#i bestow the greatest honor for characters that I adore

[etherealabyrinth]

Transmasc Mafuyu and Transfem Tsukasa is so real to me. I will not take any criticism.

[dragonagecompanions]

So I’ve seeing the ASOIAF author!Inquisitor AU has resurfaced. I have a curiosity: how does the DAI companion (perhaps also advisors) feel about the character Brienne of Tarth?

Cassandra: Sir Brienne of Tarth is without question or equivocation the greatest and most honorable character in any piece of literature. She is brave and unwavering in her loyalties, strong of oath and arm. Jamie Lannister does not deserve anything from her, but instead should be honored for whatever attention she chooses to bestow on him. Lady Stark could not have chosen a better champion for her daughters.

Years later, when the last book is finally written, Cassandra will receive the first copy. The handwritten note inside is simple and plain, but the Seeker will weep over it regardless and put it in a place of honor.

'I based her on you, Cass. I'm glad she meets your approval.'

Solas: A stoic and staid knight of little imagination who proves set in the thinking that might is right. Solas has no real opinion on the would be knight, for his attentions are on greater characters. But as Cassandra is one of the few companions willing to debate the merits of abandoning the North with real understanding he is willing to pretend greater regard than he might feel.

Varric: All he sees is Aveline, and while Kirkwall's resident author will never mention it to his friend it makes him smile. Somewhere far away Guard Captain Vallen is keeping his city safe with the same loyal tenacity-- he hopes Donnic sees the same parallels and points them out.

She still hasn't forgiven him for Swords and Shields.

Blackwall: She is fair and honorable, strong of arm and conviction. Everything a true lady knight should be. If she were real he would bet on her in the tourney. As it is her character is a welcome respite from those foul nobles in Kings Landing.

Vivienne: Madame de Fer can appreciate loyalty to one's charges and liege lord, even if Brienne's court manners would fail her utterly in the game. But she is a good role model for young templars in the circles Vivienne wants to rebuild, and so popular a series will help set the example.

Sera: Woof.

Dorian: Even if he is not romantically involved with the inquisitor (which he is, though it hardly grants him spoilers), it would not be hard to see that their resident Seeker is the basis for Brienne of Tarth. The necromancer fancies that his comment on Cassandra needing a blue scarf surely inspired the sapphire waters of Tarth, and is content with his addition to the Seven Kingdoms.

Now if only he can convince everyone else that Dorn is also a strategic name....

Iron Bull: She would be a hell of a sparring partner. The Qun badgers him enough about the books that even if he was not invested the Ben-Hassrath agent would have read them all. But he admires Brienne's singular focus, her loyalty and tenacity. Could use a bit more creative thinking, a little more ease with bending the rules. But she'd fit in well with the Qun.

She is added unanimously to the list of characters welcome in the Chargers. Krem will never admit his crush.

Cole: The characters are hard for him, when so many see them in so many ways. The books help--that is enough.

Josephine: She adores every character, except the Lannister's of course, and every winding path they take. Brienne would be about as difficult as Cassandra to train for social events, but just as useful. She does hope Jamie follows his heart and they wed though. That would be so wonderful!

Lelianna: She is watching greater characters, the horrors above the wall and below it, but something about the oath Brienne swears to Sansa reminds her of...

Of another, sworn long ago in far different circumstances with far greater sacrifices. It is a laughable thing, to sit in Skyhold a decade later and wonder how Shale would handle being compared to a fake human!

Cullen: He's just a little bit in love. It doesn't help that in some ways he sees himself in Jamie Lannister's redemption arc.

[sotwk]

Soooooo I’ve read Greenleafs Day Out and it’s adorable and I obv have favorites but why do you favorite Mirion (and maybe others)?

First of all, thank you so much for your interest in my OC Thranduilions. Fandom readers who support OC characters have a high seat of honor in my writer's heart. I appreciate you, mellon nin.

To answer your question, why is Mirion Thranduilion, eldest son of the Elvenking Thranduil, Crown Prince of the Woodland Realm, my personal favorite among my four creations?

Of all five Thranduilions, Mirion is the most perfect union of his parents' strengths. He has the King's physical and emotional strength and ferocious devotion to family; from the Queen, he inherited prudence, temperance, and compassion.

Mirion views his birthright as the eldest prince and heir not as a position of power or glory, but of duty and service. He serves the throne and realm in many ways, including commanding armies, governing major provinces, and acting as an ambassador to other Middle-earth kingdoms including Gondor and Khazad-dum. He is tireless and genuine in his self-giving ways.

Unsurprising and Vague Spoiler: Mirion is the only one of the Mirkwood Princes to die literally fighting (i.e. in combat) to protect his people from the Necromancer's evils.

And because he is my favorite, I bestowed upon Mirion the greatest honor I could grant any of my original characters. I gave him the face of the most beautiful man I (personally) believe exists on God's green earth: Mr. Henry Cavill.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to gush about him!

Tagging a few friends whom I believe are fans: @laneynoir @aduialel @tamurilofrivendell

If you're curious about Prince Mirion or any of my Thranduil/Thranduilion fics, please see My Masterlist. Please stay posted--many more stories are in the stewing pot!

Fiction and headcanon requests are open! Please check my Guidelines and send an Ask.

[ellssbellss]

Lavender Roses ~ (Kyoya X Reader)

pairing- Kyoya Ootori x Reader

In which a rational head hides a generous heart, but you have always known how to see past his walls and help him bloom into the gorgeous rose he is.

Enjoy a slow burn between an honor student and our beloved glasses character!

-> word count: 6.5k

-> summary: You talk over their argument. “They’ve never fought like this before.” You say to Kyoya before looking up at him, seeing that he is taking the same level of interest you are. 

“This is a very interesting development.”

-> i'm sorry it took me so long to get this out and it's so short, college is interesting lol.

see masterlist!: masterlist

The Twins Fight! pt. 1

“Kyoya! Oh my god, Kyoya!”

A bundle of mechanisms are caged into your palm as you burst through the club doors. Along with some of the guests that are not completely infatuated with the hosts in front of them, Kyoya’s gaze finds yours. For seemingly no reason at all, he is met with the widest, nearly manic smile he’s ever seen tightening across your lips. You laugh victoriously as you thrust your arm in the air and gently wave it, careful of the treasure that you bestow.

“I did it!” Your voice echoes across the music room towards him, and you miss the warning signs he sends you as your feet proudly carry you to Ootori’s table across the pink tile. You drop your forearms onto the wooden surface without grace, and let your fingers bloom open in front of the pale host’s face, showcasing your creation. 

“I am the greatest partner in the entire country- no! The entire world!” (E/c) eyes rake over the assembly of wires with the most adoration you’ve ever given anything. “This baby will power anything with nothing but pure solar power! Because of the inevitable constant use of our product, our customers will never have to worry about batteries again until this thing is worn down to its motherboard.”

“(Y/n)-” Ignorant to the way his eyes dart to the seat in front of him, you interrupt the club’s director.

“Wait!” You put a hand on his shoulder, moving the invention closer to his gaze so that he can get a better look. “There’s more! Not only is it solar powered, but the wiring is so compact that my predicted initial measurements will pair perfectly to its size. That has never happened before!” 

His lips move around clenched teeth. “(Y/n), I do not have time-”

“Just let me finish, I saved the best part for last!” You set the tangled technology on the table and begin passionately talking with your hands. “I am going to be able to assemble the entire thing to-night.” Emphasizing each syllable of that word, you struggle to contain an even bigger smile as you utter your next sentence. 

“So after a few test runs, not only will we be able to put focus groups together like you wanted, but on top of that, we can also begin the marketing process, moving us way ahead of your schedule!” You excitedly gauge his reaction, but you are met with frustrated pieces of gaze staring back at you. Wincing at the sharpness, your eyebrows furrow.

You try again, thinking he may not have understood you. “In summary, along with the perfect engineering from yours truly, we are ahead of your precious schedule, so we are not only able to double-check each and every thing that you can think of, but we can take the necessary time to guarantee an A.” You fold your arms smugly. “How does that sound, Shadow King?”

Kyoya’s lips pursed as his aggravated stare shifts from anger to bored annoyance, a questioning eyebrow indenting his forehead. 

You blinked, taken aback. This was not the reaction you were expecting.

Was he still mad at you? Were you speaking (n/l)?

That wouldn’t even matter, Kyoya was fluent in languages you had never even heard of.

“Look, I know you don’t like parading your emotions on your sleeve, but I need you to stand up from that chair and jump up and down with me as we celebrate getting the highest grade anyone has ever gotten from that goddamn, hard-ass professor.”

His visage hardens at your cursing, swallowing thickly as he sighs, the reflection of his glasses hiding his steel gray irises. 

“Are you done?” The ravenet asks, not able to look at you. 

You shake your head in confusion at his tone. “What?”

The pads of his fingers rise to rest against the frames of his glasses. “I asked if you were done, considering you requested for me to let you finish.”

“Oh!” Perking up, you're relieved as you realize that he was just saving his response for your ending statements. “Yeah!”

“Good.” To your horror, he turns stiffly to the seat across from him. “I’m terribly sorry for (Y/n)’s barbaric behavior, Monet-san.”

The weight of the situation cracks your shoulders slightly as you turn timidly to the girl poised in front of Kyoya. Perfect lips writhe over perfect teeth as Monet-san tries to keep her laughter in check at your interaction with the ravenet, mirth sparkling in her green orbs. 

“(Y/n), would you please apologize to my guest here for so rudely interrupting our time together?” Kyoya gives you another look that makes it known that if you don’t repent right this second, you might be killed. 

If you were anywhere else, you probably would’ve dropped to your knees. Instead, you opted for bowing in front of the French girl, a regretful expression painted on your face. 

“I am so sorry, Monet-san.” You stand back up to look at her, trying your best to save face. “I got carried away with this project that Kyoya and I have been working on for a while now, and I just got totally caught up in this huge breakthrough-”

A giggle breaks your rambling like light coming through stained glass. The sweet blonde waves off your long-winded explanation with a tease of her wrist, her jewelry reflecting the light from the chandeliers above you. The tension in your body disappears as you realize that she’s not mad at all, and that you didn’t just ruin Ootori’s entire business. 

Her french accent is embroidered in her voice as she laughs through her reply. “I appreciate the apology, but Kyoya and I were just saying our goodbyes.” She giggles again as she stands to pack up her things. Kyoya stands as well to help her out of her chair, and she curtseys in front of the two of you. 

“You two fight like an old married couple.” She makes a last minute comment from over her shoulder as she makes her way out the large double doors. “But you both are so cute together.” 

With that, the girl walks into the hallway, leaving the two of you frozen in place. 

‘What did she just say?’

Both of you tried to process the fact that she had just mistaken you for a couple, and then you both tried to sedate the absolute spark that shot up your spine from being paired together so easily, fighting the smile that tugged at your lips. 

‘Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What do I do?’

Questions ran through your mind, but still neither of you said a thing. Kyoya was unhelpful, as his glasses shielded his true thoughts, so you did the best you could to mend the flustering silence. 

Your first, and natural reaction to the boy beside you was to laugh it off, and fill the awkward space. 

“Oh wow,” Finally breaking the stillness, you turn to fiddle with the contraption still lying on the red table cloth. “I’ve been spending too much time with you, it seems.” Another slightly forced chuckle escapes you as you peek at him again, trying to predict whatever thoughts are going through his mind. 

A calculating gaze still rests on his face, an eyebrow raising as he still looks on to where the girl had just left. “Hm. I suppose so.”

His heart stuttered, but his face remained still. 

You didn’t know it, but a million thoughts raced across the forefront of Kyoya’s mind like shooting stars, each one equally desperate and blazing as they twinkled for his attention. Thoughts about you and him together, being seen as an official couple. Kyoya tried to control the images that flashed into his imagination as he zoned in on Monet’s comment, but his starless mind suddenly became scattered with sparks at the notion of you being his. 

And when he didn’t react to your teasing with some other retort, you started to worry. “I’m sorry if what she said made you uncomfortable.” You apologized, saddened by the possibility that he might be detested by the fact to even be associated with you in that way. 

At your tone, Kyoya slightly tilts his head to you, and for the first time, notices the stretched silence. He clears his throat, loosening the muscles from their tightened position.

He sighed, hiding his emotions behind his wall and sinking back into his comfortable cool demeanor. “As long as it doesn’t become a rumor that decreases business, then she can say whatever she’d like. It doesn’t bother me.” 

His words and lighthearted tone makes you relax a little, and you both dodge the rest of the awkwardness when his attention points back to the invention on the table. 

“Tell me more about this.” Kyoya says, and his long fingers gingerly grasp the contraption to review it at all angles. 

Beaming like a fangirl over your own creation, excitement fills the air as you center yourself in front of him in order to give him the full run down.

“This is the thing that is going to take our project to the next level. Everything is compacted to a usable size, and solar powered for optimal use.” Kyoya feels another spark of a feeling from your close proximity, but also from the glow that emits from your tone as you talk about your passion. 

“And we are ahead of schedule?” He asks, and you proudly nod your head.

Ootori raises an eyebrow, a content and proud simper falling onto his lips as he twists his wrist to survey your invention even further. 

A happy hum vibrates in his chest when he looks at you, both of you appreciating the closeness once more. “This is very impressive, (Y/n). Fantastic job.”

And just then, as the validation from your new found crush triggers another flutter in your chest, you both find yourself lost in the color of each other's eyes. There’s a gravity to him that keeps you there, but unfortunately, you’re only able to stay in his orbit for a moment. 

“(Y/n)~” A pair of sing-song voices float over the small bustle of the club room, and suddenly the twins are perched on each of your shoulders. 

“Sorry, Kyoya-senpai…” Kaoru says, placing a green hat on his head.

“But we need to steal this one from you.” Hikaru finishes, mirroring his brother with his own cap. 

When you see the forest green apparel that they shared, you shake your head assertively. “Absolutely not.”

“Come, on, (Y/n)! Let’s play a game!” Their arms move from your shoulders as they link with yours, and you are suddenly dragged to the center of the club room. Kyoya does nothing to end your suffering, but he is slightly peeved that the moment was ruined. 

A group of girls await the twins as they set you upright. Soon after, they tilt their hats to cover their expression and do a practiced dance around the guests as they shuffle themselves to confuse their audience. It reminds you of two magicians, demonstrating an act they’ve performed millions of times to the point where it was second nature. 

Suddenly, the blur of orange hair settles, and the brothers lift their caps up slightly to show their fox-like faces. “Let’s all play the ‘Which One is Hikaru?’ game!” They posed in a reflected fashion, one hand up and the arms closest to each other were crossed in an ‘X’ shape. 

The guests around them blush while you just sighed and turned to look out the window, shifting your weight to your other foot. It was hard to see them play this game over and over again, only for all of these girls to get it wrong. 

“What kind of game is this?” A down-to-earth voice sounded next to you as Haruhi appeared by your side. Turning to her, you chuckle sadly, watching the three girls in front of them ponder the age old question: Which One of Us is Hikaru?

“They put on caps to cover the parts in their hair, i.e. the only physical attribute that distinguishes them. Then they sit in front of these poor guests and ask them to tell which one of them is Hikaru.” You shake your head. 

“I get why they do it, but it can be tough to watch them get let down. Plus, I think it’s a little bit biased. Why can’t they guess which one is Kaoru? Hikaru is such an attention whore.”

Haruhi laughs at that and watches the brothers as they flash more poses in front of the guests. “That’s the dumbest game I’ve ever heard of.”

Your eyes widened, and before you could stop them, the twins spin around, placing a hand on their hips. 

“What, you’ve got a problem with it, Haruhi?” They speak in unison, careful to not give any hints to the answer to their game. 

“Not really. I just don’t understand why you two are so popular.” Haruhi retorts, and you beg her to stop talking. Your best friend was so so smart, and yet so so dumb.

“That’s not very nice.” Sauntering up to her, they take off their hats and throw them in your direction. Suddenly, you were a human coat rack. 

“I’m disappointed.” Hikaru’s voice lulls into something bored.

Kaoru copies his attitude. “It seems like you don’t understand the merits of having a pair of twins as members of the host club.” They rest themselves on either side of Haruhi, ready to give her the run down you’ve heard so many times before. 

“Having a couple of good looking guys with homosexual tendencies earns the club high points. It also helps if the two struggle between their friendship and their attraction.”

A pair of (e/c) eyes slid to a certain ravenet, then quickly reverted back to the moment.

“And in our case, because we’re twins, our relationship is taboo, and therefore more intriguing.” 

You scrunch your nose up at the guests who swooned in front of you. But before you can leave, the hats are jostled from your grasp as Hikaru and Kaoru slide into your line of sight. 

Hikaru gets closer to you than you’d like, and you feel soft skin coast against the bottom of your chin as he puts a palm under your face, tilting your head up slightly. 

His breath is in your ear as his deep voice resounds within you. “And besides, who hasn’t fantasized about twins? Having two loves is better than one, don’t you think?” 

Kaoru’s hand replaces his brother’s as your head is adjusted towards the other twin. “It’s a young woman’s fantasy.”

Nearly forgetting who was talking to you, a blush rushes to your cheeks before you can stop it. But soon, reality sinks in and you nearly want to gag. You flick them off and walk towards Kyoya and the others, mumbling under your breath. “You pervs.”

It was a good thing too, that you got away from them. When the twins watched with a victorious smirk as you stomped off, the expression was drained off their faces from a certain dark purple glare that met them from the otherside of the room.

When you got to the safety of Kyoya’s side, you were rolling your eyes at the twin’s antics, taking some of the tension from the Ootori son, but not all of it. 

The twins went back to being smug, but around here, you knew that there was never a break from the chaos. Large steps were heard from down the hallway. Dress shoes smacked against tile as Tamaki sprinted into Music Room #3, a fury mixed into his violet eyes. 

“Hikaru! Kaoru!” The blonde skidded in front of the twins, and you could almost see a vein popping out from where you were standing. 

The twins looked at him with a blank expression in response, only making the prince angrier.

“When I gave you control of the club’s website, I did so on one condition! That you take it seriously!” Tamaki yells in their face.

Hikaru and Kaoru play innocent as they wave him off with a flick of the wrist. “We take our job very seriously, boss...”

“...In fact, last night we worked on it ‘til dawn.”

Tamaki grumbles as he fishes out his laptop. “Is this what you worked so hard to create?!”

Nearly tearing the screen of his laptop off its hinges, Tamaki opens the computer to reveal a very interesting picture.

“What the hell?” You ask lowly, as the club members group around the image before the guests can see it.

Depicted in pixels, You and Haruhi stand side by side. Haruhi has her back turned to the camera, her torso bare and smooth for the whole world to see. And to her right, you were poised on your knees, a sheet covering up the most sensitive of areas, and a sweet smile was plastered onto your face. 

You’ve seen yourself enough times in the mirror to know that something wasn’t right. 

At the sound of something snapping, you turn to your left to see Kyoya, shoving two halves of a shattered pen into his jacket pocket, only to pull out the spare he always carried. His black book sharply closed, and his glasses hid the club director’s expression. His previously dim aura grew into another significant size, and a hand rubbed at his forehead in order to soften the new stress in his features. 

Your anger matched his when a swarm of guests took the laptop from you in order to gawk at the borderline porn that had just graced the internet.

“Tell me when.” Tamaki grumbles, and you knew he won’t be able to control his outbursts for very much longer. 

“Huh?” The twins looked at him with questioning gazes. 

Tamaki spins around, getting close and personal to the brothers who stole Haruhi's innocence. “Tell me when did you take pictures of Haruhi and (Y/n)?!” His face pales as he whimpers from the images reeling in his own imaginary mind-theater. “You bribed them, didn’t you?!”

The Hitachiians scoff and wave him off once again. “You’re imagining things.”

You huff. “It’s obvious the photo has been altered.” You clench your teeth as you make eye contact with the twins, trying to show them how much they messed up.

But they just smirk at your anger, happy to get some sort of satisfying reaction from their little prank. 

Tamaki whirls around to you as a smidge of hope wedges its way back into his posture. “It was…photoshopped?”

Both gingers strut over to their boss, smugness radiating off them like a foul smell. “We did a pretty good job, huh?” Hikaru asks.

“We’ve got some major photoshopping talent.” Kaoru finishes, slinking up to Tamaki’s side.

The prince throws them off, his rage coming back into full bloom. “You idiots!” Tamaki reels between them as he scolds them both. “That’s a waste of your skills! Have you no shame?!”

And just when you feel validated in your embarrassment, Tamaki groups together tightly with the twins with a photobook in his hand. “But if you’re going to do it anyway, can you photoshop them into this idol photobook?”

You roll your eyes as Haruhi’s face loses its color. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Boss…” When they see your reaction, Hikaru and Kaoru begin to push the prince towards the pair of you, ready to ignite anarchy.

“Why don’t you just ask them yourself?”

Tamaki thinks, then brightens up a little bit more. “I never thought to ask them.” 

Oh, poor, poor innocent Tamaki. With a large smile on his face, he stalks up to the both of you with an arsenal of charm and persuasion displayed at his fingertips. He holds up two very frilly dresses with a light blush on his face. 

“What do you think about these, my dears?” 

Haruhi stays frozen, and before you can really react at all, one of the dresses is taken from the boss’ grasp. Kyoya uncaringly tosses the pink fabric over his shoulder while continuing to look through his book, passing it to Mori, who throws it into the trash can next to him. 

Tamaki stutters as he watches his fantasy quite literally be thrown away, but turns to find Haruhi glaring at him once again, which encourages him to walk away. Slowly. 

The honor student lets out a breath she forgot she was holding since she saw herself bare chested on that computer and redirects her glare to the twins. 

“Now cut it out. No more taking weird photos of me. You got that? Just what do you guys take me for anyway?”

Another egotistic scoff emanated from the Hitachiian twins as they wrap their arms around each other’s shoulders. 

A synchronous reply comes from their smirking mouths. “Isn’t that obvious? You’re our toy.” 

Hikaru continues. “In order to entertain one’s self in this otherwise boring life…”

“One must find himself stimulating toys.” Kaoru says with a smile that doesn’t fit his words. A laugh escapes the both of them and you resist a second eye roll.

“A toy? Why am I your toy?” Haruhi asks, crossing her arms while raising a delicate eyebrow. 

“You took (Y/n)’s place when you broke that vase…” Kaoru explains.

“Plus, she was making it kind of boring.” Hikaru sulks as he turns to you. “It got dull when she started predicting our games.” 

You stick your tongue out at them, and the three of you looked similar to a group of young siblings having a fight over who got the last cookie. But before you could sprout into another bickering argument, the sound of a creaking door attracted your attention. 

A dark wood door slowly unbolted, swinging on its hinges to reveal a tall student in a dark cloak. You didn’t recognize him at all. In fact, had there always been a door there? Where did it come from?

“You want a toy?” The boy spoke in a wobbly voice, his tone sending a small shiver down your spine. 

“Okay then…” You shifted slightly closer to Kyoya when a cold gust of air trickled in from the mysterious door and mixed into the clubroom.

The boy kept talking. “Toys, toys, if you like toys, then you should come out and visit my black magic club. We’ve opened a marketplace that boasts black magic items from across the globe. We’re also holding mass around the clock.”

“Black magic?” You questioned, looking between the cloaked figure and Tamaki, who looked even more scared than you were. 

This boy stalks out even more, careful of the music room lighting, revealing a lit candelabra, and a small hand puppet in the shape of a cat. 

“If you visit right now,” his growing closeness makes you inch even closer to Kyoya until you’re flush against him. “I’ll even throw in a free curse doll. You can have Belzenef as your free gift!”

Haruhi, ever the unphased, just cocks her head to the side. “Why is he talking to us through a crack in the door?”

Looking up at Kyoya, you add on to the brunette’s question. “And has that door always been there?”

Kyoya continues to write in his folder, but he gives you a small, comforting smile. “Nekozawa-senpai likes to hide, he doesn’t really care for brightly lit places.”

You feel slightly better until Tamaki rises up behind you. “Don’t get involved with that guy, (Y/n).”

You jump and turn around, ready to fight the black magic spirit that was released from the mysterious door. 

“Holy sh-!” You take a breath from being startled. “Jesus, Tamaki.”

“If you do,” The prince stalks forward, his bangs covering his face and his tone dropping into one that would tell scary stories around a fireplace. “You’ll end up being cursed!”

“What?” Your voice rises a slightly higher octave as you spin around once again to look at Nekozawa. 

Haruhi rolls her eyes and walks over to you, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Do you have any basis for that?” 

“Yes. It happened during the final exams at the end of the last school year.” Sweat drips down the prince’s face as he zones into his past, barely being able to contain his fear. You’re on the edge of your seat, trapped in the suspense of what the fuck you should be thinking of this guy.

“On that fateful day, I accidentally stepped on that weirdo Nekozawa’s doll, Belzenef. Afterward, I took my exam, and the entire test was written in some strange lettering!” Gasping, you put your hands in front of your lips.

“I know! I looked at the others around me for help and realized I knew none of them! I was all alone in a different dimension!” 

You, Honey and Haruhi cling together, almost as if it was playing out right in front of you. “Did that really happen to you?” Haruhi asks, a wobble in her voice. 

Kyoya, who was behind you, sighs. “That only happened because you were so scared that you walked into the Beginning Greek class and took their exam.” 

Tamaki whooshes past you as he debates with Kyoya, which was never the right thing. “No, it was a curse! I know because three days later I woke up and my legs felt as heavy as lead! Just how do you explain that?”

“Oh wait.” The tension in your shoulders flushes out as your mind thinks back to that very day. “Didn’t you run a marathon the day before?”

Tamaki’s posture deflates when he realizes that yes, he had run a marathon, and no, he didn’t experience what it was like to be cursed in any sort of fashion. You deadpanned and sat yourself next to Kyoya again, slightly embarrassed that you got roped into the myth of it all.

You and the supernatural didn’t mix very well. You weren’t weak, obviously, and would fight anything head on. But when there was a ghost that you couldn’t punch, that’s where you ran into a problem. 

“You shouldn’t underestimate the dark powers of Belzenef the curse doll!” Nekozawa appears from nowhere, ready to defend his precious art. “All you have to do is write the name of someone you hate on his back. Then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune!”

“Can I write Tamaki’s name on the back?” You mumble to Kyoya, earning yourself a sharp exhale through his nose. 

The twins however, are unamused. They must change that. 

“Wow this guy is dark in more ways than one…” Hikaru says to his brother. 

“Supposedly he hates bright lights.” From your position next to your club’s director, you see Kaoru fish a flashlight out of his pocket. Where did he even get that? “I wonder what he’ll think of this?” And before anyone can stop them, they literally flashbang the poor black magic artist. 

Nekozawa’s cloak whips to and fro as he zigzags across the clubroom, desperate to get away from the evil beam of light. “You murderers!” 

He runs back into his dark dimension, slamming the door behind him.

“You guys are such dicks.” You say, arms folded across your chest.

“How could you guys do such a thing?!” Tamaki’s eyes fill with tears at the mere thought of the consequences from the twin’s actions. “You clearly don’t know the true terror of black magic!”

The twins turn to you, then the prince, then to each other. They shrug and ignore Tamaki’s pleas as they sit in a chair by the window. 

Tamaki sulks in a corner about his leadership being ignored. You walk over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, giving some sort of royal comfort. 

On the other side of the room, Hikaru sinks deeper into his chair. “I am so bored.” 

Nodding, Kaoru rests his head on his chin. “Is there anything fun we can do around here?”

A collective sigh rushes through them as they stare out onto the campus below, a cascade of sunlight gracing their features. 

It was a slight calm before the storm. 

As usual, they soon had a fantastic idea in order to quench their thirst for chaos, and raised their hands to get Haruhi’s attention. 

“Hey Haruhi! We’ve got a favor to ask you!” 

Already at the end of her patience with these two, Haruhi tiredly turns to the Hitachiians. “What is it?” 

“The next time we get a day off…” Hikaru leads. 

“...Could we come over to your place to hang out?” Kaoru asks. 

From your place next to the sulking prince, you roll your eyes again. It seems to be your initial reaction when you're around the twins. Tamaki shifts next to you, leaning towards the conversation slightly. It seems his pity party was forgotten at the mention of seeing Haruhi’s house. 

Haruhi would never willingly let them into her personal space, let alone her home. 

“Why would you wanna do that?” The brunette asks. 

But, of course, the twins will persist. 

“We’re curious~!” Fake innocence seeps through their voices. “We want to see where you live!” 

“No way.” Haruhi states, a blank expression forming on her face. 

And with that, an immovable force meets an unstoppable object. 

“Aw, pretty please?” The gingers persist, moving closer to her. 

“No way.” She repeats, putting her foot down. “You guys are just gonna make fun of me.” 

“No matter how much we beg you?” They lean in a little closer. 

“No. Way.” 

Before you can blink, Tamaki stands up next to you, showering himself with persuasive charm. You followed him back to the center of the room, cautious of Haruhi’s reaction. 

Rose petals seemed to surround him as he poses noblely. “I too have been thinking that it’s about time I pay my respects to our beloved Haruhi’s family!” 

 It was elegant. It was refined. It was beautiful. It- 

“No way in hell senpai.” 

It didn’t work. 

Tamaki was immediately shot back into his emo corner. 

Shaking your head, you try to hide the giggle that bubbled from your lips from the absolute shut down that the prince just experienced. 

Turning your attention back to the twins, you didn’t like the mischievous look on their faces. 

The tricksters put their fingers up in the air, suddenly deciding their next move. 

“We can settle this with a game!” Their green hats make a reappearance from thin air, and as they settle them on their head, they get closer to Haruhi. 

“If you can’t pick out which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight!”

You step up next to Haruhi and wave your hands in front of you. “Guys, she already said no. Respect her boundaries.” 

They pause, pretending to think on your request. “Mmmmm….no!”

You groan as they shuffle themselves once more. 

“Okay!” They stop, their voices blending in perfect time. “So which one of us is Hikaru?” 

You were about to whisper in her ear when the twins shook a finger out in front of them. “Uh-uh-uh! (Y/n) can’t help you.” 

“Wow, (Y/n), you can tell them apart?” One of the guests peaks around the boys in front of you. 

You nod with a small smile. “Of course, I’ve known them for over a year now.” 

“But how?” Another one perks up. 

You turn to them with a prepared reply, having to answer this many times before. 

“Have you ever spent time with them alone?” You point to the both of the twins. “Completely different people.” 

“It’s fine, (Y/n), I already knew anyway.” She points to a twin. “This one’s Kaoru, and this one is Hikaru.” 

You stutter, turning to your best friend in wonder. It had taken at least 6 months for you to get it down to a science, and Haruhi just blew you out of the water. 

“Uh oh, you got it wrong.” Their classic fake out, the ultimate test. 

“No, I know I’m right.” Hikaru and Kaoru froze, the same amazement you had from earlier shaping their features. “You guys may look alike, but you’re very different.” 

Suddenly, Haruhi was a god in your eyes, and you were unworthy. 

The twins look at each other, their golden eyes glazed with a sense of nostalgia. Your heart swelled. Slowly, their walls were falling, and one more person was able to get over their barriers. 

“How do you do that, Haruhi?” The same guests who were questioning you earlier focused their attention on the honor student. “Whenever they wear those hats to cover up which way they part their hair, it’s practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is which!” 

“Yeah, how can you tell them apart?” 

Haruhi raises some fingers to rest under her chin as she thinks. “Mm..well, how do I put it. It’s kind of difficult to explain.” She points to the left twin. “Hikaru’s speech and actions makes him come off a little more mischievous than Kaoru.” 

There’s some silence before Kaoru, the twin on the right, begins to chuckle slightly. It keeps boiling through his posture before he is doubled over in laughter in seconds. 

“Haha! I’m sorry Hikaru, I don’t mean to laugh.”

Hikaru rolls his eyes and glares at his brother. “Well, I don’t see what the problem is.” He bows his head and crosses his arms. “I’m honest, I speak my mind, and I don’t hold back.” He gives Kaoru another side eye. 

“It’s sneaky people like Kaoru who are the real trouble makers.” 

The laughter died down almost immediately as a cold tension stacked itself around the club. 

“Don’t turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I’m the one who is always going along with your selfish games.” 

A defiant look takes over Hikaru’s stance. “I may suggest them, but you’re the one who really gets into them, Kaoru. If you hate it so much, then why don’t you just stop?”

Kaoru scoffs. “Because I’d hate to see you make an ass of yourself.” His eyes turn to Haruhi and then back to his brother. “It was your idea to call Haruhi our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at her.” Tamaki shoots out of his emo corner once again. “You’re actually in love with her, aren’t you?” 

“Eh?!” The blonde next to you shrieks. 

You scan the two siblings who were suddenly at odds. This has never happened before. 

With a blush on his face, the last straw broke Hikaru’s back. “You’ve got it all wrong Kaoru! Man, you’re such a freaking idiot!”

The whites in Tamaki’s eyes are more apparent than ever. “Yeah, there are some things in this world that must never be said!”

“Why would I fall for her? She looks like a tanuki!”

Leaning into the dramatics of it all, you gasp and step forward to defend your friend. “How dare you call her a racoon dog?! You’re gonna pay for that!” 

The twins back away as you reach for them, but a rumbling motor stops the entire club in it’s tracks. 

“Perfect. This is just perfect!”

You freeze as a voice resounds through the room, grating against your eardrums in a great distaste. To your bad luck, Renge rises out of the ground on a motorized platform, her pink bow perky as ever. 

“What the hell…” You say as you back up to make room for the machine coming out of the ground.

“Our beloved Haruhi is in the middle of a beautiful yet poignant four-sided romantic relationship!” Her dress twirls as the platform begins to spin gently. “And to make it even more exciting, two of Haruhi’s admirers are twins, torn apart by love!” A blush forms on her cheeks as she strikes a longing pose. 

“Just the thought of it could make me eat three bowls of rice!”

Another eye roll escapes you as you walk back to Kyoya’s side. “Oh but out, otaku.”

Renge gasps and turns to you, sudden tears running down her face as she falls to the floor. “You are such a meanie, you shouldn’t say something like that to your manager!”

“You’re not the manager!” You cry back, but her tears are gone as she twirls her head around, ignoring your statement. 

Sputtering, you turn to Kyoya, but he only gives you a shake of his head, telling you to let it go. Whimpering, you let your head fall onto his shoulder. “I thought this nightmare was over already.”

Tamaki comes to Renge’s side, an arm held out as a peace offering. “But Renge, I thought you had feelings for Haruhi as well?” He asks, his voice strained. 

“Oh I do.” You huff at how quickly she got over her recent crush. You wonder how she did that. “But I have no problem with Haruhi having a homosexual relationship on the side.”

Tamaki sweat drops, and Haruhi steps in to try and reason with her. 

“I’m confused, I thought that you had gone home to France, Renge.”

“Well,” she starts, the blush stuck to her pointed face. “I was going to start up a host club of my own, but I don’t think France is ready for a host club quite yet.” 

Haruhi also looks like she ran out of ideas, but the twins’ bickering saves her from pushing the subject any further. 

“Cut it out already!” When you look back at the Hitachiians, they are head to head, throwing insults at each other left and right. 

Hikaru spits more venom. “You’re the one who’s always crawling into my bed at night. Talk about being annoying!” 

But Kaoru fights back. “I only do that because you look lonely! I wouldn’t choose to sleep in your bed, you idiot!”

You talk over their argument. “They’ve never fought like this before.” You say to Kyoya before looking up at him, seeing that he is taking the same level of interest you are. 

“This is a very interesting development.” He replies, an eyebrow raising as he flips to a new page in his folder and writes something down. 

You listen back in as the twins grow closer with each jab to the ego. “The way you grind your teeth is deafening!”

“At least I don’t toss and turn so much that I fall out of bed!”

Hikaru shouts louder. “Sex Pixie!”

Kaoru raises his bluff. “Sicko!”

They both take a final step towards one another and they mock in ironic synchronicity. “Your momma wears too much makeup!” They both scoff and turn from one another as they walk off. 

“That’s it, we’re over!” They both storm out of the same door but turn away into different spaces in the hallway, leaving the rest of the host club stunned. 

taglist: @abbysblogsstuff @sunukissed @kisskissshutmydoor @idonia-dovahkiin

[leupagus]

Seraphinaverse fics, or, goddamn y’all

One of the highest honors that can ever be bestowed on a fanfic writer is to have someone else write fic of their fic. When I started writing "a kind of dwell and welcome," I hoped it would be a short (lol) little story that would be fun and heartwarming and make people as happy reading it as it made me writing it.

Little did I know.

I've been meaning to draw up this list for a while, but you folks keep writing more incredible stories. So I'll update this as needed but for now, here are the eleven (ELEVEN) fics-of-fic that are, truly, some of the best writing I've ever been fortunate enough to read. I am putting them in roughly chronological order for anyone who wants to have a treat of a weekend read.

These laboratories and those picnics by another_Hero

Trent and Seraphina get a bad cold and Ted comes over to make them chicken soup. That's it — and it's perfect. The first fic-of-fic written as well as the first chronologically, it absolutely floored me. One thing I absolutely adore about their writing is how tender they are with their characters, giving weight to moments and gestures that knock you clean out of your socks. I’m also a sucker for a good didactic story, and this one delivers in spades in re: teaching how to make chicken soup from scratch.

take me apart by ladyfairhair

A lovely, contemplative expansion of one scene within "a kind of dwell and welcome," where Ted and Trent are still negotiating their romantic and sexual boundaries; it's lovely and hot and shows a very new side of Ted, the side that is able to slow down just a little bit and take in all that Trent's offering him. I also really adore Trent in this story, how in his own way he’s just as overwhelmed.

i like its hows by raedear

A cranky and stressed-out Trent gets the bubble-bath treatment with his boyfriend. I read this story with a giant grin on my face the whole time; raedear has a knack for getting you inside Ted's headspace in a way that feels very natural, even restful. Also features Ted having a thing about Trent's hair, which, who among us really.

you can call me loverboy by Waistcoat35

Oh my god — aka The Fic That Explained Fancams To Ted, And Also To Gus. I love the idea of Trent Crimm, Secret Fanboy; also given how hard he tries to give the impression of being an analog kid, the revelation that Trent knows more about TikTok than I do is a fucking delight. Ted's baffled glee at seeing just how much Trent was into him even before they started dating is similarly incredible. Even if they never do watch the red panda video.

Camellia sinensis by reginahalliwell

TED VS TEA. This is possibly the greatest twist on the Five Times trope I've ever seen, with Ted finding out about various types of tea and his reaction to them in turn (spoilers: he has a VERY positive reaction to the last one, ahem). Each section is also its own story, which in turn is part of the larger story of how Ted and Trent love each other, and love other people; so much of this fic is just about care in all its forms. I clapped to myself multiple times reading this.

On this ground by praycambrian

Ted takes his family to Kansas for the family reunion — Trent, Henry and Seraphina, who all have differing reactions to the Midwest. Thank fucking God praycambrian wrote this, is the main thing I want to say; this story is written from Trent's POV and praycambrian writes him in such an achingly poetic yet fiercely unsentimental way that I'm still agog, weeks after reading it for the first time. Ted's family is both exactly like and nothing like I would have expected, as people who love Ted but don't quite accept him, this "new" version of him, and the pain that inflicts on Ted makes you want to reach through to hold him yourself. But it's also a deeply joyful story; we get to see how Trent views this relationship and what it means to him, how he loves so completely and utterly. Just breathtaking.

this bed thy centre is by kirazi

Set right after the family comes back from Kansas, this is fic-of-fic-of-fic, or Ficepton, and I could not be more astounded by it. Taking place over a day spent in bed, Ted and Trent recovering from their vacation (as you always need to do) and soaking up each others' presence. What I like best in this story is the way they talk to each other; like adults with their own lives and priorities, but who have chosen — and who choose every day — to live those lives together, and to make each other a priority. Plus, there's a JFK anal joke that has to be read to be believed.

Any Eden We Can Name Has Dinosaurs by gutterandthestars

Ted, Trent and dino-crazy Seraphina return to the Natural History Museum, this time as a family. Gutterandthestars has a gift for writing affection, if that makes sense; it's hard to read this story without smiling, the way you do when you see loving families interacting with each other. There's also a lovely OC (several, actually) who glances off their day in that way that sometimes happens, an encounter with a stranger that you remember fondly, even though you'll likely never cross paths again.

Don't You Ever Ask Them Why by Valonia

Seraphina gets her period. I absolutely ADORE how Valonia wrote the teenage Seraphina, completely recognizable but fortunately not quite the terror she was at 3 or 4. Ted is also wonderful here; there's none of that sitcom-dad ridiculousness, merely a man who's (understandably) never had to deal with this particular issue before, learning as fast as he can. (Also Ted getting psyched that Seraphina gets her period is actually so cute and would be SO ANNOYING, I love everything about it.)

And, delightfully, there are AUs of this AU!

Edge of the abyss (it'll swallow you whole) by chanderson

A wonderful story that has Ted suffer his first panic attack in Trent’s presence much earlier in the relationship — this (as per the author's note) can be read as a stand-alone if you prefer. It's one of those stories that's so clearly written not just from a place of experience, but a place of love and empathy. And the way that the author writes Trent as understanding but not fussing - even as Ted feels defensive and worried — is just great.

a real right thing by another_Hero

So another_Hero dropped this fic in my lap and ran away cackling, for which I will NEVER FORGIVE AND NEVER FORGET. It's an AU that starts from before "a kind of dwell and welcome" even starts, giving a glimpse into what might have happened had Trent made a different choice, in Ted's office. That first scene between Ted and Trent made me hold my breath the whole way through, because I really didn't have a clue what would happen next. I have begged another_Hero to write an 85K fic but have been CRUELLY rebuffed.

I am so, so grateful to all the writers who devoted time, talent, energy and ideas to this universe; reading your works these past few months has been not just a privilege but a pleasure, and I would take you all out for drinks if I could. (And if I can, at some point, I will, so be warned.) Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[what-if-nct]

Some very random life things

I started blaming Johnny. The problem is, my friend blames Jun Wu from Heaven Officials Blessing and we started an argument lol. I also started a roleplay with her and my face claim is Shotaro. Hers is Hua Cheng from Heaven Officials Blessing. (Also she keeps sending me the violent making out that takes place in the novel but I wont complain). I think my neighbours cat has a praise kink. Everytime I compliment him, he starts rubbing against me. Honestly it's adorable. I love Sammie (the cat) so much seriously. Also Haechan I might have a thing for Haechans. Seriously this boy is so amazing. He's everything. I love him. Haechan if you ever go to this blog and see this: I love you so fucking much please become gay and choke me. Step on me. I mean-

Anyways, WayVs season greetings will kill me. Also AleXa cosplaying as kakagurui characters I love Alex so much seriously. Also I lowkey want to write a random porn and send it to here is that okay?

Also why, how, h o w are you so sweet I love you

-sneeze anon

That is a great basis for life, just blame Johnny for everything, He probably had a hand in it somehow, in fact I know he did, that Chicago boy is always doing something. That means he's claiming you as his. So yes totally. You compliment him and in return he is like You now belong to me. you now that cat's property the greatest honor has been bestowed upon you. Completely understand, Haechan is the most beautiful boy, his voice, like the purest honey every, he is so funny and for what reason. Like he wants power and I think he should have all of the power it's what he deserves. And WayV's seasons greeting is the best, Yangyang and Xiaojun specifically had me feeling things. Yeah, sure you can send it over honey.

Awwww stop, you're so cute!!!!! I love you too!!!!💕💕💕💕

[dustydahlin]

The Gospel

The gospel is one of the greatest teachings in the Bible. But what is it?!

The concept of the gospel comes from the Greek word εὐαγγελίζω (euangelizō). Ultimately, it means good news. Throughout the New Testament, it is seen that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of restoration and reconciliation to God. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, we are giving the most concise understanding of the gospel. It states the gospel is the death, burial, resurrection, and appearing of Jesus. This is of insurmountable importance. This informs us that the good news must be inextricably tied to the person of Messiah. Any "gospel" that would remove Jesus Christ is no good news at all. If there is any good to be found, it will only be found in Jesus. 

Also, 1 Cor. 15:1-5 is important because it draws the heart and the mind to that which was accomplished through the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah. It points to the work of Jesus. Paul elaborates on this in Romans 4:24-25. He states how Jesus "was delivered up [died] for our trespasses and raised [resurrected] for our justification" (ESV). Here, we see the deeper significance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus mentioned in 1 Cor. 15. We see how these elements serve to communicate the atoning work of Christ - and all that was accomplished through his sacrifice. 

Now it is important to note how the gospel is good news. 

As will be addressed below, the gospel is good news for man and it is good news for God. 

It is obvious how the gospel of Jesus is good news for mankind. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he created a perfect world which he declared "very good" (Gen. 1:31). God imagined a perfect world. A world without death, sorrow, pain, and suffering. It was the very world God created in Genesis 1 and 2. And even so, Adam and Eve rebelled against God and brought sin (and its consequences) into the world. This rebellion injected sin into the hereditary fabric of humanity, and - whether we like it or not - all mankind is prone to the sinful torments of the flesh (Rom. 5:12,19). That is the bad news! But the good news is God intervened. 

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

God sent Jesus into the world to restore and reconcile mankind back to himself. Because of the work of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we can have hope beyond the temporary, we have the promise of new life, we are given purpose, and we were reconciled to God; and now we can enjoy a relationship with him. God did what we could not do. He bridged the chasm that exists between heaven and humanity, and he sought to undo the damage sin had done to the world and mankind. This work was completed and freely given to any, and all, who would accept Jesus Christ by faith. This is truly good news! 

Secondly, the gospel is good news for God. While it may not be as obvious, it is equally important and deserves attention. 

One of "Scriptures' most significant meta-narratives is that of God's desire to be glorified" (Mark Dahlin). Ultimately, God desires to be glorified on earth. He is good. He is benevolent. He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger. He is holy. He is majestic. He is patient. He is powerful! It is not only that he deserves the praise, honor, and glory, but his worth is of unsurpassable benefit. 

God's desire for such is seen in many instances throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 48:9-11, God declares, 

"For my name's sake I defer my anger;

    for the sake of my praise [glory] I restrain it for you,

    that I may not cut you off.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;

    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,

    for how should my name be profaned?

    My glory I will not give to another"

Similarly, when God promises the New Covenant in Ezekiel 36, he describes his motivation in establishing it as "I had concern for my holy name...  I will vindicate the holiness of my great name... It is not for your sake that I will act... [and] Then they will know that I am the Lord" (21-38). This incredible prophecy of the messianic covenant clearly describes God's motivation. It shows his desire to be glorified. To be praised. To be honored and adored (cf. Eph. 1: 3, 6, 12, 14). 

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

This (and many other scriptural instances) demonstrate God's desire to be glorified. As is implicit in Eph. 1:3-14, the work of Jesus Christ is not just good news for humankind. It is good news for God! By reconciling and restoring people to himself, God is ultimately made glorious in the lives of people. The gospel is good news for God because it was "to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Despite our humanity and our self-centeredness, the gospel is much greater than just good news for us. It is the good news for God! The work of Jesus Christ to bring us back into right standing with Yahweh was intended to also make God look beautiful, glorious, and magnanimous in the world. Perhaps this is why it is said, "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance" (Rom 2:4). The gospel is good news for God because it was intended to show his lovingkindness and draw people to himself. 

Having described the gospel as the good news of restoration and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ, the Bible also highlights a few significant elements which underlay the gospel message. Below is a concise outline of the foundational elements to the biblical presentation of the good news. 

Elements of the Gospel:

1) Grace - "The explanation for God's saving action lies nowhere but in God himself" (J. Knox Chamblin). Grace can be defined as divine influence to, and through, mankind. 

Simply put, the good news of restoration stems from the goodwill and gracious character of God. It was God's desire (and design) to save those whom He loves (cf. Ezek. 18:32; 1 Tim. 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:9)!

This is why the historic events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are so important (1 Cor. 15:1-4). It was nothing less than God's gracious mercy that caused God to become incarnate so as to live, to die a substitutionary death, and to resurrect as the first fruits from the dead (Phil. 2:6-11; John 1:1-5, 14-18; 1 Cor. 15:20, 23). The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as our Jewish Messiah, are all part of God's grace to mankind (cf. Rom.4:24-25). It was through the person and work of Jesus that God created a means through which mankind could be saved. Knowing that man could not save/restore themselves, God intervened. 

“What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:27). 

How amazing is the grace of God! He made himself singly responsible for the work that would bring the restoration and reconciliation of mankind. 

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

2) Free Gift - This is exactly as it sounds. 

By free gift, I refer to something undeserved and unearned. This concept is seen in many passages. (cf. Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; etc...). 

Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"There being no righteousness to reward, Yahweh acted to create righteousness in Israel" (J. Knox Chamblin) (cf. Isaiah 53:11; Isaiah 53:3-12). The Bible clearly demonstrates that "none are righteous before God" (Rom. 3:10). And, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). There was no way to earn reconciliation. All of humankind is inherently sinful. Even our best attempts to please and appease God would fall short of the necessary righteous requirements. Knowing this, Yahweh offered a free gift to all of mankind. Any, and all, that would believe in Jesus Christ could be saved (1 Tim. 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:9) – no works, no merit, just faith. 

Our fallenness was not the desire of God. God never desired corruption, wickedness, and sin. So, He freely chose to present the gift of restoration to mankind. To "as many" as are born under the curse of Adam (which is everyone), and are plagued with the inherent consequences of sin, Messiah offered the good news of restoration to all who would receive it by faith (Rom. 5:16-18). 

Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 

John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned..."

3) Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is an essential element of the good news of restoration. 

Part of God's gospel of restoration is that He would send the Holy Spirit. This was done, by grace, as a means of reconciliation for a restored relationship with God. This, perhaps, may be seen most clearly in the Old Testament proclamations of messianic restoration (Ezek. 36: 23-29; Ezek. 37:3-10, 14; Jer. 31:31-34: Joel 2:28-30; etc...). The Good News and promise of restoration would not be complete without the person and work of the Holy Spirit. 

Ezek. 36:25-27, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

 We have been restored/reconciled back to right relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity who is responsible for giving us unfettered access to God and bestowing the blessings and promises of God upon his people (2 Cor. 3:4-18; John 14-16). In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, the dispensing of the Holy Spirit is seen as a fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Messiah would die a substitutionary death, raise in three days, and pour out the Holy Spirit as part of the good news of restoration. This can be seen in Eph. 1. 

Eph. 1:13-14, "In Him [Jesus] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory."

Rom. 8:9b, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." 

The Holy Spirit is an essential element of the Gospel. Without him, there would be no regeneration, no life, no promises, and no relationship with God. Jer. 31 states that "they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." The Holy Spirit is given freely to all who would believe in Jesus Christ so that all would know God personally and intimately. God, the Holy Spirit, has been given to each believer. This was part of God's plan of restoration. 

  4) Final Perfect Restoration - There will be a day... 

The final essential element of the Gospel is that of a final, perfect restoration. "The gospel bears witness to every aspect of Christ's saving work, from his birth and public ministry to his second coming and the last judgment" (J. Knox Chamblin). A massive part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that of the complete restoration of mankind, the heavens, and the earth. This aspect of the Gospel is also seen in both the Old and New Testaments. From Isaiah's proclamation of the Good News to John's Revelation of Jesus, the Good News has always been that God would COMPLETELY AND PERFECTLY restore that which was marred by sin and death (Isaiah 25-26; Isaiah 60-62; Revelation 19-22). 

This aspect of the good news is that the Lord will return physically, personally, and literally; believers will receive their glorified, immortal bodies; and (at the end of the age) there will be a final judgment of all wickedness and sin, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth (1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21:1-5; Rom. 8:18-25; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; etc…). This is the culmination and consummation of God's plan of salvation and restoration. God, being rich in mercy, has sovereignly decided to move all things toward an age of perfect peace, where there will be no more crying, sorrow, or pain. 

1 Cor. 15:50-57, "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'

 'O death, where is your victory?

    O death, where is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rev. 21:1-5 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'”

 Bakers Evangelical Dictionary of Bible Theology states, "'The hope held out in the gospel' (Col. 1:23) includes Christ's return and the heavenly glory (Col. 1:5; 2 Thess. 2:14-16), as well as the final judgment (Rom. 2:16). For those who embrace the gospel, the judgment holds no terrors, because the Judge has rescued them." How great is the good news of restoration through Jesus Christ! We have the future promise of complete and perfect restoration - where God will fully, and finally, receive the glory he is due! 

[twitchesandstitches]

Alt Fleet Origins

idea i wrote up during my absent spell a couple months back; alluded to a few times and decided it was time to post it:

Consider this: the core group of the Fleet and thus the characters you might consider the central characters (Sierra, Terezi, Rose Quartz, Grimlock and Undyne) are the members of the generation that made the FLeet what it is, but they’re not the FIRST generation of the Fleet

They didn’t found it, but shaped it into what it is now, making them the heroes who defined the Fleet, gave it power and brought them home after ages of suffering and nomadic flight, but there is a lot that predates them

In short, it expands on the culture of the Fleet and makes it about more than just them!

This does require tossing out a lot of my original ideas for the Fleet’s origin and the foundations of the AU (Sierra discovering the Matriatrix and finding the other founding groups during the course of several adventures, building up their collective powers and creating the basics of the Fleet), but heck with it, some of the ideas I’ve had for this are SUPER fun and make a lot of sense within the AU

The actual founding generation goes back much further, perhaps an additional several hundred years prior to the birth of Sierra, who being the least difficult to map to realistic ages, makes a good barometer. The Fleet’s core ideas (it’s codes of honor, the way they handle things, and the basic social concepts) go back to the original founders, who banded together for mutual survival in a hostile multiverse where they were outcasts.

Most of the original groups are still represented here, but their ancestors are the ones who came into the fold first, so to speak.

(Greater detail and worldbuilding below)

I’m thinking there were probably no human members of the group, and came later; possibly humans are a bit of a rarity in this AU, at least in terms of population. Elves, dwarves, tieflings, they’re more common, but bog-standard humans are simply less common than you might assume.

The Homestuck contingent is represented by the troll ancestors: Neophyte Redglare as their leader, the Dolorosa, the Disciple, maybe the Executioner and the Signless. Additionally they had a large number of trolls allied to them, effectively they’re the Beforan versions of the ancestors (though giving them different relative ages for the sake of interesting divergence, like making Porrim a primordial vampire) until Beforus fell in ancient times, and the struggles of survival shaped the Beforus characters of the dancestors into the wiser but harder characters on par with the Alternian ancestors. While likely revolutionaries, these specific trolls were mainly just trying to survive without a homeworld, and being unwilling to take Condy’s ruthless measures to claim one for their own. Redglare would be the original wielder of the Matriatrix here, eventually passing it on to Sierra.

Because the troll kids (Terezi, Vriska, Feferi and the others) come later, presumably this means that you had to have access to all the troll ancestors genetics to get them. This might mean that, for a while, ALL the ancestors were part of the Fleet or had their genetics acquired somehow; this has interesting implications for Mindfang and the Condesce.

The Gems are, quite simply, the Crystal Gems. Possibly the core group (Rose, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst, Bismuth) with additional crystal gems rounding out the population. They were also just trying to survive, and specifically avoid restarting Homeworld, the circumstances of the Crystal Gem Rebellion are way different here, and possibly unrelated to Earth, though it’s also quite possible that Homeworld was outright destroyed prior to those tensions building up into full revolution. The human characters, at the beginning of the Fleet, wouldn’t have been born yet. Lapis is off somewhere else doing her own thing, Peridot possibly hasn’t been born yet (???) and Jasper MIGHT have a servant of Rose before leaving to join the Stingers once they’re formed to amass her own glory, or else had no idea Pink Diamond survived.

The Transformers present an interesting possibility: maybe Grimlock is actually younger here? I like him having participated in the Autobot/Decepticon wars too much to have him been born recently, but if the war was more recent, that might play into things. I’ve implied that the Cybertron Civil War took place many eons ago and shaped history across the multiverse, but it’s possible that this can be fulfilled by the children of Primus carrying out the same narrative cycle repeatedly, with the Autobot uprising dating to, at most, a thousand years ago. This would make the Autobots SIGNIFICANTLY younger than usual, and also let me mess around more and make things even more AU.

An alternative possibility is having Transformers (And other long-lived beings that don’t mature physically) grow up as a response to emotional growth; they are prompted by life experiences to mature and change, but don’t do it in a vacuum. Thus, Grimlock and the other Autobots can be millions of years old but until they go through exceptional circumstances, they don’t change much over time. Leaning towards the former option of them simply being way younger than I normally do it, simply because I VERY RARELY make the Autobots younger than series average and it might be fun to mess around with that.

In any case, the founding Autobots would be a smallish group mainly led by Elita-1, Arcee, several others of note (Ultra Magnus, Jazz, ect.) and of course, Wheeljack and Ratchet, who are Grimlock’s parents. Grimlock himself may have been alive at this time, but he remained taciturn and withdrawn after the things he suffered, and doesn’t become a major player until later. The smallest in overall number, but the largest in terms of power. Most of those would, of course, be fembots.

The Undertale roster is largely unchanged, since they seem kinda long-lived anyway. They probably provide the largest initial population for the Fleet, because of the sheer diversity and monster girl possibilities they provide! Monster Musume characters would also be included in their numbers; specifically the monster moms. Toriel, as queen of the monsters and perhaps led by portents she believes the monster goddess, Mothra, has bestowed upon them, leads her people (the Undertale characters; the human ones and Deltarune characters are born later) to find a place to survive, and eventually bond with the rest of the Fleet.

Add in additional characters and groups as needed, with some provisos: no humans at all at this point, they come later. Secondly, this version of the Fleet is a large band of nomads, perhaps numbering several hundred at most for the first generation or so, traveling from continent to continent and then world to world via teleportation gates they discover, uncovering a mystery that eventually leads into the overarching conspiracy that the Fleet will later investigate.

They are thus a convoy, staying on the move from their enemies and just trying to survive. They have kids, mind their own business, but can’t help being heroes and getting a bit of a reputation; eventually they wind up being superheroes of a sort.

Redglare, as mentioned, is the first wielder of the Matriatrix for the FLeet. I dunno where SHE got it (found it? it was passed down to her by a mentor?) but she uses it in a very different way from Sierra; the modding and power-enhancing scene requires an economic base and adventuring capability the proto-Fleet does not have, at this point, but they are able to use some of its powers to begin changing themselves to stay alive and relevant. Possibly the first signs of hyper proportion power levels begins here. But no one has any idea how to use it, and as in the current time, must experiment: Redglare ultimately does not learn the specific abilities Sierra did, but combines its alchemizing abilities with her innate Mind powers to draw abilities from those around her, combined with the zeitgeist of the area around her and, in a sense, weaponize the narrative to randomly generate abilities and spell effects. She is ultimately far better at the subtle abilities and Sierra still falls short of living up to her skills. Redglare is the first champion and leader of the Fleet, the heroine they all adored, and leaves big shoes to fill. (Her fate is… open to debate.)

Eventually, there is a second phase around the third generation of children and the signs of the Matriatrix’s gifts imbuing them with hyper fertility and devouring/pregnancy powers so that the Fleet is associated with nomming themes and producing huge amounts of children. By this point they have multiplied by several hundred members, both taking in anyone who wants to join their merry band and reproducing… a LOT. Gems and Transformers have been changed to be able to have super pregnancies, but not to the one-woman population booms in the present. This significantly alters the dynamics for their people, since the difficulties of resources for making new Gems and Transformers is a major problem for reproduction; possibly something similar applies to trolls, as I imagine the mother grub not being a natural part of the reproduction, but akin to a biological cloning machine inducing inbreeding due to over reliance on it.

Around this phase, two things happen, in no particular order, but as a result, some humans enter the Fleet. Again, humans are a relatively rare and severely underpowered species, and possibly in the process of dying out. But their greatest place of utopian ideals and success is the world-nation of Wakanda, reimagined her as a massive ringworld inhabited by humans, robots and the creations of ancient humans. It is a distillation of Marvel, with the entire human population being mutants; powers are universal, and the older generation of BNHA characters also originate from here (All Might, Inko). The Fleet seeks shelter, and for some time, calls Wakanda home. This utopian wonderland becomes the Fleet’s first true stable homeland, and eventually the beginning of their spaceflights; eventually they can no longer remain after Wakanda is devastated by Evil, and the notion of Wakanda becomes a spiritual homeland they home to one day reestablish.

By this point, the clan social system that eventually replaces biological families entirely begins to manifest, growing out of the social structures of Wakanda and the factionalism present within the newborn Fleet itself.

The other thing that can happen before or after the joining with Wakanda; the discovery of ancient cloning facilities, in which humans played a part. Great mechanisms to produce vast amounts of cloned offspring lay dormant, but fully functional, and providing the Fleet with valuable lost technology that will become the basis for later bio-tech. The facility contains information on the twenty-eight hundred trillion different bloodlines of the many species recorded, among them human bloodlines that still have a claim to the last dynasties of Earth in its pre-Cataclysm hey-day, and the offspring of those bloodlines would have tremendous cultural influence due to their descent from the last great powers of their people.

The Fleet begins what will become a solemn vow to resurrect life whenever possible; eventually they will start gestating fallen species, but they begin by simply starting the machines back up and raising the resulting children on their own. Among these are the first human members to be born into the Fleet; these include the human guardians from Homestuck (Pop Egbert, Mom Lalonde, Grandpa Harley, non-abusive Bro Strider) as well as anyone explicitly confirmed to be human and born into the Fleet; of note, the human SU characters from an older generation, most prominently Greg Universe.

Additional time passes, more generations come and go, and the Fleet’s initial powers grow more advanced; rebirth via pregnancy becomes a viable technique though not as widespread as it will become, and extends life spans considerably. Hyper huge proportions and recreational modding become more common, and with Redglare’s increased control over the Matriatrix, the beginnings of the Fleet’s superpowers status beings.

Now we come to the birth of the ‘current generation’; the characters the AU focuses on. Sierra, the other TDI characters, and the Homestuck kids and trolls are born. (Analogues to the Beforan characters as they are in the dancestor bits are also born roughly around this time.) The human characters in question (mainly the TD and Homestuck humans like Jade, Roxy, Jane and John) are a mix of being born from the cloning processes and offspring of the human mutants. The trolls, though, are explicitly the biological children of the troll ancestors, even if they are not raised by them as per Fleet custom.

Thus, everyone effectively grows up as friends and have an established society that predates them, putting less of an emphasis on them as the sole heroes; they stand on the shoulders of those who came before.

Sierra winds up becoming a protege of sorts to Redglare, and Terezi, as her descendant, suffers a great deal of pressure to become as great as her, while Redglare does her best to just let her descendants have a happy, ordinary life.

At some point, though, Redglare leaves the story. However it happens, she passes the Matriatrix onto Sierra, when all expectation was that Terezi would continue her legacy. This causes a great deal of tension between the two, even though they are very close prior to this. Eventually it is repaired, but not without damage.

In her childhood, Sierra befriends Grimlock (Effectively being his human companion friend, in TF fandom terms), bringing him out of his gloomy shell and lightning him up a little bit into the hero we all know he can be.

Sierra’s discoveries, as well as those of her friends (most predominantly Feferi, who is effectively the mother of modding) and the leadership of their particular group begins to shape the Fleet into what it is, setting the stage for its current position as it grows and changes.

(This also means that Vriska, and perhaps a good chunk of the Stingers, were originally part of the Fleet, perhaps those who opted for personal gratification or glory over the Fleet’s heroic intentions.)

Some other consequences is that the Fleet initially grew gradually, slowly absorbing people into it over time and then growing just a bit faster at a time as the Matriatrix’s powers expanded into others… and relatively recently, their expansion went from a few worlds and a single fleet to multiple ones, and a MASSIVE population explosion that continues even to this day. This rapid expansion is clearly terrifying to most people and a serious threat to people who originally saw them as hedonist outcasts and rogues challenging tyrants.

The second one is a theme of building things over the course of multiple generations, but suddenly the plan is askew. Redglare, the seemingly immortal wielder of the Matriatrix, is gone. Her plans, whatever they were, are suddenly stalled and the Fleet doesn’t have a rudder; people depended on her and revered here, and Terezi and Sierra wind up having to take the reins and inspire people. Sierra the heart-felt champion and the one they adore, and Terezi winds up the one with a plan and purpose people can root for.

Things build up and expand from simpler roots, growing more complex and better than what their forerunners initially created. They might be standing on the shoulders of giants, but they’ll grow far bigger than their parents did.

(The metaphor is somewhat muddled by the fact that the Fleet’s stronger people genuinely regard ‘growing bigger than a planet and using your finger to destroy a kaiju’ as mid-tier feats, but the point still stands.)

[nerdboyhero]

▶️🔷♦️🔘❣

Writing Meme || Tell me what you think 

▶️ Your verbs are strong and spot on.

🔷 Your dialogue fits your character perfectly--it's like I can hear them speaking when I read your dialogue.

♦️ Your long replies never get repetitive or boring.

🔘 Your short replies always pack a punch.

❣ You always use varied and interesting vocabulary.

__

|| You honor me because in my mind, 

“🔷 Your dialogue fits your character perfectly--it's like I can hear them speaking when I read your dialogue.“

is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon me as a writer. You really are too sweet. Thank you so much

[recentanimenews]

Fans Give Their Hot Takes On The Anime Awards

More important than the Oscars, the Grammys, and the Havelock, North Carolina Chili Cookoff combined is the Anime Awards. It's that wonderful time when we can look over the past year of anime and bestow honors upon the ones that most touched our hearts. And with them looming ever closer, we asked some of y'all to give us your hot takes on who YOU think should take the trophy in some of the categories. And you didn't disappoint. Your answers ranged from surprising to thoughtful to inspired, so we decided to collect the twelve best of them and post them here for the rest of the internet to love and appreciate and then, as the internet does, nitpick into oblivion. 

  I'm gonna go down category by category, and what better category to start with than the big one: Best Anime.

  BEST ANIME

  "Yorimoi for AOTY" by Cameron (A Place Farther Than The Universe)

  A Place Further Than The Universe was the best anime of the year. It was the best anime by far and no other show came even close. There were plenty of other shows I loved this year like Laid-back Camp and Revue Starlight but none of those shows compare to the good good Antarctica girls. The show teaches amazing lessons and made me cry many times. The email scene at the end of episode 12 made me cry for hours and I still tear up every time I think about it. It's just genuinely one of the best shows I've ever seen. This is my new go-to recommendation for people who want to get into anime. Their adventure is so inspiring and it deserves anime of the year. 

  "Devilman: Crybaby" by Manic Stylo (Devilman Crybaby)

  It's been almost universally accepted by both formalist and populist anime fans that Devilman Crybaby has the qualities of an instant classic. From its unique visual direction, infectious soundtrack, and unrelenting use of adult content, Devilman Crybaby breathes new life into Go Nagai's classic manga and beautifully streamlines it for a contemporary audience. Remaining mostly faithful to its source material, director Masaaki Yuasa's sensibility for abstract and avant-garde visuals makes for a delightfully nightmarish fever-dream adaptation of Nagai's original concept (it's a match made in heaven...or hell in this case). As far as adult anime go, Crybaby is consistently balanced fare with uncompromisingly violent action for anyone who just wants a fun romp, solid thematic undertones for those who want more bite out of their shows, and tastefully implemented real-world commentary if you want more than just escapism. A hyper-stylized modern gothic masterpiece, whether it worked for you or not, Devilman Crybaby will not leave your subconscious any time soon.

  "Zombies But Still Alive" by Jouii-chan (ZOMBIE LAND SAGA)

    2018 has been quite the year for anime. It's my first year that I've been watching and keeping up with seasonal anime with Crunchyroll! But one show stood out to me, and that show was Zombie Land Saga. For the first few episodes, I was pretty doubtful about the series. I mean, an idol anime with zombie girls? That was just plain crazy!

  But as the show went on, I realized Zombie Land Saga was more than some silly comedy show. It was beauty. All the characters had great chemistry, and the music was great. It got me addicted to it with it's great music too. The best part of the show was how it showed the indomitable human spirit and how even through the toughest of storms, anyone can prevail. Sakura provided a great lead with her past sucking her of all her confidence, yet she overcomes this to lead Franchouchou to a great future. Zombie Land Saga was one of the surprises of 2018, and I was always hyped to watch the new episodes when they came out.

  "Violet Evergarden: An Anime for a Lifetime" by James (Violet Evergarden)

  Violet Evergarden is an anime that grabs your heart. The loss of a father, mother, daughter, son- the fears of rejection, regret, and failure- Violet Evergarden reaches inside you, and pulls tight on these strings. It's not just a post-war story; Violet Evergarden is a somber filled tale that elicits a strong sense of empathy from the audience. Beautifully rendered and well-paced, the story features a subtle escalation in heart ache and healing. Each episode takes the time to fully immerse the audience in a complex micro-story filled with very human lives. This anime understands the importance of a well developed character, and spends it's time wisely weaving this incredibly vibrant, living world. Story aside, the animation and artwork are absolutely stunning. When paired, the audio and visual cues truly bring the world of Violet Evergarden to life. From start to finish, there is no other animation that delivers a more compelling sense of catharsis and satisfaction, and that is why I believe Violet Evergarden deserves to be Anime of the Year.

    Best Boy

    "I Would Lay Down My Life For Toono Hiyori" by Nija (Free! -Dive to the Future-)

  200 words definitely aren't enough to properly convey my intense love and appreciation for my everything, the light of my life, the absolute blessing that is Toono Hiyori from Free! but I'M STILL GONNA TRY because he deserves everything. Starting out as a fun antagonist, turning into a slightly confusing antagonist, and then ep. 6 hits you with that ABSOLUTE GUT-PUNCH and I weep for him always. He did some things wrong (though I understand why he did them and wouldn't say I necessarily disagree tbh) but in the end he's just a lonely boy giving everything for the person he cares about the most without ever asking anything in return. Less important but still Important things include: he's a jerk sometimes and I love it. His frenemyship with Asahi? The funniest thing. He can and will ruin your life with a smile, he loves reading and coffee and has a really good fashion sense, he's very organised and on top of things, even if he's a social mess lbr... And if he likes you, he'll probably kill for you. All in all he's just the best and you, person who's reading this entry, should know that too. Bless his soul.

  "Katsuki Bakugo, A Living, Breathing Explosion" by Mimi Valentine (My Hero Academia)

  Katsuki Bakugo is easily one of the most dynamic characters of the year. Starting with his complicated relationship with Izuku, his hidden jealousy for a boy with no quirk, to outright anger at him suddenly having a quirk, to the rejecting the trope of "rival becomes evil for greater power," to confessing his feelings of inferiority towards Izuku, and the intense self blame for what happened to All Might. Katsuki has always shown that he has this heart, from treating Uraraka as his equal in the torunament, to fully acknowledging Izuku's growth ans strength. Seeing his slow dismantle from just a typical bully to a hidden broken boy only to show you that under all that anger, he's truly just a boy who wants to be a hero.

  "Why Rimuru Tempest is the bestest boy of not just this year, but of all time" by Kat (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

  There were a lot of good boys this year, but who was the goodest? The undoubtedly most delicious smudge-muffin in existence?

My answer is Rimuru Tempest and here's why:

He is the kindest ball of squidge you could ever meet. He would stop and help anyone in need at the drop of a hat. In his previous life he DIED saving his kohai from an attacker and he would do it again.

He is adorable. How could you take one look at his face (or lack there of) and not fall in love instantly with this soft boy? Not only is he soft in his ball form but once he grants the wish of a dear friend, he becomes the ultimate soft boy. One you could probably hug endlessly and both of you would still be comfortable.

He is the definition of epic. One of the first things he does with his new life is befriend and EAT a dragon. He ate him, whole. Then he proceeded to eat everything else in the cave. If you hurt one of friends he'll eat you too! Not before he beats you in a hilariously and awesomely one sided combat sequence though.

  BEST FIGHT SCENE

  "SSSS. Gridman's True Final Battle" by Donovan Bertch (SSSS. Gridman)

  The greatest part about SSSS.Gridman's final battle wasn't the sheer amount of quality animation and editing on display. It wasn't the satisfaction of seeing Gridman finally return to his original form, theme songs blaring, as he finally decked the villainous Alexis Kerib in his smug face. It wasn't even finding out what the hell SSSS actually meant in the end. All of those were wonderful moments that made the fight shine, to be sure. However, the greatest part was that when all was said and done, the fight wasn't Gridman vs. Alexis Kerib. It was the show's antagonist, Akane Shinjo, vs. Herself. Her sins, her insecurities, her self-hatred...it took a lot of effort, and it wasn't a total victory (given that Akane's final scene with Rikka shows her still processing her guilt), but few things are that simple. Even when the heroes came to encourage her, it was Akane who made the final choice that led to Kerib's downfall. Gridman may have landed the final strike and had the big speech about human potential, but Akane Shinjo defeated Alexis Kerib and saved her world. The action-packed duel was just icing on the cake.

  BEST VA PERFORMANCE (EN)

  "My Hero Academia, Episode 61: Bakugo's Breakdown (Clifford Chapin)" by Masky (My Hero Academia)

    In one of the most emotionally stirring episodes of the entire series, we finally see all of Bakugo's pent-up anger come to a boil in this what could be considered a huge turning point for his character development. As a character who is known for his angry outbursts, this episode let us have some insight into Bakugo's inferiority complex and really reminded us just how young and emotionally immature these upcoming heroes are, and yet how much responsibility is weighing on their shoulders. With such an important milestone for a character like Bakugo, the voice acting in this episode was critical. Clifford Chapin gave an extremely raw and powerful performance that truly echoed Bakugo's pain; a performance that exceeded expectations of even those who don't normally give dubs a try. It was real, emotionally-charged, and could be considered a landmark for just how far english dubs have come.

  "Clifford Chapin (Katsuki Bakugo)" by Katherine (My Hero Academia)

    My Hero Academia fans sure are spoiled with a fantastic same-day English simuldub in addition to everything we already love about the series! With great casting overall by ADR Director Colleen Clinkenbeard, Chapin's take on Bakugo is one of the highlights. He's consistently been such a natural fit for the role that I can't imagine anyone else voicing him, and always seems to give 110%. Season 3 has been no exception with some key moments to really shine, including a fan-favorite emotional confrontation. His vocal cords would probably disagree, but I'm definitely glad he's a part of one of my favorite anime from 2018.

  BEST OPENING SEQUENCE

  "Fighting Gold - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" by Loon (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind)

    "Fighting Gold" is an intro I was honestly excited for long before it was even announce. I may be slightly biased as a manga fan and long time Jojo fan but in all honesty "Fighting Gold" is really a masterpiece in my opinion. It highlights the series so well with plenty of hidden spoilers as most Jojo intros have had before it telling the story perfectly if you break it down. It is an intro I will honestly never try to skip to get to the anime itself faster.

  BEST DIRECTOR

  "Akira Amemiya - SSSS.Gridman" BY Katherine (SSSS. Gridman)

    I would not be surprised to see SSSS.Gridman represented in quite a few categories this year, but its direction is where the show truly shines as one of the best of 2018. Akira Amemiya and Studio Trigger juxtapose the understated, day-to-day activities of our heroes with glorious, city-destroying kaiju battles without ever being jarring. However, that doesn't mean the former is only viewed though a mundane lens while the latter are just beautiful hype machines. Character moments have just as much flair as any fight with dynamic framing, art, and sound design, while tokusatsu battles are given so much attention to detail with how the kaiju move to pay homage to the live-action shows the team grew up with. Amemiya has a confident sense of visual language, and it shows every episode. SSSS.Gridman is subtle when it needs to be and bombastic when it wants to be, which is not an easy task to pull off.

---

  And there you have it, the diverse tastes of anime fans and people that praise the holy name of Bakugo. But even if you didn't find your submission on here, thank you for taking part in this and double thank you for supporting Crunchyroll over the past year. We do our best to give you the greatest anime collection in the universe, so we appreciate y'all taking the time to give us your thoughts in return.

  Remember, if you haven't voted in The Anime Awards, there's still time! And if you have, we look forward to sharing the winners with you on February 16th, when the Awards are streamed live on Twitch. 

    By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[pamphletstoinspire]

NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS - Dec. 24th thru January 1st - Feast Day: - January 2nd

O Merciful Jesus, Who didst in Thy early infancy commence Thy office of Savior by shedding Thy Precious Blood, and assuming for us that name which is above all names; we thank Thee for such early proofs of Thine infinite love.

We venerate Thy sacred name, in union with the profound respect of the Angel who first announced it to the earth, and unite our affections to the sentiments of tender devotion which the adorable name of Jesus has in all ages enkindled in the hearts of Thy Saints.

Animated with a firm faith in Thy unerring word, and penetrated with confidence in Thy mercy, we now most humbly remind Thee of the promise Thou has made, that where two or three should assemble in Thy name, Thou Thyself wouldst be in the midst of them. Come, then, into the midst of us, most amiable Jesus, for it is in Thy sacred name we are here assembled; come into our hearts, that we may be governed by Thy holy spirit; mercifully grant us, through that adorable name, which is the joy of Heaven, the terror of Hell, the consolation of the afflicted, and the solid ground of our unlimited confidence, all the petitions we make in this novena.

Oh! Blessed Mother of our Redeemer! Who didst participate so sensibly in the sufferings of thy dear Son when He shed His Sacred Blood and assumed for us the name of Jesus, obtain for us, through that adorable name, the favors we petition in this novena. Beg also, that the most ardent love may imprint on our hearts that sacred name, that it may be always in our minds and frequently on our lips; that it may be our defense and our refuge in the temptations and trials of life, and our consolation and support in the hour of death. Amen.

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Prayers

O GOOD JESUS, according to Thy great mercy, have mercy on me. O most merciful Jesus, by that Precious Blood which Thou didst will to shed for sinners, I beseech Thee to wash away all mine iniquities and to look graciously upon me, a poor and unworthy sinner, as I call upon Thy Holy Name. Therefore, O Jesus, do Thou save me for Thy Holy Name’s sake.

O God, Who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son to be the Savior of mankind and didst command His Name to be called Jesus; mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in Heaven, Whose Holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen

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Lord Jesus, through Thine infant cries when Thou wert born for me in the manger; through Thy tears when Thou didst die for me on the Cross; through Thy love as Thou livest for me in the tabernacle, have mercy on me and save me. Amen.

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Blessed be the Most Holy Name of Jesus without end!

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The Holy Name

This great name of Jesus was not given by man, but by God himself; “The name of Jesus,” says St. Bernard, “was first preordained by God.” it was a new name: A new Name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. A new name, which God alone could give to Him Whom He destined for the Saviour of the world. A new and eternal name; because, as our salvation was decreed from all eternity, so from all eternity was this name given to the Redeemer. Nevertheless this name was only bestowed on Jesus Christ in this world on the day of His circumcision: And after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised, His name was called Jesus. The Eternal Father wished at that time to reward the humility of His Son by giving Him so honorable a name. Yes, while Jesus humbles Himself, submitting in His circumcision to be branded with the mark of a sinner, it is just that His Father should honor Him by giving Him a name that exceeds the dignity and sublimity of any other name: God hath given Him a Name which is above all names. And He commands that this name should be adored by the Angels, by men, and by devils: That in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of those that are in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth. If, then, all creatures are to adore this great name, still more ought we sinners to adore it, since it was in our behalf that this name of Jesus; which signifies Saviour, was given to Him; and for this end also He came down from Heaven, namely, to save sinners: “For us men and for our salvation He came down from Heaven, and was made Man.” We ought to adore Him, and at the same time to thank God Who has given Him this name for our good; for it is this name that consoles us, defends us, and makes us burn with love.

It is not possible for a soul that is faithful to pronounce the name of Jesus, and to remember all that He has done to save us, and not to be inflamed with love towards one Who has loved us so much. “When I utter the name of Jesus,” says St. Bernard, “I see before me a man of meekness, humility, kindness, and mercy, Who at the same time is the Almighty God, Who heals and strengthens me.” When we say Jesus, we should imagine to ourselves that we see a man, meek, benignant, kind and full of all virtues; and then we must think that He is our God, Who, to cure our wounds, chose to be despised, wounded, and even to die of pure grief on a Cross. St. Anselm, therefore, exhorts all who call themselves Christians to cherish the beautiful name of Jesus, to have it always in their hearts, that it may be their only food, their only consolation. “Let Jesus be ever in thy heart. Let Him be thy food, thy delight, thy consolation.” Ah, says St. Bernard, it is He alone Who experiences it, that can know what sweetness, what a paradise even in this valley of tears, it is truly to love Jesus. “The love of Jesus, what it is, None but His Lov’d ones know.” Well did St. Rose of Lima know this happiness, from whose mouth came out such a burning flame of love, after she had received Holy Communion, that it burned the hands of those that gave her water (as was the custom) to drink after Communion.

Veneration and Devotions of the Holy Name

IHS

The greatest promoters of this devotion were St. Bernardino of Siena and his follower John Capistrano. “They carried with them on their missions in the turbulent cities of Italy a copy of the monogram of the Holy Name, surrounded by rays, painted on a wooden tablet, wherewith they blessed the sick and wrought great miracles. At the close of their sermons they exhibited this emblem to the faithful and asked them to prostrate themselves, to adore the Redeemer of mankind.” The practice of showing the monogram of Jesus over gates and above doors largely begins with their exhortations, which had an unorthodox air that brought Bernardino before the tribunal of Pope Martin V. But John Capistrano defended his master so successfully that the Pope not only permitted the veneration of the Holy Name, but also assisted at a procession in which the holy monogram was carried. The tablet used by St. Bernardino isvenerated at the basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli at Rome.

Below are a short list of devotions to the Holy Name of Jesus. The simplest form of devotion to the Most Holy Name of JESUS is the devout, loving recitation of that Name above all names. Each time you whisper His precious Name... "Jesus" ...let it be a loving invocation to your Divine Savior and Lord. In another devotion you can even make it part of a short prayer, like "Jesus, I love You!", " Praise You, Jesus", and of course, "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me"! (a form of the Jesus Prayer).

The Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus is an indulgenced confraternity in the Catholic Church. The primary object of the society is to promote due love and reverence for the Holy Name of God and Jesus Christ. The secondary object is to suppress blasphemy, perjury, oaths of any character that are forbidden, profanity, unlawful swearing improper language and, as far as the members can, to prevent those vices in others. [Pius IV, 13 April 1564]. Members are required to receive Holy Communion in a body at least once every three months; in most places the rule prescribes Communion on the second Sunday of every month, when they may gain plenary and partial indulgences granted by Gregory XIII. A complete list of indulgences, all of which may be applied to the souls in purgatory, is contained in the “Pocket Manual of the Holy Name Society” by Dominican, Father McKenna, who for many years has been recognized as the apostle of the Holy Name in the United States.

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Pamphlet In Honor Of The Holy Name Of Jesus

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_67561398a13a4c3295f5c3796c2a0b6c.pdf

All Novena Pamphlets

https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/novenas