly focused on praying to God the Saviour than pleasing you, and have a tattoo that reads George W. above her, um, bush. 6. Step Brothers, 2008 Dale (John C. Reilly) is taken by surprise in the men's toilet when his step brother's wife goes stalker crazy and demands sex. After hopping onto his bits and thrusting forwards and backwards in a manner that oddly resembles a woodpecker, she tells him to 'Stay golden, pony boy' before lifting a leg and having a wee within the urinal. Dale thinks it's incredible, that this form of is if you're into quick, woodpecker sex and ladies that wee like men. 5. Team America: World Police, 2004 With this controversial sex scene (nine edits had to be consideration to the Film Association of America before they might approve it), we view puppets go advertising online from every possible angle their plastic bodies allows. While their creepy smiles don't change at all through the romp, their positions do a great deal - each and every one making us wonder a lot more who cares we're doing watching disturbing doll sex. 4. The Hangover Part II, 2011 Basically we don't actually start to see the sex scene between Stu (Ed Helms) and the Thai transvestite he has emotional sex with while fog out drunk, our imagination costs nothing to conjure up some pretty dirty images. That which you understand to view is Stu's priceless reaction as 'she' reveals her private parts and the man involves terms with all the fact that he made wish to a she-he. 3. The Change-Up, 2011 Dave (Jason Bateman), while trapped in Mitch's (Ryan Reynolds) body, is seduced by the very pregnant and horny woman, who is expecting her weekly sex session. She lunges toward him, her enormous nude belly at the forefront, and attacks the repulsed Dave-as-Mitch. Yes, women that are pregnant are beautiful, and not when you can see their baby's foot protruding through their enlarged stomach. Another scene isn't greater, as Mitch-as-Dave is privy to Dave's naked wife taking a massive poo about the toilet. 2. Bad Santa, 2003 Billy Bob Thornton shows us a side of Santa we never planned to see whilst partcipates in anal sex having a prostitute inside the dressing room in the office. The scene virtually destroys the visions we'd as kids of jolly old Saint Nick and his sweet Mrs. Claus. 1. Kingpin, 1996 Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) chooses repulsive sex along with his landlady rather than paying rent. Post sex, as he is projectile vomiting inside the toilet, she questions the partnership between good sex as well as a good crap: 'What is it about good sex very often makes me have to crap? Guess to make sure that pumping. Pump and dump.' How poetic. For details about celebrity nude check out this web portal.

[xoruffitup]

BlacKkKlansman: Double Consciousness & Extremist Identities

I saw BlacKkKlansman last night, and I’m still trying to properly breathe around the cold stone it left in my chest. I’ve been thinking about it constantly, and whenever that happens I always feel the need to write some sort of analysis to try to articulate why I’ve reacted so strongly to something. So, here’s my half-baked BlacKkKlansman review.

First things first, I’m white. Of course, that affects the way I view the world and whatever art/media I choose to consume. I fully recognize that my experience and takeaway from this film are likely very different from those of a viewer of color. And sure, I can say that I try to be progressive in how I live my life and I took college courses on race politics and minority marginalization, but at the end of the day, this is a film about black voices and black equality and those are topics I have no right to discourse on. So please, if something I write below seems misguided or uneducated, please let me know so I can self-examine and adjust.

First of all: The simple fact that this movie had such an effect on me as a white viewer. I was in a crowded movie theatre, with an audience of diverse age and race, and never in my life have I felt such a powerful moment of silent, unified shock when the credits started. The ending left every single person speechless. White privilege means that when I read news articles or books about institutionalized racism in our country, I have the option of closing the book, walking away and thinking about something else for a while. Not the case whatsoever with this movie - It didn’t discriminate in its devastating impact. While I’ve read about Black Power ideologies, there’s always an aspect of such movements that are designed not to be fully understood by those outside of it. These are not for me. This seems as intentional as it is justified. Black communities are excluded from so many mainstream ‘white’ narratives or locuses of power, these movements are the sole spaces that belong entirely to them and which they entirely control. They are designed to alienate, the same way these communities are alienated from so much else in society. However, BlacKkKlansman seemed accessible to a multitude of viewpoints and cultural/racial positions. The film does not strive to tell the audience how they should feel, but leaves elements of interpretation up to the viewer by presenting a chorus of voices, rather than a single one; By presenting multifaceted characters experiencing conflicts of identity - Rather than a single protagonist with a single political message. This is certainly not to say that a film is only good if it panders to the understanding of white viewers, but in this case I was impressed by the multiplicity of narratives and perspectives that were portrayed.

What’s so thought-provoking to me about the film was the decision to tell the story from the position of the undecided and conflicted center. By following Ron and Flip’s investigation, we watch each character grapple with the opposite sides of extremism. While Flip has to ingratiate himself with the Klan members who would revile his Jewish heritage, Ron has to spy on his own community at Black Student Union events as they call for war against the police. Both characters must play roles in order to pretend to fit into the groups they look like they should belong to. In Flip’s case, feeling threatened and despised by the Klan’s ideals makes him re-evaluate the meaning of the Jewish identity he never thought much about. For Ron, he feels torn between his loyalty to his people, and to his own hard-sought and prized work as a policeman (an institution equally reviled by Patrice and Klan members). Ron and Flip both wear masks, and their feelings of separation from “their” respective communities makes them each consider the conflicting identities within themselves.

Aptly, Patrice speaks to Ron in one scene about double consciousness. She questions whether it is possible to be both a black woman and American citizen. To her, putting her country first would be a betrayal to her black identity. In juxtaposition, the Klan members dress up their intolerance behind the values of “America first” (I can barely describe the chills that went through me when the Klan members all started chanting it.) Ron’s struggle throughout the film is exactly this - His determination to be both a black man and a police officer. He and Patrice disagree on whether it’s possible to change a corrupt system from within, and the movie leaves ambiguous how much Ron succeeds in this front. It’s crushingly infuriating when, towards the end of the film, Ron is himself detained and beaten by policemen who don’t believe he’s an undercover cop. But shortly thereafter, he enjoys a triumphant entry into the police station where all his white colleagues congratulate his work and embrace him. The scene when he calls David Duke to reveal his identity with his three colleagues giggling on either side of him is downright charming in its camaraderie and gaiety. It looks like acceptance; But tempered by the fact that all his hard work on the investigation was ultimately scrapped in the end. 

These themes of double consciousness and ambiguity permeate the film, and lend to its impactful success. Split-screen parallels are presented between Klan and Black Power movement meetings - Certainly not to equate the two, but to show in stark, unmistakable terms that these are the polar opposite, yet intimately interrelated effects of racism. This is how distantly racism divides our country - And how it leads to beliefs on either side that people will kill for. Towards the climax, a Black Student Union meeting listens to the horrific history of a young black man being brutally lynched, while the Klan members cheer and applaud a scene in Birth Of A Nation depicting the hanging of a black man. Neither side exists without the other to perceive it as a threat - And both stand firm in their respective beliefs that their hatred of the other side is justified. 

Yet, the film wasn’t the story of the Klan, nor of the Black liberation movement - It was the story of the two men caught in the middle, looking for footing on quickly-shrinking ground between the two sides, as their mutual hatred brings the two warring sides to an inevitable conflict. It is the same story of many modern viewers, wondering how in hell we’ve come to the present moment with “Black Lives Matter” on one side and Trump proclaiming “America First” on the other - with not an inch of common ground or even common perception between the two. 

Although I hope most viewers would intuit which side is truly more justified in their grievances, a strength of the film was its balanced, rather than caricatured depiction of the Klan members; Who believe that yes, they live in a racist country - “An anti-white racist country.” The chilling brilliance in the depiction of David Duke was how harmlessly normal he first seems - Cheerfully spouting off phrases like “you’re darn tootin’“ on the phone to Ron and ending the conversation with a chipper “God bless white America!” This is exactly how ideologies of hate become disguised as civilized, mild-mannered “values.” David Duke has given up the flashy title of “Grand Dragon” for the more innocuous “National Director” (or something to that end). The first time he goes undercover, Flip is quickly admonished never to call the Klan “The Klan,” but rather “The Organization.” In a conversation between Ron and one of his superiors at the police station, it’s even discussed how a high-ranking Klansman might have the long-term goal of placing “one of their own” in the White House, after they’ve disguised their intolerance and bigotry under the empirical rationales of policy. It’s one of the most painful moments of the entire film. 

Yet, while Flip has to endure the Klan members’ talk of killing black people, and Ron hears Kwame Ture speak about race wars with inevitability, another stroke of the film’s thoughtful genius is the choice of individual who actually enacts violence - Felix’s utterly apple pie looking housewife. She looks like the plump, harmless woman you wouldn’t want to be in line behind at the grocery store because she’s likely to have fifteen coupons. She is the last person you would expect on sight to leave a bomb at the house of a young black woman. And yet, this is another powerful message: How the vulnerable and susceptible can so easily become radicalized. I certainly don’t have sympathy for her because she’s an adult who made her own decisions; But I’m also aware of the way her Klansman husband manipulated her into becoming what she was, and it’s an extra layer of nuance I appreciated. 

Finally, I’ll wrap this up on a personal, perhaps silly, note. There were multiple layers of this film that really disturbed me, and it’s taken me a good 24 hours to put my finger on this last one: I’m not sure I enjoyed Adam Driver as Flip. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m all over that shoulder gun holster look and he looked 500% finer in flannel than any man has a right to. Also, I’m not sure I would feel this same discomfort if he’d been played by a lesser-caliber actor, or one who I don’t have such an attachment to. But I realized that on an instinctive level, it upset me to see his face under a Klan hood, and to hear him say vile racist comments. Rationally, of course I know that A) He’s acting, and B) Even his character is acting, but Adam’s an utterly convincing actor, playing an undercover detective who’s very good at his job. Maybe both his and Flip’s performances were too good. I asked myself why it didn’t bother me the same way to hear Ron spout racist bullshit on the phone. Part of it is because he isn’t played by an actor I happen to deeply respect and admire, but there’s more to it than that. There’s a passage in the NYT review that got as close to my nebulous discomfort as anything I could express:

"The most shocking thing about Flip's (Adam Driver's undercover detective role) imposture is how easy it seems, how natural he looks and sounds. This unnerving authenticity is partly testament to Mr. Driver's ability to tuck one performance inside another, but it also testifies to a stark and discomforting truth. Maybe not everyone who is white is a racist, but racism is what makes us white.”

Adam’s performance as Flip is discomfiting because it shows how easily a white person can take up the mask of extreme bigotry and intolerance, and how easily they can be perceived as supporting a hate movement, regardless of their true internal ideologies. I know Flip doesn’t mean the things he’s saying, but he’s damn convincing because he looks the part. His whiteness paired with his words - regardless of whether they’re genuine - is powerful and terrible. And racism is what lends him the ability to put on that convincing mask. And if racism is what “makes us white,” Adam as Flip makes me wonder if I could do the same. If, for whatever reason, the situation was such that I had to convince someone I believed in these things... Would I surprise myself by finding that I’m capable of saying things equally terrible? Is this a role that every white person is capable of, at a certain subconscious level, because of systemic racism and implicit biases? 

In conclusion: This movie has fucked up my life. It’s genius and I think I need to see it again. (If I can stomach it...)

[zeeinstore]

The 50 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language—And How to Use Them

While Romance languages like Portuguese and French might get all the glory for his or her aesthetically pleasing words and phrases, there is a lot to be said for the sweetness of the English language, too. After all, it's English that brings us such stunning showstopper words as ethereal and effervescent, euphoria, and demure. So if you are feeling inclined to extend your vocabulary—and make it as easy on the ears as possible—then you're certain a serendipitous surprise. We've rounded up the foremost beautiful words within the English that are bound to cause you to absolutely ebullient.

1. Petrichor The Greek words for "stone" and therefore the "ethereal blood of the gods" combine to offer us a wonderfully beautiful term for the way the world smells after it rains. Scientists have spent decades trying to work out exactly why that smell is so pleasing; actually, two are credited for coining "petrichor" during a 1964 Nature article.

2. Sumptuous Meaning "extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent," the word "sumptuous" are often wont to describe anything from a five-star vacation to your favorite fluffy blanket.

3. Angst If you've woken up with a prevailing sense of hysteria about how the day will go, you'll say you're experiencing some angst. it isn't a pleasing feeling, but the word for it, which dates back to the eighth century, does have a particular soothing sound.

4. Aesthete An aesthete, consistent with Merriam-Webster, is "one having or affecting sensitivity to the gorgeous especially in art." you would possibly be one if you're frequently moved by sculptures and paintings…or if you pretend to be for the sake of people. Either way, the word may be a joy to mention.

5. Nadir An astronomical term that's been co-opted for colloquial usage, nadir means rock bottom point, as within the "nadir of her popularity." Its opposite term, zenith, features a similar appeal.

6. Miraculous That which seemed impossible or a minimum of incredibly unlikely without the influence of some supernatural force is often described as "miraculous." Maybe that is the birth of a toddler or having the ability to hold on a morning conversation before a cup of coffee.

7. Lassitude Suffering from a scarcity of energy? Describe your tiredness—whether it's in your body, your mind, or both—with this term, and a minimum of it'll sound prettier. 8. Gossamer One of several definitions of this word, per Dictionary.com, is "a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating within the air in calm weather, especially in autumn." It's thought to possess come from the center English term goes summer, "possibly first used as the name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish." But it also can be wont to ask anything thin and airy, from a summer shawl to the wings of a butterfly.

9. Bungalow Bungalow may be a cozy word for a selected sort of house: usually one that's either one story or two stories with a sloping roof. Though there could also be additional criteria counting on where within the world you're using the term.

10. Scintilla Not to be confused with those furry crepuscular rodents, scintilla means a spark or a trace of something. Perhaps you are feeling a scintilla of guilt after eating the last cookie or experience a scintilla of attraction to someone you only met.

11. Aurora Originally the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise, the word aurora is now wont to describe the dawn, also because of the stunning luminous phenomenon that takes place within the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions. for instance, you'll have a visit to ascertain the northern lights as an item on your bucket list.

12. Inure Not all beautiful words have beautiful meanings. The word inure means to simply accept or grow familiar with something undesirable. for instance, your family's constant criticism could inure you to toxic behavior from loved ones.

13. Mellifluous This lyrical word refers to something sweet and enjoyable, especially when it involves sound. you would possibly find the first spring sounds of chirping birds to be quite mellifluous.

14. Euphoria Derived from the Greek word for healthy, the word euphoria is now wont to describe an intense feeling of happiness or elation. a way of euphoria could also be the result of a fortunate turn of events or an indescribable personal high.

15. Serendipity You've probably experienced this phenomenon quite you realize—remember that point you went on a coffee run and stumbled upon the simplest cake your city has got to offer? Or once you were cleaning your home and located those earrings you thought were gone years ago? Those happy coincidences are all cases of serendipity.

16. Cherish The word cherish means to carry dear or cultivate with care and affection. Whether that's your family, your home, or your most prized possession (or all three!), everyone has someone or something that they cherish.

17. Demure One of our favorite beautiful words, demure is employed to explain any modest and reserved behavior. Etymologists believe it's going to are derived from the Anglo-French verb more or demurrer, which suggests "to linger."

18. Elixir If you're well-versed within the world of Harry Potter, you almost certainly associate this word with the elixir of life derived from the Sorcerer's Stone. within the 17th century, alchemists believed it had been possible to make an elixir that might turn base metals to stone and permit people to measure forever. Today, the word is employed to spot a substance that's capable of adjusting base metals into gold. you would possibly also use it to explain that cocktail you only whipped up at your home bar.

19. Eternity Forever; always; a limitless time. These are just a few ways to explain the endless and sometimes frightening idea of eternity.

20. Felicity This one's just another word for a state of happiness. for instance, you would possibly end up during a state of felicity subsequent time you're surrounded by people you're keen on.

21. Languor Another beautiful word with a not-so-beautiful definition, languor refers to lethargy or weakness in body and mind. you would possibly experience this phenomenon when you have been working too many hours and are beginning to hit burnout. All meaning is it is time to use that PTO!

22. Love There's far more than one definition for this sense, action, phenomenon (etc, etc). But we will all agree that the word love is as beautiful as everything it describes.

23. Solitude If you're an extrovert, then solitude might not be ideal. But if you're an introvert, you'll likely enjoy and hunt down solitude, or the act of being alone and far away from society.

24. Epiphany While there are several meanings of this word, most people associate an epiphany with a life-changing realization. you will find samples of these in your favorite books and films, like the classic scene in Clueless when Cher realizes she's "majorly, totally, butt-crazy in love" together with her stepbrother Josh.

25. Quintessential Have you ever met someone who embodies all of the characteristics of the town they're from or the career path they've chosen? Then you would possibly have encountered someone who is perfectly typical, otherwise referred to as quintessential. Snacking on strawberries and cream while sipping a Pimm's Cup at Wimbledon? That's so quintessentially British!

26. Plethora This word has two definitions—one beautiful and one not so beautiful. While plethora is most ordinarily related to having an abundance of something (close your eyes and movie a plethora of disposable income!), it is also a medical word that's wont to describe increased blood during a specific area.

27. Nemesis As beautifully as this word rolls off of the tongue, it's related to a rival or arch-enemy and maybe wont to describe inflicting an act of vengeance. That friend-of-a-friend who grinds your gears whenever he involves Friday night drinks? He could be your nemesis.

28. Lithe One syllable and filled with grace, the word lithe is employed to characterize flexibility and a slim figure. for instance, you'll have noticed the lithe ballerinas once you attended a performance of The Nutcracker at Christmastime.

29. Tranquility Hopefully, you'll achieve a state of tranquility on your next beach vacation. this is often just another word for being free from agitation of mind or spirit.

30. Elegance Another word that sounds precisely the way it's defined, elegance may be a quality of favor and beauty.

31. Renaissance Whether you're about your revival in life or the transitional period between the 14th and 17th centuries, the word renaissance will rattle down the tongue and fulfill all of your aesthetically pleasing linguistic needs.

32. Eloquence A quality found within the most skillful politicians, this word refers to persuasive expressiveness. Look out for eloquence within the 2020 presidential debates—which candidate's eloquence will win your vote?

33. Sequoia These larger than life trees are often found throughout California, particularly within their namesake park in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Having a tough time differentiating between a sequoia and a redwood (or the Sequoia park and therefore the Redwood National and State Parks)? Here's a simple thanks to differentiating: if you're on the coast, then you're probably looking up at a redwood; if you're inland, then you've found yourself within the presence of a sequoia.

34. Peace Ever versatile, the word peace can ask a state of mind, freedom from civil disturbances, or a time without war.

35. Lullaby There isn't a far better word to explain a soothing melody to urge your child to sleep. But this word isn't reserved for babies—it also can be used as a verb aiming to quiet with or like a lullaby.

36. Paradox The beginning of the top. Youth is wasted on the young. These are both samples of paradox or a press release that seemingly contradicts itself.

37. Pristine This beautiful word seems to sparkle—and that's fitting, since pristine means "fresh and clean or as if new."

38. Effervescent Here's an ingenious new thanks to describing the bubbly can-do person around your office. rather than merely calling them fun to be around, you'll take things up a notch and say they need an effervescent personality. That simply means they need an appealingly lively quality.

39. Opulence Do you dream of owning a mansion in Beverly Hills with a Maserati within the driveway and regular shopping trips on Rodeo Drive? Then you would possibly be pining for a lifetime of opulence. keep it up grinding!

40. Ethereal This light and the airy word might remind you of celestial bodies. Ethereal can ask the upper regions of space also like anything heavenly and unworldly seeming.

41. Sanguine A complicated and delightful word, sanguine comes with several meanings. It's typically used as a synonym for optimism, but it also can describe a blood-red hue or something concerning blood.

42. Panacea Panacea means all-healing in Greek and, fittingly, Panacea was the Greek goddess of healing. Today, the word is employed to ask something that would fix everything. Imagine a remedy for all of the issues you face daily—that would be a panacea.

[evenstevensranked]

#27: Season 2, Episode 1 - “Starstruck”

Ruby desperately wants to win a radio contest to sit in on boyband BBMak’s recording session. Meanwhile, Louis finds an incredibly lucky penny and milks it for all it’s worth.

Wow, guys! Season 2 opens with the BBMak/Lucky Penny/Louis gets a makeover and looks smokin’ hot and Ruby develops a crush on him and I'm like "girl, same" episode!!! Let’s do this.

Alright, so within the first minute of this episode we learn that Ruby is absolutely obsessed with BBMak (a boyband that actually existed and is now unfortunately so irrelevant that some younger viewers of today assume they're a fictional band) and she’s trying to win a contest to go to their recording session when they come to Sacramento. She’s been listening to the radio on her pink, cheetah print walkman for hours on end trying to make sure she’s the lucky caller. Ren is concerned that her intense devotion may not be healthy.. but, Ruby insists she’s not obsessed with them. Her bedroom and behavior says otherwise: 

At school the next day, Louis ends up finding a lucky penny which leads him to experience the best few days in a row ever. It kicks off with him narrowly escaping death and his big history test being canceled due to their teacher’s monkey having babies. The usual. If you binge watch the show, like I’ve done more times than I care to admit, the first few seconds of this scene are shocking because Louis' voice is obviously deeper and he looks obviously older. Yet according to Disney logic we're supposed to believe he's still in 7th grade, lol nah. Maybe at least the second half of 7th grade... We've gone over this before.

Louis seconds away from potentially dying over a penny.

Like I've mentioned, Disney is notoriously bad at airing episodes out of order. So here, we get an episode featuring Ren’s old friend Nelson. The only issue is that this aired 6 episodes before Thin Ice, which is Nelson’s formal introduction. The only explanation I can think of for this is that the Disney execs thought the BBMak thing would make a stronger season opener and switched up the airing order after they were already shot sequentially. I guess they assumed, or hoped, no one would notice or care that there's a new character we've never seen before just chilling with the gang like BFFs lol. According to Wiki at least, Season 2 was aired horrifically out of order when you compare the production code to the number it aired in the season. Like, WOW. For example, this episode was shot as Episode 13. I think that says it all.

No wonder Louis seems so jarringly older in this episode. He’s totally younger in the episodes that were supposed to air during the front half of S2.

Anyway, both Ren and Nelson are concerned about Ruby’s wellbeing now. She has practically turned into a fanatic zombie. They approach her and she says “I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. Do you really think I wanna chat?” completely zoned out of her mind. Yeah, I’d be worried too. We also see that she’s not doing her schoolwork either. Her entire binder is full of BBMak, including this rather disturbing pop-up: 

Continuing his string of good luck, Louis gets to eat Principal Wexler’s extravagant birthday lunch for whatever reason and ends up winning a free fashion makeover courtesy of "Fruity Fruit Cocktail." ....ok. Tawny starts to get freaked out and Twitty simply says "I'm starting not to like you" which is understandable, because Louis is quickly slipping into another arrogant phase due to all of the luck he's been having.

Ren and Nelson give Ruby an intervention to stop her ridiculous obsession with BBMak and wanting to marry one of them. Why is this something that never goes out of relevancy? This is still happening today. It’s perhaps more relevant than ever with the rise of internet fandoms and socials like Tumblr. Teens are literally spiraling into genuine insanity over bands like never before. As long as there are teen idols, there will be teen idol fanatics. Can’t really go wrong with a plot-line like this. Ren tells her "You deserve a real life person who's gonna be perfect for you" - Ruby agrees and decides to turn over a new leaf.

The new and improved made-over Louis comes waltzing in, and just like that Ruby replaces her BBMak obsession with a Louis obsession. She’s just blown away by his beauty. Same, tbh. Y’all already know that I HAD THE BIGGEST CRUSH AND THIS EPISODE KILLED ME!!!! Now that I think about it, this very well might've been the episode that solidified my everlasting fondness for Shia LaBeouf.

This isn’t even overdramatic. Ruby is so me. 

Even Ren and Nelson tell Louis that he looks stunning! Well, “stunning” was Louis’ word, not theirs. They just agreed with his conceitedness, lol. Suddenly a bird comes flying into the house and lands on Louis’ shoulder. Of course, it happens to be Pecky -- a missing bird with a $50 reward. OF COURSE!

The next day, Ruby happily tells Ren that she has officially moved on from BBMak. There’s a new guy in her life! Ren is so excited until Ruby reveals the new object of her affection to her: 

Um, is this my room circa 2001 or Ruby’s? I honestly can’t tell. Also I would so buy that big’ol poster of Shia on her closet door. That thing has made a few appearances throughout the series. It’s kind of iconic looking, don’t you think? Maybe that’s just me... 

Just thought I’d mention: Ren asks her “How did you get these pictures?!” and Ruby explains “I downloaded them from the internet. Louis has a very interesting website.” Do I even want to know? Aside from the implied potentially disturbing content, part of me wishes Disney had some sort of interactive fake louisstevens.com website or something like Nickelodeon did with amandaplease.com! 

Tawny insists that Louis' lucky streak is nothing but “admittedly weird coincidences,” until Louis calls in to win the huge BBMak contest and......... wins. I love how he acts so blasé about it. The DJ is so excited and Louis is all "Eh.. What can I say? This whole charmed life thing is getting kinda old." Also, the DJ in this scene, who appears two more times in the series, was one of the many actors recycled for That’s So Raven. He played a news reporter on that show. Similar field. Huh. 

Ren believes that Ruby is simply rebounding with Louis and decides to show her his nasty bedroom to make her realize she doesn't actually like him. Ren also tells Ruby that he’s rotten and selfish, which... Is kinda true sometimes, oops. But at the same time, that scene always makes me a little sad inside. Louis is a good guy at heart, Ren!!

Just then, Louis appears in the doorway asking "What are you doing in my room?" and we get this incredible exchange:

(credit)

Louis then proceeds to very unselfishly invite Ruby to the BBMak recording session which only reinforces her crush on him. 

Okay. We finally make it to this darn recording session! Thank god. Louis might as well’ve brought his entire extended family because he brought four freaking people along with him like it’s some free for all. You usually don’t push your luck when you’re gifted something like that... but, oh yeah. Lucky penny. I freaking love this bit where Ren whispers to Ruby “Woo! He’s gorgeous...” referring to Christian from BBMak, and Ruby says “I know.......” in reference to Louis! LOL. 

Ren is so disgusted and once again Ruby is me.

Shia has been gorgeous in my eyes for nearly my entire life!!!!!!!!! Apparently I'm weird because I've seen so many memes about him that say things like "He was that ugly, weird kid on Even Stevens and then he magically became good looking" I'm just sitting here like??? Y'all are about 14 years late to the party.

Louis and Twitty get distracted by a table with free cheese on it, which honestly is the best part of any and every function or gathering. Not even gonna lie. While hanging around the cheese table, Twitty decides to seize the opportunity and give BBMak an Alan Twitty Project demo tape of “Sacramento Girl.” (YESSSSS!) They lie and say they’ll check it out — but immediately stuff it under a block of cheese. As a musician, I can confirm that this is too real. It’s impossible to get successful/established artists to take you seriously. I met Fall Out Boy at a local radio junket once and slipped Pete Wentz a demo. I never heard anything, sooo... It stings to know that he most likely hid it under some cheese the second I left. 

BBMak are looking for a ‘Sacramento sound’ (whatever that is) and encourage Louis to play some tambourine on their track! They tell him “If this works out, you could come on tour with us!” If only it was that easy to land a national gig in real life. Ruby mentions in passing that she needs to tell Louis how she feels, and TAWNY IS NOT HAVIN’ IT! Omg. She kinda gets jealous of Ruby’s crush and they start a small argument over him. Ren cannot believe what she's witnessing and I love it. Also, Christy looks fantastic here? Whoever did her hair and makeup: Good job!! wow!

Unfortunately, Ruby’s attraction to him is short-lived and comes to a screeching halt the second Louis loses his penny during his tambo solo, jumping around like a lunatic with no rhythm. (Again, HOW does he become a drummer later on? It’s a mystery.) It’s very subtle, but you can tell once Ruby starts finding Louis "odd and annoying," that Tawny is secretly happy about it and still obviously likes him unconditionally even though he's literally insane. Same, Tawny.

So, yeah. Louis loses his penny and his luck runs out. BBMak basically kick him out of the studio. I love how Louis asks them “What about the record and the touring?! What about BBMak-Stevens?!” as if the conversation ever went that far. It’s great. I might’ve spoke too soon about Shia being gorgeous because the faces he makes when he realizes the penny is missing from his pocket are the furthest thing from the adjective: 

It is hysterical, however. And that outweighs everything else here, so.

This episode ends on an AMAZING note: A super cringy music video for “Sacramento Girl”! What more could you ask for?!?! We get some Twitty-Stevens Connection action here and it’s something to behold. 😂  Be on the lookout for Shia doing his classic “shirt-over-the-head” thing he does, HAHA. You can tell some of the vocals were done by middle-aged men (probably Jim Wise) which makes it even more hilarious. My favorite lyric has got to be the Grammy award worthy: “Before I met the girl I had it made... Now she scores higher than the whole arcade. YEAH!” And of course, the episodes’ immortal last words "TAKE THAT, BBMAK!!!!" will go down in history.  

That’s it! I honestly don’t even know why I’m ranking this one “lower.” It’s probably one of my personal favorites but.. Idk man. There are simply other episodes that I like more, lol. This is a totally solid episode though! Super memorable, pretty strong humor (including music-related humor... which you know I love!), and two awesome plot-lines that blend really well! But, even with all of that.. something felt slightly flat about it when re-watching. It could possibly just be from me watching these episodes waaay too much, tbh. It also probably has something to do with it being a “special” episode with guest stars and whatnot. Episodes like that tend to feel like totally separate things to me. 

At this point, we’ve officially reached the REALLY REALLY GOOD part of the list, though. So I don’t feel too bad about placing it here. There are no “bad” episodes from here on out. Well, there are no bad episodes of Even Stevens in general really. But.. you guys know what I mean.

I’m probably gonna regret and rethink this entire list once I finish it anyway so, lol. 

Thanks for reading! 

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[metawitches]

Welcome back, fellow travelers! Let’s jump right into season 2 of Dark, since that’s what the show itself does. The action picks up in the far future of 2053 and the distant past of 1921, because why start with anything familiar?

I’ve started a new character list at the bottom of the post. You can also find a list of the characters for each episode of season 1 with the recaps and a season 1 character master list post at my Dark tag.

Dark season 1 recaps and posts

Recap

“And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Winden, the darkest place on Earth, where it almost always rains, is apparently sunny in June. Judging from the quote, in season 2 the characters will be facing the minotaur/beast/darkness within themselves. Even Ariadne can’t save you from yourself.

June 21, 1921, The Winden Caves

The rhythmic clanging of a hammer on metal can be heard, sounding like a robot heartbeat. Inside the cave, two men excavate rock from what will become the time travel tunnels. One, who has dark hair, stops and says he thinks it’s strange that the beginning and the end could be the same thing. The young man with blond hair who’s working with him quotes, “Sic Mundus Creatus Est. And thus the world was created.”

The first man turns back to his chore and works faster, chanting “Sic Mundus Creatus Est.” He has the same tattoo on his chest that Noah has on his back. The other man watches him, appearing disturbed.

When they’re done for the day, the younger man, who is actually teenage Noah, asks his companion if he still believes in the prophecy. The nameless man says, “I believe in the irony of fate.”

Young Noah reminds him that Adam says they have to repeat the time loop precisely as they have before, no matter how difficult. “In 6 days, this will be Paradise, and H–l on Earth will end.”

The nameless man with the tattoo wonders whether Paradise and H–l could be the same place. Young Noah tells him that Adam was right. He’s lost his faith.

The nameless man asks if that’s why Adam sent him. He’s been expecting this. He finds it interesting that Young Noah is the one Adam sent. He says that he hopes Noah stops blindly following Adam someday.  Then the nameless man tells the younger man to ask why Adam took him in and called him Noah.

The nameless man is sitting on a tree stump, with his back to Noah. Noah stabs a pick axe into the man’s shoulder. The man collapses to the ground, where Noah stabs him twice more in the torso. He looks dead, and he looks like Bartosz, 10 years older than he was in season 1.

Coincidence? Is this tattooed man an ancestor? Or is this Bartosz, and he found it ironic because Noah would also eventually recruit him to the cause? This scene was an initiation for Noah and a death/expulsion for the other man, a beginning and an end.

But the rule of thumb is, no one is declared dead for certain until they’re buried, decapitated, or burned. Even if it was Bartosz, he’s a liar and people have come back from worse injuries. He’d be smart enough to play dead.

Older Noah opens the triquetra log and looks at an entry: June 27, 2020- Beginning of the Last Cycle.

After the opening credits, Jonas and Martha are making love. He tells her, “You and I are perfect for each other. Never believe anything else.”

Then he startles awake.

Me at the end of season 1: Just once, couldn’t it be Dream Martha in bed with Jonas before he startles awake?

The show: Ok, sure. How about if they’re naked?

Now that we’ve gotten the existential essentials, sex and death, out of the way, let’s move on to the more humdrum elements of Cycle 2.

Jonas slept fully clothed, including a muddy green-brown rain jacket. I miss you already, yellow raincoat. 🌧 😢 The dark jacket is better camouflage for the apocalypse.

But, they also want us to believe he’s already descending into moral ambiguity. I believe he’s dejected, but not morally compromised. There’s a difference between doing what you need to do, despite others unavoidably getting hurt, vs knowingly doing things that hurt others, solely for personal gain. That’s one of the dualities and gray areas Dark loves to toy with.

Jonas is sleeping in his own bed, in his family home. It’s structurally intact, but abandoned. He pulls his father’s letter out of his pocket and looks at it. Then he goes downstairs to the kitchen, his usual morning routine. Hannah isn’t there. He looks at the fridge, but doesn’t open it. Instead, he goes to the wall and touches the circle marked on the date June 27, 2020. The days are marked with Xs until June 20th, then the days in between are blank.

The blank days are the ones starting with the one year anniversary of Michael’s suicide and ending with the beginning of the next cycle. Hannah marked the days of her one year mourning period for her husband.

Jonas takes the framed family photo off the wall and leaves. Outside, Winden is in ruins. He searches through town and finds what he needs at the school. Then he goes to the bunker, where he plays a cassette recording made by Claudia Tiedemann. He has a case of cassette recordings made by her.

“My name is Claudia Tiedemann. I’m one of the few survivors of the apocalypse on June 27, 2020. Almost 3 months have passed since the catastrophe. It’s unclear what, exactly, caused the event in Winden. But the God Particle- If we can stabilize it, it might provide a way back. Back to the past. Maybe we can save them. All of them.”

As he listens to her, Jonas holds a St Christopher medal and looks at a photo of Martha. St Christopher was a Christian martyr and is the patron saint of travelers.

June 21, 2020- 6 Days Until the Apocalypse

The local radio announcer goes through the list of the Winden missing, which now includes Eric Obendorf, Yasin Friese, Mads Nielsen, Mikkel Nielsen, Ulrich Nielsen, Jonas Kahnwald, and Old Helge Doppler. Every man and boy Hannah has ever loved is on that list, other than her father. She’s a mess. It’s also the anniversary of her husband’s suicide. She marks off June 21.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED????? A Brief Tangent into Time

The calendar in 2053 should have all of the marks that Hannah will ever make on it, because it’s in the future and she’s in the past. If Hannah marks off a day on the calendar, that day should already be marked off in 2053. You know, like how normal time works. That red X on June 21 is a big ole time anomaly.

I can think of two explanations for the discrepancy. One explanation is that each cycle takes place in a new dimension/timeline. The past we’re seeing Hannah in could be in one timeline/dimension, while Jonas and the future are in another, so they don’t quite match.

That’s the most likely answer. Jonas is in the timeline created by the second cycle, while Hannah is still in the timeline that belongs to the first cycle. If it’s true that we’re seeing two different timelines, there has to also be a version of the past in the same timeline as Jonas, so we need to watch for the discrepancies.

The other explanation is that since the strange event that sent Jonas to 2052, the Windens of those two time periods are linked in a bizarre way. It could be that artifacts in Winden that have remained in the same place, untouched, since the time when Jonas and Helge touched fingers on November 12, 2019, all the way through June 21, 2053, are linked differently through time. They may be able to affect each other backwards, forwards, simultaneously or to mirror whatever affects each other.

In other words, maybe the next time we see it, the calendar in 2053 will show the X on the 21st, because it’s responding to changes in 2020 as if they’re happening in it’s own present day. Or because of some other strange time anomaly. This could be like the field of dead sheep in 1986, one of those strange things that happens in Winden because time is so broken there.

Or both theories could be true: There are at least two timelines, and the normal rules of temporal cause and effect are even further out of whack than they were in the first cycle. In cycle 1, the main effect we saw was like the ouroboros- a blurring of origins to the point where it often isn’t clear, metaphorically, which came first, the chicken or the egg. Now there has been so much more time travel, and especially backward time travel (which, in real life is considered to be extra impossible and A Very Bad Thing, even if it were possible), and who knows who, from different time periods, having babies with each other, and contamination of the timeline by artifacts from the future moving to the past, then back to the future, that it’s likely Jonas and Mikkel are the least of the problems. Now there are time hybrids (people, artifacts and events) everywhere which can’t be fixed.

I think a new timeline/loop/dimension is created with each cycle, each one slightly different from the last, which means that Dark exists in a multiverse. The timelines are gradually shifting away from the rest of reality and Winden is in the process of becoming its own separate little world. Like Brigadoon or the town of Germelshausen from the German story of the same name, it’s becoming out of sync with the rest of the universe.

Perhaps eventually, Winden will only be in sync with the outside world for a week out of every 33 years. At any other time, you won’t be able to get there from here. Then Winden will either be Paradise or the opposite.

Noah and his people are trying to control the changes and create a perfectly repeating Eternal Recurrence. Stranger Jonas tried to blow the whole thing up. Neither was completely successful. What they are in the process of achieving is on the tipping point of chaos. That may be the ultimate goal. But it’s not actually clear what anyone is ultimately trying to achieve.

Regina’s cancer has progressed and she’s now nearly bald due to her treatments. Her doctor is worried about her test results, and considers admitting her to the hospital, but Regina insists on staying at home. The doctor agrees to wait until they get more test results. He tells her they may have to stop the hormone treatment she’s been on and go back to chemotherapy.

Bartosz and Aleksander sit silently through the appointment. Bartosz gets a text from Martha, asking him to meet her.

Clausen: “He that has eyes to see and ears to hear, may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips. Betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”

At a town meeting in the school auditorium, Clausen, the head of the new Winden Missing Persons Task Force, introduces himself with some inspiring words from Freud. He goes on to explain that they’ll be reexamining every aspect of the each case until they find the clues hidden within the secrets of Winden’s population. He’ll be sending out subpoenas to start interviewing everyone again. The people of Winden don’t seem thrilled with the notion of a stranger coming into town and digging around.

Eric Obendorf’s father, Jürgen, asks who’s on the task force. Clausen admits that it’s himself and Charlotte Doppler. Jürgen and the rest of the townspeople aren’t impressed.

Clausen answers them by saying that ten people who see an elephant from ten different angles will give ten different descriptions of an elephant. But one person who looks at the elephant from all ten angles will be able to piece together his observations and figure out that it’s an elephant.

Jürgen tells him that none of his metaphors will bring Eric home. And if there’s something as big as a elephant in the room, it shouldn’t take a detective and ten witnesses to figure it out.

On the surface, Clausen seems very impressed with his own intellect, and otherwise, useless. He also thinks like a spy, constantly watching everyone and taking in every detail, no matter how small.

As they sit by the lake, Magnus asks Franziska if Charlotte ever talks about the investigation. Franziska says that she doesn’t talk about it in front of the kids. Magnus is so tired of waiting for news that he feels like it would be easier if his missing loved ones were dead. Franziska tries to comfort him. Then she gets a text and says she has to leave, since Elisabeth has been staying with a friend.

Katharina heads into the cave with a map, a pack and a determined look.

She must have found everything Ulrich left behind from his investigation.

In 2053, Winden now has a wall and warning signs. Jonas also has a pack and a determined look, though you have to look closely under the scarf over his face to tell.

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Jonas doesn’t go to the other side of the wall. Instead, he goes to the Winden graveyard, in front of Noah’s destroyed church. He puts the family photo at his father’s grave and stops to look at Martha’s. Her grave marker is more elaborate than the others. The survivors were people who were closer to her.

In 2020, Martha and Bartosz meet on the forest road, which I guess is also the bridge where Bartosz always meets Noah. Bartosz says he’s tried to call Martha, but she hasn’t picked up. Martha says there’s a lot going on, but, “Can we talk?” Bartosz understands the code for “this is a break up”, or maybe Noah told him it was coming. It’s hard to tell what’s really Bartosz anymore and what’s been orchestrated by his evil cult handler.

Martha tries to elaborate, but Bartosz tells her not to bother. They haven’t had much of a relationship for a while now, anyway. Maybe it’s for the best.

Then he remembers his sense of entitlement, or maybe his instructions from Noah, and accuses her of breaking up with him because of Jonas. Martha doesn’t even know how to respond to that, since Jonas has been missing for 7 months.

It’s not exactly likely she’s been cheating with Jonas. If she’s pining for him, it’s her own business.

Martha tells Bartosz the reasons she’s done with him, regardless of her feelings for Jonas: They hardly ever see each other He’s changed. She thinks he’s hiding something. She doesn’t understand him.

Bartosz says that his mother’s dying and yes, he is hiding something. He’s involved in something he can’t talk to her about, but it’s stressful, okay? She has no idea how hard his life is, with the dying mother and the demanding evil cult. Martha points out that half of her family and the actual love of her life have disappeared into thin air in the last year, plus her mother has gone insane and forgotten she and Magnus even exist.

They come to a pain and suffering stand-off, so Martha leaves. Bartosz gets a text from Noah, arranging their next meeting: “This evening.”

Cult membership is a demanding hobby.

Over at the nuclear power plant, Aleksander gives a speech to his employees about the virtues of nuclear power. He thinks it’s the safest and cleanest and all around most perfect form of energy.

Guess he hasn’t visited Chernobyl, or the large dead zone around it, lately.

He specifically says, “The outside world demands progress.”

What does he mean by the outside world? Isn’t Winden part of the world?

The plant will be decommissioned in a week. Aleksander thanks the employees for their loyalty. Then one of his employees shows him to the room where they intend to bury the yellow barrels in concrete. The room is already radioactive from its previous life as part of the reactor’s process, so the radiation from the barrels will be masked and the barrels will be undetectable.

Hannah now keeps the decorated metal box that holds Aleksander’s gun and passport sitting out on the kitchen table. This is a woman with nothing left to lose. In fact, she briefly points the gun at her head, until she hears someone at the door.

It’s Stranger Jonas, who uses his 34 year old key to unlock the door and come in. He tells Hannah this when she questions him, then shows her a scar on his arm that he got from falling off his bike as a kid, and tells a couple of other family stories to prove who he is. He tells her about Michael spilling oil while making pancakes and reminds her of the time in 1986 when she and her father offered him a ride, only she didn’t know it was him.

This scar just might come up again someday.

He convinces her that he’s really her son, but a much older, time traveling version. She touches his face and hugs him, trying to understand how this is real.

Franziska checks her box under the train tracks and exchanges one envelope for another. Magnus follows her, staying out of sight.

Katharina explores the caves, making notes on a map.

Noah replaces the Clockmaker as the voiceover narrator this season:

“There are no coincidences. Every path is predetermined. Everything happens when it is supposed to. At the right time, at the right place, as if the world was a carpet made up of an endless network of infinite threads, each in its place. But only a handful of people know where the journey takes them.”

To his younger self: “You’ve taken your first step. Adam will be proud of you. I felt the same way. It will pass.”

They are sitting in Noah’s church, which is under construction. Both look a little green. Young Noah is crying. He asks why Adam took him in. Adult Noah says that all answers will be revealed when the time is right. Young Noah wants to know how to tell right from wrong, good from evil. Adult Noah tells him to listen to his inner voice, and not to follow anyone but himself/themselves.

Adult Noah: “Our true character shows not only in our deeds, but also in their purpose. I am you. I am your inner voice. Never forget. Everything is connected. You, me, the past and the future.”

Noah just said that the end doesn’t justify the means, after spending Cycle 1 insisting to Helge that it did. He’s realized that intentions matter. Helge’s death must have hit him hard. Cycle 2 Noah is a sensitive soul with a conscience.

Interesting, since Stranger Jonas is now staying with his mom, instead of remaining a stranger in town. The time travelers are evolving, or revealing a tendency toward community and love that’s always been there, but they couldn’t indulge until now.

That was also the essence of Aleksander’s speech to the power plant employees. He’s not the cold hearted mobster he was in Cycle 1. Now that Aleksander is about to lose everything he holds dear, he’s found humility, which is a fascinating response.

In 2053, Jonas walks through the forest, which is filled with dead bodies and their belongings (?) hanging from the trees as warnings. He hears gunfire and shouting, so of course he goes toward it. Someone is yelling in French. “Who are you? You are hiding it! We saw it! We followed the signal. ‘Til the dead zone. You’re hiding God! You mustn’t hide God! He’s not yours alone!”

It’s a group of travelers who have been captured trying to enter the dead zone. Adult Elisabeth Doppler, who is in charge of Winden, orders them to be executed by hanging.

Elisabeth’s interpreter, Silja, is the woman who knocked Jonas out when he arrived in the future at the end of season 1. Through her, Elisabeth says, “Any passage into the dead zone is forbidden. Any attempt will result in the death penalty. Those are the rules. We are the future. Sic Mundus Creatus Est.”

Everyone leaves the area but Jonas. Elisabeth and Silja ask where he’s been. When he doesn’t answer, Elisabeth tells him that there’s nothing in the dead zone. The only hope is the passage. The faithless have died. “The prophecy will come true, and the passage will open and lead us to Paradise.”

Jonas doesn’t have time for her prophecy. He reminds her that everyone is dead, whether they had faith or not. Everyone he knows will die in 6 days, in his time. He doesn’t need their Paradise. He just wants to go back to 2020, where he belongs. He asks what’s behind the wall. Elisabeth doesn’t answer.

2020 Elisabeth is in the clock shop with Peter. HG Tannhaus died years ago, but Charlotte boxed up everything in the shop and kept it. Peter explains to Elisabeth that Charlotte kept Tannhaus’ belongings because they’re all she has left of her family. She doesn’t remember her parents, because they died when she was so young. Elisabeth finds a photo of teenage Charlotte with Tannhaus. She shows it to Peter. There’s a rack of clock keys on the wall behind him.

Clausen starts by setting up his workspace opposite Charlotte’s desk and asking her questions in a random order which keeps her off balance. He asks if Charlotte was born in Winden. She says that her grandfather was and he raised her. Then he changes gears to ask if she’s ever considered that Ulrich could be the murderer/kidnapper. Charlotte hasn’t. Clausen tells her he knows that Ulrich left her a message the night he disappeared. Charlotte says she’s deleted it, since it wasn’t anything important.

Wöller brings in a box of old files, then leaves. Charlotte tells Clausen she’s had an office set up for him down the hall. He’s happy where he is, thanks. He tells her that expectations lead to disappointments. She’s disappointed in him because she expected someone different. His mother used to tell him to have hope, but not expectations. He doesn’t believe in coincidences. He believes things happen because they’re supposed to.

In other words, he believes in fate and the time loops. He’s really there as an enforcer, probably sent by the evil time cult.

Martha knocks on Mikkel’s door, looking for Katharina. The room is empty and the door is unlocked, for the first time in months. Ulrich’s police files are still on the floor, with all of the additional information he, and then Katharina, added. Martha gets to work. She finally has a chance to go to the center of the labyrinth herself.

Katharina continues to explore the caves, with no luck.

What happened to Ariadne’s thread?

Noah stands and stares at a medieval painting of sinners in agony in the underworld, while Adam rambles on about the hopelessness of life for the unwashed masses:

“It’s remarkable that people don’t go crazy, knowing the futility of their own existence. An endless cycle of life and death. What is the origin of all this suffering? Did you tell Bartosz? [Noah nods yes.] And he doesn’t suspect anything? He was always naive by nature. The apocalypse has to happen. Are you having doubts? [Noah shakes his head no.] What must you do with an old forest so trees can grow?”

Noah: “You burn it all down.”

Adam: “There’s very little time left. You must find the missing pages.”

Noah nods his head. He’s holding the leather triquetra log book. Throughout the conversation, he’s looked somewhere between apathetic and nauseated. A woman enters the room to inform Adam, “They’re waiting for you.” Before he leaves, he reminds Noah, “Six days left.”

Noah gets an extreme close up and looks straight into the camera. He’s stepped outside of normal existence to see reality as it truly is.

Magnus watches the spot where Franziska buried her box. Benni eventually digs it up and switches envelopes. When she leaves, Magnus follows her, all the way into her trailer. Once inside, she tells him her prices. He realizes that she’s a prostitute and takes off out of there as fast as he can.

The truck holding the yellow barrels is still parked in her parking lot.

Jonas explains to Hannah that he exists infinitely and is always Jonas, every moment between his birth and death. He’s always the same, but not the same. Like everyone else, he changes as time passes relative to him, no matter where he is in the timeline.

Hannah asks where her Jonas is. He smiles at her a second, because he just finished explaining that he’s right there, but he knows what she means. The Jonas who should be sitting at the table with her in 2020 is in the future and can’t get back to his own time because Stranger Jonas tried to destroy the time passage and only succeeded in closing it instead.

Finding out for sure that Young Jonas isn’t coming back is another blow to Hannah, who was holding a gun to her head an hour ago. She asks why Stranger Jonas is there. He looks at a spot on the floor next to the stairs, then says he’s going to put an end to it all, once and for all.

That should help Hannah’s frame of mind.

Elisabeth looks through some of Tannhaus’ books on alchemy and Hermeticism. If the apocalypse does come in 6 days, she’ll be stuck with a medieval world view.

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She finds an old black and white photo in one of the books, which she shows to Peter. A group of people posed for the picture. One of them is Noah. Agnes Nielsen, Ulrich’s grandmother, is standing next to him. Peter texts Charlotte to let her know.

Charlotte is listening to Clausen treat her as if she doesn’t know how to do her job. She smiles and nods politely when he tells her to listen to everything the witnesses say and watch for discrepancies. She leaves when she gets Peter’s text. On her way out, Clausen says that he needs a ride from her the next day.

Noah studies Adam’s version of the Winden family tree/murder board, then leaves with his time machine in a suitcase. Adam’s version is much simpler than Claudia’s. For one thing, he doesn’t bother with strings to show connections.

Jonas takes a stroll through the apocalyptic wasteland to gather supplies from the bunker, including the St Christopher medal. He keeps branches covering it as camouflage, like Helge did, and moves the same way Helge did when he throws them aside. Coincidence? Are there coincidences on Dark?

Magnus finds Martha in Mikkel’s room, still going through Ulrich’s files. Martha shows him a photo of the portal door (Sic Mundus Creatus Est) and says she thinks that’s what Katharina is looking for in the caves. She figures out that Winden has a secret, and everyone knows at least part of it, except for them.

Bartosz goes to the cave to meet Noah, who cryptically asks if he’s prepared. Bartosz nods his head and takes one last look back toward home as they enter the cave. I’m not sure Bartosz has the guts for this business.

Toben leaves Benni’s trailer and thanks her for the coffee. He gives her an envelope and she gives him the keys to the radioactive truck. He hugs her goodbye, and tells her to get in touch with their mom.

Yup, they’re siblings. They almost had to be, since they look so much alike.

Peter and Charlotte meet at the 2020 bunker and he shows her the photo that Elisabeth found. She turns it over and sees that it says January 8, 1921, Sic Mundus Creatus Est on the back. She hangs it on her organizational wall. She doesn’t recognize the people or the phrase.

Montage time.

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Franziska and Elisabeth wait for Charlotte and Peter to come home. It’s implied that they’re out late, investigating, most of the time these days. No one’s watching the kids in Winden.

Magnus isn’t picking up Franziska’s calls. A repeat of Jonas/Martha/Bartosz in the first cycle.

Stranger Jonas is asleep in his childhood bed, shirtless. Hannah sits on the edge of the bed and almost touches the scars on his back. He still doesn’t quite seem like “her” Jonas to her.

Regina sleeps in a tricked out hospital bed in her living room.

Aleksander supervises as the radioactive yellow barrels are buried in concrete, hopefully forever. He and the workers wear bright yellow hazmat suits.

This is a fascinating use of the color yellow, if it still means clear thinking, logic and reason, since this is the most brightly colored scene in the episode. All signs point to Aleksander doing the right thing, but logic and reason are also being buried in stone. Which is the correct interpretation?

Then we switch to Clausen, examining evidence and looking at a letter. He’s smoking a cigarette, breathing smoke and fire at the evidence board. That just can’t be good. He’s about to burn this town down, trying to get at the truth and end the suffering.

Jonas goes to the wall, then through a hole in the wall, then into the ex power plant, using his big glowing light the entire time, even though we can hear aircraft circling and the penalty for going beyond the wall is death. His older self is alive, giving him the best plot armor there is, so he doesn’t have to worry about being caught. According to Dark’s time and time travel rules, you can go to the past, but you can’t change it, so he can’t be killed for at least the next 33 years of his life. At least in timelines close to his own.

He follows the geiger counter signal until he’s outside the room where Aleksander buried the barrels in 2020. Jonas stops to put on a hazmat suit, then enters. He discovers a huge, black and blue, floating, glowing, amorphous ball- the God Particle that Claudia discussed in her recordings. Jonas turns to look at the rest of the room. There are open manuals and computer terminals that look intact, despite the overall destruction of the room. It’s evidence that someone before Jonas has tried to do science on the fast moving energy cloud. He turns back to the God Particle.

Commentary

In a universe where everything moves through cycles, circles and changes, leading them to become their opposites over time, it’s important to watch for the (cosmological) constants. Dualities are huge in Hermeticism, which makes a comeback in this episode, by way of the Clockmaker’s library. Dark loves to play with them, and to have people appear to be one thing when they are actually the opposite. Or at least to have people and situations appear to be black and white when they are filled with shades of gray, and to reveal that slowly.

Think of Helge’s journey in season 1, in which we saw his inner conflict revealed slowly. Then we saw that it had been going on for decades, and the ways that his childhood had led, inescapably, to his involvement with Noah. Early on in season 1, he appeared to be the enthusiastic, evil accomplice to a child murderer, but the truth was much more complicated than a duality can hold.

Helge didn’t change his nature, though he did go through the life journey that any human does, which involves growth through experience. Our knowledge of him is what went through a fundamental change.

Then there’s the dance between Egon and Ulrich. There was a constant shift between who had the power and who was powerless, who was right and who was wrong, who was working in the light and who was in the dark. Meanwhile, some aspects remained the same, because Egon and Ulrich remained the same people, at every age and through every era. Ulrich is violent and Egon is not. Egon is cautious and Ulrich is reckless. Ulrich was primarily concerned with his own life and Egon was an obstacle that he kept finding in his way. Egon developed an obsession with Ulrich that carried through the ages, superseding all logic and normal rules of cause and effect.

As with Helge, they didn’t change, our perceptions changed as we gained more information.

I have a feeling that every romantic relationship in Dark is incestuous, since the characters are all closely related, so there’s not much point in worrying about it, or in age differences, since the constant time travel makes that moot. I tend to think that souls are trapped there, in some kind of purgatory, being endlessly reborn in these cycles. Their familial relationships or relative ages in a given cycle are irrelevant, since this is akin to Greek or Egyptian mythology, outside the rules of normal society and Space-Time.

There’s still the question of why Adam, Claudia, Noah- whoever really started this- thinks the answer is to force the time loops to recur, and to do it by repeating the previous loops as exactly as possible. Or why burning it all down would help anyone.

So far, we have three potential antagonists for Cycle 2: Elisabeth, who always had a rigid view of the rules, even though she loved to break them, is in charge in the future. Clausen, who seems relentless in his quest for the truth, is taking charge in the present. And Adam, who is dogmatic and also relentless, with a desire to start the apocalypse, is in charge of the past, Noah and the time travelers.

Sic Mundus Creatus Est, The Kybalion and Mystery Schools

While looking through boxes in the Clockmaker’s shop, Elisabeth found the photograph of Sic Mundus inside a book called The Kybalian: Hermetic Philosophy. The Kybalian is one of the core works of the Hermeticism revival of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was published in 1912 under the pseudonym “The Three Initiates”. It is a summary of Hermetic principles for the student of Hermeticism. The book is in the public domain and is online HERE.

The Emerald Tablet, which is tattooed on Noah’s back and on the front of the man he killed in the opening of this episode, is one of the core historical texts of Hermeticism. It was also hanging in the hospital hall in Winden in 1986. Mikkel took the framed plaque down and brought it into his room to examine more closely.

Through the ages, the knowledge of Hermeticism, and its sister tradition, Gnosticsm, has been guarded by secret societies. Its deepest wisdom has been handed down in stages, over many years, to carefully chosen students, in mystery schools run by these secret societies which claim to have knowledge of reality and the truth of how the universe works beyond ordinary understanding.

Mystery schools existed in ancient times nearly as far back as there are written records. They’ve been dedicated to all sorts of deities and nature religions. The point is the mysteries of the universe and existence, not any particular religious belief. Most believe that all religions are speaking of the same universal phenomenon. Mythology is used as metaphor, to aid the mind in understanding deeper truths, which is the essence of storytelling anyway. The mystery schools also teach/taught knowledge of the occult/magic, such as astrology, alchemy, astral projection, tarot, reincarnation, secrets of mind control and enlightenment, and access to energy fields unknown to other mortals.

Dark is playing with science fiction versions of these concepts.

I believe that Sic Mundus Creatus Est is a Hermetic secret society and mystery school, based specifically on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This real life secret society was formed in the late 1800s, included a mystery school, went through a dramatic rise and fall, a rebellion and splintering, then a long expansion. It lasted until the 1970s, before, several new groups formed to continue its work, some of which still exist today.

There are specific instances in its history which I think mirror Dark, which maybe I’ll touch on in later recaps. Perhaps most importantly, in the early 1900s one of the branches changed its name to Alpha et Omega. Beginning and End.

There’s no doubt that we’re dealing with Hermeticism in Dark. It’s been shown in images repeatedly and the ideas have been discussed by the more philosophically minded characters. Noah spoke of Young Noah and the murder as if he was going through an initiation. Adam and Noah also spoke about Bartosz as if he was being introduced to a new level of knowledge in his Sic Mundus membership, the nature of which might test his fortitude and commitment. The way the people in the Sic Mundus photo are arranged speaks of an organized hierarchy, founders and most advanced members in front. It definitely looks like the members of an organization.

Martha said to Magnus that everyone was part of a secret, except them- foreshadowing for the reveal that almost everyone in town, in every era, is part of a secret society that’s working to fulfill a prophecy. It’s training its members using a mystery school and creating the perfect population through a breeding program/eugenics, overseen by Adam, their prophet. (Eugenics were also popular in the first half of the 20th century, and not just in Germany.)

Important quotes:

Jonas to Martha: “You and I are perfect for each other. Never believe anything else.”

Soulmates are soulmates.

Man in the Cave to Young Noah: “Ask why he took you in, and why he called you Noah.”

To be continued.

Adult Noah to Young Noah: “Our true character shows not only in our deeds, but also in their purpose. I am you. I am your inner voice. Never forget. Everything is connected. You, me, the past and the future.”

He’s pouring his own moral wisdom into his younger self as fast as he can, while Adam’s not there to interfere. And he especially wants himself to follow his own beliefs, according to his own experiences and morals, rather than listening to anyone else. That “never forget” is haunting. He truly hates Adam. I think he has since this first murder, but he had no choice in the matter at the time, and nowhere else to go. Reliving it has brought it all to a head again.

Clausen: “He that has eyes to see and ears to hear, may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips. Betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”

In other words, how the characters behave is more important than what they say. Words might lie, but actions don’t. Watch, as well as listening. If the two don’t match, it’s the actions, mannerisms, and facial expressions that are the truth. Clausen is annoying, but he’s not wrong.

Jonas: “You could say that I exist infinitely. I’m here now. And I exist for every second between my birth and death. I’m always Jonas. I’m the same as I was, and yet not the same, just as you’re not the same person who came through that door an hour ago.”

This sounds god-like, but also human- as long as he’s alive, he always exists, somewhere, even if he’s not in the time period he belongs in. He’s a time traveler who could be anywhere, which includes infinite possibilities. But he acknowledges that he will die, so he’s not claiming innate god-like abilities, simply noting the reality that he could be anywhere at any time. But he’ll still always be Jonas at his core, no matter what. Age and experience changes everyone, but it doesn’t change the core essence of who you are. Jonas is always Jonas, quiet, introverted, loyal, loving, gentle, patient, methodical, consistent, slow to anger. He’s had to rise above many of the mundane realities of most people’s everyday lives, because his lifestyle is so different. But he’s not claiming that, as a human being, he’s better than or different from Hannah. He is a mystic whose growth is based on his own lived experience.

Adam: “It’s remarkable that people don’t go crazy, knowing the futility of their own existence. An endless cycle of life and death. What is the origin of all this suffering?”

Adam is asking the questions of a mystic, but he puts himself both outside and above the experiences which would help him answer them.  He doesn’t speak of “I” and “you”, the words of personal experience, as Jonas did. Instead, he only speaks of distant others, in the third person, who have nothing to do with him.

I suspect he is the “prophet” of “the [nihilistic] prophecy”.

He doesn’t see any common experience between himself and the masses or feel any compassion. Since he’s not privy to their inner lives, he thinks all they do is mindlessly live and die. He thinks of them the way that he would think of livestock or crops, living things meant to be used and discarded, who have no more significance than an inanimate object.

After this exchange, he announces that you must burn down an old forest so that new trees can grow. The older trees/people are all living pointless lives anyway, or at least that’s what it looks like from his lofty perch, so he might as well end it for them, and end their suffering. He’s actually doing them a favor by bringing about their deaths. The only thing that matters is finding the answer to his question and fixing his dilemma.

Adam is domineering, impatient, rigid, violent, narcissistic and manipulative. And scary.

Season 2 Colors, Symbols and Imagery

Remember way back in season 1, episode 7 😘, when I interpreted blue as meaning time, transitions and mystery? I’m definitely sticking with that interpretation for season two, since that’s a perfect description of the God Particle. As you can see in the photo way up at the top of the page, it has a black, constantly changing exterior, with a constant blue glow inside- the bright blue that’s one of the 3 prominent, bright colors used in season 1.

Jonas has traded his yellow raincoat for a yellow hazmat suit, now that he’s in the future, but yellow still means science, reason, logic and clear thinking. It’s still his color.

Red doesn’t appear in the future. Maybe because Martha, the standard bearer for red, is dead in that time period. There doesn’t appear to be any passion or desire there, and death has already taken almost everyone.

In the future, Elizabeth is the guardian of the God Particle. In the past, as a child, she continues to wear her deep red lipstick, which matches Martha’s from the Ariadne play. As with Martha, she’s both passionate and a necessary thread. There’s no other reason to continue to put that lipstick on an 8-9 year old, after Franziska made such a big deal about her stealing it in season 1.

Overall, we’re being directed to notice eyes and eye color. Not only are faces being shown up close and straight on, so we see their round shape, the characters’ eye color is highlighted over and over. Eye color can change, but generally only because of disease or injury. We see this in adult Elizabeth, who appears to be blind in one eye in the future as a result of an injury which turned her eye white. She now has heterochromia, two different colored eyes.

The glowing ball light which Stranger Jonas passed down to Young Jonas is also shown in this episode, and round images of planets, moons, suns, lights and faces are emphasized this season. Time is a circle, and so is everything else. We were frequently shown faces in season 1, as well, especially the aging faces of characters in succession and accompanied by a voiceover. It’s important to pay attention to what changes and what doesn’t change, especially amongst the time travelers.

I think the glowing ball light is also indicating who is (unchangingly?) on the side of light. You don’t get to use it unless you try to do the right thing, even if it doesn’t work out. You can be flawed, but not selfish.

Last season, phones were a huge part of the way the characters communicated, or didn’t communicate. Every episode, phones, phones, phones. It turned out that the key to making the Clockmaker’s time machine work was for Ulrich to go back to 1953 and forget his smartphone, so that Tannhaus could incorporate it into the design. Every time the time machine is used, a phone is attached. Connection is essential.

Connection to what? People. This episode, we’re seeing photos, books, papers and images, especially close ups of faces and being asked to look closely for light, shadow and what’s in their eyes.

Jonas’ face is often obscured by the scarf or a beard. Sometimes he’s in shadow, but he’s also carrying his own round, bright light with him, and he has Martha’s photo and the St Christopher’s medal in the future, now that he doesn’t have Ariadne’s thread to follow. He’s going to need the light, since he’s facing the blue mysteries this season, and leaving his yellow clarity behind.

Meanwhile, Adult Noah and Adam are hanging out with an image of H-ll, and are surrounded by fire. Young Noah is digging a passage to the underworld and forcing himself to commit mortal sins for Adam. Adam the devil is promising a return to Paradise in return for ignoring their inner voices and burning down the forest. He’s much more than a Big Bad Wolf.

Last season, I said that yellow meant clear thinking. I wonder if this season we’re looking for clear eyes instead, on the faces of the ones who are thinking clearly and using compassion, rather than eyes filled with guilt, hate, envy or the need for revenge. Maybe the triquetra has been narrowed down to dualities, guilty or innocent, stay or go, love or hate, live or die.

Adam and Noah

The nameless tattooed man’s parting words: “Ask why he took you in, and why he called you Noah.”

The ominous music played as he said that.

The Clockmaker, inventor of mechanical time travel, was the key to Cycle 1 and the narrator. In Cycle 2, Noah is the narrator, and we’re following his younger and older selves. We’re seeing his inner life and the evolution of his thinking. We also continue to follow Jonas’ younger and older selves. Noah is joining him as one of the main point of view characters.

So why did Adam call him Noah?

The biblical Noah was a genetic bottleneck, just like the biblical Adam. If you believe in the book of Genesis, then everyone alive today is descended from Adam, because he was the first man God created, and from Noah, because he was the father of all of the men who survived the Great Flood (the First Apocalypse).

Though Dark hasn’t so far, let’s also give credit to the mothers of humanity, Adam’s wife, Eve, and Noah’s wife, who, like the goddess Isis, has many names. The Gnostics called her Norea.

[Also, biblical Adam didn’t make decisions for Noah. God did. Dark’s Adam is putting himself in the place of God. Mythological stories never end well for characters who presume to play God/ fly to too close to the sun. But then, it looks like Adam already has experience with that, and hasn’t learned the lesson. Instead, he’s going to take God/Time on again.]

Tattooed man’s comment suggests that Noah was chosen as the prime specimen who would survive the June 27, 2020 apocalypse and be the forefather of everyone else who follows. Genetic diversity would perhaps be introduced by bringing in mothers who weren’t too closely related to Noah. That would explain the family tree boards.

I have a feeling that Adam, Claudia or someone else has been supervising a breeding program in Winden for several generations. I know we all had trouble telling characters apart last season. There were all of those teenage girls, across three generations and every family in Winden, who look alike. Now we have Aleksander, Clausen, Bartosz and the tattooed man. They could all be the same person.

Maybe some of them are, maybe not. Maybe some of them are practically genetic clones, due to so much inbreeding. Look at Egon, Ulrich and Noah, who aren’t supposed to be related, but look like brothers. Then put Greta, Doris, Hannah, Martha and Silja next to each other. None of them are related, as far as we know. Hannah and Martha, in particular, look like mother and daughter.

Which also makes me wonder how often babies are purposefully switched at birth in Winden.

Dark has been incredibly precise with its casting of the characters, making sure that the younger and older versions all match and that families look alike. If characters share a resemblance, it’s on purpose. But I’m also starting to wonder- How many times has Winden been through the time loop, and how many versions of each similar “type” of person are there, extras who are then pruned off when Adam decides that they aren’t the version he needs for his plans?

There were only 8 people on Noah’s ark.

Season 1 Character Board

Dark Season 1: Complete List of Characters

  Season 2 Characters and Connections

Sic Mundus Creatus Est, January 8, 1921. Adam, center front. On the right, Agnes Nielsen, then Father Noah on the end.

  The Winden Missing: Top row- Jonas Kahnwald, Helge Doppler, Ulrich Nielsen, Mikkel Nielsen. Bottom row-  Yasin Friese, Eric Obendorf, Mads Nielsen.

  Adam’s Family Tree Board: Hannah, Mikkel and family; Peter, Charlotte and family; Regina, Aleksander and Bartosz; & Ulrich and Katharina and family.

  Jonas Kahnwald, time traveler. Also known as the Stranger. Appears in every time period. Son of Michael Kahnwald/Mikkel Nielsen and Hannah (Krüger) Kahnwald. Star-crossed lover of Martha Nielsen.

  Teen Jonas Kahnwald 2053

Jonas Kahnwald/The Stranger, 33 years older, in 2020

  Hannah (Krüger) Kahnwald, 2020 in Cycle 2. Massage therapist. Married to Mikkel/Michael. Jonas’ mother. Has an extramarital affair with Ulrich Nielsen. Blackmails Aleksander Tiedemann.

  Bartosz Tiedemann, appears in 2020 in Cycle 2. Time traveler and follower of Noah. Son of Regina and Aleksander Tiedemann. Grandson of  Claudia Tiedemann. Former boyfriend of Martha and former best friend of Jonas.

  Regina Tiedemann, 2020. Wife of Aleksander and mother of Bartosz. Daughter of Claudia. Formerly owned a hotel which was forced to close after the disappearances started. Dying of cancer. Currently on hormone therapy, but may have to switch back to chemo.

  Aleksander Tiedemann, 2020, director of the nuclear power plant. Regina’s husband and Bartosz’ father. Arrived in Winden in 1986 with a gun and two passports under different names, while being hunted by dogs and police. Told Regina his name was Aleksander Köhler. The other passport said Boris Niewald. Has helped keep the yellow barrels of radioactive waste hidden since 1986. Dies on the day of the apocalypse, 6/27/20.

  Katharina Nielsen, 2020. School principal. Ulrich’s wife. Mother of Magnus, Martha and Mikkel. No information on her family background, except that her mother was violently abusive, frequently leaving Katharina with bruises. Obsessed with using Ulrich’s files to continue investigating the disappearances.

  Ulrich Nielsen, 1953, 1986, 2019. Time traveler. Police officer. Katharina’s husband. Father of Magnus, Martha and Mikkel. Son of Tronte and Jana. Grandson of Agnes. Has extramarital affair with Hannah Kahnwald. Becomes obsessed with finding Mikkel and convinced that the 1986 version of Helge Doppler is responsible for the disappearances.

  Magnus Nielsen, 2020. Son of Katharina and Ulrich. Brother to Martha and Mikkel. Oldest child. Franziska Doppler’s boyfriend. Suspicious of Franziska, causing arguments between them.

  Martha Nielsen, 2020. Ariadne. In love with Jonas. Bartosz’ former girlfriend. Daughter of Katharina and Ulrich. Sister of Magnus and Mikkel. Middle child. Dies on the day of the apocalypse, 6/27/20.

  Mikkel Nielsen/ Michael Kahnwald, 1986, 2019. Time Traveler. Artist. Magician. Interest in Hermeticism. Youngest son of Katharina and Ulrich Nielsen. Brother of Martha and Magnus. Adopted in 1986 by Ines Kahnwald and raised as Michael Kahnwald. Married to Hannah (Krüger) Kahnwald. Jonas’ father. Hanged himself on 6/21/19.

  Peter Doppler, 2020. Therapist. Charlotte’s husband, father to Franziska and Elisabeth. Son of Helge Doppler. Mother unknown. Moved to Winden in 1987. Frequented Benni in the past, but promised Charlotte he’d stop.

  Charlotte Doppler, 2020. Police chief. Wife of Peter. Mother of Franziska and Elisabeth. Raised by her grandfather, HG Tannhaus, after her parents died when she was very young. The identity of her parents hasn’t been revealed. She and Peter are running an in depth investigation of the disappearances, which includes the knowledge of time travel, out of the bunker.

  Franziska Doppler, 2020. Daughter of Charlotte and Peter. Sister of Elisabeth. Magnus’ girlfriend.

  Elisabeth Doppler, 2020, 2053. Leader of the apocalypse survivors in 2053. Daughter of Charlotte and Peter. Sister of Franziska. Briefly taken by Noah in 2019 and returned with a pocket watch of Charlotte’s. Deaf, communicates using sign language. Silja is her interpreter in 2053. Yasin, one of the missing/dead boys, was her friend and crush in 2019.

  Noah, 1921, 1953, 1986-87, 2019-20. Time traveler. Taken in when young and named by Adam. Pastor who doesn’t believe in God, follower of the Prophecy who also seems to have doubts about that. Does Adam’s dirty work, from murder to recruitment. In Cycle 1, Helge did his dirty work. Mentored by Adam. Mentors himself. The older version barely seems to age.

  Silja, 2052-53. The girl from the future. Elisabeth’s interpreter. The first person Jonas met when he arrived in 2052 after touching fingers with young Helge through the rift in time.

  Clausen, 2020. Head of the “task force” meant to start a new investigation into the missing persons cases in Winden. Sent by the national government. Believes in the power of careful observation and catching people off guard. Seems to assume that everyone is guilty. Despite the title of “task force”, he’s the only person sent to Winden. He insists on working closely with Charlotte, staring her directly in the face.

  Torben Wöller, 2020. Police officer. Benni’s brother. Tells her to call their mom, so she’s still living, though unnamed. Lost an eye before the series began, but we haven’t been told how. Dedicated and conscientious police officer. Also works for Aleksander on the side. Responsible for the truck with the radioactive yellow barrels while they couldn’t be stored at the power plant. Dies on the day of the apocalypse, 6/27/20.

  Benni/Bernadette (Wöller?), 2020. Trans sex worker. Torben’s brother. Object of Peter Doppler’s desire. Watches the truck with the yellow barrels for Torben. Involved in some kind of transactions with Franziska. I have a hunch that she and Torben are more important than they appear, especially since they’ve had custody of the truck for months. That’s a lot of exposure to whatever’s in the barrels.

    Justyna Jankowksi, 2020. Police officer. Dies on the day of the apocalypse, 6/27/20.

  Jürgen Obendorf, 2020. Maintenance worker at the nuclear power plant. Erik Obendorf’s father and drug dealing partner.

  Adam, 1921? Leader of Sic Mundus, fanatical megalomaniac. The Devil, the Demiurge, the Bond villain. Or maybe he’s the biblical Adam, God’s first and most perfect human creation, who’s been led astray by an evil woman (Claudia?), and is now trying to restore mankind to his proper place in the universe. Only time will tell.

  The Nameless Tattooed Man, 1921. Helped create the passage. Lost faith in the Prophecy, but was able to keep his sense of humor and emotional distance about the situation. Was attacked and potentially killed by Young Noah, on Adam’s and Adult Noah’s orders, likely as an initiation rite for Young Noah. Had some prior connection to Noah that made him an interesting choice for the job. Has the same tattoo as Noah, but on his chest and abdomen, instead of his back. This also suggests a connection to Noah, and to the several episode titles referring to beginnings and ends. The end credits call him “Man in Cave“. We’re probably supposed to think he’s Bartosz. I don’t believe it. I think he’s a different founder of Sic Mundus, but probably a close relation of Bartosz. He could be Noah’s brother. This season is already big on sibling relationships, and Genesis has important murderous siblings. Like in the story of Joseph, they don’t always die. But some do, like amongst Adam and Eve’s sons.

Dark Season 2 Episode 1: Beginnings and Endings Recap- Winden, darkest place on Earth, is sunny in June. Season 2, characters face the minotaur/darkness within themselves. Even Ariadne can't save you from yourself. #Dark #DarkNetflix Welcome back, fellow travelers! Let's jump right into season 2 of Dark, since that's what the show itself does.

[boltspat]

royal   family   +    undertones . warnings: incest ,  (  child & child on child )   abuse / neglect , paedophilia .

don`t take this post as literally anything but an analysis on the royal family & specifically the roots of these incestuous undertones .

now , this post inspired this one now .               it`s a wonderful post about azula`s sexualisation & really , if you haven`t read it , you should .

i want to talk about her relationships with her father & brother .    her relationship with her mother deserves an entire post of her own , honestly .      let`s start with ozai .

to be completely honest , i`ve overlooked ozai & azula in this light for a long time . his abuse is very blatant with zuko & some may argue there`s no abuse when it comes to azula .    the desire to be perfected in her father`s image , receive endless amounts of his praise , listening to every barked order       that is not simply a FAVOURED CHILD .    as the linked post said , azula`s way of avoiding her father`s abuse was / is to be TOO PERFECTED for him to be angered by .   when he so much as says he doesn`t want her to accompany him , she impulsively blurts out these incredibly entitled & codependent statements . she truly believes she should be by his side , she deserves she`s  EARNED IT . again , the post mentions grooming  &  azula is an eerily perfect image of that . her worship of her father & her entitlement to be by his side do give a sense of a sexual relationship .   a very obvious fact but one that is very important : azula`s entire personality , since a young child , has been more akin to ozai`s ; has only been tuned to his over the years with simply added desperation for his approval .     take that as is . it`s not uncommon for young girls with abusive fathers to find safety in being perfect for him & unfortunately , very often to the point where they would find a sexual relationship all the more safe . such an intimate bond , there couldn`t be a way for him to harm her .     (    despite   it   hurting   her   regardless    )        to not only share this intimacy with the one you worship , but the same beloved bloodline          it`s a disastrous & cruel form of abuse that was implicated in such a way that , looking back on it , really disturbs .

now , on to zuko . which , personally , was always a bit more blatant than the implied relationship with ozai .               even as a child , i remember feeling the tension in their interactions , i felt the implied darkness that i always just wrote off as the antagonist     ( azula )      being , well , a villain .  but it would come in the oddest moments.  simple conversations , a regular scene trying to depict azula as a liar ... would still have this undertone that i never put a finger on until i was older . let me be clear . when i say tension , i don`t mean sexual tension     (     in a way , yes , but you get it )              i mean the tense atmosphere you feel well two people know a secret but intend to keep it that way until the day they die . that kind . the kind where you don`t see it , they don`t speak of it ; but you can safely assume every action is some form of    ‘   i know something you don`t know   ’   for the viewers . body language is key  &  almost all of their interactions are heavily physical .

anyway , let`s talk about how this fits into her abuse but also doesn`t . abuse is synonymous with sibling incest , no matter what; when you hear of two siblings in such a way , your mind goes ‘ poor things ’ .     in this case , you think ‘ poor zuko ’          &  it`s justifiably so . azula is one of his abusers .  of the two it`s easy to see who will gain the initial sympathy .

her abusive behaviour revolves around power play , her ego & zuko`s weaknesses . all these things create how she manipulates & emotionally / mentally drains zuko .    she`s stronger , she knows more , she has their father`s love , she drills into his head that she never cared their mother favoured him ; which makes her BETTER THAN HIM , since he did care his father didn`t love him as much as azula .    zoning in on his weaknesses / insecurities are not difficult for someone so close to home .  it`s also not difficult when the victim already thinks lowly of themselves due to the abuse of yet another family member .      her ego is fuelled by this simplicity , by his simplicity . now , that`s all obvious . but let`s go back to the fact that AZULA is the one presented as the one initiating an incestuous narrative .    the temptress , siren , succubus , what have you .      (    might i add no young teenage girl would come up with this on her lonesome , which further adds suspicion to her relationship with ozai    )

this in mind , we see her as the one touching zuko , circling him like a vulture , as she belittles him or those he trusts /  loves , as she speaks nonchalantly about traumas they endured , as she lies to him .    we see her getting the envious glare from his girlfriend / her best friend . we see her on her bed in a revealing robe in the darkness of the room as he stands still , angrily asking for her intentions .      as he attempts to fight the abuse .             one could say his lack of movement , lack of argumentative dialog , lack of retreat of her touches , lack of reaction to the tone of her voice   (    which is in itself suggestive in most scenes   )           the lack of escapism of the additional implied sexual relationship between them ; it may be the same kind of endurance he has for the verbal , physical & emotional abuse he`s suffered from his father as well . i could go on but this is the gist of it . it`s abuse , it`s wrong         but partially , both are aware . one believes it`s perhaps deserved , perhaps NORMAL due to past abuse & dishonour of his family , the other may have simply learned another power tactic from her worshipped father .

now . i want to end this with just a few things . don`t take this next part as an attempt to normalise or romanticise incest , but rather as why the royal family is more prone to being called out for these implications than any other sibling - type relationship in the entire franchise .

i see a lot of people point out the ‘shipping’ is mainly of the royal fire nation family .   there are a few reasons i`ve thought of as to why this is such an obvious implication now .

firstly , katara & sokka , bolin & mako            are not abusive to one another . they have their regular sibling kerfuffles but none have attempted to murder or kidnap the other . let alone have such suggestive scenes with one another .

secondly , unhealthy relationships , coping mechanisms , defence mechanisms , family practises ; they`re all to be expected of the antagonists . right ?  the protagonist siblings would never show that kind of body language , they`d never attempt to ignite such a relationship in hopes of fuelling their own ego , they`d never partake in these things . you don`t hear katara lying through her teeth in such a soft , low voice at night while circling around sokka in her private quarters         touching his chest just steps away from her bed .    it`s an entirely different living situation & upbringing , despite their similarities of familial loss & coping .

& lastly , they`re royal .   olden royal families did practise incest .  they did see it as a way of keeping the bloodline clean .    (     which is brought up by the abusers quite often & embedded into the victim`s mind .  that blood is thicker than water , you`re born with this & that , you`re worth is gone if you dishonour this purified bloodline     )

something i want to bring up here ... there was a certain screencap of something said about ursa .  taking this into account , you wonder if maybe mental illness within this family tree stretches out further than just ozai & azula . 

why do i bring this up ?      well , to simply put it i`ll just quote barristan selmy about the bloodline that still believed in incestuous breeding :

“    Targaryens have always danced too close to madness. [....] madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, he said, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land.    ” 

TL;DR :    this is my pov as to why there`s so much royal family incest about & why i can`t simply narrow it down to just fans that fetishise siblings , it runs deeper than that & with that in mind , it affects the children in the situation in an even more sinister way than the abuse we DID see .

[eli-reviewsthings]

10 Ten movies of 2016

Hey everybody. That hellish year is over, and now we can spend some time looking back at all the shit things were made that we were forced to sit through, and appreciate the great ones!

10. The Lobster: Not gonna lie, I was tempted to not put this and number 9 even on this list, but god. So many bad movies came out I kinda didnt have much else to put on here. Not saying the Lobster is a bad movie, it is not, just. Difficult. This movie was difficult to watch, and probably the second most uncomfortable movie I saw this year. There were a plethora of scenes that were made me squirm in my very uncomfortable seat. The most notable of which is a woman viying for the affection of the main character botches a suicide attempt and sits, dying slowly on the ground screaming while the main character attempts to flirt with a hot sociopath. And thats kinda a lot of the movie; violent and awkward. Much to my surprise, the movie ended up being an amazing look at love and relationships, and actually had some scenes that were genuinely touching, partly because of how cold, sterile, and viscous the rest of the movie was. The biggest problem that I have with this movie however, comes from my frustration with the ending. It goes in line with movies like Birdman, that just dont seem to know how to end. Note to future directors and writers: Ambiguity is a fine tool, but understand that not having a satisfying ending is not always a good thing. 

9. The Neon Demon: Whatever about the actual movie, its NWR (as he’s calling himself nowadays, groan) and I liked it, but. But. I must tell you all about the most stressful day I’ve ever had, and how it made this movie the most nerve racking experience of my life. I was staying at a hotel for anime expo with four other friends, when we were woken up at 4am by three things all happening at once: 1, the fire alarm went off, prompting 2, one of the guys woke up screaming from a nightmare while 3, one of the other guys decided to start screaming FIRE and both took off running down the hall. Later we learned it was a false alarm but I thought we were being murdered. After that I couldn’t sleep so I watched Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared which was disturbing and then the fire alarm went off 4 more times prompting one of the guys to scream every time. The I saw the Neon Demon. And honestly, it was such a stressful experience I have a hard time actually thinking about the movie because all I remember is being on my very last nerve and on the brink of a panic attack.

8. 10 Cloverfield Lane: You spend a lot of time looking at Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s ass and she is the most resourceful protagonist I’ve ever seen. It’s also a Cloverfield sequel which I love and John Goodman is a villain. Literally what more could you want. 

7. Rouge One: One of the best Star Wars films by far, I actually really enjoyed Rouge One, much more than I thought I would. It did a good job developing it’s character over the course of the movie, something Star Wars has literally never done without being either extremely cliched or just plain bad. My only complaints were that a, its still way too easy to just beat Stormtroopers with sticks, though I did appreciate the breaking glass, and b, the final fight was almost impossible to follow who was where and where the enemies were coming from. Besides that, fun action movie with some really solid performances and Alan Turdyk which is all you could want from a sci fi film.

6. The Nice Guys: Listening to Ryan Gosling scream after getting his ass kicked by Russel Crowe was one of the funniest things I got to see this year. Honestly though, this was a wonderful little gem of a movie and I really enjoyed every second of it. Not the best plot, and some kinda lame character development but hey, it was the best example of slapstick humor done well I’ve seen in years. Really, just such a fun film to watch.

5. Sing: I’m really surprised myself to see this movie so high on my list but the more I thought about the movie the more I enjoyed it. I’m a theater guy, I have a degree in theater and I’ve been doing musicals since 5th grade, so a movie about the magic of theater was really lovely to sit through. It did an amazing job of taking an incredibly broad array of music and bringing it together, and then making a white kid basically be a British Weekend, but hey besides that I loved the film. Sure it had tons and tons and tons of flaws but, I’m willing to forgive a lot because films are about enjoyment and sometimes you just have to find a film, acknowledge its not the best, and love it all the same.

4. Magnificent 7: Speaking of films that aren’t the best but I loved, this is easily the best action movie to come out in years. Also, one of the few movies to do a large ensemble cast, give all the characters equal development and, almost, equal screen time and have them all feel unique. Top it off with a diverse cast, some amazing shoot outs and you the perfect recipe for a great western.

3. Deadpool: Just go and watch the title sequence. Thats why I love this movie. Deadpool as a character has a tendency to annoy me but damn Ryan Reynolds did a great job walking that thin line and delivered the best iteration of Deadpool I’ve ever seen. The movie is was the only superhero movie to come out this year, that I saw, that wasn’t the exact same garbage nonsense we’ve seen what feels like a thousand times by now. Yeah, I’m looking at you, you piece of utter shit Civil War. Or, as it should be called: We didn’t have a good fight choreographer and uh Bucky can block a shotgun blast with his hand and somehow Caps team which is basically just a bunch of normal dudes and scarlet witch, and somehow they beat iron mans team cause the writers are lazy and just churning out these pieces of shit at this point, no I’m not just angry about Cap making out with that blonde bitch after Peggy died, fuck you that movie was a complete mess and you know it. That felt good, glad I got that off my chest, lets get back to Deadpool, because it has the camera guy from Cloverfield in it and I love him and this movie was a beautiful breath of fresh air and left me very excited about the next guardians of the galaxy because hopefully it wont fall into the same traps the rest of marvel has.

2. Your Name/ Kimi no na Wa: Mokoto Shinkai could animate himself taking a shit and I’d probably love every second of it. Seriously though, I love his work, and this film was the best he’s done since Voices From a Distant Star. It has heart, gorgeous animation, great characters, and a nice dose of humor that is usually absent in his films. It’s an amazing film and if it doesn’t win best animated film at the oscar’s then they’re racist and they have no taste.

1. Arrival: When me and my mom got into the car after seeing this she started bawling. Just sobbing uncontrollably. Normally when my mom gets emotional its over things I consider dumb or just not worth crying over but this time I understood it. This movie might be one of the more moving things I’ve seen in awhile. Way back in the day, I read a book called My Name is Asher Lev, and the book starts with a quote from Kafka: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” This has always been something of my compass for what separates a good thing from a great one. And by god this movie was great. Sure, it is a little cheesy, I’ll be the first to admit that, but I just don’t care. Cheesy or not this film spoke to me in ways a movie hasn’t in too long. I choking back tears so many times during the film and Amy Adams performance was masterful. This is easily the best film I’ve seen this year, and will make my list of best films of all times. I’ve seen almost all of Dennis Villenvue’s films up to Arrival, and his films have a tendency of being very dispassionate and emotionally sterile and it was truly wonderful to see him make a movie that was bursting at the seems with feeling. I could sing the praises of this film forever so I’ll end it there.

So there we have it, 10 films I saw this year and left the theater going, “Man that wasn’t as shitty as some of the other films I saw this year that was nice!” Now theres some films that just didn’t make the cut so heres some honorable mentions:

Finding Dory, Train to Busan, Kubo and the Two Strings, Star Trek Beyond and Girl on the Train.

And now some of the Shittiest movies I had the complete displeasure sitting through: Civil War (huge surprise), Don’t Breathe, Ghostbusters, Jason Bourne, and I’m sure theyre some I’m forgetting cause I don’t want to remember them.

Allin in all there were a lot of films I wanted to see that I didn’t get to, but hopefully this year I can make a list of 10 films that I enjoyed seeing! Let me know what y’all thought and I’ll see you all later with some other list in the coming days!

[faithfacts-blog1]

Snakes and Pastors

Unfortunately, demons have also infiltrated the ranks of pastors and Christian leadership. There are certain spirits that greatly affect ministers. Please take note of this list of demons commonly found working among pastors and Christian leaders. It will help us all to identify and resist the enemy within our ranks.

1.Self-Promotion 2.Lust 3.Pride 4.Insecurity 5.The Fear of Man 6.Jealousy 7.Bitterness 8.Religion 9.Tradition 10.The Spirit of Discouragement 11. Depression

An amazing vision related by Scott MacLeod illustrates the activities of demons amongst men of God. It is amazing how Satan creeps into our midst and works against the ministry. In the book of Job, we read how Satan came into the midst of the gathering of the sons of God. Satan has always wanted to be in the midst of the brethren to accuse, to divide and to deceive. His desire is to dwell amongst us and cause confusion. His title "accuser in the midst of the brethren", is most apt. He is able to turn the closest of friends against each other.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and SATAN CAME ALSO AMONG THEM.

Job 1:6

I want to share a vision that I believe is truly revealing. It is indeed scary that our greatest enemy can infiltrate to the highest level. I believe you will be blessed as you read this account by Scott MacCleod in his book "Snakes in the Lobby"

The Lobby

This is the vision: I was standing in a well-known hotel lobby, which I had literally stood in earlier that same day during a very well-known Christian music conference. In the vision the very large and open lobby was packed full, as it usually is, with men and women from all over. Many were artists, musicians or people directly involved in the business of music. The people were busy talking and going on with their business (what is commonly called 'schmoozing'), each one dressed up in appropriate music attire.

Much to my astonishment and horror, I saw what looked like a massive snake lying on the lobby floor. I could not even begin to calculate its length, but it easily covered the full length of the room. Its fat middle was at least six feet in height and looked almost twenty feet in width. It looked totally stuffed. Amazingly, people were actually leaning up against it!

I could hardly believe what I was seeing. My first impulse was to yell and warn everyone, but I hesitated because no one else seemed to notice it––they just carried on with their business. Many people were surrounded, and some were even totally wrapped up in its monstrous coils, and yet they were still unaware. They all were in great danger. I couldn't tell if the people could not see what I was seeing, or if they had simply grown accustomed to this monster. It almost seemed welcome here.

I wondered, "Who let this thing in here? Surely the thing has to be dead for people to be standing this close to it and still be this comfortable with it."

Then it happened… IT MOVED. I couldn't believe that something that looked so heavy could actually move. But it did. It slowly poured itself in between a few groups of preoccupied people so as not to disturb anyone. It was silent, and no one saw it move. No one seemed to have a sense of danger. This was extremely confusing to me. It looked like many in this place, for some reason, had totally dropped their guard. Obviously, this seemed crazy because of what I was seeing. As I stood there, greatly perplexed by this strange scenario, I was suddenly struck with the terrifying sense that there were other snakes in the room.

I reluctantly and cautiously gazed across the room. We were surrounded! The oversized serpents were everywhere! As I continued to observe the situation, my emotions began to evolve rapidly from initial shock and terror into great frustration because no one else seemed to be aware of these snakes. Soon I was filled with a sense of compassion for the blinded victims, and finally an intense anger gripped me because these creatures had somehow infiltrated this place.

That was it. That was all I saw at first. But I knew immediately that the great snakes I had seen in this vision were the principalities and dark powers (or evil spirits) that have been controlling and manipulating much of Christian music. I knew I had seen exactly what the small group of us had just been praying about, and I told them what I had seen. It was as if a small movie screen had appeared before me and shown me these things, in color.

The vision stayed with me for about 24 hours. I was surprised that it did. I guess I had hoped that what I had seen at first was the end of it, for it was not pleasant to dwell on. But it remained very graphic and the images would not go away. After starting to get literally sick to my stomach over what I had seen, my curiosity began to grow and I began wondering what the meaning of it was. Believing there had to be a reason for this lingering scene, I finally began to ask the Lord to show me the full meaning of the vision.

He did, and this is what was revealed next:

The Big One: Self Promotion

I was taken back to the same lobby and was shown each snake in vivid detail.

The first snake that was revealed to me was the first one that I had seen earlier, it was definitely the biggest one, easily filling the full length of the large lobby with its great coils wrapped around everywhere. This grayish colored snake was so large that it took me quite some time to find its huge head. I finally spotted the head hiding in the twisted masses of the mammoth coils. It had a hollow and yet all consuming look upon its face. One word came into my mind as I studied its massive head - HUNGER. I then observed that it had just finished devouring something, or someone. I instinctively knew it was the latter. This snake was actually feeding on the people in the lobby and still no one seemed to notice!

This serpent had the ability to slowly surround its victims with enormous coils and then swallow them whole without them even being aware of it. I knew by its immense size and its lumpy and very bloated body that it had swallowed many victims. And much to my surprise, I could see the victims were still alive inside of it. They were moving inside the creature's ever-stretched belly. I could hear them still carrying on ambitious conversations with others in the lobby.

The serpent's name was "Self-Promotion"

Most of the victims did not know they had been consumed by self-promotion. But some, much to my dismay, had willingly and consciously allowed the snake to engulf them. The goal or intentions of these victims was the same as that of this bloated serpent––they all wanted to become bigger and bigger.

The Charmer: Lust

The second snake that I saw was to my left––a very beautiful-looking creature that almost made me forget the horror of the first. It was a type of chameleon, ever changing colors and appearance according to the desires of those under its power. It could look like whatever you wanted it to: male, female, young, old innocent or seductive. It was swaying back and forth, doing a hypnotic dance. I found myself drawn to it, as were many others.

Suddenly I shuddered with disgust, for I knew this hideous thing. His name was "Lust". I hadn't recognized it at first, for it was incredibly charming.

There was a large group of people gathered all around it, and they were actually flirting and dancing with it and each other. Without even losing the rhythm of its cobra-like movement, Lust would strike its partners with a flash of fangs, with forked tongues that were identical to this serpent's ever flickering tongue; the people spoke deceptive flattery to one another. They were starting to realize that they could use the power for themselves. They could get what they wanted quicker by using the power of Lust. I realized that many of the victims that were now held captive in the belly of Self-Promotion had first been bitten and poisoned by "Lust".

When one is first bitten by Lust, the venom brings a real high. But not for long afterward, its victims become sick. Then often for relief, the victim goes back for another bite (for the venom is very addictive) until he or she is completely consumed with the poison. The victim in turn bites others, and the sickness spreads. I did not look at lust for long, for I knew its enticing power was great and deadly.

Two Snakes: Pride and Insecurity

The next snake I saw was, in fact, two very long snakes. They were intertwined––wrapped all around each other just like snakes do when they are mating. This, by the way is exactly what these were doing. One was red; the other was yellow. They were spinning over and over, making a very uneasy sound that pervaded the whole place. As they twisted and spun around, they appeared to be actually biting each other. All at once I understood that this writhing mass was "Pride" and "Insecurity". They were feeding off each other, and they were reproducing after their own kind.

Then I looked around the room and saw people who were turning yellow and then red. Yellow was the color of Insecurity and red was the color of Pride. People would change into these shades back and forth just like the rotating colors of the spinning serpents.

The whole lobby seemed to be aglow with these colors. The two worked well together, though they seemed to irritate one another. There was a nervous uneasiness building that made me want to scream. These two serpents made those who were affected by them (which were almost everyone, to some extent) feel miserable. However, they didn't want to admit it, because their pride told them that they might look weak, insecure or possibly unsuccessful. So the spinning continued. Pride, Insecurity, Pride Insecurity etc.

Flesh for Scales: The Fear of Man

I was surprised that I even detected what was next. I knew it was only because the Lord was allowing me to see it––I never would have noticed it on my own. I spotted what had first appeared to be someone who had fallen down, but it was much too long to be human. It was hidden half way under the front counter and was entangled among the feet of the people.

The reason I had originally believed it was human was because it appeared to have human skin or flesh. It had what looked like a human head. Though having the color of flesh and having no scales, it was obviously still a snake. It was very low to the ground and earthly.

This one was the "Fear of Man". It didn't have to do very much, because Pride and Insecurity were doing most of its work. It just lay there moving its human-like head back and forth horizontally. Then I noticed that people all across the room were doing the very same thing, almost as if they had been entranced. They were only concerned about who was who, and how they were being perceived by others, so much so that they did not recognize the evil in their midst. This freaky creature blinded its victims from the holy fear of God and injected them with a deadly fear of man instead.

People all across the room were so busy looking at each other that they were unaware that they had become entangled by the fear of man. It would subtly wrap itself around its victims' feet until they could no longer move; they were completely paralyzed with fear. I remembered the scripture: "The fear of man will prove to be a snare," (Proverbs 29:25).

Up High: Jealousy

I then heard a movement above me. I instinctively looked up, and there, much to my distress, I saw another serpent wrapped around the balcony, its endless tail running down the length of the escalator. This one was bright green. It looked like one of those tree snakes––very comfortable with heights. This was "Jealousy" and it was literally green with envy. It was breathing very heavily and seemed to have fire in its eyes. I could tell it was burning up inside. I didn't want it to catch me looking at it, because I was afraid it was ready to explode with fury at any moment.

Jealousy attacked the high places. It couldn't stand to be down low. Its mist-like breath released A FOG OF COMPETITION which filled the room, I could see that those who had breathed in the mist although they were chatting politely with peers, now had that same fire burning down in their eyes as did the serpent. And I knew they would attack and tear down those in the high places in order to obtain these places for themselves. Many of these people had become easy prey for Self-Promotion.

It is amazing how demons hide in our midst and influence us with unbelievable delusions and deceptions. Unfortunately, many things we ministers do are influenced by the devil. The fighting, the hatred, the self-promotion are not products of the nature of God. They are characteristic of the demonic and a fallen nature.

Furthermore, by these few pages, my son, be admonished because of making many books there is no end.

by Dag Heward-Mills

[marcusssanderson]

120 Inspirational Beauty Quotes about Life, the World and Nature

Looking for beauty quotes about the amazing life that is all around us, all day long, that we tend to overlook?

For many, beauty has a very narrow definition. They look at the physical beauty of others, or that which is overtly beautiful to most, as a whole.

This is only one, very narrow, definition of beauty though, and one that we should all consider expanding on, if we have not already done so.

Learning to appreciate this beauty can improve the quality of our lives, as we are able to look deeper and more meaningfully at people and things in our lives.

Below is our collection of inspirational, wise, and magical beauty quotes, collected from a variety of sources over the years. Enjoy!

Inspiring beauty quotes to help you see it

1.) “I find beauty in unusual things, like hanging your head out the window or sitting on a fire escape.” –Scarlett Johansson

2.) “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius

3.) “The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.” – Audrey Hepburn

  4.) “As if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”– Pablo Neruda

5.) “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.”- John O’Donohue

6.) “Of life’s two chief prizes, beauty and truth, I found the first in a loving heart and the second in a laborer’s hand.” – Khalil Gibran

7.) Sometimes people are beautiful.

Not in looks.

Not in what they say.

Just in what they are.

– Markus Zusak, I am the Messenger

  8.) “Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”- Kate Angell

  9.) “What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.” – Scott Westerfeld, Uglies

10.) “Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference: beauty demands to be noticed; it speaks to us directly like the voice of an intimate friend. If there are people who are indifferent to beauty, then it is surely because they do not perceive it.” – Roger Scruton, Beauty

  11.) “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” – Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata

12.) “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.” – Dorothy Parker

13.) “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

14.) “Just because you’re beautiful and perfect, it’s made you conceited.” – William Goldman, The Princess Bride

15.) “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” – Edgar Allan Poe

16.) “Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” – Franz Kafka

17.)  A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness.

– John Keats, Endymion

18.) “Where Beauty was, nothing ever ran quite straight, which, no doubt, was why so many people looked on it as immoral.” – John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga

Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Life and Nature

19.) “It’s [beauty] a kind of radiance. People who possess a true inner beauty, their eyes are a little brighter, their skin a little more dewy. They vibrate at a different frequency.”- Cameron Diaz

20.) “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”– Sophia Loren

21.) “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” – Martin Buxbaum

22.) “The fountain of beauty is the heart and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.”- Francis Quarles

  23.) “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly lies to the bone. Beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own! Create and cultivate Inner Beauty that never fades away but grows and matures with Time!” – Deodatta V. Shenai-Khatkhate

24.) “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

25.) “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” – Audrey Hepburn

26.) “What’s the whole point of being pretty on the outside when you’re so ugly on the inside?” – Jess C. Scott

27.) “Beauty isn’t about having a pretty face. It is about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart, and most importantly a beautiful soul.” – Anonymous

Inspiring Beauty Quotes and Sayings About Self Love

28.) “We see the beauty within and cannot say no.” – Dave Eggers

29.) “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”- Audrey Hepburn

30.) “Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see.”- George W. Russell

31.) “Do all the good you can and create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside. It is inner beauty which matters most.”- Dr. Anil Kumar Sinha

32.) “Inner beauty, too, needs occasionally to be told it is beautiful.”- Robert Brault

33.) “Take care of your inner, spiritual beauty. That will reflect in your face.”- Dolores Del Rio

34.) “You are not born with beauty, your beauty is created by who you are. Your inner beauty is more important than how people see you on the outside.”- Emily Coussons

35.) “Outer beauty pleases the EYE. Inner beauty captivates the HEART.”- Mandy Hale

36.) “Some of us teach ourselves and our children to love the superficial outer; our looks, hair, skin, clothes rather than the greater beauty that resides within whereas it is that inner beauty that really defines you and who you truly are.”- Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

37.) “Inner beauty should be the most important part of improving one’s self.”- Priscilla Presley

38.) “Inner beauty radiates from within, and there’s nothing more beautiful than when a woman feels beautiful on the inside.”- Erin Heatherton

Inspirational Quotes About Beauty in the world

39.) “Above all things physical, it is more important to be beautiful on the inside – to have a big heart and an open mind and a spectacular spleen.”– Ellen DeGeneres

40.) “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” – 1 Peter 3:3-4

41.) “That’s the thing about inner beauty: Unlike Physical beauty, which grabs the spotlight for itself, inner beauty shines on everyone, catching them, holding then in its embrace, making them more beautiful, too.”– Unknown

42.) “Judge nothing by the appearance. The more beautiful the serpent, the more fatal its sting.” – William Scott Downey, Proverbs

43.) “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” – Miss Piggy, The Muppets

44.) “Beauty is certainly a soft, smooth, slippery thing, and therefore of a nature which easily slips in and permeates our souls.” – Plato, Lysis

45.) “Beauty is but a lease from nature.” – Edward Counsel, Maxims

46.) “Natural beauty takes at least two hours in front of a mirror.” – Pamela Anderson

47.) “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost, Act 2, Scene 1

Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Appearance

48.) “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” – Kahlil Gibran

49.) “That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.” – Ninon de L’Enclos

50.) “Beauty is truth’s smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.” – Rabindranath Tagore

51.) “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” – Martin Buxbaum

52.) “In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” – Christopher Morley

Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Love

53.) “Beauty always promises, but never gives anything.” – Simone Weil

54.) “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting – a wayside sacrament.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 55.) “Beauty and folly are generally companions.” – Baltasar Gracian

56.) “Plainness has its peculiar temptations quite as much as beauty.” – George Eliot

57.) Do I love you because you’re beautiful,

Or are you beautiful because I love you?

– Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella

58.) “Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Inspirational Quotes About Beauty in Life

59.) “Beauty is the shadow of God on the universe.” – Gabriela Mistral, Desolacíon

60.) “You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.” – Marie Stopes

61.) “Beauty – in projection and perceiving – is 99.9 percent attitude.” – Grey Livingston

62.) “I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want – an adorable pancreas?” – Jean Kerr, The Snake Has All the Lines

63.) “Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.” – Rosalind Russell

64.) “Beauty isn’t worth thinking about; what’s important is your mind. You don’t want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head.” – Garrison Keillor

65.) “Beauty? To me it is a word without sense because I do not know where its meaning comes from nor where it leads to.” – Pablo Picasso

66.) “We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.” – Kahlil Gibran

67.) “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

68.) “No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.” – Oscar Wilde

Beauty quotes to appreciate life

69.) “Beauty is when you can appreciate yourself. When you love yourself, that’s when you’re most beautiful.” – Zoe Kravitz

70.) “Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude.” –  Louie Schwartzberg

71.) “A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” – John Keats

72.) “Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” – Ashley Smith

73.) “Beauty has so many forms, and I think the most beautiful thing is confidence and loving yourself.”- Kiesza

74.) “Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.” – John Ray

75.) “Love yourself. It is important to stay positive because beauty comes from the inside out.” – Jenn Proske

76.) “If you foolishly ignore beauty, then you will soon find yourself without it.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

77.) “Real beauty is to be true to oneself.” – Laetitia Casta

78.) “Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.”― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

79.) “The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”― Louisa May Alcott

80.) “The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.”― P.C. Cast

Beauty quotes to inspire positivity

81.) “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

82.) “There’s nothing more inspiring than the complexity and beauty of the human heart.” – Cynthia Hand

83.) “There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” – Mandy Hale

84.) “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” –  Thich Nhat Hanh

85.) “Beauty is strangely various. There is the beauty of light and joy and strength exulting; but there is also the beauty of shade, of sorrow and sadness, and of humility oppressed.” – Arnold Bennett

86.) “Beauty when most unclothed is clothed best.” –PHINEAS FLETCHER

87.) “I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” – Anne Frank

88.) “Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.” – Mark Twain

89.) “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.“- Sophia Loren

90.) “Beauty awakens the soul to act.” – Dante Alighieri

Inspiring beauty quotes

91.) “Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.”― Edgar Allan Poe

92.) “The beautiful things of the earth become dearer as they elude pursuit.” – THOMAS HARDY

93.) “I don’t like standard beauty – there is no beauty without strangeness.” – Karl Lagerfeld

94.) “Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference.” – Aristotle

95.) “Beauty is like life itself: a dawn mist the sun burns off. It gives no peace, no rest.“-GREGORY ORR

96.) “Beauty’s voice speaks gently: it creeps only into the most awakened souls.”  – FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

97.) “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” – Marilyn Monroe

98.)

[profgandalf]

Can Humor Be Holy?

A few years ago I was disturbed by an idea presented in Milan Kundera’s Book of Laughter and Forgetting. "Laughter” he writes “belongs to the devil because laughter happens when the meaning of things is subverted."  Now I, as a Christian, want to believe--in contrast to this--that laughter is firmly in the domain of Heaven because “all good things come from Him” (James 1: 17).  (Also I love to laugh although my enjoyment of something is hardly a measure of its healthfulness. I love coffee but doubt it will be in Heaven.) Still. if you’ve read my article about “Hallowing Halloween,” you know that my central argument is that Halloween should be used by Christian to mock the claims of supernatural power claimed by Satan and his followers.

Kundera has a Point:

That all being said, I must admit Kundera’s point.  Humor functions to undermine, to tear down, to prick someone’s bubble, to reveal the weakness of a position or stance.  That’s what it does: it points to the absurd and holds it up for ridicule. “All comedy,” according to John Cleese, “is critical.”  (For an excellent exposition on this see this short video in which he is featured.) This, however, may make many of us uncomfortable. First off we know that humor has been used to destroy or at least devalue what many of us thought of as being sacrosanct.  Sexual purity, love of country, the role of the father within the family are all concepts which have been held up for ridicule in contemporary comic media.  It should be noted that these ideas do not lose support because they are intrinsically weak but because there are so many who espoused them who were less than successful.  Their foolishness gave the humor a recognition of truth. Ralph Kramden, Fred Flintstone or Peter Griffin when bellowing that he is the head of the house is all the more absurd since each represents a class of men who may claim that without fulfilling it. Furthermore in argument the rhetorical tool of mockery is recognized as profoundly effective even when there reason provides little to advance a cause.  

”Senator, Your No Jack Kennedy”

Witness the famous line “"Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."   This put-down was a remark made during the 1988 United States vice-presidential debate by Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. Lloyd Bentsen to Republican vice-presidential candidate Sen. Dan Quayle.  It was devastating and yet in no way met the actual observations Quayle was making.  

Still as noted by Wikipedia “Bentsen's comment was played and replayed by the Democrats in their subsequent television ads as an announcer intoned: "Quayle: just a heartbeat away." It proved sure-laugh fodder for comedians, and more and more editorial cartoons depicted Quayle as a child (Saturday Night Live actually used a child actor to portray Quayle in several sketches.” (”Senator, Your No Jack Kennedy”)

Isn’t it Just Mean?

Many people of faith also wonder if tearing things down fits into the life-style consecrated to holiness a life-style supposedly epitomized by love, a goal that all serious believers are supposed to be aspiring towards.  Isn’t laughter, they wonder “by its very critical nature mean?” The reader may recall Buzz Lightyear’s suspicious confusion in Toystory, when facing Woody’s laughter over him not realizing he’s not a Space Ranger, not living in a world where aliens exist. “Your mocking me aren’t you?”  He doesn’t lie it and I for one felt a little bad for him.

(Side Note: My family finds this scene especially hysterical, pointing at me since apparently I periodically miss the ludicrousness I am revealing in my own behavior.) 

“Clueless Buzz” as the creators of the Toystory series call him does have his world crash down upon him and it is traumatic.  But the fact is that the befuddlement depicted is that of anyone who does not realize that he or she is being absurd. He is guilt of affectation not from hypocrisy but from ignorance.

Henry Fielding says that humor should be used to mock individuals out of affectation so that they will be better people.  But that means that the motivation of the comic must be wholesome.  What may be of some concern Buzz’s case is that the humor is not being used to improve him, but is instead being used by Woody to bring him down.  Oh sure he’s delusional and one can argue that having a true understanding of one’s self is vital for effective living (“You ARE a toy!”) But what is the real final intent of the mockery?  To put him in his place.

Keep in mind that in this scene Woody is using humor as a weapon against the toy who has replaced him in his high post in Andy’s affections as well as his room.  So does Buzz deserves this treatment because of his arrogance and self delusion?  It is interesting to note that in the film Woody finds himself cast out of Andy’s room because his own dark agenda is revealed.  And this “weaponization” is perhaps the point. 

Humor is a Weapon

Weapons are not always evil.  As a gun owner I affirm this. But they are always weapons. If gun can be used to stop evil perhaps wholesome humor, exists because some ideas deserve to be shown to be the absurdities they are. As I said in my article of Halloween, Satan’s Rebellion is a doomed farce and he knows it. But the struggle against evil requires weapons.  So, like it or not, humor is a weapon and perhaps a necessary one.

But when or how does one use a weapon?  Potentially a consciousness comedian might be like a consciousness objector.  The later asks “Can one use deadly force to do good?”  The first should wonder “Is it suitable to hold up others or things up for scorn?” Humor, it must be remembered, is a kind of force, a potentially dangerous one. It has recognized as such since ancient times.  However I affirm that it can be used in this way and still be Holy. Others may feel differently just as good people disagree with me about guns.

Weapons Must Be Used with Care

In the Stanford online Encyclopedia of Philosophy  John Morreall in his article on the “Philosophy of Humor” reminds readers that while “Aristotle considered wit a valuable part of conversation (Nicomachean Ethics 4, 8), he [also] agreed with Plato that laughter expresses scorn. 

Wit, he says in the Rhetoric (2, 12), is educated insolence. In the Nicomachean Ethics (4, 8) he warns that ‘Most people enjoy amusement and jesting more than they should … a jest is a kind of mockery, and lawgivers forbid some kinds of mockery—perhaps they ought to have forbidden some kinds of jesting.’  Morreall goes on to say “These objections to laughter and humor influenced early Christian thinkers, and through them later European culture” (”The Philosophy of Humor--Humor’s Bad Reputation.) 

This may explain why a blogger when posting an analysis of the concept of the laughing Jesus completely admits that the whole concept of a laughing Jesus is actually a “newish” concept (Check out Happy Jesus, Part 1:  ) He even goes on to quote  G.K. Chesterton

“There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.”  -G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy (1908)

Did Jesus laugh as the above opening painting suggest?  But at what?  Would he find anyone falling on a banana peel funny or would his empathy always make him go “aww” when a disciple missteped on the rocky Roman roads of the Holy Land? Did he think that watching Peter bubbling in the water as he sank under his own doubt hysterical?  I do, but did He? What about the look of incredulity of his disciples’ faces when he revealed himself as alive after stopping from the road to Emmaus?  And do you find the images of a teethy Christ which I found when looking for this article’s main painting, a bit creepy?  I confess I did.

This brings up another aspect of humor separate from the recognition of it as a powerful weapon.  

Humor is Often at Odds with Cultural Norms and Culture Shapes How We See It

Part of our discomfort of Holy Humor (and Jesus finding us funny) is that laughter has very little to do with how we traditionally view Christ.  Cultural expectations are powerful.   And understanding culture is a vital when talking about humor.

The aforementioned Kundera, for example, started life under the repressive regime of Communist Czechoslovakia, a nation at the time ruled by a system in which the authorities claimed to be good but crushed any who apposed it.  Any humorous criticism of the state would be branded as evil, a stance he personally embraced.  Thus, he is by inclination wanting to side with the rebellious.

Orthodoxy maintenance never has a sense of humor. (In another novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Kundera presents a character named  Sabina who admits to her distaste for parades, explains her feelings as being because in her Communist past children were forced to parade.  This stands in contrast to her all her western friends who love parades both official and for causes.) In The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Kundera sees the forces of Heaven as not being specifically always supporting the good but as powers which are concerned with maintaining God’s creation.  Thus, they are always by nature preserving never tearing down. Heaven keeps rules, Hell breaks them.  The trouble for us here on Earth is that we know that there are some rules which need to be broken.This is not an especially new idea

Kundera, in some ways, is articulating the ideas of the 17th century British poet William Blake who saw the active, dynamic poet organically as being rebellious in contrast to those in culture who are submissive and sedative as being Godly.  Specifically he was trying to explain why for many readers Milton in Paradise Lost is so compelling but somehow is less so in Paradise Regained:

The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at liberty when of Devils & Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it. (The Marriage of Heaven and Hell ca. 1790–93)

The trouble then comes down to the basic assumption that goodness is supposed to be non-aggressiveness, submissive, and un-confrontational, but does any of that actually describe Christ?  The answer is a resounding no. 

Humor a Weapon in A Holy War

I will concede that humor, like any weapon, can be misused.  I have seen it done so.  I will also admit that humor has been an effective tool to make me laugh at what I should not.  Sexual promiscuity is destructive and making jokes about the break down of a family’s moral structure should not be funny.  However none of that takes away from the profoundly healthful and important role holy humor has in our world.  It is a weapon against darkness.

Henry Fielding began his ground-breaking work (today called “a novel”) on a belief in the moral value of humor.  In his Preface to Joseph Andrews, part of his first great comic novel, Fielding argues for the moral importance of humor--tying it in to what he as a neo-Augustine would have considered the height of art, the classics,  He describes his work as  the “Comic Epic in Prose.”  He makes it clear that for him there is only one worthy target for humor, that of human folly in affectation:

The only source of the true Ridiculous (as it appears to me) is affectation. But tho’ it arises from one spring only, when we consider the infinite streams into which this one branches, we shall presently cease to admire at the copious field it affords to an observer. Now affectation proceeds from one of these two causes; vanity, or hypocrisy: for as vanity puts us on affecting false characters, in order to purchase applause; so hypocrisy sets us on an endeavour to avoid censure by concealing our vices under an appearance of their opposite virtues. and tho’ these two causes are often confounded, (for they require some distinguishing;) yet, as they proceed from very different motives, so they are as clearly distinct in their operations: for indeed, the affectation which arises from vanity is nearer to truth than the other; as it hath not that violent repugnancy of nature to struggle with, which that of the hypocrite hath.

And so Fielding perhaps best calls the best of what Holy Humor is.  It is a weapon that should be aimed at the folly we all carry within us.  Cleese in the above cited video mentions what he calls the most inclusive of jokes; “How Does one make God laugh?  Answer: Tell him your iron clad plans.”  CS Lewis in his epistolary novel The Screwtape Letters (which Cleese actually performed in the audio book version of) indented his “book as a fairly humorous work, Lewis's goals included both reflections on the nature of evil and an effort to create a different portrayal of the Devil than the sort normally seen in pop culture. Screwtape has practically No Sense of Humor himself, and comes across as a sort of cranky cosmic killjoy” (TV Tropes “Screwtape letters”)  Humor is a great weapon which is especially dramatized as Screwtape in a rage at being a source of entertainment to the patient’s love interest (the kind of woman who would find ME funny) turns himself into a worm.. In Christ’s hands and in ours humor should be used to laugh us out of our own folly and the diabolical forces who attempt to use it.

[marcusssanderson]

50 Inspirational Beauty Quotes about Life, the World and Nature

Looking for beauty quotes about the amazing life that is all around us, all day long, that we tend to overlook?

For many, beauty has a very narrow definition. They look at the physical beauty of others, or that which is overtly beautiful to most, as a whole.

This is only one, very narrow, definition of beauty though, and one that we should all consider expanding on, if we have not already done so.

Learning to appreciate this beauty can improve the quality of our lives, as we are able to look deeper and more meaningfully at people and things in our lives.

Here are some inspirational thoughts and quotes about beauty, as well as its many definitions that exist.

  Most Inspiring Beauty Quotes

“I find beauty in unusual things, like hanging your head out the window or sitting on a fire escape.” –Scarlett Johansson

  “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.” – Audrey Hepburn

  “As if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”– Pablo Neruda

  “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.”- John O’Donohue

  “Of life’s two chief prizes, beauty and truth, I found the first in a loving heart and the second in a laborer’s hand.” – Khalil Gibran

  Sometimes people are beautiful.

Not in looks.

Not in what they say.

Just in what they are.

– Markus Zusak, I am the Messenger

  “Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”- Kate Angell

  “What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.” – Scott Westerfeld, Uglies

  “Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference: beauty demands to be noticed; it speaks to us directly like the voice of an intimate friend. If there are people who are indifferent to beauty, then it is surely because they do not perceive it.” – Roger Scruton, Beauty

  “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” – Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata

  “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.” – Dorothy Parker

  “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

  “Just because you’re beautiful and perfect, it’s made you conceited.” – William Goldman, The Princess Bride

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” – Edgar Allan Poe

  “Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” – Franz Kafka

   A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness.

– John Keats, Endymion

  “Where Beauty was, nothing ever ran quite straight, which, no doubt, was why so many people looked on it as immoral.” – John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga

Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Life and Nature

“It’s [beauty] a kind of radiance. People who possess a true inner beauty, their eyes are a little brighter, their skin a little more dewy. They vibrate at a different frequency.”- Cameron Diaz

  “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”– Sophia Loren

  “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” – Martin Buxbaum

  “The fountain of beauty is the heart and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.”- Francis Quarles

  “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly lies to the bone. Beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own! Create and cultivate Inner Beauty that never fades away but grows and matures with Time!” – Deodatta V. Shenai-Khatkhate

  “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” – Audrey Hepburn

“What’s the whole point of being pretty on the outside when you’re so ugly on the inside?” – Jess C. Scott

  “Beauty isn’t about having a pretty face. It is about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart, and most importantly a beautiful soul.” – Anonymous

  Inspiring Beauty Quotes and Sayings About Self Love

“We see the beauty within and cannot say no.” – Dave Eggers

  “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”- Audrey Hepburn

“Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see.”- George W. Russell

  “Do all the good you can and create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside. It is inner beauty which matters most.”- Dr. Anil Kumar Sinha

  “Inner beauty, too, needs occasionally to be told it is beautiful.”- Robert Brault

  “Take care of your inner, spiritual beauty. That will reflect in your face.”- Dolores Del Rio

  “You are not born with beauty, your beauty is created by who you are. Your inner beauty is more important than how people see you on the outside.”- Emily Coussons

  “Outer beauty pleases the EYE. Inner beauty captivates the HEART.”- Mandy Hale

  “Some of us teach ourselves and our children to love the superficial outer; our looks, hair, skin, clothes rather than the greater beauty that resides within whereas it is that inner beauty that really defines you and who you truly are.”- Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

  “Inner beauty should be the most important part of improving one’s self.”- Priscilla Presley

  “Inner beauty radiates from within, and there’s nothing more beautiful than when a woman feels beautiful on the inside.”- Erin Heatherton

Inspirational Quotes About Beauty in the world

“Above all things physical, it is more important to be beautiful on the inside – to have a big heart and an open mind and a spectacular spleen.”– Ellen DeGeneres

  “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” – 1 Peter 3:3-4

“That’s the thing about inner beauty: Unlike Physical beauty, which grabs the spotlight for itself, inner beauty shines on everyone, catching them, holding then in its embrace, making them more beautiful, too.”– Unknown

  “Judge nothing by the appearance. The more beautiful the serpent, the more fatal its sting.” – William Scott Downey, Proverbs

  “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” – Miss Piggy, The Muppets

  “Beauty is certainly a soft, smooth, slippery thing, and therefore of a nature which easily slips in and permeates our souls.” – Plato, Lysis

  “Beauty is but a lease from nature.” – Edward Counsel, Maxims

  “Natural beauty takes at least two hours in front of a mirror.” – Pamela Anderson

  “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost, Act 2, Scene 1

  Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Appearance

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” – Kahlil Gibran

  “That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.” – Ninon de L’Enclos

“Beauty is truth’s smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.” – Rabindranath Tagore

  “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” – Martin Buxbaum

  “In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” – Christopher Morley

Inspiring Beauty Quotes About Love

“Beauty always promises, but never gives anything.” – Simone Weil

  “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting – a wayside sacrament.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

   “Beauty and folly are generally companions.” – Baltasar Gracian

  “Plainness has its peculiar temptations quite as much as beauty.” – George Eliot

  Do I love you because you’re beautiful,

Or are you beautiful because I love you?

– Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella

  “Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Inspirational Quotes About Beauty in Life

“Beauty is the shadow of God on the universe.” – Gabriela Mistral, Desolacíon

“You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.” – Marie Stopes

  “Beauty – in projection and perceiving – is 99.9 percent attitude.” – Grey Livingston

  “I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want – an adorable pancreas?” – Jean Kerr, The Snake Has All the Lines

  “Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.” – Rosalind Russell

  “Beauty isn’t worth thinking about; what’s important is your mind. You don’t want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head.” – Garrison Keillor

  “Beauty? To me it is a word without sense because I do not know where its meaning comes from nor where it leads to.” – Pablo Picasso

  “We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.” – Kahlil Gibran

  “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

  “No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.” – Oscar Wilde

Did you like these beauty quotes? What other beautiful quotes would you add to the list?

There is beauty in people that is more than skin deep. There is beauty in art, in simple acts of kindness, in simple pleasures.

Learning to see the beauty in others and in the world around us, can have a profound and uplifting impact.

Making an effort to explore and find new beauty in our lives and in our worlds can give us a sense of contentment and happiness that we are seeking.

The post 50 Inspirational Beauty Quotes about Life, the World and Nature appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.