#discovery of a natural Law ( nature law ) brings a answer to what happened with Lot's wife (

[rudyboxman57]

The #discovery of a natural Law ( nature law ) brings a answer to what happened with Lot's wife ( #bible story genesis 19) Lot's wife turned into a pillar of Salt. Rudy Boxman used the famous Duplication law : ( Genesis chapter 14 the original event ) #news #science #nieuws #HD

[alchemabotana]

St. Bahkita - by Antonina Whaples 2021

Mixed media painting

Medicine people are more apt to be holding and releasing large facets of consciousness in this time. The message has been clear: go easy on yourself, pace yourself, rest often, and communicate only as needed.

It’s felt for a while that the medicine world has been deep undercover, and there’s been some in-fighting amongst the spiritualists about facets and tenants of what should be allowed to proliferate, and what is ultimately harmful to us all. Those who are still in fear of punishment, but truly animated by Spirit are being initiated through their own personal Great Mystery in various dimensions of Spirit World and this time-based concurrent reality. Those who were unjustly punished will be granted many graces in this time. Those who unjustly punished them will have their graces stripped away. To every season, turn, turn, turn.

In the next 6 months, some study could be used towards the influence of Saturnian energy on the consciousness we inherently perceive and struggle with when it comes to the panic it induces to begin to accept reality as fuzzy-wuzzy until a new clarity is discovered. When reading astrological reports with Saturn in Aquarius, make sure to try to relate to any patriarchy messages coming down through the spirit sponge to a fun, positive archetype in your mind. As in: what if so-and-so were here at this moment to give me encouragement, how might that sound in my head? In other words, redefine the voices in your head to send you intel and self-talk that is, at the very least, highly amusing.

And it’s not just the medicine people “feeling it” - there is a great number of uninitiated psychics and healers of all nations who are undergoing a psychological and personal spiritual awakening. There are new nations of imagination being introduced to the grid. “Boys have become men” so to speak - whatever your relationship to gender or sexuality - your inner masculine has had to arm wrestle his way into the current condition, and he deserves an epic theme song.

The divine feminine is asking this timeline “are you living with art? Are you living with heart?”. It’s been the remembrance of the knowledge we’ve been tuned into our whole lives (and the ones in the past), coming forward in an epic sweep. If your waters, earth, or air was littered with shipwrecks, mine fields, and poison gas - you’ve been feeling the triggers in every element of your life.

Take a moment to consider the reality of your lived experience, the spirals that they take, and the ultimate return to yourself through it all. We are cyclical creatures, animals of a planet, who rise and fall with the sun and the moon, and steer our destinies in the field of ownership of our minds. Like never before the nations of this planet have been revealed to themselves through the eyes of others. It’s not a surprise to begin to discover who has been avoidant of mirrors (literally, and in the outside world). Be cautious of reading too much into the “whys” of the action (or lack thereof), and be more conscious of your personal power to co-create entirely new realities, and the dominion you’ve been given karmically to do so.

Many in the mojo have discovered that there are personal power rules to any craft, be it intrinsically practical or utterly magical. Deep awareness of the lessons of the past and present are becoming embarrassingly clear to the lot of us. When responsibility needs to be claimed, it is actually an act of courage to pick up what is yours and transform it into something useful. Those who have abused their power are being dosed out timely warnings and opportunities for recompense. Those with real healer hearts should remove themselves from scenarios where other’s energy sources are disruptive to the real work being done. Revelation of this personal removal is indeed a tricky communication from Spirit and your Guides. Be watchful of subtle cues from the universal communicators in your day to day, and make sure to acknowledge that just because it’s happening, doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It’s a big message from the Spirit World these days that spiritual activity is only on the rise. Apparently many nations have called in some very powerful healing requests, and this ancient technology supersedes the forward drive of whatever other power players there are. For those obsessed with the advancement of this timeline and the legacy that they will leave, this spiritual thumbprint will be difficult to navigate. If you find yourself cursing in traffic, using expletives to explain everything, or decide that everyone is evil, you’re probably just normal.

Universal Spiritual Law has been triggered on many levels for some time. Although to many it feels like the spiritual authority and power of those they pray to is waning in this timeline, the personal revelation of spiritual truth is a promised covenant of this era. We will all discover the unveiling of our personal identities to ourselves, and revel in the discovery and love of who we were created to be. Self love and the care of the Self is and will become a spiritual dawn of community care, with generations of young people focused on how to make environments feel safe, comfortable, and healing. As people further emerge from their dwellings and interact with the outside environment it will feel like we are rediscovering our world. Absence has made the heart grow fonder. This refreshment will quickly fuel the arts and further encourage entrepreneurial growth. Those in the art sectors of the economy will breathe a sigh of relief to discover that their exploits, struggles, and expressions are important, valid, and very valuable. Quality of creation across the board will be re-evaluated. Less focus will be paid to functionality of design or shows of artistic mastery, nor will it be another reductive view into the abstract. This new art coming from this era, and the one to come, will be focused on process and emotion, meditation, feeling, intuition,spirituality, and self love. Everything for quite a while will feel very “personal” and people as a whole will need the niche of creation in their day to day routines in order to feel grounded and supported. This will take many forms, but ultimately be incredibly expressive. This new expressive voice will sound quite different from the ones that came before, and new definitions reflective of our human experience will be written in our history books. One day we’ll look back and realize just how much we knew all along.

Shamanic Reading for the Next 6 Months:

July: Elk

August: Deer

September: Whale

October: Squirrel

November: Butterfly

December: Coyote & Possum

The animal medicine consulted for the next six months indicates that timing in the natural world is healthy and centered. The more focus we as animals pay to our cycles with the natural world around us, the more healed we will become. Our focus will shift from drive to trust as we learn the ebbs and flows of the world around us, and are able to remember it through generations of whole peoples.

It will be a gentle fall into the Autumnal season, and the equinox promises to bring balance and opportunity for healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and internal restfulness. All empathic people will feel this gentle spiritual wave as they continue to tune into the larger frequencies of the changing season.

The thinning of the veil will be informed by the emotional work we do in September, with focuses on the deep waters of emotional consciousness. It will not be surprising if you are able to, without even realizing it, leave behind facets of yourself that no longer serve you. On a very literal note, I have gotten messages for several decades now that we need to be listening to the frequencies of the whales regularly in order to heal from the psychological trauma of the past, especially war and slavery. The Whales have kept an unbroken consciousness in the waters of this world, and they are trying to reconnect with us in order to help us heal. This is part of the cycle of how animal nations help and heal each other. Other animals are very clearly able to communicate complex matters to each other and we are being invited to the pow wow to listen, learn, and grow.

The Gathering energy of All Souls will be a much needed source of energy for the late Fall and Early Winter dynamics arriving at the end of the year. It will truly feel like it is time to begin to hibernate sooner than usual. It will not be because of bad weather, but because people are choosing transformative activity of the inner self over social interaction. Something about the high Yang energy of the beginning of this 6 month journey has worn us out, and we’re ready for the respite offered by our cocoons of choice.

December is notable for further explanation as it is two animals together: Coyote and Possum. In this case we can trust that these tricksters are up to some good, and there are safe passageways being opened this holiday season that may not have been available in the past iterations of the holiday cycle. Watch as things mysteriously go right, and try to lean into your trust of your intuition and spirit guides as they whisper to you all the right answers to the final exam.

[micahammon]

All the walls are crumbling because they were never real

I’m moving into belief. I’ve spent my whole life trying to understand the nature of life and identify the construction of right and wrong, truth and illusion. It’s a fascinating process and I know I’ll never be done with it, and that’s exciting and makes life interesting. But I feel like I’ve come to a point in my process of discovery something like scientists did when they discovered quantum physics. 

In Newtonian physics everything has a cause and effect. There exists a linear relationship between action and consequence. That is true and will continue to be so forever. But Newtonian physics cannot describe everything that happens in the material world. When the scale of matter becomes really small, on the level of atoms, Newtonian physics no longer succeeds as a theory. Atoms are governed by different laws, and quantum theory, as bizarre and unintuitive as it is, continues to be proven true.

Physical reality is made up of two theories which have yet to be reconciled. Although they appear to be incompatible, compatible they must be. The physical world and everything we see with the naked eye is built on the foundation of the irrational and the impossible. The particles which we are made of can move within and without time, be in two places at the same time, and seemingly violate the universal speed limit--the speed of light. Particles can be physical matter which take up space in the physical world, and at the same time, be a wave--like a radio wave if you will. Somehow reality is built upon this impossibility.

"Reality is far fetched. The truth is always a long shot."

As modern humans, we are in a precarious place. A detached place. Our roots are no longer in the soil of the earth which gives us life. We are living in the world of biological theory, political theory, economic theory, etc.--which all function very well and have allowed us to advance incredibly once understood and applied. What is the logical conclusion from this process?

We learn natural laws that we might better understand spiritual laws.

I remember in the first computer science class I took at university, my teacher drew a picture on the board, something like the following...

And then he asked the question, “What’s missing?”. He answered his own question by saying “antimatter”. Then he filled in the “antimatter” absent from view, something like this...

Note: I’m a bad artist but I tried to draw the inverse of what was originally visible. 

So what’s the logical conclusion of reality? Reality is a paradox. There’s always a catch.

Note: The teacher then went on to name laughter as an example of something behaving like antimatter. In this regard, we can theorize that antimatter comes in to play where we have inflection points. That’s useful to think about in the context of the choices we make, day by day.

Note 2: Antimatter, which cannot be seen, “refers to sub-atomic particles [that] have properties opposite those of normal matter.” It’s useful to note that this is in the quantum world, where perhaps, we could say that everything there is existing simultaneously.

I think the first paradox was in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. They were also commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The problem which may not be obvious depending on your brand of Christianity is that Adam and Eve apparently could not keep both commandments at the same time. They were in a state of innocence and could not procreate without first creating the fall through eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

I’ve heard it said that what may appear to be contradictory to us is not to God, and that somehow He can balance two conditions in perfect harmony which appear mutually exclusive. I don’t know how God could do it in the example of the Garden of Eden, but I do think we should learn to try it in other areas.

I am nothing. I am everything.

Helaman 12:7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?

Through the course of a day we may need to remind ourselves of either of these quotes. What’s important is that we have to choose to put the concept into use in order to humble or inspire ourselves as needed. We have to draw up the belief then let it guide.

All truth is paradox.

My brother once responded to the above statement by saying that the paradox of truth serves as the fuel for free agency. That is an extremely instructive comment, which makes me think of Einstein’s dissatisfaction with the then emerging theory of quantum physics. When Einstein analyzed and documented the workings of the universe, he did so from the perspective of trying to understand the mind of God. He disbelieved the theory of quantum mechanics presented by Niels Bohr; the same theory that today continues to be scientifically verifiable. What he objected to was that in this explanation of the universe, the natural world became a lot more random. It seemed to diminish the role of the Master Designer. Einstein’s famous quote was “God does not play dice (with the universe)”.

I sometimes think that quantum physics only appears mysterious and random to us because we cannot see the complete picture, we are only seeing the effects of things in the physical world and perhaps there are other counterparts like antimatter that we can’t see (but can detect) and even beyond that, other counterparts we can’t even detect with clever testing.

On the other hand, there is beauty in accepting the concept of an “uncreate Reality” that can represent the quantum state. We in the Newtonian state have become the created Reality which “shows forth in our beings the uncreate Reality.” That is to say, our physical world and our physical selves are manifestations of the uncreated reality. 

Alma 30:44 ...all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator...

What we see here in this world is a manifestation of God and the uncreate Reality beyond. Said in different words we have the following:

“For the Source of All Life created the worlds by dividing Its Unmanifest Unity into the manifesting Duality, and we that are created show forth in our beings the uncreate Reality. Each living soul has its roots in the Unmanifest and draws thence its life, and by going back to the Unmanifest we find fulness of life.“

The uncreated reality represents a primordial place from which the physical world is drawn into being from. This place we could liken to the quantum state. I make this comparison because when we can understand a concept in the real world, it helps us to have the faith or belief to put it into practice for our own benefit.

To address Einstein’s concerns, quantum mechanics may actually be evidence of God’s will to give us more free agency by providing an uncreate Reality with which we can interact. For one, It provides some “randomness” whereby everything that happens is not simply a predestined linear result of cause and effect--thereby, we cannot blame every thing that happens as a direct consequence of God’s original first act of creation (whereby He would have known the exact consequences of every single thing to ever happen, and the only intrigue in all of it would be our discovery of the result). Secondly, and more importantly, the interconnection of the quantum and Newtonian world can become for us a primordial wellspring from which we too can create. I am suggesting that it is belief and faith which allows us to materialize things in the physical world. Even as God himself does. 

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God...

Lastly, the context of reality, or truth being a paradox further bolsters free agency because it provides choice, even as it did for our first parents. The choices you choose to make are based on what you first choose to believe. In the paradox, you are able to believe whichever aspect you choose to focus on because it also has basis in reality.

I don’t speak of the choice between good and evil, but rather the choice between beliefs. Belief is a tool you can use to do good or harmful things.

I think it’s important to iterate that prerogative is a part of free agency and choice. 

Doctrine and Covenants 58:27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.

We know we should do many good things of our own free will and choice but those choices will naturally be more oriented to our own dispositions. The challenge is not to confuse limiting beliefs about ourselves with what is our true nature and disposition. In fact, what I am getting at is that we should use faith and belief to overcome our limitings habits, beliefs and worldview.

I reckon that beliefs become powerful as they connect to internal desire. Since that is the case, it is instructive to follow the path of our own personal orientation and if there are lessons to be learned, we will learn them much, much faster if we are making the choice for ourselves rather than merely trying to follow someone else’s instruction. That’s because belief is the thing that supercharges our experience.

With belief in play we can properly channel the “why” to our actions and attendant effects in the real world. If we err, the “why” will be there to make clear the error of our ways. Notwithstanding, in the middle of all of this is God’s intervention to steer us from unneeded error if we stray off course, and which can be greatly aided by our responsiveness to His Spirit. 

Let’s introduce something which is not a paradox but tends to be polemic.

Brigham Young said that “we live far beneath our privileges” because we fail to seek and receive the guidance the Lord wants to give us in our spiritual and temporal affairs.

This instruction is meant to help us lay claim to what might be ours but it can also paralyze us if we don’t engage with the belief that we will actually receive it. Successfully gaining access to guidance from the Lord is usually based on the belief and faith we put into it. The important thing is that we need to use belief to create the reality and then it follows that we will receive the guidance. However, we also have to put belief and faith into a great many other things of which we proceed with in lieu of guidance because...

Doctrine and Covenants 58:26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things...

We must build and develop our ability to seek and understand guidance from the Lord but most times His guidance works like a signpost as we navigate. It helps us stay on course but there are a million decisions we must make for ourselves along the way by “using [our] best judgement”. 

In my experience the contrast between God having a personal prerogative and objective in the management of choices and not having a prerogative is plainly evident in the line between church affairs and private affairs. When it comes to the administration of callings and duties within the Church I have witnessed an extremely high level of involvement from the Lord. If you pay attention you can see that He is almost constantly involved and directing. The Lord really, really cares about His work. 

As soon as you move away from the realm of the administration of His Church, guidance is much more sparse. It truly feels like our personal lives are meant to be a learning experience through trial and error--a sort of experimentation. It does help us develop our own capabilities bit by bit. When you think about it, that really makes more sense anyways. Perhaps it also allows us to make mistakes without the additional condemnation we might receive if we had access to more from beyond the veil. 

On the other hand, as I consider what will happen in the future as the world is thrown into turmoil and we all begin the work of building Zion I reckon that the line between church affairs and private affairs will become almost indecipherable--and I know that there will be an abundance of guidance as such in order to complete God’s work. There is something to be said for living like that already, here and now.

Gospel of Thomas 22: When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female...

The world is separating from a longstanding known reality. Social systems are being dismantled with an intention to reengineer them. Truth and science have become weaponized. We are dependent on technology more and more. Algorithms and big data will rule our lives. Breakages will occur. Power grids will be threatened. IT infrastructure will be compromised. Natural resources will become scarce. There will be natural disasters. Financial systems will collapse. Some of these things will be unplanned, others intentional.

I’ve always thought it so peculiar the human creature existing on this planet. All the animals on the earth have been endowed with instincts which directly provision their survival. Many young animals are taught survival skills during infancy, that is true, but even if they lose their mother, their instincts will guide them the rest of the way.

Humans on the other hand are nearly helpless without the knowledge passed on from generation to generation. At this point we’ve already lost our connection to mother earth. In our quest to master nature we have also sought to remove ourselves from nature--mother nature and also what we might call human nature.   

As the walls crumble around us and the very ground is swept from under our feet, our only choice is to evolve and learn to fly.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Faith and belief will enable many to do things which we previously knew to be impossible in the Newtonian world. To evolve means to move beyond the structures (spiritual and otherwise) we have upheld for sake of dogma. Those structures will be shaken. God’s work will not fail but we are to learn not to look beyond the mark. Ultimately, to evolve will result in having our natures changed into that resembling God as we learn to create/do through faith and belief. 

For those whose trust remains in the shifting sands of the world’s social, economic, political and even scientific structures--they will be left without root and branch to stand on. 

We’ll have to act for ourselves rather than be acted upon.  We have to use faith and belief to power those actions or else it will be hollow inside and our hearts will ultimately fail us.

Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth...

Let’s go back to the world of very small particles...

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed...

Matthew 17:19-20 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

I’ve always thought it so curious that basically the whole point of our existence on this earth is to learn to exercise faith and belief. Before we can really do anything, the important first step is starting with a real belief that we can do the thing we set out to do. When we supercharge our actions with belief, the universe responds. 

I posit that we on this earth are here to learn to become co-creators with God--creating through faith just as God does.

Sometimes we are able to energize belief through our belief in others, but it’s not always enough, as I believe was the case with the disciples of Jesus referenced in the example above and Oliver Cowdery desiring to participate in translating the Book of Mormon. 

Doctrine and Covenants 9:11 Behold, it was expedient when you commenced; but you feared, and the time is past, and it is not expedient now;

Let it be noted that this was free agency in action, since it wasn’t in the original design of God that Oliver Cowdry participate in the translation, but it would have been permitted if he had faith enough.

Because God wanted Joseph to translate, He gave him extra strength to be able to do it.

Doctrine and Covenants 9:11 For, do you not behold that I have given unto my servant Joseph sufficient strength, whereby it is made up?

To aid with the translation of the Book of Mormon Joseph received special seer stones called the Urim and Thummim. What’s curious is that Joseph often used his own seer stone rather than strictly relying on the Urim and Thummim. Eventually Joseph had enough faith to do without seer stones altogether as he continued to receive revelations. I believe that the Urim and Thummim were there to build his belief and make up for his strength until he was able to fully energize belief in himself, his ability.

Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours

One thing that hurts belief is by having a narrow view based on the here and now. When we think of how things are supposed to happen in the Newtonian world we limit the power of the supernatural quantum, timeless uncreate Reality which is boundless. We have to allow for the uncreate Reality, unintuitive non-Newtonian world to intercede. We connect to this state though the particle of belief.

As long as I believe in myself I find I can do certain things. If I ceased to believe in myself, I think I should just crumble into dust, like an unwrapped mummy.

I have said all of this in order to say this, we need to use belief daily in order to shape our lives in the way that we truly wish them to be. Our lives have ended up the way they are precisely because of the beliefs we have engaged about ourselves, others and the nature of reality. If you say that you belief that life can be grand and beautiful but you spend your days dejected and depressed, then you aren’t engaging the grand and beautiful beliefs. Whether we like it or not, beliefs are constantly directing our lives. 

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse.”

There are indeed blessings and curses in our lives but we cannot ascribe our current condition to merely a result of those two things. In addition, we need to enlarge the gratitude we feel for the blessings and overlook where possible the curses. Feeling gratitude will enlarge our beliefs and strengthen the conduit between us and the Divine.

When we engage in belief in order to shape and direct our lives we cannot merely state a belief and then forget about it. We have to return to the belief day after day.

I have been reading about 45 books a year for the last 5 years. I set a goal on a website which helps track my progress and keeps me motivated. The first year I started the reading challenge I set my goal as 100 books for the year. I didn’t have experience and I didn’t really know what that meant though. It was an idle, pie in the sky wish. I didn’t return to the goal frequently. I forgot about it most of the year and I finished with 33 books that year.

That reminds me of Oliver Cowdry’s wish to participate in the translation of the Book of Mormon. If he had more experience or at least consistent belief he could have succeeded. The same was true of me. Experience does help, in so far as it helps to reduce fear since we have better bearings on the task before us. Perhaps fear is like antimatter.

That’s the tricky thing with belief and faith. If we have enough faith we could actually move mountains. But most of us probably don’t have enough belief to make that happen. But we could and that promise is available for us, but perhaps we misunderstand something about belief. 

Mark 11:23-24 (NIV) Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

The NIV translation makes more clear something which has caught on with new age spirituality, like in books such as The Secret, and others which profess the power of manifesting in our lives by using the so-called law of attraction.

New age spirituality has brought us the power of meditation and living mindfully, which have slowly come into mainstream Christianity and that includes the LDS church. 

And indeed, meditation and mindfulness are key parts of nurturing belief as I am prescribing. The current problem we have with incubating belief is that, as mentioned above, we already have many beliefs which are like weeds choking out the good belief that we want to use to empower our lives. We live barely cognizant of the incessant, mind-numbing chatter going on about our heads. You can consider all the thoughts that jump into our minds as competing beliefs. It’s a battlefield for our minds and our empowering beliefs may fall casualty if we don’t learn to quiet the mind and focus. That enables us to act for ourselves rather than to be acted upon.

The first thing we need to do with the mind is wash it, clean it up, not only once or twice a day as we do for the body but in all our waking moments.

Similarly...

Doctrine & Covenants 121:45 let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly...

A way which helps me practice a chosen belief is to do an experiment of thought. What I mean is that on a given day I may tell myself that I am doing an experiment of thinking that day and that helps me to suspend disbelief as I am merely there to analyze and watch the results of what happens, rather than to prove veracity or to gauge the level of real belief. I did one experiment of imagining each person as I would my own self.

Mark 12:31 love thy neighbor as thyself

I really did feel something wonderful that day.

That’s one reason I say that...

life works best when undertaken as an experiment 

Sometimes if we put too much pressure on the act itself, we enlarge the importance of a thing beyond what it truly is. We have to maintain calm levity and not worry about the result; to laugh instead of get caught up in an act’s undue significance. In this way we can shake off a thousand mistakes of ego and bad humor which sabotage us.

the fatal flaw is that average men take themselves too seriously

The balance has been described this way...

Thus a man of knowledge endeavors, and sweats, and puffs, and if one looks at him he is just like any ordinary man, except that the folly of his life is under control. [He regards] nothing as being more important than anything else.  A man of knowledge [can thusly] choose any act, and act it out as if it matters to him. 

So to apply all of this in a practical way let me tell you my plans. I am making and setting goals, big lofty goals. I am aiming for 5 years to enter more fully into the vision I see for my life. I will meditate and pray each day and return again and again to the beliefs--multiple times each day in fact--which I think are necessary to empower me to achieve my goals. I don’t know exactly how things will happen, but I do believe in the scriptures referenced, including the very words of Jesus Christ. I consider it already done because I have picked up the rod, which at the far end connects to the result. The point of access where I grip the rod is belief.

Update Apr 22, 2021: This video supports my view of free will and quantum mechanics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMb00lz-IfE

[ollieofthebeholder]

For Personal Reasons

Also on AO3. 

It shouldn't be so terrifying to take that next little step.

It isn't like it would be unwelcome, Carlos thinks, running a hand through his hair as he paces around his living room. He knows it won't be unwelcome. Hell, the whole damn town probably knows it won't be unwelcome. They're probably all wondering why he hasn't done it yet. If they realize he hasn't.

Carlos came to Night Vale for one reason and one reason only – that it defied all known laws of science. It seemed like a fascinating place to study. Other scientists might have been interested in the fame it brought them, the research grants, the prestige of attaching their name to a study of such a place. Carlos was, and still is, interested in none of that. It was his curiosity that brought him to Night Vale, the desire to know.

It is a different kind of desire that has kept him here.

Carlos made eye contact with a most singular man, within his first few hours of arriving in town, and that brief moment had knocked him for a loop. He fled, of course. Didn't bother asking his name, or how long he'd lived in town, or whether or not he had ever noticed these strange occurrences or flagrant disregard for the laws of nature. All of which would have been perfectly reasonable things for a scientist to ask. After all, his studies had to start somewhere, so why not with this man, with his warm eyes and his charming smile and his strong jaw?

The answer, of course, is because he terrified Carlos. Not that there was anything monstrous about him. He didn't have a fixed, glassy-eyed stare or overly-sharp teeth or wings or a suspiciously cheerful, optimistic personality. All of that was the ordinary kind of terrifying, and Carlos the scientist could deal with it, as he dealt with it in all the other citizens of Night Vale, simply by formulating theories and conducting studies and analyzing tests. No, this man terrified him for the simple reason that he stirred up wants, desires Carlos fought too long and too hard to keep hidden.

All his life, Carlos has understood that the way he feels about other men is shameful, a vile perversion to be kept behind closed doors. It's better now than when he was young, at least in some places, but Carlos has never lived in those places. The whispers, the damning accusations, swirl around him every time he lets his feelings go. So when he locked eyes with the man on the street and felt the instant connection, he panicked and scurried away and asked no questions. Not at first, anyway, although he managed to learn what he needed to know eventually.

Cecil Palmer, reporter and radio personality, the voice of the evening show at Night Vale Community Radio. He was beautiful to look at, and even more beautiful to listen to, with a voice like molasses, smooth and dark and flowing and sweet, but not too sweet, not cloying. And Carlos damn near dropped dead of a heart attack on the spot when he listened to the man's radio show for the first time, only to hear him rambling about Carlos.

Well, nobody ran him out of town, or tried to set fire to the radio station, so Carlos concluded, to his mild surprise, that nobody in Night Vale actually gave a damn that Cecil seemed to have a crush on another man. It definitely came as a shock to him.

When they did finally meet, finally exchange contact information, Carlos wasn't sure whether to be grateful or disappointed that Cecil didn't reach out first. He always waited for Carlos to contact him first. Carlos always chickened out, though, and made the conversation about science – asking Cecil about strange phenomena, passing along new discoveries, getting him to spread the news to his listeners. Cecil never seemed upset when Carlos turned down the offer of getting more personal.

No matter how badly he's wanted to.

Carlos took to listening to Cecil's show on the daily. At first, he listened while he worked in his lab, but before long, he started using Cecil's opener as a signal that it was time to start winding down for the day, or at least take a break. He told himself it was good sense; the show starts at the same time every day, and it keeps him from losing track of time while wrapped up in an experiment. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that he can't concentrate properly while listening to Cecil's voice. It's certainly not that. And the fact that, when he does have to be out of the lab or working when Cecil's show starts, he records it to listen to later isn't anything to write home about either. Cecil is a good reporter, with his finger on the town's pulse. He doesn't editorialize – much – and always warns the listeners before he does. It's sensible for Carlos to want to be sure he gets Cecil's news reports, when he can. It's certainly not that he just likes hearing him.

He's learned a lot about the man over the past year, mostly from listening to the radio but also from their too-brief interactions. Cecil is smart, and funny, and kind. He's a real animal lover – he was never exactly a cat person, or so he avers, but the sight of him cooing over Khoshekh, the hovering cat in the Night Vale Community Radio Station's men's restroom, did funny things to Carlos's insides the first time he saw it, and his sheer delight when the cat produced a litter of kittens made Carlos smile so broadly it hurt. (Carlos would have adopted one of those kittens if he hadn't been allergic. He almost adopted one anyway, just for the excuse to go to the station and see Cecil, but again, he chickened out at the last minute.) He cares about his community, and the individuals in it...for the most part. His utter hatred of Steve Carlsburg is kind of amusing, actually, but for all that, Carlos politely avoids the man whenever he sees him. Cecil is – was – right about the so-called Apache Tracker, at least.

For all he's tried to keep his distance, there have been a few moments he almost broke. The sandstorm, for instance. Carlos remembers hunkering down in a well-protected area of the house he rented, listening to both the wind outside and the calm, soothing sound of Cecil's voice. He wasn't worried. He trusted Cecil when he gave instructions to keep safe, trusted him when he said that they could coexist with their doubles if they appeared. He wasn't worried until Cecil described a vortex forming on the wall of his studio. Carlos didn't even have time to reach for his phone to text Cecil, to warn him not to touch it, before Cecil leaped through it...apparently.

And then the voice that came on was not Cecil's, but someone else, and Carlos's stomach dropped to his shoes even as his heart leaped to his throat. Cecil was gone, replaced by this...other, this high-pitched, vaguely creepy-voiced individual. Carlos held his breath as he realized that, unlike everyone else in town who met their double – whose double appeared in the same place as them – Cecil had traded places with his double, a man with a different name and different voice who seemed lost and confused. Thank God the vortex was still there, and the man went back through it...but when he described Cecil's desk as strangely bloodless, Carlos panicked anew. He nearly sobbed with relief when he heard Cecil's voice once more, following the weather, and only barely stopped himself from running to the radio station and wrapping him up in a hug.

But when he called Cecil later, intending to tell him how thankful he was that he was okay and that he had come back safe, he chickened out again and kept it impersonal, kept it to science. Cecil, sweet Cecil, let him lead the conversation, and didn't seem upset when Carlos panicked again and turned him down when he suggested getting more personal even though there was nothing Carlos wanted more.

Carlos is still trying to convince himself that the only reason he didn't send the poems he wrote for Night Vale Poetry Week to the radio station is because they are bad, or because they don't really seem to carry the same spirit as the poems Cecil read over the airwaves. Carlos is not a poet. He's a scientist. But he tried his hand at it anyway, just for grins and giggles. His left hand, to be specific, because Carlos is ambidextrous and for some reason that sort of thing comes easier when he uses his left hand and not his right. There is probably a scientific explanation for that, but Carlos has never been interested in experimenting on himself and he's not even sure what he would be able to test. Anyway, he tried his hand at writing poetry and found, in the early light of dawn, that he had filled an entire notebook. But when he realized what they were about, he hastily shoved the notebook into a drawer and tried to forget about it. He can't show those to anyone. Can't send them to the radio station. Can't send them to Cecil. Even if he sends them anonymously, even if he disguises his handwriting. Cecil doesn't need to see those words before Carlos has the courage to say them out loud.

He thought he was going to. He had it planned. Cecil invited him, he said, to a special ceremony, something about a one-year anniversary. Carlos was going to go, assuming it was a community thing, and pull Cecil aside and finally tell him how he felt. But then Teddy Williams announced the army from below Lane Five was imminent, and Carlos let his scientific curiosity get the better of him and went to the alley to investigate. He figured he'd have plenty of time. Maybe he'd text Cecil and ask him to save him, Carlos, a seat at...whatever ceremony it was they were supposed to be going to. He set up his equipment to record Cecil's show and went to the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.

Which brings him to now.

Carlos died. He doesn't need to run tests, or question logic, or anything like that. This is Night Vale and honestly this is one of the least inexplicable things that's happened since he got here. He had just finished demonstrating to Teddy Williams, his militia, and the disgruntled bowling party that the invaders were tiny and the pit only ten feet deep, that they were worrying over what was, broadly speaking, nothing, when he felt the first shot hit him. And then the second, and then the third, and then there were too many to feel where one ended and the next began.

And then there was darkness.

And then there was...not darkness. There was, instead, fluorescent lights and overworked machinery and neon industrial-loop carpet, and if he was looking into the face of God then God looked a hell of a lot like Teddy Williams, and if he was still dead it sure hurt a hell of a lot. But Teddy Williams – who was apparently a doctor, and Carlos' brain just accepted that because why wouldn't he be – assured him he was going to be okay. That he would live. That he did live.

He does live.

Carlos wandered out into the gathering twilight of Night Vale and lifted his phone with shaking fingers and sent a text to Cecil. It was only after he sent it that he realized Cecil's show was still going on, and he wouldn't get an answer for a while. But barely had he perched himself on the trunk of his car to wait than Cecil arrived in the Arby's parking lot, his beautiful face pale and drawn, his lovely eyes wide and bright and suspiciously wet, and his smile uncertain and hopeful.

Carlos couldn't quite bring himself to say everything. That the world was off-balance and he needed Cecil to stabilize it again. That he had been scared, more scared than he had been in a long time, and he needed Cecil nearby to make him feel safe again. That somehow, in the year he's been in Night Vale, Cecil has become safety, has become security, has become home. But he did allow himself to tell Cecil that he hadn't texted him about science, that he just wanted to see Cecil, and Cecil sat next to him and let Carlos rest a hand on his leg while he leaned against Carlos' shoulder, and they watched the light in the sky above the Arby's together, until Cecil had to go back to the station because the weather would be over and he had to finish out his show, and Carlos understood and let him go to be the beacon in the dark for all the lost souls, not just Carlos. He thought, for just a brief, shining moment, that they were getting somewhere.

And now, here he is, a month later, pacing around his living room and trying to convince himself to just call already.

They've interacted a bit since then, more or less back to the way it was before Carlos' near-death experience. Cecil still smiles, still sounds hopeful when Carlos calls, but he doesn't push when Carlos, inevitably, backs down from his firm intention, or at least semisolid intention, and insists it's not a personal call. He resorted to making something up off the top of his head last week because he couldn't actually come up with something he needed more information on or needed Cecil to warn his listeners about, not that Cecil seemed to notice. It's getting ridiculous, even more ridiculous than it was before.

There's no reason to be afraid. It's not even that big of a step. Why can't he take it?

It occurs to Carlos that he hasn't listened to the last recording he made, the one of the show Cecil was giving while Carlos was busy being an idiot. He wants to hear Cecil's voice, and there's still time before his show tonight, so it can't hurt to listen to it now, right?

Sure. Can't hurt at all.

Carlos presses play and sits down to listen. It's fairly typical for one of Cecil's broadcasts, and heat floods Carlos' cheeks when he realizes that Cecil planned the anniversary ceremony himself, that it was meant to be for Carlos, and he squirms a little with guilt over not going right away. He lets Cecil's voice, gentle and soothing and warm, flow over him like a blanket and tries to forget the middle of the story, because even if it has a happy ending it had a truly terrifying middle. At least for Carlos.

It's not until Cecil comes back from a short break that Carlos realizes it must have been terrifying for him, too.

Listening to Cecil's voice as he struggles to stay calm and professional, struggles to report on what happened beneath Lane Five, Carlos feels his breath catch in his throat and his chest tighten. He remembers wishing Cecil could have been there when he...and he can't decide now if he still wishes he was there. If it would have made things better for either of them if Cecil could have held him...or made things worse. The way Cecil's voice breaks, the heartbroken sob as he cuts to a public service announcement, brings tears to Carlos' eyes too.

He suddenly understands. He understands the expression on Cecil's face, the pallor and the wetness, when he arrived at the Arby's parking lot. He understands the way he seemed to sink into Carlos' side when they sat on his car. He understands the gentle slide of Cecil's fingers over Carlos' hand as he – reluctantly – pulled away. He understands the added brightness in Cecil's voice every time Carlos calls him.

And he knows.

As soon as Cecil signs off on the show's recording, Carlos reaches for his phone. It's early enough – Cecil won't be at the station yet, or if he is, he at least won't be on the air yet. It's now or never, and after listening to that, Carlos can't – won't – accept never as an option.

The phone rings, once, twice. Cecil answers, his voice bright and warm and excited, the way it always is when he answers, the way Carlos doesn't think he actually answers the phone for anybody else. He almost chickens out again, but the memory of that small sob stops him. Taking a deep breath, he says the six words that will change the course of the rest of his life.

“I am calling for personal reasons.”

[gryffindorcls]

Could You Please Repeat That?

Part 1

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Hello, lovely readers!  Welcome to “Could You Please Repeat That?”.  This is going to be a quick two-part fic.  I was inspired by @rykerrrrr ‘s post that you can look at here.

I am still working on my other WIPs, but this was too good not to write.

I hope you enjoy!

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Marinette straightened her skirt before knocking on the doors that led to her boss’ office.  Even though she had been working as a designer at Gabriel for three years, there was still something about Mr. Agreste that made her feel uneasy.  Nonetheless, she took a deep breath, confidently rapped her knuckles against the wooden door, and waited to be summoned. 

“You may enter,” a firm voice called from the other side. 

She pushed open the door and walked into the room.  “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Ah, yes.  Good morning, Marinette.  Please...come in and take a seat.”

She quickly closed the door and made her way to one of the chairs that were situated in front of Gabriel’s desk.  Once seated, Marinette looked up at her boss with expectant eyes.

“First, I would like to offer congratulations on your engagement to my son.  I am looking forward to having someone as talented as you join the family,” he stated plainly.

A smile spread across her face as she toyed with the ring on her left hand.  “Thank you.  Adrien and I are very excited.”

“I assume the two of you have already begun making arrangements.”

“Yes, sir.  We’ve started looking at venues, caterers, and themes.”

“And what about your dress?”

“I wanted to make it myself.”

Gabriel nodded in approval.  “Good.  I expect nothing less from my top designer.  Let me know how I can be of assistance when you have the design ready.  Feel free to schedule an appointment to come and talk to me anytime.”

“Thank you, sir,” she responded eagerly, “I really appreciate the offer.”

“Marinette, there is no need to keep calling me ‘sir’.  Feel free to call me Gabriel.  After all, you are my future daughter-in-law.”

“Okay, sir...I mean...Gabriel.”

He leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers together.  “I would like to tell you right now that I trust you, Marinette.”

She swallowed uncomfortably.  “Uhm...thank you.  I trust you, too?”

“Good.  Now that I’m getting older, it’s time that I start thinking about my legacy.  Adrien is already the heir to my fortune, but I would like you to be a part of it, as well.”

“I...uh...really enjoy designing for your company, and I would love to keep doing that.”

“Oh, you will.  Trust me.  You are incredibly talented, and I intend for you to run Gabriel alongside my son one day.  However, my legacy runs deeper than this company, and it’s about time that I bring some fresh faces into the fold.  Nathalie has been helping me with it for years.  She is very loyal to the cause, but she and I will not be around forever.  I’m hoping to pass on the torch to you and Adrien.”

“Okay.  What is it exactly?  Are we talking about humanitarian efforts overseas or philanthropy?”

Gabriel turned his head to the side and paused a moment before continuing.  “Not exactly.  It does, however, have a big impact on society.”

Marinette straightened in her seat.  “Well, I’m excited to learn about it.”

“It’s difficult to explain.  It will be easier to show you.”  He got up from his chair and stood in front of the portrait of his wife.  He held out his hand and beckoned her to join him.  “Come here, my dear.”

She quickly moved next to him.  He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked up at the painting.

“Emilie was so full of life,” he remarked with sadness in his voice, “Her emotions ran deep, and her love for others made her a light in the darkness.  However, her curiosity of the world around her is what made her exceptional.  She was never afraid to try something new or take a risk.”

“Adrien is a lot like that,” Marinette responded with a whisper.

“I see so much of her in my son, and I see a lot of myself in you.  Marinette you are talented and driven.  That’s why you and Adrien will be the perfect pair to take over.”

“I still don’t completely understand.  What is it that you want us to do?”

Gabriel used both his hands to press in several hidden buttons on his wife’s portrait.  Two openings in the floor appeared and a platform began to lower Marinette into the ground.  Unsure of what to make of the situation, she did her best not to panic.  

Before she had the chance to become uncomfortable in the confined space, the ride ended and she was gently set down in the middle of a spacious room.  She found herself at the end of a long metal walkway that was surrounded by dozens of trees.

“You have a park under your house?” Marinette questioned tentatively, “Are you involved in environmental conservation?”

Gabriel looked at her and shook his head.  “This is more of a lair than a park, and the only conservation I’m interested in is that of this family.  Walk with me.”

He guided her down the raised path and stopped in front of a glass chamber.  Marinette’s heart sank when she looked at its contents.  She could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“This can’t be happening,” she thought to herself.

“Gabriel,” her voice sounded strained, “is that who I think it is?”

He reached out his hand and allowed his fingers to lightly graze the glass covering.  “She’s been like this for years.  Before Adrien was born, she and I traveled around the world so I could find inspiration for my designs.  On one of our trips, we made a surprising discovery in the ruins of an old, abandoned temple.  That’s when we learned that there were forces in this world greater than any of us could have ever imagined.  Magic is real, and we had access to it.  We didn’t know what we were doing.  We were like children playing with fire.  After we had our son, I stopped, but she continued.  One day, there was an accident, and over the course of a year, Emilie slowly fell into this state.  We knew it was coming, and we tried to hide it from Adrien.  However, I made a promise to her that I would bring her back.”

“Does Adrien know about this?”

“No.  But I’m not only doing this for her...I’m doing it for him, as well.  For all of us.”

As he spoke, a white butterfly landed on the glass covering Emilie Agreste.  The familiarity of the insect struck the core of her being.

Marinette feared the response to her next question.  She had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer.  “You said that the two of you were using magic.  What exactly were you doing?”

“Nooroo,” he called into the void, “Come out and say hello.”

A small purple Kwami zipped into view and floated in front of Gabriel.  Panic exploded inside Marinette’s brain, and she clutched her crossbody purse against her side.  She could feel Tikki thump against the inside of the bag.

The tiny being lowered his head in subservience.  “Yes, master?”

“Marinette, this is Nooroo.  He is a Kwami.  No doubt you have heard of something called a Miraculous before.  He is a non-corporeal being that can interact with the human world when a holder is wearing the Miraculous he is attached to.  When the right words are spoken, the Kwami can give you powers.”

She closed her eyes and tried to remain calm.  Marinette took a deep breath found her confidence.

“Pretend you’re acting in a play,” she told herself mentally, “You can freak out later.”

She looked at him and blinked innocently.  “You mean, these Kwamis are how people like Ladybug and Chat Noir become heroes?  Does that mean you’re one of Paris’ heroes, as well?”

He put his hand on her shoulder, and she did her best not to shake it off.  “Thinking that the world is nothing more than a dichotomy between heroes and villains is juvenile.  Life is more complicated than that, and it is something that the so-called ‘heroes of Paris’ have always failed to see.  They don’t understand that sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”

“Well, if that’s the case...what does that make you?”

“Marinette, I am Hawkmoth.”

“Oh,” she said softly, “Wow.  Uhm...can I ask why?”

Gabriel turned towards Emilie.  “My wife was once the holder of the Peacock Miraculous.  It was damaged, and it made her sick.  I have come to learn that if I combine the powers of Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses, then I will have the chance to make one wish.”

Marinette chose her next words carefully.  “But what about all those people in Paris who have been hurt?  If you succeed, then Ladybug won’t be able to make everything okay again.”

“I understand your concern.  Nathalie had the same thoughts when she first started working with me on this project.  My wish is not simply to bring Emilie back.  If I did that, then the universe would balance itself out by putting someone else in a coma, and there’s a chance that it would be Adrien.  I could never endanger him like that.  No, I plan to turn back time and ensure that this never happens at all.  I will have never been Hawkmoth, and Adrien would still have his mother.”

“But...then everything would be different.  How can you know that I would still be with Adrien in that reality?  I can’t lose him.”

My dear, there is nothing to worry about.  Part of my wish will be to still remember this reality.  I can guarantee to you that I will make sure that Adrien finds you.  If there is one thing that I have learned in all of this is that love cannot be erased.”

Marinette saw the sincerity in his eyes.  He truly did not see the error of his ways, and this was more terrifying than any of the Akumas he’d created over the past seven years.  At this moment, she knew she had to get back to Adrien immediately.

She nodded and smiled.  “Gabriel, that’s incredible.  You seem to have everything figured out.  So, what do you need me and Adrien for?”

Gabriel still kept his gaze locked on his wife.  “Nathalie currently wields the Peacock Miraculous, but she will be stopping soon.  I would like you to take over for her.  Naturally, Adrien would take my place as Hawkmoth.  Ever since Timetagger, I’ve always known that someone else would take my place.  It only makes sense that it would be my son.”

“Wait...isn’t the Peacock Miraculous damaged?  Won’t using it make me sick?”

“We’ve learned that the effects take years to before they become serious.  That’s why Nathalie won’t be continuing her work as Mayura.  The only reason my wife became sick so quickly was because she was wearing the Miraculous when the accident occurred.”

“They’re not evil...they’re insane!” Marinette thought, “Quick!  Say something!  Anything!”

“Awesome!” she said with forced enthusiasm, “Count me in!  What’s next?”

Gabriel looked at her and smiled.  “I’m happy to see that you’re on board.  I knew I could put my faith in you.  Our next step will be to tell Adrien.  I’m going to need your help with this.  As you know, he’s not as level headed as you or I.  He has a tendency to overreact.  Then, I plan on training the two of you to take over.”

As Gabriel finished his statement, an idea burst into Marinette’s head.  It was risky, but it might just work.  If she succeeded, then the threat of Hawkmoth would be neutralized, and Adrien’s family would be whole once again.  However, this plan hinged on how Adrien reacted to all of this, but knowing her kitty, he would definitely be on board.

Marinette clasped her hands together. “How about you let me tell him?  Then we can come over for dinner tonight and talk about it as a family.”

“Are you sure?  We can tell him together?” Gabriel suggested.

“No, I can do it.  But I just want to double-check...the only reason you’re Hawkmoth is because you want to save your wife, right?  You don’t have dreams of becoming a maniacal overlord who takes over the world?”  She awaited his response with bated breath.

Gabriel chuckled.  “No.  You shouldn’t listen to everything you hear on the news.  As I said before, I’m not a villain.  I do this for my family, and when I am done the world will be reset.  No one will have been harmed.”

“Cool.  Yeah...okay.  Got it.  So, I’m going to go.  I guess we’ll see you later?”

“Before you leave, I cannot stress the importance of keeping this quiet.  Adrian is the only other person who can know.”

Marinette laughed nervously and gave him a shaky thumbs-up.  “Yeah, no...don’t worry.  Your secret is safe with me!  Yup!  You can count on Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

“Thank you,” he replied, bowing his head in gratitude.

She started walking away quickly, and then she stopped in her tracks.  “Uhm...Gabriel?  I have just one problem.  I don’t know how to get out of here.”

He walked over to Marinette and placed a hand on her back.  “Come.  I will show you the way.”

***

Marinette had the Agreste’s driver drop her off at Adrien’s apartment.  She sprinted up the stairs and pounded on his door.  Within seconds, he was standing before her in the open doorway with a confused expression on his face.

“Marinette?” he asked, “What are you doing here?  I thought you would be at the office all day.  You said that you had to finish a dress design.”

“So,” she began, rocking onto the balls of her feet, “that was the original plan, but then something happened.”

He took her hand and gently guided her into the apartment.  “What’s wrong?  Are you okay?  You’re not sick or hurt, are you?”

Marinette could hear the panic in his voice, and she wanted to assuage his fears.  However, she knew that what she had to say would only shock him.

“I’m fine, but I have good news and bad news.  Can we sit down?” Her heart started racing as she looked into his eyes.

He walked her over to the couch, and they both took a seat.  “Okay...what’s going on?”

She reached out and took his hand.  “I’m going to start with the bad news.  It turns out that your mother is alive.”

Adrien leaped off of the couch.  “Wait.  How is that bad news?  Did my father talk to you?  Did you see her?”

She patted the seat next to her.  “Please sit back down.  I’m not finished.”

He hesitantly obliged.

Marinette sighed before continuing.  “Yes, your mom is alive, but she’s not awake.  I know how to fix this, but there is an even bigger problem that we have to deal with first.  Adrien, your dad is Hawkmoth.”

Adrien calmly nodded his head and shrugged.  This was not the reaction she was expecting.  

“I knew it,” he mumbled.

Marinette’s eyes grew wide.  “I’m sorry.  Could you please repeat that?”

“Plagg!” he called out, “We were right!”

The black Kwami zipped into the room.  “You owe me so much cheese right now, kid.”

“Could one of you tell me what’s going on right now?” Marinette crossed her arms.

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Ugh...where do I start?  Do you remember when I accidentally revealed my identity to you by complaining about my dad?”

“How could I forget?”

“Well, about six years ago I had a bit of a mental breakdown.  When you suggested that my dad was Hawkmoth, it kind of created this doubt in the back of my mind.  Even though we ruled him out after he was Akumatized, the idea of him being Hawkmoth never left.  I struggled with it for about a year, and it all came to a head that day you found out I was Chat.  I’ve come to terms with the idea of him being a villain.  Plagg helped me with that.  Figuring out the truth has kind of been our secret mission for the past few years.”

“And you were going to tell me about this...when?”  Marinette glared at him.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.  “Uhhh...I’m telling you now.  I didn’t want to worry you until I had concrete evidence.  I could never find any proof, so I just kind of kept it to myself.”

“You are so lucky that I love you.  I just spent the past hour in your dad’s creepy lair underneath the mansion looking at your comatose mother while he told me his plan to bring her back.  Some heads up would have been nice.”

“Wait...why did he tell you any of this?”

“He wants me to be the new Mayura and for you to become the new Hawkmoth.”

Adrien leaned back on the couch.  “That’s insane.  This is insane.  You know this is insane, right?”

Tikki phased through Marinette’s purse and hovered between them.  “I think it’s time you told him the good news.”

Adrien’s eyes darted between his fiancée and her Kwami.  “What?”

Marinette beamed.  “I have a plan.”

“You always do.  Let’s hear it, Bugaboo.”

“We’re going to need help, but by this time tomorrow we could be Hawkmoth free, and you could have your mother back.”

A Chat-like grin spread across Adrien’s face.  “I think I like the sound of that.”

Next -----> (Coming Soon)

AO3

Fanfiction.net

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My username on AO3 and FanFiction is clslovegood47.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.  Seeing all your responses fills my heart with joy!  Also, my asks are always open.  

Thank you all for reading!

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Tagged Peeps:

@hermionemonica

[ruination-fangs]

Tales of Asteria, Chapter 3 Elize’s Scenario: Strands of the Truth Stages 1-3

i translated these a long time ago, when i wasn’t sure which part of the game i would work on next, and then moved on to something else. it’s possible i won’t finish this, because i haven’t actually read much of the third chapter and don’t fully know what’s going on... but since i have it, i might as well post it

this isn’t as detailed as most of my other translations because i was trying to keep my posts a reasonable length, so just a brief summary this time

-

Stage 1: Milla's Whereabouts

Scene 1:

Jude and Elize fight off monsters in a forest. There are plenty of monsters, but not a lot of crystallization compared to the lake ruins they went to that morning, which had the worst they've seen yet. A traveler they met told them Milla was headed this way, but the forest is big, and they still haven't found her. Elize wants her to investigate the crystallization with them; Jude thinks that's probably why she came to the human realm. Elize is worried that means the crystallization really is related to the great spirits, but they won't know until they ask Milla. They continue searching the forest for her.

Scene 2:

After looking all over, they still can't find Milla, and surmise they must have missed her. Elize notices some pink flowers that have been crystallized, and says when she first saw it she hadn't imagined the crystallization could have spread so far. She remarks that people used to say it was pretty, but now it's capturing living things as well as plants, and it scares her.

She thanks Jude for visiting her and giving her the courage to do something, and Jude thanks her in return for her help. He's also uneasy, having heard that even humans are being crystallized, and imagining that people might start having trouble finding things to eat and places to live. That's why it's important they stay calm and look for a solution. Elize isn't sure they can find one, but Jude explains that right now they can start with the small things, like discovering how differently the crystallization has progressed in different places. After collecting more data, they can compare it and look for any laws it may be following. They might not confidently come to any big revelation, but he and Elize agree that acting is better than sitting and staring. They continue looking for Milla and fighting off monsters.

Stage 2: Teepo Troubles

Scene 1: Elize and Jude are unable to find Milla, and conclude that she must have moved on somewhere else. Disappointed, they decide to head to the nearest town to rest, which Elize thinks is Iniru. (Teepo is very excited about taking a break.) Before they can leave, they're attacked by a monster, which drags Teepo away. Jude and Elize go after him only to find themselves surrounded by more monsters - until Milla appears to help them, promising to explain later.

Scene 2: Together they fight off the monsters, and Elize and Teepo are reunited. Milla asks what brings them to such a dangerous place, which Jude and Elize explain. Now that Milla thinks about it, she recalls talking to some travelers who were having trouble with monsters. Jude says they were about to give up, so they're lucky Milla came when she did (all because he got kidnapped, Teepo adds, but all's well that ends well).

Milla then asks why they were looking for her, prompting Elize to explain and ask about the crystallization and the great spirits. To Elize's relief, Milla doesn't think they're connected, because she's looked all over and not found a great spirit with that kind of ability. Jude asks why she came back to the human realm then, and Milla explains that something has happened to the mana. She can't verbalize it well; it's not that the mana is decreasing again, she just feels a discomfort she's never felt before. The Four mention, through Milla, that unlike last time there's been no sudden drop or change in the mana, but some of the mana seems to be stagnating, which is causing circulation problems. Feeling that change is what brought them down, and it turns out this crystallization is spreading all across the world.

Jude wonders if the change in mana and crystallization are related. Milla has been considering that, and has found that they're happening at overlapping times. Jude and Elize worry that if it's not a great spirit, there's some other troubling thing happening, and the crystallization phenomenon may be negatively affecting even the mana. Milla notes that they've seen various living things become crystallized, and that, more importantly, if the crystallization is eroding the world so badly they need to find the cause.

To that end, Elize asks if Milla will come investigate with them, because she wants to find out why this is happening. Milla readily agrees. Pleased, Jude suggests that since it's late they leave the rest for tomorrow, and reiterates the plan to head to Iniru. But before they leave, they hear a sound from nearby and go to check it out. It turns out not to be a monster, but another crystal, this one somehow different. Teepo points out that unlike the other crystals, which form around plants or animals, this one is empty. Jude thinks it may be a new discovery, until Milla sees it and is stunned silent, worrying the others. Milla informs them that the crystal isn't empty, it's just that they can't see what's inside it - a spirit. Lesser spirits are weaker than the great spirits they're familiar with, but their existence is crucial to maintain nature. It seems even they can be crystallized. This knowledge disheartens them all; Milla abruptly proclaims that there's nothing else they can do there and immediately heads out, leaving Elize concerned.

Stage 3: The Answer to Your Tears

Scene 1:

Elize is quiet and pensive in her room until Jude comes by. He wants to talk about tomorrow, but is surprised to see Milla isn't there. Teepo and Elize explain that she went out by herself, despite the late hour and chill outside, though they tried to stop her. Jude figures she's still in shock after seeing the crystallized spirit; Elize agrees, remembering how she was lost in thought all the way back to town. Jude mentions something Milla once told him, that the Four are like family to her, irreplaceable, and wonders if she thinks of lesser spirits as precious friends or companions too. They suppose that they'd be just as upset if they saw a human get crystallized.

Elize is worried about Milla, and asks Jude if they can go check on her. She doesn't know what she should say, but she wants to help. Jude of course agrees, and suggests that Elize tell Milla how she's feeling. But before they can leave, the innkeeper knocks on the door, looking for a doctor for another guest who's having bad stomach pains. Though only a student, Jude agrees to go help, apologizing to Elize. She'll go to look for Milla on her own, with Jude promising to follow as soon as he's made sure the patient is okay, and warning Elize to be careful and not to leave town. Elize and Teepo assure him they'll look out for each other, and go to find Milla.

Scene 2:

Elize and Teepo find Milla in town. When Milla asks why they're there, Teepo blurts out that they were worried about how depressed she seemed. This surprises Milla, who was trying to stay calm; she apologizes for worrying them. Elize stumbles through a speech about how she understands why Milla is upset, because she knows the spirits are precious to Milla, and she's scared to even think about someone important to her like Milla or Teepo or Jude getting crystallized. She thinks it's natural for Milla to be upset after seeing that, and doesn't want her to have to bear it alone. Only when Teepo points it out does she realize she's crying, and she apologizes to Milla for getting so emotional. 

Milla thanks her and says she's fine now. She was surprised because she hadn't expected this to happen, but that's not all; she was also telling herself that they need to stop the crystallization from spreading, for that spirit's sake. Elize is relieved to hear that she's back to normal, and renews her commitment to do something about the crystallization, even if she can't do much. Milla reaffirms that she's not alone here, because she has the Four and Elize, and she believes there has to be a way to help.

Jude appears and suggests they go back to the inn soon, so they don't make themselves sick before they even start their investigation tomorrow. He's been listening for a little while, and is glad Milla is feeling better. Both of them are thankful to Elize, even though she thinks she didn't really do anything. They all intend to go to bed, but of course are stopped by a scream, because of course monsters have somehow gotten into the town.

[superdeepak-blog2]

Law of Attraction - Cooperative Reality

The Law of Attraction is one of many laws by which mankind has been operating consciously or unconsciously since the dawn of time. Most people are blissfully unaware of how these laws affect their lives and equally unaware that the power of these laws can be harnessed and used to great effect on a daily basis.

Since the release of the movie The Secret, the Law of Attraction has come to the forefront in peoples minds as the ultimate tool for changing your life and that is a good thing. I find however that many people after watching and reading information about the Law of Attraction are still somewhat confused as to how it actually works. There is a lot of talk about holding images in the mind, sending thought vibrations out to the universe, maintaining a state of expectation and gratitude, and waiting for the universe to respond by the Law of Attraction and provide that upon which you have focussed your intention, and so on. All of these things are very wonderful and I have found all of them useful in my own learning, but none of these ideas provided me with truly satisfactory answers about how the Law of Attraction actually works, both spiritually and scientifically.

Now if you're anything like me, blind faith just doesn't cut it, most people like at least to have some kind of decent explanation for why they should get involved with the Law of Attraction, otherwise we tend to reject the whole idea outright, which would be a unfortunate indeed.

Vital Knowledge

The trouble that I think some people have is that they hear about incredible success stories involving the Law of Attraction, amazing tales of people that have gone from having an average kind of existence to living a life that most people only dream about, and then set out in good faith to achieve similar results. Clearly not everyone achieves the results they had hoped for, why is this? Has the Law of Attraction failed? Are all of the success stories bogus? Are they just clever ploys to get us to buy books and movies about how to use the Law of Attraction?

There are many individual claims about the Law of Attraction bringing great abundance and the fulfillment of great dreams, and there are also charlatans in every area of life, religious, secular, scientific, but it would be a great mistake to reject a concept of such potential because of a few con artists, you might as well give up on all personal development right now.

As for the first idea that the Law of Attraction has somehow failed to work, my own experience tells me that this is simply not possible, the Law of Attraction is not a business plan, or a clever scheme that is subject to markets or the moods of individuals, it is as constant and predictable as the sun rise, all that is required is the appropriate level of understanding in order to leverage its potential.

This I believe is where a lot of confusion exists, why do some people seem to be able to apply the Law of Attraction with great affect and others struggle to see the smallest things manifest? The answer is knowledge, there is a basic lack of understanding about how the Law of Attraction works. Some people however seem to be able to easily apply the Law of Attraction and get results even though they have no more knowledge of what is actually happening than the next person, why is this? It is because some individuals have a mental pre-disposition to accepting the Law of Attraction, its requirements and outcomes without question, others don't and require further instruction about the fundamentals of the law of attraction before being able to apply themselves properly.

Its a bit like being given a kit for a model aeroplane without the assembly instructions, some people may have a natural understanding about how to assemble things, they may have watched their father assembling model aeroplanes in the past, but for others it will be an almost impossible task, time consuming and frustrating.

It is my experience that with a basic increase in understanding about the Law of Attraction and the underlying principles that govern it, any individual can begin to see real results in every area of their life almost immediately. So let's now take a look at some of that useful knowledge that will assist us in gaining a better understanding of how to apply the Law of Attraction to great affect.

The Most Important Thing

The first thing that I would like to say is that the Law of Attraction is not the most powerful law in the universe, contrary to popular opinion, there are a number of underlying principles that govern how the Law of Attraction works, and that is where we shall begin.

I want to start by making this statement; when we use the Law of Attraction, we do not attract things! this is also contrary to popular opinion. There is not a sports car with your vibration on it waiting for you to believe that it's yours before it appears in the driveway. This may seem a ridiculous statement, but there are many teachers of the Law of Attraction that state exactly that, it's about manifesting things, well it's not.

The Law of Attraction does not work by you putting out a thought vibration to the universe and somehow the universe, through the principle of the Law of Attraction, responds to that thought by sending you the thing that matches that vibration, yet unfortunately this is what is taught. Some people simply accept this explanation and get on with using the Law of Attraction to great success, you could call that blind faith, and I have no problem with that at all, but it won't work for everyone, and that does concern me because it can work for everyone.

The most important thing you will ever understand about the Law of Attraction is that it always involves other people, other minds, other realities, not things. I call this underlying principle Cooperative Reality and discuss it in detail throughout my book.

Put simply, Cooperative Reality states that in order to apply the Law of Attraction you require the cooperation of other individuals realities. Understanding this concept has been the single greatest step in my own personal growth, when I came to this realization it completely revolutionized my experience in using the Law of Attraction. It provided me with meaningful direction in the application of all the methods I was ignorantly using to apply the Law of Attraction.

I have been asked many times to explain my success in using the Law of Attraction, and I discover that it's not easy to summarise the concept of Cooperative Reality, and that is why I decided to write my book entitled Law of Attraction - Cooperative Reality. I will however attempt to summarise the book in order to give you at least some idea of the power of this concept in relation to the Law of Attraction. I must state however that there will be some ideas that may seem very unusual, but I assure you there is solid scientific evidence for everything I am putting forward, again, explained in detail throughout my book.

The Quantum Field

First of all we need to ask the question "what is reality?" and I will begin by taking a brief look at a concept within Quantum Physics called super position. Briefly stated super position is referring to sub atomic particles appearing in more than one place at the same time, in fact the same electron, if I may use this particle as an example, could appear in as many as 3000 different or potential locations simultaneously, this phenomenon is referred to in Quantum Physics as a wave function. So the entire universe being made up of the very tiny world of sub atomic particles exists in super position, or one of many potential locations, on a universal scale Quantum Physicists call this the Field of Potential.

This is great new for us all, it means that your reality is not fixed, it is flexible, changeable, it can be altered from one form to another, but who does the transforming and how?

The Observer

This brings me to the second point I would like to consider, also a concept used in Quantum Physics called The Observer, and this principle directly affect and alters the Field of Potential. So what is The Observer? Well, you are the Observer, along with ever other conscious individual on the planet. And what does the Observer do? The Observer is responsible for the collapse of the wave function. What does that mean? Basically it means whenever you consciously observe the Quantum Field you snap your reality into a single location in time and space. Scientists conduct complex experiments with particles that bare out this concept and it certainly aligns with my own experience.

So when we observe the Quantum Field, the world, the universe, what position do we collapse the wave function to? Where does our reality finish up? Well that is determined by what you believe, and I'm not referring to your religious allegiance, I'm talking about what you believe your reality should be with every fibre of your being, which is taught in the Law of Attraction, it's just not generally explained that well. Now you are not the only Observer collapsing the wave function to set reality by what you believe, everyone is an Observer, and that is of vital importance to understand. To properly apply the Law of Attraction we need to somehow alter the way other people view reality, and we will take a look at that shortly.

Rewiring The Mind

Finally we need to consider how it is that we change our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and about the world. Fortunately for us, the construct of our belief systems exist within the mind, in the complex structure of neural pathways that make up the different areas of the brain. I say fortunately, because recent discoveries in neuroscience have revealed that the neural structure of the brain is highly flexible, not rigid and fixed as scientists first thought. You are not destined to be locked in to behaviors and attitudes of the past, ways of thinking and patterns of belief that have been neurologically passed down to you by your ancestors through your DNA, you possess the power to reconstruct the neural pathways in your brain and create a brand new construct of reality in your mind.

This is a vital area of knowledge that most Law of Attraction publications do not go into, some of the common Law of Attraction methods such as, focussed intention, and holding an image in the mind of a new reality do have an affect on the neural construct of the brain, but the affect can be temporary, because we are not taught how to solidify the new construct for use over the long term. The human mind processes roughly 100,000 bits of information per second, yet we are only consciously aware of around 2000 bits of that information. What we need to do is begin to learn how to permanently alter the construct of our neural net in order to perceive a new reality, to become aware of things that we had never considered before and forever change our deep beliefs about who we are and what we are doing here.

Putting it all Together

So what does this all mean in relation to using the Law of Attraction more effectively? Your first goal when attempting to apply the Law of Attraction must be to alter your fundamental beliefs about what your own reality is in order to begin collapsing the quantum field to that new reality, but as I mentioned earlier, you are not the only one that sets reality through belief, and this is where the Law of Attraction really comes into its own.

As you apply all the methods around the Law of Attraction, visualization, intentions, gratitude etc, you create a stronger reality for yourself, and that reality connects with corresponding vibrations in the minds of those around you. You begin to alter other individuals beliefs in relation to you, and they also begin to collapse the quantum field in alignment with your new reality. Basically you create a stronger personal reality that affects those around you, this is no game of chance, but using the Law of Attraction properly does feel a little like stacking the odds in your favour. When I first began to really understand and apply the principles mentioned above, all the small details of my life began to change, my life went from 80 percent of the things that happened to me being a disappointment to 80 percent of things becoming truly positive and magical virtually overnight.

Conclusion

Your life consists in all the small details that make up your reality, you don't need to be somewhere else or do something else in order to be truly happy, using the Law of Attraction you can begin to quickly transform every area of your life from the mundane to the incredible, everyone has this ability, all you need is a brain and a choice.

As I said, it is difficult to explain this subject briefly, but I hope you have found this article helpful in your understanding of the Law of Attraction and how it works.

If you would like to learn more about properly applying the Law of Attraction and find out about the practical methods I use for changing my own fundamental beliefs and affecting the reality of those around me, I encourage you to consider reading my book Law of Attraction - Cooperative Reality, you will find simple practical methods for using the Law of Attraction and Cooperative Reality, along with clear explanations of all the concepts I have mentioned in this article.

You are an incredible, eternal being, full of power and potential, I wish you every success in your search for change through the Law of Attraction.

learn more=https://bit.ly/2C47y1u

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: Discovery - ‘Through the Valley of Shadows’ Review

Pike: "You are a Starfleet Captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love."

By nature I love brevity: I quite liked this one. It still suffers somewhat from this show's issues, but it also seemed to transcend that, hitting on some very interesting material beneath the less-than-watertight plot.

One of the greatest things, and possibly the greatest thing about this season of Discovery is Anson Mount as Captain Pike. Mount delivers a powerful standout performance when given the chance, and fades into the background to just the right degree when he's not the focus. Mount's Pike is troubled and haunted, but underneath and despite all that he is a good Captain and a very good man. This character is one of the elements that made 'If Memory Serves' earlier this season such a great hour of television, and he continues to shine here in 'Through the Valley of Shadows.'

It's enough to make me overlook the sheer weird ridiculousness of the plot he's trapped in, but I have to talk about that because this is, after all, a review. 'Time crystals' is quickly overtaking 'Logic extremists' as the dumb phrase the show keeps repeating over and over, with seemingly no awareness of how foolish it sounds coming out of the actors' mouths. Though there is some evidence that the phrase may be based on an real-life scientific concept, it just sounds really dumb and should have been avoided. If they were given some random name, and we were told they generated tachyons like nobody's business, I'd have no problem with it. But the closer the show wants to get to real science, the more people have to judge the show in the terms of real science. And in a show that has a device that can teleport the ship to anywhere in space or time in any dimension through the power of fungus, nothing holds up under legitimate scientific scrutiny.

Still, this episode did display at times a welcome return to the classic Trek tradition of nonsensical technobabble that the audience just buys as part of their suspension of disbelief. And it was delivered convincingly enough that I don't really care. Just tell me a good story, and I'll buy whatever laws of physics you have to break to tell it.

Unfortunately, neither half of the two-fold story is especially compelling here. On the one side, you have Spock and Burnham's investigation of the missing Section 31 ship, which turns out to be a trap laid by Control. I didn't expect that Gant was going to wind up being Controlled, but that was only because I was expecting him to sacrifice himself. Leaning into my expectations and then subverting them doesn't help if you just replace the expectations with a different cliche. The other half of the plot, with L'Rell and TyVoq on the Disco and Pike and Baby Priest on the planet, didn't fare too well either. I'm glad we're not returning to the poor attempts at Klingon intrigue that bogged down so much of Season One, but I find I'm just not compelled to care about L'Rell and TyVoq, especially TyVoq. It isn't even high praise to say that Mary Chieffo acts circles around Shazad Latif in her scenes with him; it's just not a high bar.

But each of these somewhat underwhelming stories is saved by a gem hidden within. For the time crystals and Baby Priest, it's Anson Mount's powerful performance as Pike must choose the mission over his own personal well-being and his mobility. We've heard about the accident that crippled Pike before, but to see it dramatized was a different thing entirely. And Pike's muted scream from under the melting makeup in the wheelchair was a devastating and horrifying image that sat with me for a long time after viewing the episode. All this makes Pike's decision just that much more powerful, and even though we know what he will choose, watching him have to choose it is heart-rending. I suspect it will also make 'The Menagerie,' and to some extent 'If Memory Serves,' that much more resonant, now that we've actually gotten to know this character for who he is.

The gem underneath the Burnham and Spock storyline is a lot harder to find, but it's in there. It comes in the moment in the shuttle before they arrive at the location of the 31 ship. Here we find a return to our season theme, and an interesting exploration of it for the first time since 'Brother.' Burnham, somewhat understandably, is disillusioned by the perceived loss of her mother and the failure of their initial plan to stop Control. She no longer trusts that things are happening for a reason, or that there is a purpose to the signals at all. Even her scientific curiosity, which should compel her to continue studying the signals, is dulled. She can no longer understand why Spock still sees meaning in what is happening. Spock's reason for belief is simple, and it's a compelling benefit of faith. The thing that Spock put his faith in, Logic, failed him. Then Emotion, which he fell back on, failed him as well. The only thing that's holding Spock up anymore is the belief that there must be a purpose, a reason for everything that is happening. That's the only way that this can all make sense to him in the end. This is a profound truth about faith, that when everything else doesn't make sense, it's something the believer can stand firm in and trust to keep them upright.

The last thing I want to touch on is the return of Jett Reno and her interactions with Stamets and Culber. This time around, Reno is playing the role of irritant to the audience, and not just to those around her. But she also serves here as an irritant with a purpose. We get a little bit of her backstory in her scene with Culber, which helps me to understand why she has become so cynical and sarcastic. Her loss was tragic, and when she sees Stamets and Culber's failure to capitalize on their second chance, she wants to help any way she can. I liked the little scene where she connected with Culber in sickbay, and I'm beginning to understand what her character's purpose is here.

Strange New Worlds:

We actually visited Boreth for the first time since TNG's 'Rightful Heir.' The planet is home to a Klingon monastery, where the monks wait for the return of Kahless. In legend, Kahless pointed to the star that Boreth orbits before he left, and told the Klingons to look for him 'on that point of light.'

New Life and New Civilizations:

We saw a little bit more of what goes on when Control inhabits someone. It essentially consists of filling their dead body up with a bunch of nanobots.

Pensees:

-It was nice to see Mia Kirshner's Amanda again. I really like her portrayal of the role.

-Shouldn't there be some consequences to the continued use of the spore drive? All we got here was an offhand reference by Reno.

-Did we really need a flashback recap of 'Point of Light'? No, no we didn't.

-The full look at the revamped D7 was pretty awesome. The ship geek in me loved that shot.

-Great to see the crew, including the secondary characters, interacting and hanging out in the mess hall.

-I am happy that this episode allowed me to type the sentence 'The priest is the former baby' in my notes.

-Too! Much! Handheld action! Seriously, directors. Stop filming action sequences with handheld shaky cam. It's messy and it doesn't look good.

-How much do you want to bet there were originally going to be 31 Section 31 ships chasing the Disco, and somewhere along the line somebody reduced the number by one because they thought it was dumb?

-Mary Wiseman's Tilly does not appear in this episode. That was odd, but I only just realized that she wasn't there. I guess that means she didn't need to be in this one, then.

-Ali Momen has appeared as Kamran Gant twice before, and twice as the Mirror version of the character.

-Kenneth Mitchell's return to play yet another Klingon seems odd to modern television viewers, but it's a tried and true Trek tradition (say that ten times fast) to bring back guest stars the producers like to play other characters later.

Quotes:

Burnham: "I don't need saving, brother." Spock, moving into the shuttle anyway: "Shall we, sister?" I watched this episode with my own sister, and we have a similar dynamic at times.

Burnham: "I'm not angry, I'm enraged." Spock: "And rage is the enemy of logic."

Spock: "That is why I choose to believe these signals still hold the answer. So that in the end, all of this might make sense."

L'Rell, to Tyler: "You of all people should understand that two truths are possible."

Baby Priest: "When the future becomes the past, the present will be unlocked." Me: "Um... what? But... That doesn't... Never mind."

Baby Priest: "I honor you, Captain."

Gantrol: "It always ends the same way. Neither mother nor daughter can change that."

5 out of 6 tried and true Trek traditions.

Happy birthday, Mom!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #217

“roses are red, and my heart is black. we creep about the floor to indulge like rats.”

Do you know anyone who works in a laboratory? No. What was the very first social media site you signed up for? MySpace. Can you see yourself marrying your current partner? (if you have a partner) Easily. If you were in a coma, who would be making healthcare decisions for you? My mom. Are you the type of person who knows exactly what they want in life? Not entirely, but mostly. Do you have commitment issues? Not at all. What was the last thing you had an allergic reaction to? Silver. Have you gone out to dinner in the past week? No. What’s something you’ve done that sounds too crazy to be true? The only thing I think someone would actually find "crazy" would be I've been in a psychiatric hospital five or six times (I seriously can't remember). Are there any flowers planted outside your house? No. Well, not by us. There's a camellia tree by our back door that we didn't plant. What’s the weirdest decoration you’ve seen in someone else’s home? I'unno. I generally don't find decorations strange. Spice up your house with what you like. Did you have your own bathroom when you were growing up? No. Do you know anyone who never disciplines their children? I know of people. What’s the longest you’ve gone without leaving the house? Weeks. Are you more of a practical thinker, or more of an imaginative thinker? I think I can be on either end depending on the situation. Does anyone in your family smoke? My dad does. How well do you know your neighbors? I've never interacted with the ones to the right of us, but Mom knows the woman to the left, and she's apparently very nice. Mom was talking about her just the other day about how she always brings our trash can back to the fence, actually. How far are you into the book you’re currently reading? N/A Have you ever had a pet escape and run away? I don't believe so, at least not permanently. Do any of your exes know each other? Jason and Juan did. Girt and Jason know each other because of me; we all hung out a few times. It's both funny and sad now to know how friendzoned Girt was... ha ha. Sorry man. What’s an opinion you find impossible to take seriously? "Dinosaurs didn't exist." What the fuck are fossils then, bitch. What was the very first election you voted in? I haven't voted in any yet. Do you know how to make omelettes? No. I could probably figure it out, but I don't know for sure. What is your favorite summer month? Fuck summer. What do you want to be for Halloween this year? One of the witches from Hocus Pocus would be super cool, but yeah, I don't have the money to even try to make a costume. Do you have a desk in your room? If so, do you use it as a desk that you sit and work at? No. Do you wear band tees? if yes, which one is your favorite? Yes. I love my Metallica one. It's got a really cool design. Would you ever want to live in a home with all-white walls and furniture? "Not white furniture, no. That seems like it’d be a pain to keep clean." <<< Definitely. Do you have pajama days often? I'm literally always in pjs unless I have to leave the house and get out of the car. There's no point in changing otherwise; I'd just be creating more laundry. What is one thing you’re behind on? Instead of the usual "life in general" answer, I'll make it more interesting. RP. Jesus fucking holy Christ, I am over a year behind in SO MUCH because I just haven't had motivation, all the while plots have grown like mad. Thank god my partners are really damn patient, lol. And/or have other business, too. Do you ever re-arrange your room? No. I HATE moving/changing shit. Do you share a room with anyone? No. Who was your first roommate? Jason, Jacob, and Amanda. What season do you want to get married in? AUTUMN!!!!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frosting: chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. Ice cream: chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla. Milkshake: chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate, more often. Do you drink protein shakes? EW that shit mad gross. What was the last type of candy you ate? Uhhhh what was it. I don't have candy a lot now, so uh... I think Airheads? What was the last craft project you completed? It was VERY weakly a "craft," but Sara's first Valentine's Day present. Which is better: starting things or finishing them? Finishing. I start things all the damn time and never finish them. What is the highest name-brand thing you own? Good question. What color GameBoy did you have as a kid? Red. What was your favorite GameBoy game? Hm. I liked a lot. We had a whole case of different ones. I suppose maybe the Spyro one I could never get far into. But I liked it anyway because yeah. Spyro. What was your favorite Backstreet Boys song? "The Call" probably tops the list, but also you're full of shit if you thought "Larger Than Life" wasn't a fuckin BANGER. Damn, "The Shape of My Heart" was great, too. BSB were/are just great, man. Did you ever wonder what it felt like to get slimed? Ha ha you mean like on Nickelodeon? Yup. Did you ever name a pet after an imaginary friend? I never had one. Do you believe in angels and demons? I don't know. I believe in spirits, but I don't know about actual angels and demons. Do you have a PayPal account? No. What race do you consider yourself? ... You can "consider" yourself a race? You don't get to pick that. Whatever, I'm Caucasian. Should unwanted animals in shelters be killed to make room? Fuck that shit. Should cows be killed for human food? See, this is why I want to return to vegetarianism. TECHNICALLY, no. It's murder upon a conscious, feeling, living being. But at the same time, humans are designed as omnivores, and surviving off of a plant-based diet is, sadly, extremely difficult. It's difficult to obtain the proper nutrients and their advised amounts to be healthy. Therefore, I can't confidently answer this question. I wish they didn't have to be, but human civilization would have an incredibly more difficult time continuing with all meat products removed for consumption. Does the technique used to kill an animal matter to you? I mean if I KNEW, yes, but at least from the research I've done, there's no real "humane" method used to kill livestock. Most live in awful conditions/are already unhealthy, too, and that should matter . Should farmers be allowed to cause suffering in animals to save money? Fuck off. Should production of medicines be justification to cause animals to suffer? No. We neeeeeeed to find other ways. Use pedophiles or some shit. Should violence against animals; such as rodeos/ bullfights be legal? Fuck to the hell no. I get some kind of dark pleasure out of hearing about shitheads being gored and stuff for it, honestly. Should homosexuals be allowed to work with children? This shit pisses me the fuck off. Of course they should be. Like I'm sorry, but your children aren't going to be hidden from them forever. Do you believe homosexuality is caused by genetics? Well yeah. You don't get to choose your sexuality; something has to be responsible. Are Americans are truly free, or suffering from controlled freedom? CONTROLLED FREEDOM JFC TRY TO DENY IT. Are there other countries that offer more personal freedoms? Not that I KNOW of. Like yeah, my above answer clearly states I think America could be better, but I don't know I place where it's actually better. Do you trust your government? Fuck no. They hide a lot of shit. Should religious beliefs outweigh science in the making of laws? Lolololololol no, hunny. Separation of church and state. What is one moment that you missed out on that you wished you didn’t? Hm. OH, that solar eclipse that happened I think last year? We saw nothing here. :< Do you or have you ever had braces? For a long time. Got them on, then didn't have the money to take them off for a while. Can you text? Yeah, but not quickly. I am - usually - very thankful for autocorrect. Have you ever had a nervous breakdown? OH BOY HAVE I!!!!!!!!!!!! What are you scared to death of? My mom dying, for one. I DO NOT know what would happen to me. Are you good at art? I'm told so at least; I'm aware I'm at least decent. It also depends on the art form. Are you afraid of needles? Nah. What TV show is the stupidest to you? I honestly had a really big problem (and have, if it's still even on) with the Teen Mom series. Yes, I do in fact believe it made looking like one cooler and more normal than it is. Do you hate being ignored? Yes; I start to think I'm not cared about, badly. Especially if it's family or "friends." Like no, I don't at all expect attention constantly, or even a lot of it, but I think it's only natural people who claim they love you should not pretend they don't know you, particularly when you actually reach out. THEN it hurts. Where do you currently live? North Carolina, please get me out. Do you like marijuana? I wouldn't know. Do you donate to charity? I can't. I seriously don't have money. Where is your favorite place to go out to eat? Olive Garden. What is your favorite TV station? Discovery. Do you think you’re clever? No. Did you wear socks today? No. I avoid wearing socks as much as I can. Know any magic tricks? I don't remember the ones I learned as a kid. Do you sleep well most nights? No. When’s the last time you baked a cake? Never. What’s your preferred frozen snack? Ice cream, yum. Do you work better in a clean or messy environment? CLEAN. It inspires me to do well and with an organized strategy. Do you know any vegans? I don't believe so. Earphones or headphones? I personally prefer earphones since they go into the ear and are just more comfortable than a weight on your head that can move easier. Do you like bananas? Yeah, but the timespan in which I enjoy them is short. They have to be "perfect." What’s a film you’ve seen that confused you? I know there are some, but none are coming to me curr- WAIT NO okay so I saw Warcraft when it came out into theaters, and I barely understood a single thing because the orcs' voices were way too deep. I need to rewatch it with subtitles. Do you ever wear black lipstick? I pretty much always do if I wear lipstick. What would you change about yourself appearance-wise? HEY can I Please fix my fucking weight??? Because I do like everything I can do already & nothing works??? :') How long do you normally spend in the shower? Just short of ten minutes, I think. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it say or what would the graphic be? *opens novel of ideas* Don't make me pick just one. When trick-or-treating as a kid, was there any kind of candy that you didn’t like to get? Tootsie rolls, ew. What is your favorite memory of Christmases past? The time my mom, sisters, and I went to a Christmas light show one night, and we got back to the car only to realize Mom left the keys in there. Sooo while we waited for my drunk dad and brother to come help us, we all chilled on the car's hood with chocolate covered peanuts and THE best hot chocolate. That place is no longer around, and I'll forever be mad tilted about it. What is the most outrageous thing you’ve done for God? Lmfao remember the days I denied evolution and gay rights? Them were the wild times. When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why? First, paleontologist because I adored (and still adore) dinosaurs, then a vet as I wanted to help animals. In high school, it changed from movie director to game designer. Name the most famous person you’ve had a face to face encounter with. No one. If you could spend 15 minutes with any living person, who would it be and why? Um like have y'all ever heard of this guy named Mark Edward Fischbach because I have time to enlighten you of all the reasons- What article of clothing most closely describes your personality? Pj pants, lmao. Who was your hero when you were a child, and what did you do to be like them? Steve Irwin. I adore animals in general, push very firmly for conservation, and madly support proper education of wildlife, especially your local kinds. How did you learn to ride a bicycle? I had a bike with training wheels at first, then my dad took them off and would jog alongside me, holding the bars and then releasing them after a few moments for me to go on my own. Repeated 'til I got it! Based on something you’ve already done, how might you make it into the Guinness Book of World Records? This is going to be VERY embarrassing to share, but fuck it. I have so little reason to leave my bed that my legs have actually experienced muscle atrophy. My knees especially are extremely prone to awful pain when standing or walking. I don't really have a way to exercise in this tiny house, my road is too sketchy to walk along, and at least this time of year, I physically can't handle the heat if I was to walk in the back yard. I'm dying to go somewhere where I can swim to fix this shit. I could ramble on forever about how painful it is to be on my feet. I'd be happy enough with even just a treadmill. When was the last time you did something for the first time? What was it? Hm. I guess foreplay with a girl. I don't exactly experience new things much. What is your concept of a fruitful day? Actually doing productive shit. If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be? Violence. What is your best personal characteristic? I am like, incredibly passionate. If I believe in something, you'll know. If I love something, it's to an insane degree. If you had to enter a competition for the “Most Uselessly Unique Talent,” what would your talent be? Being able to hide my thumb under my palm to where it looks like it's entirely non-existent lmao. What is your worst personality characteristic? I am VERY sensitive. I also have a hard time taking criticism without beating my ass up because I feel like I did something "bad." I don't get defensive, I just get hurt. Man, I could go on. There's a lot I don't like about myself. If you had to be a teacher of something, what would you teach? I'd be most interested in teaching science. How would you like to be remembered? I loved ferociously and spoke strong of peace. What is one thing that you constantly think about (other than material things)? The future. Does your country have free healthcare? *points at top five list of things America needs to fucking fix* Does your job allow visible tattoos? N/A How is your road rage? I drive so timidly and rarely that I don't think I really even have a clue. Who are your closest friends and how did you meet them? I'll exclude Sara as she's more than "a close friend." I don't have many close friends otherwise tho, so really... I think only Girt applies. We met in high school band. Well, then there's Alex, but considering she now acts like I don't exist as well, I don't know how close we really are. But anyway, we met in WoW because we were both camping the time-lost protodrake and talking w/ others in the general chat... but she and I really clicked. That was an awesome day. Started some damn adventures with her lmao. Are you still cool with any of your exes? The only two who may still have a problem with me are Jason and Tyler, but I have no bad feelings towards them. What Hogwarts House are you in? I took quizzes once for a survey because I was curious, but I couldn't answer most of the ones I found bc they had HP references I didn't get. But anyway, I think Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were pretty much tied. What’s the next special event in your life? Returning to school. :') Whose birthday is coming up soon? My nephew's. :''''') Do you delete people from Facebook if their views are vastly different than yours? It depends on the views and their severity. Usually I can handle averse opinions if you're actually a friendly person and composed and mature about what you believe and how you express that. What’s your favorite thing to put on bagels? Cream cheese. What’s the most important key on your key ring? I only have one, and that's to my house. What was the last argument you got in about and who was it with? AHAHAHAAHAHA okay so. There was a video on FB of a pet meerkat having its belly rubbed, and it was chirping happily. It was very cute, but especially because this video was on a big page, I commented how awful and unhealthy of an idea it is to have a pet meerkat for both it and yourself. It's illegal in a lot of places for good reason. I got a lot of agreement, but of course there was one imbecile who disagreed enough to tell me to shut the fuck up. Now I am normally very, very terrified of confrontation or even the HINT of it, but for once in my life I couldn't have been more unfazed. At what age did you start picking out your own outfits? I don't know. I've come to find via surveys that I can't really remember events by ages. How spicy do you like your food? Pretty spicy. Spicier than most like, but I don't enjoy it when it's just pure pain. What was the last really intense pain you felt? You know that awwwfuuuulll pinch of pain you sometimes get in your ribs when your lungs expand to a certain, small amount? That. I couldn't take deep breaths for anything. What is the best thing that’s ever happened to you? Recovery from the breakup. What are three things you have been a victim of? Uhhhh. Idk, nothing major. What is your passion? Wildlife conservation, probably more than anything. When was the last time you truly felt alive? Ha, good question. How many siblings do you have? Technically six, but I don't know one at all. Are you married? No. Are you dating someone? Yeah. If not, do you wish you were dating someone? N/A Do you want an indoor or outdoor wedding? I'm not sure. What states (or countries) have you lived in? Just one. Does your first crush know you liked them? No. Do you wish on stars? Nope. Are you happier now than you were 10 years ago? I don't know. I can't really remember exactly what I was like at 13. I think I'm maybe happier now? Are you happier now than you were 5 years ago? Yes. ^If not, why not? N/A ^If yes, why? My depression is under control. Do you live in your dream house? Definitely not. What was your first job? Sales clerk at GameStop. ^Did you like it? No, thanks to feral social anxiety. Have you been bullied? No, very thankfully. What do you wish people knew about you? I sincerely care about my loved ones, a lot, even though I have trouble being the one to reach out first. What health issues do you have? A lot. Don't even feel like putting them all together. Do you still cross paths with your first crush ever? No. What is your favorite Bible verse, and why? None. Do you have a secret nobody knows? Yes. It's nothing major, just little things I don't want to share. Who are some of the most selfish people you have ever met? I don't know. Is there anyone you want back in your life? Yes. What color was the house you grew up in? True shit, I somehow don't remember for sure. I think it was brick? What was the name of the first pet that you loved? Charcoal, a cat, was the first pet I had a serious, deep bond with. Do you receive more insults or compliments? Compliments, I guess. Do you meditate? No. Do you pray? No. Have you ever seen a spirit/ghost/shadowy figure, etc.? I've sure as hell seen something. What would you ask a genie for, if you had three wishes? World peace, end of disease, and the end of poverty. When someone messages you and you know it’s going to be rude, do you ignore it and not read it, or do you read it and reply? Honestly, most of the time, I ignore it. I am so, SO sensitive, so my feelings are super easily hurt by what others have to say. Do you find online drama stressful? Yes. Even more than irl drama because you have to wait painstakingly for them to reply, and you can't hear their tone of voice. How stressful is your life? I'm pretty damn stressed for someone who's trapped inside their house lmao. Was any of your home decor inspired by Pinterest? No. Do you do yoga? No. What is something you have tried and hated? Oral is NOT my jazz. Do you have regrets? Yeah. Are you mad at someone? No. What is this month’s calendar picture? I don't have a calendar. What is your last ex-boyfriend’s or ex-girlfriend’s name? Technically Donald. Do you have an ex-friend that you miss? Yep. What color do you want your wedding dress to be? Most likely black. Would you rather go out for pancakes or steak? Pancakes. I like them more in general, and I'm also suuuper picky with steak. What’s your favorite Ramen noodle flavor? The only kind I've ever liked is the Yakisoba brand of spicy chicken. How do you feel when you read the Bible, if you read it? Encouraged? Angry? I don’t read it. Have you ever suffered from anxiety? I had some anxieties as a little kid, and I was officially diagnosed with it in the 6th grade. Have you ever suffered from depression? Since the 7th grade. What is something a lot of people like but you don’t? Pie is what came to mind first. What’s an uplifting song you like to listen to? "High Hopes" by P!ATD. Think about the person you fell hardest for. Why do you think your feelings for this person were so strong? How is he/she different compared to everyone else you’ve had feelings for? Well, he was my first real love. They're always special. I was fucking crazy for him, and it grew to an unhealthy degree. Trust me, you can love too much. He made me happy when so few could back then, and we had a connection unprecedented in my whole life. He himself felt like my home. I could write you a goddamn novel on why I felt so strongly. Have you ever caught your friend cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend? If you have, what did you do about it? If you haven’t, what do you think you would do? No. Quite honestly, I'd tell them. I could NOT keep that a secret. Whether they believe me or not, I'm not withholding that from them. When your last relationship ended, how long was it before you felt ready to think about being with someone else? I know this technically sounds bad, but Sara and I started dating the day after I broke up with him. One of the reasons we split is because I realized I liked her. It was so quick because I never had to "move on;" I never came to be truly interested in him romantically. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to sleep last night? Do you remember what you talked about? Sara and I were texting, but I don't remember about what. When are you at your happiest? When I'm with Sara. How many people have you kissed? Three or four. I don't really remember if I ever kissed Girt. How many of those people are you still friends with? Two. Where did you go, the last time you left your house? Mom and I went to multiple places. She had errands to run. Do you like your singing voice? Rarely. I think it fits only a few songs. Are most silences awkward for you? UH-HUH UH-HUH. Name someone you wish you had never met. Why? Jabari. He was scary and almost assaulted someone in my family. Who has the nicest singing voice, that you know personally? Probably Sara. Say something nice about someone you really don’t care for: He loves his kids to death. Ever won school awards? Yes. Do you drink more soda than anything else? Not anymore, thankfully. Do you curse a lot? I curse possibly more than anyone you know. Have you ever been in a courtroom? Yes. Do you eat a lot around Thanksgiving? No. I actually don't like 99% of Thanksgiving food. Were you a chubby child? No. Are you afraid to sing in front of people? Yes. Do you enjoy your family? Yeah. When did you last dance with someone? I forced Sara to last June lmao. Do you feel awkward watching sex scenes? VERY. Did you ever have senior photos done? No. Are your parents protective of you? Mom is for sure. I don't see my father much, and he's changed a LOT since the divorce, so I can't really answer for him. I know he is to some degree, I just don't know how much. Have you ever been bullied? I've had some mean shit said to me, but I don't believe I've ever really been consistently "bullied." Do you ever help decorate during the holidays? No. I just don't have the motivation and don't really care enough to put things up that're only coming down in two months. Do you have carpeted floors? Only my room and my sis's old one. Can you count to ten in another language? German, yeah. Have you ever been arrested? No. Do you always lock your door at night? Yeah. Do you get allowance? No, never did. Do you have a Facebook? Yes. Do you enjoy the presence of children? In most cases, no.

[dndeviants]

More discovery

Linda followed after Strahd upstairs, and broke off to investigate an L-shaped piece of furniture. She looked around: To her left was a heavy oaken door, to her right were pieces of furniture that had been smashed or were rotting away. 

Books were scattered about, most of them appeared holy in nature, but strangely, they had full sun symbols on their covers, and not the half-sun that she associated with the Morninglord.

Aric followed after Linda and saw the books as well. Both of them reached for one to read...

Linda’s book was damp to the touch. She opened it and saw that the ink inside was smudged. She tried to read it, in spite of herself, and furrowed her brow at the incomplete words and passages:

...Father Sun, Auman--or, being the Ke-per of Law, S-n, and Ligh-... we are b-t serva-ts to thee...

Aric picked up a book. This one had a clear title, and it was "Aumanator, Keeper of the Sun." He opened the book to read the opening passage, some of the ink had faded in time:

Aumanator, Father Sun... being high above all other gods of T--il, are the bringe- of Law, Order...

Aumanator, He recognized the name from his extensive study of Faerunian history. He was the Sun God that helped to found the Faerunian pantheon before his death, and subsequent reincarnation as Lathander Morninglord.

He was the god of a people that came before the Chondathans, and preceded the Tethyrians, and most importantly, he was a god of a people that the Calishites had gone to war with, far back in history before the Dale Reckoning.

Odd... those people’s culture died out long ago... why would records of their god be here? Aric thought.

He decided to voice his confusion, "These books speak of a God that was worshiped by the people of Toril long ago, back to the founding of the pantheon of Faerun,” he added, “I know time flows strangely here, but I can't understand why these records are here.”

Linda raised a brow, "Who is the God?"

“Aumanator, God of the Sun,” answered Aric, “After he was reincarnated, he was known as Lathander Morninglord.”

Linda vaguely recalled from school that the reason Aumanator became Lathander was because he was not so much “Good” as he was “Law,” and that he lost several followers because of shadow magic that altered the face of Faerun... Shadow magic that ripped the Netherese Kingdom off of the face of the continent, and shadow magic that altered the Western Heartlands... 

The people who worshiped this god, she recalled, were people who were recorded as “Talfir,” by the elves. “Talfir” meaning “conquerors” in their tongue.

 "His followers were called the Talfir by the elves if I remember correctly,” Linda added, “Those people don't exist in Faerun anymore. Why is their God recorded in these books here in Barovia? Unless...."

Linda made a face in thought.

"Do you think they came from here?" Aric asked.

"Either that or the opposite,” Linda looked to the genasi, “They came from Faerun."

"I suppose either is possible,” Aric admitted, “but how does this fit into everything going on here?"

"Well...” Linda thought about what she knew about the Barovians, “It makes sense that their faith was supposed to be based on law instead of goodness. Which could be why the Abbot wasn't taken kindly to- the Barovians don’t seem to care so much about goodness.. and that may explain why the Abbot became so.... awful."

She furrowed her brow, "But why would the Abbot keep the books?"

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

Strahd let the two explore the ruined library. He paced around his old fort and noted the changes that had occurred within.

Decayed, dismal... much like the rest of Barovia. He looked at the damage to the room... A fight had happened here, long ago.

It didn’t surprise him.

When he had turned into his undead self, one of his closest companions, his faithful friend, Lady Ilona had fled here, taking up residence in this fort that he had intended for the priesthood, for his brother...

To her credit, she amassed a very decent following, and taught many the clerical and healing Art... and one of her best students was a girl, Aurica Markovia-

Saint Markovia, Strahd corrected himself with much ire. 

Lady Ilona passed on, and left the fort turned abbey to her favored pupil... but apparently, that was not the only thing that she passed on.

The knowledge of Strahd’s true nature was only known to three people: Victor Wachter, Leo Dilisnya, and Lady Ilona herself... but as Lady Ilona passed on, she gifted- or burdened, rather- Aurica with the knowledge of Strahd’s transformation, the truth...

She honed her powers, Strahd nodded to himself, made a name for herself as a miracle worker, and was referred to as a saint by the people of all Barovia. Many came to her...

Many to join her Holy Crusade. She did come for me, came right up to Castle Ravenloft... what she considered the source of all evil here-

Perhaps, in a way, she was right. Strahd admitted to himself, But it was still such a shame... I had no interest in the church, she could have lived a long life if she so chose. But no... I was naive. So long as there are the faithful here, I will never know peace.

He grimaced as he thought of their battle. Her loyal dogs fell easily, but her... He rubbed the side of his leg with remembered pain. Her, not so much.

But what is done is done, and all that remains are... her remains. Remains that he made certain would be sealed away in the crypts of Castle Ravenloft for all time... her faith had imbued her bones with holy power, and he was not allowing anyone to venerate her bones as they had with St. Andral... 

He looked back to the furniture in disarray. The priesthood here was weak without their leader. They turned on each other, all vying for power... sullying the Abbey, Ilona’s hard work... 

Killing each other. He sighed. It was long past. But in the end, the girl still had her victory. She had shaken his power for just a brief moment- and to quell the inconvenient inquiry into her disappearance, he was forced to canonize her as a legitimate saint...

He walked over to a small chest and looked through it, seeing a few magical scrolls. He parsed through them with disinterest. Nothing quite new- oh? A scroll with a Spell for Raising the Dead... Interesting. Of course, he couldn’t use it himself... but perhaps it would be a great bargaining chip in the future. He gently slid the scroll into his pack, and decided to end his stroll through memory lane.

He turned to his two companions who were having a conversation over ruined books. Curiosity overwhelmed him as we strode over to him, "Find anything interesting?"

Aric nodded, not looking up to Strahd, “These books speak of an old god from Toril, Amaunator, later known as Lathander Morninglord,” he explained, “The faith was based on law, which explains the Abbot’s odd behavior, but we don't understand why he would keep the books."

Strahd blinked, "The Abbot didn't bring anything here. These books were standard for the monastery. They are from my time as a human general... I had forgotten the name of Father Sun proper, but it would hurt me to say it... the god is from... Toril, you say?"

Linda nodded,  "He is from our world. He was an old god,” she paused, “If I remember correctly, he lost several followers because of Shadow magic that altered the face of Faerun... And he was reincarnated into Lathander."

Strahd shook his head, "The names you speak mean almost nothing to me. I fought a war here to preserve our people's religion and our nation's sovereignty from those desert-dwelling invaders, the Tergs. I spent half of my life on the battlefield in the name of that god and my father. A lot of good it did, if he ended up dying anyway..."

Strahd walked through the debris, bitterly, "And a lot of good faith did for us."

Linda shrugged,  "I still don't get how you have a god from Faerun in your history."

Strahd tilted his head, "Probably the same reason there are many countries in the Shadowfell. We were all pulled from somewhere...” he locked eyes with Linda, “Perhaps we were from your world once. Is that hard to imagine? You are speaking Balok right now."

 "Balok?” Linda shook her head, “I'm speaking Common."

Strahd raised his hand, "I didn't have to use any translation spells to understand you, like I have those from other worlds."

Linda blinked, feeling numb, "So Barovia is from our world..."

"It may be so. Or perhaps not,” Strahd shrugged in frustration, “What does it matter now? We are no longer part of any world. And escape so far has proven fruitless. In any case... it certainly did not help the Abbot that the people here have confused the faith.”

Strahd’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “Here, I am the Law, I am the Land. Gods have very little sway here."

Linda looked away from him and sighed, "Let's just look around more."

Linda stood, and walked over to the next room, Aric and Strahd following her lead. She opened the oak door...

The room had several beds... and as soon as they entered, six shadowy forms emerged from under them, hissing and clawing at the floor...

Linda leveled her gun and fired rapidly, Aric pulled out the Sunsword and it’s light evaporated the shades. It could hardly be called a fight.

Strahd and Linda groaned in unison. Strahd in pain, Linda in exasperation.

“Well, something of import must be in here for all that..." Linda muttered.

Aric noticed Strahd covering himself from the light, and quickly dismissed the Sunsword’s blade, "Sorry about that Lord Strahd, I'm going to have to be more careful about using the sword!"

Strahd shrugged his cloak away from his face, sighing,  "It's alright. It's a tool. And it is useful against such infestations like those. I'll just be mindful of you."

They explored the room. Strahd found nothing of interest to him, but Linda took a sack of silver ball bearings, good enough to use as ammunition. Aric found a pack of herbs, and stored it in his pouch for Jeeves to examine later.

They made their way over to three doors. Aric opened the first of them, and saw a plain room with a table in its center. The table was covered in blood, and there were limbs strewn about. He slowly closed the door.

Linda checked the room next to him. There were old, wrecked cribs in this room. She looked beyond and saw a nun in white and blue robes by the window. Linda blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the nun had vanished.

"Huh..." was all Linda could say.

Linda peered into the next room, finding it empty except for a raven on the windowsill. It cawed at her and flew away.

Linda turned to Aric, "Welp.... I got nothing," she grumbled, "I hate this place."

Aric folded his arms, "I found a table covered in blood and body parts. Did you find anything... less horrific?"

"I found a raven and possibly a ghost," she replied.

Linda went to check the door on the other wall, and opened it. On the other side was an open walkway that overhung the courtyard below. It seemed that someone had put up several fearsome looking scarecrows along the abbey walls. 

Linda walked out there, Strahd walked alongside her.

Aric stayed behind, as Jeeves caught up with them, and he wanted to catch up his companion.

Strahd examined the scarecrows with amused interest, "Not bad. I could do better. These would make a good prank at the Castle."

Linda rolled her eyes and ignored him. She wasn’t having a good time at the Abbey, and his nonchalant, flippant manner was starting to wear on her.

They passed by another scarecrow. Strahd commented,  "Ah another one. I've always wondered why they were deemed scarecrows... they seem to frighten humans more so than they do crows..."

Linda sighed, "And it seems they fascinate more vampires than they do humans."

Strahd tilted his head toward her,  "No. Well, perhaps... I'm just looking for things to help keep people away from my home. Less gruesome ways."

Not even pausing, she asked, "What were the gruesome ways?"

"Impaling trespassers that tried to destroy me or my consorts on the gates of Castle Ravenloft."

Linda was sarcastic, "Sounds like those ran few and far between."

"The gates are a little sparse now," Strahd admitted.

They passed another. Strahd clapped his hands together with enthusiasm, "You know what would really get them running? An animation spell on the scarecrows. Make them look like corpses... then when trespassers try to brave the gates- have them start moving and moaning...”

Strahd lowered his voice to a playful, scratchy hiss, “Turn back now, beware the Devil Strahd... things like that."

Linda looked to him and raised a brow, "Sounds like a lot of effort."

"Not at all actually. Just animate objects and a minor illusion spell- you...” He looked at her expression and quieted, “You aren't actually interested in these things, are you?"

Linda snickered at Strahd’s expression and opened the door they had reached at the end of the walkway.

Strahd huffed, and pulled out a notebook to jot something down before following her into the dark room.

The room was almost too dark for Linda to see... she heard the same violin music from before and swiveled her head to the source... A mongrelfolk with two heads and a lobster claw was chained to a desk, clutching the violin. 

"What..." She took a step toward the mongrelfolk and tripped over a stray femur. She stumbled and fell, cursing. She looked up to see a dark red chalk pattern on the floor, "What the fuck is that?"

Strahd knelt down to help her up and glanced at the chalk, "Be careful. That is a teleportation circle...” He paused and thought aloud, “I suppose we know how the Abbot was able to sneak people in..."

Linda blinked at the vampire, "What happens if I touch it?"

"You get sent to wherever this portal is connected to," Strahd replied.

Linda looked back to the chalk, "Can we find that out?"

Strahd paused, then nodded, "Let me do some reading on the circle."

Strahd helped Linda move a safe distance away from the circle as he examined the chalk on the floor. He murmured a small incantation. The chalk glowed. He turned to Linda, "I think... this is a portal to the werewolf den. I'm almost certain of it.”

He rose, calculating, “I think this is where the real invasion is going to begin... we can destroy the portal, or go through it."

Linda stood up, "What do you propose?"

Strahd listed their options, "Well, we could destroy it and throw off the invasion attempt... or we could go to them and destroy the portal on their end, and disrupt their ranks there like they intend here. Ironic victory."

Linda thought, and gave her opinion, "I think the second option will lead to a better chance at stopping the invasion."

"Perhaps...” Strahd cautioned, “but we will have to be careful going into the den of our enemies."

"Is everything alright you two?" Aric called into the room. He and Jeeves had finished on the other side, and had come to check on the vampire and the monster hunter.

Strahd folded his arms,  "Other than her almost tripping into a portal to the werewolf den. Things are great."

Linda looked to Aric and Jeeves,  "We are going to go through a portal straight into the den."

Strahd looked surprised. 

Linda looked straight into his eyes, her voice serious, "I'm going through it."

"Through the portal to a den of werewolves?” Aric felt uneasy, “That doesn't sound like a good idea."

Jeeves folded his arms, "No, it does not."

"Thank you," Strahd indicated the boys.

 "Sounds like a good one to me," Linda smirked, keeping her eyes on Strahd, she walked over to the circle, “So?”

She picked her foot up and held it above the circle.

Strahd furrowed his brow at the woman, "That's foolish."

She raised a brow, "Are you going to stop me?" she lowered her foot closer, "Or follow me?"

Strahd sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was weaker than he would like to be... tired, fatigued, his magic power almost at its limit. It would be suicide if any of them were caught, outnumbered...

But for some reason, the thought of Linda getting killed...

"It appears that I am also, in this moment, a fool..." He tiredly stepped forward.

Linda put her foot down...

The chalk flashed purple. One moment they were there, the next they were gone. Aric sighed,  "I suppose we should follow them in case they need help."

Jeeves and Aric steeled themselves before walking through...

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

A cave... running water... The group looked at their surroundings, trying to get their bearings. There was a gash in the ceiling that allowed the gray light and cold drizzle from the outdoors to seep in... torches lined the walls of the cave. Just in front of them, an underground spring seeped forth. It appeared to be forty feet across, and a five foot ledge looked over it. Perched on that ledge was a single werewolf in hybrid form that happened to be looking in the opposite direction of where they were gathered.

Wasting no time, the group clung to the shadows, approaching the lone werewolf. Linda and Aric snuck up on it, and knocked it out. It collapsed, and returned to its human form.

Another werewolf just beyond flicked its ears backward. Jeeves moved forward with his shortsword, ready to pounce. He struck the creature twice before Strahd moved forward and punched the beast square in the muzzle, knocking that one unconscious as well.

As that one fell with a clamor, the group quickly tried to hide once more...

Strahd felt his fatigue, and let go of his physical form, opting to travel as a thin mist... it would be harder to spot him this way, at least.

He crept along slowly, beside them as they passed through rocky formations. Linda peered forward and saw ten werewolves, and two of the mutant werewolf hybrids.

She whispered, “Large group. Two mutants. Ten werewolves...” She looked for a path... if they moved to the right, they could make it to the next ledge. She pointed it out to the boys, "We can make it there."

Slowly, they moved by the lycanthropes... that group seemed to be speaking about battle plans, but it would have been too risky to linger. Linda moved past them...

Two werewolves in hybrid form were speaking, both female. One of the large mutant kind, and one normal werewolf. The large one with white fur spoke in a low growl, "Ingrid. Kellen has to fight. To make the pack strong. There is no exception."

Ingrid, the other werewolf, hissed, "But he is a child! They shouldn't fight! Kiril is your mate, Bianca! Make him see reason! There are so few of us already, we can't afford to sacrifice our young- even if it is for strength!"

Linda focused on moving forward... A werewolf was cornering a small child as the females fought... She saw steps leading down to her right. She moved up, and saw that down the stairs there was a statue of a woman with a wolf’s head, surrounded by coins, a dead man and woman, and cages of children...

Timothy! Linda saw him, cramped and huddled down with five other children. But she had to wait for the opportunity to get him.

Aric’s hearing became sharp and unnaturally crisp... He heard Mehmet’s voice... He turned to face the source and saw his cousin with two other people far across the way...

 "Yes, the circle should have enough charges to get everyone in and out. I just checked it upstairs," Mehmet placed his hands inside his robes.

A huge lycanthrope unlike anything Aric had ever seen hulked by Mehmet. His skin was twisted and purplish, eyes a jaundiced yellow, dark fur missing in some areas, with intense scars punctuating his body. This must have been the leader of the pack: Kiril.

He growled, "It better. I've wasted too much time at the walls for this to fall through. Dilisnya... what of your end? Will we be able to count on your... guild?"

The man Kiril referred to as Dilisnya was plainly dressed. A young, handsome face framed by curly brown hair, and cold blue eyes spoke with a silvery voice, "You've dealt with us long enough to know that my guild always follows through with its promises,” He made a gesture, “You have gotten stronger from it, you became pack leader, and now? Krezk will fall."

Mehmet seemed skeptical, "That's only if your angel friend can learn to keep a level head."

The man seemed unworried, "It'll be fine, we can still do it with or without him. He's almost outlived his usefulness anyway."

Mehmet seemed to shudder, "About time..."

Kiril growled, "Agreed... and what of the... mongrel-folk?"

Dilisnya waved dismissively, "They are just there to stir confusion, and horror, and despair. Useless as soldiers. I've already field tested them and found them... wanting."

Meanwhile, Linda looked to the mist that was Strahd. It reached forward, uncollected, almost unaware of everything around him... Her heart sank in realization, This is why he didn’t want to come! He’s... out of it. Tired... Why did you come, you stupid man?! Was it for... me? She looked around with worry, if someone noticed the mist....

Growls and the sound of fighting rung out through the left. Aric saw a werewolf approach Kiril, "Kiril! Ingrid and Bianca are at each other's throats!"

Kiril growled, "She would come to blows with my mate?! Now of all times? Let me deal with this dissent..."

Kiril pointed to the guards next to him, "Come with me."

Dilisnya sighed in distaste as Kiril stormed off. He spoke to Mehmet, "I'm going to the Amber Temple, to clear a few things up. Just make sure he doesn't get too carried away."

Mehmet nodded, "Right. And the mage?"

"Let him keep thinking what he thinks. And guide him toward the orchards... any luck, he'll think the trees are Strahd's minions, and the orchards will be razed in seconds," Dilisnya turned and departed upstairs.

Mehmet fidgeted with his hands and muttered, "I did not come here to be a servant. We'll get past this soon enough...” He paused as if he were listening to something, “Yes, understood, Great Pasha..."

Mehmet Rein murmured and walked up the stairs slowly.

Linda seized the opportunity and bolted down the stairs to the children’s cages. The children wept and shrieked at the sound of the fighting wolves. Timothy simply covered his ears and closed his eyes.

Strahd all but stumbled out of his mist form and pinched the bridge of his nose. He collected his bearings and looked at the children. 

Linda rushed over to the cage with Timothy in it, pulling out her tools, trying to unlock it. She called to her party, "We need to get everyone out."

Strahd replied, "We need to get everyone quiet."

Linda looked to Strahd. She didn’t care if he used his vampiric powers for this task, "Get to it then. I'll do what I can."

Linda focused on her apprentice, worry in her voice, "Timothy, Timmy. You need to help me quiet everyone. I'm getting you out of here."

Timothy opened his eyes and looked to her, shocked, "Miss Linda! How did you-? Oh gods, I left the shop unlocked, I'm so sorry..." He teared up.

Linda nodded, trying to calm him, "It's alright, I locked up."

Linda unlocked the cage and opened the door. Timothy stood, but the other children cowered.

Strahd stepped forth. Linda commanded Timothy, “Timmy, close your eyes.” Timothy did as told.

Strahd walked forth to the children and made eye contact with them. His eyes flashed red as he reached his influence over them. He spoke in his most soothing voice, "It's alright. You are going to be safe soon. Just lower your voices, children. Shhhhh...."

As he shushed them, they stopped their crying, their eyes glazed over. He had them under his control.

Linda took Timothy’s arm, “Come on... I’ll explain later. Help me get everyone else...”

Aric, Jeeves, Linda, and Timothy worked to free the children as Strahd calmed them with his supernatural influence.

Linda ushered the children, "Alright. Now upstairs we go. Quickly now...”

Aric guided them to the entry he saw Mehmet pass through, pulling back a curtain of human skin. There was no time to be disgusted. Escape was all that mattered. They walked up the stairs and came to an outside opening... There was a portal just on the ground, surrounded by a pile of stones.

Mehmet was there, facing the lake that was under them. He turned around, speaking tiredly, "Kiril, did you finish with the-”

His face contorted in fear and confusion, “Children?! What are you doing out of your cages?!"

Linda pushed the children forward, “Go, through that! Quickly!”

Timothy and the other children ran through. In a flash of purple light, they were gone.

Mehmet made a gesture, summoning bright energy around him, "You will not disrupt this!"

Linda raised her crossbow, "Yes we will," she fired a shot with her crossbow, but the energy seemed to slow the bolt near him, and made it glance harmlessly off of his side.

Aric grabbed his light crossbow and fired, trying to back away from his dangerous cousin, but he tripped over.

Mehmet looked to Aric and Jeeves, anger contorting on his face, he twisted a ring on his hand, cursing, "Damn you! I will be Syl-Pasha... because I have the greatest of Pashas on my side... Pasha of Pashas, Memnon! I summon you!"

A blast of heat struck them backwards... a swirl of fire emerged from the ring, manifesting into an unusually large efreeti... His skin ashen gray, and his szulduar angular and crackling.  The efreeti, Memnon roared, only Aric could understand its cry:

Freedom.

The rock around them turned into sand, flames nipped at their feet. 

Jeeves panicked,  "How do we destroy the portal? And more importantly- do we have a way out?!"

Aric turned to Strahd, yelling over the wind and fire,  "Can we destroy the portal from the other side?!"

Strahd looked to the creature, horrified, "No. We won't have the time! The portal will take us to somewhere else in the Abbey, and it won't guarantee that thing won't come through!” Strahd raised his cloak to cover his face from a stray ember as the efreet took one large step, “I have a spell- my last spell- to get us out. To destroy the portal, just destroy the symbols."

Jeeves didn’t have to be told twice. He drew his shortsword and ran over to the portal, trying not to burn his feet as he struck at the chalk on the ground.

Nothing. The symbols remained.

Strahd stepped forward and slammed a fist onto the ground, cracking the stone beneath, and shattering the integrity of the circle. 

Mehmet and the efreeti roared in unison as the efreeti summoned more fire around them... the smoke was starting to choke...

Strahd stood, and pulled Jeeves back with Linda and Aric.

“Stay near!“ Strahd warned as his fists glowed purple...

The Abbey... Strahd willed the spell, Bring us back to the Abbey-

A swath of flame licked at his back, just as the purple light enveloped them... Strahd cried out in surprised pain, his thoughts warped, his concentration lost...

I want to go home!

Drifting. Floating... Bliss... then stillness.

Everyone looked around them. They were... not in the Abbey. They were in an open area of what appeared to be a castle. A long red carpet lined a stone floor, with marble columns reaching to the ceiling. On top of the columns, gargoyles regarded them with leery expressions. Candles of red wax lighted the gray stone from golden sconces. Skeletons assembled to perform mundane tasks, sweeping the floor, dusting paintings... 

A chill swept through the hallway as it grew slightly darker in the room...

Linda grabbed onto Strahd’s shirt, anger overcoming her caution, "What did you do?! Why are we here!?"

Strahd pinched the bridge of his nose in a haze. What had happened...? He thought of the flame against his back, the pain... He sighed, "I suppose... I may have been... slightly off target..."

Aric looked around him, "Where is ‘here’ exactly?"

"Home,” Strahd all but whispered in tiredness, “Welcome... to Castle Ravenloft."

[lawofattraction43-blog]

Precisely why Can't I Get Typically the Legislation of Attraction In order to Work Personally?

law of attraction new

I receive asked much more this issue than any and the idea is one of typically the most difficult to make clear in a manner which people really recognize as well as understand how to implement it into their life.

A lot of of my audience throughout the world ask me precisely why that they can't seem to find the Regulation of Appeal to work for the coffee lover.

law of attraction new

That they read, study, and also process what many lecturers notify them to do along with they nonetheless cannot reveal their tendencies in living.

The answer is straightforward and I'll be frank about it.

That people command the Law of Interest unless you can management your thoughts! Period!

Your Vanity almost certainly doesn't like this particular statement and definitely will tell a person it's not true. Your own Ego will allow an individual to read this Audibly gentle but it will test to understand it dismissed via your mind in addition to recorded away and transfer anyone on to other views.

As always, it is usually your choice to study this specific, then know it, subsequently apply it into your own personal life.

Many supposed 'gurus' sell the Law associated with Attraction as a hot brand new way to obtain what you want within. And they make lots of money making use of their lessons and programs.

Undoubtedly often the Law of Attraction is definitely real, it always performs without fail, and is actually you can use on demand.

However you want a excessive enough level of charge of your mind to create it work.

Albert Einstein said, "You can not answer any problem with the actual similar mindset that made the item! "

That will be SO REAL!

Once you actually learn HOW to feel correctly and begin for you to control your mind with regard to periods of time a person gain access to the particular limitless potential of all you want in life by way of a difference in your way of thinking.

In our entire world right now our attention runs tend to be practically nonexistent as well as look to be getting quicker continuously in the substantial tech society all of us are living in.

This seemingly esoteric source called the Rules regarding Attraction is some sort of proven fact involving dole science studies which is accessible to us as a new All-natural Law similar to help the Law connected with The law of gravity.

You know for the idea that if you getaway and tumble the Laws of Gravity is likely to lead to you to hit typically the ground.

Regulations of Fascination is just as highly effective and real as often the Legislation of Gravity.

The idea fundamentally states that precisely what you concentrate the the greater part of your thoughts upon, that which you focus your sensations on the the majority of, and also how you usually work is definately what type associated with circumstances, conditions, situations, men and women, and style of existence you will attract along with endure on a day-to-day, weekly, every year basis.

Yet again, the Law regarding Destination never fails to function, has an effect on every person in the planet, and is usually a well-known scientific fact!

Many of us may not really understand almost all the scientific guidelines involving it but that will not alter the fact that this works. And therefore, it includes rules.

Rule one... you should control your mind in addition to thought processes. There is zero point in learning Guideline two if you can not get past Principle a single.

Your Ego don't similar to that did it?

Often the fact is your ideas as well as feelings and activities get defined exactly the sort of life you are lifestyle since you read these phrases.

What your location is now is any direct result of just about all your prior thoughts, inner thoughts, and steps you include taken up to this kind of point.

It is advisable to believe and also accept that truth along with you need to RECOGNIZE its your reality! Feel challenging about this regarding a moment. View wherever you are right right now in life.

You will be appropriate where you put your self using the Law connected with Appeal without even understanding it.

Not until you recognize the reality of the real truth can you begin in order to utilize Law of Interest deliberately, not accident because most many people done many of their existence.

Yet you simply cannot employ this Regulation if an individual are not the remote of your thought process and feelings.

Throughout the beginning you could possibly just be able to manage your thoughts intended for eighteen short

seconds. No matter.

To be able to begin to be ready to observe anyone maintaining your thoughts is the actual very first step to learning exactly how to make the Rules of Attraction work.

If you learn to control your personal thoughts to get 15 moments it will easily switch into 30 seconds. Subsequently a moment. Then your five minutes. Then much longer.

Whenever you get to possibly half a minute or a second you can Check out the distinction in control you will certainly have. During these short explodes of handle is whenever you have the electrical power to work with the Law associated with Attraction purposely.

All regarding my Whispers need to support you to learn the particular facts of self breakthrough discovery in addition to living with mindfulness which in turn will assist you to begin using the Laws of Fascination in typically the correct manner that may bring you what you would like throughout life.

Outside of all these found moments of intelligence (control) the Law involving Attraction is simply not available to be able to you ON PURPOSE.

Anyone are with it unconsciously, since you have often accomplished, to keep you contemplating the same thoughts as well as feelings you always possess possessed and keep you actually right what your location is in lifestyle up to this stage bringing in the same issues you have generally fascinated.

Can you imagine most the excellent things a person can begin to take in your life during these times of determining your mind and also using the Law connected with Attraction on purpose?

This kind of is when legislation associated with Attraction really starts to perform for you and makes it possible for you to commence to layout and create what variety of lifetime you need to live.

And while an individual practice being with control within your present time the time you may carry this control expands speedily because you can notice along with feel the big difference in your consciousness in addition to consciousness.

Your brain is definitely functioning at its top degree when you are usually in control and supplying your subconscious specific information through your thoughts as well as feelings.

It is with this time that your unconscious head decides this is actually what you really wish inside when you work with the Law of Destination on purpose and that will move nirvana and also earth to bring your own desires into your truth.

This can be you have often the Law of Appeal doing work for you on higher speed... if you control your current thoughts and emotions.

Your current subconscious mind usually will take the conclusions within your cognizant mind and is simply there for you any time you are in your own personal provide moment. In your personal NOW. At this point you is if you can use the actual Legislation of Attraction.

While we ciel into each of our normal awake-but-asleep state regarding mind, which is loaded with disarray and temporal garbage, we all lose command of our all-natural point out of consciousness and also the Regulation of Attraction is absolutely not obtainable to us at this particular time intentionally.

It will be still working along with appealing to more of our existing lifestyle to us but is not what we want for you to attract. Its attracting much more of what we have got always gotten.

Using the particular Rules of Attraction/Creation is usually not some sort of secret. The item is not complicated.

It's a natural Law of living we can learn to help use by simply controlling all of our thoughts and feelings (if only for a limited time) to start with to style and design and create our foreseeable future.

The goal of applying the Law involving Interest is to not would like, but for begin to absolutely know what you need.

This is to design in addition to create living you desire in your controlled imagination then act and feel like it is already the ones you have as a result moment forward as well as is true.

Then have confidence in it will can be found and also let it go and enable it to come whenever, just where, and how Lord, Higher Electrical power, or typically the Universe decides

The actual while, where, and how is not really your decision and certainly not for you to concern yourself with!

Your only job is definitely knowing absolutely that anyone actually have it because you actually designed along with created the idea in your mind, knowning that it is coming, in addition to to seek out the chances that will will be the shown to you to help to make it express in your own physical world.

Many people emphasis only on what is actually happening externally of our own life. Begin to consider what is happening about the inside of your current life likewise.

Remember, what exactly you desire is currently produced in your existence the instant you style it and create the item inside your imagination with managed feelings and thoughts and using often the 5 intuitively feels to observe it in your lifestyle previously happening and LEARNING it can be yours!

As a example, if you need a fresh home acquire a few minutes in the quiet place and think about every detail of this specific home you need in your own personal mind. See how lovely it really is from the neighborhood. Walk up to this in your imagination as well as see the attractive yard and also smell the new cut yard. See oneself opening the actual front door along with taking walks inside and experiencing all of the beautiful furniture in addition to walls and flooring. Enter the kitchen and view the new steel kitchen appliances, the marble kitchen countertops, as well as wood floors. Start the particular cupboards and see the many beautiful dishes and cutlery. Go into the get better at bedroom and see the massive wooden canopy bed using plush bed covers as well as the skylight over the sleep. Head into your closet and also see typically the hundreds connected with outfits and shoes or boots covered up neatly. See on your own walking out onto often the deck in back along with spot the huge gas barbeque in addition to outdoor bar as well as how tends to make you experience. Glance over at the actual swimming pool and find how obvious the normal water is. Notice just how wonderful it feels to a person to reside and own this kind of wonderful house. See your personal kids enjoying that amazing home and how very much they love it. View by yourself entertaining your household and friends on trips and how proud an individual are on this wonderful residence.

(This can be a brief outline of how to create exactly what you want in lifetime using the Laws associated with Attraction and I would likely advise you to get into more detail this sort of as going through every single room and imagine that in your mind having those strong thoughts and also feelings. )

My level is that the a lot more detail you picture within your mind with manipulated thoughts and emotions ABOUT PURPOSE the harder powerful your own message for your subconscious thoughts of what you need will always be.

You can design and whatever you want inside your mind with your creative imagination and when you increase great detail with inventive thoughts and feelings along with mental photographs ON FUNCTION WITH A CONTROLLED Actually send a powerful meaning in your subconscious mind that will this are what you genuinely want.

Once you get designed in addition to created this particular desire in your head in aspect it comes to lifebecause anyone used controlled ideas and feelings to deliver the particular message to your depths of the mind that this is today REAL for yourself.

You could KNOW it is ACTUAL because you have viewed it in your thoughts in fantastic detail which has a high stage of thinking as well as experiencing. At that point THE IDEA IS GENUINE! It may well not be here throughout your actual reality still but it absolutely will be a real thing with your mind and also emotional baggage the moment you make it.

Keep this specific want in your brain and re-create this a lot of times as you can certainly in the arriving nights, weeks and several weeks along with the same thoughts, sensations and emotions and specifics.

You can use this specific technique to design that whatever you want within life vogue finding typically the love of your living, getting a brand-new work or business, completely new autos, more money, better well being, saving animals, helping many people, or anything your head imagine having and focus with that you are enthusiastic about

No one on globe can stop through realizing what you choose in order to motivation in life is usually coming to you!

Your career is to simply decide on the attitude that you actually are now going to be able to Let your subconscious mind for you to bring whatever you know is definitely yours to come in your life physically.

Tell your unconscious actually now allow the idea to bring everything you wish into your physical existence whenever it is set to grow it. Your career is not HOW or maybe WHEN it will appear. Your job is usually to get started to see it approaching.

Envision what you may do with this REWARD.

Legal issues of Attraction is actually the most great, undetectable gift we have also been granted in life. And so few on earth know regarding it and discover how to utilize it correctly.

[brianjpatterson]

SPOTLIGHT: My Annual Business Plan Creation - “Twice As Good”

If you’re just joining Spotlight, then this is my personal journal of my personal journey as a performer. It’s a kind of way for me to look back on all of my experiences, and lessons I’ve learned, while simultaneously sharing what I’ve learned with you. Disclaimer: The word PERSONAL was utilized twice in the first sentence. Therefore, this is not the gospel or the truth, it’s just me sharing MY experiences in an effort to assist, if possible, in other people’s discovery (end disclaimer). Today, I’m going to get back to my A+B=C method which focuses on “Brian’s B’s” (Being, Behavior, and Business), and talk about the third of those B’s and that is business. Business is the one area in which most artists are lacking. Our education is so focused on talent and technique that we often forget that ‘show-business’ is by nature a business. But there is something that fuels my business which most aren’t aware. Let me explain...

There is an episode of Scandal where Olivia Pope is speaking to her father Rowan Pope and the exchange goes something like this…

ROWAN: Did I not raise you for better? How many times have I told you? You have to be WHAT? OLIVIA: Twice as good. ROWAN: You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have.

This was completely intentional. Shonda Rhymes was communicating the experience of minorities; Specifically those of African American decent. To give a bit of context about the AA experience:

Slavery was apart of the foundation of America’s creation and nearly all basic systems of government, commerce, education, etc. in America were constructed with the idea that African Americans had no place within said systems; Effectively communicating an exclusion as the status quo. 

While the abolishment of slavery was ratified on Dec 6, 1865, Jim Crowe laws remained in effect until President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights act of 1964. Yet the Voting Rights Act wasn’t signed until 1965. These happened an entire 100 years after slavery was abolished. Continuing the enforce the status quo for another hundred years. 

My point is that for 100 years after slavery was abolished, African American were STILL living in a society constructed to set them up for failure, and communicates on a daily basis that they are not welcome or equal. We only begun correcting these inequalities under 60 years ago. Historically, it took America an entire hundred years just to get around to correcting these inequalities. It’s completely obvious to me that we have not deconstructed the foundational inequalities upon which our country was built in only 60 years; to think so would be silly. However, it’s obviousness may be because I live it every day, and it is THIS experience about which Shonda Rhymes was speaking. The idea that you are not equal is a notion that has yet to be completely exorcised from the fabric of America, and it rears it’s head on a daily basis. I believe that the introduction of social media into society, has definitely permitted us to identify and isolate it more effectively, and it can be argued that we have increased the rate at which we correct, but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s there, and it’s something for which African Americans in particular have had to adjust. The adjustments I see on the part of AAs are a powerful development of: a) social and situational awareness, b) GRIT/ability to cope with adversity, and c) adaptability. Yet, as a marginalized person who is systematically seen as unequal, you must constantly and continually prove to be equal by excelling at nearly two times the standard, just to achieve what those in the majority achieve with ease or think to be ‘normal’. I also believe that situational awareness, GRIT, and adaptability are things which have finally begun to be intoduced into common knowledge. It’s no mistake that many of these ideas are being brought forward to the collective consciousness by minorities or people who have done much study on minorities. For me personally, these ideas have permeated my life, and have effected my career in particular. They truly are the crux of my business model, and formulate the foundation of many of my business practices. They are why I have the extensive body of work that I do, and work with the kind of regularity and frequency I do.

That being said, I’d like to introduce you to one of my most powerful practices: My annual Strategic Planning Session which results in the creation of an annual business plan. I create this plan because very much like the idea that I need to be ‘twice as good’, my ability to achieve needs to have a gearing power behind it and must be executed with precision. If not, then I won’t produce the results needed to prove that I’m ‘twice as good’. Knowing that it is called ‘show-business’ I know that I should treated as such. Therefore, I set up my business as if I am the sole proprietor and CEO. One of the first things needed to create results for your business is a solid plan. If not, then you’ll never be profitable. As a performer, my idea of ‘profitable’ is: 1) making my living as a performer, 2) not having to do any kind of extra work, 3) being in well respected projects, 4) having all of my projects and work meet a standard of excellence, and 5) doing performance work which is unmistakably good (I must admit that I’ve fallen short of this a few times. lol). These to me are basic standards to be considered a performer when people ask you what you do for a living. I realize that I set this bar pretty high, but again it is the ‘twice as good’ standard, and it is one that I create FOR MYSELF. I’m proud to say that this business plan is one of the many processes I’ve created for myself, but for me it is one of the most important. I hope that you enjoy and get as much out of it as I do. Here you go…

There are essentially 11 steps to creating my business plan. 10 of these are printed sheets that go into the finalized product. I have broken them down into steps to follow, and it usually takes me two to three days to finish everything. Therefore, at the end of the year, I block out two or three days from around 10am until 3pm each day, and I dedicate the entire time SOLELY to the completion of this project. It takes a lot of time, but it is SO worth it, as this process has helped me to produce results that people told me were impossible. I do this all in PowerPoint, but you can choose any program you like and in which you feel most comfortable.

1. Theme - I create a theme for the plan, and also a catch phrase for the year. It’s always something that inspires me and keeps me on track, and is a great reminder to put me back on track during those inevitable moments when I falter. 2. Mission - this is my primary mission in life and career. It’s brief but specific. My current mission only has two sentences. However, I included an additional sentence to describe what my most valuable asset will be in bringing that mission to fruition. 3. Vision - This is the product of the mission. It’s what I will produce as I bring the mission to fruition. In addition, and this is going to sound like a contradiction, however the vision is also going to be how I bring the mission to fruition. The vision is the picture produced when the mission is on track. 4. Stats - Each year there are some specific bits of information at which I look with regularity. Most of which are tracked by my ‘work tracking sheet’ I created in excel. The top of the sheet has titles for each of the columns (Submission date, Source, Casting Director, Prod Company, Client, PRojet type, Age Cast, Role type, ethnicity, description, Pay rate, Audition outfit, audition date, callback, callback 2, audition thank you sent, hold/avail, booking date, director, dp, producer, post work thank you, etc.). In addition, I also have another sheet for the year which I am able to see other information (Annual Income sources, Average Day Rate, Booking breakdown by type, booking breakdown by age, booking breakdown by genre, Booking breakdown by casting director, etc., etc.). This allows me to see what I’m booking and why. If you’re focus is dance, music, or any other type of work, you may want to adjust these two sheets to fit your particular career or area of interest. What’s great about having such detailed information is that you can see many truths about your business. Which leads to my next section… 5. INSIGHTS - After I’ve ensured accuracy, I take a look at all of the stats and come to some conclusions. Once I list many of these conclusions, these are what make up my insights. They are very helpful when creating goals or giving a more clear perspective. Regardless of wether I wanted to hear/see them or not. If you are relying on extra work for income, this could be an insight. If you are booking a majority of under 5s this could be an insight. Personally, I found an insight which gave me an answer to a question that has bugged me for a long time. I always wondered why people were unaware of some of my other capabilities. Especially since for the last 6-7 years, 70% of my annual income was derived from theatre work. This perplexed me. However, after really looking at my casting numbers, I noticed that 50% of my roles cast were for commercials. Since a majority of the commercials and industrials I did were with really big fortune 500 company names, those were the things that received the most interaction and attention on social media or other types of media. Whereas the truly powerful work that I did on stage or in films just wasn’t recognized; Mostly because people either didn’t see it, or just weren’t aware of it. So while I was continuing my 25 years of theatre and character experience, it just wasn’t being seen. While I would see many many other people without as much experience achieving smaller roles without as much jutspah on network or big budget projects, they were seen as more ‘legitimate’ because of the notoriety. This informed me of the areas in which I needed more attention with regard to marketing, etc., and it also brings me to my next section… 6. S.W.O.T. - My SWOT analysis is the next part of my business plan. I take a paper and divide it into for equal sections writing the following at the top of each section: Strengths, Weaknesses, Outcomes, & Threats. I make a list of 5 things for each section. For instance, Under strengths I might write ‘character work’; Working as a character actor for 25 years I’ve been able to develop that skill. Since I know that many people get into acting for some form of notoriety and quite often don’t have the chops, it is a strength for me because it puts be in a separate category. Under Weaknesses I might write ‘networking’. My focus as a performer is making a living and doing good work (under my mission, of course). Therefore, I’m not reaching to try to get the most popular or exclusive projects. In effect, my networking skills are not as good as they could be. So this might be an area of focus for me. Under Outcomes I might write what my stats are as I have produced some really strong and irrefutable stats each year, and under threats I might write ‘television’ because I love tv and it can be a threat to my productivity. I think you get the picture here. Either way, having the informed stats, and the clear SWOT analysis, it helps me to create the goals for this year. However, before I do that, there is one thing that I have to either create or revisit… 7. Long term goals - I have created a list of long term goals for myself. I took this out of my business plan this year, because it just takes up space. However, I always have it as a part of my process, because I feel that these long term goals need to be referred to with regularity. ESPECIALLY during the ‘Life Goals’ creation process. I have what I call a ‘Life Goals’ document in excel. I separated it into six quadrants across the top: Career, Physical, Social, Personal, Financial, and Spiritual/Physical. Those are all the areas of my life that I feel are important and require special attention. Within those quadrants are five columns (which will come into play later). I then create a list of my primary life goals within each of those quadrants. Then down the left side of the document, I have the year and my age that year. With the pull down option of excel, I fill in the next 25 years. This way I’m able to plan the next 25 years of my life, and can move to creating the next section of the business plan… 8. Short term goals (this year) - This section is what determines how I plan the year. As I’m in the long term goals sheet, I take a long time to look at each of my goals in each quadrant of my life, and then think about how long it will take those to come to fruition. Once I have done so, I then list the incremental goals needed to bring said goal to life. Once I’ve done that, I have an idea as to where they can happen in my life. Hence, the columns/age on the left side. This is where i start to fill each of the years with it’s incremental goals. Being somewhat of a pragmatist, I can reference how old I will be when I achieve each of those goals, so that I can be realistic about my abilities and duration of achievement. Once I have the next 25 years or so filled in, I can then move forward to creating the next part of the business plan… 9. Timeline for this year - My timeline for the year is tool which gets me the most excited about my year. It’s when I can actually see what the plan is for the year before my very eyes. What I do is make a list of months (Jan-Dec) for the current year. Then, after looking at my short term goals, I can see what my goals should be for each month of the year. I simply fill those into the list and vualah! I have my important goals that need to be accomplished each month. Once complete, I can then begin not only putting them on the calendar, but also adding to my iCloud calendar what my daily tasks need to be to complete each of those monthly goals. Adding things to the calendar is probably one of the most tedious processes possible. Mostly because I have to be sure to adhere to a few rules: First, I color code everything. I use red for ‘work’, blue for ‘commitments’, yellow for personal, and purple for my production team stuff (like Kaleidoscope). Examples of the things that I add in each section are: Auditions, Check Avails, and bookings are red because they are work. Meditating, checking my finances, reviewing my to do list, my morning rituals, journaling, and any ‘9-5’ type of work I do are all in blue because they are just something that have to be done. They are things to which I have committed. The gym, meeting friends/having dinner, watching the UFC match, and tv shows, etc. are all in yellow because they are personal. I have given Kaleidoscope a purple color because it is it’s own entity and I need to be another person when I’m there; It reminds me to put on another hat. Once I have all this into my calendar I also set reminders for certain things in the reminder portion of my phone. In addition, I do this when new things come up and I need to be reminded about them. Once the goals for the month are completed as a list, and I’ve filled in the calendar and reminders are all set, I am ready attack the year. There is one thing to be mindful of: TIME. You will need time to rest and you will need time to adjust when things don’t go your way, which is inevitable. An unexpected monkey wrench will always be thrown into your plan. So it’s important to pad your schedule with extra time. One way in which I do this is by keeping a Monday through Friday ‘work’ schedule for everything that I do, and by having the weekends to rest, relax, and spend with friends or engage in extracurricular activities. This may not work for you. You may want to do an opposite schedule as this, or if you have a traditional 9-5 job, you may need to only devote a couple of hours a day to your acting business. That’s ok. Everyone is different and there is a different context to everyone’s life. The universe has a plan for you and you need to see it through in your own time. One step at a time! With that, remember that regardless of your time management skills and your ability to follow through, we all need to rely on support. Which inspired my next section…   10. Support team - None of us are an island. We all need support. Your support will coincide with your goals. So, if your goals are lofty, then you will most definitely require a strong network of support. Keeping this in mind, I make a list of my support team needed for bringing my goals to life. In addition, I sometimes write the qualities needed in that particular section of support. After that I write their names and a brief couple of positive words on how I see them. This way it inspires me to stay in a tone of positive inspiration/conversation with them. In addition, I also have a list of professional networks, Facebook groups, lists, and projects I work on with regularity so that I am reminded to massage those groups and interacts with them.   11. Follow Up and Next Steps - it is here that I make a list of all the things that I need to do differently or on which I must focus, in order to become successful during the year. It can be helpful to create a daily reminder specifically to revisit these commitments for success.

Once you have 10 sheets of the previous 11 components in place (Cover page with theme, Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Statistical Analysis, Insights, SWOT analysis, Short Term goals, Timeline for the year (by month), List of Support Team, and Follow Up/Next Steps) you should have a really powerful business plan which gives you a clear plan of attack for the years. Keep in mind that all of these will help you to formulate how to attack the year, what things require the most focus, etc. Everyone is different, and each person will need to do their own tweaking to make it a successful tool for them. But I guarantee this is a fantastic template for everyone to follow toward success!

Love and Light, Brian

[mellocrossfox]

Traffic is most often associated with earnings on the Internet. We hear the question: what kind of traffic do you have and do not understand what kind of answer the interlocutors want to hear from you. What does it mean, “What traffic?” Let's understand from and to in this thread.

Many people think that making money in life and on the Internet is the same thing and both options obey the same laws, but this opinion is erroneous and needs to be done away with. It is necessary to rebuild your understanding of making money on the Internet and only after that start this work.

At the final presentation, the Runet specialist asked about the attitude to making money on the Internet, most of them gave a negative answer. Then the question arises, how can a person make money on the Internet if he does not believe in this business, treats him badly and does not accept it?

 how to increase traffic to the site

Our article will be useful for those who work remotely, maintains a blog, supports the work of the site and many others. There are a lot of such today, but not everyone is successful in this area precisely because of a lack of understanding of “working on the Internet”, in most cases they have minimal income from the possible, but we are here to fix it.

 Content

1. About traffic

2. How to increase traffic

About traffic

Because of those whose work is based on the principle of the "pyramid", earning on the Internet has gained its negative reputation. What do they do that scares others so much? How do they manage to earn a decent amount? These are sales, but you also need to be able to sell, in this business you need constant training. The world is changing, as is the consciousness of people, and the demand for goods is also not linear. Often we treat sellers badly, do not want to understand their work, try on their role.

Gradually, we bring you to the understanding that, even without being a seller and not engaged in sales, the sales skill remains useful anyway. By learning to sell goods, services, thoughts, knowledge, you acquire the skill that is necessary for a modern person. However, to sell is not always to get money for the goods, the most common “thank you”, review, positive comment, advertising (telling your friends and acquaintances about you), likes and other, which is free, can be used as payment.

How to increase trafficFor successful work, you need to perform the following task: create a name for yourself and your product, become popular and only after you collect the customer base can you start the main one.So, to begin with, we offer to find out the definition of the word traffic. What is under it in this case.

Traffic is the number of visitors to your site, blog, page that are potential buyers of your product (this includes information of a different nature).

Your success depends on how well you are in salesman skills. If a person is interested in an offer, he will definitely come back to buy or see your other goods. Having satisfied his interest, he will already monitor your actions, which means that he will increase traffic. Television, the Internet, radio, newspaper are all goods. Watch the program - you buy, without even knowing it, listen to the radio - you buy, scroll through the tape on the social network - you buy. Everything happens imperceptibly for you.

 When taking the first steps in sales, please note that traffic will begin to grow thanks to social networks, articles, advertisements posted on your sites, blog, pages, and likes. The buyer, having seen the rated photo or post in social networks, goes to the main page in the hope of seeing something valuable for himself. And he is more likely to subscribe to your news.

Conclusion: traffic is the ratio of the number of visitors for a period of time. For example, 100 people / month is a very low traffic. This is nothing. 100 people / day - average traffic. Why? Because out of a hundred visitors, only a few place a real order, while the rest, not finding anything interesting, just leave the page.

 traffic increase

And yet, always be prepared that you will come across people who are dissatisfied with your business, especially at the beginning of the journey. They just have different views, interests, attitude, such people can confuse you. It is necessary to overcome this obstacle and continue to move in the chosen direction. Such people write bad reviews, perhaps they will convince you, scare away customers. But remember: everything is in your hands. A new world awaits new discoveries.

So, today we talked about how to increase traffic to the site.

[peace-coast-island]

Rising star Finn Dobrev came out of nowhere. As in no one has heard of him until recently and he just sort of accidentally became famous. He just unknowingly walked into stardom after being dragged by his friend, celebutante and notorious diva Lauren Pines when the actor playing the love interest quit at the last minute. The director was desperate and needed someone who could tolerate Lauren’s bratty behavior when Lauren called Finn up. The movie was a surprise hit and the rest is history. However when you’re Finn Dobrev, accidental stardom is nothing compared to what happened to him the year before when everything got really weird.

Flashback to a very long time ago, years before the story began, back to Purplewood Forest. There, was three year old Finn completely lost with no memory of his identity other than a beanie with his name on it. For nine years Finn was raised by an alien shapeshifter scientist named Mara and her adopted son, a ghost named Cloud. When Finn was twelve, a disaster struck Island 01010, an epidemic that would claim the lives of over 90% of its inhabitants. In order to save the remaining population, Mara and her team of scientists stopped the mutant virus with cyborg technology. As a result, Finn’s body is a hybrid between human and cyborg with incredible strength and durability while maintaining his consciousness as a human. He was one out of fifty to survive the disaster that eventually led to the island’s abandonment a few years later.

Fast forward to five years after the 01010 disaster to another disaster, this time in Island 02020. Over the years Finn has grown to be quite an adventurer, traveling through time and space helping others out. Not long after his conversion took place, Finn discovered that he had the ability to time travel, a trait he inherited from his father. After winning a battle and obtaining a key that allowed him to travel dimensions, Finn was like a hero in many places. From stopping a comet with a malfunctioning spaceship to solving cases like stolen socks to overthrowing an incompetent group of overpowered jerks, Finn Dobrev and Cloud the ghost were an unstoppable duo. Of course there were times when things went wrong like when they accidentally let a bunch of time criminals, like Finn’s father, free or causing thousands of dollars in property damage at Bubblerum Sea, which happens like once a month. It’s a good thing that Finn and Cloud are friends with everyone there, including their leader Rena. Living on Bubblerum was like a wild adventure.

And then everything changed when Finn, Cloud, and Rena were shipwrecked on the coast of 02020.

Cloud, being the overly curious and mischievous one, accidentally unleashed an evil spirit hidden away in an old arcade. Of course, Rena was furious when she found Finn and Cloud turning the village upside down in an attempt to catch the spirit. When it was clear that the spirit had left Bubblerum, the three went back to the arcade to find clues about where it could have gone. Hidden away in a bookshelf were the files of various people who lived in the Computer Isles, including 01010. In the very back of Island 050505’s records was a doctor named Aimee Ligaya, married to Marius Dobrev, two children: Tala and Finn. On the back were their pictures with a big red stamped marked missing on top of them. According to the date on the papers, the record was typed over fifteen years ago.

Upon finding that discovery, Finn was insistent on visiting 050505 to learn about his past. As he grew older, he began to wonder about a lot of things like his existence, his mortality, and most of all, his ancestry. After meeting with his father, whose answers are left for debate, Finn was left with more questions than ever. It took a lot of begging but Rena and Cloud agreed to help him make the dangerous journey to the ghost town of 050505.

Along the way, the three of them faced many obstacles including a fire breathing serpent that kept trying to put them to sleep, three annoying dragonflies that kept trying to sell them a weird elixir to make them charming, seaweed that makes everything look like weeds, and finally a whirlpool storm. The boat was destroyed and the three of them spent the next two days stranded in the ocean before washing up on the rocky shore of 02020, unaware of what is to come next.

To this day, no one is exactly sure what happened in the month of October that year. After being washed up on the shore, a scientist took the three of them in and started asking a million questions about their motives. Then while doing a DNA scan, Finn’s came up with a match. In shock, the scientist dropped everything and called for a doc bot, who took everyone to a hidden basement. There it was revealed that the scientist was Finn’s sister Tala and the doc bots were controlled by their mother Aimee, who pretty much ran everything through a command booth.

The big moment didn’t exactly go as Finn pictured it, especially with all the confusion going on after spinning around the ocean for two days straight but it went a lot smoother than he thought. Everything would have been good and happy if it wasn’t for that evil spirit Cloud released, which was basically a landmine that resulted in everything else that was about to go down. The spirit, a “wobblewonk” was a powerful force of nature who was responsible for the disasters that took place in 01010 and 05050. In 01010 was the epidemic and in 05050 was a mega earthquake and whirlpool storm that scattered its inhabitants everywhere and tore the island apart. Aimee and Tala landed on 02020 with little to no memory of what happened. By the time their memories returned, four years had passed and there were no signs of Marius and Finn in the Isle Registry. Heartbroken at their apparent demise, Aimee dedicated herself to helping 02020’s inhabitants thrive and prevent another disaster from occurring. Tala, whose life was saved by a team of biochemicalists, joined the DNA taskforce to improve the quality of the islander’s lives and create new lifeforms.

What happened in the month of October resulted in a series of time loops that would reset itself after 02020 was wiped out by the wobblewonk. The first disaster that struck was a lightning storm that struck the control tower and burnt down everything. Before the big fire, Finn and Cloud failed to defeat the wobblewonk, whose purpose was to destroy life. Moments before their demise, Cloud and Finn came up with an idea that could prevent the disaster from happening and save everyone’s lives. By combining Finn’s time travel abilities with Cloud’s ghostly powers, they could create an alternate timeline to fix things. Unfortunately they learned that trying to figure out the laws of time would just bring on more problems.

Hundreds and hundreds of time loops later, things seemed hopeless for Island 02020. The first reset took them to a time when the disaster was a flock of mutant insects that ate everything. Another loop involved a hidden landmine at the core of the island. Some loops repeated but even then Finn and Cloud were still unprepared. And there were times when freedom was within their grasp, only to be taken away by the wobblewonk. Eventually Finn and Cloud’s memories began to blur as they began to loose track of exactly how many times they reset. As time went on, Cloud realized that their powers were weakening when the resets started taking them back later in time.

It wasn’t until the reset began two weeks before the set disaster date when the tables began turning. To Finn’s surprise, Rena, Aimee, and Tala seemed to remember past timelines, which allowed them to avoid previous mistakes. While Cloud grew more weary and resigned, Finn became more determined.He fought hard to change fate by building resources and reaching out to others like Lauren, the Bubblerum council, and other friends from other lands, times, and dimensions. Still, every move he made, he was shooting in the dark. No matter what, something was bound to go wrong but at least if everyone put their heads together, there was a better chance of winning. Finn wouldn’t rest until the day came when the wobblewonk was defeated without any casualties.

The final showdown occurred on October 30 when the wobblewonk was finally defeated. This time, Finn and Cloud had the upper hand as they knew exactly what kind of disaster to prepare for. By putting together a network of allies, they  made extra sure that they were covered. From a powerful pesticide totally harmless to humanoids, gas masks that convert poisonous air to oxygen, storm proof shelters stocked to the brim to survive for centuries underground or above ground, a stock full of medicine and gadgets to deal with the toughest diseases, multiple back up plans, and more, 02020 was more than ready.

Still, there were many close calls but somehow they pulled through, barely. Each obstacle they survived bought on relief and stress. And then there was one final challenge, facing the wobblewonk itself. Unfortunately that was the one battle they were unprepared for. Just when things were about to go south, Cloud had one more trick up his sleeve. By using his remaining power he sacrificed himself to fight the wobblewonk to the death while everyone else retreated to the sky shelter. Following a massive explosion that left 02020 in shambles, the wobblewonk was defeated and fate was finally broken. In the weeks that followed, Finn and Rena along with their friends helped rebuild the island.

A few months later Finn and Rena returned to Bubblerum where the citizens surprised them with a statue dedicated to Cloud. Finn took a break from his travels for a while, contemplating semi-retirement to pursue other things. Things weren’t the same without Cloud by his side but knowing that his brother would want him to be happy, it made things a little easier. He keeps in touch with his mother and sister often and plans to make another visit when the seas are calmer. For the first time Finn enjoyed not having anything to do for weeks at a time.

Then one day Lauren called him, begging for help. With a limited filming schedule for her movie the director needed an actor fast and all the other A listers refused. Finn being a good friend and one of the few people Lauren wasn’t a total butt to, he accepted. Being a love interest wasn’t high up on his list but it was an interesting experience and before he knew it, Finn became a rising movie star. So when Lauren invited him to attend this hip college in Peace Coast Island for rising celebs, mainly so it won’t look like she doesn’t have any friends, Finn figured, why not? As Mara always told Finn and Cloud, there’s always something new worth trying out. Finn is always full of surprises and becoming an actor is just one of them.

[notquitetolstoy]

Peter Høeg - Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for sne (Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow)

This book has a really weird name (the Finnish translation, which is nothing like the original name like almost all Finnish translation ever, is actually not that bad) and the genre is not really my cup of tea, but boy was it a good read. This book is in my top 100 bucket list of things I should read before I die or get too old to see anything (although thank God for audio books!), and that’s the reason I decided to take it as my next project. In all honesty, I was prepared to not like it. Modern murder mysteries are not really my thing, and I rarely read novels that are just about solving a crime and nothing else. And that’s what I thought this book was mostly about. I didn’t read any summary of the book beforehand, I only knew the title and roughly the themes involved, and I have to say that with this particular book it was a really good decision. It really surprised me pleasantly, and reminded me that you should always try to move out of your comfort zone, because that’s where the real discoveries are made.

The setting of this book is in Denmark and Greenland roughly in the early 90′s. The beginning of the book introduces the friendship between a woman called Smilla Jaspersen and a small boy called Esajas. They live in the same suburbs of Copenhagen, and spent much of their time together, because the mother of Esajas is an alcoholic and Smilla feels that he is somewhat her responsibility. Then one day Smilla comes home to find out that Esajas has been killed by a fall from the sixth floor roof of their building, where to boy had evidently been playing. However, Smilla knows for a fact that Esajas was extremely afraid of heights and would never go to the roof of the building voluntarily. There seems to be no other footprints in the snow,but Smilla gets a strange feeling that someone else has been there with Esajas and probably affected his fall. This feeling she gets is from the snow for which she has a weird connection and intuitive understanding to, because of her Inuit heritage and the fact that she used to be a scientist specialized in ice and snow. Smilla tells her theory of another persons involvement and other things that don’t seem to add up about Esajas’s death to the police, but no-one seems to really care. This doesn’t come as a surprise to Smilla, however, because she knows that the law probably won’t bother to work extra because of the death of one Greenlander child. This brings forward one of the most important themes of this book for me personally: the complex relationship between the Danish people and the Inuits, and how they consider each other.

Slowly Smilla starts to discover more strange things about Esajas and his mysterious father, who died some years ago on an expedition to Greenland. Eventually Smilla finds out that the expedition was headed to an isolated island off the coast of Greenland, and that this expedition was not the only one done by roughly the same group of people. It’s revealed to Smilla that Esajas took part in physical examinations every month, and that someone took a tissue sample from him at the place of this death. Fueled by these discoveries she digs further into the strange expeditions, and realizes that the people involved were trying to transfer something out of the isolated island - and in large amounts. Smilla uses her connections to make herself a part of the expedition team leaving next to Greenland, and that mysterious island, and on board of the ship she discovers more and more about the actual nature of the expedition - and also who was on the roof with Esajas and why the boy was killed. I will not reveal more about the ending, but instead I'll tell you why I liked the book and why you should read it.

First of all, I thought this was an excellent murder mystery because it wasn’t so “murdery”. There wasn’t a lot of killing going on, and the killings that did happen were not gory and full of torture, like in most detective/crime novels nowadays. Consequently, by not focusing much on the killings, the writer had more time to describe the journey towards solving the mystery and to develop his characters. Smilla is a very unique and mysterious character herself, much the like the people she’s trying to catch. She’s a daughter of a wealthy Danish physician and a Inuit huntress, who died during a hunting trip in Greenland. Because of her heritage Smilla has a strange sensitivity to ice and snow, and those elements are described or pointed out often throughout the novel. Smilla is also fearless in her hunt for the truth, but the reason why she feels so strongly about finding out what happened to Esajas seems to elude the reader. It would have been so much easier to just let it go, but Smilla is relentless in her hunt - even after someone attempts to burn her alive. Is Smilla really so righteous that she just has to get justice for the kid living in her neighborhood, or is there another reason? Maybe a personal one? These questions are not really answered in the book, and by the end of it - after reading about Smilla for almost 500 pages - I felt like I didn’t know her at all. However, with this particular book it didn’t bother me. In fact, I kind of enjoyed that the mysterious feeling looming about the book lasted until the end and beyond.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this work was the fact that it introduced me to the relationship between the natives of Greenland and the Danish people. Throughout the history of mankind in any place around the world the natives and - for the lack of a better word - the invaders have had a complex relationship. Everyone is familiar with the encounters of native Americans and the people coming from Europe to the new world, but only after reading this particular book I started to think more about the natives here in the North. The book implies that most characters seem indifferent about the death of Esajas, because he is a Inuit, and that the Danish people regard the natives of Greenland as “second-class” citizens. This book was written 25 years ago so things have probably changed since then, but it still got me wondering: do some native people still suffer from this sort of prejudice? Moreover, I started to think about the natives of my own country and how they are treated. I was actually quite surprised that a murder mystery was able to raise such questions and thoughts in me, and all in all, I’m clad that I chose to read it.

In summary, this book is a unique murder mystery that really keeps you hooked all the way through. That being said, it’s not a classical crime novel, but more of a character description of a fearless women, who is ready to do anything to unravel and fight for the truth. The whole book is surrounded in mystery, and many things stay a mystery even after the ending, which in this particular case I truly enjoyed. I was left looking over my shoulder more often than usual and feeling something eerie was going to happen soon. The only problem I had with the book was the number of different characters - there were a lot of them. Eventually I started to forget who was who, and who did what, and some parts of the book were blurred because of it. There were also some events in the book that seemed a bit stretched out, and I felt the book could have done well without them. However, these things where minor hiccups and didn’t effect my opinion of the book by much. I would recommend this book to basically anyone who likes to read, but mainly to those who enjoy murder mysteries with a twist or think they don’t like crime novels at all. You will be pleasantly surprised, trust me! It’s a 8/10 from me.

[antemortem-rp-blog]

DIANA MEADE twenty-two ☾ witch shelley hennig

Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.

BUT AT MY BACK I ALWAYS HEAR

Growing up without a mother was not an easy feat for a girl. Of course, she never wanted for anything. Her dad was all she could ever ask for. Even if at times she was lonely, she loved her dad for all he did for her. A part of her was happy she couldn’t remember her mother. It made it easier not to miss that part of her life. At least she never struggled to make friends. From a young age, she befriended Elena and Caroline through founders’ events. There were others whom she was friendly with, but it really clicked with the other two. She spent a lot of her time solitary by choice, but she never struggled to find someone to be with if she wanted. With her father being a lawyer, he often worked long hours. Diana had to be a girl of responsibility to survive. She never minded though, the last thing she wanted was to be a burden to her father.

In the earlier years of school, she got closer to Adam. They really started to hit it off and before they knew it they were spending most days together. She still hung out with the others, but it quickly became obvious there was a connection deeper between Diana and Adam. When they got into high school the two of them started dating. It was a natural progression that happened. He was her first kiss, her first love, her first everything. She knew it was impractical to imagine a life where they were always together, but she couldn’t see it any other way. They were all but inseparable. As she got old enough, she would bring Adam as her date to the founders' events and stopped socializing with the others as much. Finally, right before high school finished, she made a discovery that would change her life forever.

She found her family’s book of shadows. It detailed all the families in the previous circle. It opened up the world of magic to Diana, and to her pleasure, to Adam. She was glad that she could not only tell him but share it with him. For the first few years, the two of them practised together exclusively. It wasn’t until Diana was almost finished her undergrad degree that Adam finally convinced her to tell the others in town. It was tricky for some of them to grasp and a couple others already knew. Diana had to explain that they still weren’t a full circle. It pained Diana not to be able to bind the circle. She thought it would be the safest way to control their powers, but without the Blake witch, they couldn’t perform the ritual.

And then Cassie Blake arrived. Her life was uprooted and everything changed. Cassie showed Diana the crack in her relationship with Adam and eventually, the two broke up. Nick died, Jake came into the circle. Jackson became a vampire. Everything happened at lightning speed it was all she could do to try to get decent results on the LSAT. The worst and last thing that could have happened tore Diana apart. John Blackwell entered the scene. With him, he brought the knowledge that there was another Balcoin witch in the circle. Diana’s world crumbled at even the possibility that Charles wasn’t her father. Discovering the truth hurt more than any the attacks she’d faced throughout the past year.

Diana did her part to turn Katherine into a human again, but she couldn’t stick around after that. Things were too complicated. The crystal skull was fully formed and the circle unbound. She had no reason to stick around. Diana just needed a break. She didn’t know where she was going nor did she have any sort of plan. She just hit the road. After a short period, she ran into Klaus and Stefan. She didn’t support him or the things he’d done in the past, but she no longer knew what she was doing. She offered to try and help him make hybrids and urged him back to Chance Falls. There he compelled her back a position for law school and she set to work. She ran into Elena first and told him about her still being alive—when she saw Elena it just clicked. That was the key to making his hybrids. She doesn’t really know what she wants anymore. The feeling of the dark magic is more than tempting. She loves the way it makes her feel, but is that who she really is? A war is raging inside Diana fighting between good and evil, and she can’t decide who will win.

TIME’S WINGED CHARIOT HURRYING NEAR

Adam Conant → EX-BOYFRIEND

Diana will never not love Adam. He is a part of her life until eternity ends and even beyond that. She loves him more than words can describe. However, it isn’t meant to be. She’s seen him fall in love after her and it hurts. She wants to move on and be able to find that, but she hasn’t yet. She knows it’s terrible, but a little part of her is glad that he and Cassie aren’t together. She doesn’t want to have to watch him be happy with her sister of all people.

Cassie Blake → HALF-SISTER

They were friends. Maybe the first close friend she’d made since dating Adam, but then things fell apart. And even though it was Cassie’s fault, Diana never blamed her. But everything revolved around Cassie. Diana bound the circle, Cassie had solo magic. Diana told her not to do a spell, she did it anyway. Help, she would cry, and off they would run. It seemed her life was tethered to Cassie’s whim and worse off to find out they were related. Diana did want this life and she couldn’t handle it either. She’s avoiding Cassie the most since her return. She doesn’t know how she feels about any of it and she can’t answer any questions either.

Elena Gilbert & Caroline Forbes → OLD FRIENDS

Childhood companions. Diana had many friends growing up, she chose when it fitted her and hardly struggled to find company. Elena and Caroline were easy choices. They met at Founders event and were close for that reason. Before Adam, they would have known her best. Afterward, she was adrift. She no longer knew the girl that had been friends with either of them. Now she’s even farther from that girl. Elena is concerned because she sees something she doesn’t like. She may have in a way betrayed her friend, but Diana sees it as protection. As long as Klaus needs her blood, he won’t harm her. And Caroline, well Diana doesn’t have the heart to get another human involved. She’d seen the girl almost die once, she wasn’t going to give anyone else the opportunity to try.

Klaus Mikaelson → NEW ALLY

She still doesn’t really know why she agreed to help him in the first place. He got back home to Chance Falls. What’s left for her there, she isn’t sure. For now, she’s focused on helping Klaus in whatever he needs, so long as he’s not hurting her friends. It’s not a bad idea to have a powerful ally on your side. Plus, she’s hopeful he can help her learn more about her magic. And not the magic she thought she knew about, but her dark magic.