#biblical immersion

[thinkingonscripture]

Spiritual Growth Through Meditation on Scripture

The Lord instructed Joshua, saying, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh 1:8). This command involves a deep, reflective engagement with Scripture, allowing its truths to shape one’s…

[nashvillehotchicken]

oh routledge language textbooks thank you for my life

[what-even-is-thiss]

Some free or inexpensive comprehensible input, audio and video lessons, and listening practice stuff for popular languages because idk I felt like googling some stuff today

Arabic: Yale k-16 interactive reading, Arabic Comprehensible, Egyptic

Bengali: Bangla Shekho, Bengali Fairy Tales

Chinese (Mandarin): Comprehensible Chinese, hackingchinese.com, Acquire Mandarin, Comprehensible Mandarin, Blabla Chinese, Easy Mandarin, Mandarin Click

English: English Comprehensible input for ESL beginners, Dreaming English, EnglishClass101, British Council LearnEnglish, News in Slow English

French: French Comprehensible Input, alice ayel, Easy French, innerfrench.com, Little Talk in Slow French, Francais Authentique

German: DW Learn German, Naturlich German, Comprehensible German, Easy German, Löwenzahn, Deutsch Direkt, Learn German With Falk

Greek (modern): Natural Languages TRPS Greek, Helinka, Hellinic American Union, Easy Greek, Greekpod101

Greek (ancient): Easy Latin (Greek Course), Alpha With Angela (biblical [Kione] Greek), Chihon Teaches, Ancient Greek in Action, Athenaze

Hebrew: The Hebrew Adventure, Free Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew), Hebrew Time, thehebrewcafe.com

Hindi: Comprehensible Hindi, HindiPod101, Hindi TV, Easy Hindi

Hungarian: FluentBox, Magyar Hungarian, Speak Hungarian With Angie, Easy Hungarian,

Icelandic: Icelandic For Foreigners, icelandiconline.com, Ylhyra, Viltu laera islensku,

Italian: Italian For Americans, Easy Italian, Learn Italian With Lucrezia, teacherstefano.com

Japanese: Comprehensible Japanese, DailyJapanese, Akane Japanese Class, iroironanihongo, Japanese Immersion With Asami, Speak Japanese Naturally, Learn Japanese with Tanaka san,

Korean: Comprehensible Input Korean, Korean Patch, Immersion in Korean, Intuit Korean, Learn Korean in Korean, Hello Jadoo, MAVOCA, Storytime in Korean, Talk to Me in 100% Korean

Latin: Easy Latin, ScorpioMartianus, Quomodo Dicitur?, Found In Antiquity, The London Latin Course

Portuguese: Teach Yourself Portuguese, The Sounds of Portuguese, Portuguese With Leo, Easy Portuguese

Russian: Comprehensible Russian, Easy Russian, About Russian in Russian, Russian With Max, Russian from Russia, Real Russian Club

Spanish: Dreaming Spanish, Teacher Catalina. Hola Spanish, Easy Spanish,

[amara-gaelthorne]

The damnation of imagination is one of the ugliest social crimes no one talks about.

People have been punished—vilified—for doing something as human and ancient as creating worlds, telling stories, and practicing symbolic magic.

Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t dangerous. Young people immersed in fantasy, world-building, and character exploration weren’t summoning demons—they were exploring themselves. They were processing life. They were playing.

But society couldn’t tolerate it. If it wasn’t their version of fantasy—biblical, patriarchal, rigid—it was dangerous. If it didn’t serve religion or profit, it was worthless. If it wasn’t "real," it had to be silenced.

Meanwhile, the same people who demonized D&D and fantasy forget their beloved scriptures are full of talking snakes, magical plagues, blood rites, divine punishments, dragons, floods, angels, sorcery, and resurrection. That’s mythology too.

But the moment someone writes their own myth, creates their own sacred objects, or finds power in their own symbols—suddenly it’s dangerous. Suddenly it’s “too much.” Or worse—“fake.”

I’m not here to market witchcraft. I’m not here to make spell jars to fix anyone’s life or promise quick results. I’m not a product.

I do what I do because I choose to honor what resonates with me. Even if it’s not “real.” Even if it’s symbolic. Even if it scares the ones who can’t imagine outside their own box.

Let them be afraid. I’m not here to coddle the small-minded.

If my imagination makes them uncomfortable, good. They should be. Because no one gets to crush what keeps me whole.

[primaphomet]

Why choose between a silly or angsty AU when it can be both?

A Leosagi AU where a freshly-made paladin finds himself in a whirlwind romance with the very divine being he is sworn to serve and protect 😳

brain dump of my thoughts below the cut

So first of all this features my risesona, Biblically Accurate Leo. However, he is his own character in this AU and is not a representation of me in this setting. If you see Baleo without Paladin Usagi, she's probably in sona mode lmao (I basically thought one day "what would leosagi look like with my risesona concept" and it evolved from there)

I imagine Baleo is a "young" angel, so he still retains the laidback and silly demeanor like in the show. Usagi being a new paladin means he isn't a total stick-in-the-mud like older paladins, so their excitable personalities would bounce off of each other really well

The downside to Baleo being a young angel is that he still doesn't fully understand humanity. He would probably treat them like pets or a very immersive game; there's this disconnect. Unfortunately this applies to Usagi as well (like how you have a favorite fictional character and you're like aaaa my blorbo!! but they're not Real so you don't treat them to the same standards as a real person)

This AU might also explore catholic guilt, especially with the idea of a person who is deeply ingrained in a role within the church. Imagine preparing for a position for a long time, perhaps even your whole life, and when it happens it is everything you've ever dreamed of and more, and you finally feel like you have a purpose in life because that is what you've always been told. But... there's something off, something sinister underlying it all, and you KNOW that something is wrong but you've been working for this for so long, how could you even question it? Yeah that's Usagi, wish him luck 🫡

[alvivaarts]

Writing Tips For You (as if I don’t currently have insane writer’s block)

-Can’t start a scene? Write the setting instead. What is the lighting like? Is this place comfortable? Is it familiar or not? What should you point out now so it doesn’t suddenly appear when it becomes important for the characters? SET! YOUR! STAGE!

-Everyone says “show, don’t tell”. I like to think of that as “what are your character’s physical reactions? What are they feeling?” You can say “Character looked dismayed”, or you can say “Character grimaced with dismay.” See the difference?

-Struggling with dialogue? Talk to yourself while you’re writing. You might be blocking yourself if you subconsciously think some dialogue feels unnatural.

-Context, context, context! This applies to everything from the small interactions to the big plots. Every force has an equal and opposite reaction, allow interactions and events to grow as such.

-Context, context, context pt 2! But worldbuilding! If your character is performing an act, how does that fit into the physical reality they already exist in? How is it possible? Can you imply (imply, not explain) that these things are commonplace or why they wouldn’t be?

-Build the action. (Stealing this from theater class like twelve years ago.) You can’t just put a character into the scene and say ‘they made a sandwhich’. What has to happen for the sandwhich to be made? Your character has to walk into the kitchen, open the cupboard, get out a plate, get out the jam and peanut butter, get out the knives, open the fridge, get out the bread, close the fridge, open the bread bag, lay down two slices of bread on the plate, close the bag, open the first jar, pick up the first knife, scoop up the jam, slather it on the bread, put the knife down, close the first jar- and so on and so forth. Every small step is necessary for you to understand, and to engage your readers. You don’t have to go into ridiculous detail like I just did, but even understanding that for yourself helps remember the ‘state’ of your scene at any given moment.

-See above, but it’s not a scene and a sandwhich. The scene is your whole story and the sandwhich is your plot. What small steps MUST happen to reach the climax? Does changing one of those small steps change the result? How?

-Emotions are best portrayed when you have experienced them or can get insight from those who have experienced them. Let yourself get emotional in a scene. Allow yourself to be empathetic and vicariously experience what your characters are.

-Reread your own work! Your writing style and characterizations can change over time, but if you feel like you’re losing them, don’t be afraid to look at where you started to ground yourself!

-Proofread your own work 2-12 hours after you finish a section! Not while you’re writing! Don’t let yourself get carried away with writing things ‘right’, just get the ideas out.

-Have a friend or volunteer proofread for you too! This can help pick out things you repeatedly say, words you might misuse, grammar and punctuation that might need correction, and phrases that are hard to digest or don’t make sense.

-Make sure you’re making an effort to use regionally/era specific words and slang both in dialogue and in your writing. There are plenty of websites and videos online that list and discuss regional and era slang worldwide. Not to mention, we can connect with people all over the world using the web just to ask! Using incorrect phrases can really break immersion and make characters feel- well, out of character! I.E. an 80s jock saying ‘dope bruh’, American characters (generally) saying ‘lift’ instead of ‘elevator’, so on and so forth.

-Research research research! Research bloodloss limits, research how laws and jobs operate in different regions and countries, research weirdly specific myths and biblical themes, research as much as you can! You can only build a richer environment to write in!

-If you actively want to implement themes, allow them to reflect the experiences of your character. Example character is an Italian American who was orphaned at 13 after his orthodox Catholic parents died, he has been in and out of foster care his whole life, and the moment he got out his military job became strict and he allowed himself to be blackmailed to protect a child in a similar position. This has plenty of fun themes and symbolisms, like sacrifice, fate, lack of control, love, losing autonomy, etc, all of which can be framed under the impactful history of his Catholic childhood. This evokes the imagery of farm animals, servitude, animal tags/dog tags, holy spaces being used for other purposes. Play with it!

-Build three base playlists! One for your overarching story, one for songs that remind you of the main character and their story arc, and one for how you feel when you’re writing/songs that weirdly remind you of your story. You can cycle through these to help get into your mood.

-Consume other media! If all you do is focus on writing, you WILL lose steam and inspiration. Don’t be afraid to watch new shows, read new books, look at more artwork, read more poems, listen to more music. You might get a flicker of inspiration for themes, motives and ideas, and you’ll continue to fill yourself instead of dumping your focus out on your writing.

-Understand how each major character thinks and instinctively reacts to things. Some characters can stay calm, but others might instinctively react to things ‘angrily’, others might try to run away. This is an easy way to figure out character flaws and impliment easy conflicts.

And last but not least:

-Take breaks! Don’t worry about forcing yourself to keep a posting schedule (unless you’re being paid. I’m not. I’m doing this shit for free and for funsies) if all you do is spend all your time worrying about your writing, you won’t be able to relax your brain. Spend time with friends, play games, go outside!

I hope this helps!

[mvrdermeharder]

So in the wake of ch 294, i’ve been thinking about what’s left for Kaiser’s development…

Unfortunately, as i had expressed in one of my prev posts, i think his story has a very high chance of ending in tragedy (by which i mean death).

BUT, as he’s my fav trash boy, i’m not willing to give up on hope just yet. So i kinda want to ramble a bit about Archangel Michael’s history and iconography to find a leeway towards a better ending… and i’ll possibly do a deep dive in another post.

As i’m in the midst of editing… “deep dive” lmao as if this post didn’t end up as long as it did.

So basically, it’s a fact that bllk is full of christian symbology and references (mainly when it comes to kainess, to be specific), and it’s obvious that not only Kaiser’s given name, but also his appearance is inspired by how Saint Michael is represented in the most famous paintings:

Long(er) blond hair, androgynous facial features, wearing a blue tunic + often a red piece of cloth floating around him (Kaiser is permanently wearing these two colors on his body: red eyeliner tattoo, blue rose tattoo. Blue is also just his signature color in general.)

But here’s what i find even more interesting: Kaiser’s character is not only based on Archangel Michael, but it also incorpores a lot of visual elements that Lucifer is represented with (Lucifer is God’s ex-favorite angel, who CHALLENGED AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD, so then God kicked him out of heaven basically… you’ll likely know this angel by the name of Satan)

Now, the representations of Lucifer/Satan vary throughout history, with the earliest representations being in Egypt… so i won’t mention everything bc we’d be here for hours, instead i’ll just boil it down to only those characteristics that Kaiser and Lucifer have in common in SOME representations.

So, Lucifer/Satan is often represented as the most beautiful angel of all, sometimes in blue/red clothing, completely nude, OR in a demon like form: a goat-man with hooves, horns, and bat like wings. In the panel below, Kaiser takes up an anthropomorphic form (humanlike traits mixed with animalistic traits) as he immerses himself in his own malice: his legs and feet remind me of the hooves of a goat-man, aka Lucifer.

So despite Kaiser being a sort of reincarnation of Archangel Michael, his personality morphs into that of the cruel and sadistic Lucifer. He wants to rebel against God, he longs to cast his malice on the world’s football players to feel joy (just like how Satan finds enjoyment in tormenting humans), and in the latest chapter he claims that it was wrong to let go of his malice towards Yoichi, and that he should rely on his malicious urges to steal…

(For context, i’m using panels w the official translations, NOT the more widespread PO2 ones)

So now that i’ve explained how Kaiser takes on the characteristics of both of these angels, i want you to scroll back a bit to the paintings of St. Michael.

What we see in these paintings is the battle between St. Michael and Lucifer. We see Michael stepping down on Lucifer, in a complete victory. (The sword in his hands represents rightful justice, but that’s not very important rn)

And the way i see it, the manga might follow this story. But not in the traditional way of physical conflict between two bodies, instead, it’s an incredible internal and psychological conflict!

The great battle takes place in Kaiser’s mind, and if Kaneshiro intends to follow the famous biblical story, this conflict will end with the “defeat” of Kaiser’s unhealthy mentality (=defeat of his satan-like qualities).

Or at least that’s what I’m hoping for w this theory. I really don’t want to see my boy dead due to his fucked up mentality (Mick Moon theory… oh how i loathe u)

Paintings that i’ve used for reference:

Guido Reni - Archangel Michael defeats Satan

Luca Giordano - Saint Michael

Antonio Maria Esquivel - The Fall of Lucifer

Luca Giordano - The Fall of the Rebel Angels

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino - (Little) Saint Michael

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino - Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan

Francisco Goya - Witches' Sabbath

[mammonscheeks]

my obey me mc / oc headcanons ₊⊹

✎a/n: these hcs are all based on how MY OWN mc or oc would be! so don't be mad if the specific ones don't apply to you :) my mc's name is akira (she/her) but imma just write mc for these!

₊⊹ knows a surprising amount of biblical mythology lore since she's middle eastern/levantine. --"mc, how did you already know our sins based on our names?"

₊⊹ did NOT believe that she was actually in hell when she first came to the devildom. it took an exasperating week for all the brothers to convince her they weren't just some weirdos cosplaying demons in someone's sweltering ass basement

₊⊹ she and solomon fuck with demons by claiming false things about humans --"mammon, did you know that humans can speak to each other through telepathy? look, I can tell you what solomon is thinking right now!"

₊⊹ she carries around chocolate gold coins and gives them to mammon whenever he's good. he tries to pawn them off to lesser demons as a "luxury human world treasure"

₊⊹ is not as cautious as she should be. literally walks around the devildom at night, alone, no matter how many times the brothers tell her not to. talks back to lucifer with no fear. stands up for herself when lesser demons threaten her.

₊⊹ diavolo invites her for tea once a week to talk extensively about humans so he can learn more. --"mc, please tell me what 'slay' means... and is it true that your intestines are 20 feet long?"

₊⊹ she goes to barbatos's kitchen once a week to bake with him and luke. the three exchange recipes from their own respective realms. the kitchen has only lit on fire once so far!

₊⊹ whenever she has lots of work or assignments to do, she quietly slips into lucifer's room. the two listen to classical music and silently study together. --"I'm glad that my study habits motivate you to do better, mc."

₊⊹ is always the last to hear about pop culture news/does not keep up with celebrities. leviathan is shocked to hear that he knows more about human celebrities than her. --"mc, you're telling me you haven't heard this album yet? this is literally from YOUR realm!"

₊⊹ immediately feels sleepy/tired whenever mammon or simeon walks into the room. this is because they're her favorites and she feels the safest around them, so she lets her guard down when they're near.

₊⊹ begs simeon to take her to the celestial realm so that she can talk to the angels that she has prayed to since she was little. she has a fascination with angels after growing up immersed in religious mythology. --"mc, I promise I'll take you once this exchange program is over."

₊⊹ makes dark jokes with belphie about what he did to her. she's not petty, it's just her humor. --"what are you going to do, belphegor... kill me again over this sushi?"

gonna link some picrews i've made of my mc!

[artandthebible]

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

Artist: Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)

Date: 1633

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Description

Rembrandt’s most striking narrative painting in America, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, is also his only painted seascape. Dated 1633, it was made shortly after Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam from his native Leiden, when he was establishing himself as the city’s leading painter of portraits and historical subjects. The detailed rendering of the scene, the figures’ varied expressions, the relatively polished brushwork, and the bright coloring are characteristic of Rembrandt’s early style. Eighteenth-century critics like Arnold Houbraken often preferred this early period to Rembrandt’s later, broader, and less descriptive manner.

The biblical scene pitches nature against human frailty – both physical and spiritual. The panic-stricken disciples struggle against a sudden storm, and fight to regain control of their fishing boat as a huge wave crashes over its bow, ripping the sail and drawing the craft perilously close to the rocks in the left foreground. One of the disciples succumbs to the sea’s violence by vomiting over the side. Amidst this chaos, only Christ, at the right, remains calm, like the eye of the storm. Awakened by the disciples’ desperate pleas for help, he rebukes them: “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” and then rises to calm the fury of wind and waves. Nature’s upheaval is both cause and metaphor for the terror that grips the disciples, magnifying the emotional turbulence and thus the image’s dramatic impact.

The painting showcases the young Rembrandt’s ability not only to represent a sacred history, but also to seize our attention and immerse us in an unfolding pictorial drama. For greatest immediacy, he depicted the event as if it were a contemporary scene of a fishing boat menaced by a storm. The spectacle of darkness and light formed by the churning seas and blackening sky immediately attracts our attention. We then become caught up in the disciples’ terrified responses, each meticulously characterized to encourage and sustain prolonged, empathetic looking. Only one figure looks directly out at us as he steadies himself by grasping a rope and holds onto his cap. His face seems familiar from Rembrandt’s self-portraits, and as his gaze fixes on ours we recognize that we have become imaginative participants in the painter’s vivid dramatization of a disaster Christ is about to avert.

Read: Jesus Calms the Storm, Mark 4:35-41

[la-galaxie-langblr]

me knowing logically that immersion will provide more long term gains for language learning vs 5 new vocab flashcards and some grammar exercises go brrrrrrrrr

[mybeingthere]

Tanya Marcuse began making photographs as an early college student at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She went on to study Art History and Studio Art at Oberlin and earned her MFA from Yale. Her photographs are in many collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the George Eastman Museum. In 2002, she received a Guggenheim fellowship to pursue her project Undergarments and Armor.

In 2005, she embarked on a three part, fourteen year project, Fruitless | Fallen | Woven, moving from iconic, serial photographs of trees in Fruitless to lush, immersive, allegorical works in Fallen and Woven. The photographs in Woven are as large as 5 x 13 feet. Fueled by the Biblical narrative of the fall from Eden, these related projects use increasingly fantastical imagery and more elaborate methods of construction to explore cycles of growth and decay and the dynamic tension between the passage of time and the photographic medium.

Tanya is a student of martial arts and boxing as a method of cultivating mental and physical concentration and discipline. Tanya’s books include Undergarments and Armor (Nazraeli Press, 2005), Wax Bodies, (Nazraeli Press, 2012) and Fruitless | Fallen | Woven (Radius Press, 2019) and INK (Fall Line Press, 2021). She teaches Photography at Bard College.

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Updated: April 7, 2025

Headcanons/fun facts for the Iron Eclipse cast vol. 5

Besides engaging in hobbies and other relaxing activities, what does the Iron Eclipse cast do to calm down?

Marco: He either works on his latest software project or finds a secluded spot in nature to admire its beauty. Once he finds the perfect spot, he reflects on happier times, looks at the old photograph he still carries with him, and contemplates what his father would do in a difficult situation.

Tarma: He either hugs the people he cares about the most or lets his mind wander to his unique interests and feelings about loved ones to distract himself from frustration.

Eri, Doctor Amadeus, Heidern, President Marx, Midori, Hilde Garn, Pocke, Celaphios, Torquil, Harvie, Amilcare, and Yohanes: They have no relaxation techniques worth noting

Fio: She either bakes simple treats, fiddles with Peppino, hangs out with Tarma or practices breathing exercises.

Trevor: He either smokes cannabis and chews on a couple of edibles, quietly admires his knives or listens to the Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time soundtracks. He occasionally listens to K-pop music that he finds humorously cheesy, which makes him laugh and serves as a distraction from his frustrations.

Nadia: She either makes detailed shopping lists, thinks about food or draws adorable, stylised animal doodles in her sketchbook.

Ralf: He either goes to the bar with friends and gets intoxicated, enthusiastically discusses his favourite action movies and anime shows with Clark or practices his close-quarters combat skills on trees. He occasionally watches baseball games and plays with the local children before telling them fun stories.

Clark: He either goes fishing to catch and release fish, looks through his photo album or cuddles and plays with his cats. He rarely plays rugby and sometimes gazes at the magnolia he carries, reminiscing about the good times he shared with comrades he lost in battle.

Tequila: He either reads apocryphal biblical texts, frequents nearly empty churches to pray or looks at the photographs he carries on his person and in his Polaroid camera.

Gimlet: He either looks at pornography magazines and admires the beauty of women or engages in intense physical release by punching and ripping pillows. Occasionally, he has insightful conversations with his adopted father and prays to God when alone. Rarely, he collects seashells to give to others and whistles random tunes while skipping rocks or daydreaming about Sagan and Alisa.

Red Eye: As Ruoxi, she has no relaxation techniques worth noting. As Shufen, besides playing her banhu, she either mumbles Buddhist mantras, shares herbal teas with loved ones or studies neuropsychology. As Liddy, she either attempts to recall birds she's seen, reminisces about amusing life moments or enjoys luxurious shopping and dining experiences.

General Morden: He either spends time with his exotic pets, plays the piano, checks in on his soldiers or retreats to his office to read classical literature and enjoy a couple of glasses of Scotch whisky. Additionally, he dedicates considerable focus to developing meticulous plans alongside Sagan, Logan, and Allen O'Neil.

Allen O’Neil: He either reminisces about the good times with his family and General Morden, lifts weights or plays simple board games while engaging in humorous banter with Sagan.

Ptolemaios: He enjoys meditating in dark places and carefully observing the rituals of his cult and current world events.

Rootmars: She either immerses herself in conducting scientific experiments on abducted livestock or visits remote, unoccupied places on Earth to admire the untouched natural beauty.

Invader King: He either sleeps in his cocoon and stops asexually reproducing for an entire day or eats the regurgitated larvae that he biologically produces.

Walter: He either plays his keytar, smokes from his bong, spends quality time with friends or snuggles with Tyra.

Tyra: She either plays with Angelica, counts the clouds in the sky until she loses track or plays with her hair. Additionally, she enjoys listening to song recommendations from Walter and Trevor.

Hyakutaro: He likes to study the history of martial arts and spend quality time with his twin brother and three cousins.

Allen Jr.: He enjoys creating music with Walter and calling Julia to catch up and discuss various topics.

Pupipi: She often studies the complex anatomy and psychology of humans and wildlife. She also enjoys taking leisurely hour-long strolls through forests and mountains.

Sophia: She either checks in on Marco to see how he's doing or researches various seafood dishes and cooking methods.

Margaret: She either flirts with cadets and new recruits, discusses her gardening ventures with Tequila or goes shopping for more orchid seeds.

Rumi: She either goes for a light jog with Madoka at the local park or reminisces about the good times she had with her older sister and her late friends, Chris and Alexander.

Madoka: She either studies the field of medicine, does cardio exercises or thinks about the different ways she can kill a person with a bazooka.

Leona: She likes to check in on Roberto to discuss various subjects and see how he's doing. She occasionally goes stargazing with Marco or bar hopping with Ralf and Clark.

Alisa Stewart: She either gently caresses her trusty wrench, gazes up at the sky to admire its beauty or gathers inspiration for her latest engineering projects.

Nathalie Neo: She often chats with Ralf about random things and enjoys a couple of drinks with him as a way to take her mind off her current frustrations. She also practices her aim by shooting paradummies borrowed by Walter or at trees and rocks during solo walks in the forest.

Roberto Nicola: He often gives himself motivational speeches to calm down and get something done, even if they sound corny. When he needs comfort, he turns to Fio and enjoys sharing a couple of her sweets and a cup of iced tea with her.

Avatar of Evil: They either devour the emotions of people they deem the most evil and annoying or hum melodious tunes while silently observing the current events of the universe.

Sol Dae Rokker: He either burns bushes, meticulously counts every stone used to build the Oro Sol Ruins until he loses interest or playfully drops a snake on his followers from the sky to see their reactions.

MS-Alice: She either likes to rewatch the best memories she has experienced since Marco brought her to life or listens to Nadia's ramblings about fashion, forensic science, piloting, and art. Occasionally, she enjoys pondering the meaning of existence with Wysteria and Celaphios.

Nayutaro: He either practices progressive muscle relaxation or studies and masters new martial arts and ninjutsu techniques.

Issenmantaro: He either flexes the muscles in his hands and fingers, braids his cousins' hair or practices new martial arts techniques with Hyakutaro.

Nanahyakumantaro: He either practices his roundhouse kicks or browses funny raven and crow images.

Happyakumantaro: He either thinks about the relaxing atmosphere of the beach or considers which cocktail recipe he should try next.

Abul Abbas: He either indulges in gambling and drinking or embarks on solitary camel rides in the desert with his most trusted accomplices. On occasion, he playfully flirts with Sagan and the female soldiers of the Rebel Army.

Macba: He either scrolls through dating apps or polishes his boomerang-like blades.

Wired: He either tallies his stockpile of grenades and bullets or engages in arm-wrestling matches with Macba.

Oghma: He either enjoys 20-minute sensory deprivation flotation sessions or explores various wine flavours, documenting his thoughts on each one in his journal.

Zoilo: He either listens to nature sounds with binaural beats or chats with Macba about their home life and work frustrations.

Anastasia: She reads books on ancient Greek culture and esoteric philosophical ideas, while unwinding with 30-minute aromatherapy sessions.

Wysteria: She enjoys visiting the serene cerulean lake near the Sparrowhawk Operations Base, which is lined with broad-leaved trees, a few conifers, and a variety of flowers with primroses being particularly prominent. She also enjoys fidgeting with the handle of her whip and cleaning her Desert Eagle in a field of wildflowers on a sunny day.

Dilovar: He appreciates reflecting on the things he's grateful for in life. He also enjoys lying down on the grass to take deep breaths and reminisce about cherished moments with friends and past victories over adversaries.

Sagan: She either playfully flirts with her platoon of men, touches up her makeup, go on a smoke break or competes against Logan for fun in a drinking contest. Additionally, she engages in rigorous and intense tactical training exercises.

Logan: He either devises tactical plans, goes antiquing, has a smoke with Sagan and General Morden or improves his flexibility and combative strength by doing gymnastics and boxing.

Guilherme: He either wonders how Janaina is doing or spends his time watching Torquil fine-tune cars and tanks, discussing random topics with him.

Ferdinand: He either showers his pets with loving attention or painfully pinches his cheeks for 2 minutes straight.

Mikuláš: He practices mindfulness by finding a quiet space in nature to sit and focus on his breathing, which helps him centre himself. There are times when he attends church to pray to God, focusing on the good things in his life.

Gyeong-Hui: She looks away, either up at the sky or down at the ground, takes deep, calming breaths, and gently clicks her tongue. She occasionally makes sock puppets and sometimes engages in light-hearted discussions about Dezső and her friends with Ferumox β.

Thandolwethu: She likes to think about cattle while collecting rocks and arranging them in a circle.

Ekaterini: She likes to go to beaches where there are few to no people around and draw random patterns in the sand.

Souma: He either does 10-minute yoga sessions or forces himself to yawn six times.

Juozapas: He either engages in intense physical exercise to release endorphins and clear his mind or plays with his beloved dog for a couple of hours.

Priyanka: She enjoys going on long walks in nature, appreciating the tranquility and beauty around her. She sometimes likes to visit Buddhist temples with Yohanes and discuss any TV shows or movies they have watched recently.

Zdravko: He likes to spend 15 minutes sitting at the edge of a body of water, finding the rhythm of nature to be soothing and grounding.

Dezső: He excessively daydreams about Gyeong-Hui until his face turns as red as a tomato while fiddling with his thumbs.

What are the padlock combinations for Marco's team to unlock their lockers in the Sparrowhawk Operations Base?

Marco: 5-9-21

Tarma: 4-8-22

Eri: 7-3-24

Fio: 6-10-23

Trevor: 13-2-9

Nadia: 28-15-7

Ralf: 1-30-18

Clark: 8-10-29

Tequila: 7-17-27

Gimlet: 6-16-26

Red Eye: 25-15-5

Mikuláš: 2-7-25

Gyeong-Hui: 5-14-2

Thandolwethu: 4-19-16

Harvie: 2-30-18

Amilcare: 8-6-25

Ekaterini: 3-19-27

Souma: 6-28-7

Juozapas: 17-24-3

Priyanka: 9-5-30

Yohanes: 7-21-13

Zdravko: 6-15-4

Dezső: 14-26-7

What is the love language for the Iron Eclipse cast?

Marco, Trevor, Madoka, Alisa Stewart, Wired, and Thandolwethu: Acts of service and quality time

Tarma, Tyra, Allen Jr., Pupipi, Leona, and Zdravko: Acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch

Eri and Nayutaro: Acts of service and words of affirmation

Fio, Roberto Nicola, President Marx, and Gyeong-Hui: Words of affirmation, quality time, and gifts

Nadia, Rumi, and Amilcare: Quality time and gifts

Ralf, Gimlet, Sophia, Nathalie Neo, Macba, and Harvie: Words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch

Clark and Yohanes: Acts of service, words of affirmation, and quality time

Tequila, Heidern, and Celaphios: Acts of service, quality time, and physical touch

Red Eye: Words of affirmation and quality time (as Ruoxi), acts of service and physical touch (as Shufen), and words of affirmation, quality time, and gifts (as Liddy)

General Morden, Margaret, Dilovar, and Ferdinand: Acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and gifts

Allen O’Neil, Rootmars, Walter, Hyakutaro, and Torquil: All five love languages

Doctor Amadeus and Sagan: Words of affirmation, physical touch, and gifts

Ptolemaios and Invader King: Words of affirmation and gifts

Avatar of Evil and Sol Dae Rokker: They don’t have a love language worth noting

Midori, Pocke, and Zoilo: Quality time and physical touch

Issenmantaro and Ekaterini: Words of affirmation and quality time

Nanahyakumantaro and Juozapas: Physical touch and gifts

Happyakumantaro and Mikuláš: Acts of service, quality time, and gifts

Abul Abbas and Anastasia: Words of affirmation and gifts

Hilde Garn and Souma: Words of affirmation and physical touch

Macba and Zoilo: Quality time and physical touch

Oghma and Priyanka: Acts of service, words of affirmation, and gifts

Wysteria: She doesn’t understand love languages

Logan: Words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, and gifts

Guilherme and Dezső: Acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, and gifts

[zorya-reads]

Ninth House & Hell Bent: Thoughts & Book Review

Alex Stern Series by Leigh Bardugo

★★★★☆ 

To start: this is the first book review I've ever written. Previously, I tended to write in bullet points, so please consider this a textualisation of such points organised into paragraphs. While I still agree with the ideas I presented, I have reflected on my writing style, which I now find rather unsatisfactory.

(1200 words)

The first time I eagerly grabbed my English copy of Ninth House, I thought I was signing up for a “i’m just a girl”-Alina-Starkov-Story. I mean, our protagonist is named "Galaxy" after all! Nomen est omen. If that doesn’t scream YA Mary Sue, I don’t know what does! Nothing can go wrong there, right? Right?

Synopsis of Ninth House: Meet Alex Stern, a Yale freshman with a rare gift: She can see ghosts, “Greys”. Recruited to Lethe—the "Ninth House" that oversees the university’s eight secret societies using arcane magic. When a local girl is murdered, Alex suspects a hidden, magical conspiracy linked to these secret societies. With her mentor, Darlington, mysteriously vanished, Alex, haunted by a violent past, is left to navigate the dangers alone. Yet despite warnings, she decides to investigate. Cue ghosts, academic elitism, and a buffet of trauma.

Synopsis of Hell Bent: Strap in for three epic literary trips to hell! (I wish I were lying.)

The book starts off slowly, but the dual narrative—Alex in winter and Darlington in fall—anchors the story beautifully. Darlington’s perspective adds crucial momentum, helping me push through the slow-paced, sluggish beginning. I loved how their timelines intertwined and allowed us to get to know Darlington.

Leigh Bardugo has a knack for making her readers feel intellectual. This duology references existing(!) alchemical themes (e.g the serpent imagery and Alex as a wheelwalker), alongside rich literary and mythological references. The Bible makes several appearances (Isaiah 16:3, Corinthians 15:52, Proverbs 22:29, under the King James Version; Before the question arises: No, I’m not religious.) – Even when Alex remarks on their local choir singing a Johnny Cash song, it ties back to a biblical context („We are the shepherds […]“ being one of the first official carols, as it was once the only Christmas hymn allowed by the Anglican Church).

And that’s just scratching the surface. There are countless references, most notably Idylls of the King (1859) for Ninth House and Dante’s Inferno for Hell Bent, which are actually plot-relevant, if that’s what you'd call a gimmick. And we haven’t even begun with all the Latin Texts lore they keep throwing in. Bardugo, who herself studied on the very grounds Alex walks on, really packed every single detail into this book. In fact, she first became inspired upon discovering the tombs of Yale's secret societies while strolling down New Haven's Grove Street during her freshman year. The level of research is truly remarkable!

I loved this so much—it highlights the pretentiousness of that world, where characters constantly quote Shakespeare and toss around Latin phrases. An intellectual window-dressing Darlington (Everyone loves Darlington. You will love Darlington.) could only be believable on the streets once trodden by great men. It’s this very detail that made the setting authentic: The setting that will play the stage for Bardugo‘s critique on privilege and how wealthy, entitled individuals perpetuate cycles of abuse.

Her writing style complements this, too. I was intrigued by the fictional ‘primary sources’ that appeared at the end of each chapter. As someone unable to visualise scenes while reading, this touch effectively immersed me in the story's aesthetic. However, Bardugo's tendency toward detailed exposition often messes with the pacing. The slow build and lack of major plot movement really drag things down, with much of the story feeling repetitive across its 500 pages (Book 1). I kept waiting for the pace to pick up, but while the back-and-forth structure eventually adds depth as secrets are revealed, it just didn’t feel like enough to make up for it.

When action finally unfolds, Bardugo occasionally goes overboard with the dramatic horror, and the violence feels excessive. For anyone considering a read, I’ll list the triggers below.

Ninth House tackles significant trauma, but the impact of such experiences isn’t explored in a meaningful way—The biggest issue for me is how it sidesteps its core themes. At times, Bardugo hints at making a profound statement about privilege and power—whether mystical, emotional, or institutional. But she never fully goes there, and it feels like a missed opportunity. For example, we often get the chance to experience flashbacks from Alex. Did those details actually develop the characters? Not really. Alex Stern, despite being a trauma survivor, still came across as pretty vanilla.

Ninth House is much worse in this regard than Hell Bent, which becomes noticeably tamer, likely in response to the backlash and criticism the first book received for this issue. While the intensity does dial down, it feels more like a plot device, which ultimately undermines the really intriguing predicament Bardugo set up at the end of Hell Bent. (Yes, it was iconic, but also quite anticlimactic.)

There's a trend I've noticed: authors often feel at ease writing graphic rape scenes repeatedly, yet shy away from depicting consensual sexual moments. While I'm not particularly keen on either, it certainly leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Take Darlington, for instance—here’s yet another male love interest who’s continuously battling with his suppressed desires, and how bad they are and bla bla bla. It’s just the same old song and dance.

Now, is this book right for you?

If you’re drawn to dark academia, mythology, and a reference-heavy world, you might like Ninth House. It reads like YA with adult themes, but often treats those themes more as setting than substance. For context, I’m 17. I bought the book expecting the author of Six of Crows, which clearly wasn’t the case. I mentioned in a post while reading the first quarter that the Internet describes a book I wouldn’t want to read. Had I seen the trigger list upfront, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place.

Yet, in retrospect, Hell Bent somehow managed to become a comfort book for me. Granted, it comes with quite a criminal list of triggers, but the exploration of emotional depth is shallow. (Basically, imagine a quirky 13-year-old writing mafia romances on Wattpad—it wouldn’t feel traumatic, right? That’s pretty much how I view Bardugo’s characters, all of whom seem to wear the label of murderers across her works.) It ultimately comes down to whether one can handle those elements or not. De gustibus non est disputandum. — But seriously, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone underage.

Triggers for Ninth House (Book 1)

Drug use, overdosing, murder, death, loss of a loved one, rituals, gore, PTSD depiction, grief depiction, self-harm, bloodletting, rape, child (12) rape (it is only two pages, but it is very graphic), statutory rape (15), sexual assault, forced sexual assault on video, talk of suicide, blackmail, physical abuse, a magical date rape drug, forced eating of human waste (to a rapist), and racism (always in a negative light).

Triggers compiled by @meltotheany :: [LINK]

Also, I drew inspiration from @inafictionalworld for the format. I really love your concise reviews, which motivated me to blog about them as well with all my future reads! But it seems my brain doesn't understand the meaning of 'short' lol.

[anitabrassi]

Thank you for tagging me!!! 💓

This might sound crazy (or maybe not), but I don't properly name WIPs.. and I'm sort of stuck in a weird creativity block right now, so I think we're better off without me saying any meaningless stuff, but I'm very curious about your WIPs!

I would love to know more about "honeymoon" and "ovation viper" :)))

Does that mean you currently have nothing in work or you just number your stories? :)

Honeymoon is the first multi chaptered story I'm attempting. I'm very bad at keeping attention to one story at time, so my intention is to fully finish it before publishing. It's about Milex in future coming back together and diving fully into crazy, impulsive decision to commit to each other in sort of unofficial, private wedding. They then go to equally impulsive honeymoon, kicking it off with a road trip where everything goes wrong in series of tragedies and mistakes of biblical proportions.

Ovation Viper is a story of how Alex got his discontinued Ovation guitar. Tbh I haven't give it much attention lately. It's Joshlex and it's AU (because I love AUs). A snipet, to change things up a bit:

"Thanks," Alex says; he hates it. "I love it." "Wanna play me something?" He doesn't. He wants to go home and crawl into a dark cardboard box where he could feel safe and isolated. "Sure." Josh helps to unbox the amp while Alex tunes the guitar one step down. He connects the cord (it's a good braided one too, Josh wasn't afraid to spend some money), sets the volume just right not to rally up neighbours, sets a little bit of reverb. He starts playing Blur's tune No Distance Left to Run, because it's the first thing that comes to his mind—it's melancholic and sad. He knows it sounds better on hollow body guitar, but it's still beautiful on Viper. Josh sits beneath him on a floor, legs crossed, mouth slightly agape. He looks immersed in a sound, a little bit stunned too, like the first haunting tones of the song took him by suprise—he even looks fragile in that gigantic shell of a body for a second. Deep down Josh must be a good man, Alex wants to believe it.

[puckinghischier]

no like i need Quinn BIBLICALLY. all the new media of him is making my brain think of up a thousand thoughts and now i need to spend the rest of my day immersed in fan fiction

he’s literally the on my mind 24/7 anymore. like…he used to pop up every now and again, but my god he literally took his seat at the table and ain’t ever leaving i guess

every time i open both instagram and tik tok the first thing i see is all of the content from the nhl ‘25 photo shoot and i can’t handle it. literally teetering on the edge of insanity

[phoenixculpa]

pick up where we left off, art-i-choke, justify each push out the door (plain thought biblically billows—)—“listen to your—“ afterthought chronically jaded in dark golden eye,

telekinesis touch, forgot each cardinal direction with keen scent of a dog,

say it doesn’t hurt to lack the indiscriminate, cry a rain cloud to each day sunlit as saharan desert, “tengo sed,” no me entiendes, honey

graphic indulgence, immersive 3D kaleidoscope suction: starbucks laments sleeping solo shot espresso like a trenta could fill vacuous hope

Grumpy dwarfed—volatile nebulae, voices carry every cycle shut