#obey me lesson 79

[sparkbeast20]

Okay just a random and funny way of seeing this!

I kinda think Barbatos just became a dateable in a sense that his the only one who didn't confess to MC at S3 and just confess at S4 lesson 79.

So... Welcome Barbatos to the possible love interest :3

[emmys-grimoire]

Lesson 79 Story & Analysis

Could be worse. I still have my nitpicks, of course.

We’re in the planetarium’s greenhouse with Simeon and Luke. Simeon brought over some of his BLT sammiches to share with us. Diavolo and Barbatos are present, too, and seem eager to relax and chow down… while the brothers are less than enthused for obvious reasons.

Apparently Solomon is the only one who remembers Mammon’s name.

Beelzebub insists on eating first, and Lucifer agrees with his excuse, and Solomon is in no hurry either. The afflicted fume.

Later, Belphegor notes that Satan has been gone for an unusually long time. Apparently we know what’s been keeping him, though. 

A computer virus. Of course.

Satan is helping Mephisto in creating this virus we need to get into the bulletin board.

Upon hearing this, Leviathan freaks out at not being asked, completely ignoring the fact that he’s currently invisible. He proceeds to beat his nearby brothers with his flailing. They get into a big fight and ignore Lucifer’s yelling. Clown music in the background. They make Beelzebub drop his sandwich, which pisses him off and makes everything spiral even further out of control. 

Raphael offers to rain spears on them, but Lucifer actually wants to find a less violent solution for a change. He asks us for help, implying he wants us to evoke our pacts, but Solomon interjects and tells us we may not need to because Simeon has stepped in and started mediating.

Or, rather, parenting.

Beelzebub immediately settles down when Simeon shoves a sandwich into his maw and Simeon proceeds to give them all encouragement and praise.

The others marvel at Simeon’s “unique” skillset and how he’s able to calm them all down. Luke notes there’s one sandwich left, and Mammon proposes they play rock paper scissors to decide who gets it. Asmo wants invisible Levi to hold his sandwich so he can post it in Devilgram. Barbatos and Luke goes off to get dessert ready. We get to praise Simeon for solving everything without bloodshed.

Honestly it’s a little weird that this is the first time he’s done it in the main story. All the mediating Simeon’s done has been in text messages or in events. In Season 3 he seemed to enjoy watching them bicker on the train, and he was far more interested in berating them during play practice in Season 2 (which led to them fighting and going on a retreat to help mend fences -- which they did without any aid from Simeon). It feels strange to put this all in the forefront now, but I guess they needed to really drive it home now that he’s been glum.

But hey, it’s acknowledged as a new development, at least?

Raphael continues to heap the praise on Simeon and Simeon sheepishly brushes it off. Leviathan begins rambling about how of course he’s great because he’s Christopher Peugeot. 

The subject turns to all the fanmail Leviathan and Solomon wrote for Simeon. Well, at least we’re not the one getting the spotlight for once.

Dessert is finished. Simeon asks us to walk with him.

With his insecurities now gone, he’s fully accepted his fate as a full-fledged human. How exciting and fulfilling. He plans on telling everyone about what happened when everything’s settled down.

Satan finally returns and tells us they’re ready to unleash the virus. Mephisto is uncertain about the plan.

We go to the newspaper room. We’ve left everyone behind besides Solomon, Satan, Diavolo, Lucifer, and Mephisto so they can tend to their own duties and because the room is too small to cram everyone inside. 

Diavolo admits to being excited, and Lucifer chides him. Mephisto then chides Lucifer for not showing Diavolo proper respect. Lucifer wonders why Mephisto was so willing to help Satan, and Mephisto admits he was bribed with vintage demonus that came from Lucifer’s private collection. Lucifer is not pleased. Satan brushes him off and tells us we have to start now.

The plan is set into motion. 

Solomon guides us as we unleash our magic. At first it’s rough, but eventually we magically muscle our way into the computer and sever the connection between the bulletin board and the magical item.

Said magical item is a huge treasure box. Diavolo lets it slip that the treasure box used to be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and Satan immediately pounces and asks what he meant by that. (Surprise everyone this was Diavolo’s scheme all along)

Before we can confront him about it, we hear Asmo and Mammon shriek. 

They’re all invisible now!

Solomon theorizes that the effects of the crevasse must have grown stronger.

Diavolo asks why it’s impacting Mammon and Asmo now and not Leviathan, but Leviathan corrects him and reveals he’s now completely incorporeal. They start bickering amongst themselves again, and Lucifer asks us to “do our thing”.

… Yep. This really needed to be a choice, I guess.

We zap them into submission and Satan proposes we head back to the greenhouse. Mephisto asks what we should do with the gigantic treasure chest, and Lucifer says we must take it with us. 

We haul it back to the greenhouse and meet back up with the others. We tell them our plan was successful. Simeon reveals that Barbatos is now sick.

Diavolo tries to get Barbatos to rest, but Barbatos of course refuses. Lucifer notices Beelzebub is nowhere to be found. 

Mephisto arrives and informs us that Luke told him what’s up, and that he’s off with the others to find verbum drops. Apparently we ordered him to do that offscreen. Mephisto asks why we did that when we’re in the middle of an emergency, and Solomon informs him that we intend to create another dark crevasse so we can throw the gigantic treasure chest into it. Mephisto thinks it’s a very dangerous plan, and we all agree. Luke was insistent on helping in spite of the obvious danger.

Asmodeus inquires about some of the ingredients…

And Satan proves once again he’s a total nerd.

Though Satan knows the recipe, he isn’t sure how to mix them because Lucifer wishes to keep that knowledge hidden. Solomon cheerfully tells him not to worry, he knows how. 

NEEEERDS

They’re low key one of my favorite ships.

We get a text from Raphael who is using Belphegor’s D.D.D. It sounds like they’re in trouble.

Cue DRAMATIC MUSIC.

We spring into action and use teleportation to clear the distance between us.

We arrive at a lake, and Beelzebub seems to have been fighting–

His appetite.

Ngl I found this funny.

Lucifer demands an explanation, and Raphael reveals that he really did just send that alarming message because Beel was about to eat all the ingredients. 

WTF Belphie he does this every fifteen minutes. Do y’all really have no contingency plans?

Apparently not. Either we can step in and give him food or we can tell Lucifer to give him spare cupcakes. Beel gets to them before they can even be handed out.

We then head back to RAD via teleportation. Diavolo marvels at our teleportation abilities. We can accept the praise or credit Solomon. 

Raphael foists a sleeping Luke (who exhausted himself on the trip) onto Mephisto because he’s the other big brother of the group. He protests initially but caves immediately after seeing the little angel sleep.

Another addition to Luke’s parent pile.

Mephisto tells us to go do our plan while he watches over Luke. We venture out into the courtyard. We begin and we get even MORE dramatic music.

The others begin to feel pain and Lucifer demands Solomon reassure him that his brothers are going to be okay. Solomon tells him the dark crevasse will exert it’s influence on them and they’ll just have to hang on.

Everyone’s being pummeled. We get an opportunity to save Barbatos for affection points. 

MASOCHIST ALERT.

The giant treasure chest doesn’t seem to be budging, unfortunately. It appears this dark crevasse has a mind of it’s own, too, and we didn’t anticipate that.

The invisible brothers cling to Simeon like barnacles and demand he use his angelic powers to help them out, but Simeon finally admits he can’t do that and why.

Too bad Luke’s not there. Will that matter? At this point, probably not.

The lesson ends.

Analysis

I really hate how they handled Simeon’s arc this season. After revealing how much he fears his Father and the potential consequences of his actions at the end of Season 3 and at the start of Season 4, it ends with this and “he does everything for a reason”. 

Simeon was one of the most intriguing characters on the cast before all this. Now, I don’t really care that he’s no longer an angel. It’s not like it was really central to his character: he didn’t use any of his angelic powers when he had them, and we never really talked about his position in the Celestial Realm or what he did as an angel -- even though this season was the perfect opportunity to go into that. They sucked out whatever conflict or drama this transformation could have had in favor of... what?

I liked this game because I thought the character writing was unusually good for an otome, but that seems to be changing. We’re not getting much of anything: no character development, no drama, and lackluster romance due to a bloated cast of characters and limited screen time.

Predictions

They’ll finally get rid of the gigantic treasure chest and dark crevasse. Luke will wake up and ask what happened, and Simeon will tell him what’s up. He’ll ask no questions, do no reflecting (it’s too late for that!), and just accept what happened even though the theft was necessary to save the three realms. We’ll pass our last trial and become an official member of the student council, and we’ll spend our free time just sorting mail alongside the brothers.

Then we’ll move onto the next season. We’ll leave for like a week for... some reason. There’s a format we have to follow even though it makes no sense, okay!?

This season has been so disappointing and I can’t wait for it to be over. My season review will probably be more of a rant than anything.

[pridecomethbeforethefall]

[tartartagliaboo]

absolutely ain’t no way obey me left this lesson on a fucking cliff hanger😨this fucking final test is too many chapters long it could have easily ended this lesson. i don’t have the hard lessons unlocked yet up to here but if anyone else does could you please lmk if there are any additional story things?

[leviathans-watching]

they’re so funny 😭😭😭

[messysketchyobeyme]

Actually, no, I can't get over the fact how everyone is literally dying and/or about to die, and Barbatos is over like like "hehe :)"

[12am-motivation]

Lesson 79 Spoilers

A GROUP CHAT WITH ALL THE EXCHANGE STUDENTS FINALLY

[viriborne]

Bro this isn’t the time

[boys-reverie]

This is the moment I realised Mephistopheles is tall. I gotta wonder how much height varies within the game.

[maaaybi]

HE FINALLY...!!!!!! 

he actually SAID !!!!!!! 

[mitunafishsaladsandwich]

i don’t know this is kind of a rant but i feel like Obey Me really has fallen from grace. i’ve heard the jokes abt “obey me fans only like obey me either the stories they’ve made up in their heads w the characters, no one actually likes the lessons”

i started playing in early may 2020 (so ch 20 was out but s2 wouldn’t come out like until a month later)

the first set of lessons (s1 and honestly really enjoyed s2) were great, but s3 and s4 are very,, unenjoyable. characters like Beel and especially Satan are just characatures and have become pretty much jokes. don’t get me wrong, i like the dateables but i feel like their “romance” was really shoehorned in and kinda forced the brothers into the jokey sidecharacter role they’ve been in. + the new characters are great but they also feel very out of place and shoehorned in.

okay i tried to cut out as many actual spoilers as i could BUT! there are basic references to plot points and major conflicts without anything named! you’ve been warned

i think one of the most annoying things is how MC is written. like 1 how almost every plot relevant disaster is caused by MC by accident (it would be fine if it was JUST the whole “Ring” thing but. now it’s like every other plot point. ALSO how on screen MC is extremely bland but apparently they’re a genius or something offscreen (example is with the s4 79-1 “oh yeah i know exactly how to handle this issue and i’ve already set my plan into place”)

also idk the story isn’t as relevant and constant as it was. like s1 *mwah* had an overarching theme and story throughout, and s2 didn’t have that but did have a sequence that went together well to create exposition. (like the granting wishes thing -> beel breaks the record -> go to the reaper cave -> lucifer passes tf out -> the whole ring thing). s3 and s4 doesn’t have that whatsoever. i guess the simeon thing but there’s no exposition it’s just “oh yeah simeon is a yk now”

anyway i just wanted to get it out there. it makes me sad bc OBM! was genuinely my favorite piece of media for over a year and the story was SO great but now it’s,, idk. maybe its just me?

(also if you’ve read this far THANK YOU??? ILY)

[cajunquandary]

Title: Perdition

Link: Coming soon to Ao3

Summary: Castiel visits a troublesome soul and bears witness to a story that will fundamentally change him for the rest of eternity. 

Created for @spndarkbingo

Square Filled: Thanatophobia

Rating: Mature

Pairing: None

Tags/Warnings: Torture, blood, death, talk of Hell

Wordcount:1355

Creator’s Note: As told in first person from an autistic victim--one that the Winchesters couldn’t save. Current events happening as she relays the story are italicized. Beta’d by @thinkinghardhardlythinking and @wonder-cole

There’s a point beyond where a human body breaks. A specific point where pain both exists and doesn’t simultaneously. Where the mind is suspended in a haze too thick to see or think through. A mark of time where nothing exists outside of the skin containing the bundle of blood and bones and nerves and, somewhere buried even deeper still, the soul. In that very moment, the soul makes a decision as basic as the conditioned frame holding it to that plane--fight or flight?

I’d like to tell you that this is a story of a fight. Some grand struggle of triumph over tribulation. As much as I believed myself to be strong, to be brave and boundless, the world taught me different. Or the cosmos. Well, no matter the source of the lesson, this is a story of how I became no bigger than an ant. Inconsequential. Nothing. 

But this isn’t really my story. It’s his. We just happened to cross paths, right at that breaking point. This is a story about a boy named Winchester.

There once was a time that I’d had hopes and dreams and faith, but it was stripped from me the night I disappeared. Even now, I don’t know where I was taken--only the details of the room and the unspeakable things that happened there. I’d like to be able to forget them, seeing as I’m in heaven now and the pain is but a distant echo, but my mind has never worked that way and never will.

Castiel lowers his face without breaking his gaze upon her, understanding. He can feel the need for her to share this story with him. For a soul to cry out and pray even once in heaven is a rare thing, a broken thing. A thing he was sent to fix, to erase. But before he does, he reverently listens, intent on carrying her story with the others he’s collected from lost souls over the eons. After all, what better way to understand the incredible creation of humanity than to learn from them first hand, even if he can’t linger on Earth? 

All I remember before that room were colors. Blues and purples and greys and reds and yellows but mostly dark. It felt green. Camping, I think. The night reflected in a shifting cascade of sparkles and swirls and lines and clusters upon the stretch of sky and black waters lapping at my feet. I stepped forward, to feel more of the warmth of the summer breeze through my hair, against my skin. Then the colors faded to nothing. Not even black. Just… emptiness. 

The sounds came to me first. Far away but all encompassing. Scrapes and clanks and drips. Then the smell. The putrid scents of rotten eggs mixed with flesh. Avulsions and burnt bits. The black-gray tastes of iron on my tongue and waves of something that may have been pain twisted into a pleasure, perhaps in my body’s attempt to survive. 

Then the colors returned, no longer performing a beautiful ballet upon the heavens, but sickly hues of despair and what I can only describe still as Hell. Shadows that twisted and jerked and collapsed within themselves before overcoming me in a red-hot cold. Time, like here, no longer existed. Between the too-bright shadowy shifting shapes and sharp screams coming from my own throat but sounding off in the distance, I could only focus one one thing. 

A pair of glowing yellow eyes. 

Within them I could see a version of myself, hung and bleeding and pale. Contorted by inhumanly strong hands and black smoke. Within them, I could see death. I’d never feared death before. Not until yellow and black consumed me. 

Escape was all I wanted, but perhaps I’d already died? This was hell after all. Yellow eyes had told me so. Told me that if I let go, the torment would not only continue, but get worse. And then he laughed. A revolting chaotic symphony of laughter. Pure evil. 

It became my worst fear. A fear I’d never had before then. A fear of death, of dying, of more of this. For forever. More pain, more pain than a body could even contain. More agony than a mind or soul could process. 

To have it all become eternity. Or perhaps it already was? I knew no better. 

But I also couldn't hold on any longer. I tried, I tried, God knows I tried. But when the atmosphere shifted and the colors brightened to a flash of white then nothing, I knew. It was time. My soul be damned or not, I lost myself. I lost hope, identity. I wanted destruction. Non-existence. After all, like they’d said, I was nothing. An ant. Inconsequential. 

But as I started to let go at last, lifting up and out and away from the soiled thing that once housed me, something even stronger ripped me back down into the broken thing. 

Arms. Picking up my pieces and tying me back together. Then legs, running, then driving. I laid in the front seat of some old fuel and leather-scented car, streetlights passing over my vision and casting dancing shadows across a worried face, the starlit starkissed face of an angel. When the lights slowed to a stop, he was holding my face in his hands, begging me to stay. But I was already gone. Well, gone but not. Not yet. I remained just long enough to learn his story. 

Those green eyes housed the soul of a saviour. A righteous man. A man damned like me. A man without abandon fighting for the world and for his family and for good. A man that asked for nothing in return. 

My only regret is not fighting for him. For being another failure, another notch in the bedpost of people he couldn’t save. So now I’ll cry and scream and fight and curse you all until someone finds him. All you supposedly holy beings designed to protect and guide humanity. You so-called angels that ignore a shattered soul’s prayers. And of all heaven’s warriors, they send you. 

So push yourself beyond those limits. Push yourself beyond the bureaucracy and the bullshit I can see right through in this gilded desolate place and prove your worth. 

Go! What are you waiting for? Go and save this man from Hell. By now I’m sure it’s claimed him. What is your name? I will carve it into the walls of this place until Dean Winchester is saved. For my regrets in life, I will have none in the afterwards. 

Castiel nods, seeing through her mind and feeling what she felt. Already he knew. Dean Winchester must be saved. The constellations written upon his face deem it so. The poisonous tendrils of doubt begin to sneak their way into him, but he ignores the invasion. All he can see is his Father’s word written upon the face of this man. A man holier than angels, holier than him. A man lost somewhere within the bowels of Hell. A man worth saving. A man that will save the world. Just a man, but more. Without a word, he wipes her mind, leaving her peacefully drifting in gentle waters of her own heaven. 

Her words echo through his being in a way nothing has ever before. 

Dean Winchester MUST be saved. And by the grace of his Father, Castiel would be the one to do it, with or without the assistance of his brothers and sisters. Orders are to be obeyed, but the Words of God himself etched into the lines of this unassuming man’s face drive him on. Onwards and down, palm outstretched, green eyes a beacon through the depths of Hell. 

A righteous soul saved too late, touched and corrupted by Hell, but still worth salvaging. Worth the sacrifice of hordes of angels, of battles that no one would ever know. And there in true form, Castiel grasps the tattered remains of a Winchester boy. 

A grand celestial explosion, a bond, a change. 

Dean Winchester is saved.

Castiel, Angel of the Lord, is lost. 

WAYWARD PEEPS:

@carryonmywaywardcaptain @manawhaat @supernatural-jackles @jensen-jarpad @wheresthekillswitch @bummblebeeblue @nothin-after-79-blog @docharleythegeekqueen @fangirl-writing-fiction @taste-of-dean @impala-dreamer @arryn-nyxx @idk-life01 @attorneyl @deathtonormalcy56 @xwing-baby @wonder-cole @itsangelpie @thinkinghardhardlythinking 

ANGST BABES:

@trexrambling @abbessolute @emptywithout

ALL ABOUT THAT DEAN:

@akshi8278 @will-winchester @on-a-bender

*Tag list now open 

[lovemesomesurveys]

What Rhymes With “AY”? Warning: This survey has 114 questions

1. Do you enjoy listening to reggae music? I haven’t listened to much reggae music.

2. Have you ever rolled in hay before? No. I’m actually allergic.

3. Has anyone ever broken a promise they made? Of course. 

4. Last time you went to a café, what did you order? Coffee.

5. Have you ever been to a matinee performance before? No.

6. Would you like a chance to ride in Santa’s sleigh? Why or why not? Would it be like the one in The Santa Clause that had a hot chocolate and cookie dispenser? ha. Swap the hot chocolate with coffee, though.

7. Have you ever taken ballet lessons before? How about any other type of dance lessons? No. That was actually something I wished I could do when I was a kid and in high school. I thought the dance team was cool.

8. Do you own any sexy lingerie? Nope.

9. Have you ever caught a bouquet of flowers at a wedding before? Nope.

10. Do you know how to do the Whip/Nae Nae? I do, actually.

11. Have you ever played croquet before? Nope. 

12. Has a horse ever neighed at you before? No.

13. How much do you weigh? I’m not exactly sure, but I am definitely underweight. 

14. Do you ever wear a beret? No.

15. When’s the last time you’ve been to a buffet? Back in February. There was a breakfast buffet at Disneyland where you got to visit with various characters while you ate. It was cute.

16. Have you ever attended a cabaret? No.

17. Have you ever eaten at Swiss Chalet? No. Never even heard of it.

18. Do you know how to crochet? How about doing macrame? No.

19. Do you have a duvet on your bed? No.

20. What was the last thing that ricocheted off of a surface? My phone did.

21. What do you put on your ice cream sundaes? I’m good with just vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup, but sometimes I’ll add chocolate syrup as well. Bananas and whip cream are also great additions. Wow, it’s been yearsss since I’ve had one but that sounds really good right now.

22. Have you ever woken up to the “Reveille” bugle wake-up call at summer camp? No. I’ve never been to summer camp.

23. What is your favorite entrée to order at your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant is Wingstop and I always get the garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings.

24. Is crème brulee your favorite dessert? I don’t like actual creme brulee, but I like the creme brulee latte at Starbucks that they offer in the winter.

25. Do you know anyone who wears a toupee? I don’t think so.

26. Have you ever made a soufflé before? Was it good? Nope. I like the spinach and artichoke breakfast souffle from Panera, though.

27. Do you prefer ice cream or sorbet? Ice cream.

28. Do you know anyone named Renee, Jay, Clay, or Ray? I know someone whose middle name is Renee if that counts, and I also know a Jay and a Ray.

29. Have you ever had café au lait? Yes.

30. Have you ever gone to a restaurant called “Chez ______”? No.

31. Hey, how’s it going? It’s almost 730AM I should be going to sleep. My medicine I took a bit ago is making me feel a little nauseous, too, cause I took it on an empty stomach. That wouldn’t have been a problem if I just went to bed, but nooo. :/

32. When’s the last time you wore a lei? It’s been several years.

33. Did you obey your parents when you were younger? Yes.

34. Who do you want to hunt down like prey? No one.

35. Have you ever had whey before? No.

36. What message would you like to convey to someone right now? Nothing at the moment.

37. Whose survey did you take last? I don’t know who made it.

38. Have you ever been to a bay before? Yes.

39. Do you have a bae? “Or nah.” Ha, old Vine reference. Anyway, no, I do not.

40. What’s your favorite day of the week? They’re all the same to me, really, since I’m not in school nor do I have a job.

41. Have you ever had to read “The Cay”? Nope. That title doesn’t ring a bell.

42. Are you feeling okay? I’m feeling tired, hot, and kind of nauseous. 

43. Do you know anyone who is gay? Yeah, a few people.

44. Do you like the acting of Tina Fey? Sure.

45. Have you ever listened to The Fray? Yes, I like a few of their songs.

46. Do you have any frayed clothing? No.

47. Do you prefer bluebirds or bluejays? Bluebirds.

48. Is May your favorite month? No. I only like saying, “It’s gonna be May” haha. You know, the NSYNC/Justin Timberlake meme.

49. May I ask you some more questions? Sure.

50. Have you ever voted “nay” to anything before? What? Yeah. I was a board member for a club in college and there were things we voted on. 

51. Have you ever wanted to make someone pay for something that they did? I’m not a revengeful person.

52. Do you ever just lay around all day? That’s all I pretty much do everyday. 

53. Are you a happy little frickin’ ray of sunshine? No. I’m a little black raincloud. 

54. Is there something that you would like to say to someone? “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know howwww.” 

55. When’s the last time that you were so excited that you exclaimed (or at least thought) “yay!” ? I said that the other night when my brother said he was making his bomb spaghetti. haha.

56. Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your way? I’ve been feeling that way for the past few years.

57. Do you ever wish that people would just go away? lol I’ve felt that way in some situations.

58. Have you heard an animal bray before? What animal was it? Yeah, a donkey.

59. What’s the last thing that you made out of clay? Nothing.

60. Are you starting to go gray? I’ve found a few here and there. D: It was like the minute I turned 30 I found my first one, ha.

61. Are you feeling okay right now? No. I still feel how I felt earlier when you asked how it was goin’. :/

62. Do you pray? How often? Yes, but not nearly as much as I ought to. 

63. What’s the best play you’ve seen before? The Phantom of the Opera.

64. What did you like to play with when you were younger? I was obsessed Barbies, I could play for hours. I also liked playing house and school.

65. Do you know how to sashay? “Sashay away.”

66. Would you like to slay dragons? Nah. I wouldn’t want to mess with a dragon.

67. Have you gotten your pets spayed? All my dogs were fixed/spayed. My doggo was spayed before we could take her home from the adoption shelter.

68. Have you ever begged someone to stay with you? Not begged, but I didn’t want them to leave.

69. Has the room ever started to sway before? I hateeee that feeling. 

70. When’s the last time you ate a meal on a tray? Uhhh. I don’t recall.

71. Do you know how to do math arrays? You’re speaking math so no. 

72. Have you ever experienced a delay of any sort? Yeah.

73. Do you have any tooth decay? No.

74. When’s the last time you wrote an essay? What was it about? Back when I was still in school, so it’s been 5 years now since the last time. 

75. When’s the last time you competed in a relay race? I participated in a few wheelchair race events when I was a kid.

76. Have you ever wondered how you could ever repay someone? Yes. I wish I could spoil and take care of my mom one day for everything she has done and continues to do for me. She deserves so much.

77. What did you do today? So far just Tumblr, surveys, and listening to ASMR.

78. Would you ever take in a stray animal? We don’t really have room for another pet, but I’d want to help in some way. Once we had a stray dog wander in our backyard and we took care of him until we were able to find him a good home. We also once had a cat who often went into our backyard and she ended up having kittens, so we cared for them and found them all homes, including the mama.

79. What’s the last cleaning spray that you’ve used? Lysol disinfectant spray.

80. When’s the last time you splayed your fingers? I’ll do it right now. 

81. Has your airway ever been blocked before? Yes. Such a scary, traumatizing experience. It’s why I can’t take pills now at all unless I can crush them.

82. Has anyone ever led you astray? In some ways.

83. When it’s hot out, do you sleep with blankets anyways? Noooo. 

84. Have you ever felt betrayed? Yep. Not a nice feeling.

85. When’s the last time you listened to a DJ? My cousin’s quince a few years ago.

86. What’s the last unfortunate thing that happened, to your dismay? This pandemic.

87. When is payday? The 1st of the month (disability). 

88. Do good moments or bad moments replay through your mind more often? My mind likes to dwell on all the bad stuff instead. 

89. Do you prepay for anything? I typically like to pay all my bills at the same time each month instead of waiting until the day each of them are due.

90. Have you ever walked on a runway before? No.

91. Do you know a runaway? No.

92. Have you ever ridden the subway before? How about driven on the skyway? Nope.

93. Have you ever used an ashtray before? No.

94.How do you feel about public displays of affection? I don’t mind a little bit, like a quick kiss, hand holding, arms around each other, or a hug. 

95. Where would you like to go for a getaway? I wish I could rent a beach house and have my own private beach area.

96. Do you do any gateway drugs?  Some say weed is a gateway drug, but I personally never had any interest in try anything beyond that.

97. Have you ever felt like someone wasn’t meeting you halfway? Yes.

98. What were you doing at midday? I’ll be sleeping.

99. Have you ever stopped midway through a survey before?  Yeah, I did that with this one. I started it last night, but got too tired to finish it.

100. What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas.

101. Do you like to drive on the highway/thruway? I don’t drive, but yeah I prefer taking the highway over driving through town and hitting all the red lights.

102. Have you ever put something on layaway before? I haven’t, personally, but I’ve gone shopping with my mom and added stuff of my own along with her’s that she put on layaway.

103. Have you ever been cornered in an alleyway? No.

104. When is your birthday? July 28th. 

105. Do you know anyone who was a castaway? No.

106. How long is your workday? I don’t have a job.

107. What do you typically do on the weekdays? I do the same things everyday.

108. Is there a walkway or a pathway to your front door? Yeah.

109. What do you want to be someday? A functioning adult.

110. What is something that you do everyday? Drink coffee.

111. Do you park in your driveway? Do you even have a driveway? I don’t have a car, but yeah my house has a driveway that my parent’s use for their cars.

112. Have you ever won a giveaway? Yes.

113. How important is foreplay? I wouldn’t know.

114. Hooray! You’ve made it to the end! What are you going to do now? Eat my ramen. I was waiting for it to cool a bit.

[a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[dailytafsirofquran]

Daily Tafsir of Ibn Kathir

Fir`awn's Address to His People and how Allah punished Him

Allah tells us how Fir`awn stubbornly persisted in his rebellion and disbelief. He assembled his people and addressed them in a vainglorious fashion, boasting of his dominion over Egypt.

(Is not mine the dominion of Egypt, and these rivers flowing underneath me) Qatadah said, "They had gardens and rivers of flowing water.''

(See you not then) means, `do you not see my position of might and power' -- implying that Musa and his followers were poor and weak. This is like the Ayah:

(Then he gathered (his people) and cried aloud, saying: "I am your lord, most high.'' So Allah seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression.) (79:23-25)

(Am I not better than this one who is despicable) As-Suddi said, "He was saying, `indeed I am better than this one, who is despicable'.'' Some of the grammarians of Basrah said that Fir`awn -- may the curse of Allah be upon him -- was saying that he was better than Musa, peace be upon him. But this is an obvious lie, may continued curses be upon him until the Day of Resurrection. By describing Musa as despicable he meant -- as Sufyan said -- insignificant. Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "He meant, weak.'' Ibn Jarir said, "He meant, he had no power, authority or wealth.''

(and can scarcely express himself clearly) means, he cannot speak clearly, he stammers and cannot speak well. Fir`awn's description of Musa as "despicable'' is a lie; rather it is he who was despicable and insignificant, lacking in physical, moral and religious terms, and it is Musa who was noble, truthful, righteous and upright.

(and can scarcely express himself clearly). This was also a lie. Although something happened to Musa's tongue when he was a child, when it was burnt by a coal. He asked Allah to loosen the knot from his tongue (i.e., to correct his speech defect) so that they could understand what he said, and Allah had answered his prayer and said:

(You are granted your request, O Musa) (20:36). It may be the case that some problem remained which he had not asked to be relieved of, as Al-Hasan Al-Basri suggested, and that he had asked only to be relieved of that which stood in the way of his conveying the Message. A person cannot be blamed for physical matters over which he has no control. Even though Fir`awn had the intelligence to understand that, he wanted to confuse and mislead his people, who were ignorant and stupid. So he said:

(Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him...) meaning, adornments which are placed on the arms. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Qatadah and others.

(or angels sent along with him) meaning, to serve him and to testify that he is telling the truth. He looked only at outward appearances and did not understand the true inner matters that are clearer than what he focused on, if only he had understood that. Allah says:

(Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) meaning, he confused them and invited them to misguidance, and they responded to him.

(Verily, they were ever a people who were rebellious.) Then Allah says:

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said it means: "When they angered Us means, they provoked Our wrath.'' Ad-Dahhak said, it means "They made Us angry.'' This was also the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Qatadah, As-Suddi and other scholars of Tafsir. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Uqbah bin `Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said:

(When you see that Allah gives a person what he wants even though he is persisting in sin, that means that Allah is enticing him into destruction.) Then he recited:

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all.) It was reported that Tariq bin Shihab said, "I was with `Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, and the issue of sudden death was mentioned. He said, `It is a relief for the believer and a source of regret for the disbeliever.' Then he recited the Ayah:

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all). '' `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I found that punishment comes with negligence, meaning the Ayah:

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all).''

(And We made them a precedent, and an example to later generations.) Abu Mijlaz said, "Precedent for others who do the same as they did.'' He and Mujahid said, "An example, i.e., a lesson to those who come after them.'' Allah is the One Who guides to the straight path, and unto Him is the final return.

(57. And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat.) (58. And say: "Are our gods better or is he'' They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people.) (59. He was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.) (60. And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth.) (61. And he shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour. Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the straight path.) (62. And let not Shaytan hinder you. Verily, he (Shaytan) to you is a plain enemy.) (63. And when `Isa came with clear proofs, he said: "I have come to you with Al-Hikmah, and in order to make clear to you some of that in which you differ. Therefore have Taqwa of Allah and obey me.'') (64. "Verily, Allah! He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. This is the straight path.'') (65. But the sects from among themselves differed. So woe to those who do wrong from the torment of a painful Day!)

[wisdomrays]

Followers of the Perfect Religion should be Seeking Perfection

QUESTION: God Almighty decrees in the Qur’an, “This day I have perfected for you your Religion (with all its rules, commandments and universality), completed My favor upon you, and have been pleased to assign for you Islam as Religion” (al-Maedah 5:3). He thus expresses that His good pleasure depends on perfection and completion. What are the points of consideration that should be targets for Muslims seeking perfection and completion?

ANSWER: Islam is the name and title for a body of values without faults, which is perfect and complete. For this reason, followers of Islam are supposed to seek the perfected and complete. To put it in simpler words, followers of the final and perfected religion should seek to fulfill their duty and responsibilities in the most perfect and complete fashion, in order to attain the beautiful and good results promised in the best possible way. As it is understood from the explicit meaning of the verse, this is the way of being able to walk to the horizons of God’s good pleasure.

The failures and fiascos that happened are because of me

As to the conditions for attaining such horizons, the first one is a person having the intention and resolution to use all of the opportunities and abilities granted by God in an efficient way. For example, some people have beautiful voices, some have the ability to manage businesses and administer people; others write well, and some speak well... Whatever merits a person has, they must utilize the opportunities presented to them most efficiently for the sake of expressing what is true and right. When mistakes and flaws appear, a person must self-criticize and seek ways for atonement, instead of seeking others to lay the blame on. This is particularly true for individuals devoted to serving faith and the Qur’an; no matter what their duty is, they must see themselves responsible for the failure to attain perfection and completeness, and they must see these problems as consequences of their own faults.

Actually, such admissions of mistake—including phrases like, “I did not fulfill the due of the duty on my shoulders as I should; I failed to continue this duty efficiently; this job faltered owing a personal mistake of mine”—are considered indirect forms of turning repentantly to God, and even acts of penitence and contrition (awba and inaba), depending on the immensity of the person’s heart and the sincerity of their repentance. God Almighty responds to such a suffering heart with His favors and grace, and, God willing, He compensates for what that person missed with His extra graces. On the other hand, if a person constantly sees the deeds he does as perfect and believes his own deeds to be flawless; sees his plans and projects to be faultless; and ascribes any faults to other people who did not listen to, understand, or obey him, this is simply a different version of the pharaoh’s delirious state as he said, “I am your supreme Lord” (an-Naziat 79:24).

Self-criticism in the face of lapses and stumbles should vary in direct proportion with the duty a person is responsible for. Therefore, as the scope of one’s duty increases, their self-criticism should also be deeper. One must think that all of these mistakes and lapses stem from personal gaps, such as one’s inability to maintain sound relations with God, to feel and sense Islam deeply, to properly interpret the principles raised by the noble Prophet, to correctly discern present circumstances, or to accurately recognize possible problems.

Beauties are from him; shortcomings and faults are from us

Actually, this explicit principle of the Qur’an leaves no place for much talk in this respect: “Whatever affliction befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned, and yet He overlooks many (of the wrongs you do)” (ash-Shura 42:30). Mistakes and flaws arise when the eye looks, the ear hears, the mind evaluates, the mouth speaks, the hand holds, the foot walks, or emotions are revealed in a way that contradicts their purpose of creation. Yet God still forgives most of these, as directly expressed by verses of the Miraculous Qur’an. By stating in one of his sayings that, “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of the sinners are the repentant,” the noble Prophet pointed out the fact that the potential for sinning exists in human nature. What really matters is a person realizing their mistake and trying to make up for it. Even the Rightly Guided Caliphs interrogated themselves with remarks like, “I wish I had done such and such deed in a different way,” and expressed their mistakes with respect to their own horizons.

Interpreting what happens correctly

Individual believers must hold themselves responsible for troubles and misfortunes that befall them, even if these do not originate from their own will and intent in terms of how they happened. For example, a believer should not see a needle that pricks their foot as blind chance, but think that it is a consequence of their sins. I can exemplify this with the following: a certain diabetic friend of ours gives an insulin shot to himself two or sometimes three times a day. If the cap of the syringe falls down from his hand by accident, he attributes it to the fact of his not mentioning the name of God while doing it. Then he says, “My God, had I done that with Your Name, it would not have fallen.” In the same way, sometimes the tip of the needle hits a nerve or capillary and causes bleeding. Then he ascribes it to his inner wrongs, failure to have a straight course in thought, or not establishing sound relations with God, etc.

I think this should be the attitude that needs to be taken in the face of troubles and misfortunes; if a man does not self-criticize over a fault, shortcoming, or flaw, he cannot be saved from having unfairly negative opinions about others and accusing them of wrongdoings. Such a person constantly thinks that the people around him render his own positive attitude and behaviors into negative ones and put his tasks at risk. Naturally, as he cannot see his own faults, he does not make any attempts to compensate for them. On the other hand, a person who sees his mistakes and is aware of them will think carefully before each negative happening and seek alternative solutions for not repeating the same mistake again. A person who puts the blame on himself for a failure or fiasco will act in a plausible and reasonable way in order not to make the same mistake again and will try to take all necessary precautions. For example, an administrator will draw lessons from a situation where discord arises between the people he is responsible for; he will revise all possibilities so that the same disagreements do not recur; and he will generate solutions for every possibility. That is, for every plan and project he comes up with, he will also devise solutions to any possible problems that may arise.

Appealing to collective reason

An Appealing to collective reason is an important safe guard to ensure that tasks are carried out in a perfect and thorough fashion. The master of speech pointed out that one who makes consultation will not experience loss. Just think about it: even though the Messenger of God had the support of Divine revelation and established contact with realms beyond the heavens, he would still bring every matter to consultation. And he did that with those whom he taught the truth, right, and meaning of consultation. He would put aside his virtue in the absolute sense and meet with his Companions about the problems he faced, as an individual among others. He did this even though he was such a noble person that he would not be mistaken in his personal decisions anyway. For people like us, who are prone to mistakes, the way to minimize the possibility of such errors is to leave our issues to collective reasoning.

We encounter many problems in our lives, at both the individual and social level. If we do not consult the collective reasoning about these problems, it is far more likely we will make grave mistakes and then find ourselves in a state of guilt, in which we try to blame others, thus offending everyone around us. Although personally being the one to lay the blame, you shake their trust in you by constantly blaming them. As a poet put it, what really matters is:

Stately authority, wealth, and gold… none will enjoy these for good; The real merit that counts, is making up a heart that’s been ruined.

If gold and wealth were to be enjoyed for good, they would help Korah, first of all. However, he sunk into the ground together with his riches. It did not just stop there, for he was also condemned in the spiritual sense by being cursed in the Qur’an. In this respect, if there is a heart that needs to be built up, the real merit is in mending it. As the volunteers, our duty is also repairing hearts. This being the case, laying the blame on others for personal mistakes, accusing them of wrongdoings, and thus knocking down many hearts is unacceptable.

[leviathans-watching]

bro 😭😭 they’re so dramatic and for what