#i also started rebirth and it whips

[mads-agenda]

wait a minute this isn't cloud

[brawlingdiscontent]

Something that I haven’t seen a lot of people commenting on but that I think is so brilliant is Interview with the Vampire’s conflation of vampirism and queerness in the first couple of episodes (related to a long history of art and literature connecting these concepts metaphorically).

In 1.1, we see Louis react to vampirism AS IF it is queerness. When Lestat first wields his vampiric powers Louis is surprisingly unphased, referring to them as “tricks” and persistently asking how he accomplishes them, with Lestat demurring. We can read this exchange as calling on a well-established trope of queerness being metaphorically tied to secrecy (including through being closeted). When Lestat whips out these powers during dinner (pun intended), Louis chides him, “Don’t do that shit here—not with my family,” in a way that feels like he's saying “it’s fine with me but don’t be queer in front of them.” Later, Lestat’s ‘petit coup’ counts as their first sexual encounter. They start making out, but the only climax that we see occur between the two of them is via the blood-drinking. And the way that Louis reacts afterwards, shying away from the intimacy of the act, feels much more accurate to internalized homophobia post-gay sex (which they arguably didn’t technically have), than being bitten on the neck and having one's blood sucked. This conflation carries into Louis’ confession that “the Devil is in New Orleans,” which we can read dually as Louis finally having suspicions about the killing-people part, and as referring to Lestat’s queerness—as seen particularly in the line “I laid down with a man. I laid down with the Devil.” 

We also see this play out in 1.2 in how Louis is shown to be newly a vampire AND newly queer/out as queer. Louis’ mother reads the signs of his vampirism as queerness, noting him “getting his nails done,” and the sunglasses to hide his vampiric eyes as, “some fashion men like him do.” We see this outward projection also with the tractor salesman. Upon first setting foot in the townhouse he says “just to be clear here, gents, we are here to talk about farm equipment” (i.e. 'no gay funny business'), and then, when Louis bites him, yells—’I knew it! I knew you—‘ even though biting someone’s neck to drink their blood is arguably not an ordinary part of queer courtship (someone correct me if I’m wrong here, small sample size).

The final piece of this delicious pie comes when the show explicitly addresses this conflation between vampirism and queerness in the conversation between Louis and Daniel in 1.2: Louis: …Death, rebirth, coming out, homicide… Daniel: …you robbed a daughter of her father… how’s sexuality play in that? Louis: It’s a complicated question, Daniel. 

I ADORE that show crosses over here from what is usually a metaphorical equivalence into the actual. Queerness isn’t just a metaphor for vampirism: they are ontologically indistinguishable! Which lends them both a refreshing kind of substance. It feels like such a fitting tribute to a long history of queer authors/artists who could only hint. And it’s not just speaking to vampirism specifically. The show takes in a whole tradition that configures queerness as monstrous and unnatural, including a homophobic/queerphobic norm/mainstream, and queer folks appropriating this metaphor in insider ways, and screams back, “YES, AND?” in full Romantic/gothic glory!

(It also creates this really interesting tension in the show going forwards in a number of ways, with Louis denying he’s a killer/his vampiric nature, Lestat interpreting Louis' rejection of vampirism as a rejection of him, etc.)

[all-about-kyu]

Summary: Whatever you did to mess up the recipe really has you desperate for Kun. Pairing: Wizard!Kun x fem apprentince!reader Tropes: magic au, wizardry au Genre: smut Rating: R 18+ Warnings: language, magic, fictional herbs Smut Warnings: aphrodisiacs, overstimulation, fingering, oral sex (f receive), sudden female orgasm, unprotected sex, marking, crying, aftercare Word Count: 1,700 Host Tags: @sanjoongie @thelargefrye Note: thank you to @stardragongalaxy for proofreading! Before You Interact February Filth Masterlist

Listen to ♡ Same Scent by Oneus

“Watch this brew while I handle the inventory for a moment.” Kun smiles sweetly.

“Are you sure? I can do inventory. I don’t want to mess–”

Kun shakes his head, “I trust you.”

You nod and move toward the cauldron. The bubbling brew smells sweet, almost as if to draw you in more. You vaguely hear Kun talking to himself in the storage room, likely checking how many phoenix feathers you have left. You started running low, but your pet phoenix just rebirthed, and its feathers are nowhere ready to molt yet. That or maybe he’s checking the progress on the pixie dust crystalization. Either way, you swear you hear him call you. Whipping your head around, you see him still deep in the store room, not even attempting to get your attention. When you turn, though, you move the spoon and knock it into a small vile next to the cauldron. You close your eyes and slowly turn your head back to the large cast iron pot. When you open your eyes, it looks the same. It just smells the slightest bit sweeter— the vile lies on its side, with barely a drop still inside it. 

“The brew should be done! Put the fire out, okay?” 

You nod, even if he might not see it, “O-okay!”

“Also,” Kun says, walking back into the kitchen, “I want you to try a little bit of it. It’s a romantic-based potion, but just one sip won’t do anything.”

You don’t want to seem suspicious, so you nod, take a small spoon from the side table, and dip it into the metallic pink liquid. After blowing on it a few times, you place the spoon against your lips and sip it. Instantly, a rush of heat goes through your body. Everything is hypersensitive. You’re far more aware of everything around you than you’d like to be. When you look back at Kun, he can immediately tell something is off with you. You suddenly feel the need to fuck him like your life depends on it. You’ve always respected the line of Wizard and apprentice, no matter how hot he is. Now, though, all you can imagine is being absolutely railed by him to the point that you can’t form a coherent word in your mind.

“Are you okay?”

“Kun,” your voice comes out almost like a moan.

His eyes go wide as saucers. Then his eyes darted to the cauldron. He leans over and smells the sweeter scent. Before even thinking to check his surroundings, he dips his hand in, using it as a cup of sorts, and sips the liquid as well. Suddenly, in his peripheral, he notices the knocked-over vile. Amorus.

“You knocked over the Amorus.” He states with a slight groan, picking up the small glass container, “How much– fuck…” 

“I didn’t want to upset you.” You pout and step closer, “Kun, could we maybe…”

He was starting to feel the effects of the potion as well, and damn, did he need to see you fall apart for him right now. He finds himself leaning in slowly, and you are, too. There are so many lines being blurred right now, but with the effects of the botched potion, neither of you can think about anything other than fucking each other. Kun places his hand on your waist, and you feel goosebumps on your skin when his hand makes contact. Finally, his lips are on yours. It’s not a very coordinated kiss, but it’s desperate, needy, sloppy. You absolutely melt at the sensation. Kun whispers something against your lips. It’s a spell you don’t know yet. You’re so fixated on him that when you finally let your hands wander, and you don’t feel fabric, you moan against his lips.

“That’s a fun little spell I can teach you once these potions wear off.” Kun chuckles, “It’s very handy, no?”

“Kun, please?”

He wraps his arms around your waist fully and tells you to jump. You wrap your legs around his waist tightly. A whimper escapes your lips at the feeling of your clit pressed against his bare skin. His cock stands tall and is perfectly pressed against your ass. You find yourself seated on one of the worn wooden tables. It’s not the most comfortable, but it’s more than enough for Kun to lay you out and fuck you stupid.

You hear the sound of jars and dishes being pushed to the side haphazardly as Kun guides you to lay back fully on the table. His kisses finally start trailing down your throat and between the valley of your breasts. You have a constant stream of moans and profanities falling from your mouth as Kun hungrily lays wet kisses everywhere he can. When his kisses finally reach your lower belly, you can’t help but let your hips jerk. Each kiss grows just a bit closer to where you need him. 

Even though he’s just as desperate as you are, the fact that he’s putting you first has your belly swooping and flipping. He continues to place kisses against the area just above your soaked entrance. You tangle your hand in his hair, and that gives him the last bit of push to lick a wide stripe up your folds. He eats you out like a starved man. After a few licks, he sucks on your clit. Kun continues this pattern for a while. Your other hand finds a place in his hair as well, tugging at the reddish-brown strands as he makes you melt into a feral puddle. He brings a hand up to your folds while his mouth is focused on your clit. Kun presses two fingers against your cunt, barely teasing your entrance. 

“Kun,” you moan, “Please just put them in, don’t tease me!”

Kun releases your clit for a moment, chuckling through a smirk. He pushes his fingers into you. You knew you were sensitive, but you suddenly feel arousal burn through you so hot that your orgasm tumbles through you. Your thighs shake around his head, wanting desperately to close. Kun holds one of your thighs down, stopping you from fully closing them. Kun doesn’t stop; he continues to lap at your clit while pistoning his fingers into you. The overstimulation burns through you in the most pleasurable pain you’ve ever known.

“You’re still so needy.” Kun muses, pulling away from your pussy, face still covered in your arousal, “You want me to fuck you?”

Your eyes are glazed over and needy. His fingers still pushing in and out of you render your brain completely empty. Your mental space is nothing more than an aroused fog. Kun chuckles again as you nod so hard you nearly smack your head against the hardwood of the table. When he pulls his fingers out of you, you whimper at the lack of contact. A moment later, you feel him rubbing his tip through your folds, and that same painful pleasure returns as he pushes his cock against your clit.

“Ready? I’m gonna make you see god, maybe even more.” He practically growls.

“Kun, please!” You moan, reaching up to wrap your arms around his shoulders.

He pushes into you and immediately pistons his hips against yours. You scream out at the feeling of the overstimulation. Kun pulls your legs up beside your chest on either side and holds them there before pressing his body against yours. The feeling of his bare skin on yours makes you have a fresh shot of arousal course through your body. 

Neither of you is going to last very long. The potion won’t allow that. You’re already well on your way to your second orgasm as it is. Kun hides his face against the junction of your neck and shoulder. He starts to bite the bare skin, leaving teeth marks and hickeys. You dig your nails into his skin, leaving small crescent moons behind. Locking your legs around his hips, you feel your second orgasm burst forth almost painfully.

“So fucking good.” He growls, “You feel so fucking good. Maybe I should stay wrapped up in this pussy all day, every day.” “Please!” You gasp, starting to come back down from your orgasm.

The overstimulation is almost too painful, but you also don’t want to stop. Kun starts to moan more often, which you assume to be an alert to his impending orgasm. You hardly come down from your second orgasm when the third forces its way through. Tears start rolling down your cheeks as the nearly painful orgasm wrecks you. As you scream and moan at the feeling, Kun’s orgasm finally hits him. He pulls out and cums across your belly. He pushes his fingers back into you and presses his thumb to your clit to help you ride out the rest of your orgasm. 

When you finally start to catch your breath, Kun has already manifested two glasses of water and wiped your belly clean. He pulls you to sit up and then onto his lap. Your body is shaky and weak from the intensity of three orgasms and crying. The wizard continually rubs your back and presses kisses to your hair.

“The potion wear off for you?” He asks quietly.

“Mmm,” is all you can muster at the moment.

“You did so good, sweetheart. I’m proud of you.”

You shift in his lap, wincing slightly at your sore state.

“Was it too much?”

“I think we both needed to fuck it out.” You mumble, still very much out of it.

Kun nods and holds you a bit tighter, “If you accidentally mess up a potion again, just tell me, okay?”

“Okay,” you respond, “Kun?”

“Hmm?”

“What does this mean?”

Kun sighs in thought, “It doesn’t need to mean anything. But– you want honesty?”

“Complete.”

“I wouldn’t mind taking you out on a date or two if you let me.”

You pull your head away from his shoulder, “I’m your apprentice… is that allowed?”

He shrugs at you, “There are plenty of witches and wizards who have their partners as their apprentices.”

You smile, “I’d like that then, only if you promise we can have fun with this new brew sometimes still.”

“Deal.”

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[beevean]

Castlevania games described badly:

Castlevania: Local brutish man breaks into an old man's home and kills him, claims it's to "uphold the family tradition"

Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest: Village people torment a disabled person who's close to death by spouting nonesense at him

Castlevania 3 Dracula's Curse: A Vampire Hunter, a witch, a noble thief and a vampire prince walk into a Castle

Super Castlevania 4: Local brutish man breaks into an old man's home and kills him but this team he's had better whip training and remembered to take off hos weighed clothing

Castlevania the Adventure: How Christopher used to go to school back in his day

Castlevania 2 Belmont's Revenge: When the belt just isn't good enough to exorcise the evil out of your boy

Castlevania Rondo of Blood: I HAVE THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME AT MY SIDE!

Castlevania Bloodlines: World's weirdest fanfic sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula

Castlevania (Sharp): Local brutish man breaks into an old man's house to kill him but the old man's a helluva lot more prepared this time around

Castlevania Symphony of the Night: The game that started the series

Castlevania Circle of the Moon: World's last hope against Dracula can't run consistently to save his life. Claims he can totally beat the Dark Lord by playing a children's card game

Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance: Two Castles. Two Rivals. Two music channels

Castlevania Lament of Innocence: This wouldn't have happened if therapy had been a thing back then

Castlevania Aria of Sorrow: Dracula is reincarnated into a Japanese twink, gets isekai'd into his former home and beats the evil out of himself through the power of friendship

Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow: Now with 100% more anime!

Castlevania Curse of Darkness: Ayami Kojima's BDSM themed fetish wet fever dream

Castlevania Portrait of Ruin: So long gay Brauner!

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia: Shanoa goes through Shadow's character arc much better than Shadow himself in his own game

Castlevania the Adventure Rebirth: Now with 100% less bullshit

I may have snorted water at the HoD and OoE ones 💀

also this made me feel worse for dracula than "i'm killing my boy". he's just a poor old man :( victim of a brutish man :( in different timelines :(

[quinn-gaither]

sam and drake as the trial before pilate; or, an analysis of the powerplant incident

religion is all over gone. it's there in abundance, from the names to the internal dialogue to the very acts and events that happen. the overlap of traditional religious idiosyncracies between different characters are so plentiful it is difficult to sit here and say that this character represents this religious figure; they are an amalgamation of different gospels, showing how theology and the themes of the bible can apply to gone as a wider subject matter to stretch out the dystopia, show how the worst of people brings out the very humanity of them.

as such, i don't know for certain if this parallel or idea was intentional or ever in MG's mind as he wrote the scene, but it is something that has stuck with me a lot in my reread: how the drake/sam whipping in the powerplant strongly mirrors jesus' trial before pilate. the extract sticks out to me particularly in terms of understanding how the whipping of sam impacted his arc and his character for the rest of the novel. full disclaimer, i am not an expert in christian theology nor am i christian, and this comparison only came to my mind recently, so it may not have the depth and nuance of others, but it’s something i have thought and researched a lot about, so i hope it will suffice!

under the cut i go into some brief religious context, followed by how this fits in with the scene in the powerplant alongside quotes pulled from the various books to underscore how pivotal the lashings were for sam. so, if you're looking for some unnecessarily deep analysis of sam and drake as religious paragons: look no further than under the cut!

pilate's court: a contextual debrief

for starters, what was the trial before pilate? in brief, it is as follows. in the christian gospels they refer to the final period before jesus' death as 'the passion'; or, 'the passion of jesus'. the passion includes jesus' entrance to jerusalem, his anointing, the last supper, his agony and arrest, for example. it does also include his trial before pilate, the governor of judaea.

this trial is what essentially preceded the denouncement of jesus before he was sent to be crucified. throughout the trial, much to pilate's confusion, jesus was silent, perhaps accepting his inevitable fate or not seeing reason to protest something when he knew he would never win. pilate, at first, didn't believe there to be enough reason to sentence jesus to death and, consequently, elected to flog him as punishment. the bible does not outright state the amount of lashings jesus received, but it is thought the number could have been 39 (due to jewish commands restricting the amount of flogs from surpassing 40).

and so jesus was lashed, and then he was sentenced to death. it is widely agreed that the punishments jesus endured represent him absorbing everyone's sin, seeing him become the icon of rebirth and allowing humans to start all over again.

so, i hear you ask... how does this relate to the drake and sam incident in the powerplant?

drake as judge, jury & executioner

as i mentioned before, i'm not here to say that sam and drake are direct reflections of jesus and pilate. quite the opposite is true, really, and it is more the themes rather than the behaviours and characteristics that tie them together with this gospel. the theory and symbolism behind the trial before pilate can apply in a somewhat inverted way; sam is whipped though he doesn't necessarily die (more on that later), and drake isn't necessarily trying to find ways to punish sam without killing him as pilate was for jesus. drake wants sam dead and, had brianna not interfered when she did, he probably would have killed him. the events at the powerplant are not a complete mirror image of the trial but are, rather, foils to it.

the lashing of sam sees drake attempting to denounce all the perdido beach kids, trying to assert a specific way of thinking over the whole fayz. whether that be the beliefs of caine and the coates clan or the legislation of the gaiaphage is up for debate, but he is still decidedly torturing sam in response to disagreeing with the word he is spreading and the way he is leading. in the same way the roman crowds saw jesus’ behaviours as undermining the king ceasar, drake is acting out as he sees sam undermining his own personal king.

in terms of the text, this all occurs within hunger. however, before diving into that, i'm flashing forward to plague for an interesting excerpt from a conversation between brittany and astrid. it is, in fact, the very passage that got me thinking about all this to start with:

here we have a direct reference to pilate in the books themselves! how crazy is that? pay attention here to the specifics of "and pilate... to crucify him so that he might redeem us." if, in this instance, we are perceiving sam as a jesus-emblem, what brittany is essentially saying here is that sam needs to be punished for hope he might redeem all people. all the perdido beach kids, all the fayz inhabitants.

sam stands to be the symbol for all those who follow him. he is a leader, first and foremost, but he is at base level the most direct representation of all the lives he, begrudgingly, protects. sam is a microcosmic perdido beach resident while also being one of the most powerful mutants. see, then, how jesus is said to represent all despite being the son of god.

the lashing of sam kickstarts the redemption of the fayz kids, even so early into the book series. this happens in hunger, before any of the real horrors begin, but it is in this scene when the tides perhaps turn and the chance of a tunnel out of here manifests within sam's mind. the lashing is part of the passion of jesus, or the passion of sam, and as a result it sets him on a different path that places him in the mindset to understand that murdering drake is something which must happen in order for the barrier to come down. even if he doesn't quite have the foresight to see it at the time - perhaps more focussed on the murder angle rather than the reason - the seeds for drake's death are set in motion right here at the end of hunger.

just to contextualise the whipping within the timeline of the book. it starts halfway through chapter thirty-seven, with 1 hour and 6 minutes before the climax of the novel. brianna appears at the end of the chapter. thirty-eight sees us with 53 minutes later. so, with that knowledge, we can assume that the lashing lasted, at most, thirteen minutes. brianna administers the morphine packet within this chapter, too.

so, after about fifteen minutes since the lashings began he gets his first pain medicine. in thirty-nine (47 minutes) he wasn't feeling particularly intense pain as he was starting to hallucinate. at 33 minutes, he is still under morphine but is once again in pain. note: 33 minutes is when he first declares his intent to take a life. this is, obviously, a very instrumental part of sam's character arc. when he goes from seeing killing as something to be done only as mercy, to put someone out of their misery, to something that is to be done to avenge.

sam notes that the morphine is wearing off with 7 minutes left. so, with all this textual information in place, we can determine that he underwent torture for approximately thirteen minutes, and saw the pain mostly off with a dose of morphine that lasted 46 minutes. it's important to note also, i think, that this lashing happens concurrently with the human crew hunting and essentially sentencing hunter to death in the church.

it is interesting that two heavily religious events are happening at the same time, especially as the events are both underscored by the overarching sense of sacrifice, lawfulness and establishing dominance. the human crew are wanting to metaphorically crucify hunter while drake is flogging sam: they both want to be the power in charge, and they do so without taking into account any jury or justice. they act singularly, for their own gain.

the first 'death' of sam temple

now, earlier up, i mentioned that sam "doesn't necessarily die". he is, after all, not crucified or murdered in any way, he is just flogged. however, i believe that he was fundamentally changed after his encounter with drake, and while he didn't perhaps die physically he did die mentally.

he was on the brink of real death, all but bleeding out on the powerplant floor, and spent at least 46 minutes in a sort of purgatory state where he was hallucinating his better moments in life and wondering if he was going to make it. under the effects of morphine he sees the school bus incident, perhaps a demonstration of him walking towards the light before he awakes and finds himself back in the powerplant.

the lashing of sam is unequivocally the worst experience he endures in his time in the fayz. the worst experience of his whole life, something that shifts his entire perspective of not only drake but also the type of pain he can endure. the memory of it lasts even through light:

even after everything - four more whole books of action - nothing lives up to or usurps the agony of his lashing in the powerplant. it does not kill him, but it kills his soul. similarly to how the darkness kills lana and sucks the light from her life, sam's experience with drake does the same for him.

taking this back to the gospels, then, jesus is battered and bruised when he gets to the crucifix and, as a result, doesn't last long up there. sam is similarly battered and bruised, literally on his last legs of life after drake is done with him. brianna is able to come and administer the morphine and bring him back to physical life, but he is psychologically different after the whippings. jesus's trial before pilate is a distinctive turning point in christian theology; it is where he essentially admits to his fate, refuses to put up a fight, and leaves the ending of his life in the hands of pilate. he understands that his people have given up on him, that he has lost the crown of king of the jews, that he has been so betrayed by those closest to him. and, yet, in the aftermath of the trial and even after the crucifixtion and rebirth, jesus is different. the world is different. it turns into a place where a better ending rests at the end of all the trials and tribulations.

sam accepts his fate. sam understands that he is losing control of perdido beach. if drake wasn't the one to beat him down, the human crew probably would've tried to at some point. in this analogy where drake is a twisted version of pilate, the human crew are perhaps the crowd outside the temple who are calling for the death of jesus; the death of sam. for fifty-nine minutes sam was reduced to nothing but a boy bruised. he was no longer a four-bar mutant, he had no use of his hands, and he was no longer school bus sam either. he was just sam temple, a fifteen-year-old kid dying on the floor at the hands of someone who took it upon themselves to play judge over his life. jesus, in his trial, became the same thing. just a person enduring the worst sort of torture. god couldn't save him, didn't save him, nor did his people or his reputation or his powers.

the powerplant scene puts the fayz over the precipice. it sends drake down a path from which he never recovers, and it pushes sam to the brink of something he almost doesn't save himself from. it sets in stone that sam will come back - stronger - and those who put him through the agony will repent for what they did. in such a short extract, MG essentially plots out the ending of their relationship: sam will prosper while drake will die.

so, overall

i could expand on this entire thing further because, as i said before, there is such an astonishing amount of overlapping religious theology in these texts that it's impossible to sum them all up in one go. but i like to think of this powerplant moment as an opening, as something thematically intrinsic in the way the rest of the novels work out. it's an instance which can be explored even more if one is to bring caine into the narrative too, and consider sam/caine as twin versions of jesus/judas. which doesn't even take into consideration the very on-the-nose naming of them as sam and david and the way that gospel plays into the whole series, too.

i could even bring in one of my favourite pieces of artwork, the angels hovering over the body of christ in the sepulchre by william blake, and perhaps analyse how the angels are symbolic of drake/brittany in later novels, how their constant back and forth as they oversee the rebirth of sam as he conquers them, and the fayz.

anyway… gone is crazy detailed when you look at it through these sorts of theological lenses. i think, to a certain extent, some of the overlaps must be intentional. the fayz is very much a microcosm of particular religions, of the way gods contend against each other and leaders prevail against crowds of opposition.

either way, to conclude: the meeting between drake and sam in the powerplant greatly mirrors the trial of jesus before pilate, just before his crucifixtion. it perhaps represents how sam is forced to shoulder the sins and the misgivings of the perdido beach kids in order to see through to a way of beating the darkness and freeing them from the barrier. though neither drake or sam are perfect reflections of pilate and jesus respectively, the way their actions correspond to and follow those of the gospels brings to surface really interesting observations about the ways the characters and their fates are almost predetermined, how you can see how the books will end even from only the second one in the series.

[ace-t-rex-in-space]

Things that would have made Legend of Korra Better

Because damn this could have been such a great show had the writers known up front they would have to make four seasons. A lot of the errors of the show seem to stem from the production issues that LOK faces, which is really sad because they would have been able to make a really good show if they just tweaked some of the things in the writing:

Give each Character an actual character arc. Korra's season one personality I think makes sense for a new over-confident Avatar, but she doesn't get a character arc that feels like it isn't forced.

Mako and Bolin Character Arcs - because these two don't really feel like part of the story in the later seasons aside from creating a romantic triangle that honestly shouldn't have been there.

Mako and Korra don't end up together. Because let's be real, this added unnecessary drama when we could have been focusing on much better world-building aspects.

Asami needed more fight scenes. Along with Character Development (of the minor characters she might have the most and even that isn't great) it would have been more fun to see her fight more. She has a fighting style that looks similarly to the chi-blockers from Last Airbender and it's a shame we don't see her in action more.

Asami and Korra romance from at least season 2, a more developed relationship if these two were to be endgame. I'd settle for a few more friendship scenes, we get one good one where Asami is showing Korra how to drive a car but that's really the last nice bonding scene we get with these two.

Have the airbenders resurface a different way. I wasn't really sold on the "Spirit World Magically gives people airbending" storyline. It would have been more interesting to build the genetics of bending, especially with season one being about benders vs non-benders. How likely is it that two benders produce a child who can also bend? How often does a child inherit bending from a single bending parent? And how often do two non-benders produce a bending child? It's very hard to pin down how "rare" bending is because we are usually working with a team of mostly bender characters, where in LOK it sounds more like benders are closer to 25% of the population rather than 50% or more. I believe there is a protester who mentions that non-benders outnumber benders.

On the topic of the airbenders return, it would be interesting to see a more natural rebirth of the air benders where select people with air nation lineages start developing air-bending. This would be a nice tie-in to the theory that Ty Lee's family were descendants of air nomads who escaped the temples or left before the fire nation attacks. We know that not every person of a nation is a bender, so there may have been non-benders from a nation that were not present at the temples at the time of the attacks since there would be no reason for non-benders to practice air bending at the sacred places.

Similar to the swamp water benders, it would be interesting to learn more of a more nomadic people who were born into the air nation but took up careers as traders or merchants. Or air benders that preferred more travel to the stationary life as a monk. Since we get some counterculture water benders, it would be nice to see more non-traditional air-bending lifestyles, especially as these would lay a great foundation to the idea that people with air lineages were starting to produce airbenders again.

This could be explained as the spirits re-balancing the world, which would give season 2 much more perspective on how the spirit world leaks into the regular world and how slowly the world was shifting back into a more balanced place before the fire nation whipped out the air nation.

[blueepink07]

I've seen the collaboration with Milgram drinks and considering that they are specially personalised for each character I decided to find some symbolism in the drink's contents.

Because my last posts had been with Muu, I decided to begin with her. ~🐝

(mentions of suicide, murder! )

Translation: (It was done with some apps so I'm not very sure how good is this translation, but let's hope for the best!)

~Yuzumitsu syrup~🥤(I think it should've been yuzu and honey?)

~Lemon~🍋

~Whipped cream~🍨(the second one looks a little bit like in the photo)

~Honey~🍯

Now let's start!

~Yuzu fruit~

"Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is native to East Asia, specifically China and Japan. It is a cross between a mandarin orange and a pomelo, and is known for its unique flavor and aroma. The fruit is typically small and round, with a thin, bumpy skin that is bright yellow when ripe."

-> "Yuzu has been an important part of East Asian culture for many centuries. In Japan, the fruit has been associated with the aristocracy and the imperial court, and was often presented as a gift to the emperor."

To sum it up, Yuzu is a symbol of wealth and luxury.

This easily links to Muu as she admits that she comes from a rich family and she is often provided with everything she needs in the interrogation questions, but also in voice dramas. Even her second MV in where she is portraited as the queen bee is a good example of her higher status. Funnily enough, to fit the bee theme she is given honey in shape of larvae, which has another similarity with the description below where the emperors received Yuzu as a gift.

->"In Chinese art, yuzu has been depicted in traditional Chinese paintings, particularly those related to nature. Yuzu is depicted as a symbol of longevity and auspiciousness(promising success) ."

Again, because of Muu's higher status, she was meant to have a very successful life, if her murder never happened. She admits having received many model scouting offers due to her natural beauty and her mother's career. Also, a lot of money means that she can pay for her medical needs so, if not for some accidents or some sort, she would probably have lived a long life.

->"People heralded yuzu as a powerful fruit for more than its medicinal properties and its ability to leave your skin silky smooth after a soak. It was also regarded as auspicious due to its bright, sunny color and strong, fresh fragrance. Many believed soaking in a yuzu bath on the Winter Solstice invited health and fortune for the new year. Some even believed the powerful aroma could ward off bad luck and exorcise evil spirits!"

Okay, here a many things that I want to cover up, so I'll make it short.

Medical properties and smooth silky skin can again link to Muu being very healthy and very beautiful. But what I want to point out is the yuzu bath, which is said to ward off bad luck and exorcise evil spirits. Muu often says in her first VD that Rei was a bad person and was the actual cause of her misfortune. This fruit could be a metaphor of her crime, because Muu by murdering Rei (in her pov)she got rid of the source of her bad luck and suffering.

Even the Winter Solstice itself points this out. By the standard definition winter Solstice is marked as "the symbol of death and rebirth of the Sun". Muu is often portraited in yellow colours, so by thinking of her as the sun we can interpret this way: Muu's old bullied self died as soon as she killed Rei and was rebirthed as a more confident person freed of pain.

If Muu were a fruit, I would say that Yuzu will definitely be a perfect choice, so no wonder Milgram chose this fruit for her drink.

~Lemon~

->"The lemon has come to symbolize many — sometimes opposing — ideas, depending on the cultural reference point. Sometimes it is considered a symbol of longevity, purification, love, and friendship, and other times it is seen to be symbolic of bitterness and disappointment. Catholic tradition linked the fruit to fidelity. Because it was imported at great expense to some countries it became a symbol of wealth."

I will not explain again the longevity, purification and wealth part as it will be just me repeating myself. Instead, I will talk about friendship which is an important theme to Muu's character.

I will begin with Muu's views about it, because I think it will be a better introduction.

"Friends aren't like that you know. Rather than using each other for something, we just get along because we're comfortable around each other. That's all."

Muu thinks that friendship means to be yourself without the fear of being judged. To talk happy about silly topics, to express yourself in a comfortable atmosphere, to get along with people that understand you. At the surface, Muu's idea of friendship it's the standard definition. However, if we dig just a little bit, we easily see that Muu doesn't truly respect her ideals or rather she is using this definition to the extreme. When confronted by Es about Haruka's intention to keep her safe, Muu admits that she already knows about it. She is happy, because Haruka wants to protect her from a possible guilty verdict. After that, she explains that she will not stop him from killing himself if that's what he wishes, because according to her "Isn't friendship about letting your friends do the things they want?". Again, just by definition, it is a correct affirmation. Friendship means to help your peers achieving what they want and supporting them on their journey. But Muu takes this definition to the extreme. Friendship doesn't always imply that you should let the person you care about to do whatever they want. This is just negligence. Sometimes they need a reality check or words to convince them that what they want to do at the moment it's not the best choice and should find another solution or simply to abandon that idea.

Muu then ends her friendship talk with an interesting sentence. "Then what is friendship? You're together because it's beneficial for everyone involved, aren't you?"

By theory, what she says is true. Friendship is needed in humans life, because we can't properly live without other persons to interact with. Even if we talk about a connection that it was made simply because you share a class with and you don't want to be lonely or a relationship that actually lasts for a lifetime, they are important for our development.

In Muu's case both her and Haruka are benefiting from their friendship, not only as a way to pass time and keep sane in a magical prison, but also for their own desires. For example, Muu thinks that the most important thing that a friend should do is to listen to what she has to say, something that Haruka is actively seen doing.

(from the interrogation questions)

What's a friend in your opinion?

"People who listen carefully to what Muu has to say."

So Muu seeks people that listen to her and with whom she's comfortable in a friendship. In the second MV the scene where the "bees" are around her could be a metaphor for her wanting to be listened(after all, what a queen says never gets unnoticed), but also in this specific scene she looks the most comfortable around her friend group.

Okay, but what her friends are benefiting from this relationship? Considering how easily they betrayed her trust means that it was never a very deep connection to begin with. That's because what they gained were objects, expensive things. Muu's love language and appreciation is giving things to others. Being rich means that she can afford many items so for her it's not a big struggle. In after pain the text from her phone suggests that she gave her lipstick to one of her friends.

Also, to who she gave something to as a sign of friendship? To Haruka! The hairpin.

Her friendship at school was most likely superficial, based more on materialism, and was never a deep connection like Muu wanted. Despite that her views of friendship seem like the standard definition, because they were taken to the extreme, she didn't realized until too late that her friends were superficial and didn't care much about her.

And even after all this she still wants to see her friends again, meaning that Muu still cares somewhat about them.

"At the moment is there anyone you want to meet?"

"I want to meet my friends, but in the first place there's daddy and mom I think~"

At the same time though, she is disappointed with how everything turned out to play and how easy her friends started to bully her.

"Do you regret it?"

"Mhm, I should've chosen my friends better."

What did lemons symbolise again? Disappointment, bitterness and fidelity. What Muu feels now about her past friendship and the loyalty that she never had truly gotten, but wants to.

Lemon is a fruit that represents very well Muu's desires and it's sad that such a simple wish (friendship) was too hard to be granted.

~Whipped cream~🍨

I will not talk much about this, since there is not much to say.

Whipped cream is used a lot in desserts, sugary things. Usually, it symbolises a carefree attitude and a joyous mood. This could make a reference to Muu's actual state of mind in Milgram, her being one of the only prisoner who is still fine, both mentally and physically.

~Honey~🍯

"Honey symbolises positive things, such as abundance, wisdom, and even the word of God."

I think it is no wonder that honey is an important part in Muu's character considering the second MV.

Her second MV adds information about Muu's murder and uncovers us the revelation that she was once part of the bullying group. So based on the symbolism, we can say that honey represents truth.

But what does honey represents in her MV? Muu associates it with devotion in the lyrics, which makes sense considering the visuals. The first bee scene that we have is Muu being surrounded by other classmates. Almost all of them have a plate with honey waiting for her to delight with the food. Just one of the bees has an empty plate that doesn't get unnoticed by Muu, who with just a slight push, breaks her into pieces.

And not just the visuals and the lyrics are showing that honey means devotion and loyalty.

"She will stop from time to time in the hive, to be groomed and fed by the worker bees called her 'attendants.' They form a circle around her, and will also spread her pheromone through the hive. This queen pheromone tells the bees that she is alive and well."

The scenes from the MV are mimicking the bees in real life. Her friends, the worker bees, by giving her honey, are showing how much they value their friendship. So it's only naturally that the girl who doesn't give her honey (in Muu's point of view) it's like she's wishing for her downfall.

Another thing... (feel free to ignore, because it's just me being annoyed at the bullies) Honey symbolises sweetness in life. I can't shake the feeling that by giving Muu this sweet honey, they are flattering her so they can receive more expensive things. Even the text on the phone seems like the friends are complimenting her too much?

Anyway, back to the analysis!

Also I want to point out the shape of the honey, which are bee larvae. Normally, the queen bee is the one that makes them to assure that the colony is prosperous. Instead, Muu eats them, indicating how her friends circle is slowly diminishing and, in the world of bees, the colony is slowly wiped out.

It doesn't help that Muu's actively destroying the colony by breaking the worker bees into pieces. If Muu and her friend group believe that the respective classmate is treating them badly or "betraying from jealousy", they are cutting ties with that person removing them from the friend circle and target them as the new victim of bullying. A good example is the short haired girl from the thumbnail, which resembles a lot the first bee with the empty plate.

Basically, Muu believes that if a classmate is treating her badly she is being bullied by them, so her deciding to bully them back is a sign of revenge. Her voice drama also implies this assumption.

"You see, if you think that me bullying someone back after being bullied is the natural course of events, then wouldn't it be bad to bully me back again in return?"

To sum it up:

classmate (doesn't value the friendship/does something that Muu and the friend group dislikes) is a bully in their Pov -> they bully back as an act of revenge

Rei is interfering(wants to stop the bullying)-> Muu is the new victim of bullying and is betrayed by her closest friends

Muu thinks the only way to escape is by killing herself -> ends up killing Rei (revenge)

Muu implies that by giving her a guilty verdict we basically are telling her that it was wrong for her to seek revenge. However, it also means that Rei was wrong to instigate the bullying, again, as an act of revenge.

"But if you were like, "I won't forgive you, Muu! Revenge is bad!," then wouldn't that imply that it's also bad for me to bully someone back after they bullied me? Since we've all done something bad anyway, doesn't that mean that I've not done anything wrong in the end?"

And she ends her argument with the fact that she and her victim are even, meaning that she didn't do anything wrong.

Now that we have the bullying part cleared up, let's end this with the last scene from the MV were honey appears.

Throughout the MV, we see that the queen cell above Muu is glowing when she is eating honey. That is the place were all the honey is deposited and is spilled out when the fully developed Muu with wings escapes.

In the first MV the hourglass was used to represent how much Muu could endure the pain until she would've suffocated(literally). That queen cell could symbolise the same thing. When Muu escapes, the honey that was once a sign of friendship and loyalty was now suffocating her due to the fakeness and the betrayal of her friends. She is no longer looking at the spilled honey, and is happy that she can finally break free since there is nothing left in the broken hourglass(not even her three closest friends).

Honey is a good representation of trust and devotion. It showed the truth of the situation, how too much sweetness in one's life could cause someone to "suffocate" in the lies hidden in it (in this case, the false friendship that Muu believed she had).

Thank you for reading! ~🐝

Credits

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 19

Monkey dragging Pigsy to go see Tripitaka:

So we begin this chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest where we left off, with Monkey chasing after Zhu.

So they reach a tall mountain, and Zhu retrieves his weapon, a nine pronged rake, while Monkey demands him to identify himself. Which works, since Zhu then proceeds to give Monkey his whole life story. Which basically amounts to, he was a Marshall in heaven before he got drunk and sexually harrassed the moon goddess Chang'e. The Jade Emperor was gonna execute him but the Gold Star of Venus (who else) intervened and he was whipped and banished to earth instead and took a wrong turn on the path to rebirth and ended up getting born by a sow. With story time over for now- the two start duking it out until eventually Zhu retreats and seals himself inside his cave. Monkey decides to just go report back to Tripitaka and come back to catch the monster later.

So Tripitaka has had a good night so far since he stayed up late chatting with the some elder's that Monkey had told Mr. Gao to provide for him. And just as he's starting to wonder why Monkey hasn't returned- he does. So Tripitaka asks Monkey where the monster is, and Monkey gives him a rundown of the situation.

Mr. Gao comes forward to insist that Monkey capture the monster since he doesn't want him coming back once the two leave. He even says he'll reward them for it. Monkey however seems to stand up for Zhu saying that despite having an enormous appetite, he did do the work for it. And not only that, but he is also technically a descended god, and has helped their family without causing any serious harm to his daughter, so why not keep him around?

Mr. Gao however insists that it will hurt their reputation. And Tripitaka tells Sun Wukong that he really should see this through to the end. And Sun Wukong says he was just testing him a little for fun and will apprehend the monster. So with that he leaves again after reminding Mr. Gao to take good care of Tripitaka.

So Sun Wukong arrives back to the cave and finally pulls out a win against a locked cave door, by reducing the door to dust with his staff. Moneky once again challenges Zhu to fight him by calling him an overstuffed coolio. Which Zhu replies to by calling Monkey BanHorsePlague, and telling him that breaking and entering and trespassing is against the law. And Monkey says that his rap sheet of kidnapping that girl from her family is a much worse crime.

Zhu gets tired of comparing their rap sheets and yells 'Fear my rake' and attacks Monkey again. Monkey is just like 'Why on earth would I be afraid of a rake?' Which leads to Zhu giving us more exposition, this time about his weapon. Which basically amounts to the rake being a group effort to make in heaven, that was gifted to him. He then says he'll rake monkey until his soul melts and his spirit leaks. To which Monkey replies 'Rake Away'. And let's Zhu get a free shot in. Zhu takes that shot... only to have the rake bounce right off his head, leaving Monkey without even a scratch. And Monkey gleefully reminds him that back when he had caused havoc in heaven, none of their heavenly weapons had worked back then to execute him.

Zhu finally decides to ask what he's even doing here harassing him, after all didn't he live on flower fruit mountain? Did his father in law go all the way there just to fetch him? And Monkey finally tells him that he's just passing through here with the Scripture Pilgrim. This causes Zhu to completely change his tune, throwing aside his weapon to demand that Monkey take him to the Scripture Pilgrim. Monkey is suspicious and asks why, and Zhu explains that he was recruited by Guanyin to help on their journey in order to atone for his sins. Monkey makes him swear to heaven that he's telling the truth before he takes him to Tripitaka.

Before they leave however, Monkey hazes Zhu into joining the Arson Club with him and Bai Long Ma, by ordering him to burn down his cave. Now we just need Tripitaka to commit some arson to complete the club... Anyways with the cave now on fire, Monkey has Zhu hand over his weapon, and turns one of his hairs into a rope to tie his hands up with. With that done Monkey then proceeds to drag him by the ear to Tripitaka.

Monkey then points Tripitaka out to Zhu by saying his master is the dignified looking one. So Zhu know tows to Tripitaka and explains that he has been assigned by Guanyin as his disciple. So Tripitaka thanks Guanyin with some incense and has Monkey until Zhu. Then Tripitaka offers to give Zhu a religious name but Zhu explains that he already received the name Zhu Wuneng from Guanyin. So Tripitaka gives him the nickname 'Eight Rules' instead.

Mr Gao is happy to finally be rid of Zhu so he throws them a going away feast. Pigsy asks to see his wife, but Monkey says monks aren't allowed to have wives. Mr Gao offers Tripitaka some wine, but Tripitaka practices abstinence from it. However neither Sun Wukong or Zhu Wuneng have cut out wine from their diets so Tripitaka lets them have some as long as they don't get drunk and cause trouble. Also I think we find out that Wukong is a lightweight?

Mr. Gao also tries to offer them some Gold and Silver as well as some fancy new clothes, but Tripitaka declines it. Sun Wukong however takes the money and hands it to Gao Cai, for bringing them here and gaining them Wuneng. And tells him to feel free to come to him with any future monster problems. Mr. Gao then insists they at least take the clothes, but Tripitaka once again declines- however Zhu Wuneng demands some clothes as payment for his years of service, which Mr. Gao reluctantly agrees to.

So the group heads off again, but not before Zhu Wuneng says his goodbyes to the family, and says that if this whole 'questing thing' doesn't work out he'll be back as his son in law. Which causes both Monkey and Tripitaka to scold him and tell him to stop talking nonsense. So the group travels for about a month before they come across a tall mountain. When Tripitaka asks about it, surprisingly it's Zhu Wuneng who has the answer saying it's Pagoda Mountain, and that Crow's Nest Chan Master lives there.

So they travel up the mountain a little more before finally running into the master himself. They exchange the usual pleasantries and Tripitaka asks how far they are from Thunderclap temple. Chan Master says they are very far and that the journey is perilous, but he has a Heart Sutra that will protect him from harm and offers to teach it to Tripitaka. So Chan Master recites the Sutra and Tripitaka manages to memorize it after only hearing it once. Having done that Chan prepares to take his leave of them, but Tripitaka once again asks about the challenges they will face on their journey.

So Chan gives them a bunch of cryptic warnings including one about water sprite, a wild pig and old stone ape which causes Monkey to lash out after Chan Master turns into a beam of light at the perceived insult. Tripitaka holds him back however and Zhu tells him to chill out and that Master Chan knows of past and future events. And that they should wait and see if his statement about meeting a water sprite will come true or not. So with that the group finally continues on their Journey to the West.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes, Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water and sleeplessness. Demon Kill Count: 4+ Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 6 God's Defeated: 19 + Unknown number Defeats: 2 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering and trespassing. Cry Count: 3 Mountains Trapped Under: 1

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization and Heart Sutra. Cry Count: 11 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 5 Paralyzed by fear: 4 Bandit Problems: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 1 Falling Off Horses: 4

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, and flight. Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 1

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 2 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping and arson.

[unkwn0s]

Rebirth of a Star General

And i'm back with more chapters, they are starting to release content from the drama so it feels closer.

Chapters 101-120.

So far we have seen a bit of how He Yan's life was, Xiao Jue discovered she is a woman and now they second chance really starts. I think the chapters ahead are some of my favorites bc we are also introduced to Lin Shuanghe (sadly his character gor cut in the drama adaptation and aparently Song Taotao and Cheng Lisu will represent his role.

Quote Chapter 101: “It’s special because… I know the Commander has a small red birthmark about an inch above your waist.”  SHE SAW EVERYTHING OMFG

Quote Chapter 102: "He Yan wondered absentmindedly if there was anyone who would shed tears for her death. Someone who would remember her in private moments, sympathize with her, and grieve for what she had suffered. Her family in her previous life had sent her to the underworld with their own hands and even used her in death. But had there ever been a moment when they truly cared for her?"

Quote Chapter 102: "Xiao Jue said, looking into the distance. It seemed that through the branches in the courtyard, he could see something else. His expression was calm, his tone indifferent, but within that indifference, there was a subtle and imperceptible sense of compassion. He said, “These women had no choice in life, like caged birds and fish in a pond. Burying them here, I hope they will be free to ride the wind and be proud and call the mountains and lakes in their next lives.”

In this novel in general we get to see the cruelty humans can reach. QSCK makes sure to highlight womens suffering by the hands of the men which is nothing more than reality, that is the scariest and saddest part.

Quote Chapter 103:

He Yan replied with a smile, “I’m so outstanding, and everyone in Liangzhou Garrison knows me. Suddenly discovering that I’m a woman, they’ll find it hard to believe. They might wonder why a woman is in the military camp, so I can only say that it’s because Commander deeply loves me and can’t bear to be separated from me. He’s hidden me in the military camp, even bringing me along to Liangzhou garrison. When others hear this, they’ll envy my good luck and, of course, admire the Commander’s deep affection.”

Xiao Jue, hearing this, couldn’t help but smile, “Shameless!” (WE SCREAM CHAPTER 200 WE WILL GET TO YOU).

Chapter 105: THE DAMN HOT SPRING LMFAAOOOOOO. This scene will be in the drama

Quote Chapter 105: “I didn’t know they were bringing me to the hot spring!” He Yan was furious. “At this rate, I’ll have to fight them off to escape.”“Oh,” Xiao Jue nodded with interest. “In that case, go ahead and fight.”He turned to leave, and He Yan gritted her teeth. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll reveal the red mole around your waist?” In the end, she felt that her threat was weak, and Xiao Jue was not genuinely threatened by it." HE YAN THREATENING HIM W THE RED MOLE ON HIS WAIST IS SO FUNNY @&*$$&@*

In the next chapters Xiao Jue goes on a trip and He Yan is left alone to deal w a spy on the camp. i love how shr immediately knew there was something wrong with him. Also Shen Muxue, we will see ahead her reap intentions and while i don't think she was entirely evil i think the drama adaptation will make her way worse 😭.

Quote Chapter 111: “Sure,” Wala sneered. “But are you sure you don’t want to switch to a sword or a blade? A whip won’t kill anyone.”

The young man’s lips curved slightly. “To kill you, this will be enough.” YAN YAN SO FCKING COOL.

Quote Chapter 112: "However, he directed his words to He Yan, his tone as mocking as ever, “Why is it that every time I meet you, you manage to make yourself so miserable?” 

She chuckled softly and said, “Maybe it’s because every time, I know you’ll come to save me.” WHAT THE FUCJCJFFJUFJFJF

In the following chapters we also see a bit of Xiao Jue's past when his parents died and he took over the General position, it is honestly sad and helps to understand his character a bit more too.

Chapter 118: "Xiao Jue turned away, leaned slightly forward, and looked down at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Miss He is quite knowledgeable in military strategy. It’s a pity not to become a general.”

Xiao Jue had good judgment in this regard. He Yan nodded and said, “I also feel that way. I believe I’m naturally suited to be a general. Sometimes, I even think that I was a female general in my past life.”

Xiao Jue: “…..”

“You don’t believe it?” He Yan poked a hole in the snow with her stick. “Or do you think that women shouldn’t be generals?” 

“I don’t think that way.” 

He Yan raised her head to look at him. The world believed that women should stay in their chambers, doing embroidery and waiting for their husband’s favor. It was rare for women to become generals or even engage in public activities. Those who dared to step forward faced the judgmental eyes of others. 

“Anything you want to do, you can do,” the young man said lazily, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Just do it if you can.” SCREAMING CRYUNG THROWING UPPPPPPPPP.

Chu Zhao is officially introduced in this chapter although we saw him in the early chapters. In the novel he does pose some threat to Xiao Jue but in the drama by the stills ive seen so far (June 2024) it will be WAY worse. JEALOUS XIAO JUE TEHEHEHEHE

Quote Chapter 120: "Seeing that Xiao Jue remained unfazed, Lin Shuanghe continued from another angle. “On a personal level, how could you let your girl go to drink with another man?”

Xiao Jue paused in his actions, raised his head, and gave Lin Shuanghe a cold look. “Who told you she’s mine?”

Drunk He Yan (again), jealous a Xiao Jue, the damn jade pendant. A lot to unpack in the next chapters. (If you can't tell i truly love this novel).

[stormsbourne]

Top five final fantasy characters recruited after the first act finishes

this is interesting because it makes me piece out when the end of act 1 is for various final fantasies. here are some thoughts in no particular order:

yuffie kisaragi, specifically the remake/rebirth version. I was never one of those people who despised yuffie (though I did always find .... yufficent?? vinfie??? vincent x yuffie nonsensical), but the remake did a number on this girl. she is unironically among my favorites. I love her. she joins maybe a good third of the way into rebirth, in addition to not being in remake at all outside of the dlc. you really get a sense of her bitterness about wutai (specifically this game's version of wutai), her loyalty to her home, and even her materia-grubbing nonsense is dialed up in a fun way. she's also very funny and very adorable. chocobo, choco choco chocobo, I'm on a chocobo, you're on a chocobo! also loved all the "team babies" sidequests with her and red interacting.

joshua rosfield. now listen. sure. technically there is no party in ff16, something that did honestly really let me down, but you can see the outline of what could have been and he is a party member in all but name. perhaps even THE party member. he is up to his own shit the entire game, extremely sweet and gentle and smart as a whip, the way he is the person directly acting to keep clive from finding him too soon? it's damn good

kain highwind. alright. listen again. sure this guy starts with you. he leaves immediately. he rejoins and then leaves again and the second time, I believe it's stated/implied (it's been a long time since I played ff4) that his time with you was effectively as a mole/spy. and then when he really rejoins you for real-reals you can tell he feels like absolute shit and wishes he was dead. he truly despises that his possessive jealousy (of both cecil and rosa I would argue) was used as a weapon against those very same people. this leads to some pure shenanigans in the sequel from what I understand, but this guy is so fucking ashamed. peak dog wandering behind the party with his tail ALL the way between his legs

auron. tbh I still feel this is a somewhat cringe pick but I like the guy. you get the sense, after you know what all is going on, of the way he's seen his worldview dismantled to give way to the sacrificial cycle of spira. when he finally lets himself truly go to the farplane at the end you can almost feel his satisfaction. also he's forever mourning his two dead boyfriends (one is not dead but IS stuck as a giant kaiju whale so.) and he gives the pre-yunalesca speech which I feel is a major turning point for a TON of the cast and obviously the plot in general

celes .... I think my feelings on her have cooled a lot since I haven't played ff6 in a long, long time, but it's very fun that she gets to be the party leader in the last bit of the game, rushed and mistranslated as it is. I also think it's just genuinely quite fun to have the enemy defector as a party member. see above ponderings on kain, but celes isn't a dog with her tail between her legs, she's determined to make things right and less than able to compromise

some misc notes

rebirth cait sith almost makes this list. he's so fucking good. he joins later than yuffie and you not only get a sense of this guy as a cartoon mascot fortunetelling cat, but also about the sheer grimace.jpg going on with reeve behind the scenes. he's so emotive, he seems to have a genuine personality and worldview, and also, reeve always needed more attention to really sell him. the bit with reeve photoshopping the poster is so good. I trust that The End Of Rebirth is going to make this guy/cat reevaluate his life and decide firmly that team avalanche is the name to back.

I've also got high hopes for what remake pt 3 is going to do for cid and vincent. cid especially needs it. vincent, like yuffie, is a victim of deadline and money cutting his presence down significantly, but cid? cid has a pretty nasty legacy of beating his live-in non-wife and drinking all the time. he's already on good ground in rebirth and I'm interested to see what the game does with him.

did you know how many ffs acquire the entire party before the end of act 1? not to mention how hard the acts often are to define! I'd argue end of act 1 for ff8 is the edea parade and everybody is already there! where do you put the act break in ff10? (the blitz game imo, which means auron technically counts as act 1, but .... ??? what about the canyon where a gajillion people die including the gay crusaders? or macalania??) does act 1 of ff7 end when you leave midgar? when you get the tiny bronco? when aerith dies? is act 1 of ff6 where the world of ruin starts or?? (I'd argue the doma poisoning because that is very noticeably when shit gets Real but)

I did not allow myself to put ff14 because it's extremely complicated but the answer for that one is g'raha tia. obviously. come on

or alisaie. shit. how can I choose

[dfroza]

A death and rebirth.

(in our place)

A new Adam

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 23rd chapter of the book of Luke:

So the whole council got up and took Jesus to Pilate. They brought accusations against Him.

Sanhedrin: We have observed this man leading our nation astray. He even forbade us to pay our taxes to Caesar. He claims to be the Anointed One and a King Himself.

Pilate: Are You the King of the Jews?

Jesus: It’s as you say.

Pilate (to the chief priest and crowd): I find this man guilty of no crime.

Sanhedrin (growing more intense): He has been stirring up discontent among the people all over Judea. He started up in Galilee, and now He’s brought His brand of trouble all the way to Jerusalem!

Pilate: Just a minute. Is this man a Galilean?

When Pilate learned that Jesus was indeed Galilean—which meant He was officially under Herod’s jurisdiction—Pilate sent Him over to Herod, who was currently in Jerusalem. Herod was fascinated to meet Jesus for he had heard about Him for a long time. He was hoping he might be treated to a miracle or two. He interrogated Jesus for quite a while, but Jesus remained silent, refusing to answer his questions. Meanwhile the chief priests and religious scholars had plenty to say—angrily hurling accusations at Jesus.

Eventually Herod and his soldiers began to insult Jesus, mocking and degrading Him. They put expensive clothing on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. This ended a long-standing rift between Herod and Pilate; they became friends from that day forward.

Pilate assembled the chief priests and other Jewish authorities.

Pilate: You presented this man to me as a rabble-rouser, but I examined Him in your presence and found Him not guilty of the charges you have leveled against Him. Herod also examined Him and released Him to my custody. So He hasn’t done anything deserving the death penalty. I’ll see to it that He is properly whipped and then let Him go.

[It was the custom for Pilate to set one prisoner free during the holiday festivities.]

Crowd (all shouting at once): Away with this man! Free Barabbas instead!

Barabbas had been imprisoned after being convicted of an insurrection he had led in Jerusalem. He had also committed murder. Pilate argued with them, wishing he could release Jesus, but they wouldn’t be silenced.

Crowd (shouting): Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

Pilate (countering a third time): Why? What has He done that is so evil? I have found in Him no offense worthy of capital punishment. As I said, I will punish Him and then release Him.

But they would not relent. They shouted louder and louder that He should be crucified, and eventually Pilate capitulated. So he pronounced the punishment they demanded.

He released the rebel and murderer Barabbas—the insurrectionist they had pleaded for in His place—and he handed Jesus over to them to do with as they desired.

On the way to the place of crucifixion, they pulled a man from the crowd—his name was Simon of Cyrene, a person from the countryside who happened to be entering the city at that moment. They put Jesus’ cross on Simon’s shoulders, and he followed behind Jesus. Along with Him was a huge crowd of common people, including many women shrieking and wailing in grief.

Jesus (to the people in the crowd): Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me. Weep instead for yourselves and weep for your children. Days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the infertile; blessed are the wombs that never bore a child; blessed are the breasts that never nursed an infant.” People will beg the mountains, “Surround us!” They’ll plead with the hills, “Cover us!” For if they treat Me like this when I’m like green unseasoned wood, what will they do to a nation that’s ready to burn like seasoned firewood?

Jesus wasn’t the only one being crucified that day. There were two others, criminals, who were also being led to their execution. When they came to the place known as “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, in the company of criminals, one to the right of Jesus and the other to His left.

Jesus: [Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.]

Meanwhile they were drawing lots to see who would win Jesus’ clothing. The crowd of people stood, watching.

Authorities (mocking Jesus): So He was supposed to rescue others, was He? He was supposed to be God’s Anointed, the Liberating King? Let’s see Him start by liberating Himself!

The soldiers joined in the mockery. First, they pretended to offer Him a soothing drink—but it was sour wine.

Soldiers: Hey, if You’re the King of the Jews, why don’t You free Yourself!

Even the inscription they placed over Him was intended to mock Him—“This is the King of the Jews!” [This was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.]

One of the criminals joined in the cruel talk.

Cynical Criminal: You’re supposed to be the Anointed One, right? Well—do it! Rescue Yourself and us!

But the other criminal told him to be quiet.

Believing Criminal: Don’t you have any fear of God at all? You’re getting the same death sentence He is! We’re getting what we deserve since we’ve committed crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong at all! (turning to Jesus) Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, please remember me.

Jesus: I promise you that this very day you will be with Me in paradise.

At this point, it was about noon, and a darkness fell over the whole region. The darkness persisted until about three in the afternoon, and at some point during this darkness, the curtain in the temple was torn in two.

Jesus (shouting out loudly): Father, I entrust My spirit into Your hands!

And with those words, He exhaled—and breathed no more.

The Centurion—one of the soldiers who performed the execution—saw all this, and he praised God.

Centurion: No doubt, this man must have been innocent.

The crowds of common people who had gathered and watched the whole ordeal through to its conclusion left for their homes, pounding on their own chests in profound grief. And all who knew Jesus personally, including the group of women who had been with Him from the beginning in Galilee, stood at a distance, watching all of these things unfold.

Meanwhile a man named Joseph had been at work. He was a member of the council, a good and fair man, from a Judean town called Arimathea. He had objected to the plans and actions of the council; he was seeking the kingdom of God. He had gone to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He removed the body from the cross and wrapped it in a shroud made of fine linen. He then laid the body in a cavelike tomb cut from solid rock, a tomb that never had been used before. It was Preparation Day—the day before the holy Sabbath—and it was about to begin at sundown. The women who had accompanied Jesus from the beginning in Galilee now came, took note of where the tomb was and how His body had been prepared, then left to prepare spices and ointments for His proper burial. They ceased their work on the Sabbath so they could rest as the Hebrew Scriptures required.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 23 (The Voice)

A set of notes from The Voice translation:

Crucifixion is a favorite Roman punishment for insurrectionists, slaves, and prisoners of war. Anyone daring to defy the power and authority of Caesar is executed in this public and humiliating way. Jesus indeed is a revolutionary. He doesn’t come to proclaim a new religion, but a new kingdom—a new way of life. He is indeed a threat to Caesar’s way of doing things, a way that co-opts the religious leaders.

Jesus’ revolution is a peaceful revolution. He doesn’t advocate the use of violence—in fact, when one of His disciples uses the sword to try to protect Jesus from arrest, Jesus heals the “enemy” and rebukes His disciple. So Jesus doesn’t support the regime of Caesar or follow the usual violent path of revolution: He leads a revolutionary revolution—in a path of love, healing, justice, and reconciliation.

Jesus appropriates and transforms the symbol of their power into a symbol of His greater power. He makes the cross not the icon of violent domination, but the reverse. By hanging on the cross and speaking of forgiveness, Jesus shows that there is a greater power at work in the world than the power of domination: it’s the power of God’s saving and reconciling love.

•

The tearing of this heavy curtain in the temple is highly symbolic. Because this curtain separated the holiest place in the temple from the rest of the temple, some see in this act a symbol of God opening the way for unholy humans to enter into His holy presence: Jesus’ death brought forgiveness and opened the way for all to come to God. Others see in the curtain’s being torn the opposite meaning: God’s presence can no longer be confined to any single geographical place. The suffering and death of Jesus ended one age of human history, and now a new era has begun. Now God is on the move, at large, invading the whole world. Or perhaps this graphic image means both.

Today’s paired reading from the First Testament is the 11th chapter of the book of Genesis:

There was a time when everyone on the earth spoke the very same language. As many of these people began moving from the eastern regions into the western part of Mesopotamia, they settled down on a plain in the land of Shinar. Since stone was not readily available, they discovered how to make bricks and use tar for mortar to build their structures.

People (to each other): Come on, let’s make bricks out of mud and bake them in the fire. Then we can build all we want. Let’s go build ourselves a city with a huge tower that reaches into heaven. That way we will make a name for ourselves. If we don’t, we’ll run the risk of being scattered all over the earth.

The Eternal One came down and took a look at the city and the tower the children of Adam were building. He was not pleased.

Eternal One: Will you look at that! The people are all together on this. With one language they are able to start this kind of project. This is only the beginning of what they will do. Soon they will think they can accomplish anything and everything on their own. Let’s go down and break this up! If We confuse their language, they won’t be able to understand each other’s words.

This is how the Eternal scattered people from Shinar all across the surface of the earth. Since they were unable to communicate, they stopped working on the city and went their separate ways. So this is why the city was called Babel: because it was there that the Eternal confused the language of all the peoples and scattered them across the surface of the earth.

Here is the account of the descendants of Shem, Noah’s son. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad. (This was about two years after the flood.) After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived another 500 years, and he had other sons and daughters.

When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 more years, and he had other sons and daughters.

When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 more years, and he had other sons and daughters.

When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 more years, and he also had other sons and daughters.

When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 more years, and he had other sons and daughters as well.

When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 more years, and he had other sons and daughters.

When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 more years, and he had other sons and daughters as well.

When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 more years, and he had other sons and daughters.

When Terah had lived 70 years, he had fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Here is the account of Terah’s descendants. Terah, as said, had fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. While Terah was still alive, Haran died in the same land in which he was born—in Ur, the land of the Chaldeans. However, Abram and Nahor lived on and married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. Now Milcah was the daughter of Haran, who fathered both Milcah and Iscah. But Sarai couldn’t conceive and didn’t have a child.

Terah took his son Abram and grandson Lot (Haran’s son) and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife). They left Ur of the Chaldeans together and traveled in the direction of the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Haran, they settled there. Terah was 205 years old at that time, and he ended up dying in Haran.

The Book of Genesis, Chapter 11 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

According to Genesis, the sons and daughters of Noah established the first known cultures of the world.

•

The desire to settle in one place and build a city runs counter to God’s command to spread out across the earth. They want to make their mark on the world rather than conform to God’s plan for their lives. They want power and prestige. They want to ensure that they will not be scattered; that is, they want to choose their own destiny. But God has a different plan and purpose. He is the One who determines destiny.

•

Once again the generations are recorded. This time the purpose is to link those who survived the flood with Abraham. God has a special plan for him.

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, march 13 of 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New) of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about the sacred “breath of life”:

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (i.e., nishmat chayim: נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים); and man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). We learn from this verse that man's neshamah (soul) comes from the very breath of God. Just as the body returns to dust, so the neshamah returns to God. The neshamah - not the body - is what is essential to our being, and that is why the sages regard the day of one's death as better than the day of one's birth (Eccl. 7:1). The Apostle Paul also regarded the godly discipline of the soul to be of greater value than discipline of the body: "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness (חֲסִידוּת) is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:8).

The 613 commandments of the Torah are distilled to the principle: "A righteous person finds life through faith" (Hab. 2:4), which means that education of our soul in matters of faith is the essential task of our life in this world, and indeed, it is education for eternity!

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Psalm 4:5 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm4-5-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm4-5-lesson.pdf

3.12.24 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel365:

You Can Be a Hero Too

By: Sara Lamm

MARCH 12, 2024

לֹא־הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר אֶת־עַמָּהּ וְאֶת־מוֹלַדְתָּהּ כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי צִוָּה עָלֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תַגִּיד׃

Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, for Mordechai had told her not to reveal it.

Esther 2:10

My daughter thinks that she’s a unicorn. Sometimes. On other days, she imagines that she is a Disney princess. And more often than not, she is just herself, which is a wonderful thing to be too.

All of this will make finding her a costume for the Jewish holiday of Purim an easy task, considering she already spends much of her day jumping in and out of characters.

However, it’s worth considering how unusual of a practice this is for a religious holiday nowadays – how in a world where we’re empowered to embrace authenticity, the holiday of Purim invites us to consider the world of masks and concealment.

It’s worth asking then, what’s the real reason Jews dress up on Purim? And as importantly, how can we bring the meaning behind the mask into our own story today?

Beginning in the 14th century, Italian Jews began wearing costumes and masks for Purim, mirroring similar secular European traditions. But the actual origin of the Jewish practice came directly from the Purim story itself. In an act of heroism, Queen Esther hid her Jewish identity from King Achashverosh, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal her true identity, ultimately swaying the King towards saving the Jewish people. Her calculated concealment foiled Haman’s plans to eradicate all of the Jews of the Persian Empire. By perfectly timing of her big reveal, she won favor in the king’s eyes.

Esther’s uncle Mordechai also concealed his identity from the King. In a courageous act of resistance, Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman, who at the time was the king’s right-hand man. Haman, furious over Mordechai’s refusal to kneel before him, enacted an edict to kill all of the Jews. In a separate event, Mordechai saved King Achashaverosh from an attempted assassination, reporting on two nefarious guards who plotted to poison the king. Unbeknownst to the King, this was the same Jewish Mordechai that Haman was after! Still blissfully unaware of this happy coincidence, the king rewarded Mordechai for his loyalty by having Haman parade Mordechai around the city in the royal garb.

Given all the subterfuge – even God’s name is absent from the text – we must ask what message the story is trying to teach us.

As we see with Esther and Mordechai, the Purim story encourages us to reflect on the complexities of identity and the subtle ways in which divine guidance can manifest in our lives, often in ways we cannot see.

But the Purim story also teaches us about the greatness that is dormant within us – known to us but lying, half-acknowledged, beneath the surface. The story of Purim encourages us to recognize when that inner core must rise to the forefront, when circumstance requires that we rally ourselves in the truest expressions of our inherited wisdom, moral courage, and faith. It is on us to step up, brave and strong, for God and His people.

In today’s tumultuous times, we face the same challenges as Esther and Mordechai of when to remove the mask. As the late Holocaust Survivor, Elie Weisel, said: “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Now is the moment to reveal our true selves – to stand up for our faith, the land, the Jewish people, and God. Together, we can emulate Esther and Mordechai, standing up – no longer hidden – for truth and for God.

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

March 13, 2024

The Everlasting Gospel

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6-7)

When the Lord Jesus returned to heaven after His resurrection, He left the disciples with the Great Commission to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Unfortunately, over the centuries there has developed much misunderstanding concerning the content of the gospel (“good tidings”), and many have preached “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6) that can never save. This false gospel wears many faces, but inevitably, at its heart will be found the false hope of evolutionary humanism, glorifying man instead of God, worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator (Romans 1:25).

We can be sure that the gospel preached in our text is the true gospel—in fact, it is called specifically the everlasting gospel! And its great burden is to call people everywhere back to faith in the one true Creator God, who made all things in heaven and Earth. The Lord Jesus Christ must be accepted, first of all, as God and Creator before it can be meaningful to present Him as Savior and Lord. Otherwise, we preach “another gospel” and “another Jesus”—neither of which are even real!

The true gospel must also present Christ as the sin-bearing, crucified, resurrected Savior (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and as the coming King of kings and Lord of lords (Matthew 4:23; Revelation 19:16). But it must first present Him as omnipotent and offended Creator. Then only, like the angel, do we truly proclaim the everlasting gospel. HMM

[softredrobin]

pretty please consider elliott hands? <3

Rowan...you're so wonderful that I came home from grocery shopping, put away only the things that needed to be kept cold, and immediately went to make this. Without further ado, our favorite non-evil dreamwalker, Elliott (whose name I have a horrid tendency to misspell, lmao).

These quotes are from Dreamwalker Boyfriend Saves You From a Nightmare and Road Trip With Your Dreamwalker Boyfriend. I surprised myself by not using a quote from his Valenweek video, because it's my favorite Elliott video, but I do have to make sure these fit well into the hand poses I chose.

I'm sure you know what's under the cut :-)

These four flowers:

Daffodil: chivalry, returning affection, new beginnings

Tulip (yellow): cheerfulness, sunshine, hope

Tulip (purple): royalty, spring, rebirth

Moonflower: dreaming of love

Pear blossom: long-lasting friendship

The flowers this time are pretty obvious in their meanings. I also considered vervain, protection against evil, for Elliott's self-proclaimed being a "protector type", but ultimately decided pear blossom was better. Growing up we always kept tulips, and my absolute favorites are the ones that bloom one color and then change into another over the course of the spring, so most of the time they're this beautiful ombre. Elliott and Sunshine are really the purple-and-yellow couple of the Redactedverse to me (doesn't every fandom seem to have at least one? just like there's always a blue-and-red couple...). Not to mention that the meanings are nice :-)

I got into Elliott's videos pretty late, like, really only when people started talking about CloseKnit and I was like "...what." But I actually really really love Elliott! I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers and that hint in the beginning that there was a long "will-they-won't-they" is just my cup of tea. Not to mention Elliott is hilarious :-) My favorite part of his entire series is at the end of his Valenweek video, where he says:

“Yes”? That’s all I get? Well sure, it’s enough, but where’s the weeping, where’s the drama, where’s you cutting me off with a kiss like some kind of movie– ow, why are you hitting me–

It's really funny and really sweet and makes me smile everytime.

Anyway, so this drawing left me frantically going "do I have a maze pattern brush? NO? time to make one I guess" and then I whipped one up because it was faster than finding a free one online. I don't know if you can tell but there's actually two layers of maze overlaid– the smaller yellow one and the bigger purple one. I just think it gives it a lil somethin' somethin', y'know?

Here's some honorable mention quotes which I considered, just for funsies:

"God, it feels good to kiss you. Oh yeah, very much worth the wait."

"You make me feel all... soft inside."

"But I'm always just as excited to wake up from the dream as I am to slip into one. Because real life is filled with people like you."

If you got this far, thanks for reading my nonsense lol. I had fun with this one :-)

[l1f3-0f-d34th]

WhAt Is LoVe? …what? WhAt. Is. LoVe. the voice asked from the abyss. I haven't been here in years when it asked me last time I said it's a hormone in your brain that makes you attached to a particular person or thing. Now I just repeated what someone close to me told me once. Love is a theatrical Play Lust, Angst, Heartbreak Betrayal, Rebirth, and Death, That is what love is. Many want to consume love others even want to bask in it. Some even think they are worthy of it. No one is worthy of love. It was built into our systems we have no right to have it.

“ThAT iS aN OdD aNsWer,” it said. Well, it is an odd concept I replied. Remembering when I replied the same way when I met him the only one I love.

He was 6'3 thin pale ish clean shaved well groomed and was semi-well-dressed. When I met him. he was at the house party when I seen him the first time a work house party. This is where I want to spend my Wednesday. I scoffed under my Breath. The person next to me chuckled. I looked at her and she was one of my coworkers. I never cared to learn her name. Who honestly wants to be friends with their coworkers? I was at the office to work, get money, and sometimes free cake whenever it was someone's birthday. I got snapped out of my train of thought when I heard a giant boom of laughter. I whipped my head up out of reaction and to see what was so funny. That's when I first made eye contact with him Dallas McFord he was on the side quietly snickering at whatever was funny. I don't know if anyone else could tell but it sounded fake. Not sarcastically fake. One that was really convincing but still had a bit of fakeness. Everyone was convinced from what I could understand about everyone's body language. He was good at what he did I assume a salesman if I had to be even more specific probably a real estate salesman. There is a good chance I'm wrong.

As I gazed at him he noticed and started to walk over to me all I could think is shit shit shit SHIT. he was in front of me at this point. I haven't properly introduced myself to you i”m Dallas he said with a grin his hand out for a handshake. I was so tired that I didn't even try to hide the aggression in my tone. Yea I heard you introduce yourself to half of the room already with a sarcastic half-grin on my face. He could obviously tell I wasn't interested in socializing but he still pushed it. So what part of the company are you in? I'm in accounting. Yea he's a Stipper a fellow coworker yelled funny thing was he was also an accountant just higher ranking than me. Dallas looks over not amused by that comment the man was very intoxicated. the pushed and asked what part of the company do you work for? I'm a Regional Sales Manager. In my head, I exed out the Real estate and checked salesman 50 out of 100 not bad. I'm a- I get cut off by a coworker who just got promoted from my same ranked job. He is a stripper! He was very clearly intoxicated. Dallas looked over not amused one bit by that joke. I'm an accountant. I spat glaring at the drunk.

[mask131]

Deadly fall: Azrael

AZRAEL

Category: Abrahamic religions

Azrael is well known nowadays as the Angel of Death. His name meaning “God has helped” or “Help of God”, Azrael is seen as a benevolent psychopomp acting by God’s decree and order, carrying the souls of the dead out of the world of the living, keeping with him a scroll in which is listed the fates of all human beings (when they are born, he puts their name on his list, and when they die he removes it). However what is interesting is that Azrael while a figure found in several Abrahamic religions, it not in all of the “big three Biblical religions” – Azrael is kind of missing from Christianity. There are hints, in the “Revelation” book, of a similar entity or at least entities inspired by it – for example the last of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Death horseman ; or an angel wielding a golden scythe who is tasked with “reaping” the Earth when it will be “ripe” and send a great “winepress” that will cause “blood” (which seems to be the death of all those that martyrized Christians?). The Revelation book is weird and bizarre and cryptic and all those characters are still a far cry from the original Azrael.

The only other vaguely Christian text actually talking about Azrael (here named Ezrael) is the Ethiopian version of the apocryphal text of the “Apocalypse of Peter”, where Ezra’el is described as an angel living in hell, and whose role is to avenge those that were wronged in life.

Azrael started out in Hebrew texts, and while he is a presence in Judaism, I couldn’t find much info about him in this religion (I even saw that some people theorized that Azrael only gained popularity and depth in Judaism after the rise of Islam – see below). All I could find is that in Judaism Azrael (or Azriel) is the Angel of Destruction and Rebirth. Some Jewish mystics, and the Zohar (one of the most important books of the Kabbalah) consider him a force of good, a benevolent angel commanding celestial legions and who takes care of the prayers of the faithful when they reach Heaven, a high-ranking angel ruling over the South ; while other currents of mysticism claim he is not an angel of death, but rather the Angel of Evil.

The most material you will find about Azrael comes from Islam, as it is the religion that truly developed his character and gave him the most importance. In the Muslim faith, Azrael (or Azra’il) is one of the four great archangels alongside Israfil (Raphael), Mikha’il (Michael) and Jibril (Gabriel) – and while his role is to take the souls of the dead in the afterlife, it is explicitly believed that he only acts by order of God, who is the one informing him when someone has to die.

It is believed that forty days before the death of a person, God will make a leaf from a heavenly tree below his throne fall down: this leaf will fall to Azrael, and on it will be written the name of the person who is about to die. Azrael is also said to lead and command an entire host of lesser angels of death: while these lesser angels of death come for regular people, Azrael only manifests to saints and prophet, who he will politely invite to follow him. As a result, he was the one who appeared in his most beautiful form to both Moses and Muhammad when it came time for them to die. He was even said sometimes to appear to saints a bit before their death, to warn them of how much time they had left to live.

While he is sometimes said to be very beautiful, Muslims texts have a wide variety of bizarre and strange descriptions of Azrael. For example, in one he appears as a blue ram with numerous eyes on his body, while others describe him as a planet-size giant with four thousand wings – some are “wings of grace” like those of typical angels, but others yet are “wings of punishment” made entirely of iron rods, hooks and scissors. Other reports also mention him carrying around a flaming whip. The idea of the hugeness and vastness of Azrael keep popping up quite regularly, from people saying he is the biggest entity of all Heaven, to those claiming the Earth would be the size of a “bean on his shoulder” or that humanity is like a “dish in front of the angel of death”. One commentary explains that all these metaphors are because God decided to “shrink” the Earth for Azrael and only him, so that he could hold it between his hands like a “vessel” and take from it what needed to be taken. 

- - - - - - - - -

It is interesting to note that among religious commentaries and folklore of Islam, there is an ongoing debate as to whether Azrael is the “angel of death” as in, in charge of death itself, or if he is the angel of death as in, the embodiment of death.

One story explains that when God created Adam, he ordered the four archangels to gather dust from the earth to form the basic material of the new creature – but only Azrael could succeed in the task, and it is why God gave him the role of being in charge of life and death. Another story, very different, talks of how God one day created Death, as an entity, and He ordered the angels to look at it – upon looking at it, they lost consciousness for a thousand year, and when they woke up Death declared that of all the angels, it would only submit itself to Azrael. A third interpretation yet describes Azrael as an entity with as many faces and hands as there are living beings on Earth: each hands and face is tied to the life and fate of a soul, and when a face disappears from Azrael’s body it means its corresponding soul will experience death.

One of the most debated stories is notably the one of the ram at the end of times. It is said that when Judgement Day will come, a ram will appear, and God will place it between heaven and hell, and He will kill it himself. Upon this day, death will cease to exist, and God will announce to both the souls of heaven and hell that “Eternity” has begun and that their current sent (salvation or damnation) will now never end. While this story exists and was quite popular, people could not agree whether the ram was Death itself that had taken shape (and thus separate from Azrael, acting like a tool or assistant), or if the ram was Azrael, the angel of death, who took a mortal shape in order to be destroyed (a bit the same way as God incarnating himself into Jesus in Christianity – that’s a VERY rough comparison, just to get the idea).

EDIT: I found a bit more info about Azrael and the angel of death in Abrahamic religions.

  # In Islam the Angel of Death (Malak al-Maut, aka Azrael) and his subordinates (the lesser angels of death) act and appear differently depending on the person's actions in life. A righteous person who never did wrong will see the angel of death as a beautiful creature pulling out with ease their souls out of their bodies ; a sinful or wicked person will see their angel of death as a monstrous entity, and the pulling of their soul will be a painful process.

  # I said before that I didn't find many information about Azrael in Judaism, and for good reason! A bit more research explained it a bit better: you see, Judaism recognizes that there is an Angel of Death. But they don't know its "real" name: some say he is Azrael, others Abaddon, or Samael, some even claim he might be Michael himself. But this Angel of Death is identified in many passages of the Bible: he is the "Angel of the Lord" sent to kill 185 000 men in Assyria in The Book of Kings ; he is the "destroyer" (shâchath) sent to kill all the Egyptian firstborns during the Plagues of Egypt ; and he is the "destroying angel" in Jerusalem (mal'ak ha-mashhit) in the book of Samuel.

    # Based on that, Judaism built a unique portrayal of this unclearly-named Angel of Death: an entity covered in eyes with twelve wings that God created on the first day of the world, and who dwells in Heaven, reaching Earth in "eight flights" (while the Angel of Pestilence, set closer to Earth, reaches it in one flight).  When a human is about to die, the Angel of Death stands near their head holding a sword, with at its tip a gall drop. When the dying person sees Death, their body will be taken by convulsions, forcing them to open the mouth : as soon as they open it, the bile drop falls, and this drop causes the death and putrefaction of the body. (It where the expression "the taste of death" comes from). Other texts and scholia of Judaism depict the Angel of Death as a violent killer, with references to his sword (or knife) being used to "slaughter" humans, or to the Angel having a rope to strangle human beings. He is an active cause of death - and it is explained that the Angel of Death is actually sent as a punishment by God himself to end the life of those whose sins are too serious. It is said that the only way to appease him or push him away is to perform good deeds, or to confess one's sins - but beware, for as soon as the Angel is given the order to kill, he ceases to distinguish between "good" and "evil" and slaughters all.

  # Another Jewish tradition has the habit of depicting Talmud teachers as having a certain familiarity or close relationship with the Angel of Death. One Talmud teacher had the Angel of Death appearing before him in the street, and the teacher berated him so much the Angel agreed to take his soul at his house, not in a public place ; another story explains that a teacher negociated with the Angel thirty more days of life so as to put all of his business in order before dying. A folktale speaks of a time the Angel of Death had to wait for his "victim", as the teacher was in the middle of studying the Talmud and Death could not take him during such a holy task (it would just be rude), and  sometimes it is said that the Angel of Death will strike a form of friendship with a specific Talmud scholar, and often go into his house just to talk of religious and philosophical matters.

[alfredosauce50]

From a past life [Yandere vampire! Romania x reader]

Synopsis: For centuries, he waited for your return--your rebirth. So when he finally learns of your whereabouts just outside of Wallachia, he rushes to meet you in hopes of becoming what you both used to be. But he runs into a predicament when he learns you're in a relationship with a man, a pesky human mortal by the name of Daniel. He'll do anything to get rid of him, even if he has to play dirty. He made a promise to you that he would find you for the rest of your lifetimes, so God forbid that he breaks it. Wordcount: 3, 813 The reader is referred to as she/her.

A trip to Romania had always been on your bucket list. Your boyfriend was just as excited to go, but he wouldn’t have been if it turned out to be the last trip you'd ever go on with him.

Today was when you would visit the highlight of your itinerary. On the Transylvania side of the border with Wallachia, and nestled in miles of rolling hills, was Bran castle. The awe-inspiring fortress told one of the most famous tales of old as Count Dracula's abode. Or at least, it was rumored to be as it fit the description of it.

Needless to say, you were dragging him around the estate to admire anything and everything that piqued your interest or served as a potential photo spot. “Oh, hurry up, Daniel! This is where he slept!” Scrambling closer to the grand bed, which was certainly framed with more wood than needed, you leaned in behind the red rope that fenced off the artifact. Then, you flashed him a wide grin.

He returned the gesture with a tender smile of his own. “I'm as old as this castle, kicsim. Let me take things in slowly.”

“You're only three years older than me. I don't think you have the right to call me little or yourself old.” Flattening your lips at that, your frown melted away as quickly as it appeared.

“But look! Dracula's sheets and mattress. Though it would make more sense to say it was Vlad's... The guy he was based on. Hmm, but that wouldn't make sense either.”

The man rubbed the nape of his neck with a soft laugh. It was no doubt he shared your enthusiasm, but your unapologetic passion always made him fall harder than he already had. “Yep. I believe he was imprisoned here. I don't think he'd be getting the master bedroom.” He appeared from behind and rested himself on your head as you placed a pistol grip on your chin.

“Even then, I can't imagine him sleeping so soundly after sticking so many sticks up people's--” Two strong arms squeezed around your waist to make you gasp.

“Ah-!”

“Okay! What do you say we go down to the gardens for a walk, hm?”

And that was exactly what the two of you did. Skipping out in front of him, you held onto his hands and swung his arms. “I'm gonna go down to the pond, okay? You can enjoy this place nice and slowly like the old person you are.”

This was the greenest garden you ever had the pleasure to stroll through, even the tea house blended in with its moss-covered roof. It only emphasized how ancient this castle really was, and something about it delighted you in ways you couldn't articulate.

“Alright, kicsim. I'll see what nice flowers I'll add to my hair.” Daniel scooped the pink blossom from his hazel brown bangs and placed it behind your ear. “When I do, I'll come get you. Don't let any vampires find you before I do.” Shooting you a wink at that, you pecked him on the nose before running off.

Who would have thought those words would ring truer than he intended? Several miles away, slept a man who was as old as Bran castle. His name too was Vlad, though he never earned such a fearsome reputation by impaling his enemies. Instead, he kept a low profile and dedicated his long, neverending life to finding someone.

Every restless night, she was what he dreamed of since her passing.

When I go, promise me you'll find me again.

Promise me.

Fluttering his eyes awake, they glowed a blood-red in the darkness of his bedroom. They drooped with a tiredness that never seemed to go away no matter how much he rested.

Sliding off the mattress, he folded the flaps of his robes tightly around his body before making his way into the halls. Every corner of this humble countryside cottage he called his home was enshrouded with shadows, and not to mention the thick coating of dust caking the top of every shelf, couch, and tabletop.

He hadn't cleaned this house for centuries. His will to try withered away through the years in his lonesome, but he was patient. Peeking through the gap between the curtains of his overgrown hair, his irises shrunk as the blinding daylight poured into them through the drapes of his living room window. He could feel it in his dead still heart.

Something had changed.

Out there in the world scorched by the sun, was something even warmer. And it was so familiar, so tender, he could not mistake it for anything else, or anybody else for that matter.

She was nearby, and the thought filled him to the brim with a joy so potent, tears of relief welled in his wide eyes. He had waited hundreds of years for this moment. For her return. Her rebirth that would usher in his own.

The prospect was so invigorating, he felt as if his heart began to beat again. He never felt so alive. Scurrying back to his bedroom, he sat in front of his vanity to access his appearance. He had to look presentable before meeting her, hadn't he? A bedhead like this and nightwear would simply not do.

Especially when he hadn't cut his hair for at least twenty years.

Giving his long locks of strawberry-blonde a thorough comb, he let it fall straight down to his lower back. With a few quick snips, he shortened his bangs by a few inches to give the impression he had some sort of control over an otherwise uncontrollable mane of hair.

As he shed himself of his robes in exchange for day clothes, a white dress shirt paired with dark plaid pants, one singular thought repeated in his head like a broken record. As morbid as it sounded, it was more of a Godsend than anything.

Death was never the end. Not for her, and not for him. Or rather, a new beginning.

But it didn't start the way he imagined. Following her sweet scent to the gardens of the famed Bran castle, he found the smell growing more and more pungent, albeit confused. It was mixed with another's, tainted by the stench of a human male. His irises thinned to slits, and he tensed up all over. How could this be?

Hiding behind a tree, he peered over the side to confirm his suspicion.

There she was, her beauty as pristine and untouched as the last time he loved her. For just one second, he was over the moon. But his euphoria was short-lived when he saw that she was with a man. Kissing him, even. Even though it was just on the nose, any further down her face would have caused him to start an apocalypse.

That insignificant, trifling, and scheming little creature. He was about to reap what he sowed. How dare he take his place? It was him she was meant to with, not that pesky mortal!

Whipping his head to the front, his eyes went round with disbelief and his breathing grew ragged. An unfathomable ache spread in his chest as he dug his nails into the bark. How could he have let this happen? It took every shred of his willpower to keep the waterworks at bay.

His throbbing heart was also weighed down with a pang of heavy guilt. To allow another soul to be this close to her was a grave disservice to the promise he made. But that didn't mean he couldn't undo this.

In just a few seconds, he formulated an intricate plan to carry out well-deserved revenge. To have her in his arms again, and him, out of the picture where he belonged. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. When he spun around, he grabbed him by the neck and caught him in a trance with his hypnotizing, inhuman gaze.

“You will give these flowers to the nearest young woman you see. Put them in her hair and kiss her on the lips.” Opening his own palm, he materialized three peonies before placing them in the other's.

Unable to escape the powerful snare cast by a vampire such as himself, Daniel did so as told. “I will give these flowers to the nearest young woman I see. I will put them in her hair and kiss her on the lips.” He reiterated monotonously with his eyes glazed over.

Watching the helpless man saunter off, he smirked devilishly as he exchanged glances with his long-lost lover. This would hurt her a great deal, but she would only be devastated if he never did it.

You had been watching the pond, completely ignorant to the scene that was about to unfold. Little did you know, it was purposely orchestrated. Using a stick to prod at your reflection, you lingered on the ripples distorting it before glancing up. In the distance was none other than your boyfriend, and judging from the pink in his hands, he found his flowers.

So you stood up. You would have snuck up on him as a surprise, but your feet remained firmly planted on the ground when you witnessed him give it away, then flirt with another woman. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else. He was kissing her!

Frankly, you couldn't believe it. One year was all it took for him to lose interest? Blood flushed your face as bile rose in your throat. How could he? And during a vacation at that, too! Tears threatened to spill out of your eyes, but you blinked them away when you heard the light treading of feet nearby.

This had to be a misunderstanding. Right?

Spinning to the source, you found yourself staring at the most peculiar man you had ever seen. He carried a delicate parasol to shade him from the sunlight. Combined with his pasty white skin, it was almost as if he was one of the very mythological creatures the country was renowned for.

He smiled gently, almost understandingly.

“Are you alright, domnișoară? I have a spare handkerchief if you'd like.” His alluring voice was as bewitching as a siren, but his mere presence brought you unspeakable comfort. And yet, he was nothing but a stranger, an odd one at that, so you were at a loss to realize that all it took for you to gravitate towards him was for your eyes to meet.

“I'm okay, thank you. But I couldn't possibly accept something like that. I mean, I don't know you...” Waving your hands at the man apologetically, you took the opportunity to scan him up and down.

As if he walked right out of a fairytale, he oozed prince-like charm. His clothes were traditional and refined, but that long, silky hair of his was certainly a rare sight--rare but breathtakingly beautiful. It gave his character untold notions of grandeur, mystery, and an inexplicable impression he was ancient.

But that couldn't be, not when he didn't look a day over twenty.

“What do you mean, you won't take it? It's yours.” He pulled out a small piece of fabric from his sleeve. Placing the finely embroidered cloth into your palm, he never gave you the chance to object. “It would be rude to regift something, so you'll have to keep it forever.” Mischief curled at his lips, and you couldn't help but laugh a little.

“Alright, alright, you got me there.”

You dabbed away the moisture before breathing out a sigh.

“I'm sure you're a very nice person, but I can't bother you more than I already have. Thank you, again, Mr. Vampire.” If it weren't for how heartbroken you were, you would have been mortified. Being pitied by a Romanian local was never part of your plan.

Just when you were betrayed by Daniel, he appeared like a knight in shining armor. If only you could forget what happened between you and your boyfriend. Otherwise, you would be bragging about meeting a vampire in Romania for as long as you could talk.

“Mr. Vampire?” He lifted his head before revealing a pair of sharp fangs in a grin. Now that caught you off guard. “You don't see me calling you miss human--and I have a name, thank you very much.” As he placed his gloved hand on his chest to playfully feign offense, he bit back another smile at the sound of your amused giggling.

Despite what happened a few minutes ago, talking to this actor was making you feel better already.

“And let me guess, is it Alucard?” You shook your head. “Or is it Vlad? You can't possibly call yourself Dracula looking like that.”

He blinked incredulously, then curved an arm over his face as if to cover himself with his non-existent cloak. “How did you know?”

“That your name is Alucard?”

“No, Vlad.”

“Okay, close enough. It was nice meeting you, Vlad, but I have a stupid boyfriend to scream at.” At the mention of that, you looked like you were on the verge of tears again. “All I'm hoping is that he's still my boyfriend after this. If only he were as much of a gentleman as you.”

He reflected your distress in a frown, and you would have been surprised by how much this apparently bothered him. But you already walked off. So he offered one last niceity before you strayed too far. “Good luck with your boyfriend.”

“No promises.”

He let those two words affect him more than he intended. Needless to say, he moved on quickly to watch you run to the unsuspecting brunette. Soon, his anguish was staved off by the sight of you shoving him back a few steps.

What looked like a one-sided argument broke out, and all the poor, confused man could do was just that--be confused. Shortly after, you stormed off, and he jogged behind, desperately calling your name.

A sinister smile cracked at Vlad's lips, and his irises glowed red. That little thing had no idea what was yet to happen to him.

That night, Daniel took you to the Brașov city hall for dinner. The beautiful buildings surrounding a fountain were as traditional as they were clean. Too bad your zeal was burned away by your anger. In the few hours in the hotel before, he barely managed to soothe it by explaining himself. A given, considering his explanation made no sense whatsoever.

He couldn't remember flirting with a woman.

“I think we could share a pizza. Are you okay with that?” Lifting his gaze to meet yours, you only turned away to stare out the window into the endless night. Your spaciness was deserved on his part, but little did he know, it only had so much to do with his wrongdoings.

The eccentric local never left your mind. After all, he gave you something to smile about with his whimsical kindness.

Vlad must have been an entertainer, a virtuoso at that, but his actions never came off as ingenuine. To be frank, you were drawn to his sincerity, and even looking for him subconsciously, wishing that he could magically appear because you willed it.

If only Daniel could be just as sincere.

“I must be okay with a lot of things.” His face fell. The same sorrow from when he was at the hotel room returned, but you couldn't care to give it any attention. “Like you pretending you didn't kiss someone right in front of me because you don't remember. I'm not stupid. Who else would have long hair tied back and flowers in their fringe?”

Daniel knitted his brows so tightly together, creases formed between them. “... I know it sounds like I'm lying, but I swear to you I didn't do it. You know me, (F/N).” At this point, he hadn't the foggiest what to say to appease you because he simply didn't do it. “I promise. All I'm asking is for you to trust me.”

“You promise?” You fumed.

There was only one thing you hated more than a liar.

“I trusted you, Daniel, I really did. But how could you ask me to trust you after I talked to that girl? She remembered it, so why can't you? Did you think I was that crazily into you I could let anything slide?” The biting truth silenced him, but it was the sound of you choking back tears that broke his heart.

“I'm gonna go to the bathroom to think this over.”

He had no way to argue with you, let alone the heart to when it was just broken and crushed to a thin slab of flesh. What if he really did kiss someone, and miraculously forgot?

“When I come back, I better not see you kissing anybody again.”

Standing up at that, he watched you leave with a defeated expression. Then, he folded his arms across the table and buried his face into it. There was no way he could fail that, could he?

What were the odds of kissing someone again when he had absolutely no intention to? The chances were dwindling at zero as he kept his head down. Unless supernatural forces were at work, nothing could get him to budge from sitting at this table.

But even he couldn't count on the world of the mundane to save him.

Sitting a few tables away was the exact opposite of mundane. When the front door slammed shut, he stood up and walked to the customer with their head down. While all the men in the establishment wore their hair short, his was long and flowing like time itself. There was something other-worldly about him. Something ghostly in the way he walked.

With every step he took, his feet never seemed to touch the ground as if he was floating. And his pale complexion was just as macabre as how he carried himself.

Not a minute passed, and Daniel found himself standing outside by the fountain. With absolutely no recollection, he somehow left the restaurant and wound up here in the festive courtyard. As shock paralyzed him from head to toe, the only thought that occurred to him was this. What in the hell was going on?

Rather than sitting head down in the warm restaurant, he was out here, chilled by the biting European cold. Couldn't he have at least remembered the transition?

In front of him was the same woman he supposedly flirted with in the gardens. And judging from the blush on her cheeks, he just threw away all his chances at making up with you.

“Listen, I... I don't know you. Forget me. Forget this ever happened.” Daniel trembled, feeling a chill run down his spine as he staggered back a few steps. It was like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. There was just no sound explanation for this when this situation wasn't sound at all. Whatever it was, this was clearly a case of sabotage.

And like hell he was giving in to whoever that masterminded it.

He ran back inside with a fearful kind of urgency. Rushing back to the table he unwillingly abandoned, he froze when he saw you marching towards him down the aisle with murder on your mind. But death was too lenient a punishment. It would grant him a clean slate, a new beginning from a past life of unfaithfulness.

So he was splashed with a glass of red wine instead.

As the crimson liquid soaked his hair, it spread over his shirt like blood. After you saw what he did, the last shred of hope you didn't know you had died, squelched out there on his clothes for the world to see. A chorus of gasps was heard from every corner of the restaurant. Unbeknownst to the patrons who murmured amongst themselves, it wasn't just any lover's quarrel they were watching.

Daniel's breath hitched as he struggled to process his mortification. Behind you stood the very gentleman that tapped him awake, but he never made the connection between him and his misfortunes.

And perhaps, it was better that way.

After leaving your boyfriend for good, Vlad offered to walk with you around the city. Once again, he had swooped in to save you, only this time around, he was staying.

“So... What are you gonna do now?” He asked, casting a tender gaze your way. Before you could wrap your arms around yourself, he beat you to it and flung his cloak around your body. When you gawked at him, he only grinned toothily with his fangs.

Your cheeks reddened and you turned away. Why he was still in his vampire getup was beyond you. But seeing his enthusiasm only reminded you that you lost yours. “... Book another hotel room. Spend the rest of this holiday crying. Maybe never think of this country ever again.”

“And I'm not letting you do any of those things.” He hummed, giving you a gentle squeeze. “Why do you think I'm walking with you right now, hm? I'm gonna take you around to the best spots in Transylvania. The most haunted ones, I mean. So you can forget about going back to the hotel.”

You sighed but managed a small smile. “That's great and all, but I'm not made of money. And my stuff is all there.”

He squinted. “... Oh yeah. But after we get your stuff, we can go elsewhere, can't we?”

A few laughs fell from your lips. His generosity really knew no bounds. “Your house, then? You do realize I only met you today, right?”

Vlad closed his eyes. He could beg to differ.

“But you're still walking with me alone. In the dark.”

“Only because you saw me cry twice today. I wouldn't be mad if you killed me so I don't have to be so embarrassed.” He frowned at the sound of that, so you added this. “I was just kidding. Something about you just makes me feel... Strangely comfortable. Like I've met you before. Isn't that weird?”

“... Not really.” Reaching the top of a hill, he stared at an old castle in the distance, sitting high up in the mountains. “There's a legend about this city. Hundreds of years ago, a vampire and a human woman fell in love. She died, of course. But people say he's still around, waiting for her to reincarnate so they can be together again.”

The way he spoke was so sad, it was almost as if he was that very vampire himself. But what did that have to do with you?

“... Okay. Then do you think he'll ever find her?”

Vlad turned to you with an unreadable expression, but there was an untold fondness in how he looked at you.

“He already has.”

[spacetimewraithwrites-archive]

Find the Word Tag Game

(tw: violence, injury, also “drop” is pretty long I’m sorry)

tagged by: @zmwrites!! my words: wrinkle, drop, green, leave tagging: @drabbleitout, @drippingmoon, @ashen-crest, @the-orangeauthor, anyone who wants to, and the flower garden my 5 year old son has taken a sudden interest in starting your words: fold, flower, furrow, free, fresh, flesh

wrinkle crease (Eternal)—

They opened their mouth to speak and out flowed a series of hard, staccato sounds that were somewhat unsettling and sprouted goosebumps on Warren's arms, though nothing about the language was especially unsettling itself.

Thrive's brow creased a bit, listening. "It's been a very long time since I've spoken or heard hyulisi," he muttered. He angled his head, speaking a slower rendition of hyulisi. He stumbled somewhat over some syllables to begin with, though it became very clear the R'lisian was shaken by their native language coming out of a supposed alien's mouth.

They communicated back and forth for a moment before something Thrive said made the R'lisian go completely still. The two back eyes narrowed and the forefront ones widened.

"I've just told them I'm obhelian," Thrive said for everyone else's sake. He observed the R'lisian's face carefully. "They...appear to be understandably skeptical."

"You know how to prove it to them," Warren said patiently.

drop (Rebirth)—

"Hey!" Guetry shouted. "Anybody know the best way to kill Prince Hyret?!"

Half of the attackers whirled to them, distracting the front line enough for Pax to use his tail as a club, which he did to swipe a handful of them into the bulkhead. Naxata grabbed her staff from its holster and knocked several over the head, then whacked it against the back of some legs for good measure.

Guetry and Warren shot into the small crowd, moving to opposite corners of the room as Thrive slammed an allegiant into the floor with his knee in their back and broke their arm at the elbow.

Warren put a round into another Morrite and Guetry drew the device from the Node out of his duster pocket. A whip sprang out, and he cracked it at the Morrite aiming at Emnophene, snapping it in a tight coil around their arm. He pressed a button and the whip clicked rapidly, sending powerful volts of electricity into the offender’s bulky form and dropping them instantly.

Only five remained, and Warren ducked for cover behind a large metal crate. He leaned out to shoot again just as Guetry took a bullet to the shoulder and stumbled back into the nearest bulkhead.

Warren sniped the allegiant responsible. "Guetry!"

"I'm fine," he grunted. He looked quickly at Thrive. "Hey—!"

Thrive did a half-cartwheel on one hand to avoid the allegiant about to brain him with an axe, wrapping his legs around her torso and hurling her against the ship's massive gun chamber. Her back crunched and she slumped over.

He didn't quite recover in time to avoid the shot in the spine by a Morrite, however, and Warren's heart jumped into his mouth at the look of pain and surprise flashing across his face. Thrive dropped to a knee.

The shock only lasted a second. He swung back up, snatched Guetry's rifle, and blasted a hole through the Morrite's throat as the bullet dropped out of his flesh and onto the floor.

green (Aurora)—

Upon arriving in Araleth space, Warren emerged from their quarters in a green form suit, grinning broadly when he set foot on the bridge. He spread his arms wide and did a spin at the door. "Yes?"

Thrive glanced up from the navigation console once the Rodedra was safely landed on C'o and turned to him. He let his eyes follow Warren's shape and musculature for a moment. "That's mine."

"Yeah, I know." Warren peered down the length of his arm at the tiny holographic rainbows glittering under the light of the bridge. "Thought I'd snatch your whole aesthetic."

Stepping away from the console, Thrive bobbed his head in a slow nod, clasping his hands behind his back. "That does appear to be what you're doing. And it suits you," he said. He leaned in close to Warren's ear on his way past. "Though I was actually referring to you."

"Okay," Warren intoned, flushing. He cracked his knuckles. "Didn't think I'd be landing on C'o with Flirty Thrive today."

"He shows up in the most unexpected circumstances."

"So I'm just gonna have to deal with him all day, then?"

"Likely." Thrive smirked at him, standing with him at the airlock. "He's very stubborn."

leave (Meridian)—

Warren joined Thrive on the bridge of the Setae'togun a few hours after departure, as he took a call from the Consortium.

"Your Majesty," Sinkship's voice came through the comm, "I've gotten the impression that you're sending the [qrihk] refugees to Tournaltis instead of leaving them in Andromeda like we'd agreed."

Thrive sank into a chair, ignoring the quick glance from the pilot. "And what is the basis for that impression, Delegate?"

"We'll say a dutiful citizen and leave it at that."

Warren narrowed his eyes at the pilot at the same time as Thrive swiveled to him. The pilot went bright red, but set his jaw.

"In any other monarchy," Warren muttered through clenched teeth, "that would be considered treason."

The pilot kept silent.