#every essential oil in existence is in here

[minty-spice]

<- cursed with the burden of aromatherapy

[catboygretzky]

Exyblr Dashboard Simulator based on what I personally see on sportsblr:

1/?

👑 girlbossriko follow

how many bro jobs do you think it took before riko moriyama and kevin day realized that uh.....maybe this wasn't just a bro thing

👢exyinaphonebooth follow

how many times do they have to come out and say they're like brothers before you freakos stop shipping them

👑 girlbossriko follow

????? do i know u

#it's a tumblr post about two exy players that you'lll never meet in your life it really isn't that deep

558 notes

💃fox-me-up follow

ngl that newest fox is kinda 👀

#psu lb #exy lb

8 notes

👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 talk-exy-to-me

The NARRATIVE that kevin day and neil josten have........son of exy! scouting the rookie-est of rookies from fuck knows arizona........no listen you dont GET IT winning is EVERYTHING TO KEVIN and he would risk it on the foxes? And NEIL? who has only played exy for a year! NEIL Gets his attention!!!!! And hes good and he's getting better every game and he keeps bitching about kevin's ex on live tv BUT WAIT!???? NOT QUITE WHAT YOU EXPECT! Bc then neil shows up with a number on his cheek BECAUSE WELL it turns out they've known each other since they were KIDS! how is everyone not insane w me THEY'RE LITERALLY PERFECT

#where r my fellow njkd truthers #how r u all not here with me this isnt even the start #kevneil #210 #psu #njkd

102 notes

☀️ usctrojanny

every smiley blonde striker (jeremy knox) needs a brunette wet cat emotional support backliner (jean moreau)

#jerejean #usc trojans #i'm just saying 🤷‍♀️

58 notes

👸🏻 kevindazed follow

did he just......

👸🏻 kevindazed follow

guys please tell me i'm not insane

👸🏻 kevindazed follow

HE'S NEVER BEEN????? SKIIING???? KEVIN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ?????? KEVIN PLEASE

#i i'm going insane i will literally die if someone doesn't explain this to me HE'S NEVER BEEN SKIING?!!!!

407 notes

🧚 goalie-stan

oh....i'm feeling so weak......it'd sure be nice to have a big strong goalie (renee walker) hold me up (renee if you're free on tuesday i am also free on tuesday.........on tuesday this tuesday, any tuesday?)

#literally passing out just thinking about her holding me don't call don't text i'm busy

84 notes

🌄 softkevinday follow

do u think if u offered kevin day essential oils to heal his hand he'd beat you to death

#it'd be hard for him bc he only has one hand but he could probably do it #legally this is a joke don't do this

284 notes

🗣️ jeremyknoxes follow

feeling normal

215 notes

📜 realexyblog

actually exy rpf is fine, i asked kayleigh day herself and she told me it was fine

112 notes

🐋 sexyexy

'exy is a stupid name for a sport' have you considered that a) i don't care and b) it's named that solely so i can make sex jokes about it

11 notes

🏳️‍🌈 gay4stickball follow

is he, ya know *mimes jerking off* an ncaa exy player

#i don't believe that straight exy players exist

56 notes

🙈 ittybittyminny follow

Andrew Minyard!!!!!!! 🥰🥰 short king!!!!🤏🤏😋😋 Awwwwwwww the scrunkly!!!!! 🤗🤗🤗 My boinky boy!!!!!🥺🥺 Crinkly doo,,,,shronkle scrimblo......🥺🥺🥺 rb if you'd scrunkle!!!!!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

📖 sapphic-exy follow

he literally killed someone

🙈 ittybittyminny follow

And? God forbid women do anything

#also no proof he did that #yeah there's proof his twin bro killed someone but that's not the same bc theyre different people #almost killing someone doesnt count

807 notes

🐦‍⬛ edgarallenexy

got told i'm problematic for liking the ravens? THAT'S LITERALLY MY SCHOOL OH MY GOD

2 notes

🌸 softexy

Kevin Day - A Study

#kevin day #psu foxes #palmetto foxes #exy #web weave #poetry #psu foxes #palmetto #edgar allen

378 notes

[onlyswan]

summary: in which your period cramps bring you to tears but jungkook’s gentle hand is warm.

> fluff / wc: 2k

> warnings: boob massage !!, mention of sex, mention of period blood

note: a little sumnsumn for the physical intimacy of it all <3 and my fellow period havers who get unbearable period cramps and sore boobies </3 and before u ask - yes, i’ve been listening to joon’s closer on repeat a lot. like a lot. and it makes me devastatingly emotional. + feedback is always appreciated :DD

—

your head accidentally bumping against jungkook’s shoulder as you curl up in pain is what ultimately wakes him up. out of habit, his blurry eyes gloss over at the time displayed on the digital clock. 3:14am.

he cups your face in concern, which is visibly stricken with agony. two of his longest fingers brush back the strands of hair that fell over your eyes, and they flutter upon shortly after. his lips curve into a frown when he notices your eyelashes that kissed your cheeks goodbye are wet from unshed tears. you fell asleep at 9pm earlier, and he thought you’d feel better when you wake up in the morning, but he turned out to be wrong. your period cramps seem to be particularly bad this month, adding up to the fact that it arrived two weeks early.

“want a massage, baby?”

his deep morning voice sends a shiver running through your spine, and you quickly try to cover it up with a whine. “yes, please.”

he grabs the lavender essential oil from the first drawer of the nightstand beside him, and his hand already turns slippery from barely holding the bottle. you force yourself to lie down on your back, allowing your boyfriend to apply three pumps of the oil on your stomach. he pulls your shirt back down to shield you from the airconditioner before lowering the waistband of your shorts to reach your lower abdomen. he lathers the oil across your soft skin, hoping to ease the tension of the muscles beneath it.

“your hand is so warm.” you mumble with a shaky sigh, at last finding the inexplicable relief you desperately needed. the hot compress that has gone cold too quickly beside you would hang its head in shame if only it could hear. “you’re a godsend. thank you.”

he hums in response, inching closer to give your temple a kiss. his tender rubbing gradually turns into adept kneading, mindful of exerting just the right amount of pressure so he won’t cause you any more pain. next thing you know, he’s lying on his side and using your arm as a pillow as he peppers kisses along the expanse of your jaw and neck.

with your eyelids fluttering open and shut from drowsiness, you lazily grasp jungkook’s wrist to guide his hand higher on your torso. “it’s sore here, too.”

he grazes the swell of your right breast with a feather-light touch. “where?”

“there . . . there. hurts.” you whimper weakly when he applies a little pressure on the side near your armpit, unconsciously digging your nails on his forearm. you despise how your eyes are watering again, and you’re not even sure if it’s because of the pain or simply put, jungkook’s existence. “and under it.”

with courteous gentleness, his four fingers dance across your skin in repetitive movements. he creates circular motions from under your breast to the side, and then he makes his way back to where he started to do it all over again.

“does this feel okay?”

the scent of lavender and your boyfriend’s affectionate ministrations carry you to slumber’s glittering gates, but his voice nudges you away before you can take a step inside the land.

“huh?” you whisper tiredly.

he snickers with his eyes closed. “i asked if this feels okay. are you getting sleepy again?”

his heavenly therapeutic massage doesn’t cease. his thumb brushes against your nipple every now and then, which is why it’s unsurprising to feel it perk up and harden under his touch. he continues with following the loop he made, determined to shoo away the soreness that’s causing his lover to tear up and sniffle in pain.

“so nice. i’m falling asleep soon.” your fingers thread through his dark hair, loosely hugging him to your chest as you drown yourself in the scent of his shampoo.

“does the other one hurt too?”

his innocent question makes you chuckle. this causes your body to vibrate and to trigger the sharp pain shooting up on your sides. holy fucking shit, that hurts. hormones are a bitch.

“yes, but not as much.”

jungkook fights off sleep as he alternates between massaging your lower abdomen and chest. your skin gradually dries up as it absorbs the essential oil, but he doesn’t take this as a signal to stop at all. he keeps going anyway. as sleepiness clouds his mind, however, he impulsively cups your breast in his hand and allows himself a firm squeeze. the two of you knew it was inevitable, really, because it’s obviously a reflex for him at this point. and yet, your breath still gets heavier, as if this is the first time you’ve been touched by him.

“you’re so squishy. want to stay like this forever.” he mumbles almost incoherently. he gives the soft flesh another squeeze, and another, and another, before pressing his fingers on the side to carry on with his massage.

“you know, i’m starting to think you really mean that.” you recount all the other times he hazily uttered the same words while holding your boobs and/or nuzzling his face against them during non-sexual encounters simply because he finds them, in his own words, so comforting. one of these days you ought to ask: does he have the same affinity for them as you do for his doe eyes?

well, not that you mind. clearly, you get more privileges from it than you originally thought.

“mhmm, guilty as charged.” he replies with a toothy grin.

he pulls you closer by the curve of your waist as if your bodies could possibly get any closer than this, but he stubbornly insists and he painfully yearns. lost in a haze— he wants to get under your skin, let his pounding heart cross the distance and meet yours like two penpals throwing caution to the wind. however, your hearts are prisoners to your vessels.

isn’t this the reason we have sex? make love? to be as close as humanly possible? more than what they call an instinct, honestly speaking, is it not an enigmatic ache? a greedy appetite for love?

maybe that’s also why jungkook refuses to stop stealing kisses from your lips despite uncontrollable giggles racking the both of you. he holds himself up on top of you, planting his hands on the mattress. teeth accidentally knocking once, lips landing on the corners of your mouth, the air becomes warmer but he refuses to let go of the moment when he finally aims right. maybe that’s why he still chases after you despite getting reluctantly pushed away, feeling like he just won the nine-digit prize at the lottery when he gets rewarded with one final peck. it’s as if to say i don’t want to be a stranger. i don’t want to forget. let me mold the memory of the shape of your lips onto mine.

“your hair kept tickling my ear.” you tilt your head to the side to escape, gasping for air.

his playful giggles continue to fill the dark hours’ ringing silence, relentlessly moving closer to snuggle with you again. the scent of lavender has hung to the fabric of your shirt, and it soothes him to sleep like a lullaby.

“you made all the blood gush out. i hate you. need to go change before i stain the sheets.”

the loss of your warmth causes him to muffle a groan against your pillow, his hand holding on to yours until the hook of his pinky finger slips away from your thumb. he hears the walk-in closet open and close, and then the same with the bathroom door. the sound of water running from the shower serves as white noise as he loses the battle against the angel of slumber.

feeling refreshed after a quick warm shower, you go back to bed with your pain finally cranked down to a bearable level. however, the sight of your sleeping boyfriend snoring with his mouth slightly open makes you click your tongue with a laugh. the stubborn man somehow always ends up using your pillow, or you as a pillow. with a silent grunt, you carefully carry and drop his upper body to his side of the bed, followed by his long legs. you adjust his head on his special pillow to keep it elevated just enough, so he won’t complain about a sore neck in the morning.

the snoring stops briefly, and then comes back softer this time around. well, that’s good enough.

—

jungkook jolts awake at the sound of his 5am alarm, rushing to turn off the phone tucked under the side of his pillow so it won’t disturb you. as he stretches out his limbs, he rubs away the remaining sleep in his eyes to look at your sleeping figure properly. you’re facing him with your hand curled up around his tattooed forearm. your phone is propped up against your pillow, still faintly playing the ghibli film ‘princess mononoke’. he takes it with him when he soundlessly climbs off the bed. he leaves it turned off on top of the nightstand beside you before stumbling inside the bathroom.

he sleepily stands infront of the mirror as he brushes his teeth, tucking his hair behind his ear to observe the lines that formed on his face, the most probable cause being that he slept on his side again. with his exhausted eyes closed, he starts massaging his cheek with the heel of his palm to increase the circulation of blood and oxygen, which will make the lines fade away quicker. he still smells the traces of lavender from not too long ago. he splashes his face with water, and they get washed away and replaced by the smell of his face cleanser.

it’s already past 6am when he deems himself prepared to leave for work. he turns off the stove and refills your hot compress with the water he heated up, softly singing the words to ‘dynamite’ as he does so. he runs through the choreography inside his head, making small lazy movements, just to keep his body familiar with the dance moves.

with his backpack swung over his shoulder, he goes back inside the bedroom to bid you goodbye. you tossed and turned in the empty queen-sized bed while he was gone, and you’re already lying on your back with your shirt riding up above your belly button.

“aigoo, aigoo! you’re a messy sleeper, i’m a heavy sleeper. we really belong together.” he converses with himself as he pulls your shirt down and places the hot compress over your lower abdomen.

you attempt to turn to your side again but he holds you back, putting your hand on top of the hot compress to keep it pressed against you.

“hey- hey, baby. i’m off to work now.”

you only hum in response, raising your arms to reach for him. he instantly bends down into your embrace, pressing his lips to your forehead for a kiss that lasts a little longer than usual. “mmmm-mwah!”

“can’t- open my eyes. i bought new face masks yesterday. are you wearing it?” you mumble. “the other brand’s strings are too fragile. i fucking broke five of them. don’t wear those anymore.”

he chuckles at the way your voice gets louder while saying the curse word then drops back down to quiet mumbling right after. it’s sickening how being in love makes him fawn over the smallest details about you.

“yup. found them in the living room.” his thumb brushes against your cheek lovingly. “take it easy working today, okay? i love you.”

you nod your head repeatedly. he doesn’t understand the slurred words that manage to escape your mouth after that, and perhaps, he doesn’t need to. he knows that you love him too.

—

taglist! @alanniys @jjkeverlast @queenofdragonsandcats @yvesismywife @enhypenslay @jeonqkooks-main @witchfqllen @virgogentlejk @rkie @jeonwiixard @monilyv @bermudaisy @ameliejeannelaurent @takochelle @the1921-monsters @investedreader @seagulljk @yeow6n @yoonqkiss @hopeworldjimin @lllucere @unnatae @zqynmlk @bxbyyyjocelyn @zkdlllin @koostarcandy @tswisal1 @fragmentof-indifference @laylasbunbunny @jjk-jeongirl @cherishoshi @taexidriver @luaspersona @yn-lifeu @loveejkk @bloopkook + send an ask / dm if you want to be added (or removed) :D

[starry-bi-sky]

changeling danny has his wretched little claws in me so here's some AU fey lore

Okay so, i've got a lot of ideas for the Fey Lore in this au. But to start out what may become a sling of posts: a simplified set up of the Infinite Realms. I think I mentioned it before in a reblog of the original changeling danny post, but the fey wilds exist in the IR. In most fanon I see the same scale as the rest of the realms, however i have a different idea for it.

In simplified terms, the fey wilds and the ghost zone are two different things. They both exist in the Infinite Realms, however, they exist on different planes of existence. In simplified terms, there are three separate planes in the Infinite Realms.

The Long Far: Highest realm in the infinite realms. Home to most, if not all, the Ancients. Beings that reside in The Long Far are eldritch abominations, gods, personifications of concepts, and other celestial-type beings. The only way to access the Long Far is through the Starflare Currents in the Feywilds. Which are a nebula of stars that work similar to the ocean currents in Finding Nemo. They are a rapid vortex full of stars that pass over the feywilds that can be seen at night. In order to reach the Long Far, one must fly up to the Current and latch onto one of the stars rapidly flying past. And then they must stay on the star until the currents begin to ascend rapidly upwards. This is harder than it sounds. Ever been indoor surfing? Where you lie on your stomach on a small board and try not to get flung off? Exact same concept. It’s basically the world’s most terrifying escalator to the gods.

The Fey Wilds: The Fey Wilds isn't exactly strictly home to the Fey, however for convenience sake I'm calling it the Fey Wilds. This is the home to fey and other folklore and mythological creatures that may not want to reside in the Ghost Zone. There are no Fey in the GZ. It's not that they hate being down there, but. well.. they hate being down there. They think the place is ugly. The Fey Wilds has ever shifting, expanding amount of biomes. These biomes range from massive redwood forests, to swamps, to essentially Pandora from Avatar. The place can look almost entirely human one moment, and then like a different planet the next. Fey and other inhabitants know how to navigate this easily -- but ghosts? Not so much. There are currently two known ways to reach the Fey Wilds from the Ghost Zone and vice versa: Lake Portals, and Cave Tunnels. Which I will expand upon in a moment.

Ghost Zone: Exactly how it sounds! The Ghost Zone is, well, the ghost zone! It's essentially the same as canon. Same looks, same everything. This is the home of mortal souls and the occasional mythological creature or two, as well as weaker concept spirits. By that I mean like, ecto-octopi. Concept spirits can manifest in both the GZ and Feywilds. Ghosts tend to stick inside the Ghost Zone and avoid venturing into the Fey Wilds because, well, they're still mortal souls. They're gonna get jumped by a fey looking for a new decoration or a new pet/servant/whatever. Best to honestly avoid the fey wilds as a whole.

Now, I just mentioned that there were two known ways to reach the Fey Wilds from the Ghost Zone: lake portals and cave tunnels. I made goofy little visual aides which I will attach below, and then I will explain how they work.

I'll start with the Lake Portals. They are, well, as the name suggests lake portals. Not every lake in the fey wild is a portal to the ghost zone, and vice versa. They're rather uncommon to find in both planes, but it's not like they're hard to recognize.

In the Fey Wilds, lake portals will have a sheen over the water like an oil spill. But instead of the regular rainbow-y colors, it will instead have the ghost zone's colors swirling in it; green and purple. The water will have that sickly green tint to it, and have a slight glow. The plant life surrounding the water are not typically what you'd find in the Fey Wilds, but might in the Ghost Zone. They look different from the regular noxious swamp bogs in the wilds, so its easy to tell that they're lake portals.

In the Ghost Zone, the lake portals will instead be shimmery and blue like a tropical ocean. And just like how there are GZ plants in the fey wilds surrounding the water, there's fey wild plants on the island where the lake is.

How these portals work is rather simple. You dive in and begin swimming down. It's a long swim down, but that's all you gotta do. It will get dark, as there are no plant life in these portals, and no aquatic life either.

It starts getting complicated when you reach what I like to call the border. The border is as the name implies; its a border between the planes. In the lakes it's not physical, however you will feel when you've reached the border and crossed it. Intense vertigo washes over you as your sense of gravity begins to shift and flip; up is becoming down, down is becoming up.

Your goal at this point is to try and push through that vertigo and discomfort and make it to the other side of the border, without getting flipped upside down and swimming back to the surface you came from. This is harder than it sounds as you become dizzy underwater, and since there's no light anywhere, you will try and instinctively seek it out and follow it. You're down too deep to know where that light is.

Once you've reached the other end of the border successfully, your gravity will have flipped without you needing to do anything. You are now swimming up to the surface, and once you do, boom! You're in the ghost zone! Lake Portals are faster to use than tunnels, but very disorientating.

Now cave tunnels are longer, but simpler. Essentially some caves have tunnels that lead into the ghost zone, similar to how in greek mythology there are random entrances to the underworld in the mortal world. I haven't exactly figured out what the tell is for when you're in a tunnel leading to the Ghost Zone, but I know that when it's the other way around it's rather easy -- as you start to climb up.

It's a less complicated explanation: essentially you are descending into the ghost zone through this tunnel. You are on your way down like Orpheus in search of his wife, or like Heracles doing his twelve labors. It can get claustrophobic and of course there is the border.

Unlike experiencing a shift in gravity, you're instead hit with the intense vertigo and an intrinsic fear to turn around. It's an instinctual response to your surroundings changing on a molecular level, and your body in response is telling you to Flee. Basically, you've taken a rip of the Cave Gasses and you feel like you're losing your mind. Once you exit the border its smooth sailing.

Sometimes you get unlucky and there's a Pit Drop and you're suddenly Alice in Wonderlanding your way down to the Ghost Zone. But hey! At least you're not swimming.

those are currently the only two ways i've come up with for traveling between the GZ and Fey Wilds. But all in all, it's meant to be very disorientating stuff; vertigo and nausea-inducing, with just a dash of Existentially Terrifying. Traveling between planes usually is.

[lavender-rosa]

Kny characters ranked from least to most likely to be scammed

Sanemi: He is so paranoid and distrustful to everyone and everything around him (himself included, always) to the point where it is reaching delusional, self-destructive proportions. Sorry for the mental illness king but at least you aren't getting scammed.

Iguro: Growing up in a cult taught him relatable, every day lessons like: If a snake demon asks you to feed your babies to her in exchange for gold, maybe, don't do that? Being raised in this environment made him apply a highly suspicious framework to so many things, a lot of times to his own detriment. Like assuming that every single male wants to steal his crush away because they dare breathe the same air as her or god forbid, engage in small-talk. Despite all that he still manages to rank above Sanemi, somehow.

Shinobu: She will allow people think that they are succeeding in scamming her when in actuality SHE is scamming THEM. We are talking Jimmy McGill level shenanigans over here.

Giyuu: He just wants to fuck off in some hole and die he does not care about your essential oils #toodepressedtogetfinessed

Muichiro: Manages to avoid being scammed by being completely apathetic and dismissive towards the scammer (assuming he is even bothering listening to them in the first place) and immediately forgetting what even the scam was all about in the first place.

Uzui: Most of the times he is able to use his critical thinking skills to distinguish scam from not and he can be a pretty decent conman himself, although he is not immune to being overtly suspicious or on the other end, people getting the better of him.

Gyomei: Is able to objectively analyse and evaluate an issue in order to form a judgement without being gullible or paranoid, like a healthy functioning adult. Congrats on the fully developed pre-frontal lobe, Himejima.

Rengoku: The fact that he suspected that a random 15 year old human was one of Muzan's spies and thus should be killed without any substantial evidence shows us that he is able to be highly suspicious of people (and it makes us glad that he never pursued a career in law) but this does NOT negate the fact that he fell for the greatest scam of all time (fatherly approval)

Tanjirou: People assume that due to Tanjiro's age and kind nature that he would be easy to scam, what these people don't know is that Tanjiro is a human lie detector. Things do get trickier for him though when the interaction is not happening via face-to-face conversation.

Inosuke: Inosuke manages to avoid being scammed by 1) being raised in the wild by boars for most of his life thus blissfully unaware of pyramid schemes 2) resorting to violence when he finds people annoying 3) no sane scammer wanting to chose the boy wearing a taxidermied boar head as a target. But he is NOT immune to getting scammed when his physical capabilities are getting called into question.

Zenitsu: You would assume that due to Zenitsu's advanced sense of hearing he would be able to distinguish truth from lie, but recalling the fact that 8 different girls managed to scam him out of his money and make him drown in debt and that in the Kimetsu Gakuen comics Douma managed to sell him overpriced water under the guise that it was a love potion I guess that's simply not the case, at least not when the possibility of getting a girlfriend is involved. Thankfully for Zenitsu "hot babes in you area" pop-ups did not exist in Taishou era Japan.

Mitsuri: She has a huge heart and wants to believe the best in people even if said people have a huge white van parked outside with a sign saying "Free Candy"on it,alas.

And lastly HUGE shoutout to all the demons who back when they were still human clicked on a pop-up ad by some Kibutsuji Muzan guy saying "CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE" this unfortunately installed a virus in their brains that drove their already fragile minds to complete insanity. Sad.

[melodrangea]

can we have nicknames soul eater girls calling their s/o? Pls

absolutely my dear anon

Soul Eater girls don't get NEARLY enough love!

i'm also so sorry requests are taking so long my loves, but I am back in the writing groove and will try to clear my inbox this weekend!

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

What Soul Eater Girls call their S/O

Maka Albarn

-Maka is another character that I fell wouldn't really use many pet names until she's older, at least into her twenties

-but when she does use nicknames they're either very classy or short and easy

babe

-just something quick, she'll be in a rush out the door and just kiss you on the cheek saying goodbye

"bye babe, I have to go but I'll see you when I get home, love you!"

hon

-Maka's definitely relaxed, sitting by the couch in one of your sweaters and a thick blanket, famous chopping book in hand

-you'd hand her a cup of tea and cuddle up next to her

she's respond with a "thank you hon"

honey

-she'll usually only call you this when she feels guilty (normally about being gone long on missions) or when she knows you've had a tough day

"how are you doing honey? __ said you weren't feeling well" :(

Tsubaki Nakatsukasa

THIS girlie on the other hand would absoluetly adore giving you pet names

n/n

-fairly self explanatory but usually in front of people she doesn't know she'll call you by a short (cuter) version of your name

-you're just her adorable little s/o and you WILL be addressed accordingly

love

-used just as casually as anything else she'll ever say to you

-which never fails to make you extremely flustered in certain situations

"which movie did we leave off on love?"

beautiful

-this one is used more intimately

-a special occasion or something else, whatever she's doing she'll just turn to you and stare into your eyes

"I love you so much beautiful"

Liz Thompson

this cocky bitch (I'm lying I love her sm)

cutie

will probably be flirting with you or just trying to fluster you in general

"hey cutie you feel like going out sometime?" (you guys have been together for months too)

babe

again YOUR NAME DOES NOT EXIST

babe is essentially Liz's every other word talking to you

"babe are we still going out later? I still have to do my nails"

baby

calls you this when she's being more serious

"baby be careful, I don't want you getting hurt." "I love you too baby." "It'll be okay baby, just breathe."

Patty Thomspon

-I'm not gonna lie to y'all...

-pookie (pookie bear)

-she can and would, and ya'll know she would

"hey pookie! Are you ready yet???"

-like miss girl PATIENCE

scardey cat

-Patty gets into some crazy stuff because she just feels no fear

-so you being a normal person (no Patty we don't want to go into the haunted amusement park that's falling apart)

"c'monnn don't be a scardey cat, I'm sure the ghosts are friendly!" (cue Liz running away screaming)

n/n

-only normal thing Patty will ever call you

-would probably add 'chan' to the end of your name or nickname

-I love Patty but she's like a middle school boy hyped up on kool-aid with a recorder I'M SORRY

Marie

honey-bun

-it's only cute when she says it and she can and will call you honey-bun whenever she pleases!

"aw thank you honey-bun, I love you too!"

-you are her honey-bun now, just accept it

sweetheart

-makes you two sound like an old married couple and you love it

-you two will be cooking together and she'll ask you to hand her something

"do you mind passing me the olive oil sweetheart?"

dear/dearest

-y'all are the definition of an old married couple i'm sobbing

-she'll offhandedly tell you how much she loves you while calling you dearest

"I love you so much dearest, you truly mean so much to me"

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

I love these four sm I swear

but anyways that's all for now my dears!

I'm here for your literary entertainment, I respond to requests as quickly as I can

-Melodrangea <3

[gayelectro]

7 and 13 for the general selfship ask game :)

- @aro-simp

OMG THANK YOU FOR THE AAAASK 💞

7. If you could choose one f/o to be with you RIGHT NOW who would it be, and why?

Bull Armor from Shippu! Iron Leaguer! Really, he's my main/only.

(The one with the horns.)

I just love him sooooo much and I've never selfshipped this hard before, I would love to have him here with me! Hell, it would be interesting for him to meet my wife! 💦

13. How close do you prefer to stay to canon?

I like staying really, really close to canon, but with some caveats and conditions in there.

I wanna stay so close to canon that I flesh out the world within Iron Leaguer, but unto itself, these fleshing outs are indeed rooted in headcanons and idealizations. So for example, I set forth that Iron Leaguer takes place in the early 90s (when the show released), but it is in an alternative reality where technologies advanced at a different rate. People aren't walking around with cell phones yet, but at the same time, there's robots that are so advanced that they essentially have souls. And folks treat that as normal, not new or strange.

Then comes the headcanons, where it's pure extrapolation of the groundwork I set forth. Leaguers seem to be 1) the main form of entertainment for humans and 2) really fucking gay, so I think that this is also a world where queer identities have been normalized and accepted much earlier than in our real timeline. So me, being an openly queer agender HRT-taker, isn't out of place even though our story is taking place in the 90s.

Then there's also the fact that I personally despise the OVA, so it's not canon to our timeline together. I treat our relationship as like, a sequel series to the show, supplanting the OVA entirely. The OVA does not exist.

There's nuance there that I always try to acknowledge. I say I stay "true to canon", but it's my interpretation of the canon. I wouldn't be upset if Sunrise (for some reason) said that like, Iron Leaguer doesn't take place on Earth at all, or that it actually takes place in the year 3869 but humanity decided that cell phones were stupid in 2080, or something. And I don't ever want other Leaguer fans to think I'm insisting that my version or understanding of canon is the only one, because it's not!

Mostly, it ends up meaning "the robots have no fleshy bits, they exclusively drink oil, and yes, I do have to adjust his mouth guard every time I want to kiss him".

[untilteddocument]

After-Action Archive Caves of Qud - I'm Here, I'm Here...

Welcome again, one and all, to the After-Action Archive! Last time left off with us nearly at the summit of our climb through the Tomb of the Eaters, and thus an end to my quest here...or so I presume.

This is Part Four of my journey through the Tomb of the Eaters. Despite there being only couple of steps left, so to speak, there's enough packed into them in certain ways that I think it best to give them at least some room to breathe. With that in mind, it's time to die like we're living.

Content Warning: Rumination on impending death

So, here we are. The stairway to some sort of heaven. The thrum of unknown machinery ripples under us, and I at least can feel the sudden pull of a normality field. That means there will be resistance to reality-warping, ranging from recoilers to Esther's Temporal Fugue to even my force bracelet. It is a matter of concern, especially since it's interfering with the majority of my defense, but given our numbers and the necessity of our mission, we press on.

I pass the myriad holograms and marvel at the differences. Such variations in form...and these are all Eaters? Once again, I find myself scoffing at the Putus Templar. Insipid fools. Yet...I wonder if their forbears would scoff as I do. What would they see if they saw me? Or Yrame? Form is divergent, but did their thinking veer into the same essentialism? My expression sobers at where my mind wanders.

Until we find our way to another sobering sight.

I forgot to screencap the description for these, but every cherub follows a formula, with the only real difference being the exact essential qualities of the type of creature being extolled. For example, fungi, or at least mushrooms:

Gallium veins press against the underside of their crystalline skin and gleam warmly. Their body is perfect, and the whole of it is wet with amniotic slick; could they have just now peeled themself off an oil canvas? Were they cast into the material realm by a dreaming, dripping brain? Whatever the embryo, they are now the archetypal mushroom; it's all there in impeccable simulacrum: the wheezing gills, the turgidness, the hunger for dead things. Perfection is realized.

The others we see as we walk on through the halls are little different.

Even the mechanical facsimiles, despite falling clearly short, are marvels in motion.

Dials tick and vacuum tubes mantle under synthetic chitin and inside plastic joints. Eightfold gams, hundred lenses, and ageless bearing are wrought from a vast and furcate machinery into the ideal form of the spider. By the artistry of its construction, it closely resembles its referent, but an exposed cog here and an exhaust valve there betray the truth of its nature. Its movements are short and mimetic; it inhabits the valley between the mountains of life and imagination.

Regardless of the shape, there is a certain...awe to be ascribed to these beings, though some revulsion as well. That the Eaters were so skilled as to make them as a matter of course is something that, as a tinker, fills me with respect and jealousy, and the creatures themselves have a certain power to them, a grandeur I can't deny.

The revulsion is due to what manner of thinking they represent.

Ideal form, the perfect archetype. All else of its kind a pale imitation, even as the cherubs are themselves representations. Perfection, to a tinker of my tradition at least, is less than anathema; it is nonsense. Nothing is less possible.

This is not just from a practical perspective, though that is also true; if a thing is perfect it has no need to change, and is therefore worse than dead, for even death brings change and life in time. No, the crux is that it betrays a method of thinking that leads to little good. A world where perfection is possible, of forms and pure ideas, of initial height and inevitable descent, is a world that does not exist. We exist in relation to each other, in connections and conversations and systems that arise from these connections. All existence is change, all existence depends on context. Anything is "perfect" insofar as it matches its current relations, and when any of those change, it must change too. I freely acknowledge the skill their makers possessed, but I cannot, in my current understanding, ascribe wisdom to their creation.

This, however, is not why I decide to order an attack.

Rather, that is due to simple greed.

Each sultan's reliquary contains some artifacts, including their respective death mask. True to the most prominent figures of their ages, the masks are marvels of craft.

That's...a lot of power in one package. It could be the single most complete piece of equipment I've ever seen, with something for every possible skillset. The other items in the reliquary are almost afterthoughts.

I'd like to say that the cherubs easily live up to their status, and it is true that they are powerful. They have a special property that makes them almost immune to direct ranged fire and their capabilities in melee, while varying with the type, are nothing to scoff at.

But no, the battle proves almost boring.

The cherubim were mighty, but could not stand up to the sheer power and numbers that faced them. As I gain the spoils of the tomb they guarded, however...

That's entirely fair, though I find myself wondering what, if anything, would bring them back up. Regardless, with my companions' muscle no longer needed, I take them back down to the Upper Crypts before recoiling them back to the Yd Freehold and returning by myself.

The rest of this journey, I must make alone.

The rest of the cherubs don't bother me as I go onward, and I pay them no mind either. My focus is on reaching the top.

I look at the surroundings as I proceed, feeling a mix of dread and curiosity. Compared to the others, this place looks so...

Raw.

Along the winding passages I go, every step echoing, feeling the emptiness press in. With my companions gone and not even cherubs around, I-

Wait, what the heck's this doing here? Despite the unfinished look of the place, there's no leaks I can see...and the glowcrows?

Glowcrows?

The absurdity of the sight would be nothing in any other circumstance, but here, amid the ragged and otherwise-empty space, I can't help but grip onto it with disbelieving laughter. The crows largely ignore me, and eventually I wish them well and continue. Perhaps they are a mark of the path's impending end, because it's just past them that I enter Resheph's tomb and find...

I approach them and start conversation.

I am tired, but my curiosity and unease gain the upper hand for a moment. Why is this tomb unfinished?

....Wait. They have until Resheph is dead to complete the tomb...and they're still waiting.

Does that mean...

If it's been 1000 years...

I shake my head and get to brass tacks.

Well...I expected that, but having the out-and-out confirmation, just like that...

I take a breath.

I hold still as Herododicus continues the scan, eventually cross-referencing with the Thin World in some way. As they go, I try to settle myself.

I'm...going to die.

I take in the little whirs of Herododicus's motors, the faint thrum of the tomb's machinery, the unyielding flatness of the floor beneath my shoes, the non-sound sound of an entire near-empty stratum. I am reminded of...patience. Calm endurance. This place has lasted for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Always thrumming away, content in its slow but unending motion, the shuffling animated corpse in place of those interred within it. In that placidity is...apathy. Even if it's in Resheph's tomb, the one remaining empty grave in this place...it's just one more, isn't it? Just one more for the pile. A misplaced mote of dust.

I'm...going to die.

I take in the faint sound of the glowcrows, sharing whatever stories they might have to each other. Perhaps they're talking about me. I take in my heartbeat, quickening in anticipation and dread. There is silence. There is a sudden beep as the scan finishes and Herododicus confirms as much. I wish them peace. I wish them the peace I cannot feel. I do not shiver.

I'm...going to die.

I actually manage to settle a bit as I watch Herododicus work. The clinking of their chisel and the hammer is steady enough to be calming, and they are clearly skilled. Chip by chip, I watch my life unfold before me. They...really seem to like the stories of me sharing random books with the librarian of the Six Day Stilt. I find myself wondering if I should recommend they join the mopango, or perhaps find their way to Ezra. There ought to be more for them than waiting for someone who might not ever come. Staying in here would be..stifling.

Stifling.

Yes.

Before long, after eternity, they finish.

My heart begins to beat faster again, as if trying to meet a quota as I climb into the empty sarcophagus.

I am here.

I am here.

There is a moment where I am unsure of what to do with my arms. Do I cross them over my body? Interlace my fingers at my navel? Leave them at my sides? Try a rude gesture? I do not know what I end up doing.

I am here.

Then the lid closes ov

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 15, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

“We came here with four key objectives,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Egypt: “to make clear that the United States stands with Israel; to prevent the conflict from spreading to other places; to work on securing the release of hostages, including American citizens; and to address the humanitarian crisis that exists in Gaza.”

Blinken has been traveling country to country in the Middle East since shortly after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas fighters, who crossed into Israel and killed at least 1,300 people, of whom more than 1,000 were civilians, 30 were Americans, 12 were Thais, and 2 were French nationals. They also took 126 hostages, including not only Israelis, apparently, but also 8 Germans, 5 U.S. nationals, and 2 Mexican nationals.

Retaliatory strikes by Israeli forces on Gaza since then have killed at least 2,670 people and displaced almost a million. Israel has stopped food, water, fuel, and electricity from getting to Gaza and has told the more than a million residents in northern Gaza to move south to clear the way for a military incursion. Israeli energy minister Israel Katz said the siege would continue until Hamas frees the hostages. About 500 U.S. citizens are in Gaza.

The Biden administration has been pushing diplomacy to stop the crisis from spreading. On October 11, Blinken traveled to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and then to Jordan, where he met with the head of the Palestinian Authority that exercises limited government in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas.

Then he went on to Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Virtually everywhere, he said, he found “a shared view that we have to do everything possible to make sure this doesn’t spread to other places; a shared view to safeguard innocent lives; a shared view to get assistance to Palestinians in Gaza who need it, and we’re working very much on that.”

Blinken emphasized that the U.S. will stand with Israel “today, tomorrow, and every day…in word and also in deed.” He noted that the U.S. has moved a second carrier strike group (CSG) to the Eastern Mediterranean. A CSG is a powerful, flexible group of about 7,500 sailors and Marines on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a replenishment ship (which carries oil and supplies), a cruiser, destroyers, and a submarine, as well as various aircraft. 

The U.S. maintains 11 CSGs. Two of them are now in the Eastern Mediterranean not as provocation, Blinken said, but “as a deterrent. It’s meant to make clear that no one should do anything that could add fuel to the fire in any other place.” Sending two CSGs to the region is a strong statement, almost certainly designed to address threats by Iran that it will “respond” if Israel proceeds with a ground invasion of Gaza.

Iran backs Hamas—although there is not yet evidence that Iranian officials directly helped plan the October 7 attack—and also backs Hezbollah, the militant group that controls southern Lebanon. Today, clashes broke out on the border between Israel and Lebanon as Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel and Israeli forces fired artillery back. 

Israel has “the right—indeed it has the obligation—to defend itself against these attacks from Hamas, and to try to do what it can to make sure that this never happens again,” Blinken said. But, he added, “[i]t needs to do it in a way that affirms the shared values that we have for human life and human dignity, taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres implored Hamas to release the hostages immediately and Israel to grant “rapid and unimpeded access…for humanitarian supplies and workers for the sake of the civilians in Gaza,” which “is running out of water, electricity and other essential supplies.” These two issues must not become bargaining chips, he said. “[W]e are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East.” Opening a gate between Gaza and Egypt would allow supplies to be brought in and would help to move refugees south, away from the northern areas Israel is expected to attack.  

Relief for Gaza’s people has been bottled up on the Egyptian side of the border as Israeli officials refuse to guarantee their forces will not bomb relief trucks out of concern they are carrying weapons. The U.S. has put strong pressure on Israel to reopen the water supply to Gaza, especially in the southern region since the influx of refugees was already stressing supplies, and today Israel did so, but observers say that without electricity and fuel, the pumping stations and the plants that take salt out of the water don’t work. 

The U.S. is also clearly working to get the U.S. hostages released, but officials will not talk about the details of that operation. 

Today President Biden appointed Ambassador David Satterfield as the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, charging him with bringing “urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, in coordination with the U.N., Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and other regional stakeholders.” 

A diplomat since 1980, Satterfield has worked in countries all over the region for both Republican and Democratic administrations. He has served as the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, U.S. deputy chief of mission in Iraq, assistant secretary for the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and director general of the body overseeing peace between Israel and Egypt.

“There are two very different visions for the future and what the Middle East can and should be,” Blinken said today. The U.S. stands behind a vision “that has countries in the region normalizing their relations, integrating, working together in common purpose, and upholding and bringing forth the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people.” 

The other vision is the one Hamas embraces: “a vision of death, of destruction, of nihilism, of terrorism. That’s a vision that does nothing to advance aspirations for Palestinians, that does nothing to help create better futures for people in the region, and does everything to bring total darkness to everyone that it’s able to affect.”

The visions are clear, Blinken said. He said he had no doubt that the overwhelming majority of people in the region would choose the first if given the chance. So it is the responsibility of “all of us who believe in that first path…to make it real, to bring it to light, to make it a clear, affirmative choice. And that’s what we’re determined to do…. If we do that, everyone in this region will be in a much better place and so will the rest of the world.”

And yet that vision must be reinforced at home. The murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother yesterday in Illinois by their 71-year-old landlord prompted the president to warn against Islamophobia. The family was Palestinian and had immigrated to the U.S. “seeking what we all seek—a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace,” Biden said. The child was born in the U.S.

“This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are,” Biden said.  

“We join everyone here at the White House in sending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother’s recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American communities.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[unofficial-com1]

The massive military clanger of 1942 (and '43.)

THIS is the motherfucking CAUCASUS BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

The Caucasus! Home to many things! A plurality of beautiful cultures, languages AND a massive source of resources. From the 1920s until the '90s, the Caucasus was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the region's usefulness was not lost on Moscow. Huge oil reserves and metal reserves exist in the Caucasus to this day AND the mountains provide a natural barrier to invasion.

Enter the Nazis.

In 1942, the Nazis had fallen on hard times in the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa had failed to meet it's primary goal of destroying the Red Army and causing the collapse of the USSR. What's more, they had just gotten their asses kicked in the Winter Offensive of 1941-42 by Zhukov. Below is the aftermath of the Winter Offensive:

So, Hans was having a hard time. Germany was having a shortage of many things. Germany was having a shortage of manpower, equipment, food, coats, horses, general logistics and, biggest of all, oil. Germany had expected the USSR to collapse by now which would have given Germany all the resources of the European USSR. The Nazis were arrogant bastards, however, and did not have a contingency plan for when this obviously did not happen. So, Hitler, Halder, Jodl and the rest all had to come up with a plan and very ruddy quickly. Some of the generals wanted to try again at Moscow but this was obviously a terrible idea. Instead, Hitler and his generals agreed to go into the Caucasus to steal all the oil and cut of the Soviets from it.

But there was a problem. Railways.

From this^ map, we can deduce that there are really only two major lines going into the Caucasus, the one from the Kuban and the one from Stalingrad. This meant that the capture of Stalingrad was essential to the Caucasus campaign for the Nazis, contrary to what Wehraboos will tell you; sending hundreds of thousands of Nazis on one (1) major railway line in the USSR is a recipe for disaster when a 5'6'' man from Perm with a stick of dynamite catches wind of this. So, Nazi Germany's plan was this: Take Stalingrad to secure the railways. Secure the Caucasus. Steal all the resources. Try again at Moscow at a later date.

Spoiler alert: this did not happen.

The Nazis got this^ far before shit really hit the fan. The first problem was that Stalingrad was a touch nut to crack. The Nazis attacked Stalingrad for months on end and the city's defenders just refused to give up every inch without a fight. What's more is that the Nazis couldn't make it past the Caucasus mountains which meant that they were unable to cut off the Caucasus like they had hoped. Things then got worse for the Nazis.

Remember this guy? Say hi to Zhukov again. Zhukov had an idea.

That's right. In 11 days, Zhukov broke the back of the German Sixth Army and 4th Panzer Army. The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from the 17th of July, 1942, to the 2nd of February, 1943. In 11 days in November, 1942, the tide of the battle was turned completely. I mean, I say that, the Nazis never really had a hope to begin with. The next few months would entail actually scrubbing the Nazis out of the Caucasus and out of Stalingrad. Operation Uranus was only a smaller part of the much wider Voronezh-Kharkov offensive:

The aftermath of the Battle of Stalingrad saw Von Manstein's new Don Front get completely demolished. It would signal the end of any Nazi offensives in the region until the Battle of Kharkov. All that the Nazis' gamble in the Caucasus achieved was 746,000 soldiers dead, millions more injured, thousands of tanks, planes and other vehicles lost, billions of marks worth in equipment lost and their foothold in the Caucasus lost forever. It permanently dashed any dreams of the fall of the USSR, for the Nazis and, from here on out, it would just be a long retreat back to Berlin.

Moral of the story? Not much fun in Stalingrad.

[clarafell]

@wolfvirago has made a contract.          —         ★

Long before she ever formed her contract with Kyubey, Homura learned that magic is everywhere. A tiny drop of essential oil, the light spray of perfume upon the flesh, and even the stifling scent of of medicine covering an entire room has the magic to transport people back into the past. Like the magic that courses through her chilly veins, the power of scent can be a double-edged sword. Memories of her many, many lives in the forgotten universe bleed into the mind of her vessel. Her soul is the same one that once wished to redo meeting someone precious, but she has appeared to land in an empty shell. Doubt creeps into her mind every single day over whether her memories are real or the lonely creation of a lonely girl.

But the scent of the steaming cream stew from Robin's kitchen hits Homura with the warm memory of her first time in the Kaname household, invited by Madoka herself.

She recalls the passionate ramblings of Madoka as she tells her all about her father's cooking process to make his renowned cream stew. Homura remembers quietly listening to Madoka speak during the whole entire walk, enjoying every minute of hearing about Madoka's life at home. Madoka didn't notice how much time had passed until they reached her front door. The realization that she spoke during the entire walk left her fair skin turning a bright shade of pink, nearly matching her lovely hair. She opens the door, welcoming Homura into her house for the first time to meet her wonderful parents and her adorable little brother.

It felt like a sweet memory until Homura remembers that Madoka Kaname does not exist. The Kaname household still remains intact, but Junko and Tomohisa only have their small son as their only child. The sight of their happy life allows Homura to breathe slightly easily, relieved that she did not imagine the Kaname family because she longs for a family. Any relief that comes instantly wilts once she realizes her memories of her best friend still do not mean anything to anyone because Madoka Kaname does not exist. Kyubey, part of the Incubator race that is found all across the universe, insists that Madoka is not real. He treats her like the devotee to a false religious figure that isn't listed in any religious texts. He may listen to her frustrated words with a patience, but Kyubey answers her with a logic so sharp that it rivals the edge of a blade.

He believes in the existence of the Law of Cycles, like everyone in this new world, but he flatly tells her that he does not believe in the existence of Madoka Kaname. Kyubey condemns her belief in the girl that does not exist, the driving faith that keeps her fighting valiantly against the enemies of the world, to being nothing more than an unrealistic dream. There is no proof for her to change Kyubey's mind, but hearing him reduce her belief as nothing more than a dream pierces at her heart.

Homura looks down at the bowl of cream stew, swarmed by happy memories that only taste like something ash and doubt. She clenches at her chest, wishing she could rid herself of the pain in her heart as easily as the magic on her body. Breathing becomes shallow as she stares down at the still hot dish. Robin has made it differently, mixing it with more seasonings, but the key ingredients in the stew are enough to drag memories to the surface—

Were they even memories?

Was it possible for her memory magic to be used against herself?

Memories or fabricated lies, Homura realized how pathetic she must look now. She was approaching the point of no return: She is close to crying over a bowl of cream stew. The others weren't here, but Robin's gaze weighs down on her. Feeling her eyes upon her body only makes her feel more choked up. The spacious room begins to shrink upon her as she took more frantic breaths. Damn the nurses and their ridiculous breathing exercises—

❝ I... I need some fresh air. Excuse me... ❞ The words leave her lips stiffly, but she is rigidly polite nonetheless. She is the guest in Robin's home. She will always be nothing more than a guest in someone else's life.

Homura stands from her seat, pushing back the chair a little too roughly in her panic to get out of the suddenly crowded dining table. Unable to look Robin in the eye, she swiftly turns her heel to walk out of the cabin. She may have been polite enough to excuse herself, but she does not bother to wait for a response. She is quick to leave the cabin, desperate to have the forest to swallow her up before she makes a scene. The endlessness of the forest does not stop her from heading straight back into the forest. Not even the potential dangers of stay wraiths or lurking animals seems to stop her determination to flee.

Though this is her very first time in Robin's isolated home, Homura takes every correct step and turn without the need to ask for directions.

[alyjojo]

December 😚 2023 Monthly - Gemini

Whole of your energy: 2 Cups

I don’t know if this is about a particular love so much as it’s about wanting love, waiting around for this connection that you crave and can feel is out there…but where is it? 3 Swords at the bottom, whether you’re in a connection or not, your work seems to be the 3rd energy here. You could work crazy hours, or just way too many, could be a night-shifter with The Moon here, and waiting for the sun to rise but…then you’re tired. Whatever this is, it’s unbalanced and comes in between you and having the kind of relationship you’ve been wanting.

What’s going on in December:

Justice rev:

It’s possible you’re still mourning a previous connection that ended badly, or maybe you were when you first took this all on yourself, you threw yourself into work to get your mind off of whatever you were going through emotionally. If not, you could just feel like you’re setting yourself up for failure. The last relationship itself - with secrets and outside issues, or the job and everything it’s asking of you. If you’re working 7am to 7pm, where is the time for finding a soulmate, it doesn’t exist. So many cards here show darkness, night time, and Moon energy. If a relationship has ended, you could be blaming opposite schedules, or maybe the job isn’t even yours, but theirs, and you can’t work with that anymore.

8 Pentacles:

Clarified by The Fool & Wheel of Fortune, The Devil at the bottom. This could be a job you needed to get from A to B, and you woke up one day and realized what…the fuck am I doing with my life? Like a work anniversary, happy 5 years!! And you’re like “Wait, I’ve been at this shithole for five years??” 😆 It’s not something you’re passionate about, like, or even want, it’s something that pays the bills. And now you feel so far invested into this that you’re stuck - The Devil. Maybe you’ve gotten so many quarter raises over the years that there’s no turning back now, nothing in this same field would pay you what you make at this place. All you have to sacrifice is…every second of your time 😕 or you feel that way.

9 Swords:

Your intuition could be nagging at you to make changes, do something. Page of Wands shows some inspired action is calling to you, some passion you love to do. You feel like you’re not meant to drive a forklift, you’re meant to make your own essential oils and do this shit on your own 💯 Queen of Pentacles can show you considering running your own business, or that could be your person if you’re already in a connection. It’s desired to put your energy into something that means something to you. But it stresses you out, 9 Swords, you run this over and over in your mind constantly. 5 Swords can show your inner voice being quite critical and mean, or you may feel very negative towards someone else who is wanting to do this, or already is - The Fool is here, for some they’ve already dived in head first. Or you have.

You could feel like you’re carrying a lot of unnecessary weight if this is your partner, maybe you’re the dominant paycheck and they’re hit or miss, whatever they make is extra but it’s not exactly helping you out, or reliable. You could feel bitter at how much is on your plate, like “glad you’re feeling fulfilled but I’m the one paying the bills IJS”. It’s imbalanced. Or that’s exactly what you’re afraid of, if you’re solo and don’t have any backup support, you can’t rely on what people buy or don’t buy…not at first anyway. You stress about this constantly.

2 Wands:

You’ve got plans in mind, King of Swords following shows you’re trying to remain emotionally detached, and just using your head when it comes to the financial details of what you want or need to do in order to get more money, maybe free up some time, tell this place to kiss your behind & you’re over it. 9 Pentacles is the plan, being independent & financially abundant, probably with some side business. You expect a jolt, a disaster, and you’re trying to prepare for any outcome, but moving forward in a way that makes you happy…and also pays the bills, you’re covered. Every side. For now. Probably working two different things, for some.

King of Swords:

Clarified by The Emperor, this is someone in charge 💯 Very responsible, intelligent, a business owner and a boss, there are strict rules and regulations having to do with whatever this is, could be red tape that needs to be addressed or causes your plans to change/maneuver in some way. Ace of Cups rev follows, 4 Cups at the bottom. Either once you start focusing more on fixing your work situation, you don’t even care about romance or love anymore, you’re feeling more in control than you ever have and put all of your efforts in that direction…or, you could simply be taking the middle path, talking to your current boss about the workload on your shoulders, how much you’re having to do, you need to switch hours or change them, voicing your complaints.

Some of you could be planning on leaving a relationship that puts too much pressure on you, again you could be voicing your concerns and expectations, what you need from this person, drawing boundaries. You’re not passionate about what they are, may not even care at all about essential oils, this could be the end for you. Or someone is doing this with you, could be either. You could also be deciding that the side work isn’t worth continuing, or needs adjusting. It’s not an emotional conversation, or decision, it’s strictly business.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Aquarius, Cancer, Aries, Libra, Pisces & Virgo

Oracles: ✨

39 Creativity 🖼

This is a profoundly creative time period for you - whether it is in the traditional arts, music, or writing - or it could be a new curiosity about exploring a way to funnel your creative urges. To be creative, you need to access your right brain - your emotional, sensing, feeling center. Do this by trying things you’ve never done before - get physical, dance, doodle.

When we acknowledge and act upon our impulse to create, we are aligning our will with Spirit. In this we can experience the flow of being on your highest path. Start creating and notice his time has no meaning anymore. Hours fly by before you realize it. It is not a struggle. It is pure inspiration. This card can also signify the birth of a child, or of a whole new way of being!

We enter into December as:

Gold Coins 💰

“I only seek to give you what you ask for.”

Gold Coins gently asks you to look at your relationship with money. Money doesn’t care where it goes. It naturally goes toward appreciation and gratitude. What we do with our own abundance makes the difference. Are you blaming something on money? Are you running from it? Be wary of using your financial situation as an excuse to avoid doing something you love to do. Are you questioning a relationship or career that is hitting a rocky time? It may be time to look for the good in it. Remember there are two sides to every coin. What you desire may currently be manifesting. Great riches are waiting for you to use them. You can ask the universe for riches or poverty, the universe doesn’t care, only you can change your inner experience. “Things” only hold value when we think they do. If there were no money, it didn’t exist, what else would you do? What else would you focus on?

What is to be learned in December:

Bernie Banana and All Things Yellow 🍌

“How can I choose?”

Have you recently faced a major truth about yourself and are trying to figure out where you do belong? Or are you facing some other kind of dilemma? Is your thinking cloudy because you think someone or something is cheating you out of your just desserts? Bernie has come to you to let you know you are not alone. You are being advised to approach your particular situation with an open eye and closed mouth. Do not say or reveal too much, your “knowledge” may prove to work against you, or you may be in the midst of a volatile situation. You are being told to play the neutral position, it will prove important later that you have not chosen any “sides”. Do not ignore your beliefs, simply do not publicize them, weigh your situation carefully. You’re in the winning position by being the observer. Answers will come by allowing a dilemma to exist, the situation is out of your hands. Something else requires your attention, leave well enough alone.

Yellow may be a lucky color 💛

[animehouse-moe]

Dr. Stone S3 Episode 1: New World Map

Looks like science is back on the menu boys! Dr. Stone returns with its third season (which is 2 cours once more!), with the goal of creating a ship to cross the ocean. An ambitious goal considering the technology of their time, but one that come Heaven or Hell Senku will complete. Though every dream that aims for the stars starts with a humble beginning, this one starting with a search for oil and the beginnings of agriculture.

It's been a while since I've really watched or paid attention to Dr. Stone stuff, so I've been reminded of how enjoyable the art and designs are for this series. They're incredibly tight and creative, and plenty vibrant without being overly contrasty or excessive in terms of color design. It's a really great balance that puts the focus on stranding out, and being strong.

And one last thing before I get into it, the direction for Dr. Stone has never really stood out to me. It's one of those things that just focuses on not getting in the way of the story and its characters. It leans perfectly into the comedy and excessive nature, but doesn't attempt to try and put a spin on things or really do anything crazy with it. Not exactly bog standard, but not something that you point out and talk about.

So with that in mind, I'm jumping right into science!

I thought this blueprint was rather fun, not really accurate in any way, but something and interesting to younger audiences for sure. The cross section is a solid idea for showing how it's supposed to look, and there's even measurements just poking their head out from the bottom of the image. But ultimately, it's slightly more than a glorified drawing of a cross section of a ship.

Now, two little tidbits here, not really important but just stuff I found fun. The first is Yuzuriha being put to work, considering her sewing skill it makes sense, but if it weren't clear to others she's the one that's putting together the sails for the ship which was a fun little background detail to add. Similarly, Kinro and Ginro are working together to plane the various logs into workable lumber. They weren't using it, but was fun to see them show off a planer (and helps remind you of the level of technology available to Team Science).

Now, I'm not 100% certain on what sort of tool Ukyou is using here. My immediate thought was a sextant, but that's used for celestial navigation and they're in the daytime and are surveying land. So, due to lack of knowledge I'm chalking it up to "funky telescope for charting topography".

So, maybe not science, but I really enjoyed this piece as a bit of logic behind the crew's search in the skies. Rysui points out the existence of a herd of wild animals. Now, for a herd to support itself, there must be sufficient food in the area, which Team Science also happens to be after. Sort of a two birds with one stone moment that works out quite well for them as they stumble upon wheat, of all things.

So, on the topic of wheat, I was kind of sad that they didn't explain this little piece here. It's a fun and interesting little thing that helps with an overall mundane task. Threshing is the stage where you separate the stalk/straw that holds all the wheat together, and the more traditional way to separate the two is, essentially, to smack it against something. Because of that, seeing it done in a much more refined and controlled manner was interesting, so I was kind of disappointed they didn't add any dialogue to the scene.

And the last real science-y thing of the episode was a litmus test. A really fun and simple example of the importance of stuff that you might have thought random when in high school. Litmus paper (and acid-base testing in general), is applied in all manner of facets of modern human life. Seeing it as such a simple yet important example was really fun and inspiring, and a cool way to casually teach people about the challenges of agriculture.

Of course, Dr. Stone isn't purely about scientific advancement, so they throw in some sentimental moments as well. In the smaller dosages that we see them in, they serve the story perfectly to allow for the characters to develop, and to help frame the importance and magnitude of the advancements that color human history.

Though you'd be kidding yourself if comedy didn't reign supreme after science. The sort of chibi style that appears just helps accentuate the ridiculous nature of the comedy, while separating it comfortably from the more scientific or sincere sides. It's basically a textbook approach that's executed incredibly well.

And lastly, Minecraft is in an anime. Yeah. Weird, yet awesome decision to have some of the exposition scenes appear as something styled after Minecraft, given the similarities. Great fun, and a cheap and easy solution to those moments, which can allow them to put more focus elsewhere.

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Hermit: You are a Buddhist, Yet You Possess Non-Buddhist Views

Are you a Buddhist? Certainly. Ask any Buddhist, and they will unhesitatingly answer you this way. But the real question is, are you truly a Buddhist?

It's an intriguing question. Every Buddhist would never consider themselves as non-Buddhist. They would tell you: I have received a certain initiation, we practice our methods every day, we took refuge with a certain abbot or Rinpoche. I have a stack of refuge certificates. I'm vegetarian. We conduct fire offerings. I recite Amitabha Buddha's name. Aren't all these enough to prove I'm a Buddhist?

According to Buddha's teachings, only when we possess the correct Buddhist views can we be genuine Buddhists. Otherwise, we are merely close to being Buddhists. "Close" means "quite near but not quite there".

You've been a Buddhist for quite some time (five years? Or maybe ten?), yet you still hold non-Buddhist views. This isn't surprising, as you've been a non-Buddhist for a much longer time (here, "non-Buddhist" doesn't refer to the Indian ascetics who cover themselves in ash and roast over fires, but to anyone with non-Buddhist views). Since beginningless time, we might have spent most of our time as non-Buddhists. Even in this life, you might have been a non-Buddhist for the first thirty years. When you think of the future, are you planning just for the next few decades or for lifetimes to come? Do you love your family? Of course. How about people outside your family? Do you love them? Not really. So, do you truly believe that every single one of them has been your son or husband in the cycle of rebirth?

Do you genuinely believe everything is impermanent? Or is it just an occasional thought? Do you truly think all phenomena lack inherent existence? When you look at a TV stand, can you truly grasp that it doesn't possess any of the qualities you perceive? Do you sense the manifestation and emptiness rather than manifestation and inherent nature? In this era, every Tibetan Buddhist would say they understand the union of appearance and emptiness. Yet, I believe most of us, most of the time, see the perfect blend of appearance and inherent nature, rather than appearance and emptiness. Do you genuinely believe that all conditioned things are suffering? Then why do you still frequently seek lasting happiness in samsara? Although every bottle of 'Pukui Oil Control Facial Cleanser' lists its ingredients: coconut-based betaine, sodium chloride, yeast extract from glycerin, glycerin, etc., and openly reveals itself as a mere compound phenomenon, we still perceive it as a bottle of facial cleanser — an entity with inherent existence. Our habits are that powerful. We might not view sandcastles on the beach as real castles, but when it's a stone-built one that can house people, we think it's a real castle. Is there any difference between the two? When stones are piled together, is there something called a "castle" born? Never. Those stones stacked together haven't combined into a new entity. When that castle is destroyed, no "castle" disappears because a "castle" never truly existed to begin with.

If you claim to be a Buddhist, but your logic and mindset behind any decision or consideration are no different than those who do not believe in reincarnation and karma, then you might not truly believe what you think you believe. At least, it indicates you don't possess a genuine Buddhist perspective.

Having non-Buddhist views while calling oneself a Buddhist isn't a grave mistake. In fact, our spiritual practice is essentially a tug-of-war between Buddhist views and non-Buddhist views. A significant part of the spiritual journey is ensuring we don't fall into perspectives like "everything possesses self-nature" and other views that oppose the Four Dharma Seals. In reality, it's nearly impossible not to slip into these views. What's crucial is recognizing when we do, and then pulling ourselves out. After all, we haven't been Buddhists for a particularly long time. Our previous habits—of labeling everything—are immensely strong. We are too accustomed to the views that everything is permanent and has self-nature. It's unrealistic to take refuge one day and expect to become a sage the next. The best thing you can do is to reduce such non-Buddhist perspectives over time.

It's fair to say that for most Buddhists (myself included), about 99% of their views are non-Buddhist. Such views are deeply ingrained because we use them daily. Isn't our everyday perspective centered on the idea of "everything possesses self-nature"? When you see ice cream, do you immediately think it lacks inherent ice cream nature? Of course, your first instinct is to recognize it as ice cream. If you're lucky, maybe a few minutes later, you might contemplate its composite nature. Or you might not think about it at all.

As a Buddhist, there's no need to feel ashamed for having non-Buddhist views. In fact, it's good news. Every beginner Buddhist starts this way. If you don't recognize this, you can't make changes. Now, having realized that your views are not truly centered on "all dharmas lack self-nature", it's evident that we constantly live with the view of "all dharmas possess self-nature". Look around, you see your table, slippers, dirty socks, your cat, and your cup. When you think of them as "my table", "my slippers", "my cat", your perspective is not "all dharmas lack self-nature".

You might argue, "I accept the view of 'all dharmas lack self-nature' and believe it to be correct. Doesn't that prove I possess this perspective?" In truth, you've merely heard of this view from a teacher. The day you no longer need anyone to tell you "all dharmas lack self-nature", and through your own practice, you genuinely feel that nothing is as we define or label it, only then can you claim to truly possess such a perspective. Until then, you've only heard of it. It isn't truly yours.

This article was first published on Lingshan Hermit's blog on April 10, 2016.

Copyright Notice：All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.

灵山居士：你是佛教徒，却拥有外道的见地

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sunday, April2, 2023

april 2_march 20

Fifth Sunday of the Great Lent.

VENERABLE MARY OF EGYPT (movable holiday on the 5th Sunday of the Great Lent).

This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Mt. 17:21). If you recall, last Sunday, the fourth week of Great Lent, the Gospels proclaimed to us, This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. What is this kind?  

If you recall, brothers and sisters, we were told of a possessed youth and thrown into the fire, now into the water, as the father said, who brought this youth to Christ. And Christ said, This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Here is what “kind”. The kind [of demon] that possessed this youth, that threw him [into fire and water]. The poor boy not only knew no peace, he knew no life. And Christ says, “is cast out”. That means that it is something separate. Is this understandable to us, or not? Brothers, if you only open a newspaper, you will immediately understand what “this kind” is. Look at how many people, in despair, throw themselves into the water to end their lives—thinking there is no eternal life. And into the fire… Here you’ll find so many who, again, from despair, throw themselves into the fire… They become human torches, lighting themselves on fire. It is the same thing: an affected state, or depression; or to the contrary, some kind of state that reaches the point of madness, human pride. And how many people fall into these terrible states of sexual excess? How many terrible states of robbery or murder are connected with this terrible love of money and hunger for power. What is this? This is that very kind. We act as if we have nothing to do with this. Oh... if only we had nothing to do with it!

Now we are going through the period of life that we call spiritual spring. If the farmer sows late, there will be no sprouting or grain. If a person is late in acquiring sobriety, attention to his inner man, to his heart, then he will be left without spiritual nourishment, in spiritual hunger. If there is some kind of passion in his heart, and he recognizes it, then he will likewise understand that no one can cast out this passion except the One Who created man. But for this, he needs to prepare himself. And this preparation is fasting and prayer. These are the feelings with which we should have remained during this week. And suppose we were in this state in which every Christian should be. In that case, we should especially have been so during this fifth week of Lent, when the Church cried out, “Before I perish utterly, save me, O Lord!” when the Great Canon of Repentance of St. Andrew of Crete was read, which tore the heart and turned it inside out, and revealed to us this very state of the passions so that we might be able to draw near to the Lord and say, “Forgive me, O God; heal me, give me your eternal light, give me life. Maybe I have no more than a year to live, maybe even less… Perhaps I am even now going to Thee.” We are all going there, to eternity, and the Church gives us this time for preparation so that we would see ourselves and acquire strength and depart into eternal existence.

We were told in last week’s Gospel that this kind goes out by prayer and fasting. We think that fasting is when vegetable oil is on the table. Yes, of course, abstinence from foods is also fasting. But fasting consists not only in this; this is only part of fasting. Fasting is when a person opens his heart to see everything unneeded in it and sweeps it away, taking only what is necessary to preserve it in his heart. And prayer? Prayer… is a state when the soul, feeling divine peace, ceaselessly calls out to the Lord: Help me do not allow… Do not allow the murder in me of the most essential feeling: my conscience. And at the end of this week—I don’t know about you, but I nevertheless feel unworthy.

And so this day is for me a great consolation. In what sense? Here before us, before our spiritual eyes, stands St. Mary of Egypt. She was a sinful woman, who became the classic face, the classic image of a Christian woman. She was an outrageous courtesan of Alexandria, Egypt. She was a harlot. She was a “public” woman. She was a beauty. And her depravity knew no bounds. And suddenly she saw a crowd of people boarding a ship. Thus did she travel to Jerusalem. She went with that crowd, which was going to venerate the Cross of the Lord. Why not? The whole crowd went, and she went. But when the crowd was entering the narthex, no matter what Maria did, she couldn’t enter into the church. Everyone had already entered, but she was riveted to the spot. It was as if the wind or a wave pushed her away. No matter how she trembled or how much she wanted to enter, she could not—whatever it was would not let her in. Finally, she understood that some terrible power was not letting her in. Then she looked, and saw standing before her a face, the icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Child. Immediately the veil that was obscuring her conscience opened up. She had heard about Christ and heard that Christ called people to chasteness.

And then her conscience revealed her entire sin to her, and she fell before the Heavenly Queen, crying out, “Forgive me! Help me! Then, she did not understand what had happened. As if carried up by the wind, she was suddenly brought into the church and fell down before the Cross of the Lord. Then a miracle happened to her: She suddenly thirsted for purity and chastity. She began to desire this lightness, a pure conscience. And when she felt forgiveness, she paid no attention to anyone and, without anything, ran to the Jordan River, walked across it, and hid in that desert. Thus did she live for seventeen years in a state of sobriety, eating the dirt, as she said, to destroy those lusts, those fleshly desires, that destructive “kind” of bodily movement. Then, for seventeen years, she lived in praise of divine grace. She was like an angel. So, I say that this day which the holy Church places before us is a consolation. There isn’t a sinner that the Lord would not forgive.

Brothers and sisters! After all, each of us will undoubtedly be covered by a coffin lid. Each of us will be hidden in a grave. But our souls will pass to eternity. What will we meet there? Do we at least think about what will be there? The Church calls and calls us to repentance. But how do we begin? So, pay attention here: Mary could not enter the church, and someone would not let her in. Take a look at yourselves, at your conscience. You have the same problem: Someone needs to allow you to a total dedication to Christ. Could you cut it off? But how? This is how: just like Mary. Run to the Mother of God. This is what I’m asking you to do. This is the greatest joy. And run to the Lord. Say, Lord, help me to be a Christian. Help me so that my systole and diastole would beat out only one feeling: dedication to the Lord and fulfilling His commandments. And then… then will come a clear, bright spring. And nearing the feast of Pascha, we will hear Christ’s words: Peace be unto you! And may this peace abide in us.

From: The One Thing Needful. The blessings of the Lord be upon you…

Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko) Translation by OrthoChristian.com

Novo-Diveyevo Convnet

4/2/2023

MARTYR PHOTINA (SVETLANA), THE SAMARITAN WOMAN, AND HER SONS (66)

The Holy Martyr Photina (Svetlana) the Samaritan Woman, her sons Victor (named Photinus) and Joses; and her sisters Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva, Kyriake; Nero’s daughter Domnina; and the Martyr Sebastian: The holy Martyr Photina was the Samaritan Woman, with whom the Savior conversed at Jacob’s Well (John. 4:5-42).

During the time of the emperor Nero (54-68), who displayed excessive cruelty against Christians, Saint Photina lived in Carthage with her younger son Joses and fearlessly preached the Gospel there. Her eldest son Victor fought bravely in the Roman army against barbarians and was appointed military commander in Attalia (Asia Minor). Later, Nero called him to Italy to arrest and punish Christians.

Sebastian, an official in Italy, said to Saint Victor, “I know that you, your mother, and your brother are followers of Christ. As a friend, I advise you to submit to the emperor's will. If you inform any Christians, you will receive their wealth. I shall write to your mother and brother, asking them not to preach Christ publicly. Let them practice their faith in secret.”

Saint Victor replied, “I want to be a preacher of Christianity like my mother and brother.” Sebastian said, “O Victor, we all know what woes await you, your mother and brother.” Then Sebastian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his eyes. He was dumbfounded, and his face was somber.

For three days, he lay there blind, without uttering a word. On the fourth day, he declared, “The God of the Christians is the only true God.” Saint Victor asked why Sebastian had suddenly changed his mind. Sebastian replied, “Because Christ is calling me.” Soon he was baptized and immediately regained his sight. Saint Sebastian’s servants, after witnessing the miracle, were also baptized.

Reports of this reached Nero, who commanded that the Christians be brought to him at Rome. Then the Lord appeared to the confessors and said, “Fear not, for I am with you. Nero, and all who serve him, will be vanquished.” The Lord said to Saint Victor, “From this day forward, your name will be Photinus because, through you, many will be enlightened and believe in Me.” The Lord then told the Christians to strengthen and encourage Saint Sebastian to persevere until the end.

All these things and future events were revealed to Saint Photina. She left Carthage in the company of several Christians and joined the confessors in Rome.

At Rome, the emperor ordered the saints to be brought before him, and he asked them whether they truly believed in Christ. All the confessors refused to renounce the Savior. Then the emperor gave orders to smash the martyrs’ finger joints. The confessors felt no pain during the torments, and their hands remained unharmed.

Nero ordered Saints Sebastian, Photinus and Joses be blinded and locked up in prison, and Saint Photina and her five sisters, Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva and Kyriake were sent to the imperial court under the supervision of Nero’s daughter Domnina. Saint Photina converted both Domnina and all her servants to Christ. She also converted a sorcerer, who had brought her poisoned food to kill her.

Three years passed, and Nero was imprisoned for one of his servants, who had been locked up. The messengers reported to him that Saints Sebastian, Photinus, and Joses, who had been blinded, had completely recovered and that people were visiting them to hear their preaching. Indeed the whole prison had been transformed into a bright and fragrant place where God was glorified.

Nero then ordered to crucify the saints and beat their naked bodies with straps. On the fourth day, the emperor sent servants to see whether the martyrs were still alive. But, approaching the place of the tortures, the servants fell blind. An angel of the Lord freed and healed the martyrs from their crosses. The saints took pity on the blinded servants and restored their sight by praying to the Lord. Those who were healed came to believe in Christ and were soon baptized.

In an impotent rage, Nero gave orders to flay the skin from Saint Photina and to throw the martyr down a well. Sebastian, Photinus, and Joses had their legs cut off, thrown to dogs, and then their skin flayed off. The sisters of Saint Photina also suffered terrible torments. Nero ordered to cut off their breasts and flay their skin. An expert in cruelty, the emperor readied the fiercest execution for Saint Photis: they tied her by the feet to the tops of two bent-over trees. The trees sprang upright when the ropes were cut and tore the martyr apart. The emperor ordered the others beheaded. Saint Photina was removed from the well and imprisoned for twenty days.

After this, Nero brought her to him and asked if she would now relent and offer sacrifice to the idols. Saint Photina spit in the face of the emperor, and, laughing at him, said, “O most impious of the blind, you profligate and stupid man! Do you think me so deluded that I would consent to renounce my Lord Christ and instead offer sacrifice to idols as blind as you?”

Hearing such words, Nero gave orders to again throw the martyr down the well, where she surrendered her soul to God (+ ca. 66).

Source Orthodox Christianity

JOHN 20:19-31

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;��31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

GALATIANS 3:23-29

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[pcttrailsidereader]

NIMBY

You may have heard of this term. NIMBY is short for 'Not in my backyard'. The PCT was officially identified in 1968 but it wasn't until 1997 that the 'golden spike' marked an official completion of the trail. On paper this sounds great, doesn't it? A complete 2,650 mile ribbon of trail that stretches from the California/Mexican border north to the Canadian/Washington state border.

Well, not so fast. Even today, fifty-five years after its official designation as one of two (at the time) National Scenic Trails, sharing the spotlight with the Appalachian Trail in the east there are many miles that are very restrictive for hikers passing through.

Approximately 10 percent of the trail remains on private land with little in place to help protect the trail experience for future generations.

In a majority of cases, trail easements exist through these private parcels that allow hikers and equestrians the right to pass through. However, many of these very narrow easements are less than 30 feet wide. As a result these easements do not provide any real protection for the land adjacent to the trail. Of particular notice is that new construction and development can happen at any time on private property along the PCT.

As a result, the wildness of the trail experience is compromised every time a new road, power line or vacation home is built nearby. Often, these developments can and do push the trail onto property edges and along large fence lines if there’s no other place for it.

The PCTA continually  advocates  for increased federal funding for land protection and has been doing so since 1999. One avenue to gain access to these restricted lands has been through the Land and Water Conversation Fund (LWCF). Congress has been strongly urged to provide full funding for the LWCF. Yearly, $900 million from energy company royalties on offshore oil and gas drilling leases are put into the LWCF. This money is intended to create and support parks and waterways. Unfortunately, Congress typically designates only a small portion of this money for the intended purpose and instead diverts most of the LWCF money to other unrelated spending.

Over the past 18 years, almost $46 million in LWCF funding has been used to acquire and permanently protect just over 33,000 acres along the PCT.

LWCF dollars are essential to permanently protecting the last 10% of private lands along the PCT. While there have been many successes in recent years, thanks to the hard and devoted work of the PCTA, LWCF appropriations have not been adequate to keep up with the number of landowners willing to sell their property along the PCT. Opportunities to purchase some of these properties constantly come and go, and in some cases could be our last chance to protect critical lands.

Here's what you can do. To show your support, please take a moment to contact your congressional representatives and let them know that you support full funding for LWCF and the protection of the Pacific Crest Trail. Make the PCT the gem that it is by striving to keep it in all of our backyards.