#i know that controlled flooding like the Nile is good

[nonevahed]

Ming Dynasty 1566 episode 3

Of course the prince randomly offers 100,000 bolts of silk to his concubine's family when the government is struggling to come up with 500,000 for an important foreign trade deal

Yan Shifan triggers a 7-province flood for political advantage, "that'll get the farmers off their land so the silk merchants can take it over!" ... and that kind of out-of-control flooding probably isn't good for the land either

[i-am-a-meat-popcicle]

Are you interested in more Fe3h worldbuilding lore because there's so much implicit stuff!! You can look at the character and country name and what they reference, the way the dress, or even what Fe3h is inspired from ( did you know the game take a lot of inspiration from Irish culture )!

For example, did you know that Sothis correspond to the Egyptian goddess Sopdet? She's the personification of the star Sirius, a reference to how Sothis come from space which lead to her being called "Fell Star" by the Agarthans. But more importantly, Sopdet is linked to the annual flooding of the Nile! It join how Sothis flooded Fodlan "In the land of Thinis, where the old gods are said to live, the False God has awakened. Its looming, heteromorphic vessel was resurrected to sink the world to the depths of the ocean. It will bring extinction to all children of men, and salvation to all beasts of the land, sky, and sea. [...] And soon, a flood aptly named Despair will drown this world. [...]" ( from the book "Romance of the World's Perdition" in the Shadow Library of the DLC ). Also, she's the goddess of the fertility brought to the soil by the flooding which tie with how Sothis created the Nabataean, the current humans, magic outside of Dark Magic and the crest. It's implied she created more than that in the book of Seiros ( it says she created all plants and animals ), but we can't take it by words with how the current Nabataeans rewrote the past to found the Church of Seiros to protect their kind.

For more crest lore personally I love this dialog from Linhardt A support with Byleth:

"Well, I don't see how Crests have much use in times of peace. Certainly there are Crests that make you stronger and could be used in engineering. And I suppose Crests that increase magical abilities might help doctors heal injuries... Still, the possibilities seem limited. It's as if Crests were designed to be used only in times of war. Their power meant to bring about death and destruction. I cannot prove what I say is true, but suppose for a moment that it is... The longer this war goes on, the more useful my Crest research becomes. But if the war were to end today, we would go on living, perhaps not using the power of our Crests at all."

( Very sorry for the unwanted ranting! I have no control over myself when it comes Fe3h lore )

Short answer: I'm just a little weirdo that gets hung up about weird details in games, and Fe3h has a lot of weird and interesting details. Long answer [and I might even talk about unrelated stuff too, sorry I don't often have the chance to talk about fe3h]: About fe3h, the game is surprisingly good at giving you just enough information to ask more questions, and then when you start paying more attention you're hit with more moments of "wait a second- what?" "That doesn't seem right." And part of that has to do with the fact that a lot of the time the information that characters give you [or Byleth] is somewhat unreliable, due to them either keeping vital information to them selves, they don't know the whole story, they're trying to manipulate you, or they're outright lying to you.

I remember I had a lot of hang-ups about Dimitri blaming Edelgard for what happened in Duscur because I had a hard time believing that a fourteen year-old would be able to orchestrate the assassination of a foreign nation's king [especially when considering the timeline of events for Edelgard herself]. However, in Dimititri's case his perception of the truth was warped by multiple factors. Such as his severe lack of sleep and rest, possible malnutrition, his abysmal emotional state, implied schizophrenia [or something like it idk I'm not a doctor], and the fact that Edelgard was, indeed, working to kill him and all of his friends for a year. It's not so much that he logically believes it or that Edelgard was responsible for Duscur, it's that he had to fight her anyway, and her involvement with it may as well make her responsible. [still kinda bullshit but it makes sense as to why he's being the way he is]

A better example would have been how Tomas/Solan tries to manipulate Claude into thinking that there was some kind of church conspiracy with information about the immaculate one only for Claude to later stop listening to him after he found out who Solan really was and what he wanted. But that was one of the things that were solved in-story which left me less room to chomp on and obsess over. [not a bad thing- this is good story writing.]

The other reason is that sometimes the writers mess something up but depending on what that is it can be more interesting to find an in-universe reason why something doesn't add up. For instance the whole thing about the Red Canyon. It's implied to be called that because the Nabateans were genocides there. The funky thing there is that Nabatean blood isn't red, it's green. What this can imply is a few things, that Nabateans have red blood in a human form, or there was a mistranslation somewhere between the Nabateans and the humans they worked with, or it was deliberate [which makes more sense now that I think about it]. Basically, it was probably called something along the lines of "bloody canyon" or something due to the tragedy that happened there, but it got changed to red canyon because The saints [or just Rhea/Sieros] wanted to both keep the history a secret, but also wanted memorialize what happened.

The game is filled with little stuff like this that give me so many little brain worms, and that tends to be the start of it. The rest of it comes with me mentally writing fanfic with an oc and I start to go: "Like what are their bathrooms like, how does the plumbing systems work, what tools are available, if magic exists how does it work, does magic still follow the law of conservation of mass, how does magic and using it affect the body, etc."

Like, the implicit stuff and the inspirations are definitely a factor, but it's primarily my little brain going off the rails and asking way too many questions that probably doesn't matter.

[poptod]

Make Me Your Queen (Ahkmenrah  x Reader)

Description: He’s never seen anything like you––nothing comes close to your royalty, your beauty, your power, and it draws him in deeper.

Notes: based off ‘make me your queen’ by declan mckenna. i wrote this story with a female reader in mind (bc like, hatshepsut but canaanite) but as always its gender neutral, no pronouns WC: 2.6k

+

"Now I want you two to stay quiet. Do you understand that? Under no circumstance should you speak without being spoken to," Merenkahre said under his breath, his voice low as he spoke to his two sons. Ahkmen nodded––Kahmuh did not, but he'd heard his fathers' words nonetheless.

"These are the Canaanites, right?" Kahmuh asked in a flat tone.

"Phoenicians," Ahkmen corrected.

"Same thing, but don't let them know I said that, okay?" His father said.

Before Ahkmen could even chuckle, his mother called the three of them into the throne room. He hurried past his brother to stand beside her, looking over the long, glorious hall adorned with pillars and vases towards the tall double doors. Shrouds of silk hung from the ceiling, clouding the paintings drawn so painstakingly on the ceiling.

The breath of fresh air in his chest left him the moment Kahmuh came up behind him, taking his spot closer to the throne.

"I was -"

"We go by rank, don't you remember?"

He curled his fingers into his palm but said nothing. Kahmuh loved to annoy him, and though he never benefitted from teasing him, he continued to do it. Now, however, was a bad time to give into the urge to retaliate––the doors would open anytime now, bringing with it streaming sunlight and foreign royalty.

For several years now Kemet had been embroiled in a conflict with Phoenicians. It was one begun by his father, who had hoped to control several of the bay cities for the trade links they provided to Mesopotamia. This part of his father's life had been kept secret from him––entirely on purpose––until they began to fight back. A treaty was established the moment Merenkahre realized his armies could be beat, and now here they were, waiting for the one who had stepped up to take control of Phoenicia. Ahkmen had yet to know their name. His mother had given him scant information, and his father was unwilling to tell.

Rustling from outside brought his attention back to the front, eyes training back onto the door as it began to crack open. It was a sight he'd seen before, the opening of those mystical doors––rarely at sunset, but today was lucky. Red light streamed into the room, clashing brightly with the gold built into the pillars and marble floor. The light fell saturated on his tan skin till he and his family practically glowed auburn.

A short train of people came through the doors, their shadows stretched against the red carpet before them. The hall fell silent at their entrance; all eyes locked onto the veiled figure in the middle drifting closer to the throne. His breath halted right up to the moment the train came to a stop before the Pharoah. It was then the soldiers surrounding the cloaked figure fell into a bow, revealing tall tresses of black and red silk, a veil lined in gold, and purple hair framing soft cheeks.

Ahk's mouth opened unwittingly, staring at you. Were you born like that? How was that possible? And you––you couldn't be much older than twenty. This was what his father had to find peace with? This was what they would've died to?

The stone look on your face matched his fathers' bitter politeness perfectly. Merenkahre's jaw set as he smiled, rising from his seat to greet you personally. He raised his hand to shake yours and you matched him, raising a hand adorned in golden rings and blood red nails, shaking his hand without a hint of the Pharaoh's kindness in your eye.

"I thank you for the invitation to your country," you said, your lips twitching upwards just slightly, just enough to look polite.

"I'm glad you took up our invitation. We have a feast prepared––I'm sure you and your men are tired from the journey," said the Pharaoh, gesturing towards the doorway opposite the entrance.

You glanced down at the bowed soldiers. As your eyes flickered upwards they landed upon the youngest Prince, leaving him petrified from the acid in your gaze.

"Yes," you said after a moment, turning back to the Pharaoh. "That would be kind of you."

Several of the palace guards took the lead of your group, leading you through the small hallway to the dining hall. The hall was placed near the court for convenience, but the decision left Ahkmen little time to ask his father anything, leaving him stumbling over which question was more important.

He pushed his way past his mother and brother, landing beside his father, who still had his teeth gritted tight.

"How old are they exactly?" He asked, but earned no response from the distant thoughts of Merenkahre. Clearly his father was a tad preoccupied––Ahkmen would, most likely, not be getting answers from him anytime soon.

Ahkmen stared at you throughout the whole dinner. Not once did you glance to see him––if you had, he probably wouldn't have been staring. At least not so hard. You're impressively hard to look away from, your smile curt and teasing, unearthly purple hair curled around a crown of spindly gold.

Over the course of the conversation, he learned several things, most namely the duration of your stay. No one had an exact count of days, but you and your soldiers would stay until a peace treaty was reached with the Pharaoh. Knowing his father's advisors, Ahkmen surmised you would be here for a while, a fact that brought a smile to his face. Even though you hadn't spared any more than a single glance at him, he found he didn't care as long as he could keep looking at you.

He wasn't invited, but he followed anyway when one of the priests led you to your room. You bid the priest good-night only when two of your soldiers entered the room with you, before turning to Ahkmen, a soft but blank expression on your face.

"You're one of the princes, aren't you?" You asked in the silence. His eyes widened at the unexpected question.

"Well, um – yes," he said, stammering over his words.

"How old are you?"

The question took him by surprise but he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Seventeen years."

You paused to take in his reply, apparently finding much to contemplate in his age.

"When I was your age, I was spending my time uniting my Kingdom and clawing us out of starvation," you said in a lofty tone, but before he could form a response, you continued. "I suggest you do something useful, like that, instead of staring at foreign dignitaries."

Oh.

"I – I'm sorry, I didn't –"

"No need to apologize. Just keep it in mind."

"But... then how old are you now?" He asked, nails digging into his palm. You held his eye so intently now that you were speaking to him.

"Eighteen," you said with a smile, promptly shutting the door in both Ahkmen and the priest's face.

The priest turned to Ahkmen, a single brow raised. An awkward silence stretched between them.

"Can you not tell my father about this?" Ahkmen finally asked.

"As long as I never have to watch you two converse again," he said.

"Deal."

+

Ever since you came he was enchanted by you––that much was obvious to see. His mother knew, as did his father (although reluctantly), and by his count you probably did as well. Fortunately enough for him, you didn't tease him about it. Instead you kept a polite distance from him––a decision he simply couldn't understand.

He's rarely allowed inside the court while something important is in session, but his father called him in, and he didn’t mind an excuse to be in the same room as you.

"Ahk, come here," the Pharaoh said, and he obeyed, standing by his father's side. "You and the princ-"

"King," you said sharply. It's a title you insisted on constantly, one that your soldiers willingly upheld despite the obvious contradiction. The Pharaoh pulled his lips into a thin line in clear irritation.

"You're around the same age, right?"

Ahkmen nodded.

"Why don't you show them around a little? I'm sure they'd like a break from all these meetings," Merenkahre suggested.

"I assure you I am perfectly fine," you said.

"Septy," one of your advisors leaned over to you, whispering in your ear. He couldn't quite make it out but the tension in your face fell. It was almost nice––you're always irritated around the Pharaoh and it showed.

"Very well," you said, and it looks like it took an enormous amount of pain to get the words out. "I will go with your... son."

Ahkmen practically beamed, making his way across the room to you before taking your hand, and leading you out of your seat. Before you could send any more of a scathing glare at Merenkahre, he guided you out of the room and into an empty hall.

The already-quiet voices of the court faded away as the distance grew greater, leaving the two of you in a common silence.

"He's not making your job easy, is he?" Ahkmen asked despite knowing the answer.

"Neither of us truly desire peace," you said bitterly. "Only to destroy the other. We'll both have to get over that if we're to reach any agreement."

"... I agree," he said, still caught up in staring at you.

The purple in your hair glinted in the streaming sunlight, the only color in the barren hallway lined with arches. Outside, the city sat in its' great bustle, ships lining up and down the Nile, markets flooding each section of Memphis. The sight is one he knew well, but you halted. In a flash he remembered you never came from a wealthy country––you had to build it. Unless you visited some other country, you had never seen a thriving city market.

His footsteps fell quiet when you stopped at one of the arches, eyes trained on the tiny subjects below. A lump grew in his throat the closer he stepped to you.

"How does commerce within the city work for you?" You asked.

Truthfully, Ahkmen had little clue on how the government worked. Only the tidbits he'd picked up from his father. Kahmuh was the one becoming Pharaoh––that was why he was in classes and Ahkmen was allowed free roam.

"We use a fair amount of trade," he began, though had little idea on how else to continue. "We, um... we use grain as a form of currency."

"How much in just one unit?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, biting into his lower lip as he tried to recall. Most times he went out to buy things, they priced far above a single bag, as his tastes were heavily influenced by his palace life.

"It's fine," you said curtly, stopping him in his plight. A small, relieved sigh left him.

"You must know quite a lot about your own government," Ahkmen said in a soft voice. You didn't move from your position, didn't tear your eyes from the market, but the edge of your lip quirked up just slightly.

"I should hope so," you said with a growing smile, "I built it, after all. Or... some of it. I must admit I was aided greatly by my advisors."

Ahkmen chuckled, following you when you left your spot at the arch. He took a quiet lead of the path forwards, discreetly guiding you outside the palace, where the sun shone freely on his skin. The warmth of it gave him good reason to wear few clothes. You, on the other hand, were still adorned in your black and red silk.

"I'm curious," Ahkmen said, keeping a keen eye on you, "how did you come to rule the Phoenicians? Were you royal to begin with?"

"Yes," you said with a sage nod. "My parents were descended from our Gods. When I took control, it was a crucial part of me––it was the only way I could unite the entirety of our cities."

"That's fascinating. So you control the entirety of that coast, now?"

"The cities are independent from me, but for the most part, yes. Now; I would love to discuss such matters with you, but I was promised a break from the politics," you said, and Ahkmen quickly remembered his manners.

"Of course, yes. Sorry. I know a few places you might like," he said with a smile, earning a small one in return as he led you down the sunlit street.

The more free-roaming children that passed by, the more relaxed you grew, eyes dancing at every market stall and homefront. Ahkmen had never known anything but this––to see a King who knew none of it at all was rattling to say the least. Even you, in all your majesty, found the same happiness in others that Ahkmen found in his people. The citizens seemed to like you as well, though he would've been surprised if they didn't. It wasn't every day they got to see someone with purple hair.

"I have a question," he said as the two of you passed by a murmuring crowd. "I, uh, hope this isn't rude, but how is your hair that color?"

"Dyed, actually," you answered, staring forward at the approaching Nile. "Half our trade is made up of this dye. We are great craftsmen and traders, but only recently have we been able to show that to the rest of the world."

"Why's that?"

"Well, before I came, we had no way of travelling to other cultures. I managed to befriend a great architect by the name of Batnoam. You've seen him––he stands beside me in court, but... he built these ships of curved hulls and long sails, allowed for us to hold power over your Pharaoh," you said, your accent becoming more pronounced as your hands moved thoughtlessly to the words. "Once we gained that we gained allies and established trade routes that, I believe, turned the war against you. No offense intended."

"None taken. I know my father can be.. difficult," Ahkmen said. He jumped when you belted out a laugh, raising your chin to the sky.

"I know firsthand your father's military tactics. But there are things he wants from me, things that he realizes he can't take by force."

"Such as..?"

"Look at me," you said, and as he stopped before you, he noticed the sudden quiet of the world around you. You'd made it to the Nile, and walked down far enough to escape the bustle. "Do you see my beauty?"

He nodded.

"Can you feel the power I have?"

He nodded again, too absorbed in your dulcet tone to notice the meaning of your words.

"I have made myself like this, but Merenkahre doesn't know that. He believes my power comes from my riches, from the items my people trade with those around us, and he wants that power. I don't blame him."

"You are so beautiful," he blurted out, eyes still wide as he stared at you.

"I know, dearest. You can close your mouth. I have no need for a prince, and I'm not looking for a Queen."

A soft, dreamy sigh left him as you turned, your attention shifting to the slow waters of the river. He just smiled––his heart burned warm in his chest, leaving tingling in his limbs each time they moved.

I can be your Queen, he thought without much logic behind his words besides the adoration he held for you. You took the title of King when you rose to power; there was no need for a Phoenician King, but they could do––you could do––with a queen such as himself. At least, that's what he liked to think. That's what made his heart giddy.

"Do you come down here often?"

"As much as I can," he answered. You smiled imperceptibly.

"I've always enjoyed the water," you murmured, staring at your reflection. In a split second you seemed to return to yourself, looking up to Ahkmen. "I grew up on the coast."

"I'm happy to take you down here anytime you need a break from the pressure," Ahkmen offered, his heart skipping at the thought of this happening more often. You contemplated his words for a moment before answering.

"I would like that."

[poirott]

This is the 2nd part of the "Riddle of the Spinx" interview with Death on the Nile cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos for British Cinematographer November 2020 issue (part 1 transcribed here). The full interview has now been released on the British Cinematographer website. I've included some of the text below!

In Part 2 Zambarloukos talks about shooting with the cast on location in Egypt and doing a particularly complex single shot of them on set, how they did the opening b&w sequence of young Poirot as a soldier, and built sets of Abu Simbel and the pyramids, the use of realtime footage projected on LED screens to make the studio sets look more realistic, what part of the Murder on the Orient Express set they recycled for Nile, etc.

Q: This was shot like Murder on the Orient Express at Longcross Studios with plates filmed on location in Egypt. Was it ever a possibility to shoot entirely on location?

Haris Zambarloukos: The issue is that 1934 Egypt barely exists today. For example, in the 1960s they moved the Abu Simbel temple 300 metres away so that the Aswan Dam wouldn't flood it. So, we built the entire four-storey high Abu Simbel at Longcross, complete with banks of water. The same with Giza and the Sphinx. In the 1930s the Nile went up to the feet of the Sphinx. Now all you see is the concrete expanse of Cairo.

Secondly, it's difficult to shoot complex shoots on a river while floating, taking all the cast down there and scheduling them, on top of ensuring everyone's safety on such a high-profile project.

Our whole design and research went into creating a set. We wanted to build a life-size boat inside and out; not to break it down into small sets but to shoot it as if we were on a boat. That’s a huge undertaking. Jim Clay built an amazing set to scale for the Karnak. It was so big we needed to build a temporary sound stage around it. We also wanted to use some real daylight when we got great sunlight in Longcross and use a little bit of water to basically film the boats carrying guests to the Karnak.

We recycled the railway from Orient and built the boat on that so we could wheel it in from outdoors to indoors. We built a very elaborate lighting rig that you could pull back and see the entire boat in one shot. You could step onto the boat and walk through all the rooms which were all lit for an analogue film f-stop. It was complicated and took most of our planning but I personally don't think you can tell the difference when we cut - even from a shot filmed outside in real sunlight juxtaposed with one in apparent sunlight on our sound stage. It's seamless because we took such great care and a detailed approach to our rig and construction.

In Orient you created some stylish direct overheads of the train carriage. You've told us of the Steadicam dance sequence in Nile. Were there other stylistic flourishes?

Inside the sound stage we went twice round the Karnak with the entire cast all choreographed for this one great reveal of a murder. It was really hard work to do. I understand why it was cut in the edit although they have kept a lot of other single long takes and there are lots of places where you see the whole cast in a single shot.

However difficult you might think setting up a long single is in terms of lighting and operating, it is equally, if not more difficult, to block a scene with multiple actors, keep the audience engaged and choreograph it in a way that is exciting and at the same time reveals things gradually. There's a lot of pressure on a lot of people in shots like that. Everyone's got to be on top of their game. Because we're all so interdependent, it's a domino effect in that the further you go in the take, the bigger the responsibility is for not getting it wrong whether that's the operator, focus puller, the actor saying the final line, the gaffer lighting a corner at just the right time. We always get excited about those shots but also very nervous.

You augmented the studio work with plates photographed on location in Egypt. Tell us about that.

We filmed on the Nile from a boat with a 14 8K Red camera array. We had a 360-degree bubble on top of the boat and two three-camera arrays pointing forwards and backwards as we travelled up and down. We specifically chose areas where modernity wasn’t present (or where it was, we removed it in post) and we also shot plates from the point of view of passengers onboard the Karnak.

VFX supervisor George Murphy edited the footage and stitched the plates together into an essentially very, very advanced virtual reality rig in which I could pan my camera. We did that before principal photography, so we never had to guess a month or so later what to put there. That’s a big help. Most shoots do their plate photography afterwards. It meant I could pretty much place the camera on any deck of the Karnak for any scene and know what the background would be.

As with Orient, did you play back footage realtime on LED screens outside the boat set?

I'd love to have done it live but on Orient we were only dealing with one wagon's windows at a time. It was still the biggest LED set-up ever done to that point, but the Karnak set is 20 time bigger than that. There aren't enough LED screens available – plus it would have been prohibitively expensive.

Instead, I went for a much larger version of a technique I'd used on Mamma Mia which was to hang back projection screens all around the boat – 200m in circumference, 15m high. We used Arri SkyPanels at a distance to create a sky or a part of the background. It could also be converted into a blue screen when we needed to. It meant that if I had a shot looking above the horizon line into the sky then it could be done in camera.

How confident were you of retaining colour and contrast from set to post?

I took stills on the recce and we used those to the create colours with this back projection for our skies. I take prints (not digital stills) so there is no misinterpretation. A still is a piece of paper that you can see. Once something is emailed across and seen by someone watching on another screen the information can get lost.

At the same time there were a lot more checks and balances put in place. We had a projector at Longcross and I watched dailies with (dailies colourist) Sam Spurgeon every lunchtime. With Kodak and Digital Orchard we have a very quick process to convert analogue filmmaking into digital by the next morning. Film is processed at night, they scan at 4am and by mid-morning those digital images are transferred to our dailies suite at Longcross. At lunch we’d watch it digitally projected, having been processed, scanned and graded at 2K.

I check that first and give notes to Sam and those get transferred onto our dailies which is what Ken, the editorial team, VFX and studio team sees. That's a major check. It's me with someone in a room, rather than me talking over the phone which is a big difference. I have a very good relationship with Goldcrest and (DI colourist) Rob Pizzey who also sees things along the way. I supervise the grade at the end. So, there's no need for anyone to interpret anything. It’s a collaboration in which we all look at the same images.

Did you shoot black and white for the opening scene or convert?

We shot colour for a couple of reasons. Although Kodak could manufacture BW 65, there is no lab in the world to processes it. Plus, there’s a certain skill to grading BW using colour negative and the added benefits are that that you can place a grey tone to a colour. For example, you could take red and decide it will look a very dark grey or a light grey, so you get very detailed tones. Ultimately, I get much more control in the DI this way. They were very monochromatic battlefield sets and costumes so it was quite limited in this case. The Germans wore grey and the Belgians wore dark blue and it’s a dark sooty gas-filled battlefield but you could manipulate the blue in the sky a little bit more and certainly manipulate the intensity of people’s eyes - especially if they had blue eyes (which Branagh does).

How did you handle sound sync?

To do sound sync work on Orient we used sound cameras that are twice as heavy as high-speed cameras, so I wanted to develop soundproof housing (blimp) for our camera on Nile. I took the problem to Stuart Heath at BGI Supplies at Longcross. They've made all sorts of props for us before, from Cinderella’s carriage to the furniture on Nile. I told him that I needed it really quickly. All my other attempts had failed. Stuart suggested using a material that they soundproof the interior of helicopters with. He brought a draper in who basically measured the camera as if making a dinner suit for it and quickly made a couple of versions for us. It was very effective and really opened up the Steadicam possibility for us. All from just wandering onto a workshop on the lot and asking a friend if he had any ideas about how to achieve something. In the old days that’s what everyone did – the answer was somewhere on the lot.

Finally, after six films and 14 years working with Ken Branagh, could you tell us what makes your relationship tick?

It is a fantastic friendship. To begin with you must be able to maintain a professional friendship with any cast and crew which is all about doing your very best and understanding where you have common aesthetics and shared thoughts about humanity. Ask what kind of world you want this to be, because that will come through in your filmmaking.

As you say, I've spent years working in close proximity to Ken and we have a mutual affection and admiration for each other otherwise we wouldn't be doing it for so long. He is relentless in pursuit of perfection and in his advancement of storytelling and is inspiring to work with. It means you have to be as relentless in your area of craft.

I think we both like making the same kinds of films. I'm a Greek Cypriot who grew up with Greek myth and tragedy. Ken's love of Shakespeare is legendary. You can easily see the lineage between Aeschylus (the ancient Greek creator of tragedy) that goes all the way to Shakespeare. Perhaps that appreciation for the human condition in its best and worst forms is the tie that binds.

Photo credit: Rob Youngson

Source: britishcinematographer.co.uk - February 4 2021

[tanzmitmirsblog]

Life is a Pandora's box and the hope within Prometheus

  Is mythology merely a collection of fascinating legends, or does it have a purpose? Mythology is concerned with both the past and the present. It illuminates the path. Mythology explains how emotion may take control of a person. We can clearly perceive that the greatest enemies of humanity are passion, ambition, hatred, selfishness, and greed. A myth is an image with which we try to make sense of the world,” says Alan Watts. Beyond your imagination, these stories tell us that "the limits of life are beyond what you only know, learn from your past and guide your future." I can hear this whisper. "Myth and nature are the two great garments of the world; nature is the vibrant green garment that covers the planet, and myth is the multidimensional, multi-coloured fabric that constantly covers human culture."(Michael Meade) We can understand the meaningful expression of these words of Michael Meade more easily by expanding our knowledge pool. Nature is a gift given to the world, and man is the other gift that completes the world. He can contain every colour in his soul and turn the world into a work of art, or he can object to other colours and choose only black and go towards the depths of darkness. I would like to tell you about mythological stories that have inspired me. Mythology's brightest stars are Pandora's box and the Prometheus legend.     According to a legend, Zeus created Pandora, the first woman on Earth, as a punishment for humanity. This punishment for humanity was devastating and unkind like the great flood of Noah. When humanity forgot about its creators or ignored the gods, the gods were reminding themselves of such punishments. Zeus gave Pandora a box that she should never have opened. This box symbolized the personality of women. There was so much evil in the box, such as malice, hatred, anger, murder, and greed. If the box was opened, these evils would spread to the earth, and Pandora's curiosity prevailed and she opened the box. All evil has spread and swept the world. The great disaster was now within humanity. The box, which Zeus knowingly gave to a woman's curiosity in this story, was a great scourge for humanity. Besides all these evils in the box, there was only one good thing for humanity and that was hope. Mankind has never abandoned hope, and hope has been his only consolation. Instead of blaming Pandora, who opened the box, one should consider Zeus, who sent her for this purpose. For poor Pandora to succumb to her curiosity was the most unlikely thing that could happen to a mortal, but Zeus, who knew this, also knew what would destroy the human race, if you ask me, Zeus survived these evils and his jealousy became his most dangerous weapon. In this regard, Zeus, who continued this ugly reign like Cronus, who ate his sons so that his father would not heir to the throne and his power would not decrease, always succumbed to his feelings. Pandora's curiosity was an invisible mistake compared to what Zeus had done. "Hope? Hope is the last evil!" says Nietzsche. The fact that the last thing humanity clings to is hope, which actually informs them that it is the greatest evil done to them, but without hope, there would be no real reason for people to hold on. Of course, the thing that hurts the most is the disappointment caused by the lack of hope, but no matter how tired one gets, it is also important to be able to fight with the last hope left in one's hands and rely on that hope. Therefore hope, which Zeus saw as a huge bad power, was actually a light for humanity.      It would not be enough just to blame Pandora. For Zeus, his main target was Prometheus. Prometheus had been punished many years ago, by setting fire to humanity and making it higher than God. Zeus tied Prometheus to the hard rock at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains by force and violence with unshakable and unbreakable chains. Prometheus had helped Zeus in the battle with the titans, and this favour was quickly forgotten. Zeus' vengeance was enough to make him forget this great goodness. Zeus had insolence, arrogance, egocentric coarseness of human nature. He could have killed Prometheus instead of chaining him, but Zeus couldn't because he had an interest. There was a prophecy told to him. One day a boy would be born and take his throne from him. and only Prometheus knew who the boy's mother was. Zeus sent Hermes to find out this secret, but Prometheus resisted and did not tell the secret, despite all the torture, albeit in chains. showed that there can be a solution if there is willpower. At that moment, the god of gods left Zeus helpless. Prometheus was released generations later. Chiron was ready to die for Prometheus. Hercules slew the eagle and unchained Prometheus from the rock. We realize that even the enmity does not last forever when Zeus says that now this punishment may be enough and will set him free. Prometheus is the strongest character in this story, he is the symbol of justice and he represents never surrender, no matter how much pressure, no matter how to torture. While Prometheus was being held captive in chains, a beautiful and mysterious girl would visit him. This girl's name was IO. They would chat with Prometheus and talk about Zeus. Zeus falls in love with this girl and this love does not escape Hera's eyes. Suspecting Zeus, Hera assigns her servant Argus, who has 100 eyes, to keep him comfortable and control him. Knowing that his lies are useless, Zeus is watched by Argus even while he sleeps. Desperate Zeus turns her into a poor ugly starving animal to get close to her love. However, Argus still does not stop watching him. Finally, Zeus commissions his son Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to kill Argus. Hermes played sweetly upon a pipe of reeds. Argus was pleased at the sound and called to the musician to come nearer. Hermes made some of the hundred eyes sleepy, but some were always awake. Finally, Hermes killed him. If you believe that poor IO has been saved, you are mistaken about Hera's rage and envy. Hera sent a gad-fly to plague her, which stung her to madness. When IO told this to Prometheus, he tried to comfort her. She ran along the seas and lands. This part of the sea was called Bosporus. As she reached the Nile, Zeus would restore her to her earlier human form. She would bear a son called Epophus. IO’s descendant would be Hercules who was the one of the greatest heroes. Prometheus helped them. Hercules helped Prometheus at the same time, he gave Prometheus’ freedom. The good are rewarded. We realize that the evil characters aren't always the heroes, and that the good guys will return one day.     Gods and goddesses are another shape of humanity of current. They used their power to destroy somethings like big cities. Even today power wars have not finished. Someone who feels powerful wants to be mightier. Human or gods is trying to force somebody to abdicate. We are aware that a desire is worth more than a drop of blood. We see that neither hostility nor friendship last forever. Zeus who was the god of gods and Prometheus who was the saviour of man were the best friends, but Prometheus’ giving fire to humanity as a gift and knowing a prophecy about Zeus turned this friendship into enmity. At the present time, good friendships can become enmity for any reason. In past, Zeus left Prometheus in despair. Jealousy, the main concept that never changes in both present and past, played a role in almost every event. Jealousy creates slyness as a snake and cunning as a wolf. Today, every person who is jealous definitely brings evil things whatever happens. We have learned from Hera how jealousy is dangerous when it is combined with power. She used her power whenever Zeus fell in love with another woman. Beautiful Psyche’s sisters have showed that jealousy is disease and it spreads as fast as fire. They came her home and jealousy wrapped them like a fire. When Pandora opened the box, so many evil things showed up, but at the same time hope approved itself. People never abandon to hope. We are still aware that everything which is bad has a solution and we can defeat anything if there is hope. Hope is really the cure for everything. Just believing is enough to overcome most things. The eyes in the hearts should always remain open. Living as if a person would never die gives rise to endless desires. Today, many people have these desires; however, you can restrain your desire and everything is in your hands. You can abuse this opportunity and you can also use to good things. If a person is defeated by her or his anger and ambition, this short life swallows her or him. Mythology enables us to see what the truth or wrong is, the truth or evil is, and deceptions or deaths are. It helps us to know people who are captured all emotions. It shows that history always repeats and cruelty does not change in both past and present. Fate always overcomes everything. This never change in past or present. History leads to understand what truth is and what wrong is. This bridge always provides to understand the relationship between powerful and powerless. We are actor in own stage. We should play the best play for life. We should stay alive. It does not matter how it will be because we are not permanent in this life.

-Tanzmitmirsblog

[kimhargreeves]

Different-Mr Nobody

Summary:Female reader is part of the Doom Patrol, her powers are her emotions so whenever she feels certain emotions hell breaks loose. Unfortunately for her that means she has to stay and be alone but a certain someone has been keeping an eye on reader.

A/N: I lterally have no excuse on writing this. I love Alan Tudyk and his character is one of my favorites and no one else has written about him. I just love Doom Patrol.

I continued playing on my electric guitar trying to block out the noises since I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone in the manor. "(Y/N)!" Jane or her alter Hammerhead shouted my name and broke the door to my room.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I angrily shout at her but took a few steps back a bit afraid of her when she acts like this. "I've been calling your name for minutes! Now hurry the fuck up before I regret this." Hammerhead shouted and ran out of my room. I heard heavy footsteps and looked up to see my friend Cliff staring at where Hammerhead left and down at my broken door. "I can fix this." He got down and started putting the door up till it snapped and broke in half. I close my eyes trying to not get angry and smiled up at Cliff. "That's okay. It's broken anyways. Why don't you look after her? Make sure she doesn't wreck the entire place." I ask and even thought he can't feel I can feel his happiness when I mention her. "Good idea. Jane!" He ran after her without another word leaving me on my own. "Seriously she should control her temper." Rita said looking at the mess sitting on the floor. Larry came in to stand next to her and I could tell he was upset. "Not this again. I'll have this fixed in no time." Both of them walked away from my room and I peeked out and saw them talking to each other, all happy without a care in the world. Happy. That's something I haven't felt in a while. Like them I am a metahuman. I have powers and I'm about the same age as Jane. The chief raised me a few years back when I went crazy and taught me on how to control my powers. Cliff was a man who lost his wife and daughter so what was left of him was his brain, so Niles or the Chief build him as a robot. Rita was a famous actress in the 50's and can turn into this blob thing when she feels stressed. Larry was a military man with a family until he took a flight which changed his life, and has something living inside of him. Jane has 64 personalities and each with its own powers. My power is that whenever I feel any emotion everything goes to hell. There can either be a storm, a flood or earthquakes when it happens which is why I'm not allowed to feel anything. I have to keep it all in to not hurt anyone. The Chief has left us to go off to who knows where, leaving us alone at the manor. "Hurry up!!" Hammerhead shouted and I couldn't help but leave my room and go outside where the small bus was with Jane inside. "Get in losers." We all stared at her. "What do you mean by get in?" Rita asked eyeing her and the bus. "We're going out so everyone can see us." I took a step back and shook my head. "There's no way I'm leaving." "(Y/N) is right.  The chief specifically told us to never leave." Rita answers and Larry agrees with us. The three of us stared at her and Cliff who looked at us. "I'm going." He hurriedly ran inside the car and like that we all went into the town. "Hey shouldn't we-" they all decided to go on separate ways before I could say anything. I bit my lip and began playing with my fingers as I slowly began walking and staring at the unfamiliar surroundings. I can feel everyone's eyes on me. I took small breathed suddenly feeling anxious and scared and could feel the wind hitting my face and dark clouds covering the once sunny day. "Calm down. Take deep breaths." I whisper to myself and continue repeating those words. Slowly the dark clouds departed and I was met with the sun again. I breathed out heavily and smiled to myself sadly. "I better head back."I mutter and quickly went in to hide inside the bus again and hugged my knees together. *********** "You are such a party pooper, (Y/N) lighten up!" One of Jane's alters startled me when I thought I was alone. Chief came back earlier and was beyond angry so he told us to hurry up so we could be safe before he would come for us, whoever that is. I looked up from my spot on the back of the bus. "You knows going out isn't easy to me especially if I would to freak out." I bluntly tell her and she rolls her eyes. "Leave her be, Jane." Larry says sitting across from me when everyone else came in except for Larry for decided to stay and fight whoever were to come across the town we were in earlier. Jane was the driver so it didn't surprise me when she turned the car around and drove us faster to where Cliff went. Once we reached the place there was a giant hole on the ground and everyone began to get sucked into it. "What the fuck is this?!" Cliff shouted looking around him. I hurriedly ran out and each of us began to save whoever we could that's until the car started to drive by itself and into the portal with Jane following after it. We all stayed silent and Cliff punched the ground, "The fuck?! Where is Jane?!" I stared at the spot where the Chief left and I feel to the floor and clenched my fists. Small droplets of ware began to fall from the sky. *********** I got changed into my usual black attire and heard Cliff calling my name, "Woohoo (Y/N). I found this donkey!" I opened my window and saw Cliff next to a white donkey. Thing is this donkey has a message that's what Jane said when the donkey spit her out but before she could say any further she wasn't herself anymore but one of her alters once again. Cliff stayed by her side trying to get Jane back together. One of Niles old friend came to search for him, Cyborg. So him, Rita, Larry and I started to inspect the donkey until we also got inside of it. I opened my eyes and saw that we were standing on water. This is another dimension. "Indeed our beloved (Y/N) and her friends were standing on water! They were oblivious and stupid as always to not understand what was going. Now (Y/N) move forward." "Where the fuck am I?" I bluntly ask trying to keep my emotions together. I look around and tap at what seems to be like a screen? "Now now (Y/N) no need to break the fourth wall." I look around very confused at whats happening and reached for the headphones as I was told. ****** "I can't believe that was a trap!" Rita says standing up and the rest of us do as well covering in blood from the donkey that exploded. Cliff makes his way out of the manor with Jane trailing behind him. "I was gonna tell you but you all wouldn't wait a few hours longer." "All we have to do is find where the hell The Chief is and call this fucker who captured him." Cliff says earning a groan from me. "It won't that easy genius, we have a lot to investigate to get to them. Mr Nobody will try to toy with us so we better act quick." I finish saying and turned to see every one silent and looking at one another. "She might be right, but first we need a nice bath." Rita cringed at the liquid on her and one by one they leave me again. ********** "Now that was embarrassing." I mutter to myself and thanking myself for changing my underwear before arriving to this place all thanks to Flex. We are in The White Space. Everyone was so slow and finally decided to act up and truly look for Niles Caulder. I haven't been sleeping for days now since all I've been thinking of is this horrible situation..and him Mr Nobody. I can feel him in my head whenever I try to sleep, he's preventing me from looking for either of them. I kept looking around and all I could see was white. I tried to not freak out though being lonely isn't something I'm unfamiliar with. Jane and I unfortunately has never seen eye to eye despite us sharing the same age, Larry, Rita and Victor well I haven't spoken to them that much recently and Cliff? I love that man..robot and considered him as a father and we used to hang out a lot but haven't ever since Jane arrived and he's been desperate to help her. Doesn't he know that I'm the one that needs help also. Why don't I just give up? I feel a tap behind my shoulder and quickly turn around ready to punch the person. My mouth falls slightly open and quickly I take a step back. "Missed me? Oh come on say something or close that mouth of yours." I do just stare at the man who's been haunting my dreams. "You're Mr Nobody.." Mr Nobody says with a smirk and held his hand for me to take. I didn't take his hand to which he pouted and shoved his hands down his pockets, "Why have you been tormenting me?" I bluntly ask the man. The pale man looks down at me with the same smirk and says, "I wouldn't call that torment my dear, in fact I've been keeping a close eye on you because you seem to be the least stupid one of the Doom Patrol." Should I take it as an insult or compliment? "I think I deserve a thank you." I raise an eyebrow still staring at him..I can't help but feel flustered so I look away. "Tell me where is Niles?" Mr Nobody groans and stares at me like I'm insane. "Why do you people care about that old man? If only you knew the things I know." He says stepping closer to me and slowly walking around me. "Its not like you need him to live. You're powers are something extraordinary and here you won't suffer the consequences from them. You can cry, nothing will happen, you can laugh! Nothing will happen, isnt the white space extraordinary! And I'm sure the viewers are getting a load out of this." Has he always been this insane. "What do you mean viewers-" "Now's not the time for that." He says shushing me and suddenly grabbing my shoulders and pushing me with him. "It's time to meet your maker." Mr Nobody says with a grin. We move forward into The White Space and up ahead is Niles. "Niles?" I escape from Mr Nobody's grip on me and race towards The Chief. "Niles?! This is where you've been the entire time?" I feel happy inside and feel the need to hug him. I lean forward to do it but he places his hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back. "It's good to see your doing fine on your own, (Y/N)" Chief says with a sad smile which only makes me question further on what's happening. "Oh I've been keeping an eye on our girl. Of course she can take care of herself on her own." Again. He says hugging me from the side making me blush, while Chief glared at him hard. Soon the rest of us gathered and began to ask Chief many questions. "Come on Niles tell them your biggest secret." Mr Nobody began taunting him.   "What does that mean?" Rita asks "What were you two up to?" Larry says next. "I am the one responsible for what happened to each of you. I am sorry." Niles closed his eyes to not see our faces and feeling guilty and Mr Nobody cheered. I down at Niles feeling sad and finally I felt tears falling down my face, a sensation I hadn't felt in years. "Nothing can hurt you here" Mr Nobody's words replayed in my head. Everyone stared quiet, surprised by what Niles just said. I couldn't help but continue to cry, he meant a lot to me. Sadness then quickly turned to anger, I couldn't feel the climate changing around me or any breeze at all. "How could you?!" I shouted being the first to speak. Niles jumped a bit surprised by my reaction and everyone else did too. "We trusted you, we lived with you all these years and this is how you repay us?! By lying on our backs? This isn't fair for us and it isn't fair for me!" I started walking faster towards him but Cliff held me back. "Let go of me!" I pushed Cliff a bit and glared at the robot. "Where were you also when I needed you?! You left me to be with Jane and looked after her while I was left alone.." I fell to the floor and glared at the rest of my team. "Come on come on Niles! Tell her the truth." I state between Mr Nobody and Niles. "I was doing someone a favor with you! I wasn't going to accept anyone else but he begged me to save your life when you became ill and died. Somehow I brought you back to life, I experimented on you and from there you lost your memories." What the fuck? "Why did you do that, Why didn't you let me die?" He didn't answer me. I look up and saw Mr Nobody stepping closer to me. "I couldn't afford losing the woman I once loved, so I took you to him and he said you died. From then on I found out you were alive and were experimented on like a rat." "What the fuck?!" Cliff exclaims. "You can control your powers, (Y/N). You were never really alone all this time. Can you believe it?! the villain of the story always had a soft spot for one of the heroes." He says laughing and looking down. "How about you join me and leave these dumbasses, the ones who never looked after you or hell even cared for you..What do you say?" without a second thought I finally took his hand and stood up from the ground. I smiled at him and stood by next to him, "Of course I'll join you, Eric. " I could see Niles pain through his dark eyes. Jane angrily stared at us but raced towards Niles getting ready to punch him until time stopped and we were thrown back into reality.

[margaretrodriguez-blog]

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[angelthefirst1]

Ride with Norman Reedus - Bulletproof Picasso Alone in Uruguay. Part 2

Ride with Norman Reedus, Bulletproof Picasso, Alone in Uruguay. Part 2 I believe Norman actually adds recreated versions of Walking Dead scenes in his show Ride And he uses his guests to help him do this... So yes while him and his guests are doing an activity, it is also very planned out to incorporate aspects from scenes already seen in the walking dead and some aspects that will be future story. The scene i want to look at next is called: SEAL Watch the clip here

This clip shows Becky and Norman going to meet a baby Seal pup (puppy/dog) named Raymon, at a rescue facility near the Ocean.

It is showing a recreation of the events that involved the dog coming to the door of the funeral home, both accounts... The first time where Daryl tries to reach out and get the dog (Seal pup)...

And the second time, just after the "OH" moment... 

And this wildlife rescue facility is a description of the funeral home.Where Daryl and Beth found food or good will left for them.

Now Norman asks if this rescue facility is a non-profit and if they work on donations... The carer says "Yes everything is kept like this because of the good work of the people who help us. Which is a play on the funeral home and the food stash they find there and Daryl's comments about taking some of the food and leaving the rest. Beth then tells Daryl, he is good people...  

This clip also shows Beth's upcoming reunion with Daryl which is represented in Bulletproof Picasso and will be near the beach or ocean side... The seal pup or 'dog' here represents the dog from the funeral home. And Beth (Sirius/Dog Star) returning too. 

In this clip we first see seal pup swimming in the water, this RESCUE facility is right next to the beach, which is where Daryl and Beth will possibly have their reunion (Oceanside or near water aka flooding of the Nile and near where the satellite fell)

In Bulletproof Picasso we see Emily's waitress character end up at the beach with her new love companion. Again it's a representation of a reunion at the return of Sirius and the flooding of the Nile. And Becky and Norman end up sitting on the beach with seal pup.

Pup swimming in the water is most likely going to be "Dog, Daryl and Beth in the water at Oceanside at some point. Second we see them arrive and spot the baby Seal... Becky (a Beth look alike) is very excited and Says "OH my goDD, she emphasizes the D because backwards God is dog, so she's telling us this is a representation of a dog not just a seal pup.

The wildlife rescue people tell Norman and Becky that this seals is name is Raymon and that he came in after a storm.

In 510 the music box started playing again just after the storm (just saying) and the dog from the funeral home looked like it had been in a storm.

Now the main carer for Raymon has a interesting relationship with the seal, and I believe he represents Connie playing a part in bringing Beth back to Daryl... first this carer doesn't speak English and needs a translator (like Kelly does for Connie) 

This Carer makes seal sounds to communicate with the seal. One of the sounds he makes is a sound for Alarm...

The younger carer say Raymon sees this man as his MOTHER (which again is a Beth/Mother reference, used in the song up the Wolves in 412). "Our Mother has been absent ever since we founded Rome but there gonna be a party when the wolf comes home". The core of the Mother symbolism is Mother goddess ISIS. which i have covered in my Sirius Rising posts.

The Alarm sounds are like the alarms that Daryl set up at the funeral home, which the dog triggered both times. 

In 1001 we see Connie bring dog back to Daryl at Oceanside with the learn sign language book in his pocket. (A different way of communicating)

Connie also has links to a food stash, like the food stash in the funeral home, remember when she took Daryl and dog to the place she left the food... That story was all about saving Henry and Lydia who are Beth and Daryl repeats.

The carers way of communication with this seal here, brings up the question, was someone in control of the dog at the funeral home and communicating with it quietly? and is it somehow linked to Connie? The whole whisperer story line is a play on the use of sign language (communicating quietly) and the system of using hand signs for communication (whispering) was created by a deaf lady named Helen Keller and she herself was an occultist. The hand sign for "I love you" is almost identical to the sign for hail Satan.

                                                      Hail Satin                                     I love you

The Whisperers story line is actually about demonic forces whispering (quietly communicating) to the "dead" masses and herding them where ever they want. In the bible Jesus came across a demon possessed man and Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. The Whisperer theme is a play on we are legion and I am Negan was a play on this too. 

*******

The main scene that really made me realise they were showing the funeral home here was the part i will go into below

Its the dinner, OH moment and Daryl running off to feed the dog, But backwards... It starts with seal pup (dog) making noises... which is a equivalent of the dog triggering the alarm in Alone. 

Daryl grabs some Pigs feet (fish heads) and goes to feed pup

Just as he is feeding pup he Norman says “Oh my God i��m in love”

It’s a recreated version of this scene. 

It's the equivalent to just after Beth says "oh" when we hear dog and the alarm noises, then Daryl, who has just admitted he has feelings for Beth in a rushed and flustered way grabs the pigs feet and says "i’m gonna give that mutt one more change (last chance, Emily's song) Daryl then opens the door and we know it leads to walkers getting in the funeral home and Beth getting taken by Grady cops.

Immediately After Norman grabs the food for Raymon to take it to where he will feed the seal (pup), Becky (Beth) follows after him which is showing Beth coming to the door after he opens it and let's the walkers in...

They then show a lizard eating a fish head and Norman says "everybody comes here for lunch"

Becky makes a strange noise (like oof like she's just been hit by something it doesn't really make sense the noise she makes, if you thought it was gross you'd say yuck not oof) The lizard is actually a walker eating a human (fish) which I believe will be Beth actually having been bitten on the wrist (where her cast was) outside the funeral home, and the oof sound is Becky (Beth) getting hit by the Grady cops car. Emily recently posted this which shows the lizard (Zombie) from Alone too. #soalone

Norman and Becky then sit down with the food for the seal (At the funeral home table Daryl and Beth sat in the same position for the OH moment) and a weird combination of things are said. First Norman says "OH my God you're cute, I wish i could just... then we hear "OH"...

Norman then feeds the seal and as he feeds it, and just after we hear ‘OH’ he looks at the camera and says "OH my God I'm in love!" Right after this Becky says "OH boy"

It's showing Daryl after the 'oh' moment getting the food to feed the dog and realizing he is in love with Beth, going backwards from this moment is the lizard eating the fish. (walkers getting into the funeral home and Beth getting bitten and taken)

After this it as switches to the scene where Daryl eats the jelly straight out of the jar.. Norman while still feeding the seal, says the seal kinda has no etiquette at all.. and Becky laughs

This is a play on when Daryl eats the jelly straight out of the jar with his fingers and says "them pigs feet they’re mine" while Beth says "Gross" as he eats off his fingers 

The next scene represents Daryl carrying Beth to the table and the dog setting the alarm off and Daryl going to get get the dog, but the dog runs off (gets taken away)

Daryl carried Beth to the table and then is interrupted by dog (seal) making alarm noises.

Above we see Norman with a seal in his lap (Daryl carrying Beth and wanting to 'pat it' touch it, and he says "I want you" which is referring to Beth but also to him trying to get and pat the dog that comes to the door... He wants the dog. But then the carer suddenly grabs seal as Norman is patting it and takes it away 

While making seal alarm noises... Showing the alarm going off and Daryl running out and finding dog, who he "wants" Eventually dog will come back around and Daryl will get it, and my guess is a remix of this will include the future story of Beth sitting in Daryl's lap and him "wanting" her in other ways....  

Someone was in control of the dog (communicating quietly with it) coming to the door both times in the funeral home and its got links to Connie and her stash of food! The last shot is of the two of them just staring at each other 

which is this scene below...

[holy-mountaineering]

This spread is for @lesbianfrannyglass

Thanks for the donation and waiting so long, my life is chaos right now.

Tonight you’re getting the full Qabalistic Tree of Life Spread that I do and you I believe are pretty familiar with by now. What I’m going to do is go through and briefly explain each card, its position on the Tree, and then I’ll give you a summary/synopsis of the spread as a whole, that’s where the divination part happens.

Think of this spread as a sort of quantum map, or even the land of a regular map, everything is happening at once, in each place. It’s important to think of yourself as moving “through” the map but you are also simultaneously everywhere at once. For the sake of this specific experiment, think of this as a map. Maybe a human body, we’ll jump around.

Where we’re starting the journey from is Kether, the monad, the first sign of creation. We’ll call this your hometown, since it is where you’re from originally. Here we have the The Knight of Swords, the fiery part of Air or acting on thinking.

This is the breeze blowing the forest fire across a road. Our Knight has a sword in each hand as he dive bombs a fixed point. He has his airy bird friends in tow and his steed is as fixed as the rider.

You understand what you must do. Now, you must gather all available force to throw at your new focus.

In Chokmah, which is like your freeway getting you out onto the road out of  your hometown is the 6 of Cups, Pleasure. 

For reasons I call this the plumbing card. The water is not flowing freely as though it is pouring, it has been pumped through a series of tubes intricately woven together to fill the cups placed in the shape of a hexagram. Emotion and connectedness to life are intentionally being directed by unseen but invited forces. Someone who wasn’t looking closely could see nothing but knots and chaos and even wonder how the damn thing worked in the first place. Those people are squares and should be avoided at all costs. 

Do what gives you pleasure that also instills clarity. Center on the best you can feel even if onlookers can’t appreciate what you’re doing connoisseurs (and you) will dig it.

In Binah, which is ruled by Saturn and for the sake of this reading we will call the first stop on your roadtrip. You haven’t really arrived anywhere but you’re stopping and getting a chance to repack your car in a more efficient way. Sitting in Binah is the fan favorite, the 5 of Disks, Worry. 

Like all of the 5s in Tarot, this is the microcosmic or human number . Don’t believe me? Stand up, stick your arms and legs out and counting your head, congrats, you’re a pentagram. Lord knows people worry like motherfuckers about how they are going to get by in the “normal” world, so there is a stress and strain in this card that everyone late on a bill can understand. This is the worry that you’ll get your intelligence (Mercury) smothered by the laborious strain of Taurus. This is, like all 5s a human limitation issue. 

Well it won’t unless you only see your limitations and make it happen. Be smarter about you material situation so you don’t have to work harder.

In Chesed which is ruled by Jupiter and again for the sake of this experiment we’ll say involves your influence and benevolence in your current trip is the mindfuckery boy, the Prince of Swords, the airy part of Air. 

This is pure mind, “reason run amok.” The entire card is made up of strange and fragmenting geometric shapes like the prince’s world is coming apart at the seams. The humanoid creatures pulling his chariot have no fucking idea what they’re doing and the prince himself is in an awkward pose. 

Don’t think yourself into discord. Sometimes when you look too deep at unnecessary or mundane details you’ll fucking lose your shit. Furtherly, focus on doing one thing, stay with that single thing until it is done. I suggest breath work and controlling breathing specifically.

Across the Tree in Geburah, which is Mars Town, where you find your drive and what you’re trying to accomplish/conquer is the homefront, the 4 of Disks, Power or the Fortress or the island. 

This is “squaring up” with the material world or your everyday normal money/job/school/housing parts of life. The 4 or square is the next shape when the 3 or triangle is expanded. You are now expanding in 2 dimensions, you’ve made it passed the threshold, how do you proceed?  The Fortress is a castle or private physical place of isolation and security/safety. Your private property and you base of operations to expand out in the world must be firmly secured, since most accidents happen at home. From Liber AL it is mentioned that you should “(C)hoose ye an island, fortify it, dung it about with the enginery of war…” That is to say, for our illustration, protect your base of operations in your material world.

There is one entrance and around the fortress is a mote, this is so you may go about the world doing your business but you can return and bring the bridge up when you’re done fucking around with the outside world.

In Tiphareth, the Sun and center of gravity holding all this in place, the heart pumping the blood through this, your heart is the Ace of Cups, the root powers of water which is emotion, connectedness to living things, and intuition. 

 This is the geyser of the aspects of water exploding into existence. The Ace of Cups can be like the yearly floods on the   Nile was to ancient Egyptian/Kemetic people that once a year had their fields simultaneously wiped out and fertilized. There is great danger in unbound Love, it tends to get consuming and people fear being consumed. There is a secret meaning to the joining of two to make none, but this isn’t really the place for that. 

 The uncontrolled waterfall of feeling, it can flow and be a clearing force or flood. If you’re not prepared for such water, you might get washed away, if you are it might wash away the cobwebs and your stagnancy. 

In Netzach, Venus town, where you have the realization about how this is going to change you as a person with a personality is the overflowing 9 of Cups, Happiness. 

I call this ‘mutually beneficial relationships’ or expanding influence (Jupiter) going or being pulled both ways (Pisces). Each cup has its own source but everything is flowing into each other down to the base of the 3x3 structure. There is a lot of water and all it represents and it hasn’t reached its peak yet and is still driving upward and outward.

Cultivate relationships and connective feelings that aren’t lopsided or just giving/taking. Keep building  you’re not done yet.

In Mercury Town Hod-ville, where all the Universities are and everyone has real intellectual shit going on is well, The Guy Himself, Mercury, I The Magus or Magician, Mercury, Beth which is a house, House of God, your body, your perspective, you.

The Magus has 4 tools, physical representations of the Elements which he hand crafted. Think of this as your tools or your skill set in your mind which you use to build your perception of the world.

The Magician also has the naysaying Ape of Thoth who follow him around contradicting everything he says. The is your doubt or “Pit of Because” which if you fall into you’ll “perish with the dogs of reason.”

So, you are in charge of what you are in charge of. You have the skill set to alter your Universe, fashion yourself tangible skills with what you know and your experience. You create your perception and can only influence it.

On the Moon in Yesod, the receptive and reflective place that is alot about the feelings that you’re picking up from all this is the easy does it Princess of Cups, the earthy part of Water. 

We could consider this the substance in water or water hitting substance head on. This is the idea of the canyon wall being ground down over the millennia by moving water. The nutrients and minerals in the earth are transported down river to the fertile delta. This is the natural, “following your feelings” within your daily life. Try not to fool yourself, follow your intuition, not just passing whims. Feel, don’t necessarily react immediately.

Go with what you feel and intuit, let yourself go with the flow, if you will. Allow your situation to move with your emotions and be patient with your progress.

Down here in Malkuth-istan, the everyday life mundane, waking up pooping, and going to work world is the large and in charge Queen of Wands, the watery part of Fire or how you feel about what you do.

This is ideally feeling great about what you do. The perspective on the card shows this Queen 10 feet tall and seemingly bulletproof. Her animal the cheetah, known for being fast and a spazz, is subdued under her calm hand. Her legs are spread and the wand of Bacchus  showing all her passions can be controlled.

If you want to feel good about this and what you do, control your knee jerk lower ego reactions. Choose Will not want.

So, you know what you need to get after, you see it clearly, it makes you very happy in a complicated way that maybe you  haven’t even unraveled yet, but you’re too focused on your limitations and how it all might go wrong for you. Don’t build your world around doubt. 

And Furthermore, don’t think you can influence the world how you need to by over analysing everything to the point where all joy in removed. Get yourself a personal and safe place that is yours to build your world, you need the space to not become mired in your over thinking. And the heart of all of this is that you can do this and WHEN you do, you will explode with the kind of love and joy that only you can tap into for yourself.

Now, I’m not saying it is time to ditch the stuff and ideas that don’t serve you anymore, but do that, that is what I’m saying. Allow yourself those healthy relationships where you’re not going the whole 9 yards for people who won’t get on the field. And your thoughts are your own, they’re awesome thoughts and your skills can take you to the places you need to go if you utilize them how you know. And back to that surrounding yourself with folks and energy that allows you to get what you need while giving what you can and getting to where you need to go. Drop the drama and folks that bring it. Find the substance in the feeling that allows you to move in the ways natural to you.

Ta Da! Hit me up with any questions and sorry for the wait!

[dailyaudiobible]

01/25/2020 DAB Transcript

Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10, Matthew 16:13-17:9, Psalms 21:1-13, Proverbs 5:1-6

Today is the 25th day of January, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it's great to be here with you at the end of another one of our weeks. And this is actually the final weekend of the first month of the year. So, well done. And as we end this week there's also another special line that we’re gonna cross. Today, we will conclude the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis and then begin the book of Exodus. So, well done! And let's get to it. Let’s conclude the book of Genesis and then we'll talk about the book of Exodus as we begin it. But first, Genesis chapter 50, which is the final chapter of the book. And we’ll conclude the story of Joseph.

Introduction to the Book of Genesis:

Okay, so that concludes the book of Genesis and the book of Genesis concludes with the conclusion of the story of Joseph. So, what we have started at the very beginning, right, when we started on January 1st, the first words of the Bible were, “in the beginning.” So, we started at the beginning, we got a glimpse of how things were always intended to be for us. We saw how that got blown apart. We saw separation from God be introduced into the human story and then we watched humans try to use the knowledge of good and evil to essentially glorify themselves so that they could be their own God, which is what the serpent essentially tried to promise them, but we watched that disintegrate and fall apart completely until everyone's heart was evil and the world was flooded, which took us to the story of Noah. As we continued to journey forward, we met a man named Abram whose…his name was changed to Abraham and he entered into a covenant with God. God selected Abram changed his name to Abraham and then said, “I'm starting over with you. I'm going to create a people set apart unto me on this earth among all of the other people who bear my image, but who have rejected me and embraced separation. Through you. I'm going to create a people set apart as mine and through you will be the light to the world and all the nations will be blessed.” So, in other words God’s saying, “we’ve tried a few things but this knowledge of good and evil inside the heart of man is corrupting him utterly. So, I'm going to create a people of my own through Abram, Abraham. So, Abraham didn’t have any kids. We know that. He had a child in his old age, the son of promise named Isaac. And we went through all of that story. Isaac then had sons, Jacob and Esau. We went through that story of conniving and deception by Jacob and it certainly was revisited upon him. He did reap what he sowed but in the end Jacob's name became Israel. Alright. And, so, his children then are the children of Israel of which Joseph was one of them. And Joseph was trafficked into Egypt as we know. But that is how the children of Israel got to Egypt. And, so, we close Genesis at that point. Now we’re about to pick up the second book of the Bible.

And Exodus picks up this very same story, we’re just moving centuries into the future as we pick it up. So, these original children of Israel, the actual children who became tribes of Israel had...had certainly died. We’re centuries into the future, but their offspring had flourished in Egypt. They had become as numerous as the stars in the heavens, which is what God promised Abraham. But this flourishing that was happening was happening in Egypt and we’re centuries in the future and Joseph is forgotten and the Egyptians began to fear the numbers of the Hebrews and to fear their loyalty. So, like I said, Joseph's forgotten and they don't necessarily remember that he had saved them from devastation centuries in the past. So, Israel's children were enslaved. And the new Pharaoh of Egypt wanted to curb and control the explosion of population among the Hebrews. So, his version of population control was to demand that the Hebrew midwives would literally…would throw every boy, every baby boy that was born into the Nile River and the girls could live. And this…this, among other things certainly cause the Hebrew people, the children of Israel, Jacob's children, they cried out to God. And there was a baby and he was a boy and he was supposed to be thrown into the Nile River, but instead he was…he was put into the Nile River in a basket and then his little sister kinda watched from a distance to kinda watch out for him while he's technically in the Nile River. But he's being saved. This little boy's name is Moses and we will be journeying with Moses for quite a while. And as it turns out, this little basket that had this little baby in it was discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh and he was given the name Moses. And, so, he was a Hebrew who had been raised as an Egyptian and we will watch that story unfold as we now begin the second look at the Bible, the book of Exodus.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You, we thank You, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for bringing us these 25 days into this new year all the way to the last weekend of this first month. And we acknowledge, time, it moves by quickly, but as we established this rhythm, it strengthens us, it encourages us, it gives us wisdom for the road ahead. And, so, we thank You for all that You've done in our lives as we’ve journey through the book of Genesis, all that You are doing as we move through the first Gospel of Matthew. And we invite Your Holy Spirit as we release this week into our history and look forward to the next, that we would be aware of Your presence in all things. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. And I thank you with all of my heart for your partnership. So, there's a link on the homepage. If you're using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or you can just press the Hotline button, the little red hotline in the app at the top, you can't miss it, and just start sharing from there.

And that is…that’s it for this week friends and that's it for today. I love you I'm Brian and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi Daily Audio Bible listeners my name is Brent. I was encouraged to call by Ben from Ohio. I’m the guy that’s been on the fence from calling in. Anyway, I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for eight years. I’ve been a Christian since I was a young child and I talk to God all day long every day but I struggle from an addiction to prescription pain medicine that I used to take for my back but I now take for the euphoric feeling that I used to feel before I built up a tolerance. So, I end up taking too many and running out two weeks before my refill is due, and it’s been a vicious cycle and has destroyed my marriage. I’m still married but my wife and I don’t talk very much anymore, and I need deliverance from this stronghold. And I ask that you will pray that God will free me from this bondage. That’s about it. Thank you.

While happy new year family this is Biola calling from Maryland. I actually had to call even though I’m recovering from tooth surgery and my cheek looks as if a chipmunk hid a nut or two in it. Pray for me when you think of me for full recovery. But I had to call in because I heard Kimberly, Yvonne, and Victoria Soldier. I had to call into pray for you. Kimberly I am so sorry for what you’ve gone through. Father Lord I pray for Your daughter. You are the one that comforts oh God Lord and heels. I pray that You will heal Kimberly completely oh God emotionally oh God Lord Father even spiritually. I pray that You will give her a heart oh God even to forgive these people oh God and release them even though I know it’s very difficult. But Lord You said oh God Lord that when we do forgive its freeing. Father God I pray that You will heal her from PTSD in the name of Jesus. Father every part oh God that the devil is using to harass this woman oh God Father I put a stop to it right now and I command it to cease and desist in the name of Jesus set her free Lord. In Jesus name give us her sleep oh God in the name of Jesus. Yvonne…Yvonne my sister I heard Your prayer request regarding Your children. You know it is comforting what happened to the prodigal son. The prodigal son’s dad just kept waiting, waiting proudly praying for him and that is a picture of our Lord. You are not responsible for their choices, but I know as a mother myself I know how You feel. So, keep praying for them. Father Lord I pray that You will draw Yvonne’s children back to You. Arrest their hearts oh God Lord in the name of Jesus. Father let them turn their way even from darkness back into light in the name of Jesus. Lastly Victoria soldier so sorry for Your cousin. I pray that God will comfort You in Your loss in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible community I just wanted to call and pray for Brian this morning. This is Darby in Georgia. And Brian I just…I was thinking about meeting today in Genesis 39 and I think it’s verse 22 or 23 where God just he…he was with Joseph. It’s all about Joseph and being put in prison. And I think with depression and anxiety you can feel as if you’re in a prison, that you’re in a pit. But Joseph lived as if God was with him because he was. And at that right time God brought him out of the pit and raised him up so that he could not only be free of that but also be a blessing to many others. And I just pray today that God would give you hope, that God would fill you with a sense of his nearness even though you said you feel like He’s far from you, He is not. And I know I’m not the only one that’s been provoked by just your hopelessness today. I just pray that God would just give you a sense through His Holy Spirit that He is near to you, He is not far. And God, fill him with hope, fill Brian with hope and let him choose to live this day as if You were with him. Give him direction, give him wisdom, and surround him with others Lord who will help to fill him with hope and to see You and to raise his head up and look for You and find You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi this is Linda calling from Folsom California and I’m a first-time caller and wanted to call. Today’s date is 1/19 and I just listened to the prayers for today and I’ve been meeting to call for a long time. I’ve been a listener for about five years. And Ben, I’m just going to thank you and do a callout for pushing us to call because I’d wanted to call again today and your prayer of “just call” has…has prompted this. So, I thank you but today I’m really calling about Brian. My brother, I heard your prayer today. I heard your anguish and feeling depression and problems in your marriage and lack of memory and I just want you to know you’re not alone. I...it’s been for me about 15 - 20 years, that I had to because of my depression have a ECT which…that’s the electroconvulsive shock therapy. And, so, since then I have suffered not only the disease of bipolar but with lack of…loss of memory and how frustrating. I do know…I do know what that feels like and I want you to know how much God loves you and it can be frustrating but continue in the blood of Christ. Remember how much He loves you and wants to be with you. Let Him…let Him and don’t shoot Him…don’t shut Him out by telling Him that you don’t feel Him. He loves you. He is inside of you. I also want to do a shout out that I am praying for Diana and Burning Bush. That was such great news. Welcome with your citizenship and I’m so glad to hear about your sister. Love you all.

Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Kylie calling from Brooklyn New York. I’m a first-time caller. I’ve been listening since 2018. I just…I heard some calls today. I’m reaching out for new listeners who haven’t called in before and I was super touched, and I was grinning really widely on the train. So, I just wanted to say that this community has been a family to me since I stepped foot into it in October. Even just by listening I have been met in places I never thought I could be met in by this community. So, thank you. It’s like a hug every day listening to you. Be well and talk soon.

Good evening DABbers this is Running Desperately to Jesus calling for you Diana. I have started and stopped calling on the prayer line so many times because I feel I don’t know what to say to you but then God let me know that you need to her know by His stripes you are healed. To be healed down here on earth or in eternity, but the ultimate is that you are going to be healed. Your boys will be taken care of. God has them in the palm of His hand. He will honor your request because you have been faithful to Him Diana. You have been faithful, you have taken His word and made it into rhymes and poems so that it…it touches everyone’s heart. Your legacy is here. Your boys will be taken care of. Diana, we love you, I love you. I desire to see you in person. I don’t…I don’t know what else to say. My heart wants to cry but at the same time I’m happy because I know that this whole thing, cancer does not have dominion over you. I love you Diana. Running Desperately to…

Hello, my name is Claire and I’m calling from Canada. I am a longtime listener and first-time collar. I just want to say that I’ve been praying for everybody all these years. Everybody I hear call in, I pray with you and I’m just glad that you guys do call in. I did want to mention the guy that was running, that he just started listening as a podcast. I thought that…just…it made me so happy to hear that because I pray for the salvation and that people would start listening to the Daily Audio Bible all the time. And anyways, I want to call in because I have a friend and this is probably running prevalent through a lot of people’s lives, but I had a friend that’s been injured, he’s had crones for many years. We’ve been friends for 20 years and he’s really suffered. He is a believer but it’s the crones, they ended up putting him on painkillers when he went through surgery and after that he became addicted to them. And anyways, he’s living with my mother now and we’re trying to get him into detox and the enemy really has, you know, a grip on him emotionally and spiritually and I just, you know, want to ask, you know, everybody to please pray for him as, you know, he is really fighting a battle and, you know…I’m sorry but it’s just, you know, I don’t…I…I really want to see him healed once and for all. And just so you know I’m praying for all the people that are dealing with sicknesses and cancer right now and all these kinds of things. I am standing in prayer with all of you as well. So…I didn’t want to cry or anything but be blessed everyone and thank you for this podcast. It’s an amazing gift to my day. Thank you. Bye for now.

Hello Daily Audio Bible community I’m calling in today because I just listened this morning and Ben from Columbus Ohio encouraged those of us who have been reticent to call in to just get on it and do it. And, so, here I am. I’m going into my 10th year with the Daily Audio Bible and I’ve been praying for all of you this whole time, just never called in myself. But I just wanted to share a praise report. Over the last…some of the things you’ve shared with me and my wife of the last 10 years even though you didn’t know you were sharing them with us, you were. So, we’re both soldiers in the U.S. Army and the last 10 years both of our children were born. We’ve done seven moves, we’ve done 23 month-long training deployments, we’ve done two combat deployments between two of us. We’ve done two noncombat deployments between the two of us. The year before this last job I’ve had I did 190 days on business travel over that one year. We did to master’s degrees and then we both got selected to command at the next level. Her unit that’s about 4000 people, mine is about 600…well 640 exactly today. I am currently on one of those noncombat deployments right now. And here comes…that was the praise report, here comes the prayer request. Reintegration with my family, looking at that in about 30 days. I’ve spent a lot of time away from them training and being deployed over the last 3 to 4 years and I need to be the person they need me to be. I need them…I need them to just see Jesus through my actions when we get back under the same roof. So, that’s…sometimes it’s more difficult coming back from all that time separated and living apart but just help when we’re back together and living under the same roof together. All right. I love you all. Thanks.

[officialleehadan]

Nothing Special

For Brandon, who wanted to know more about Brandon's Other blood in Mismatched. Sorry this one is so late tonight. How you like it!

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“I’m nothing special, am I?”

Brandon sat down beside Blaec, but didn’t look at him.

Blaec tilted his head and thought about the question, and the bitterness under it.

“You say ‘special’” he replied, tasting the cool wet air on his tongue. It would rain soon. He planned to go for a fly once night fell. “Did you know there is no word for ‘special’ in the dragon-tongue?”

It wasn’t a distraction exactly, but the new information, information that no human had ever known, was more than enough to catch Brandon’s attention. Ever hungry for knowledge, his focus shifted from whatever morose spiral he had been in all day to the relentless study of the beings that shared his world.

“I didn’t know dragons had a specific language,” he said and looked over at Blaec. He seemed terribly young. “How- I mean, I’ve seen your real form…”

He was wondering how the spoken dragon tongue sounded.

Curious little creature. There was a reason Blaec liked humans so much. They never stopped being interesting, even after his incredibly long life.

Shifting was like breathing in that first whisper of smoke as a campfire came alight. It was the feeling of a match kindling under his fingertips. The kiss of too-hot sunlight on a sunburn.

When Blaec folded his wings, Brandon was staring, wide-eyed and shaken.

(Remember to breathe,) he said, not without a chuckle as Brandon sucked in a breath, and then another. Dragonfear was controllable, indeed it was even possible to resist it given the right mindset, but the human brain would never react well to having such a large predator of their kind so immediately in their space. (If I was going to eat you, I would not have waited this long.)

“I forgot how big you are,” Brandon choked out, and took another breath that seemed to steady him to an extent. Blaec laid his head down on the warm stone and huffed a sigh. “You’re… you’re really huge.”

(I’m a fair size,) Blaec allowed, and stretched his wings a bit. Brandon watched him, torn between wonder and terror. (You are curious about dragon-tongue. I cannot speak it in monkey-shape.)

Wonder won out, and Brandon leaned forward, almost close enough to touch Blaec’s nose. Blaec was definitely going to have to take him for a fly soon. Maybe when everything with the Horde was settled.

Magic curled over his tongue, and waited, ready to ignite. Blaec let it pool for a moment, and then flicked his tongue, and the tooth in the fork of it, against his front teeth. The magic flared to life, and Blaec held it for a moment longer before breathing out, ever-so-carefully.

(Special,) he said in thought-speak as the word in dragon-tongue billowed through his teeth. (My kind have no word for it because no dragon is ‘special’. We are different from each other, but none of us is more remarkable than any other.)

“I thought you were the oldest of your kind?” Brandon asked, unafraid despite the flames that coiled around him without leaving a mark. He examined the patterns of light in the air, and reached out to touch. The heat of the flames warned him away before Blaec could do it himself. “Aren’t you the First?”

(We believe so,) Blaec admitted, and blew the word away into motes of light. (My first memories are of a time when the great ice was just receding. The floods carved out what would be called Egypt in later eras. I did not see my first human until they began to dare the Nile as the floodwaters died down.)

“That’s nearly eleven thousand years ago,” Brandon said dumbly before his mind could truly catch up to the story he was being told. “Maybe more. How old are you really?”

(I do not track in human years,) Blaec shrugged his wings and nearly billowed Brandon off his feet by accident. (The earliest floods washed out my first lair after a while. I flew north, and there was nothing but ice. I flew south until I found a volcano, and made my new lair there. I was not much larger than you are now. But we were not speaking of my history, or indeed dragon history at all.)

“You said dragons don’t have a word for ‘special’,” Brandon remembered. He was quick. Blaec wondered if he would take Melaena’s offer and become a vampire. He might be one of the rare humans to take well to immortality. “Because none of you are special.”

(Yes,) Blaec said approvingly. It was always nice to be listened to for the words, and not simply because the audience was afraid he would eat them. (You asked if you were ‘special’, and to that, I say no.)

Before Brandon could wilt, still so young and so desperate for approval that a wrong word could take his legs out from under him, Blaec blew out the flame-word again. Magic and flames filled the air, shimmering in fire-tones, with a rumble from his chest, and the particular scrape-click of his spark-tooth against his left, back fangs.

(In your human tongue,) Blaec said, and bumped Brandon ever-so-gently with his nose. (It translates to ‘the sunlight falls differently on every scale’)

“I don’t understand,” Brandon confessed, entranced by the flame-word, but ashamed at his ignorance. “I’m sorry. I don’t-“

(You asked if you are special,) Blaec cut him off, because rambling would get nowhere fast, and there was no point in wasting the breath. (I expect that your true question is if you are anything other than human. To that, the answer is no. You are human, through and through. Less common than you might think, even with so many non-humans still hiding their true nature.)

“So nothing special at all,” Brandon said with a self-deprecating shrug of acceptance. “Just human. Thank you for being honest with me.”

He stood to go inside, and Blaec leaned forward to bump him back into his seat. It took a particular amount of force. He was glad his Treasure was about the same size, or he might have crushed the human without meaning to. Practice helped with these things. Humans were so small these days.

(You misunderstand,) he said, and shoved the tip of his nose under Brandon’s hand until the human tentatively began rubbing at the tender skin there. It was always itchy, but he would claw himself raw if he tried to scratch it himself. (Do you truly believe my Great Treasure would proclaim your status to the vampires if she gave you no value? Would Xaenxele, who is no child herself, and Rhys, who is as immortal as I am and nearly as old, give your words weight when you speak them? Would Thori, who is heir to a great kingdom and a king among his people, call you friend and shield brother? Would I, the oldest and largest of my kind, listen to your council when you give it?)

Brandon froze, and Blaec rumbled at him until he applied his clever human fingers to Blaec’s itchy nose.

“She’s really scary,” he offered in return, but Blaec could see the way the human’s cheeks were pink with embarrassment, and maybe also with pleasure. That was good. He was a rare and useful human. Blaec certainly meant to keep him until he died or was no longer amusing. “Your wife I mean.”

(As beautiful as the ocean, and as deadly) Blaec agreed, very smug indeed about his beloved Treasure. He closed his eyes and settled in for a nap. Sundown would not be long in coming, and the vampires would be heading out on scouting runs when it did. Until then, he meant to rest. (You are not ‘just’ anything. Now, I am going to nap, and you are going to scratch my nose until I tell you to stop, or I fall asleep. Whichever takes longer.)

 +++

HGE - Mismatched

What do you get when you put a dragon, his mermaid, a dark elf, a half-dwarf, and a firebird into a zombie apocalypse?

A very frustrated human, who really isn’t sure how he ended up in this situation to begin with.

Death Valley Sand

The Regency

Red Scales and Golden Hair

En Route

Silver-White Knife

A Question of Faith

Coven Court

Aftermath

Under Stone

New Arrivals

Battle Lines Drawn

Deep Defense

Pineapple Box

Oncoming Tide (Subscriber Only!)

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More Stories!

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Support me on Patreon

[nightlynightwing]

aaaand finished! i finished this last night but didn’t want to post it at 5am lmao. the critical role cast has playlists for each of their characters, including explanations for each song’s significance to the character, so i thought i’d make one too, just for fun!

i planned to do this for a while and have been considering songs for a bit, and i had decided to put How Far I’ll Go on Anya’s before i saw that Travis put it on Fjord’s, too;;

it’s also a little longer than the cast’s playlists because i dont play by your daddy’s rules.

anyways, explanations under the cut!!

How Far I’ll Go - Auli’i Cravalho

Anya takes great pride in her role as future leader of her Clan… but there’s something that tugs at her spirit as she looks off her tiny island into the endless expanse of the ocean, and it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Pulled - Krysta Rodriguez, Adam Riegler

How did she get here? How did she find Anya? This strange woman, telling her she has the choice for a different path… a different destiny. Anya knows she shouldn’t listen… but she can’t help it. She’s being pulled in a new direction… and she thinks she likes it.

I Am My Own Invention - Darren Ritchie, Janet Dacal

Help me so I can remember… Dreams to share, with dreams to spare, imagining a dreamer just like you. Anya’s training to become the next life of a centuries-old bard begins. Her teacher will lead her into becoming her own invention.

Let it Go - Idina Menzel

Anya’s old life tugs at her from behind, the thought of her abandoning her family weighing heavily on her heart. But she realizes… she’s free. The family that worked to make her something she just couldn’t be can’t control her anymore. It’s time to let it go.

You Are the Moon - The Hush Sound

The beast Anya was taught to be in something she fears. She can’t help but hate that part of her, can’t help but think it’s hideous. Her teacher tells her not to think this way, to embrace that part of her, and recognize its beauty. 

Magic - Mystery Skulls (feat. Nile Rodgers and Brandy)

Then comes the magic. The soft words, the movements, the music, all coming together to weave into a beautiful arcane production. From her first spell cast, Anya’s heart raced, exhilarated and a bit frightened. She wondered if this is what it feels like to fall in love… can you fall in love with magic?

Centuries - Fall Out Boy

The blood moon arrives, the ritual is performed, and the title of the Blood Moon Bard is finally resting on Anya’s shoulders. The weight of a hundred different lifetimes suddenly shifts onto her, but she holds her head up with confidence. She was the next step in a legend, and she would be remembered for centuries.

Why Worry - Set It Off

One thing her teacher taught her is when worry’s never helpin’, why worry at all? Anya was so used to feeling trapped, of being such a worrisome person, but now, there’s no point in crossing bridges that don’t exist. Let’s take these issues step by step by step to work it out, day by day by day we’re fallin’ down… but life goes on.

Kill the Lights - Set It Off

Even though she’s beyond happy with her new role, Anya still can’t help but feel, deep down, maybe she was wrong to leave her home without a word. There are times where she feels like she needs to kill the lights in her little performance…

Geronimo - Sheppard

Falling in with a new crowd can be quite the leap; this strange group of vagabonds she stumbled upon really seem interesting, and after fighting by their side, and how easy they fall in step, maybe this plunge is one that could be good for her…

Out Tonight - Rosario Dawson

Even throughout her travels as the Blood Moon Bard, Anya never had many close friends; now that she’s found friendship in the members of the Mighty Nein, it’s time to paint the town red with those that make her smile. Let’s go! Oooooouuuut tonight!

True Colors - Phil Collins

Finding they’re more than good company, Anya is surprised to find herself considering this group of misfits she’s buddied up with more like… family. Growing closer with loss, it’s easy to see everyone’s true colors, and she’s sure they can paint a beautiful picture.

Duality - Set It Off

Though the words of her teacher to embrace her more volatile side echo in her mind, with this new ground of friends, now she’s even more fearful of what might happen should she lose control… Perhaps it’s better to build a few walls, and push away.

In His Eyes - Carolee Carmello, Linda Eder

The sound of the wind in the leaves; the warmth of the fire, embers dancing into the inky sky above; the feeling of his breath on her lips… she’s not used to this. What happened to her walls? This isn’t good… but she can’t stop.

Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects

She doesn’t know what happened. These feelings won’t go away, and she’s so scared. That night on the tails of the pain of losing someone, the fear of losing someone else, especially him… no one needs to know. It can be their secret…

Scream - Zac Efron

The voices tell her it’s so easy to just leave, to turn off the whole thing and pretend nothing ever happened, to distance herself… it’s for the best. They echo in her mind, bombarding her with talks of knowing what’s best… she just wants to scream.

Can’t Help Falling In Love with You - Diego Luna

Short… simple… sweet… acceptance. A flood of warmth. This feels right.

Wolf Bite - Owl City

They come back for her… of course they did. But she’s okay with it. She has people beside her who will support her, and she has things to make up for. She’ll bring her found family to help her reconcile with her blood family, and all will be right.

Shelter - Porter Robinson, Madeon

A parent just wants to protect their child… Mama, this one’s for you. Sorry for leaving in the dead of night with no explanation… and stealing the family sword.

[poptod]

Pull the Stars Out of the Sky (And Gift Them to Me), pt. 10, (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Description: Relief.

Notes: now ive said this before, but i need to say it again and add on to it. This chapter will NOT make much sense if you do not read Mahjur's story, None Like You. The experience of reading this chapter will also be enhanced if you read Piye's story, Miscreation, but it's not as necessary as Mahjur's story. theyre also long as fuck so heres the important stuff: Piye was born blind and went on a mission when they were about 14 in which they grew their dark skin, massive height, and white hair, and gained some of the sight they'd lost. Mahjur gave up everything to be with Ahk. in the end, Ma'at (Goddess of Truth and Order) forced them apart in the name of the 'holy law'. Ma'at did this because mahjur, as a god, was not supposed to be interfering with the lives of people.

WC: 6.4k

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Throughout the entirety of your two-day journey, you never left the canoe, leaving your muscles cramped, and strained, and restless. Still, you supposed you were in a better state than Piye, who had yet to sleep or rest from their rowing. On the other hand, Ahk was fine. At one point you asked him if he was worried about the coming events, but he told you that he wouldn't stress until it happened, and continued to swim beside the canoe without a care.

How you wished to have his capability to simply not think about things.

As you passed by Thebes in broad daylight, you looked far across the river from the western bank, searching for the falcon soldiers. Like Aswan, most of what you saw looked vacant or abandoned. Despite that you continued to stare, watching civilization pass by slowly, till city walls faded away to the flush green of the Nile.

"When will we get there?" Ahk moaned, his neck on the edge of the canoe, allowing him to dip his head upside-down, the crown of his hair soaking in water.

"Shut up," Piye said. The Pharaoh obeyed, although begrudgingly.

Night came and went in the blink of a sleep-heavy eye, passing into the dark early morning. Birds had yet to stir, leaving you in the eerie silence––the quiet before the battle. The only to feel such stress appeared to be you and Piye. Ahk slept on as usual, and the rest of the world remained ignorant to your journey.

"How did you meet Ahk?" You asked, desperate for someone elses' voice rather than the one in your head.

"My father was employed by his father, the Pharaoh of the time. I was... nine, maybe?" They said, taking a moment to remember. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem very close."

"I suppose we are." They paused. "He was a great comfort to me when my father died. And other... such things."

"He seems to have a habit of winning people over," you noted quietly.

"Yes, well... he has a certain charm."

As the sun's light began to crest the horizon, Memphis appeared in the distance, and Piye pulled the canoe to a stop on the western shore. Ahead of you lay the city you had so eagerly fled, the silent white walls foreboding in the worst of ways. You were certain the city would be flooded with falcon soldiers, as well as people who had heard of Ahk's treason, and who had decided Gyasi would be a better ruler. There would be few friends in those walls. Those of standing who had openly expressed their support of the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah had been banished.

Once the boat hit the riverbanks, Piye jumped out of it and pulled it the rest of the way onto solid ground. From there they donned a head covering, and shook the water out of their sandals, before helping you out as well onto dry land. No words were exchanged as you fully dressed yourself as well, sheathing knives you had been toying with.

You stepped to the side, tapping Ahk's head and laughing when it lolled to the side. It took a few more pokes before he truly stirred, moaning about a poor night's sleep, before he noticed you above him.

"When are we gonna be there?"

"We're here," Piye said flatly.

"We are?!" Ahk jumped to his feet, nearly falling over in the canoe. "How's the city look? Is it burned?"

"Look for yourself," you said, manually moving his chin to face the city behind him.

"Beautiful as the day I left," he said, seemingly satisfied. "So what are we doing?"

"Following a Goddesses' orders," Piye said as they finished pinning their head covering.

Ahk haphazardly dressed himself, but refused to wear a head covering. Piye explained thoroughly how screwed the three of you would be if Ahk was instantly recognized, and though the Pharaoh argued back for a little while, he was eventually won over. With that decided, the three of you abandoned the canoe and made way for Memphis.

The flush bushes and trees lining the river soon disappeared into empty sand, the land having been cleared for the construction of the great city. From where you now stood you could see guards inside the entrance of the massive walls. Your heart thrummed in your chest, crashing against its' own strings, sending your thoughts into a flurry. Disappearing was your act––returning was not. Facing the consequences of your actions was something you rarely did, since you weren't locked down anywhere, and didn't require anything from anyone but yourself. Now, you had a self-appointed duty––keep your friends safe. After the many years of your travels, you finally had something to lose.

And the thought of that terrified you.

"We aren't using the front entrance, are we?" You murmured, mostly to Piye.

"Of course not. Have you ever scaled a wall?"

"Well... once when I was trying to escape Ahk," you said reluctantly.

"Oh, I remember that," Ahk said with recognition in his eyes. "Then I tied you to the bed."

"Yeah, and then I cried."

"You two are.. I don't even know. You're insane," Piye said. "Now stop being insane and help me here."

You had yet to reach the walls of Memphis, so Piye stopping halfway there confused you for a moment.

"What are we doing?"

"I can't throw a grappling hook straight up that far," Piye said, kneeling and digging into their bag, "so we have to set up here."

Before they could find the hook amongst the mass of other tools set carelessly in their bag, they stopped suddenly, raising their head and looking off to the city. It didn't catch your eye at first, but when they didn't move for a good minute, you noticed, as did Ahk.

"Piye?"

They stood suddenly, the tools in their lap clattering to the ground. Long threads of white hair began to rise, floating mid-air as though Piye stood underwater, or stood suspended in nothing.

Your attention alarmingly caught, you circled round them, finding their eyes white and glowing on a face of night-black skin.

"Piye, this is not a good time to have a revelation!" Ahk chided, reaching for their wrist. Before he could do so, Piye flicked his hand away, making him recoil with a pained gasp.

"There is..." their voice spoke in double, in triplicate, echoing in your skull like the resonance of a gong, "... much to do."

You and Ahk looked to each other, both searching for answers that neither of you had. Piye continued their path forward, leaving you and their belongings behind, as they headed in broad daylight towards the city's gates. Without ever having to reach up, their head scarves and chest coverings fell away till all that remained was their skirt.

What the fuck do we do now, came through your head, but you had little time to voice your question before Ahk ran to Piye. You followed, mimicking his actions when he tried to stop Piye or direct them the other way.

"You're going to get us killed!" Ahk scream-whispered, all too aware of the soldiers surrounding the city's entrance. He leant the entirety of his weight on Piye, attempting to pull them back, but they showed no sign of strain.

"It is meant to be," they said in a hush. "It is meant to be."

Their mouth closed but the words remained, whispered over and over again in your ears. Your own breathing had already hastened, fingers tense with your own terror, worsening as you met the eye of one of the guards.

"Ahk, they're looking at us!" You hissed behind Piye's back, still grasping helplessly at Piye's hands to attempt at pulling them back.

Panic stewed in your heart and leaked into your head, leaving you in a daze of confusion, unsure what to do to protect yourself and your friends. The soldiers were now focusing their attention on you, and Piye's eyes were still glowing.

It was then, within full view of the falcon soldiers and about ten feet from the city itself, that the magi released themself of your terrified grips, rising into the morning air. They opened their mouth and out came a voice that did not belong to them, lodged in their throat as they screamed over the rustling of guards and soldiers readying themselves for battle. Bells began to chime in the city, alerting officials and citizens to the threat now floating above the white walls of Memphis.

"If ye are in Heaven or on Earth, I am the Only One in your bodies," Piye spoke, loud enough to be heard throughout the city.

The sheer volume and the vibrations within the earth that followed had you crouching down, and covering your ears with your hands, a position Ahk soon adopted as well. You watched from the corner of your eye as the soldiers fell victim to that same, screeching pain digging into either side of their heads. Swarms of people began to leave the city through the back entrance, trampling over each other like fleeing rats.

"I am the Pure one – I shall not die a second time. I am He Who is Not Known."

Ahk's eyes darted upwards, recognition flooding him.

"They're calling in Amun," he murmured, just loud enough to hear between the pauses of Piye's words.

"Already?!"

"I don't think they can control it," Ahk said, but as Piye continued, he was forced to cover his ears once more, wincing away.

"Your forms, indeed all forms, are my habitation. My moment is within your bodies. I am The Unveiled," Piye said, and suddenly the aura around them stilled, fixed on a glow brighter than the sun.

For a moment all was silent. Then their mouth opened, gaped and unhinged from the skull as they looked to the sky. An ear-splitting note came from them, running through the earth and sky, even through the water that now bubbled on the shore as though heated by fire. Horror filled your chest, spreading quick through your veins till your body trembled and shook.

Light flooded out of their mouth, a great beam of sun cast into the dark morning sky. Their still-glowing eyes now gave their skull a hollowed look, filled with nothing but light, pouring out with the overflow. Such multitudes could not be contained to a mortal body.

"We need to get the hell out of here!" Ahk yelled over the horrifying screeching, attempting to cover his ears best he could while still reaching for you.

Hopeless, you reached out as well, finding his hand in the space between you and grasping it as though he were a ship in a storm. He pulled you along, stumbling on his feet just as you did. The deep hum running through the earth and water had already worsened, till the ground began to crack, the water of the Nile turning into steam at an alarming rate.

You said nothing to each other, but he led you into the city and you followed without question. Every two seconds you cast looks behind your shoulder, watching events carelessly unfold, and stumbling over yourself whenever Ahk increased his speed. Together, you barrelled down the straight pathway to your destination––the gleaming palace.

"Ahk, what are we going to do?" You asked in a shaky voice, burdened by stumbling feet and a racing heart.

"I don't know," he admitted in his own fear-laced tone. "We need to hide you."

"We can't hide forever!" You wrenched yourself out of his grasp, pulling the both of you into a side alley hidden from Piye's––or Amun's––eyes. "That Goddess wants us here for a reason. We have to face him eventually."

"What if they were just dreaming?" He grasped both your upper arms, looking into you with wide, terrified eyes. "What if that Goddess doesn't come? I. Cannot. Lose you."

"It's our only hope. Don't you believe in your own Gods?"

"Not since Amun tried to steal you from me," he said, still searching your face for something he clearly couldn't find.

"That's your fucking friend up there!" You said, pointing behind you to Piye, who was now floating above the city walls, their hair suspended as they continued to bellow with that horrible ringing sound. "I know for a fact Piye would give their life for you and you should do the same."

"I know, I know," he hissed. "But I won't risk you. I have to hide you –"

He reached for you again, but you swatted his hands away.

"I will not be hidden!"

"No, no, no, no, no," he began to murmur, his gaze flickering between you and Piye, far behind you. "No, you must stay away. Far away."

"Ahk, I'm n––"

He tore his sleeve, a habit he had apparently used enough to become good at, and promptly tied it around your mouth. You protested greatly, pushing and shoving and kicking him away. In the end it was that same struggle you never won––your hands were tied behind your back, quite literally, and your legs followed. Even as you writhed and yelled, you could note the tears streaking down his face.

"Don't you do this!" You said through the gag, your words muffled as he threw you over his shoulder.

"I must keep you safe. I cannot fulfill my role if I am worrying about you," he explained in a weak voice.

With that, he hid you away in an underground cellar, locking the door as he left. Try as you might––and you did try, from yelling to thrashing to crying––you couldn't move from your spot, tied to one of the pillars holding up the dirt ceiling.

As much as he promised not to hurt you or bind you in any way, he sure had done it a lot. Tears began to burn your own eyes, and soon they were falling, soaked up by the gag wrapped around your head.

Piye's unholy screeching had yet to stop, even within the earth. The vibrations you'd felt so fiercely were dulled with distance, a fact you were very relieved about, as any risk of cave-in would've held you mortified. It was a small comfort compared to the severity of your situation, but you tried to revel in it nonetheless.

Every now and then you'd thrash in your bonds again, hoping your continuous struggle had done you some sort of good. Each time you were proven wrong, and still you rubbed your ropes against the splintered wood that kept you there, praying the bonds would break.

A soft hum reverberated in the room, and for a moment you were terrified Amun (in Piye's body, of course,) was knocking at the door. But a popping sound marked the end of the tune, making way for a person to appear, their form tall and still nothing more than a white silhouette.

How many god-damned magic people am I going to meet in Egypt? you thought tiredly. Piye was already enough for you, but the bushy, almost circular hair of this person had you convinced it was someone else.

Eyes pulled themselves open. The only trait on the glowing, ethereal form, and you recognized them. The heat on your skin. The crawling unease trickling down your spine. You recalled a night's sleep spent in a restless haze, and it clicked––it had watched you. This had watched you, now reaching forward as though to touch you. Instinctively you flinched away, but you couldn't go anywhere, not bound to the pillar. You tried your best to cringe and strain away. It still touched you, first by its' fingertips, and the burning heat reached down from your forehead down into your sternum.

"Stop!" You cried when the entirety of its' hand spread over your forehead, sending searing pain through your nerves like electricity. With your shout it withdrew, seemingly surprised by your reaction.

"Whhhat iss your naammmee?" It asked in many voices that spoke one after another, stretching the words.

"... Amoke," you said quietly, still pushing yourself against the pillar, but thankful it was no longer hurting you.

Slowly, starting at their crown and spreading down to their feet, their image appeared through the light. Who stood before you was not someone you recognized, but there was something unearthly about them––as their mouth opened, you found long rows of sharp teeth, all ordered as if it were normal to have that many teeth. But they towered above your shrunken form, fiery gold eyes staring down.

"You are... a friend of Ahkmen's?" They breathed out.

"Y - you mean Ahkmenrah?"

"Yes," they said with a relieved sigh, a smile stretching too-wide across their face. You curled further into yourself at the sight of their sharp teeth. "How is he?"

"Fighting Amun, I think," you said, hoping it would help them along.

"Oh, right," they said, jumping back into action.

Circling you, they bent to untie your ropes, grabbing your hand and wrenching open the lock on the door. Without pause they bounded up the steps with you in tow, leading you out of the alley and back onto the main street. By now the sun had risen, now shining bright with its' familiar warmth, circled by a sky of blue.

"Come, we must –"

"Wait, for one second," you said, pulling on your hand to release their hold, but you couldn't shake them off. "Who are you?"

"... my name is Mahjur," they said in a quiet voice. "I don't know if you know of me."

"I've... heard some things," you said vaguely.

"Shall we go now?"

You nodded, and the two of you were off. The main street still led straight from the gates to the palace, Gyasi to your right and Piye to your left. You had no way of knowing which way Ahk had decided to go, but Mahjur seemed to have some idea, as they set off straight away for Piye.

When you reached the city gates, you found the ground ripped into pieces, lightning-like strikes running through the earth. You stumbled over them and jumped, reaching the riverside where Amun had unleashed a special hell of holy wrath. The Nile was still boiling, and the height of the water had gone down drastically already, matched by the haze of fog and steam now hiding Amun, and Piye, from view. Spilt blood soaked your sandals, reaching up to the soles of your feet in a sticky liqueur. Sickness suddenly overtook you, nearly vomitting from the sensation even despite your previous run-ins with blood-soaked limbs, memories of dry blood tainting your tongue.

"Who has brought me to this form?" He asked from Piye's mouth, too deep for them, too roaring and ear-piercing.

"I am," said a woman, and your attention zipped to a figure standing atop the city gates, looking up at Amun. "I came to a magi in a dream and asked them to summon you."

The Goddess.

"Who is that?" You asked Mahjur quietly.

"Ma'at," they answered. "Goddess of order. I asked her to help. Knew she wouldn't stand by if she knew a God was breaking the natural order."

"Can we help her?"

"Yeah. Just need to wait for Ahkmen to get back from the palace," they said, looking back over their shoulder towards the shining palace in the distance. "He's fetching his royals and their soldiers under the guise of protecting the city. Once they're here, we can take down Amun, and Ahkmen can deliver a final blow. That'll reinstate him as Pharaoh."

"You've thought this through."

"Of course I have. I actually plan ahead, unlike Ahk."

"You can say that again," you mumbled beneath your breath.

Mahjur didn't respond, but took your hand again, pulling you out past the giant walls. The cracks in the ground were large enough that, at times, you needed to jump over the crevices, dodging the crumbling earth leading into a bottom you couldn't see. Before you could ask what to do, Mahjur began to search through the stalls still put together after Amun's rampage.

Caught up in whatever Mahjur was searching for, you remained unaware of Amun's argument with Ma'at, one that had digressed into nothing more than angry yelling. His eyes inevitably fell to you, and the glow within them tripled.

"Amoke," he said in a whisper that still echoed like drums.

You whirled around with eyes big as the moon. He, Piye and Amun, looked upon you with a smile that crawled across the darkened skin, illuminated by both the glow in his eyes and the rising daylight. Petrified into place, you could do nothing but watch as he lowered himself to your level. In Piye's body, Amun still towered over you, just as he had inhabiting his golden statue.

"Don't you look away from me, Amun!" Ma'at yelled from the top of the wall.

Even as the Goddess yelled, he did not tear his gaze from you. You began to back up, looking behind you to try and find Mahjur, but they were as scared stiff as you were. They would not help you, and Ma'at was too far away.

He snatched you in his arms, grinning as though he'd won some sort of prize. In Piye's face, glowing with Amun's power, you found something familiar––hunger. Ahk's hunger, of cannibals, of the rich. Your hands shook, followed by your heart thundering in your chest till you were sure your veins would explode. His smile was too wide, like Mahjur's, but empty and near expressionless.

"Pretty little thing," he said softly, scanning your face.

Wings of green and gold spread out above Amun's head, catching your eye as he attempted to lean in closer to you. Your eyes further widened when they began to descend, growing larger till the ground shook with the landing of heavy feet, marking Ma'at's footprints in the earth that burnt at the touch of her skin.

"How dare you look away from me," she said in a voice that trembled with her fury, barely contained in her mortal form.

A large hand came over Amun's head, wrenching on his––or rather Piye's––long, silver hair. Under Ma'at's control, he turned to face her with ire in his gritted teeth.

The Goddess, who had at first seemed rather small and delicate, had grown to twice the size of even Piye, meaning she seemed much like a statue to you and Mahjur. Her wings that came from nowhere now flared out, appearing to crown her head that she held high. Her eyes did not glow, but her anger reverberated in the air, thrumming in your bones.

"You claim to be a lord of all creation," she said through a fixed jaw, forcing Amun back and kneeing him in the face, hard enough to hear an audible crack that you winced away from. "And then you kill your children, betray the one who saved your armies, attempt to steal from the one who gave you back your power. You were not born yesterday, Amun."

When Ahk left you tied up in a cellar, the tears that lined his face grew cold in the wind of his running footsteps. His pace was slowed by the uphill slant, but he pushed himself as far as he dare, and made it to the bottom of the palace entrance in a short amount of time.

He noted throughout his run an astonishing absence of people. No people in their homes, no markets setting up, no guards at the palace door. As he made his way up the stairs, the reason for it became clear––the sound of many footsteps all trampling over each other came from within the pristine white walls of his home, coupled with fretting voices talking muted behind the walls. He cracked open the door to the inner chambers, and found his hypothesis to be correct.

The whole of the city––or those who had decided not to flee––were hidden within the palace. At the other side of the room sat the raised floor of the throne, and upon it sat Gyasi, flanked by the lesser advisors of Ahk's father. He kept a perfectly still expression, but Ahk knew better––Gyasi panicked under stress but seeked action in times of peace.

Keeping his head low, Ahk crept through the crowd, a hand on the wall to ensure he wouldn't lose himself. A few of the people he passed had hanging swords attached to their hips, and so he stole two just in case, hoping he wouldn't have to use either. Through the mutterings he heard, there were a good deal of complaints about Gyasi––a fact he definitely liked, though his delight was shortlived, as he soon heard a fair amount of criticisms on himself as well.

Murmurings and voices grew louder, more concerned as Amun's voice pierced the thick walls, sparking panic among the crowd. People began to move, bumping against each other and pushing one another aside. Ahk was inevitably hurt as well, thrown against the wall and landing on the floor.

It came to such a height that Gyasi stood, yelling a call to attention above the crowd, who stilled on command.

"Amun will not kill his devotees," he ensured, the skin of his neck dangling as he shouted. "He is searching for the False King and his whore."

Ahk could physically feel his irises shrink as he singled down on Gyasi, hatred boiling in his head.

"He is seeking a citizen," Ahk said, projecting his voice to speak over the old man stealing his throne.

Gasps came from those around him, the crowd suddenly parting completely, leaving him centered out from the bustling heads. Gyasi narrowed his eyes as he saw him.

"A citizen named Amoke. They are my friend, so I must protect them, but I will not abandon my people, leave them helpless in the hands of an artifact," Ahk continued as he stepped forward, making his way to the throne, where Gyasi began to back away. "Do you really think keeping everyone here is going to work?"

"We are dealing with your mess! It is undignified to insult someone cleaning up after you," Gyasi said with furrowed brows, a grimace and a sneer forming simultaneously on his crooked lips.

"I think it's alright if they're doing a godawful job at it," Ahk said flatly. "You need to get the citizens out of here, hide them in the brush of the Nile. If Amun breaches the city walls, this is the first place he will look, and he will demolish every living thing he sees. He is aiming to kill my friend, Amoke, and he does not care if others die in the process."

His words were doing little to quell the audience's worries, but that was his aim, as detrimental as it might be to the health of his citizens.

"You think you know better than I? I have been protecting the people of this city longer than you've been alive."

"You are a remnant of my father's rule. A relic from a time of barbaric violence and meaningless bloodshed. Now get the people to the nearest outcrop of the Nile. You and I have a God to face, if you're truly ready to protect Kemet," Ahk said, offering forward one of his swords.

"... very well," Gyasi said slowly, grasping the sword and drawing it to hilt on his hip. More murmurings came from the crowd that watched the argument. "Pikta, divide the populace and take them in groups. Divide soldiers evenly as you can."

"Yes, sir," said a soldier, who bowed and ran to the front of the room to obey.

"Is Amun outside?" Gyasi asked as he made his way to the entrance of the palace, Ahk at his side.

"He's at the city gates in Piye's body," Ahk said, and as the two of them breached the threshold, he found he could still see Piye's flying body in the distance.

"That beast?" He said with raised brows. "We have quite the battle ahead."

"Hopefully, we won't have to use these swords. We should have the help of a Goddess," Ahk said. "She came to Piye in a dream a little while ago and instructed us on the beginnings of a plan. It is our duty to help her."

"How do you know it isn't a trick?"

"We don't."

The two men began to run down the pathway, both sets of eyes trained on the distant crumbling walls of the city, allowing them to see a tall woman holding a man by his neck against the reflected sun on the Nile. As Ahk noticed two much smaller onlookers, his pace doubled in speed till he bounded down the street. He reached the end much sooner than Gyasi, but it didn't take long till both of them stood shocked, watching Ma'at raise Piye––Amun––into the sky on long, emerald and gold wings.

"I am the Lord of this world," Amun growled, a statement that sent him crashing towards the earth, Ma'at's muscled arm pounding him down.

She stalked over to him, footsteps drumming against the ground till she knelt at his side, grabbing his hair and pulling his face out of the mud.

"I want you to say that to Ptah," she said, before letting his head fall back down. "Mahjur."

Ahk's heart froze at the name. You watched it happen, how his body seized, eyes darting to the God beside you. He lost feeling in all his limbs as Mahjur stepped forward, glancing at Ahk before quickly looking away and joining Ma'at's side.

The two Gods––Ma'at and Mahjur––spoke to each other quietly, and most everyone present listened in with shocked expressions. What you didn't notice, caught up in Ahk's reaction to his old friend, was Amun sinking into the earth. You only realized this as you, too, began to lower into the earth. Beneath you, hands had grasped your ankles and pulled you down.

"Um, Ahk...!" You said in hyperventilated gasps, helpless on how to save yourself.

You no longer had control of your legs, unable to pull them upwards, and there was nowhere your arms could hold onto. Ahk looked to you, shouting when he caught the tail-end of you disappearing wholly into the ground. He ran to where you stood, but it was too late, and Amun was raising himself into the sky with you bound to him.

"Amoke!" Ahk cried.

“They do not belong to you,” Amun said with a smile, unsheathing a knife and baring it to those watching him in an act of vanity. “It’s mine.”

From above, those gathered at the city gates seemed small––even Ma'at, who was twice your height. You watched, unable to breathe through your bindings, as an object materialized in Ma'at's hand and was handed to Ahk with words you couldn't hear. The point of it directed to you, and in an instant you recognized it.

A hornbow.

The tip of the arrow pointed straight to you, and you writhed, desperately trying to escape Amun's grasp and worm out of the way. But he held you fast, and through his speech you couldn't hear over the thundering of your flowing blood, he laughed and held you tighter yet.

Twang.

The drawstring shot back into place, sending the arrow zipping through the sky, and straight into Piye's chest. Amun's arms and magical bindings faded away, and you fell through the open air. Ahk ran to catch you, careening straight into the still-steamy river with open arms. His efforts were not for nothing, as he caught you, using the water to ease your descent as well.

"They asked me to do it," Ahk said through tears pouring out of his eyes, falling as a rainstorm does, as waterfalls do, as blood does from the tip of a sword. "They asked me to shoot them. I didn't think. I saw you, and – and – I didn't –"

"It's going to be alright," you whispered in a shaky voice, comforting best you could even with your trembling hands. His shoulders wracked with heavy sobs as he hid his face in the crook of your neck, wide, haunted eyes cast over your back.

You looked upwards, watching what Ahk could not bear to see. Piye, and Amun, were suspended in open space, the end of a glittering arrow buried in their chest. As the body began to rise higher, your gaze fell to Ma'at and Mahjur still on the shore. They were chanting, both of them––something you couldn't hear, but their eyes began to glow, the veins in their body shining through their skin. You tapped Ahk's shoulders, asking him in a murmur to look. He reluctantly turned to watch.

The heavenly glow emanating from Piye's bones and eyes began to separate from the physical body, peeling away from itself till all that remained of it was a golden shell, shimmering and translucent. Your mouth fell open, watching the two forms pull away from each other.

Once Piye was fully separated from what you guessed was Amun, they fell down into the river, where Ahk also stumbled weakly to catch them. They did not wake, but the slow up and down of their chest marked that they were still breathing despite the arrow piercing them.

You turned back to the power of Amun, transforming from Piye's body to the symbol of the sun. The spells falling from Mahjur and Ma'at grew slowly louder, lifting Amun's essence through the sky, till it dissipated, and fell into the sun.

Silence.

The hum of magic, of broiling Gods and Goddesses came to a halt, and time stood still. It felt as though the world around you had been imbued with enchantments, marinated in it, and then separated entirely, cut off from the feeling of holiness. Your chest had caved in, leaving you near unable to breathe.

No wind. No movement in the water.

Someone was sobbing––you turned to search for the source, and found Ahk knelt in the water with Piye in his arms. His face was buried in his vizier's neck, quiet apologies coming from his trembling lips, matched by fevered hands.

"Bring them here, Ahkmenrah," Ma'at said softly, beckoning the Pharaoh.

He turned to face her, slowly breathed away the tears still building in his eyes, and carried Piye to shore best he could. When he reached Ma'at's feet, he set his friend down to life flat on the earth.

"Oh you young men," Ma'at murmured as she knelt, a hand poised over Piye and the arrow. "Shu of the morning... who have power over those who flash among the sun-folk, whose arms move about and whose heads sway to and fro... may they move about every day."

Piye's eyes fluttered slowly open, a soft groan escaping them as they blinked. The arrow lodged in their chest dissipated to no more than ash. Ahk gasped, a wide grin spreading across his features as he once more knelt to his knees, helping Piye to sit up.

"Are you alright, my friend?" He asked hurriedly, scanning over the healing injury.

"I... I can't see," Piye murmured in a breath, still swaying from the weakness of their muscles. They fell against Ahk. "I can't see anymore."

"What? How –"

"Oh Gods," Piye said, their breathing quickening. "It's as if I am a child again."

"Amun claimed your magic," Ma'at said softly. She hadn't ever looked you in the eye, but she met the magi's, a kinder look on her than ever before. "To save you and your.. friends, I locked Amun into the sun, with help from Mahjur."

Mahjur gingerly stepped up behind Ma'at, looking to you, then Piye, and to the ground below Ahk.

"I am afraid your magic intwined with Amun’s, and I had to lock it into the sky as well, to rid of him," she finished. “Your magic is what gave you eyesight to begin with, if you remember those years.”

"I... do I look.. the same?" They asked in a shaky voice.

"Taller than anything," Ahk said instantly. "Dark skin. White hair. You look the same."

"But with no... magic," they murmured.

"You may still have remnants. Most people do have a base magic. You might be able to do small spells," Mahjur said. You watched Ahk bite into his cheek and look down.

Piye cried––you expected little else, and you waited patiently as they came to process everything that had just happened. When they requested a rundown of the events (as apparently their memory was not fantastic), Ahk happily explained what had come to pass, with his usual dramatic debonair. Ma'at stayed and chuckled at certain points, but stood when Ahk finished.

Movement caught the corner of your eye, and your gaze darted upwards, ready for any return of danger. But what you found instead were people––lots of people, coming from several different directions and circling you, Ahk, the two Gods, Piye, and Gyasi. They were muttering amongst themselves, and from what you heard they appeared to be discussing the validity of Ahk's story.

"I must return to the Duat before anything else decides to unhinge itself from the natural order," Ma'at said at the end of Ahk's retelling. Mahjur, who had taken a seat beside the Goddess, stood as well.

"Wait, Ma'at," Ahk said, standing with a hand out, hoping to halt her. She turned expectantly. "Can I... Mahjur..."

She glanced between the two, who even now were too nervous to look at each other. You watched on though, watched how timid and shaky they both grew, itching terribly to acknowledge one another.

"... very well," Ma'at sighed. "I'll give you a moment."

Ahk didn't even leave time to thank Ma'at for the allowance. He went straight to his friend, colliding with them and wrapping his arms so tight round them you could swear it'd kill a regular human. Mahjur had much of the same attitude, tears and laughter coming simultaneously from them.

"I will be waiting for you," they said with the biggest grin, parting for a very short moment to stroke the side of his face. "I wait for you in the field of reeds."

"I await my death, then," Ahk laughed giddily, followed by his friend bursting into giggles as well. You couldn't help but grin, but you hid it behind your hand.

"Come now, Mahjur," Ma'at commanded, and the two friends reluctantly parted, allowing Mahjur to rejoin Ma'at.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, though Ma'at was still a great deal taller than everyone present, and in a flash they were gone. Murmurings in the crowd grew in volume, people drawing closer as they realized their Pharaoh had never lied.

They had truly seen Ma’at, the Goddess of peace.

Relief––that was the only way to explain it. Pure, unaltered relief, flooding your veins, flooding your thoughts. Tremors in your hand that you didn't even notice were there disappeared, the knot in your brow fading with it. Air felt like it had been made anew, refreshed after a hundred years of a solitary cave, and you could smile. No more Gods.

Finally.

[obsessedwithereri-nz]

Stone Cold Chapter 5 (FULL)

Levi x Eren

Summary:  Ever since Levi was a pre-teen, he knew he’d have to marry her, otherwise he’d have to answer to his abusive uncle which never turned out well for Levi’s wellbeing. But after meeting a certain singer at his favorite bar, he knew he was in deep, deep shit.

Warnings: None

Follow the #stonecoldfic to find previous chapters. Enjoy!

Cold, yet burning. On the outside, Levi’s freezing. He can’t feel his face anymore, and his teeth are starting to hurt from all the cold air he’s pulling into his mouth at a quickening rate. But, on the inside, Levi’s muscles are on fire. He’s pushing himself to the limit, running as fast as his legs will carry him. He can feel the painful blisters forming all over his feet.

But that’s not going to stop him. Not even the apocalypse would be able to stop him now.

It’s been ten minutes of non-stop running and Levi is barely at the halfway point to the studio. He’s been on a constant watch for any empty cabs, but of course, on a day like today, they’re all full.

Pushing through the pain, he digs deep within him to prevent himself from slowing down for even a single second. The thought of holding him in his arms again is the only thing keeping him from giving up.

-----

Why does this always happen? Whenever Levi has something to look forward to, something happens that takes it away from him or, even worse, takes it and holds it just out of reach. Usually, it’s something he eventually deems insignificant and brushes it off, but not this… Why did it have to be this ?

It’s a very good thing Levi knows this part of town inside and out because he manages to flawlessly weave through side streets to avoid as many main streets and traffic lights as possible. One thing that is painfully obvious about Levi is that he’s a control freak; he prefers to do most things himself because he knows others won’t be able to do it as well as he can or to his standards, which are painstakingly high.

When it comes to being on time for anything, the term ‘running late’ isn’t in his vocabulary. Levi plans any sort of planned event to the minute, making sure to have a contingency plan, and a contingency plan for the contingency plan.

So, imagine Levi’s expression when he checks the time as he pulls up to The Library. 6:09 pm. His efforts to get there faster ended up taking slightly longer than it would have if he took the main streets. It doesn’t matter that he’s meeting up with this brat who more than likely won’t give a shit that he’s a little late, it’s the fact that Levi isnever late and he hates it.

Anger and self-disappointment flood through his body and he leans back in his car seat and groans for a moment before-

Knock knock

Levi’s eyes open to see a pair of hazel eyes and a face covered in hair staring at him. He groans again, this time in annoyance. That is not the face he was hoping to see.

“What do you want, dick,” Levi says as he rolls down his window.

“It’s Dok , and you looked lonely so I thought I’d come to cheer up the little boy,” he says in that stupid voice adults put on when they’re talking to babies, while pinching Levi’s left cheek. In a flash, Levi grabs Nile’s hand and bends it in just the right way to make it hurt like hell, but not injure him. “Ow ow ow ow owwww!”

“I highly suggest you don’t do that again,” he scowls as he pushes Nile enough to make him stumble back a few feet. Levi steps out of his car, adjusts his shirt and makes his way to the entrance. He checks his watch again; 6:11 pm. Shit.

While simultaneously looking down at his watch and walking towards the bar, somebody covers his eyes with their hands. Levi is about to break this fuckers arm until he hears three little words.

“Hey there, stranger.” He calms almost instantly but decides, before he let this moment go on for too long, he grabs the brats hands and throws them off him, and spins around to meet his confused gaze.

“Goddamnit, brat. You know how stupid it is to sneak up on someone like that?” Levi warns him, giving him his usual death glare.

“Sorry,” he giggles. “You know part of me didn’t think you were going to show up tonight.”

“Oh, right,” Levi blurts out after a moment of surprise from the confession. “No, I actually would’ve been early but my asshole of a boss decided to, well, be a fucking asshole and… What’s so fucking funny?” The green-eyed man has covered his mouth with his hand, trying to contain his laughter.

“I-I’m sorry,” he says between small giggles. “Is it possible for you t-to not cuss e-every time you speak?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” His laughter continues. “For the love of…” Levi rolls his eyes and continues forward.

The singer's laughter stops almost immediately and he grabs Levi’s right hand with his own, causing Levi to stop in his tracks and turn around. He looks down to see his hand is still being held by the brats, and he doesn’t do anything but keep his hand perfectly still.

“Wait! I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve never done this before.” He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Done what exactly?”

“Gone on a date with someone I, kind of, picked up at a bar,” he smiles. When the word ‘date’ left his mouth, Levi’s eyes widened slightly and his lips parted. Levi had a feeling that was what the brat was going to say, but even that feeling wasn’t preparation enough. “Oh my god.” The singer gasps and raises his free hand to his face, giggling awkwardly.

“What is it now?” Levi says trying to regain his composure.

“I just realized that I haven’t told you my name yet,” he lowers his hand to reveal a bright smile that takes Levi’s breath away. “I’m Eren. I would shake your hand but…” The two men look down to see Eren is still holding Levi’s hand.

Shit. Stupid brat. Distracting me with his fucking words and that stupid fucking face of his. Levi removes his hand from Eren’s grasp before nonchalantly introducing himself.

“Levi.”

“Well, Levi, it’s nice to officially meet you.” Chills traveled all the way up Levi’s spine when he heard the singer speak his name for the first time. What the fuck is happening to him? “Shall we?” Eren gestures towards the entrance to The Library.

“Tsk,” Levi rolls his eyes. Not ten feet from the door, he hears the brat speak up again.

“Oh!” Levi sighs in response, but before he could speak, Eren quickly passes him and opens the door with a smirk on his face. “After you.”

He eyes the singer with his signature glare again, but he still doesn’t seem fazed by it. Without saying a word, he walks through the door and makes his way over to his usual spot at the bar. Just like any other Thursday, Hanji is working behind the bar but they’re joined with a new trainee. The kid looks to be the perfect mix of nervous and overwhelmed to be behind the bar of a popular venue, obviously wanting to make a good first impression.

Freckles cover his face, his sparkling hazel orbs gleam with life, and his hair is very uniformly cut with bangs coming halfway down his forehead.

“Marco?” Eren sounds from over Levi’s shoulder.

“Eren! Hey, how’s it going?” The two have large smiles on their faces; safe to assume they’re good friends. “Man, I gotta thank you for helping me get me this job. There’s a lot to remember but I think I’m really going to have fun with this!”

“I knew you would, you’re gonna be great. Oh, hey, Hanji!”

“Ereeeen! How is my cute singing angel doing this fine day?” Hanji squeals as they come over and places both their hands on Eren’s cheeks as he laughs in response to… well, Hanji.

“I’m good, thanks. Umm, I actually have a favor to ask you.”

“Oh, anything for my darling boy.” Levi wants to barf with how much coddling is going on.

“Would it be okay if I take Levi behind the stage? I want to show him that awesome new waiting area.” Waiting area? What the fuck is this kid on about now?

“Oooooh, you two getting chummy are we?” Hanji winks towards Levi. If looks could kill, Hanji would be on the floor in milliseconds. “Of course you can! You’re one of us now. It’s all yours, you lovebirds.”

Levi bolts up out of his seat but Eren places his hand on the small of Levi’s back and speaks for him. Levi is actually impressed, his timing is impeccable.

“Thanks, Hanji,” he says as he begins to lead Levi towards the curtains by the stage.

“I’m going to kill that shit for brains,” Levi mutters under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” Jesus, how perceptive is this brat?

Eren continues to lead Levi through a few hallways and out into a large room that has been decorated to look like an outdoor hangout space. Flowers and other plants line the borders of the room, a few sets of tables and chairs that match those inside the bar are scattered throughout, along with a outdoor style fireplace with a wooden, Victorian style bench facing it. Fairy lights drip from the ceiling to imitate stars, while light instrumental music plays out of what seems like thin air.

“Isn’t this place great?” Eren smiles while looking around the room like a child on Christmas morning before looking into Levi’s grey orbs. “It’s where the performers and staff come to have their breaks and wait until it’s their time to perform.”

“Yeah, it’s… nice,” Levi said while getting lost in Eren’s eyes. He’s truly never been more mesmerized by what he considered to be such a mundane color.

“Oh, come on. You can at least pretend to sound a little more enthusiastic than that. Keep that up and I’ll start to think you don’t actually want to spend time with me.” With a skip in his step, Eren makes his way over to the bench in front of the lit fireplace signaling for Levi to join him.

After taking a breath, Levi somewhat reluctantly follows and sits on the bench. But not beside Eren, no, he sits right at the end of the bench opposite to the singer and looks straight into the fire.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Eren says as he lifts one leg up onto the bench and turns to face the raven-haired man as he sighs. “Make it sound more like a chore, why don’t you?” his smile still not wavering from his face.

“What do you want to know?” Levi could help but let a small smile slip from Eren’s remark.

“Hmmm, let’s see. Uh, where were you born?” Levi’s smile drops and not without Eren noticing. “Or... you can tell me what you do for a living?”

Levi doesn’t want to answer any of these questions because he knows it all leads to information he doesn’t want to think about, more or less share with anybody, which Levi thinks is a good thing. It’ll show Eren that he’s not in the slightest bit interesting or fun to be around, then they’ll never need to see each other again.

“I work for a premium furniture company selling custom furniture to rich assholes who have so much money they don’t know what to do with it all,” Levi says with his usual bored tone.

“Sounds interesting. You don’t really peg me as a guy who likes furniture. No offense.”

“None taken. Gotta pay the bills somehow.”

“That’s fair. I know about that all too well,” Eren rubs the back of his neck and breaks his gaze on Levi to look at the floor.

“What’s your story, then?” He might as well ask since he’s going to be here for at least another hour. It’ll make the time go by faster.

“Uhh, oh god, where do I start… Umm, well, I’m 23. I love music and want to have a career in it one day.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah! My parents didn’t agree with it but, no matter how hard I tried, nothing else made me happy so I decided to take some risks. Hanji was only the second person who really believed in me and my music; they gave me a chance to get my name out there and I’ll be forever grateful to them, whether something comes of this gig or not.”

“Didn’t.”

“Hm?”

“You said your parents ‘didn’t’ agree with your music, so they do now since you got this gig?” Eren’s smile faded, similarly to how Levi’s did moments ago. He knew instantly he’s touched on a sensitive topic. “You don’t have to-”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. It happened, so why not talk about it? Umm… My parents always told me that music isn’t a real career. They’re doctors so they wanted me to follow in their footsteps, become a surgeon. But, honestly, blood grosses me out so there was no way that was even a possibility. They would go as far as to hide my instruments and music sheets from me and used my birthday and Christmas as an excuse to buy me anything and everything doctor related: lab coats, textbooks, a cheque with enough money that’d get me through college. After a while, I started to believe them. That music wasn’t a viable career choice and I’d be better off being a doctor.”

Levi could tell Eren was hurting, but something changed as he continued. He saw a different kind of pain; the kind of pain that made him who he is now.

“That was until one day when I was nineteen. I was home alone because both my parents got called into the hospital and there was a knock at the door. When I answered, a woman was standing there and she claimed to be my mother. As soon as she said that word, ‘mother’, I couldn’t help but see the resemblance in our faces. So, I invited her inside and waited for my ‘parents’ to get back from work.” Eren takes a deep breath and finally returns his gaze to meet Levi’s whose own gaze was glued to the singer from the moment he started speaking and was hanging onto every word.

“Long story short, the woman who I thought was my mother for nineteen years wasn’t, and my father is a liar. So I left home and moved in with her, and she was an angel. We got along so well and she did things I’d never experienced before. She encouraged me. She encouraged me to pursue music if that was what made me happy because life doesn’t wait around. That’s why I’m here. I’m here because of her.”

Speechless once again but this time he wishes he wasn’t. He wishes he had the right words to respond to the story he was just told. All he could do is stare at Eren with his mouth slightly agape.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I went a lot deeper than I, uh… Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, kid.” Levi, in almost the blink of an eye, went from being stunned to completely serious; his agape mouth now closed, eyebrows slightly furrowed, his eyes giving off an intense look of determination and he’s now turned to fully face Eren.

The words started flowing out of him like his subconscious was speaking for him. He’s so used to having to comb through everything his subconscious wants him to say and do, but at this moment, he feels free.

“Your mother sounds like an amazing woman, Eren. As you said, you’re here because of her, right?” Eren slowly nods. “Then why are you apologizing?” Eren slowly lowers his head to look at his hands and turns his body to face the fire blazing in front of them.

“I don’t know,” he says under his breath. Levi shuffles forward to sit closer to him. Why is he acting this way? His limbs and his voice are moving all on their own.

“You’re here doing something you’re passionate about, something that makes you truly happy.” He tries to catch a glimpse at those beautiful green eyes he’s been constantly thinking about but they remain hidden from his sight. “Hey,” Levi gently calls out. After a moment, his secret wish came true and his gaze was met with green once more.

“Take it from me, Eren. You’re free. It may not feel like it, but you are. Take that freedom and use it to your advantage to do something with your life that’ll bring you nothing but sheer joy and satisfaction. Don’t become a 28-year-old excuse for a man who has a job in a fucking furniture company being a lap dog for people whose middle names are privileged fucks.”

Finally, Levi manages to squeeze that gorgeous smile out from behind those lips along with a small laugh. He doesn’t remember the words that came out of his mouth, but he feels good. Really good.

“Thank you,” the two continue gazing at each other, eyes bouncing back and forth between the others until Levi notices Eren’s eyes dart down for a split second. It was in that moment he realizes how close he had moved towards him, and how little distance remains between them.

Their smiles begin to drop as their gazing continues, and their lips begin to part ever so slightly. A heavy thudding begins in Levi’s chest making him feel sick, but at the same time exhilarated. Gazes now completely drifted to the other’s lips, they lean in towards each other as if in slow motion until they’re less than a foot apart. Eren stops with an almost inaudible gasp and Levi raises his cool grey orbs to meet his green ones as if they were asking for permission.

Without saying a word, Levi returns his gaze down and continues to move forward painstakingly slow. He can feel Eren’s warm breath on his lips now, his brain now turned to static and, dear God, does every fiber in his being just want to feel that brats lips on his already.

“EREEEN!” The two jump out of their trance at the sound of Hanji’s screaming voice from the hallway. “YOU’RE ON IN TWO!”

And with that, Levi’s rational mind returns; fear about what he almost did instantly consumes him. The two sit in complete silence for what feels like an hour, but in reality was only one minute. Levi can see through his peripheral Eren looking at him, trying to decipher what he’s thinking or at the very least waiting for him to speak up about what almost happened.

“I, um, guess I should go set up,” Eren stands and exits the room, leaving Levi to his own inner demons, tormenting and punishing him for what just transpired. “Oh, excuse me.”

“Wh- Eren?” Great. All Levi wants is to be left alone, not left with Hanji ‘I don’t know when to shut my fucking trap’ Zoe. “Levi, what did you say to that boy?” They say as they make their way over towards the still stunned man sitting on the bench. “Levi? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, four eyes,” Levi hisses towards the brunette.

“Oh… I interrupted a moment, didn’t I?” In a flash, Levi bolts up from the bench and grabs Hanji by the collar of their shirt, pulling them in to be mere inches away from his face.

“There was no moment. There was only boring and awkward small talk. Nothing else,” his voice is low and filled with poison and, for once, he actually sees a hint of fear within Hanji. He sighs heavily as he releases them from his grasp. “Shit.”

“Okay. Nothing happened.” They continue to stand there beside Levi, fiddling with their hands and constantly looking around the room, their gaze not holding onto one spot for more than a moment. “But between you and me…” The man glares up at them, warning them to choose their next words carefully; they hold their hands up in respone. “If there was a moment, you shouldn’t ignore it.”

“That’s it, I’m out of here. I didn’t come here to be lectured on how to live my life,” he begins to storm out before a hand grabs his arm, preventing him from walking any further. “Let me go!”

“No. Eren likes you, alright? Whether it’s in the romantic sense or not, he likes you. I don’t know what he’s told you about his past, if anything, but he could really use a friend like you,” Levi can tell they’re being genuine. Their normal bubbly personality is long gone and has been replaced with a more parental tone of voice. “Just stay for his performance. It means the world for him to see familiar faces supporting him and his music.”

“Fine,” Levi spits as he rips his arm out of their grasp. “I’ll stay for the damn brats singing, then I’m gone.” He storms out into the public area and takes his seat at the bar, but the stage is empty aside from his set up that’s identical to Monday’s.

Five minutes go by. No sign of Eren or Hanji. That new bartender, Marco, is doing a fine job of managing the busy bar all by himself. Where have those two dumbasses disappeared to?

Five more minutes go by. Levi’s starting to feel a little guilty, but this guilt is different. He had expected to feel guilt at some point during the night, however, he’d expected to feel guilty towards Petra about sneaking around behind her back. Instead, he feels guilty towards Eren. He was obviously waiting for him to say something, anything really, but he just sat there and let him get his hopes up then crush them.

Finally, he hears footsteps from the stage. Half expecting to see Hanji, he sees the singer with his scruffy brown hair walk on stage, but he doesn’t make eye contact with anybody in the crowd. His eyes remain looking down towards the floor or on his guitar the entire time. Fuck, maybe Hanji is right.

Like on Monday night, Eren takes a long deep breath with his eyes closed and visually becomes more relaxed and comfortable in the spotlight. He starts to medolically hum into the microphone, gradually getting louder, then with a single strum of his guitar, he begins to sing.

Gone all my life Worried about my soul Brimstone and fire, the stories I’ve been told Then I saw grace right before my eyes I should break through those gates And fall from the sky

I hate to let you down, hate to let you down, no Hate to say it now, hate to say it now but

I don't really care where I go when I die 'Cause I just found heaven You can tell the devil that's he's wasting his time 'Cause I just found heaven Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Hallelujah

Sins wash away Dark turns to light Your body is a temple so take me inside, oh I feel no pain, pleasures all mine You give me a taste of eternal life

I hate to let you down, hate to let you down, no Hate to say it now, hate to say it now, but

I don't really care where I go when I die 'Cause I just found heaven You can tell the devil that's he's wasting his time 'Cause I just found heaven Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hate to let you down, hate to let you down, no Hate to let you down, hate to let you down, no

Oh, I don't really care where I go when I die 'Cause I just found heaven You can tell the devil that's he's wasting his time, no 'Cause I just found heaven Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Singin' Halle, Halle, Halle, Halle, Hallelujah Hallelujah

Oh, hallelujah Cause I just found heaven, hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

The crowd roars into applause as Levi is snapped out of his trance. He knows he was paying attention to Eren’s performance, but what was he thinking during it? He can’t remember if he was thinking at all.

Levi looks directly into Eren’s eyes, secretly hoping he’ll look up so he can show him that he’s there supporting him. He doesn’t look up; he doesn’t even seem to acknowledge the crowd’s cheering before starting the next song.

Levi continues to silently support Eren throughout his full thirty-minute performance, still failing at making eye contact with him.

‘Maybe it’d be better if I leave now and never talk to him again. He’d be better off in the long run,’ he thinks to himself. With that thought, Levi stands from his seat to leave only to hear Eren thank the crowd and begin to walk off stage. His heart and mind start racing, overwhelmed with the stress of making a ‘now or never’ decision within only a few moments.

However, as soon as the boy disappeared behind the stage curtains, his legs began to move, carrying him back towards the waiting room. When he entered the room, he was greeted by the sound of wood crackling in the fire across the room, but no Eren. He curses to himself and decides to sit on the bench again and wait for him, hoping that Hanji wouldn’t let him leave without making Eren see him, just like they did with making him stay.

Looking into the fire, he rests his elbows on his knees and waits, rehearsing what to say to the kid in his head. Fuck, what is he going to say?

“You’re still here?” Levi snaps his head to the left to see Eren standing beside him with a minuscule smile on his face. “I thought you would’ve left after…” He pauses with his mouth open for a moment before looking away. Levi stands from his seat and faces Eren.

“The only place I left was this room to go watch you perform,” his head instantly snaps up to look at Levi again, surprised. “I don’t know if I’ve told you but you have an incredible voice, Eren.”

“Thanks,” he says quietly, his smile slowly growing wider. Silence consumes the two.

“I’m sorry,” they say in unison before they smile and laugh together for a short moment.

“I’ll... go first,” the elder man says awkwardly. “I’m sorry for not saying anything. I could tell you wanted me to, but I, uh…” he shakes his head. “My life is a complicated mess right now.”

“It’s okay, I get it. Plus we literally just met each other not three days ago. No hard feelings?”

“None,” Levi says with a smirk while Eren sighs in relief.

“Thank god. I really want us to become friends. I don’t know what it is but I feel like I can trust you and that never happens with me.” Levi could almost hear his heartbreak inside of him because he knows nobody can or ever should trust him. All he can do is attempt a smile in return.

The two men eventually return to their spots on the bench with at least two feet between them so they don’t have a moment again. Levi really doesn’t know what would happen to him mentally or physically if he let them do anything together. They continue to talk about anything and everything, well not everything in Levi’s case but enough to make Eren feel comfortable and consider him his friend.

“Hey, fellas,” Eren and Levi both turn their heads to see Hanji at the doorway. “We’re closing up so you’re going to have to scadadle.”

Levi’s eyes widen and his jaw drops as Hanji walks away. He frantically checks his watch for the time. 10:23 pm. They had been talking for over three hours. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Eren lean over to catch a glimpse of Levi’s watch.

“Oh, shit, it’s that late already? Man, time flies when you’re-” At an inhumane speed, Levi jumps out of his seat and begins to bolt towards the exit of the room before stopping himself to say goodbye to Eren.

“Fuck, sorry, I really have to go. I… I was supposed to be home earlier to get some urgent paperwork done for work tomorrow.”

“No, you’re fine, I’m sorry for keeping you so long,” he smiles towards him, and after a moment of the two just looking at each other Eren speaks again with a laugh. “Go!”

And with that, Levi runs all the way back to his car at top speed, ignoring Hanji’s goodbye and Nile’s attempt to rile him up. Once in his car, he slams it into reverse, speeds out of his parking spot and takes off.

While driving, he tries to call Petra to apologize for being extra late tonight, figuring he’ll tell her he was working while at the bar and lost track of time, and to also apologize for not texting her as he promised to do earlier in the day.

Answer phone message. Fuck, she’s probably asleep. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He speeds home, luckily he didn’t have anything to drink tonight so was able to do it without having to constantly worry about his driving impediment.

He pulls into the driveway with the screeching of his tires across the pavement and quickly but quietly makes his way inside. As he unlocks and opens the front door, he hears Petra laughing from the living room.

Confused, he makes his way down the hallway to see her sitting at the dining room table with another figure whose back is to him.

“Oh, there you are! I would’ve called to tell you we had a visitor but he insisted I let you take your time tonight,” she transfers her gaze from Levi to the tall, lanky figure opposite her. 

“Isn’t that right, Kenny?”

Writer’s note: I don’t own the song! -- Just Found Heaven by Daughtry

[echoeblo]

Different Pasts, Niles and Lyn study. Lyn comes to ask Nohrian Prince Leo for advice.

The halls of the Nohrian palace are wide and cold, accented at intervals by attentive guards. Lyn walks through them with a learned confidence counter to her nervous mind, following the escort to the meeting room.

Nohr had recently been through turmoil similar to Caelin’s own, and the aftermath of succession had been similarly progressive. Under King Xander’s rule, Nohr’s relationship with neighboring kingdoms had blossomed, healing old scars and distrust at almost alarming rates.

Lyn had heard rumors of the royal line’s ability. Her meeting had not been scheduled with the current king, however - she had chased rumors of a druid prince who works in shadows. From voices in the wind, Lyn had heard of this prince’s endeavors to improve the living situation of his own citizens, and the kingdom already reflected his will. Five years after King Xander’s succession and the level of poverty had already been cut down significantly.

Lyn follows the escort, eyeing him suspiciously. The sudden change in reputation is more than enough to place anyone on edge, and despite how much she wishes to improve her own home’s situation, she can’t help but want to run from this.

She jumps slightly at a hand on her shoulder, and she looks to her side to see Kent smiling reassuringly at her. She smiles back shakily, showing him the first and only crack in her façade. He squeezes her shoulder again in support before letting go, and she feels considerably more at ease knowing Kent is there with her, a constant comfort ever since she claimed her own birthright.

The escort stops and gestures for her to enter a room. She does, listening for Kent’s steps behind her, and she walks into a wide and mostly empty room aside from a round table and two other people.

Lyn freezes at the door, meeting the eyes of the sitting prince. His gaze is both expressive and guarded and from it, she can only read tiredness and thinly veiled irritation. Her blood boils slightly at his dismissive demeanor.

Her gaze only lingers on the prince for a moment before shifting to the man behind him, a retainer seemingly nothing like hers - posture lax as he leans against his lord’s shoulder, single eyebrow quirked and observing her more intensely than his casualness suggested.

Royalty and formalities had never made Lyn feel comfortable, but as much as she preferred freeness to the stiffness of formal talks, something about the man rubs her the completely wrong way.

Bandit, her first thought is, and her blood boils slightly more before Kent nudges her back, a gentle grounding gesture that reminds her to keep an open mind and remember her purpose.

She walks forward, steps quiet even as Kent’s resound behind her. She focuses on that heaviness and smiles, happy to know that her knight has never had the need to learn how to step lightly.

As she sits down, she trades small pleasantries with the prince before extending her practiced speech to him. “Prince Leo of Nohr, I am Lady Lyndis of Caelin. I have come to make a request.”

Leo leans forward, an only somewhat curious spark in his eye. “This is about my work with Nohr’s citizens, correct?”

“Indeed,” Lyn answers. “I have heard rumors of your work. In only three years, you have significantly improved Nohr’s quality of life, reducing poverty greatly.”

“If you expect me to do similar for Caelin,” Leo interrupts, “then you are sorely mistaken. I work for my home, and my home only.”

“That is not my request,” Lyn answers, biting back her distaste at his lack of compassion. “I can only ask for advice.”

Leo quirks his eyebrow, disinterested. “Advice for what, exactly?”

“For reducing poverty in Caelin. It is my home, and the less thieves roaming it, the better.”

Leo pauses for a moment before opening his mouth, but a different voice speaks up before Leo can get a word in.

“So you wish to rid your home of thieves?”

Lyn meets the eye of Leo’s retainer, fire in her veins. “Of course. The less criminals, the safer Caelin will be.”

“So you would rid your home of criminals for the sake of all the other citizens?”

At this, Lyn leans forward. “Of course. They have done nothing worthy of the trouble thieves inflict on them.”

Something flashes across the retainer’s features before he smiles and leans forward, almost tauntingly. “My, I had hoped your tongue would be good for something, Lady Lyndis. It seems it wouldn’t be worth even a rusted coin, though.”

“Niles,” Leo says quietly, a tiny admonishment.

Lyn feels disgust and anger flood her immediately. “How depraved! Are all from Nohr as poor mannered as you?!”

Kent places a hand on her shoulder, but Niles leans forward, an empty grin gracing his face. “How wonderful, so the girl has some bite after all. I love when women play rough, you know. Makes it much more interesting.”

He places his thumb against his lips and licks it, not looking away from Lyn’s gaze. Lyn slams the table and stands up, wiping Kent’s hand off of her shoulder. She turns her gaze back to the prince.

“Have you no control over your subjects?!”

Leo meets her gaze evenly, seemingly more irritated than before. “What do you plan for the thieves plaguing your home?” he asks, and Lyn nearly yells her answer at him before Kent grabs her arm and speaks for her.

“Please, Prince Leo, we only ask for advice.”

Lyn bites back her temper for only a moment. Leo stands up smoothly, eyes closed and almost serene.

“If you can’t see the petty criminals of your home as actual humans with motives, then you have no place asking me for advice,” he says simply. “If you wish for any material help, I’d advise you to have an audience with my brother instead.”

He moves to walk away and Lyn clenches her teeth before relaxing slightly at the sight of vines climbing down the prince’s chair. She regards them curiously, wondering if they were there before, before recalling a curious rumor regarding the prince of Nohr.

“... I’d heard that plants grow near you whenever you are irritated,” she says, more to herself than him. Both of the Nohrians stop and turn to face her, and small buds grew out of the ground near Leo’s feet almost immediately.

Despite everything, Lyn holds back a small laugh at the sight.

Leo sighs, the sound heavy with irritation. “It’s been a problem since I was a kid,” he answers reluctantly.

Lyn smiles lightly. “I wouldn’t say a problem,” she offers. A moment passes and she sighs, feeling more tired than she had in days. “What do you mean by “motives,” exactly?”

Niles looks away. “Exactly that,” Leo says. “Have you never stopped to consider why thieves and bandits exist?”

“Not since my family was murdered by them, no,” she answers dryly. Niles looks back at her and regards her curiously.

“Most of the time, they have no other choice. It’s either thievery or they lay down and die.”

“An honest life isn’t so simple when you aren’t handed luxuries for being born, love,” Niles chimes in, voice dripping with sweet poison. Lyn’s eye twitches.

“I’ve rarely seen bandits kill out of necessity,” she counters.

“Then your eyes are only good for decoration, it seems.”

The two leave the room and Kent rubs Lyn’s arm quietly.

[frederickwiddowson]

Exodus 2:1-10 comments: the baby Moses taken in by the Pharaoh's daughter

Exodus 2:1 ¶  And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. 4  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

Here is described a marriage between a man and a woman from the tribe of Levi, the family of Levi, or, as it says here, the house of Levi. The son she bore was healthy and strong, a goodly child. To keep him from being murdered she hid him as long as she could and when it was impossible to hide him she built a small waterproof container and placed him in the river near the bank with his older sister watching from a safe distance. There is a reason for her actions and she is not just abandoning the child. Remember the Ark that carried Noah and his family through the worst natural catastrophe to hit the earth, the great Flood.

Exodus 2:5 ¶  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 6  And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. 7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 8  And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 10  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

It doesn’t say that the Pharaoh’s daughter immersed herself or went swimming. It says that she came down to wash herself. As there were several gods associated with the Nile River, which allowed Egypt to exist as a great civilization in the desert, she may have been performing a ritual ablution. We can’t be sure, going by the literal text. It is not likely that the Pharaoh’s daughter would be swimming naked in the river especially considering the animals that lived in the river. We will learn later the religious significance of washing oneself in the Law given to Moses. In any event, she and her attendants were walking by the river’s side when they saw the little ark, like a small boat, sitting in the reeds.

The word flags refers to the reeds and rushes from which they derived papyrus, early paper for documents.

Job 8:11  Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

Isaiah 19:6  And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.7  The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

Isaiah 35:7  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

She easily identified the baby as a Hebrew child, perhaps because he was circumcised. Scholars say that circumcision existed in ancient Egypt but they are contradictory as to its practice. Some mummies are circumcised, and many are not. Even the mummies of pharaohs are often not circumcised at the earliest periods. Perhaps the practice became more common after the Hebrews left just as Amenhotep IV also known as Akhenaten tried to institute a sort of monotheism in response to the Egyptian disaster at the Red Sea Exodus of the Hebrews. The most logical answer here is the baby was circumcised, not a common Egyptian practice at the time, and the baby’s ethnicity was clear.

She had mercy on the child. The baby’s sister, who had been watching close by, offers to get a nurse for the child, seeing the Pharaoh’s daughter wanted to save the baby. So, in this way the baby’s mother was able to nurse him and care for him for the Pharaoh’s daughter until he was weaned. He became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, who named him Moses because he was drawn out of the river and that’s what the name means, drawn out.

The son of Pharaoh’s daughter would have, in all likelihood, been raised and educated with all of the worldly learning of the Egyptian royalty. Some authorities say that Egyptian children stayed with their mothers until around the age of four. The Prince’s school in ancient Egypt, according to a source I read, taught history, writing, and math based on a ten point system. It taught arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, as well. Geography, science, and medicine rounded out the lessons. The hieroglyphic, picture style of writing was very important. You have seen this type of writing where the characters were, as in Chinese and Aztec, pictographs. In this writing there was a tremendous religious significance rather than just a utilitarian one of communication. While this is, perhaps, an oversimplification, this is a general way to understand the general concept of writing. This will become very important in a few chapters.

Moses was most likely raised in the arts of war and peace and in governing. The Egyptian leadership was a top-down organization with the Pharaoh the supreme authority and we have seen the tendency toward government control of everything by what happened in Joseph’s time. Keep these things in the back of your mind as we move forward in Exodus. While we don’t know for certain from the text what Moses was taught we can be sure he wasn’t raised in a box.

Here, in this passage we can see God's hand in moving His ministry of reconciling mankind to Himself forward in small steps, using mankind's choices whether good or bad to further His plan.