#i love the unfriendly neighborhood i need more

[bergselise]

[rev-glut]

2023 Fic Recommendations

A list of all my favorite fics that I read this year that I wanted to share. Many of them and more can be found under my “fic rb” tag. A lot of them are also available on AO3. Please read any and all warnings and tags on fics and respect any boundaries writers may have.

Peter Parker

The very first one of this year was and they were roommates by @rowniebow. A sweet, gay story that I loved and hold dearly. Summary: peter parker and y/n y/l/n are roommates, and if there’s anything to know about them it’s that they hate living together.

The next is Florence by @periprose. An ongoing multi-chaptered fic. It’s great every time I see a new update. Every turn is incredible as they deal with reconciliation and a few wedding mishaps. Summary: You and Peter Parker are former childhood best friends. As next door neighbours, you and him spent a great deal of time together, either at school, playing video games, or during your yearly summer vacations at Florence, Italy. But after you drifted away from him- you both went to different colleges, and you figured you wouldn't need to bother him anymore with your unrequited crush that you had never spoken of but clearly showed symptoms of- things are very awkward. It's even more so when you receive an invitation to Harry and MJ's destination wedding, located at Florence, of course.

Peter B. Parker

A different Peter Parker, all the same love. The first one is it’s rotten work by @cockdestroyer32. It’s soft and incredible. Summary: Peter's been a wreck after his divorce with MJ. Thankfully, you're there to look after him.

Similarly, is an AO3 work called That’s Rough Buddy by Cats_Cradle. Genuinely all the love to ITSV Peter. Navigating through both their individual issues and loneliness together while Peter also deals with hiding Spider-Man was so sweet and soft, at times messy. Summary: In which Peter 'chaotic mess' Parker meets his match. Excerpt: “Heights and alcohol, typically not the best combination.” A male’s voice teased. You bit the inside of your cheek and scowled, turning to bark back an insult at the nosy man. But there was no one on either side of you, which made your anger fizzle into more of an irritated confusion. “Great, now I’m hearing things.” You scoffed and tilted your head back to take another swig from the bottle out of spite. As you tilted your head back though, a blob of red and blue caught your eye. Sticking to the wall above you was none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Miguel O’Hara

I’ve only really got one recommendation for this one and it’s Every You Every Me by @astroboots. I already read and liked some of her other work, this one did not disappoint at all. It was exhilarating and interesting. The buildup, dynamics, and twists were all incredible. Summary: You are falling from the 44th floor of the Chrysler building when you’re saved by the unfriendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Matt Murdock

I fell in love with this man this year and it only feels right to start off with @bellaxgiornata. All of her work is incredible but I’m specifically adding Falling For The Devil and All These Years to this list. Both are ongoing series. FFTD is a series that sticks with me and I think about at random times. It’s sweet, fun, angsty, and in the author’s own words, “spicy”. You really get to see the whole relationship develop and them navigate it and life, up and down. ATY is a lot of hurt, a little comfort later on. College, lack of communication (that’s not frustrating to witness), growth and trying to push forward and move on, yet hopeless devoted to another. I stayed up until nearly 4AM reading this one. FFTD Summary: This is a very long series/collection of one-shots about a nervous/awkward journalist Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock. Meant to feel like a realistic look into dating Matthew Murdock and all the sweet, vulnerable, sexy, and dark sides that come with him. Reader also gradually gains more confidence in and out of the bedroom as the relationship progresses. ATY Summary: You met Matthew Murdock unexpectedly at Columbia University and you couldn't deny that there was an instant attraction–for you. But for Matt, you became as close of a friend to him as Foggy did. As the years pass by, your feelings only grow for your best friend, but all you can do is watch as he dates and sleeps with every other woman on campus and eventually in New York City but you.

Next is Of blood and worship and Go to him, therefore, by the sea by @raelwrites. I love a lot of Rael’s writing, but I’m sticking to these two for this list (as much as I love Gunpowder and cinnamon). Stories about non-humans are awesome. The descriptions and dynamic in Of blood and worship is so good and merman with a human bonding is a classic. Of blood and worship Summary: You, an elderitch horror with a soft spot for humans, are awoken from your slumber by a lonely voice of one young Matt Murdock. You stayed by his side constantly, helping him, keeping him company. And you tried to keep him from knowing you were there. But what would happen if the ever vigilant blind lawyer takes notice of you? Go to him, therefore, by the sea summary: You save an injured merperson in the caverns you frequent often. And now, he's there every time you venture down there. Communicating with the being is hard, but you learn how to talk to each other. A story of longing-

Third is The Key You Wear by @devils-dares. I love a good exes to lovers, people with strained relationships that still deeply care for each other. This is that with some gentle loving. Summary: you get a voicemail from your ex, who is very much not well. you visit him the next day to make sure all is well (spoiler alert: it's not)

Please, Be Okay by @farfromstrange. A classic vigilante trope of worry and concern if your beloved will return, the dread as it doesn’t look like and then a spiral. This one is just incredible. Summary: When Matt doesn't text or answer your calls during a night out, you can't help but suspect the worst.

This one-shot is a little heavier, still a great read. Muted Dawn by @ellephlox. Life’s dangerous, it’s rough, Matt Murdock being around certainly helps a little though. Summary: You get mugged in the middle of the night, but Matt isn't there to save you.

Last of Matt’s is, The End of the World and Everything After by @up-in-space-reading. Blip stories about Matt are always so interesting but this one is so sweet. Loved watching them heal and learn as they continue to build their life together. Summary: Half of the universe is turned into dust because of Thanos. You and Matt were left behind to pick up the pieces of yourselves and try to learn how to live without the most important people in your lives.

Moon Knight

First Moon Knight fic is Small Surprises by @angel-of-the-moons. A sweet fic featuring autistic Steven as he bonds with Reader’s daughter along with the other boys. Eventually they fall in love and the boys fit into her and her daughter’s little domestic life rather easily. For the most part. Ongoing fic. Summary: N/A

A Night to Remember by @xcalciumx. This one is so interesting, especially the demon. Jake reveal combined with a fight against, along with a demon. Summary: A nice night with your boyfriend Marc quickly unveils into chaos. A third altar? A horrifying demon? Your half-assed Egyptian God of Wind and Air, Shu? What could possibly go wrong

not him by @loud-mouth-loser. I love stories of “I love you, you do not. I still love you, regardless.” along with, “the people we love, do not love us” and then they bond over that and cope with it together. Multi-chaptered. Summary: you’ve been steven’s best friend for a while and have had a crush on him as long as you’ve known him. unfortunately, his eyes are on layla, his alter’s wife. let's just say, you’re not the only one put off by this. this is a story of how you and marc bond over your sorrows.

Last, but not least, is Constellations by @asimplearchivist. A sweet, ongoing series with gentle love and action as the boys grapple with everything post-S1 and falling in love. Their relationship with the Reader is so sweet. The full multi-chaptered fic is available on AO3 to registered users. Summary: steven, unbeknownst to him, meets the love of his life at one of its lowest points.

X-Men

This is section is just to recommend more of Rael’s work. Florentine and Wasurenai by @raelwrites. Both are ongoing multi-chaptered fics with poly relationships. Rael writes dynamics and relationships in a way that I just love. I love their world building too. Florentine Summary: Right so here is the harem-esque royalty au fic (Titled achromatopia) with some of the marvel characters. You are a newly coronated Emperor to the Empire of Nocturnus, having gained the throne after your father's death as well as your mutiny against the heir to the throne. The Empire had gotten corrupt, and you took over to remove that mold from the place. But as an illegitimate child of the former Emperor, you have little to no political influence and have no experience in finances. How could you cover for those flaws? Well, you could get married to all the geniuses you meet... Wasurenai Summary: N/A

[dinogoofy]

This is my 2023 MK Halloween masterlist! All current prompts will be listed, including ones that haven't been polled yet! Two more prompts will eventually be added. (I just got to figure them out first!)

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Gargoyle - Syzoth

There's a friendly Gargoyle on top of your apartment building. He's pretty handsome for a statue, and you've taken a liking to him. You sit against him sometimes while reading or doing some work. You're enjoying the ambiance of the rooftop during the full-moon in October, and lean over and kiss him on the shoulder. It's silly, you know, but you wanted to thank him for being such a good friend. All of a sudden, he starts to move. You're completely embarrassed, but he thinks it's funny. Turns out, he thinks you're pretty cute too!

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Zombie - Havik

It's the zombie apocalypse, and you've spent months hiding in your college town. You've gotten very good at running from both people and zombies. The virus was strange, and developed in two strains. One was rumored to leave your mind intact, but increase your bloodlust and the need to feed on raw meat. The other would take everything. It would ravage your mind and cause you to become a mindless soldier, hellbent on spreading the virus.

One day, you run into a man in a black hospital mask. He's gruff, and unfriendly, but you can't just stand by and let him wander alone. There's safety in numbers after all. Eventually, you find out why he was run off from his previous group, why he goes out at night when he thinks you are asleep, and what lies underneath his mask.

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You moved into an old house last year, and strange things have been happening every time you bring a new date home. Doors opening, dishes rattling. Thing is- they only seem to happen around your dates. After the last guy breaks three of his fingers due to a cabinet slamming shut in him, you contact a friend that sends over her cooky spiritual aunt. She does some weird shit with some animal bones, and your house gets struck by lightning. Somehow, this must have charged the energies in the house, because now you can actually see the poltergeist. Turns out, he's in love with you, and has been jealous of all the living men who You've brought home.

Haunted House - Bi-han

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Scarecrow - Reiko

You're visiting your aunts farm to help out with the busy fall season. You're closing up the farm stand at the pumpkin patch when her farm dog runs off. You follow after her and into the corn maze. It's dark by the time you find her, attached to the leg of a moving scarecrow with a really bad attitude.

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Black cat - Johnny Cage

There's been a stray black cat roaming around your neighborhood, and with October quickly approaching, you decide it's no longer safe to just let him roam. After coaxing it inside your home, you start to take care of the little guy. It's been about a month, and this cat has stuck to you like glue. He's loving and sweet and sleeps next to your head at night, and you really do plan on keeping him forever. After quite a few disastrous dates, you wander into ye ol' witch's shop desperate for advice. When you come home, there's a man in your house. Turns out, he's your cat. This man was cursed after flirting around with the wrong witches, and you somehow set him free.

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Magic - Rain

Some asshole got a little too drunk at the Halloween celebration at the bar and decided to start "shipping" random folks. Problem is, they were casting legit spells. Some were love spells, others were lust spells, and you were one unlucky bitch. There's this one dick that hangs around your friend group, and you absolutely hate him, so of course you ended up magically cuffed to him by the wrist. It's a forced proximity spell, and there's only two ways to break it. To open your hearts to one another, or… to sleep with eachother.

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Clown - Kung Lao

You're one of the costume and set designers for the local haunt, but unfortunately for you, it's themed after the movie "killer clowns from outer space" this year. You hate clowns, but you adore set design. The set and costumes turn out a little too good, and you accidentally end up punching a scare actor when he comes to ask you a question. You basically almost break his nose, and getting blood out of those masks is such a pain! You frantically tug it off of him, only to find out that he's unfortunately really attractive. Theres no way you have a shot with him now! Damn those masks!

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Vampire- Kenshi

You're having fun with some friends at a halloween party in the woods, but you can only deal with so much madness before you need a break. You walk off to a quiet part of the woods to take a breather, and find out You're not the only one. You meet a really nice vampire, who happens to be really attractive. The two of you have a pleasant conversation about the party before deciding to walk back together. 

Unfortunately for the two of you, there's a big ass hole in the ground that neither of you can see in the dark. Well, that you couldn't see. He would have seen it if he wasn't looking at you the entire time.

The music is too loud for anyone to hear you, and your phones have no signal down there. How the hell are you going to get out?

----

Demon - Tomas Vrbada

You really want to go all out while decorating the house for Halloween this year, but you just moved into this town, and don't really know anyone who could help you out. So obviously, your first choice of action is to summon a Demon to help you out. Turns out, he's actually really nice. The two of you strike a bargain that he would help you decorate, and you would repay him with an action of equal weight. 

Well, he took a liking to you, and had been popping into your house every once in a while with more and more decorations so that he has an excuse to hang out with you. The week before Halloween, he asks you if his part of the bargain would simply include an invitation to your Halloween party with some plus ones included for his friends. 

[ericaportfolio]

My Friendly Neighborhood Review

Hey Kids! Do you want a mascot horror game that's actually good? Do you want to shoot and watch puppets fly across the room in funny ways? Or do you want to play a game that breaks you to the point of ugly crying due to the messages about selfishness versus selflessness, the trauma of war, grief, depression, death, and depending on which ending you decide, make you feel miserable or hopeful? (Boy, what I wrote there got dark!) Then you should play My Friendly Neighborhood!!!

July 8, 1993, in a very unfriendly city where the citizens that were emotionally affected by the war that lasted for twenty years by watching it from their TV sets (An in-universe version of the Vietnam War in this game), an old studio's antenna starts up playing a canceled kids show that's the in-universe version of Sesame Street, My Friendly Neighborhood, over the news. You play as repair crewman Gordon O'Brian was forcibly sent by his employer, Sprocket Palm Property Management, and their clients, City Network Broadcasting Group, to shut down the antenna at the top of the abandoned studio's hotel. Failure to do so, Gordon, due to his terrible, mean, and rude behavior, would result in getting fired. Upon getting there, SURPRISE, The Puppets Are Alive That A Lot Of Them Want To Hug You To Death!!! Along the way, Ricky the Sock Puppet guides Gordon throughout the studio trying to convince him not to disconnect the antenna. Can Gordon survive the night at the studio as he tries to find a way up to the antenna? Or will Gordon be trapped in the studio forever?

Pros... There's a lot! I can list them all day! The game is a love letter to tv shows and movies made by the Jim Henson Company over the years. The shows and movies had different names to prevent copyright claims in the game's universe. The cute factor is that you'll get attached to Ricky the Sock Puppet. He's like if Scout Prime from Hello Puppets was similar to Kermit the Frog and doesn't curse. If you're thinking, wait Hello Puppets already did possess murder puppets, that seems repetitive! Actually, the puppets aren't possessed. I'm wondering if the creators are saving a twist for another game. (Please let it be Gordon, Ricky, and the Neighborhood characters versus the villains from the in-universe The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth movies after they fell for a trap they thought was a movie deal!) I won't dive into details in this review. Let's say you have to think on your own about what's really happening here. I think for a horror game to do that was refreshing. What you might have fun with in this game is the clever ideas and designs of the weapons you find, the Rolodex and the Novelist being two of them, and the puzzles you come across along the way. However, the best part of the game has to be the writing since it takes a survival horror game and turns it into a dark comedy that would make Mel Brooks proud. If you're a completionist and you finish the game, don't leave! There's More! There are 'secret tapes' scattered around the studio, and once you finish the game, they will unlock cheats and mods to create some interesting experiences the next time you play.

There aren't many cons to this game. Something was happening with the maps, but that was fixed, thankfully. If I have some things I have to nitpick, first, this game has a lot of backtracking to other levels that many would find annoying. However, you'll make discoveries along the way. Just get ready if the previous levels you have been through get harder as more puppets appear. Second, you need to be ready to conserve your ammunition. Once it's gone and used, it's GONE, and your left with the wrench. So plan ahead, or you're dead in the finale! For beginners, this game may take hours or days to beat unless you got the patience to win. As the game continues, some of the puzzles will get harder and leave you scratching your head for a while. There have also been some complaints that the game should be considered a horror game at times, even though there are terrifying moments. Especially in the climax and ending that would leave you shaking unless you wished for more from that. So the cute factor in the game may turn off some who want something darker than this. Yet, if you read carefully the files you collect, you'll discover where the true darkness lurks in this game.

I may need to warn you of potential spoilers to some trigger warnings of war, depression, and references to taking away your own life. In a game about fighting murder puppets, the game does a shockingly good job tackling war trauma not just for the victims and soldiers but also for the citizens back on the homefront, where many viewed the soldiers as villains and getting exposed to the war on their home televisions. Because of that, the citizens in the city were traumatized and depressed by it. Even one worker at the studio wrote about "going into the light". I got a theory as to what happened to them. Something I noticed at the beginning makes sense now when reading those notes.

So there are multiple endings in the game. One is the true ending. Whichever ending you get, get your tissues ready. You might cry ugly tears of joy. Overall, spending money on this game is worth it! Even if you don't have the money, watch your favorite Gaming YouTubers and watch the game as a movie experience. It's not perfect, but it's rightfully up there, along with that antenna. This game may not be for everyone, but if you're a fan of Resident Evil (which I should start watching more gameplay of the game series if able, to be honest), you grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppets, you're a big Jim Henson Company nerd, you like puppets, you're a fan of Hello Puppets and Welcome Home, and you love film noir, this game is for you. So get it while it's still on sale, grab a buddy or two, and get learning in your favorite friendly neighborhood!

I would give this game a 9/10 for Ricky being adorable and Gordon getting some needed sleep.

[lenardslittlemeowmeow]

Hello again! This is a post for people who have read my recently published fic "To The Unfriendly Neighborhood"!

I promised, didn't I?

This is an art piece I did while writing the fic! Major spoilers for the fic underneath the read more! Please give it a read and then come back and check this out :D

Now that only people who have read the fic (or are willing to spoil themselves) are here…

I proudly present: Jewel!

Yep! She needed a different name during the concept and ideas process because half-Unfriendly Junebug was too long, so we (me and a friend) decided on Jewel! Because Jewel beetles look very similar to Junebugs and are closely related.

And this is her!

This is her normal everyday wear! Her hair is tipped bright green because she convinced Gordon to buy her hair dye. Her skirt is long because it helps to hide her legs without them getting tangled up (I wanted to show them off lol). She's supposed to be disproportionate by the way.

This is her jacket outfit. She wears it when she's having a bad day and needs more of a "shield" from the world. It doesn't quite fit perfectly because it's an old employee's jacket.

And now the fun part, details and extras about Jewel and the story!

Story details:

- The reason Norman and Lenard thought Jewel didn't actually meet Gordon is because they hadn't encountered him themselves and made assumptions.

- Pearl actually knew who Gordon was, but she didn't think he was coming back and thought Jewel was just being wishful and naive.

Jewel details:

- Absolutely despises Norman. Particularly the Norman who wasn't aware of Gordon's existence and was the first to tell her he wasn't real, even when he was. She's sorta indifferent and standoffish to the other Normans, but she's downright aggressive to the original.

- When it comes to the puppets, she gets along best with Lenard, since he helped her through her transformation and the whole ordeal afterwards. They're very close.

- Struggles with delusions and hallucinations, often Lenard and Gordon are the only ones who can help her out of them.

- Very protective of Gordon. Almost constantly by his side. On bad days she'll growl at anyone who gets too close to him. Can and should be likened to an overprotective attack dog.

- Will sometimes just. Pick Gordon up. Like when you hold a cat by the armpits. Carries him around like a teddy bear. (He learns not to fight it lol)

- This is made funnier by the fact that she's 6'3, and I HC Gordon as 5'2.

- Has chronic pain in her legs and missing eye.

- So many body insecurities. So many.

- Intrusive thoughts galore. Do you know how many times this girlie has vividly imagined tearing her friends apart? Hates it with a passion.

- She becomes pretty cynical, but she tries to see the best in others regardless.

- Picks up cursing from Gordon, gains quite the potty mouth. I HC that the puppets are literally incapable of cursing until they turn Unfriendly, and Jewel is just Unfriendly enough that she's not blocked from it.

- Pretending to be friendlier than she is is incredibly difficult, so sometimes she'll go deeper into the studio, find an abandoned room, and just tear it to fucking shreds. Goes absolutely apeshit. Sometimes she just needs to let it all out.

And with that, I am done! Please ask questions about her or this AU if you have any, I love her lots and would adore if someone else had an interest in her!

I'm sort of working on a post-TTUFN fic about that last point on Jewel, so stay tuned! No guarantees cause I'm burning myself out a little, but I should have a short one out sometime, at the least :3

See ya!

[emo-gremlin]

MFN as vines because Norman needs a hug

🎬

Gordon: Life was Starting to make sense but then there was a fucking jar of rice as the bus stop for some reason

🎬

Junebug: Sleep? I dun' know 'bout sleep! It's summertime!

Ricky: YOU BETTER GO TO BED

Junebug: aw he caught me

🎬

Lenard: an avocado! Thanks!

🎬

Junebug: Hey I'm lesbian

Norman: I thought you were American

🎬

Gordon: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The Neighborhood: why are you running? WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?!

🎬

Gordon: hey how y'all-

Doggos: *attack him*

Gordon: AAAAA! GET YO FUCKIN DOGS BITCH!

Ricky: they don't bite

Gordon: YES THEY DO GET YO-

🎬

Ricky: go ahead and introduce yourself

Lenard: my name is Lenard with a 'b' and I've bee-

Gordon: stop stop stop, where?

Lenard: hm?

Gordon: where's the b?

Lenard: THERE'S A BEE?!

🎬

*Gordon walks up to Norman*

Norman: Daddy?

Gordon: DO I LOOK LIKE-

🎬

Amalgapuppet: YOU READY TO FUCKIN DIE?!

Gordon: IM A BAD BITCH YOU CAN'T KILL ME

🎬

Ricky: you ever wanna talk about your emotions Gordon?

Gordon: no

Norman: I do

Ricky: I know Norman

Norman: I'm sad

Ricky: I know

🎬

George: come to think of it, Lillianna I'm fine I don't need to go to the hospital

Fritz: and what seems to be the problem?

George: o.0 *doki doki*

George: My heart purple, my leg inside out and-

🎬

Gordon: Aren't you a little old for a lemonade stand?

Craig: aren't you a little old to be alive?

Gordon: you little-

Craig: *smacks him with a lemon*

🎬

Tax: YOU GOTTA START TAKING THE THUG LIFE MORE SERIOUS!

*ice cream truck goes by*

Tax and UF Fritz: ICE CREAM!!!

🎬

Norman: you know the sky changes color based on how I'm feeling

Scarlet: the sky is blue everyday

Norman: exactly

🎬

Scarlet: people say I can't do what I love without college

Scarlet: I don't need no degree to be a clothing hanger

*Cue Gordon finding it in one of the closets*

🎬

Norman: *to Gordon* you are my dad, you're my dad~ boogie woogie woogie

🎬

Norman: Hey Lenard! Let's play football!

Lenard: but Norman, I don't know how-

Norman: *chucks the football in Lenard's face* FOOTBALL

Lenard: *falls to the ground where upon Norman starts beating him to near death*

🎬

Ricky: hi can I help you?

Noir: no 🖤

🎬

Gordon: *stares at a taped up Norman*

Gordon: *carrying said Norman into work the next day* LOOK WHAT I GOT

🎬

Unfriendly Lilianna: the world is burning...let's masterbate

🎬

Noir: I can't talk right now. I'm making PISS! *aggressively drinks water to 'Animal I have become'*

🎬

Scarlet: yo mama!

Tax: *puts the tip of his hook under furs neck*

Scarlet: oh my God I am so sorry

🎬

Ricky: *crawling as fast as he can* THEY'RE COMING! LOCK THE DOORS!

Unfriendly Neighbors: *stampeding through the studio behind him with various weapons and lit torches*

🎬

Gordon: *wakes up from nap*

Ricky: *on the pillow beside him* hi!

Gordon: *falls off bed* HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!

Ricky: I used a hammer!

Gordon: what do you mean you used a hammer?

Ricky: I broke your door down!

Gordon: YOU BROKE MY DOOR DOWN?!

Ricky: I love you

🎬

Craig: *leaving a message on Noir's voicemail* hey babe, it's me. I'm just wondering if you're OK, because if you are YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE

Ocs used: Fritz, Unfriendly Fritz, and Craig by @gayfraggle

Scarlet by @leederpfucker

[smileyfacesim]

Aspiration Legacy Challenge - Gen 1.2

Challenge rules

Instead of heading home right away, Caitlin walked around the neighborhood. She ended up at the town center where she took a selfie with the Yamachan statue and sat down with Mortimer and Shigeru Nishidake, a local who knew everything that mt. Komorebi had to offer. "My wife works at the food stall, you should definetely try the maki rolls." He proudly said. Caitlin ordered some avocado rolls right away. She tried one and grinned. "These taste wonderful!" She exclaimed. While getting to know Shigeru, she found out he loved talking about his family. The man said goodbye when the night had fallen and Cait decided to return home aswell.

After having breakfast, Cait worked on her yoga skills before she'd go back to the spa. "I'll leave as soon as I've taken a shower." She mumbled to herself. Today, she started out at the massage tables. "I'll show you what to do but then you're on your own." Her unfriendly new co-worker, Alex, said. She showed Caitlin what to do befoe leaving the room. Sadly no one seemed interested in getting a massage so Caitlin hopped in the sauna. "Hey, you must be the new girl! I'm Julia." A girl suddenly said. "Yep, that's me. But my name's Caitlin." She smiled. "It's sooo nice to meet you. Shedule me in for a massage sometime." Julia said with a wink before leaving. 'Was she flirting with me?' Caitlin thought as a blush started to form on her cheeks.

Caitlin decided to give her meditation session another go. 3 clients joined this time and gave her 80 simoleons each. Julia looked over at her and gave her thumbs up. "If you've got the time, join my yoga class." "I will." Caitlin smiled.

After Julia's class, Mortimer Goth walked over to Caitlin. "I must say, I've never felt more relaxed than after your meditation session." He told her. "But I doubt you can live from that money!" "I do it more as a hobby anyway, but I am looking for a fulltime job that isn't too stressful." Cait explained. "Ah yes, in that case why not become a freelancer and be your own boss?" That made Caitlin think. Why not? Deciding on that would have to wait till the morning though.

After waking up early in the morning, Caitlin started by doing an enerrgy centering yoga routine, when she fell. "Awtch!" She yelped, rubbing her lower back. "I need to stop overthinking everything and just focus on the now." She told herself. She laid back on her mat, focussing so hard on her breathing, she fell asleep. After her nap, she felt completely energized and went for a jog. So many thoughts were running through her head: Julia, financial issues, herr family and friends back home... She showered and decided then and there she'd look into becoming her own boss. Being a freelancer meant making even more choices: Should she become a writer? A ghosthunter? After doing a lot of research, she decided on the freelance artist career. She had always loved drawing. "Okay, let's see what I can do..." She muttered, looking through the available gigs. Eventually, she chose to create a portrait of someone's deceased relative who apparently sometimes came back as a ghost.

Her current funds wee just enough to get herself a sketchpad which meant she had to go to the library to use a computer. Step 1: look up some reference pictures. Who was this person? What expression should they have? Caitlin really wanted her client to be happy. Step 2 is to paint the portrait. When her painting was ready, she sent it to the client who wasn't happy with the result so Cait used their comments to edit the painting. It was late by the time she was done editing but the client couldn't be happier and gave her a bonus, handing her 156 simoleons.

Cait's phone rang. "Hey Cait! It's single's night, come join me!" Julia yelled over the music in the background. Caitlin chuckled. "I'm on my way!" She hung up and made her way over. Sadly, Julia had left when Caitlin arrived due to a family emergency. But Cait wasn't going home. She ordered water at the bar and got wrapped up in a conversation with Cameron Fletcher, A smart guy who was majoring in computer science at the local university. He was a lovely bar buddy who made Cait's heart flutter a little as she walked home.

To start off the first day of Summer, Caitlin made herself some eggs on toast. The quality was decent and filled her up nicely. "What a nice way to start my day." She sighed happily, cleaning her plate before doing some yoga. Later, she'd pick another gig to work on but right now she wanted some peace. Her eyes kept looking over to her phone. Should she text Cameron? "Why not?" She shrugged, texting him with a smile on her face. "Focus, Cait. Let's see who we can paint for today." She sternly told herself, accepting a gig to design some icons for the Sims Forever's new expansion pack.

She heard from Julia again while working at the library. She asked Caitlin if she should go out with a guy she met at school. "You should go for it. Let me know how things went!" Cait replied, putting her phone away and sketching some icons. When her phone rang and Cameron's name flashed across the screen, She immediatly picked up. "Hey, it's Cameron, wanna go to the gym together?" "YES! I um... I mean sure.." She answered, practically running out of the library.

While waiting for him, Caitlin waited outside the gym. The dark scared her a little. She felt anxious so when Cam arrived, she instantly felt safe. The two worked out together and got to know each other a bit more. It wasn't a date but it was nice to be around him.

[mytruthandbeauty]

12, April 2023

It’s been almost three years since I left the states and I’ve only been back once when I went to New Orleans to get my things that I had left in storage. That was in August 2021 and it was my misfortune to arrive just before Hurricane Ida hit. That was a mess, but I did manage to get my stuff and I got a COVID-19 vaccination too, so it wasn’t all bad. But what really struck me was how expensive everything was. The food and even the snacks were for me ridiculously overpriced after what I was used to spending in Mexico. I paid a small fortune for both hostels in which I stayed and taxis rides were insanely expensive. Also I had to get used to the unfriendly stares of white people again, but the black folks were cool, so it kind of balanced out as far as the people were concerned. After trying to get a COVID test to fly out and only finding one place where they wanted to charge $200.00 USD I was very relieved when the airline told me I didn’t need one to fly! I did have a wait before air service was restored, but I made the most of the time once I had booked my ticket back to Mexico by relaxing in my overpriced hostel which had a lovely balcony overlooking the street below. I’ve lived in several neighborhoods, Colonias, in Puerto Vallarta, all different, but still the same. In some locations you can get very close to nature while still living in the city. You can be on top of a hill literally, mostly surrounded by jungle and be only minutes by foot from a busy street in the heart of the city or you can be on the edge of the city on still another hilltop with forests all around and just a few houses nestled between the trees. In the latter setting a saw a fair number of farm animals: goats, cows, chickens, horses and a donkey or two. So there were all kinds of setting from which to choose depending on your preference. But speaking of settings, I haven’t spent all my time here in Puerto Vallarta.

In November 2021 I lived in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas which is in the southernmost region of Mexico. I lived there for one month, but decided it was too chilly for me so I left. San Cristobal was a quiet little town that was very Mexican with fewer gringos than Puerto Vallarta, but there were some foreigners there besides me and I had about the best thin crust pizza there I ever had in my life. It was sold at a tiny little hole in the wall bakery not far from my Airbnb and I loved their pizza so much I ate there almost every day. San Cristobal had many hole in the wall shops like that and my apartment was in Centro, so there’s were plenty to explore and the next street over was pedestrian only, so there were always people milling about and eating at one of the many restaurants. Mexicans love brightly colored churches and there seemed to always be a bright yellow one or a white and blue one in most cities, but Puerto Vallarta seems to be an exception. The churches here seem to be mostly just the orange brick. And of course there were some very creative murals to catch your eye.

After returning from New Orleans I spent about a week in Mexico City. I don’t have much to say about the capital of Mexico except it was big crowded filled with endless traffic and if you weren’t a Spanish speaker it was confusing. It also turned out to be more expensive than my meager budget could afford, so I soon returned to Puerto Vallarta. 

I had come and gone now from Mexico twice and it was obvious to me and those with whom I shared my most personal thoughts, that I did love Mexico and that I could make a life there, but there was one problem; I did not financially qualify for a residency visa. It was the same problem I had in Montreal. When you don’t have much money your choices are always limited. It’s the ugly truth of capitalism, that for many of us if you started out in life with disadvantages piled against you and then society says we’re going to heap even more on you it’s hard to make a financial success and be a responsible person at the same time. However, all that aside there are always options. You might be surprised at how many US Americans and Canadians are in that boat and choose to stay in Mexico illegally and get away with it for years, because the Mexican authorities don’t come looking for people to deport and they don’t seem to care so long as you aren’t a trouble maker. That was always an option for me if I didn’t mind not being able to travel to see my kids again. I did mind, so that wasn’t an option. But for those of you who want to try for residency in Mexico you must start the process in your home country, but that’s all I can tell you as I never went through it myself. So, this spurred me to continue my travels and I went further south.

[athyathye]

Nanami! reader

But as a parental figure! Based from this request ♡

Notes 📝: This is mostly a scenario imagine♡ almost 3k words cuz i just love nanami! as for warnings, an anime spoiler ig, some curse words mentions of knifes, wounds, blood and more!

❥ Oh boy oh boy, having someone like nanami! Reader who could slap these boys back to their senses would be undoubtedly great.

❥ See, one of the many things they lack is adult supervision, an adult’s perspective as well as an adult’s experience. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not dumb, they’re just troubled youths who look forward to living life in a way that they could be proud of.

❥ They’re not severely misguided per se, but they lack the rationality one has in order to navigate through life. Normal for someone their age.

❥ But they also are unfortunate enough, not having someone to guide them through their problems, not having someone they could look up to for advice or whatnot. Not having somebody to talk them out of their bad behavior.

❥ This is where Nanami! Reader comes in. Business suit and all that jazz, witnessing a gang fight between teenagers. He sighed through his nose, turning around and pretending to not see anything.

❥ He was willing to keep a blind eye, that was until he heard the pained voice of one of the rowdy boy from the winning side. The morally right side of him could never just ignore the calling of help.

❥ “Ah...My leg hurts. I think I broke it, help me get up” “F*ck I can’t, I think I broke my right arm too” “Come on, Mikey’s home isn’t that far away, just endure it for a bit.”

❥ Nanami sighed once again. Turning around before walking to the area where the boys have huddled closer together. “What do you want, old fart? Here to report us or something?” The nearest person spoke with such malice. But that kind of malice was something you were used to.

❥ “Such injuries won’t heal without real medical assistance.” You said monotonously. Ignoring the amount of eyes on you as one of them scoffed. “And? So what? It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

❥ “Sigh...what a pain.” “What did you say?” The tallest of the boys spoke, the end of his braid drenched in blood as he clutched his broken arm. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m merely trying to help because my consciousness wouldn’t allow me to sleep if I just left you all here.”

❥ “Well ain’t you a saint” A boy who had long beautiful dark hair spoke up, leaning against the wall with an unfriendly frown. You bit back a retort before looking directly at them through the lens of your glasses. “Come on. I’ll take you lot to the hospital-” “We don’t need it! Do us a favor and leave, old man!” A small but tough looking individual shouted, as if he was tired of just hearing your voice.

❥ “Ha. Why must children be so stubborn.” Your hand brushed through your hair, irritation bubbling inside you as you glanced at their faces filled with nothing but dislike and contempt towards you.

❥ “Who you callin’ a kid, *ssh*le!?” Baji yelled before kneeling down to cough up some blood. “You. Stop shouting, you’re disturbing the neighborhood” you walked closer to him, dodging the punch he tried to send you. Ultimately holding him down once he tried to land more attacks.

❥ “If a person offers you help you take it.-” “We just said-” “Do not cut me off while I’m speaking. That’s basic manners.” You glared at the blue-haired boy who just looked away once your eyes landed on him.

❥ “As I was saying. I am not helping you because of my emotions, but take advantage of other people when they try to help. The time they offer is the time you are helpless. Exploit them to the best of their abilities, you never know when someone is willing to lend a hand.”

❥ Your words were something they’ve never really heard nor expected before. They expected a good scolding, A bunch of name calling of how much they’re ruining the society. It struck a chord within them that made them lower their guard a tad bit.

❥ Fortunately, your car was just enough to fit the individuals present, a bit cramped but just enough that they were still comfortable. As you were driving, pairs of eyes never left your figure but still, you kept your eyes on the road.

❥ “What’s your deal?” Mikey spoke up, riding shotgun. His eyes were deeply scanning you by the rear-view mirror. You stayed silent, only the sound of the car’s engine was filling the silence.

❥ “...Next time, don’t go easily into someone’s car like that.” “Hah? Seriously? You’re the one who invite-” Baji’s voice grew louder after every word he spoke. “Ask for identification at the very least. Had it not occurred to you how reckless your decision was?” “Then where-”

❥ Draken, who was quiet the whole ride, began to ask, but the moment your car stopped it has already answered his question.

❥ “Doesn’t feel good to get cut off, does it?” You held back a small smile from seeing the agitated expression of the black-haired male in the middle of the backseat. You could tell he was the most violent one, he let out an aggressive “Hmph” Before opening the car door himself.

❥ Though you did help them on the way, they still couldn’t help but be wary of you. Your words contradicted the gentleness your touch provided when you helped, but the stoicness of your face made them unable to discern your actual thoughts or emotions.

❥ The sun began to set, yet the boys were still getting patched up. It might have been worse than what you expected. One of them, with the lesser injuries, sat beside you as the clock in the hallway continued to tick.

❥ You were skimming through the newspaper, but the constant small movements of the person next to you caused you to be unable to focus. You discreetly glanced at him, seeing the clear trouble in his eyes. “Why does a child like you have the eyes of someone who had gone through at least 30 years of bad luck.”

❥ Takemichi sweatdropped from your comparison, opting to just shake his head and question your way of addressing them “Why are you calling me a child? I’m a teen at most.” “A teen...For someone like me who’s lived far longer than you, you are a child. Even if you were my age, a person at least 20 years older would also regard you as a child.”

❥ “What’s your point? I can’t deal with your mind games…” Takemitchy sighed, turning his body so that he was fully facing you, his eyes cleared a small amount which you could tell, a simple distraction would do him good.

❥ “You look stressed, even more than me who’s had to work overtime.” You put down the newspaper, rolling it before laying it beside you. “The accumulation of little to big despairs in life is what makes an adult, you’re ten years too early to have such an emotion in your eyes.”

❥ “Then again, it doesn’t really matter. Whether you’re an adult or a child the pain of something being taken away from you like a toy or a person hurts just as much. You will pull through or move on eventually, don’t dwell on negative thoughts.”

❥ You leaned on the wall behind you, looking directly at the clock that continued to tick Though with the way the younger male wiped his eyes repeatedly told you, you’ve hit the mark.

❥ The rest of the boys walked through the doors, each of them having bandages covering different parts of their body, one had crutches while one had his arm wrapped. Their gazes in you were expectant. They wanted to know what you would say or do next.

❥ After all, it was the first time they let an adult boss them around as a whole. You stood up, turning around to the direction of your exit, meanwhile they looked down. Attaching a meaning to your actions, Each had their own thoughts, sadness, longingness and or anger it was all they felt.

❥ “You’re young so it is fine to act spoiled and do what you want. But please make an effort to prove you are useful.” Hah. they were used to sympathy, they were also used to people cursing at them. It was either one or the other, but your words told them you were someone they could really ask for advice. Someone...they’ve never really had before.

❥ “The sun has set, tell me your address, I’ll drive you home, it is dangerous at night. Even for gangsters like you.” All of the present boys looked down, trying to control their facial expressions. Even Mikey had a genuine smile on his face. His hand was travelling to the back of his neck before he yelped from the slight pain of his broken arm.

❥ But one of them had not a feeling of warmth.

❥ After driving everyone home, you ran yourself a bath in order to lessen the stress and fatigue that had built up. You walked out of the bathroom, hair wet with a bathrobe draped over your body, but surely what you didn’t expect was one of the familiar boys.

❥ “How did you get in?” You calmly asked, glancing to the direction of your door only to see it completely ransacked. An irk mark appeared on your forehead as the boy in front of you, who was sitting on your couch.

❥ “Tsk, breaking and entering, destruction of private property and more. Surely, this is enough to land you-” “Hey, old man you’re smart. No, Chifuyu said that word...what was it again...It starts with a W wait let me think!”

❥ You resisted the urge to facepalm. “Wise?” “yeah! That!” “So? What exactly have you come for? After nicely barging into my apartment like that.”

❥ “...You gotta promise me you won’t tell anyone.” It was exactly as you expected, the rowdiest was always the ones in need of guidance. He still had the innocence of a child, albeit buried under his behavior.

❥ “By anyone, you mean your friends right? The others you were with” “Yea- wait no- just don’t tell anyone in general!” “You do not have to worry about that, surely no companion of mine is interested in whatever a chil-”

❥ “My friend’s gonna get killed.”

❥ Those words alone caused you to lose your train of thought. It was shocking enough that the boy broke into your cozy home, but to drop a bomb like that...He must have been pretty desperate. How hard it must have been to keep it all to himself.

❥ “I’m gonna be traitor. One of the things I hate the most.” You stayed quiet, letting Baji pick his words. You rubbed your eyes and he took that as a cue to continue.

❥ They say trust is delicate and hard to obtain, and this boy was desperate enough to trust a complete stranger.

❥ “One of the genuine lessons I’ve learned in life…” you could tell this boy wasn’t someone who could understand your logic, avoiding to complicate your words you spoke “Is that it is nothing but pure sh*t.”

❥ “Pfft- you got that right.” Baji agreed, raising his once drooping head to look at you with open ears. “People are also sh*t. Both are equally sh*t so you should just stick to what you believe is the right choice. Even if it could cost you your morals in the way.”

❥ “...Yeah, I should. ‘S only a matter of time too. Thanks man you clea-” “Do not call me that.”

❥ “Then smart *ss!” “I will slap you.”

❥ The day Baji dreaded came. He had no regrets really, you helped him from time to time (He broke into your house so much you gave him a key.)

❥  He was confident that he could pull it off, he managed to squeeze out a compliment from the stuck up you. He swore to god, that was the biggest accomplishment he’s had.

❥ He smiled as he thought back to the way you patted his head while telling him to not care about whatever the consequences was. His hand travelled to the area you touched as he closed his eyes. Then, the fight commenced.

❥ Meanwhile, you had just hurriedly left work. It was not a surprise another one of the boys seeked you out, though this one had to scour through the area just to find you.

❥ Takemitchy began crying the moment he saw your uptight face. Murmuring words like “I’m so happy you’re alive! I’m sorry!” None of it made sense for you who had no context whatsoever. But if it was serious enough for him to plead and kneel for your help, then who were you to say no?

❥ What was supposed to be only a fight became intense once you saw the brutal way they ganged up on one person. You looked around for takemitchy, only to see him desperately looking around for you as well. He met your gaze and you could almost see the joy in his eyes.

❥ He pointed to the stacked cars, the place where Baji stood. You nodded, understanding that you both were to keep him safe. You were only for emergency stakes, but the moment an unfamiliar figure came rushing to Baji’s side carrying something shiny that blinded your vision for a second, you were out running and calling his name.

❥ You were near. Rightfully so.

❥ “What the hell do you think you’re doing!? Old man!” Baji shouted as soon as he saw the red drenching your button shirt. “Did you think I couldn’t handle it!? You underestimated me, is that why you’re here!?” Maybe he was more worried than angry, but couldn’t really show through his words. But his facial expression said enough.

❥ “It was never a matter of underestimating you or not...I am an adult and you are a child” Takemitchy helped you steady your standing, breathing through the pain you smiled at them.

❥ “I have a duty prioritizing your life before mine.” You saw the way they both flinched, eyes glossing over as they tried to look for a way to get you out of here. Thankfully, you weren’t stupid enough to get yourself in the situation recklessly.

❥ “Go grab your friend, His state isn’t the best, even a dog could tell” “I’m fine-” Mikey who heard your words, leaned down on the car before he closed his eye from the trickling blood. “That’s not fine.” You cut him off.

❥ “Oi! Police! Police is here! F*ck! Everybody run!”

❥ You closed your eyes before clenching your teeth from the sharp pain your wound sent. “Go. Run.”

❥ “I can’t defend you if you get caught. Get the others back to my apartment, I contacted somebody so make sure you everybody.”

❥ “Old man...you’re lame as f*ck but a damn lifesaver. I f*cking owe you one.” His crude words certainly weren't meant to uplift, but still, you were glad you managed to save a life and a friendship this time around. “Just run, you trouble child”

❥ “I got it from here.”

❥ A few days passed. You went home that day to see one of your colleagues smoking in your living room with used and bloody cotton around her. You grimaced from the sight as you put out her cigarette yourself.

❥ “You became a dad? Damn.” “Shut it.”

❥ What was supposed to be a recuperating day was ruined the moment your door was kicked open. “Um...oops.” Baji muttered as he dragged the others inside with him. Snickering at the way Draken looked up in amazement, wondering why he hasn’t hit anything with his tall body.

❥ “Old fart! You saved our asses. Thank you. I mean it.” Baji, the boy who cussed you out at every meeting, the boy who came into your home with no care about your belongings, bowed down at an exact 90 degree angle. It greatly shocked the others, but one by one they followed suit.

❥ “Hmm, did you think that came without a price? Teenagers like you need to get their back straightened out by someone.” You sipped at the coffee, putting the cup down as you faced them with your glasses glinting.

❥ “And that someone is me”

❥ They came home that day with sore muscles, more tired than when they go out fighting with rival gangs. What did you make them do? A story for another time. You chuckled as you folded a frilly maid dress.

❥ Though a paper fell out of it as soon as you flipped it. Curious, you opened it, only to get an irm mark from its contents.

❥ Could you guess what was in it?

[ladyofthenoodle]

fandom loves to discuss how absolutely fucked everything gabriel does to adrien in chat blanc is but i think we aren’t giving him enough credit for his ability to hurt marinette too.

it’s far from the first time he’s tried to akumatize marinette, but it is the first time he’s gotten close without the assistance of an unfriendly neighborhood mean girl, which is his standard approach to priming marinette for akumatization. and it’s in chat blanc that we see that gabriel’s been paying attention to marinette, that he knows exactly how those mean girls got under her skin.

because with chloe and lila, the times marinette has gotten almost akumatized weren’t their meanest moments — they were moments were marinette felt betrayed by the authority figures she was counting on to support her. moments where she felt justice wasn’t being served — there’s a reason princess justice is a fitting name. almost every time marinette’s come close to akumatization, she looked to authority figures to do the right thing and they didn’t meet her expectations.

marinette has a generally good relationship to authority and to adults in general. she expects them to do the right thing and to listen to reason, so when they don’t, that hurts her more than chloe’s meanest barbs or lila’s most devious manipulations. and gabriel has figured that out. he knows it won’t be enough for adrien to break marinette’s heart (assuming he could get adrien to do so). he knows it might not even be enough to have marinette break adrien’s heart for adrien’s own good — no, he needs her to feel a sense of injustice. nathalie showing up with the tablet, gabriel’s dismissive attitude, everything — it was all calculated. gabriel is an authority figure she admired as a fashion designer. that she’s probably spent hours listening to adrien trying to defend. and here he shows her no, adrien’s wrong: he isn’t a good person deep down and he doesn’t care that he’s being unfair. no amount of reason will shake him. there’s nothing marinette can do. no justice.

like damn. that man is such an asshole all the way through. and for what he lacks in personal connection to marinette, he makes up for with sheer determination to learn exactly what it takes to break her.

[barbaramoorersm]

July 3, 2022

July 3, 2022

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 66: 10-14c

The Prophet speaks of Jerusalem in feminine terms. 

Psalm 66

The Psalmist presents the “tremendous deeds of God”. 

Galatians 6: 14-18

Paul shares a powerful statement.  “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”. 

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

Jesus instructs those he sends out in ministry.

 Today, Jesus “appointed” and sent out seventy-two of his followers in pairs, and tells them he is sending them out “like lambs among wolves”.  Then he gives them specific instructions about their behavior when rejected by some and accepted by others.  These instructions and the words of Paul that he “bears the marks of Christ on my body” can make these readings rather difficult ones for a preacher.  And yet, here they are, and you and I are invited to converse with them and find a message in them for our lives.

As Jesus��� message becomes more attractive to people, it is understandable that he needs some help in sharing his views and reflections about God.  Help in reaching a wider circle of people.  These seventy-two were in one way “Jesus’ advance team”. Two by two and carrying little baggage should give all of them some protection and freedom. In the previous chapter he already commissioned the twelve with similar instructions.  These instructions were appropriate for first century life and offered suggestions on how to address the issues they would face.  In some unfriendly circumstances they would, be like “sheep among wolves”.  A frightening and vulnerable description!

Some twenty years ago when I worked at Highland’s Center for Women, I observed the attention and kindness of the nurses who visited, cared for and helped to heal women who were facing breast cancer.  The patients often felt like “sheep among the wolf of cancer”. From diagnosis through healing, from hospital stays to recovery at home, from dealing with the loss of part of one’s self to beginning again, these nurses were present, loving, instructive and nonjudgmental.  I remember saying to one, “What you are doing is a profound act of ministry”.  Her response, “No, that is what you do as a Sister”.  But what they were doing in service of others was a profound call that flowed from their faith.  And these calls are not limited to sisters and clergy.  These nurses were like the seventy-two today, send out to heal and bring life to others.

 Even Jesus recognized that a ministry of care and compassion needed to be shared, just like the nurses with whom I had the honor to work. By our Baptism we are figuratively sent out by Jesus to serve, love, embrace and minister to those in need.  I often think of the four church women who by their baptismal call returned like “the seventy-two” in December 1980 to minister to the poor and children in El Salvador.  They were captured, raped and killed.  They were in Jesus’ words, “sheep among wolves.”   Thank God our ministries rarely face “wolves” like that.  But, Paul in our second reading as he carried out his ministry often met many “wolves”.  He writes that he “bears the marks of Jesus on his body”.

What does Jesus’ commission to the “the seventy-two” have to say to all of us as we live out our daily lives?  All of us no matter our age, education or situation are being asked to live out our faith in ways that most of the time, are very small but can make a hugh difference.  When nurses, technicians and doctors collaborated in a poor Rochester neighborhood years ago to bring education and portable mammography to individuals who might never have it, they are examples of “two by two” assisting others and saving lives.

When citizens work together to bring safety to schools and try to decrease gun violence, they resemble the efforts of “the seventy-two”.  When the older members of our families and communities extend their time, prayers and gestures to those who are suffering, they resemble “the seventy-two”.

One final thought that surfaces from this Gospel. The task and efforts we make to be aware of and recognize the “wolves” that try to block the goodness of people are critical.   In our current culture, we are faced with the “wolves” of lies, invented truths, character destruction, violence and narcissism.  At times we may feel like powerless “sheep” when we face them, but with God’s grace and the collaboration of others we can name them, expose them and bring some healing and comfort to others.

Jesus seventy-two returned full of excitement and optimism after their new ministerial activities.  Even at this point in the story, Jesus reminds them not to focus on their successes but the larger picture of service.  And Paul, as he writes the Galatians, reminds all of us that in our service of God and our brothers and sisters we are “ a new creation”.

[messyobservationist]

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy (but only if you want to)! Then, send to the last ten people in your notifications (anonymously if you want). You never know who might benefit from spreading positivity ♡

Hello! Thank you for the ask ᵕ̈

1. Bible study! It’s been really healing and therapeutic for me, and it’s nice to just be able to rest and take as much time as I need away from screens, reading and journaling and meditating on things that are heavy on my mind (I bought new highlighters and everything so I really get to get in there) 📖 🕊🎚

2. Akatsuki no Yona (by Mizuho Kusanagi) and The 12 Kingdoms (by Fuyumi Ono)!!! Akatsuki no Yona has had me in a chokehold since 7th gradeee🏹🌺🐉🏯❤️‍🔥 (Tae-jun my baby boi😭♥️), and I just got into The 12 Kingdoms recently and am obsessed ⚔️🌊🌄🗺👑 (Rakushun my rat baby boi🐀♥️😭)

3. Cacti! 🌵 I keep buying more 🌵 it’s a problem…🌵 every🌵 time🌵 I see a new🌵 one I just🌵have to🌵 adopt🌵 I have 8🌵 now sitting on my 🌵desk

^Pokey Man, Larcy, Hernando/Jorge,  Little One, Larry, Killer, and Creature! Bill Bobby (she/her) didn’t make it into the pictures tho 💔

4. Pickles and ice cream😩 baby. dill. pickles🥒. and chocolate🍫. nut🥜. coated. vanilla. ice cream🍦 I have no excuse… my mom picked it all up at the grocery store and said she was super embarrassed since apparently “pickles and ice cream” means you’re pregnant and hormonally carnivorous??? Is this true or is this just her own Si-dominant symbolic reasoning? Y’all be my judge and execute me for my war crimes

5. My pig. Pig baby. I love him so much. This is Wilbur-boo-appa-chopper Gun (don’t mind that last part, it wasn’t my choice💀). This name is the product of indecision, asking sisters for help, and worst of all, asking online minecraft friends for a name (and not being able to say no because noodle spine). Formally known as Wilbur-boo-appa-copper Gun, this menace shared a likeness with our unfriendly neighborhood Star Wars Rebels droid Chopper! Every day I look at his mean fluff face I wish I had named him Arthur (those who get it, get it). He learned to nip people whenever he has to go to pee so that we’ll take him back to his cage, he’s overly “well endowed” (if ya know what I mean) so he needs help to poop often, he’s super picky about his food but what he’s willing to eat changes drastically every few days so you just have to try everything, hates physical touch unless he initiates it (aspie mood fr tho), invokes terror into our dogs, invokes terror into us, loudly rearranges his entire cage setup, slams the ceramic food and veggie bowls into and on top of each other and underneath the hay trough, pulls all of the hay out of his trough to beg for more, flips over his hidey, chews on everything other than his chews, and I wouldn’t change him for the world♥️ he was left at our dog groomer’s so since we’ve had pigs before (1 herd of 3 and 1 herd of 2) I thought it would be best to take him on before some small child’s mother brought him home because people think guineapigs are a “beginners pet.” Don’t worry—we plan on getting him a friend as soon as we can afford to—but in the meantime I’m just glad to have a pig in the house again! Wilbur has my heart ♥️♥️♥️

^Courtesy of aforementioned online Minecraft friends

Hope some of the things that make me happy could make you a little happy just now too! ♥️☺️ time to go spread the loveeee

[ickle-ronniekins]

when all hope seems lost

desc: George finds himself to be lost: his business, merchandise and home have been destroyed in the war and his twin brother is still healing from a battle wound that could’ve been fatal. He’s living temporarily in a flat in a desolate looking neighborhood, and he’s desperate for anything to feel like it used to be. It seems as though all hope is lost, until he meets someone who reminds him that he’s got to endure the darkness to be able to appreciate the light.

A/N: yaknow i hate myself sometimes because whenever i just wanna write ~one fic~ i always add WAY TO MUCH INFORMATION and need to make it either a two-partner or a series smh why can’t i write shorter pieces man??? also this is me just feeding my feelings sorry.. i know some other friends need some light too so hopefully this two part (maybe more?) mini-series can help you a bit, too

pairing: george x fem!american!reader

word count: 1.9k

warning(s): mentions of war, anxiety, mental health

tag list: @mintlibri @georgeweasleyx @seppys-return-to-madness @fopdoodledane @fredd-weasley @iprobablyshipit91 @darling-details @laneygthememequeen @lupinsx @keoghans @helloallthethingsilove @dreamer821 @feffffffy @the-hufflepuff-of-221b @62442-am @wtfweasleyy @obsessedwithrandomthings @thoseofgreatambition @harrysweasleys @sleep-i-ness @shadowsinger11 @haphazardhufflepuff @afriendlyneighborhoodhufflepuff @hood-and-horan @letsfightsomeorcs @theweasleysredhair @purpleskiesstorm @hxfflxpxffs @wand3ringr0s3 @finecole @angelinathebook @highly-acidic @purplefragile @90shermione @zreads @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hollands-weasley @andromedaa-tonks @bbstrawberry0421 @princessof-theuniverse @cappsikle @mytreec @imseeinggred @idont-knowrn @flyingserpxnt @auroraboringalis57 @godricsswords @jejegu @annasofiaearlobe @starlightweasley | message me to be added!

When it seemed as though every bit of light had been drained from the universe, you wondered whether the pavement beneath your feet would implode, catapulting you into some other world, some other place where maybe the darkness wasn’t so evident.

George was wallowing again, letting his unhappiness swallow him whole, the happiness he always seemed to emanate now diminished by the hollowness he felt inside of his chest. What had happened to him? How had it come to this? How had he let his desires go by the way side? Why had he given into the melancholy feeling overtaking him?

You wondered whether things would ever go back to normal. Though the war had taken place in England, it hadn’t stopped the following of the most dangerous wizard in all the world to make their way to America. They’d stopped at nothing. Not that you were surprised, really. You’d heard just how awful things had been across the pond. It was no wonder that they’d seemingly wiped out half of the population and then headed for the states, looking to inflict more damage upon the Wizarding community.

A sharp honking noise came from round the bend, but George didn’t move. He stood, feet cemented firmly into the cobblestone as he peered up at his shop; or rather, what was left of it. A few measly bricks and the siding that had been blasted open, showcasing the inner lining of the shop, their flat above it, and all of the products that had been destroyed along with it. The following of Voldemort hadn’t been kind. If he’d been there, if he hadn’t been at Hogwarts, he could’ve saved it -- Fred could’ve saved it --

You peered around the desolate little street you now found yourself on. Though the war had ended, the damage was still very prominent. Here you were -- halfway around the world, no job, no home, no life plans on the horizon, for they’d been smashed to smithereens the same way your tiny little home had been. You wondered if England would be the better choice than America. A wave of doubt surged through your bones, and you very quickly scratched at your head to try and ignore it as you made your way toward your new home.

Fred was busy at the Burrow. After his almost near experience with the great beyond, Molly had insisted that he come home. He hadn’t been too resistant, actually. He reckoned he could use some time there. George, however, desperately searched for a new place -- at least for a little while. A new place for himself, until Fred got better, and they could go back to their plans. Though, now, as he angrily clenched his fists inside of his pockets, the foreboding feeling of doubt swept through his mind, and he wondered if he and Fred would ever be able to replenish all that they’d lost.

Your suitcase clicked rather annoyingly against the cobblestone. You stopped and took an exaggerated deep breath, threading your brows together as you looked up at your new home: a tiny little apartment right on the outskirts of London. It was freshly painted a very stark white; it was beautiful, but nothing like what you were used too. It wasn’t just a new apartment -- it was a whole new world. England was too far from America, and every aspect of home felt as though it were light years of miles away.

George opened up the door to the room of his new flat: it was desolate looking -- bare walls, muted colours, a sort of dryness he wasn’t fond of, and he knew Fred wouldn’t be either. There was absolutely nothing exciting about this place. He set down his trunk in the corner and stood there for a few moments, half in a sort of daze and half in denial. He then threw his jacket onto the bed and made way toward the kitchen to make himself a much needed cup of tea.

You were busy tracing your hands over countertop in the kitchen when someone scared you. A redheaded man stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with confusion as they glanced over you. He was tall and lanky; he desperately needed a haircut (or a hair taming, rather) and appeared as though he hadn’t caught much sleep in days. You stuck out your hand to introduce yourself: right. You forgot you’d be sharing a home. With a stranger. From England.

“Hi.” George’s voice sounded weirdly firm and unfriendly in his own ears. He cleared his throat a bit and forced a smile onto his face; in his desperation to find a place to temporarily live, he’d forgotten that he’d agreed to another flatmate. He slid his hand into yours and shook gently. “I’m George. Nice to meet you.”

By the puzzled look on his face, you wondered if he knew he was going to get a  roommate. A female roommate. An American female roommate. You figured probably not, because he seemed to be caught rather off guard when he walked into the kitchen and nearly froze on the spot. The startled expression cleared from his face, and he offered a rather genuine looking grin. You introduced yourself right back. “Nice to meet you.”

George found himself in a better mood when he realized that you were bound to be a good flatmate: you were tidy, didn’t have as many belongings as he’d imagined, and offered to shower either morning or night, it didn’t really matter to you -- whatever worked best for him. He was grateful to how accommodating you were being right off of the bat, especially when he felt as though his entire world was collapsing. But when he wandered past your room that first night and saw you sprawled out on the floor, hurriedly going through your belongings and peering down at what seemed to be some type of photographs, he wondered if you were possibly going through something, too. He pretended not to notice when you dabbed at your eyes.

It was nearing midnight, and you forced yourself to place back into your suitcase all photographs of your home -- or, the home you once had. It wasn’t doing you any good looking through them; if anything, it was just making the move to London that much more difficult. Suddenly, a gentle knock pulled you from your thoughts: George was standing at the entrance of your room, two cups in his hands. “I normally have a bit of tea before I head off to bed, and well.. you looked like you could use some. Hope I’m not overstepping.”

George was glad to see the grin that appeared on your face at the sight of him holding two steaming cups of tea. He watched you quickly got up from the floor and pull your hair back into a ponytail. “Thank you,” you told him, cautiously blowing on your tea to cool it. George figured now would be a good a time as any for a casual conversation, since it didn’t look like you’d be going to bed anytime soon. “So -- America? What brings you to England?”

He caught you off guard when he asked this. When you turned back around to look at him, he was casually leaning against the doorframe. His eyes looked much more awake than when you’d first met; it seems as though your foreignness had piqued his interest. Gently, you offered, “My home was destroyed. In the war. Crazy how everything that had started over here wandered all the way over to the states. Lost my job. Lost other...personal things.” You cleared your throat a bit and watched as George bit down on his lip; he seemed to understand. “Figured it was time for a fresh start, you know? New place, new adventure. Though I suppose I could’ve just moved to another state instead of across the country. But hey, England seemed as lovely a place as any, right?” You chuckled a bit before continuing, the first genuine laugh you’d had in months. “How about you? What brings you to this little apartment?”

“I’m so sorry. That’s awful.” George felt a tightness in his throat at your words. He hadn’t expected you to be so frank right off the bat. He wondered if all Americans willingly told intimate details of their lives to complete strangers. Though it was sort of strange to him, he felt as though it was an opening. He bravely took a step forward. “My reasoning isn’t any happier than yours, I’m afraid. I own a business with my brother -- the war destroyed nearly all of it and my flat above it. Fred’s back at my mum and dad’s; he was poorly hurt. I’m kind of on my own for the time being, struggling to find which way is up. That’s how I ended up here.”

“I’m so sorry.” A sudden wave of sadness took you over. You wanted to reach out and grab his hand and squeeze it, seemingly letting George know that you knew, sort of, how he felt. You’d both lost things due to the war. You’d both had to find a way to start over. You resisted the urge and instead sipped again on your tea. You lifted your eyebrows in shock. “It’s strange, the aftermath. It’s startlingly much worse over here than it is back home.”

George found himself laughing, genuinely giggling, for the first time since before the war. “England hasn’t scared you off, has it? I promise, it normally doesn’t look this bloody dismal. And, well, this little area on the outskirts of London really did take quite a hit. Not my first choice in terms of places to live, but I reckon for the time being, it’ll do.”

You swore you caught a bit of a glimmer in his eye, and you wondered how long it’d been since it had been there. George didn’t seem like a particularly melancholy kind of guy, but you knew that with his business destroyed, his brother hurt, his home demolished that he was entitled to a few (or more than a few) bad days. You peered out of your window to see the little rain covered cobblestone street, lit by nothing but the pale light of the street lamps, and breathed in gently. No, England hadn’t scared you off -- dismal looking or not. It had actually turned out to be much nicer than you’d imagined. You nodded at George, who offered up another small grin. “It’ll do.”

When George went to bed that night, he fiddled around with a few test products he and Fred had been placing the finishing touches on. He sucked in multiple breaths to stop himself from crying and just tried to remind himself constantly that they’d work it out. Fred would get better, they’d repair the damage, they’d create new products, their flat would be fixed. When he said all of it in the same breath, it sounded like too much for two blokes to handle. So he tried to focus on one thought at a time. Right. Fred will get better, after some much needed rest. George could handle being in this flat. It would give him time to work out logistics and design more products in all this new free time he had. He glanced to his bedside table and noticed a copy of The Quibbler underneath his wand, and his trunk in the corner of the room. The furnishings actually sort of reminded him of his dormitory at Hogwarts, and he chuckled to himself before shutting his eyes. Perhaps you were right. This new life? This time for all to heal? This time spent in a new flat?

It would do. It would do just fine.

[firefliesintheskyline]

A Poem In Flowers

PAIRING : Nicky x Joe

PROMPT : Flower Shop AU

(now on ao3 !)

“Oh-oh, he’s gonna pay for that!”

“Booker, we can’t just barge in, we don’t even know how—“

“He stole them from you! Isn’t it clear enough?”

Nicky frowned, listening to the loud voices coming from outside. It was usually a quiet neighborhood, especially at that time of the day.

“Let’s just go inside!"

He was startled when someone opened the door of his flower shop with more strength than needed.

“Booker, can you please calm down a little? You’re going to scare him.”

Nicky looked at the guy who had just spoken, feeling more intrigued than afraid. The fact that the newcomer was also incredibly handsome was definitely a plus.

“Mr. Di Genova, I believe?,” the other man said, in a pissed and totally unfriendly way. Nicky took an instant dislike to him.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you here for a bridal bouquet?"

Not-nice jerk was caught off guard by his question, while cute-dude just chuckled. Of course, Nicky couldn’t help but find it extremely endearing.

“No, we… Okay, let’s start this properly. Nile, my assistant, came here a couple of days ago to pick up a bouquet for my wife.” If Nicky didn’t like this 'Booker' guy before, things only got worse after the last sentence. He appreciated the fact that Very Handsome Man (well, wasn’t his crush escalating quickly) seemed to give his friend a very nasty look at that. “There was a little card attached to the bouquet, a card that contained a short poem.”

Nicky nodded briefly.

“Yes, that’s my customers' favorite part of the bouquet and the very reason why they keep buying here.”

He felt a wave of pride while saying those words. After all, It had been his idea when he had first opened the shop, and he wasn’t going to take lessons from some uneducated asshole just because the guy couldn’t stand poetry.

Extremely Attractive Man (yep, that was it, no going back) gave him a contemplative look, almost as if he was trying to make sense of… something.

“Well, isn’t that nice? Stealing someone else's art and then using it to make a profit?,” rude-dude retorted.

Nicky felt his blood run cold. He didn’t like the tone nor what was being implied, and he was starting to get extremely pissed.

“Look, I’m sorry for Sebastien here, he can be very nasty when he wants.” Nicky noticed that Unbelievably Hot Guy had also Incredibly Nice Lips and Absolutely Gorgeous Eyes, and he was almost starting to forget why he was pissed in the first place, while oh-so-not staring at him. “We just read the card and found it  very similar to… well, one of my poems. And since it wasn’t signed, I just wanted to understand what was going on, find out if maybe someone was taking credit that wasn’t theirs?”

The revelation had Nicky almost drop his jaw. He knew he should focus on the accusation, but all he could do was stare at the guy who was apparently responsible for keeping Nicky up more nights than he could remember, thinking about the brilliant mind behind those perfect words.

“I actually bought them," was all that came out of Nicky’s mouth. 

He realized that maybe he should have added more when the two friends shared a look, seeming rather confused.

“I haven’t published any of them, yet.”

“No, I mean… they were in a jar. I bought the jar.”

For a couple of minutes, there was only silence in the shop. Poet Guy - who was still very hot and still without a damn name to go with his face - opened his mouth a couple of times, but didn’t seem to know what to say, until his eyes widened. Nicky was pretty sure he’d had some sort of epiphany, and he wasn’t the only who had noticed.

“Joe? Joe, are you okay? What is he talking about?”

Joe - Nicky was secretly beaming, he'd finally gotten the name of the man who would haunt all his future dreams - looked very close to an existential crisis.

“Do you remember during college, when I used to live with Andy?” Sebastien nodded, but Nicky was too concentrated on Joe to even notice. “Well, there was this big red jar on the table, in the middle of the living room. Whenever I was struggling with a short poem, instead of throwing the paper away, I would just fold it and put it in the jar.”

Well, if those were Joe’s definition of failed poems, Nicky couldn’t wait to find some way or another to date this guy just so he could read the good ones.

“When she moved in with Quynh, she took the jar with her. I didn’t even realize at first, and after a while I sort of forgot about it. I also didn’t really care because I was sure she’d keep it, since she took it in the first place.” Joe seemed lost, and looked at Nicky as if he was the only one who could make sense of it all.

“If it helps, I can tell you that I bought it from a woman, long hair, mischievous smile, who said she was glad her wife was away for a while so she had time to get rid of the - and I quote - “atrocious bloody colored vase”?” Nicky finished the sentence with a sheepish smile, feeling himself blushing all of sudden.

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was definitely not it.” Sebastian shook his head and looked at Joe. “I don’t even think we can force him to stop, since technically he did buy the jar."

“I will definitely stop if Joe is uncomfortable with it.” Nicky raised his voice, slightly insulted by the insinuation. “I would never try to harm or profit from someone else’s work. Especially if that someone is an amazingly talented poet."

Joe was staring at him, looking entranced.

“But you said it yourself, this is what makes your customers coming back. I wouldn’t want to be the one to do the damage to you.”

Nicky was so going to marry this guy. On the spot. Damn it, he would even accept the obnoxious dude as the best man if he had to.

“Maybe we can work out a good compromise?” Nicky’s voice softened, almost as if he was about to share a secret. “I could still put the cards in the bouquet, but with your signature underneath each poem. And I’d give you a percentage over it, of course.”

“I, uh,” Joe’s cheeks were turning a lovely shade of red, and Nicky was torn between feeling pride in being the one who was actually responsible for that and wanting to melt at the sight of it, “what can I say, you do make it sound like a win-win situation. But, as I was saying before, those aren’t exactly poems I feel very confident about.”

“So why not write some new ones to go along with my bouquet?” Nicky knew, deep down, that he was pushing his luck, but he'd found that he really didn’t care that much, especially if he could find a way to get Joe to come back to his shop.

“Oh my God, I’m done. I’m not gonna stand here any longer watching the two of you shamelessly flirt like teenagers.” Sebastien threw his hands up in the air and started walking towards the door, turning around only to yell at Joe, “if you get laid tonight, remember to send me a 'thank you' note!"

“Once again, I really, really do apologize for him. He can be unbelievably crass, but he’s a good friend.” For the first time since he'd entered the shop, Joe gave Nicky a full-on smile, all teeth and dimples. And that’s when Nicky realized, once and for all, that he was utterly fucked.

“No problem,” Nicky let out in a croaked voice, finding it rather difficult to put together a coherent though, “I hope you’ll consider my offer.”

“I most definitely will.” Joe ran his fingers through his hair, looking almost embarrassed. “Maybe we could talk about it over a cup of coffee? I know a place nearby.”

And that’s how they ended up in the coffee shop owned by Quynh, who was absolutely delighted when they told her the whole story and didn’t even try to apologize to Joe, since she had just given him “the single most exciting meet cute of his entire existence”.

(Two years later, at their wedding, Booker and Quynh were still arguing over which one of them was responsible for such a lucky encounter. Nicky secretly spent his days thanking them both).

[rainbowjamblog]

A theologian’s thoughts on being gay

Hi guys! It’s your friendly (sometimes angry) neighborhood theologian.

Since it’s an important and hotly debated topic, I want to look at LGBTQIA+ and theology. I’ll start with the LGB part and have another part of TI later, since it’s pretty different topics. I’m not sure yet if I can do a post about being asexual/aromantic; as always, aces/aros seem to be overlooked. I’ll try my best.

 Let’s start with some acknowledgements. Christianity has not been a good place for LGB people for the longest time and until today. A lot of that stems from the surrounding culture (as most European cultures were rather anti-LGB, the same sentiment was true for Christianity), but a. that’s not always true (Ancient Greece is somewhat famous for accepting certain kinds of gay and lesbian relationships) and b. even if it is, that’s only an explanation, not an excuse.

Even today, in many Christian denominations and churches, LGB people are not welcome, outright demonized, hated, threatened, described as ‘abominations’, and cast out. That has resulted in a lot of pain for LGB people. And I am certain (although I have no sources for that) that people have died because of the anti-LGB mindset that Christian churches have created and perpetuated.

This is our shame and our sin. We (as Christians) have to deal with that.

So, let’s look at the problem and also some solutions!

The central problem is that a few verses of the bible clearly condemn homosexuality. In the Hebrew Bible (=Old Testament) we have Leviticus 18,22 and 20,13, which states that a man having sex with another man is an abomination. Now, you can start discussing the details here – a more correct translation would be ‘am man who lies with another man as with a woman’. This might refer only to anal sex, it might be about the ‘subjugation’ of the man who bottoms – but personally, I don’t see how discussing the details really helps. (And personally, I don’t think the idea that this verse actually refers to pedophilia works. Haven’t seen it mentioned in scholarly work, either.)

Let’s look in the NT, then! Surely everything is better with buddy Jesus?

Nope, not necessarily (also, saying the NT is so much better than the OT is quietly but dangerously antisemitic, but that’s a post for another day). In the Gospels, homosexuality isn’t mentioned at all. But in Paul’s letters there are a few verses. Romans 1,26-27 describes ‘sinful people’ who had homosexual sex (both women and men! Yay equal opportunity condemnation?). 1 Corinthians 6,9-11 and 1 Timothy 1,8-11 are also describing ‘arsenokotai’ (which loosely translates as lying-with-men) as something bad. However: here, it is possible that it’s actually about prostitution, and especially about having sex with a slave.

 So: Yes, there are a few verses that are rather unfriendly towards homosexuality or at least against gay sex. But: There are many verses in the Bible with strong opinions. I’m sure you all know by now of such delightful laws as ‘don’t wear garments made of different yarn! (Lev 19,19), or all the laws about purity and sacrifice. No-one keeps those anymore! And in the NewTestament, you have the idea of sharing everything, all your possessions; and of course all those texts about loving thy neighbour.

And *this* is where it gets interesting. The bible is not a monolith. It’s a collection of dozens of books, each with a different outlook! There are contradictions everywhere. So, every person who reads and interprets the bible has to use their own mind. Yes, you can say ‘these three verses are super-duper important and all of christianity hinges on them’. I mean, okay, if god is that fixated about what a few dudes do in bed, seems weird to me, not very powerful nor very loving.

And that’s where my interpretation comes in.

A) There are many, many texts, in both the Old and the New Testament, that call us to love each other (Lev 19.18; Luke 10.27-37; Matthew 5.43-44; John 13.34-35), to help those who need help, to not judge. So, personally, I see this as the center of my faith – and I want this to be the center of Christian faith: to love and accept each other, and to actually practice that love by being there for one another. Throwing people out of our homes or communities is the very opposite of that love. As the Gospel stories show again and again, Jesus condemns those who think they are better than others, those that cast others out, and instead he praises those who take care of others, reaching across cultural borders.

So, if love is my main orientation – how can I then condemn people who are ostracized, victimized, hurt, made to feel less than? That simply makes no sense.

B) A popular workaround I have heard is: “We are all sinners, so I accept homosexual folks and don’t judge, because I am also a sinner.”

Well. It’s way better than being hateful, that’s for sure. But this stance can still hurt a whole lot, because it still adheres to the principle that homosexuality=sin. A sin that can be overlooked, but still a sin. And can you imagine that a central part of you, a part that harms no-one and is in fact no different than heterosexual love (and sex), be defined as a sin? Because, no matter how you define it, a ‘sin’ always means something that’s a problem, something that you should not do, something that brings you further away from God. But if we believe that ‘God has created each of us in the womb’ (Psalm 139:13), how can we say that parts of that are fundamentally sinful? (Yeah, yeah, original sin, but that’s a different topic for another day; let’s just say there are different ways to think about that, too.) And, again, what do we prefer: following the teachings of love and acceptance, or concentrating on a few verses?

(source: Nakedpastor; he’s on facebook and insta and has a website)

C) Finally: The Biblical texts are very old, between 2.000 and 3.000 years old. They were written in societies that were fundamentally different from ours today. Relationships were different. Homosexuality the way it is understood today was hardly a topic back then, at least in that reagion (yes, I know about the two Egyptian men who were buried together, but nothing like that has been found in Israel/Palestine) because sex and marriage were practical concerns – having children, keeping the family line, that sort of thing. The people back then wrote down their experiences with God, and their understanding of a good society. It’s our job to try and understand their intent, and extrapolate from that.

By the way: This take isn’t that unusual! Lots of churches have learned to treat homo- and heterosexuals equally. I know LGB pastors and bishops, there are Christian LGB weddings and so on. And – maybe the coolest: When the Pope lately said something regrettably awful against LGB people, many Catholics in Germany (where I live) protested loudly; instead of following suit, they fly rainbow flags, hold blessing ceremonies for LGB couples, and wrote very clear, critical statements, risking their jobs. *That’s* what I think the church should be.

  Tl;dr: You have to choose yourself on what parts of the biblical message and ideas you want to focus: love one another? Or focus on a few stray verses. Also, using your brain when reading the Bible is very much recommended.

And to any lesbian, gay, bi people out there who are feeling hurt by the church: I am so, so sorry. They are doing you wrong. I’m certain that you are loved by God, just as you are, and that you are worthy of love, just as you are. Your sexual orientation is *not* a sin. Never has been. And anyone who tells you otherwise hasn’t understood what it means to be a Christian.

[emo-gremlin]

I am formally asking for more unfriendly neighborhood appreciation

We need more and they need more love