#so many 25th annual stories. so many.

[kaleidoscopiccc]

our departments iis currently doiing spelliing bee and thiis iis the fiirst tiime iive been able to fiind a liittle communiity for one of the shows we've done so jus know ur posts have been fun to read ! iive got a liil collectiion of bee posts ii liike to show around iits been a deliight . but yeah just know you're makiin a liittle sliice of theatre kiids (or at least me) giiggle :3 . you go man !! stay siilly :D

HOORAYY!!!! it’s been exactly a year since I did that show I think about it daily. rona lisa peretti come back I miss u. have so much fun break so many legs it’s the funnest show I think I’ll ever do you’re gonna have the best time

[nexility-sims]

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 / ❛ boy crazy ❜ part 1 (@armoricaroyalty)

❝ The Lover's Gala was the Armorican Queer Front's biggest annual event and 2044 was the 25th Anniversary. The organization's communications team had spent months putting out stories about the gala and the celebrities and members of the royals family expected to attend, trying without much success to turn the event into a major cultural major. Overnight, Princess Zofia (and her new boyfriend) blew them all out of the water. It was only his second time in Armorica, and the first time they'd appeared in public together since the funeral. It was only natural that they landed on the front page of every newspaper in the country, the gala (and the work done by the AQF) a vague footnote after paragraphs upon paragraphs breathlessly speculating about the intimate details of the lovebirds' long-distance relationship. "

♥ shoutout to gabe for pitching this very fun idea, as well as for the title card, the contextual prose, and, of course, my beloved daughter miss zofia augusta st. fleur !!!!!!! she's my favorite barbie doll & has been for a long time :^) i guess i love and adore my son as well, but nonetheless. this is special in part because it's the first time i've written them speaking outside of a parody piece that will never see the light of day. anyway, enjoy this super premature dialogue-inclusive, full-color sneak peak of Them™

PART 2

TRANSCRIPT:

{Light music, overlapping conversations}

[Z] It’s gotten so long since December!

[R] Anything for you.

[Z] Anything at all? Promise?

[R] On my life.

[Z] So ... Can we leave then?

[R] Well, that’s actually your call—

[Z] Okay, let’s leave right now!

[R] We’ve been here for only a short while, Fia.

[R] Even less if you count the “restroom break.”

[Z] That was worth it, and no one even noticed.

{Knocking}

[Z] Occupied!

[Z] Anyway, Hannah’s still here. Even Pidge. Et cetera. We can go.

[R] They walked out ten minutes ago—Hannah with Hugo, Margaret following Arthur. All through a servant’s door. Very conspicuous.

[Z] Did they? Huh. So they did.

{Rui laughs}

[Z] Look, if we leave now, it’ll be perfect. It’s barely nine o’clock. We can go back to the city, change clothes, go dancing—!

{Imaginary club music thudding} [Z&R V.O.] Party all night—bet you don’t believe me, but we actually do have good clubs [Rui snickers] or, like, one I like a lot—then I get a cheeseburger—[no pickles]—right! Oh, remember that poor cashier in Nakawe? You sure told him. [“Plain” means plain.] My hero! Anyway, then you carry me and my sore feet to bed. Ideal night.

[Z] You can keep this on, actually. Maybe ditch the jacket.

[R] Undo another button or two?

[Z] Of course. [Soft sigh] You get me.

[Z] The rose is also a must.

[R] It’s for you—a keepsake.

[Z] Aw. Our first appearance and our first Valentine’s Day ...

[R] A sign, probably. Meant to be.

[Z] Romance novel worthy. I’d read it.

[R] The boxes are checked: excitement, fate, many graphic—

[Z] No! Erotic. {Repeats in Armorican} Memorize that one.

{Murmuring}

[R] Do you think I should’ve worn a tie this evening?

[Z] What?

[R] If we were home, obviously not. But, Armorica is ... People here seem to care a lot about unnecessary things. So, was that a misstep?

[Z] {Laughs}

[Z]  Pfft. Hugo didn’t even have his jacket on.

[R] {Scoff} I am not Hugo.

[R] I want to make a good impression—on your family, really. This visit is different. They’re all, for better or worse, paying attention to me.

[Z] Are you kidding? Mission accomplished. [Z] Trust me, they love you! Now, come on, let’s go already—!

[7grandmel]

Rip of the week: 25/07/2024

The End of HHGregg

Season 6 Featured on: Transmission Archive ~ The SiIvaGunner All-Star Nuclear Winter Festival Collection

Ripped by The Green Spy, CaptainComedy Visuals by Galacksy

(Note: MP3 embed is trimmed at the beginning as to allow it to be posted within Tumblr's file size limits)

I'm sure some of you were worried about where this week's post had gone. Worry not - I was simply biding my time for the day to arrive. Indeed, we have reached the 25th of July, a Thursday for some, and a national holiday for others. For today, we celebrate, grieve and toast to our dearly beloved, HHGregg. Today, it is Christmas in July, and time to at last cover The End of HHGregg.

For being one of my all-time favorite SiIvaGunner channel memes, I'm shocked at myself in how restrained I've been in covering rips using HHGregg's infamous red-tag-sale commercial. Sure, I spilled my soul out for the joke back with Nostalgic Blood of the Gregg ~ Old Source, and Everything Circus remains an all-time classic, yet there's still so much more to cover. In terms of jokes on the SiIvaGunner channel, I feel like HHGregg is one of the most developed ones, one with a legacy cherished by so many people on the team and off - and even a bit of a story to it that's been captured in full glory with today's rip.

Like sure, there's the obvious quirk that makes HHGregg stand out more than many other channel memes - the guy has an outright day-of-the-year holiday dedicated to him. As the infamous Christmas in July ad was what propelled HHGregg's moderately-annoying mascot into becoming a YTPMV star, July 25th on SiIvaGunner has become a sort of understated annual event for fans like myself, much in the same way that April 30th was with It's Gonna Be Me and guess what​?​?​?​?​?​?​?​?. Yet, of course, there's an underlying sort of sadness to HHGregg rips in particular due to the brand its attached to: the company that the ad's many YTPMVs are riffing on filed for bankrupcy in 2017, midway through Season 2 of SiIvaGunner. The store still exists now, bought by a parental company and turned all-digital, but the franchise as it was once known is all gone, with it's ill-fated mascot going down with it.

Of course, we don't really need to feel much remorse for the fall of an electronics boutique - but given the SiIvaGunner channel's way of personifying and giving life to in-jokes and gags the world over, it informs rips using HHGregg in a pretty different way. HHGregg rips on the channel had their biggest stride during the very same year that the chain went bankrupt, as if to suggest that the mascot was desperate to prove his own worth on the one place that still remembered him fondly. In the years since, we got sporadic shots of the guy here and there - and in my eyes, it at one point felt as if it all culminated with the rip エイチエイチグレッグ ホワイトハウスでチョー大変!, a fully-featured edit of Neon Genesis Evangelion's iconic A Cruel Angel's Thesis opening now starring HHGregg himself.

Yet, of course, as I've harped on about with rips like Shiny Smily TALE, Violet Snow Memories and Our Sweet Parsley, one of the most rewarding parts of following the SiIvaGunner channel lies in how the team never seems to forget about any of its zillions of uploads. No matter how much time passes, rippers love one another, the ideas they come up with, and the potential to build further on one another's ideas - it is a core part of YTP and YTPMV culture that's remained strong on SiIvaGunner since its very inception. The A Cruel Angel's Thesis rip above, by excellent rippers Ashley and GramBam36 of The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll fame, was a joyous celebration - a year later, as Season 6's sombre mood results in the Nuclear Winter Festival rolling around, a trio of rippers sees the perfect opportunity to finally put HHGregg to some form of rest. The meme's far from dead today, of course (check the channel right now) - yet, at last, with The End of HHGregg, it felt as if the funny paper roll man was finally ready to accept his fate.

The End of HHGregg, silly of a concept as it may be, executes that concept to a degree I don't think anyone was expecting. Second only to A Cruel Angel's Thesis, Komm, süsser Tod is an iconic piece that serves as the ending theme to the original NGE anime, one tied to feelings of bittersweet-ness, finality - at once able to reference one of the most classic HHGregg rips on SiIva, acknowledging HHGregg's bankruptcy, whilst tying itself directly to the ongoing Nuclear Winter Festival of Season 6. And that's not even getting into the rip itself!

The YTPMV work done here to sentence-mix and pitch-shift HH's various vocals to fit the melody of Komm, süsser Tod is, for lack of a better way to put it, downright remarkable. Despite a seemingly limited pool of voice lines to work with and a rigid framework of a melody, the guy only ever "sings" in complete sentences, with pitch shifting that manages to sound shockingly natural, still as gratingly chipper as HH tends to sound but still seeped in that vibe of bittersweet-ness that I discussed before. It goes through every beat and phase of Komm, süsser Tod without ever having the vocal samples sound forced, including the deeply inspired use of a layered, choir-like HH performance on several segments. Althewhile never forgetting the classic HH lines, the red-tag sales, the HD-TV and Whirlpool appliances, and of course, the Christmas in July. The cherry on top of it all is the intro to the song, before the main melody truly kicks in, as this little interlude sneakily includes a guitar now playing Deck the Halls just as featured in the most infamous Christmas in July ad - a sombre reminder of where it all began.

That aforementioned vibe is, of course, emphasized greatly by Galacksy's incredible illustration for the rip, the literal End of Evangelion depicted as being the fall of HHGregg as a whole, in absolutely spectacular fashion. Like with i love(d) you and so so many other rips, it's so often these seemingly small touches that end up elevating rips to all-time classics for me, and it's a trait that The End of HHGregg's audio also eventually contributes to, in a way I truly don't wish to spoil for you all. Nevertheless, the key takeaway here is one that's evident right upon first listen: This is a DAMN impressive YTPMV effort that at once celebrates and mourns one of the YTPMV world's most cherished sources, yet pulling it off as if it were effortless. In celebration of YTPMV, of SiIvaGunner, of one of the channel's most immaculate of somewhat-too-hidden gems from Season 5, and of the very state of memes coming to an end - The End of HHGregg is everything one could ask for.

Godspeed, you rolled-up brochure cretin. And happy Christmas in July to you.

[zeldaversed]

When does BoTW/ToTK take place?

It's a common debate that hasn't for certain been solved. Let's talk about it.

Zelda fans have been debating on where Breath of the Wild (and it's sequel, Tears of the Kingdom) takes place since the game came out.

If you're new to the Zelda universe and just started with Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, the timeline of the video game series takes place over millennia, and there are a lot of different branches with different outcomes branching out from one pivotal game, Ocarina of Time.

First releasing on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, Ocarina of Time revolutionized the Zelda universe. It won six awards at the second Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Console Adventure Game of the Year, Console Role-Playing Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering (and has since won many more). It was the first in the series to showcase 3D graphics, bringing with it a beautiful soundtrack that has stuck with players even 26 years later. It revolutionized combat mechanics with the introduction of Z-targeting, and was named the greatest video game of all time by numerous sources, and is the highest-ranking video game on MetaCritic. In 2011, it was re-released on the 3DS with better graphics and with the option to play in 3D. A more difficult version, Master Quest, was available on GameCube and the 3DS. Its sequel, Majora's Mask was also a game-changer, winning multiple awards in its own right.

Not only did Ocarina of Time completely change The Legend of Zelda's future installments, it introduced multiple timelines through Hyrulean History. Instead of looking at Zelda as a game franchise (we'll save that for a different post), let's talk about its fictional history.

In the 2011 book Hyrule Historia, Zelda fans were able to learn about the production process of their favorite games, including concept art and final designs. The book was released just about a month after Skyward Sword, another legendary game, to go with The Legend of Zelda's 25th anniversary. It included a lot of material on how Skyward Sword came about, focusing on the new game.

Before this book, fans had a vague idea of the history and timeline of The Legend of Zelda. Events were blurry and oftentimes confusing. For the first time, Zelda fans could visualize the entire Zelda history-- and were treated to a full historical rundown of each game and where it fits in.

Since the release of BoTW/ToTK, people are unsure of whether or not this timeline is still accurate. If it's not accurate, then we have no clear way of knowing what game comes when, or even if Skyward Sword is the first game.

[In another post, we'll go more in-depth on each game, its specific story, and its place in Hyrulean history. This post will only target BoTW/ToTK.]

So far, the game's creators have neither confirmed nor denied outright whether or not the timeline released in Hyrule Historia is still accurate, although they have confirmed that BoTW/ToTK take place after all previous games.

But which timeline?

We can try to find this out by looking at what Easter Eggs can be found in BoTW.

In the northern part of Hyrule Field is a small gathering of ruins just called "Ranch Ruins." Despite not being on a plateau, the ruins are nearly identical to Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time.

The quest A Fragmented Monument in BoTW features a stone effigy of what may be a reference to the Mirror of Twilight. Could Princess Zelda of the Twilight Era have erected it to honor Midna? Or could Link have? We may never know.

Probably the most iconic of Easter Eggs in BoTW is the first one you see when you leave the Shrine of Resurrection.

The Temple of Time has made appearances in multiple games, most notable being Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and now of course BoTW/ToTK.

This, along with many, many other Easter Eggs, have been found in BoTW/ToTK. A lot can be found from games in alternate timelines, but even in my own playthroughs, the majority of Easter Eggs and references come from Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. Vah Rudania, Vah Ruta, and Vah Nabooris are named after Darunia, Ruto, and Nabooru from Ocarina of Time, three of the Seven Sages. Vah Medoh, however is named after Medli, the Sage of Earth from Wind Waker, which takes place in an alternate timeline from Twilight Princess.

You could take all of the references from all of the other games and debate about it for hours, but in the end you're still left with more questions than answers. Perhaps the creators of Zelda should have left the references timeline-specific.

When BoTW was first released, a common theory was that the game's timeline placement could be interpretive to the player. With the only requirement being that it had to take place at least 11,000 years after any other game, it left a lot of room to work with.

Now that it's confirmed that it took place after Ocarina of Time, that gives us three potential timelines.

In the timeline where the hero is defeated and the one where Link is successful but remains an adult, BoTW/ToTK would have to take place after all the other games in that timeline. This is due to there not being a large enough gap between games for the Great Calamity to occur 10,000 years before the story takes place. However, this means that the references for Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask are null and void, a mere coincidence since they never came to pass.

In the third timeline, Link returns to the Child Era and prevents Ganondorf from ever gaining power in the first place. He is thus sealed away in the Twilight Realm, and Link goes off to find his friend Navi, his fairy. A few centuries later, Twilight Princess takes place. After this is Four Swords Adventures, where Ganondorf returns yet again and Vaati is resurrected. If BoTW/ToTK takes place in this timeline, Hyrule would have had to been at peace for hundreds, if not thousands of years before the Great Calamity happened.

Another common theory is that it takes place in its own timeline, 11,000 years after Skyward Sword. This is a fascinating take, because it gives this version of Hyrule a relatively fresh slate and gives a good basis for Tears of the Kingdoms' Sky Isles (not to mention the numerous appearances from Fi). The references, Easter Eggs, and hidden meanings hinting at other games could simply be timelines bleeding into one another, signs that other timelines still exist but have not happened. Before the confirmation of it happening after Ocarina of Time, some theories suggested that it even preceded Skyward Sword, perhaps a prequel to the entirety of the series.

So what does this mean for the placement for BoTW/ToTK?

In conclusion, there hasn't really been any real, solid evidence to support a specific timeline after Ocarina of Time. The most likely outcome is that it takes place in the Child Era, since it most closely aligns to Ocarina of Time and its sequels.

Until the makers of the series give an official statement on when exactly it takes place in what timeline, we may never know the specifics. Maybe it's meant to be a mystery. Even with its odd placement, BoTW/ToTK makes a brilliant standalone game, and the lack of knowledge of when it happens definitely adds to its splendor.

Released in 2017, it completely overturned Zelda fans' idea of a traditional game. The first open-world Zelda game, it introduced an expansive new version of Hyrule chock full of secrets, hidden bosses, treasure chests, and Koroks. It introduced the flurry rush, fully customizable outfits, voice acting, different sets of tack for wild horses you could catch, and a massive range of dishes you could cook. Most notable of all changes is Link's hero tunic is now blue, an unexpected but welcome change to the traditional green outfit.

It has won numerous awards including Most Anticipated Game, Game of the Year, and many more. Its story alone has set it apart from other games, introducing one of the best storylines of the entire series and unforgettable characters. It's easily one of the best games in the entire franchise.

Next week, we'll discuss whether or not the The Legend of Zelda manga by Akira Himekawa are-- or should be-- considered directly canon to the games.

Have something you'd like to add? Reblog with your thoughts or submit an ask! If you'd like to join the tag list, you can submit an ask or request it directly on a post.

[lithuanianking]

If you like these musicals you'd like these plays and you should check them out

(Please check them out I feel like I'm the only theatre kid who really likes plays)

Falsettos

-Angels in America

Angels In America is a play that also takes place in the aids crisis. Like falsettos it features a closted gay man(joe) cheating on his wife (harper)with a man(louis). But that is really only a small sliver of the story.

Otther aspects that are somewhat simmaler to falsettos are somewhat of moraly grey main characters,Relgion, and harper basically losing her mind. It also features the character Roy cohn based off a actually person who is such a giant piece of shit it's like almost ridiculous,but really entertaining to read.

There's to parts and it is kinda a long read but I enjoyed it!

-beyond therapy

Beyond therapy was written in the 80s but had a more modern since of humor. Its definitely comedic opposed to the Angels in America but I feel like it still would be a good read for a falsettos enjoyer.

It features a minpulative therapist (though he's way worse then Mendel),more unstable main characters,and even "unstable-er" Relsonships (exspicly the gay ones)

It's also just a really good read and horribly underated

Hamilton

-Julius caesar

What if burr was the main protagonist of Hamilton and we got to see what happened affter the duel? That's a lot like Julius ceaser. It's also great if you like history in general.

It is obviously Shakespeare but there's translators online and its not that hard to comprehend.

25th annual putnam County spelling bee

-puffs

First off puffs is such a great show and even if you don't like this musical you should go see/read it. It's funny and sad,just a really fantastic show that kinda has the vibe of spelling bee.

I actually don't know that many musicals so that's all I got for now but you should definitely read these or see them plays are offten free on YouTube

[angelasscribbles]

2023 Wrap

Since there was no Tumblr year in review this time around, I made my own! Ok, full disclosure, I was already going to make my own. For some reason I started tracking everything I posted back at the beginning of the year and last week I totaled things up just for my own information but then I thought…why not share it?

I’m only including fandom stuff here because I do not want to attempt to figure out how many posts I’ve put together for my other lists (Writer’s Corner, ADHD Stuff, Poly Stuff) but my most popular post was this ADHD one. It has over 90,000 notes and is still climbing.

2023 Tumblr Choices Fandom Wrap......

Stats at a glance:

Chapters posted: 125

Extras Posted: 91

Teasers Posted: 7

Updates Posted: 8

Throwbacks Posted: 12

Original Fiction Posted: 1

Series Launched: 12

Series Wrapped: 6

Events Ran: 19

Live Discussions Hosted (Word Warriors): 4

Blogs Launched: 9

New Projects Started: 6

Personal Milestones Passed: 3

Details and commentary under the cut.

Series that launched in 2023:

In Your Room (Dreo)

A Fervid Fixation

The Crown and the Shield

Victim of Love

Mardi Gras Mayhem

One Night in Cordonia

Law’s End

The De Facto Queen

The Dark Kingdom

Cordonian Royal Airlines

Queen of Hearts

Insurrection

Series that wrapped in 2023:

In Your Room (Dreo)

A Fervid Fixation

The Crown and the Shield

Victim of Love

Mardi Gras Mayhem

One Night in Cordonia

Blogs Launched:

TRR Visuals

Angela’s Reblogs

Law’s End

Word Warriors

TRR Poly

TRR Scribbles

TRR Bad Romance

TRR One Shots

Cordonian Royal Airlines

Events Ran in 2023:

Drake Walker Appreciation blog:

Drake Walker Appreciation Week

World Whiskey Day

Drake’s Birthday

Maxwell Beaumont Appreciation blog:

Maxwell Beaumont Appreciation Week

Max’s Birthday

Choices Prompts:

Story Starter Prompt 4

Story Starter Prompt 5  

Mardi Gras Mayhem (Collaborative Fiction)

Round Robin 1 (there will be more)

Rewrite Challenge

August Catch Up Event

Smutember

Flufftober

Holiday Rewrite Challenge

Choice Holidays:

Valentines Day

Spring Holidays

Festival of Fears

Second Annual Winter Holidays

Fics of Christmas Past

Projects:

Reorganized all visuals, sorted by story and published in one place (TRR Visuals)

Recently Posted and Chapter Archive (Angela’s Reblogs)

Saturday Surveys (Angela’s Reblogs)

Law’s End (See note below)

Word Warriors (see below)

Cordonian Royal Airlines (see below)

Law’s End: I call this a project, not just a new story because it was supposed to be a bit more far-reaching than just a story with character profiles, mock news articles, and multiple episodes. So far there are two character profiles (graphics for that by @harleybeaumont), one article, and many fabulous extras made by @secretaryunpaid. I am working on wrapping up episode one. Once the question of who killed Trent is answered, episode two will move on to a new mystery, while still focusing on the relationships between the main characters.

Word Warriors: Again, this is more than just a blog. It’s a Discord group, live discussions, a peer support group, and a critique group. The blog itself provides a list of writing resources and advice in addition to information about the Discord group, the live discussion schedule, and notes from past sessions.

Cordonia Royal Airlines: This is more of a collaborative project than a series. There will eventually be images posted as well as drabbles, one-shots, and chapters written by other contributors. (That’s the plan anyway.)

Personal Milestones Passed:

1,000 followers (now over 1,400 but waiting to hit 1,500 to post it)

1,000,000 words posted on Tumblr.

Published my first book in February.

Blog Shut Down:

Who could forget the infamous blog shutdown of 2023? It went down on July 25th and didn’t come back up until August 29th. Well, maybe everyone but me could forget it. I was in withdrawal lol. Five weeks of being mostly off Tumblr forced me to examine and reevaluate a lot of things. And even though I was thrilled to finally be unblocked, things aren’t the same. And that’s okay. Things change, life marches on.

I am by no means saying I’m out of here. Never fear. As long as I have fanfiction to write, I suppose I’ll be posting it here. I just feel less and less like working on my TRR stuff. I still want to finish the series I’ve started, and I’ve found I still have plenty of ideas for one-shots or short miniseries, but I’m not sure I have another epic, long TRR saga in me. Who knows, though? I’ve said that before and been proven wrong. I don’t control when inspiration happens or where the muse takes me.

I don’t know the fate of all those side blogs yet. Since I recently reorganized my master list, (yet again), I don’t know that they are needed. For now, they will remain as basically parking lots. Just a different way to organize my content.

The Rest of Tumblr:

2023 was the year I finally figured out how Tumblr works! I now understand the phrase shitposting on main. I discovered the rest of Tumblr, not just this little corner of it. From Goncharov to other fandoms to the existence of entire communities that I belong wholeheartedly to: Queer, neurodivergent, polyamorous, writers, etc. I found my people on this hell site.

What’s Next:

The Choices fandom will always have a special place in my heart, and I have made real, lifelong friends here and for that, I’ll always be grateful. My just over two years here have had their ups and downs for sure, but the ups far outweigh the downs. (If they didn’t, I would have left long ago).

I’m still working on the following TRR series:

Heir Apparent

Savage Love

The De Facto Queen

Royal Retribution

Queen of Hearts

Unexpected

Law’s End

Insurrection

Dark Elf

The Dark Kingdom

American Girl

Bad Parenting

Leo and Liv

Some are closer to done than others and there are a few that I just haven’t had any inspiration or excitement for in a while. I also have many one-shots in process.

And @harleybeaumont got me to play Heaven's Secret (#romanceclub) and not going to lie, no choose your own adventure story has grabbed my attention like this since TRR. And yes, there is already a folder marked “Heaven’s Secret” on my laptop with three WIPs in it!

Then there’s my original fiction. Long before I found Tumblr and got bitten by the fanfic bug, I was posting flash fic on my own website, saving short stories for submission to anthologies, and working on a few different original novels. I want to get back to that. Not to mention a lifetime worth of poetry that needs to be sorted, organized, and published.

All of the above may have to be put on hold as I navigate life with constant volleyball tournaments, a continuing search for the right second career, and a burgeoning business to manage and contend with. Not to mention a five-year-old with high energy, high needs, and high sensory-seeking behaviors. Life is complex on the best days.

Meanwhile, I’ve found that I really enjoy running the discussions for Word Warriors, giving feedback on other people’s work, and helping other writers on their journey. I can’t wait to get back to that in January.

I don’t know what 2024 holds but I am wishing the best for each and every one of you. Let life’s adventures continue!

Happy New Year everyone!!

[thewickedbohemian]

Dream Animated Movie Musical Tournament Seed Round Group G

For information on this tournament as well as the seed poll for group A go here

Why I think these musicals should be animated movies (in my opinion)

Legally Blonde: (although it might still need some updating) it's aged slightly better than the original movie, has a similar sort of cartoon-y feel and Disney-Princess-y heroine to Hairspray and there's also things that could work better in an animated movie than a live-action movie-of-the-musical-of-the-movie (like you could suspend your disbelief better about the Greek chorus etc.) to avoid this facing Mean Girls's problem

Carrie: the story's been told on film so many dang times that a fresh take like what a movie of the musical could be could be a breath of fresh air especially if it were animated to further distance itself from the more famous movies (and just imagine how hard the visuals could go)

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: (even though I heard some rumors of a movie years back, since nothing's happened since then it's still on here) although I don't know how to get around the audience participation to make any sort of movie of this show succeed doing it animated with kid characters looking like kids but still voiced by adults would be basically the only way for a movie of this show to give something major you couldn't get out of a proshot of it

Seussical: because animation is the only way a Seussical movie could be done (ideally if I had my druthers with an autistic unknown voicing JoJo as the coding's there) thank you shitty Mike Myers Cat In The Hat movie and overzealous Seuss estate

Annie: since it's been almost a decade since the last Annie movie (that being the controversial modernized one with a black Annie and Cameron Diaz playing foster-mom-from-hell!Hannigan) I feel like the time might be starting to come for when a remake could be justifiable especially because every time there's an Annie movie or something similar (like Annie Live) people always complain it leaves out some songs from the Broadway version so I want to fix that and animation (ideally in some style that homages the original comics without looking dated) would be a way for an Annie remake to do something different

Sweeney Todd: think of this hypothetical animated remake (ideally done by, like, Laika or something) as an opportunity to fix what Tim Burton broke

Fun Home: (another one on here I've heard rumors of a movie of but then bupkis about) it should be at least partially if not fully animated given its structure and the fact that it's about a freaking cartoonist

[hyrsamx]

@senatusstarters location: Hakan's Chrimmus Bash notes: Play That Funky Mayor

It began with a speech, jovial and welcoming as Dimetor honoured the many people that had given up everything for their great city. He then explained that yes, he was but a simple mortal man but the senate had told him everything and he was resolved to make this city a safe place once again - for everyone. He thanked Hakan for opening his home to Rome and declared the party to be an official annual celebration in the Roman calendar, Saturnalia would end on the 23rd and Hakanalia (patent pending) would be held on the 25th. 

Naturally, Dimetor then kicked off into a musical number. 

"Hey do it now Yeah hey,"

Mayor Dimetor stepped out onto the stage as the music flooded the soundstage, the backup dancers were all meticulously dressed, sequins, tassels, and colour blocking that accented the Mayor’s attire: iridescent body glitter that refracted the neon lights and a pair of horns that everyone would assume were really convincing fakes. While the microphone wasn’t his ideal, Dimetor slid into place as he kicked off the Christmas Bash to end all Christmas Bashes.

"Hey once I was a boogie singer Playin' in a rock and roll band I never had no problems yeah Burnin' down one night stands And everything around me, yeah Got to stop to feelin' so low And I decided quickly, yes I did To disco down and check out the show Yeah they was,"

In the corner of the room Hyrsam saw Boranehn with their arms folded, so naturally he tossed the wyvern a wink as he sang. A synchronous clop trotted with the thunderous bass as the seemingly mortal man and his accompaniment of stringent professionals moved through a clearly well-coordinated routine. Hyrsam had done four tours with Britney, Beyonce was still upset that he’d turned down the Homecoming tour but Honey Balenciaga was a good alternative.

"Dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin' And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted Play that funky music white boy Play that funky music right Play that funky music white boy Lay down that boogie and play that funky music 'til you die 'Til you die, yeah, oh 'til you die."

Ariadne looked like she needed to loosen up, his treasured friend, Bacchus smiled at her and the various archdruids he saw strewn about the party. To them it was probably a small matter for a God to conceal his presence; now came the shimmy, Bacchus shifted as he waltzed across the stage, Elmas was wearing her signature human hair unit as she expertly played the keyboard. There wasn’t much his assistant couldn’t do, she was highly skilled. 

"Gonna play that electrified funky music, yeah" "Hey wait a minute Now first it wasn't easy Changin' rock and roll and minds And things were getting shaky I thought I'd have to leave it behind But now it's so much better (it's so much better) I'm funking out in every way But I'll never lose that feelin' (no I won't) Of how I learned my lesson that day"

Those from the garden were some of his favourites, had they tried the chicken at the party tonight? It was to die for. Because Dionysus was Dionysus he’d put a few drops of blood into each of the wine kegs… And the water as well, he’d also put a lot into the pool. Were people trying not to drink? With all of Dionysus that was wafting through the air, that wasn’t going to be possible. Have fun, go wild, get crazy. Dionysus stuck his tongue out as he backed it up across the stage. 

"When they were Dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin' And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted Play that funky music white boy Play that funky music right Play that funky music white boy Lay down that boogie and play that funky music 'til you die 'Til you die, yeah, oh 'til you die."

The big finish, Soterius got down and started whacking before he and the ace team of satyr dancers vogued into a set of synchronised death drops. The hero of every story, the idea behind every invention, the saviour of everyone: what couldn’t Soterius do? With these hooves? Nothing. 

Mayor Dimetor dismounted the stage after riding it hard and hanging it up wet, "Enjoy the show?"

[armchairlegdrop]

Is CM Punk The Man Behind The Devil Mask in AEW? I Think So

Surprises and plot twists are the lifeblood of professional wrestling, from the legendary night Hulk Hogan dropped the leg on Macho Man forming the nWo, to any number of unexpected returns of fan favorites. Wrestling fans thrive on the unexpected.

With the pro wrestling rumor mill abuzz in speculation of who might be lurking behind the enigmatic Devil Mask, my theory, if true, has the strong potential to change the landscape of AEW and the wrestling world, as well as set the stage for an epic showdown that will have fans at the edge of their seats.

I Think CM Punk Is Under That Devil Mask

Photo via AEW

The Devil has been a central figure in recent AEW storylines again. With numerous theories and conjectures circulating among wrestling enthusiasts, one theory that has gained considerable traction after being humorously floated by Bully Ray on Busted Open, suggests that the man under the Devil Mask could be none other than CM Punk. This idea raises many intriguing questions about the motivations behind Punk's return and the potential implications.

CM Punk's departure from AEW was already a major moment in the industry. If he is indeed the one behind the mask, it would indicate a significant reconciliation between Punk and the promotion after an ugly departure. Although, if true, it brings EVERYTHING that has happened, including Brawl Out, into question. How will all of that be woven into the story?

Setting the Stage for a Clash of Titans

Photo via AEW

If Punk is revealed to be the man behind the mask, it brings the entire Devil storyline full circle. It harkens back to the ROH promo that MJF invoked on Punk, and I think Brawl Out, Punk's Firing, and everything in between could be the "Real" Devil (Punk) convincing the world he doesn't exist once again. This could set up Punk vs MJF on Collison for the 25th, putting arguably the hottest storyline in the wrestling industry up against a WWE big-four show.

The timing is perfect. I think the reveal of CM Punk as the man behind the Devil Mask is set for some time on or before Dynamite in Chicago, which is November 22, just a few days before WWE's annual extravaganza, Survivor Series, on November 25, the same night as a live Collision. This proximity has led me to speculate that Tony Khan and CM Punk may have orchestrated a monumental surprise that could have AEW Collision overshadow WWE's marquee event. AFFILLIATE LINK: AEW Unmatched Series 4 CM Pun Figure

The stakes are high, and the potential impact of such a matchup is immeasurable. CM Punk's return was like a breath of fresh air for the wrestling world until all the ugliness. Maybe it's all just fueled by wishful thinking, but it would be nice if all that didn’t go to waste, and instead contributed to a historic storyline.

AEW vs. WWE – A Battle of Epic Proportions

Photo via AEW

Wrestling fans are well aware of the historic rivalry between WWE and AEW. Both promotions have been vying for supremacy in the wrestling industry, and if CM Punk's return culminates in a championship match at AEW's event, it will undoubtedly serve as a direct challenge to WWE's Survivor Series to bring the thunder. If we don’t know until the 22nd, that doesn’t give WWE a lot of time to meet the challenge. This potential showdown between the two promotions could set the wrestling world on fire and lead to even more intense competition between the giants.

It would really shake things up if AEW has just been taking it on the chin for the last couple of months to set up such a colossal clap back at naysayers.

The Art of Surprise and Speculation

Photo via AEW

The wrestling world has always thrived on unpredictability and the element of surprise. The ongoing speculation surrounding CM Punk's next move epitomizes this essence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling and character development in professional wrestling even if he just moves on to WWE. Real life can still help keeps fans engaged and invested in pro wrestling characters.

AFFILLIATE LINK: MJF Kiss The Ring Shirt

While the anticipation and excitement surrounding Punk are palpable, it's essential to remember that professional wrestling is built on storytelling, and sometimes, the most unexpected twists are a part of that narrative. As we approach November 22, I am holding my breath and keeping my fingers crossed, eagerly waiting to see the mask fall, revealing the identity of the Devil himself once again: CM Punk.

Ultimately, whether CM Punk is revealed as the mastermind behind the Devil Mask or not, the story has already captured the hearts and minds of wrestling fans worldwide. It's a testament to the enduring appeal of the sport and the ability of its performers and promoters to keep fans guessing and coming back for more. The countdown to November 22 has begun, and I think we are in for a thrilling ride.

[pastorsperspective]

Laity Unleashed

Hey Y'all! We're wrapping up our thoughts on Laity month! Let's jump right in.

First, welcome back after such a long month of travel! I know we all enjoyed Laity month and hearing the messages of those in the church. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and share such personal stories with people. Our last speaker was Gary Nebgen on June 25th. If you missed it, you can listen to his message titled, "My To Do List" here: https://fb.watch/lyBYhuiS75/

Did you happen to get a chance in all your traveling to tune in and listen to each message? 

I did! Due to scheduling, some I listened to afterward, but was absolutely blown away with each of the messages. I am nervous to be in the pulpit this Sunday after the high bar they have set!

Was there anything that stood out to you as being particularly insightful?

What I love best is how each speaker was able to lean on their own life experiences, often the most painful, and find God moving in and through that time and afterward. Just them getting up to speak about these experiences is a leap of faith and courage beyond what many can imagine. I know for me personally it wasn't until I began to preach/speak about my own relationship with my biological father that a deeper sense of healing took place. Getting in that pulpit and being vulnerable, transparent, and honest about God is such an amazing faith-forming experience. Every speaker took their lives and spoke about the glory of God in their lives, and that is what being a disciple is all about. We tend to want to go "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me," in our times of distress and deepest pain, but these speakers revealed that is quite the opposite. God is indeed with us all the time, ESPECIALLY in our times of trial and need. 

How do you, as a Pastor, go about equipping the laity for the call to times like these?

Simply ask! When pastors assume that people won't do it or are uncomfortable doing things like this, I find we stifle the spirit and create hurdles to grace. I learned early on in ministry, just ask! All they can do is say no. Creating more spaces like this is important and it allows people to heal, deepen their faith, and explore their own callings to ministry. I did meet with several of the speakers and we did a coaching-type session as well as helped them in their preparations. This is what ministry is all about, building each other up so we can all be more faithful followers of Jesus Christ. 

How do you decide who should share or who shouldn't? 

 I don't!!!!! God does that! When Candi and I spoke she was nervous about sharing too much or her message being too vulnerable or too deep for the congregation. I advised her not to hold back in any way. To just be open and honest with her experience, her feelings, and her relationship with God. I also told them all to just pray, God would help them decide what to share, how to share, and when to share, and from what I heard and saw God most certainly did. 

Is there specific criteria or is it volunteer?

This is a volunteer position. Laity Sunday is a tradition in our denomination celebrating the roots of Methodism which started and was driven by Lay people willing to go and fill in until a pastor could be present during the times of circuit riders. We did Laity Month because of my crazy schedule in June and also because I feel that Laity Sunday can be a little too short at times. I was very pleased with Laity Month. Outside of this, anyone can go through the certification process to become a Lay Speaker, which is a recognized position in the Annual Conference and larger denomination. This allows Lay Speakers to fill in for pastors at other churches who need to be out and struggle to find pulpit supply. 

How can we better equip ourselves for the call in the future?

 I think to be ready and be open to just diving in no matter how scary it is. When I first preached my first sermon my knees literally shook out of fear, and it was one of the most powerful and breathtaking moments of my entire life. Ministry, of any kind or sort, is scary, period! There is no getting around that. Ministry calls us to be vulnerable and faithful to levels we do not normally go to, but the trade-off is so very worth it when God does profound things in the lives of those around us and in our own lives. I hope and pray that these four speakers have shown that it is very ok and a good and joyful thing to do ministry. Get out there, take a leap of faith, do what your heart is tugging on you to do, and don't hold back. The disciples, those of the Old Testament and New Testament, the early church, the great theologians, and John Wesley, all started exactly where you sit every Sunday; in a pew! What brought them out of the pew and to go and do extraordinary things was their willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit and simply go and do what God was asking of them. A wonderful phrase I tell people often and have leaned on so much in my own ministry is this: "God does not call the equipped, but God equips the called!" Listen to where God is calling you, Go and chase that calling with no hesitation, and let God equip you along the way!

Wow, it really doesn't get any simpler than that does it? This whole month; this whole experience of laity month was very inspiring. it reminds me of song lyrics:

"There's some things that I don't like to talk about

There's some things that I'd rather keep underground

Behind my smile, my words - I hide, I hurt

There's some things that I don't like to talk about

I framed my whole life through a perfect filter

It's time for me to paint a different picture

'Cause when we get real with each other

And we share our broken hearts

When we pick up the pieces together

That's when the real love starts

Our past, our pain

We're more the same

Loved by our Heavenly Father

That's truly who we are

I don't give my trust away easily

Don't like to show the worst parts of me

I'm not alone

I know we both

Don't give our trust away easily

'Cause when we get real with each other

And we share our broken hearts

When we pick up the pieces together

That's when the real love starts

Our past, our pain

We're more the same

Loved by our Heavenly Father

That's truly who we are"

Who We Are by Courtnie Ramirez

That's exactly it. We're all touched by things we would rather not talk about, but when we share those things we come to find out that those stories, those pains... they help lift others up from whatever dark spot they may be sitting in sometimes. The sharing offers a hand to someone else that you didn't know needed it and it becomes this beautiful thing.

Thank you to each one of you who shared your personal stories and testimonies this last month. You gave everyone an opportunity to know you better, but you also gave some hurting people an opportunity to feel less alone in their pain, whether anyone came out and expressed that to you or not.

Hopefully we'll be back on time this Friday with a blog about the message you just heard yesterday! So, if you have any questions, or comments, be sure to get those to me and I will ask them for you! Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

[qnewsau]

Saving Sydney's Pride festival: Glenn Hansen

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/saving-sydneys-pride-festival-glenn-hansen/

Saving Sydney's Pride festival: Glenn Hansen

It’s time to tell the story of how Sydney nearly lost its Pride festival.

In late 2008 a tragedy hit queer Sydney. The city’s Pride Centre in the old Erskineville Town Hall closed down after thirteen years of operation, putting Sydney’s annual Pride Week into doubt as the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots was approaching.

Sydney’s Pride Week had been held since the early 80s, and run by the Pride Centre since the mid 90s, and Stonewall Hotel had been a part of it through hosting the festival’s annual Pride Awards since 2000.

Stonewall Hotel manager Glenn Hansen knew he had to do something to keep Pride alive in Sydney and leaped into action.

“It would have been an absolute tragedy if that 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots hadn’t been marked in Sydney,” Glenn tells QNews.

“After the Pride Centre closed I knew I had to be proactive in making the festival about more than just Stonewall Hotel and to open it up to the rest of the community and the other venues to keep that history of Sydney Pride going and the importance of celebrating the month of June.”

“I took the organising on myself and that gradually expanded from a Pride Week to a Pride Month long festival.”

By 2010 the revitalised festival had grown from one week to a fortnight in the second half of June and by 2017 the city was already hosting a full month of celebrations.

Hansen says celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride in June remains important 55 years after Stonewall and 46 years after the first Mardi Gras, particularly for younger people in our community to learn that history.

“The Stonewall Riots are very significant for me because I work at Stonewall and that’s where we take our name from but also it was the beginning of gay liberation as we know it,” Hansen says.

Glenn has made the pilgrimage to the Stonewall Inn several times and remains in contact with the venue’s owners. He feels the Riots continue to have lessons for us to this day.

“It’s so important to remember what life was like before Stonewall in reflecting on how far we’ve come,” Hansen says.

“Before Stonewall it was illegal for a group of gay men to be in a bar in New York City and now we celebrate pride, equality and gay marriage in Australia and it’s important to keep that fight going for the people in countries that aren’t as lucky as us. Hopefully we all get to that place of equality.”

With so many events in this year’s festival it’s hard to pick favourites but Hansen says he is really looking forward to Stonewall Hotel hosting Orgy of Drag in its 25th year of raising money for ACON.

“Orgy of Drag is where Sydney’s drag queens give up their time to perform for us and raise money for charity,” Hansen says, “It’s always a huge night.”

With the Inner West Pride Centre soon to open in Newtown just up the road from the original Pride Centre, things are coming full circle for Sydney and Hansen couldn’t be happier.

“We definitely still need a pride centre,” Glenn says, “Sydney needs that and we welcome it with open arms.”

-Orgy of Drag is at Stonewall Hotel on Friday, June 28 with $5 donation on entry.

-For all the events taking place during Sydney Pride Month go to www.sydneypride.com

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[amnader]

the Kixncoffee T Shirt

Kixncoffee T Shirt

Most Christian countries have a public holiday on the 25th & 26th. So in 2018, the Kixncoffee T Shirt went: less tha one day of work, two days off, and two unproductive workdays. Many companies enforced the taking of 4 days annual leave during Christmas week & the following Monday (in Oz we usually get 4 weeks discretionary leave (take it when you want)). Economically, a better idea is to make the secular Xmas on the last Sunday in December, and the following Monday New Years day. Leave the religious aspects to the religionists to commemorate their observances in heir own time. Muslims, Jews, Eastern Orthodox Christians and other religions do so every year successfully, why not Western Christianity? And to keep workers happy where public holidays might be lost, replace them with the Friday before & Monday after the last Sunday in December with public holidays. At at least that way business has two weeks of four contiguous workdays, and people can do something creative with the long weekend (nb: in Oz, January 1st is a public holiday, so that could be replaced by declaring the first Monday in January a public holiday. Thus the workers get two long weekends in a row, and three weeks of just 4 workdays).

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Vbs Crew 2024 Scuba Diving Underwater Vacation Bible School T Shirt It is impossible not to compare Vbs Crew 2024 Scuba Diving Underwater Vacation Bible School T Shirt with our peers (i.e. people surrounding us). The influence that the people have around us is the strongest and ties most extensively with our emotions. In fact, comparing ourselves with our peers is more of a basic instinct. Economists have always pondered why people in developed economies are suffering from increasingly serious illness.

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I don’t know if I can think of 12 things. If you are thinking of getting a fresh cut tree consider a Mean People Suck Youth Energy Midwest Usa Un Nostalgia Dealer Shirt, you know with the root ball. After as short indoor stay, plant the tree. If you do decide on fresh cut when finished with it use it for cover in your back yard or along a hedgerow in the country. Perhaps smear some peanut butter covered pop corn. This will provide some cover for wild critters. Decorate your out door trees with bird seed or pieces of suet(up on a branch). Clean up a mile of road in your area. Go visit a nursing home -the elderly always love to see people, just visit with them, they always have good stories Clean out your closets and take your give away especially hats, coats, and gloves to the salvation army. Volunteer serving Christmas dinner at your local shelter. Offer to walk the dogs at the local animal shelter.Go ice skating/sledding- weather permitting. Bake some cookies and take them to the police station, fire department, any first responders.. Sorry could only come up with ten. Merry Christmas!

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Gen X Annoyed With All The Rest Of You Generation X T Shirt This brings me to my seventh point. Find out what Gen X Annoyed With All The Rest Of You Generation X T Shirt want is in fact very difficult. However, to quote Steve Jobs, “when you find what you love, you will know it. Keep looking, don’t settle.” I am not too sure if the Steve Jobs model is universally applicable, as I do think that his happiness is based on a considerable degree of luck (what he liked doing, i.e. inventing I.T. products, was simultaneously the hottest thing going in the world when he was doing it.

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Palestine Will Be Free Toddler Social Justice Watermelon Kid T Shirt I was asleep in bed, Palestine Will Be Free Toddler Social Justice Watermelon Kid T Shirt 2am, when Spider (My cat, not my choice of name) came into the bedroom, placed his mouth by my ear, and Miaowed, LOUDLY. I woke up, suddenly, and not too happily! I tried to push him away, but he repeated himself, then stood up and walked to the end of the bed, and looked back at me. When I tried to lie down, he came back, caught my hand in his mouth, and gently, but firmly, pulled me towards the door.

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Minnesota Timberwolves Bring Ya Ass 2024 Shirt

I don’t like celebrating any occasions apart from my wedding anniversary. My wedding day was a very happy day in my life and I have somebody to share it with. My birthday is not a Minnesota Timberwolves Bring Ya Ass 2024 Shirt to celebrate, I was conceived on a one night stand and was ill treated all my life by my mother as a consequence. Every Christmas was miserable and another reason for my parents to fight over money. I am not religious but I hate that it has become a commercial day all about greed and who can outdo the next person. People all of a sudden spend one or two days thinking about homeless people and walk past them the rest of the year. We have lost the true meaning of Christmas and Christianity is not just for Christmas. New year’s, just an excuse for a drink or 10 and people to promise things that they will have forgotten about a week or two later. Let’s make changes for the better when we realise things are not good, not make a reason to be miserable about two weeks later because you have failed. I honestly celebrate the small victories and accomplishments when they happen and try to live a good life and be a nice person all of the time and I am happy most of the time. Celebrate every day you wake up on the right side of the ground and vow to make the world a better place every day.

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Official Rapsody Grow From The Pain Shirt

Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy in the Official Rapsody Grow From The Pain Shirt of glucose. This glucose is utilised by the plants in respiration to produce energy to carry out all the life . Plants use photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates from inorganic substrates. All organisms need energy to grow and reproduce. Many organisms (including all plants) use cellular respiration to produce ATP, which is used for cellular energy. The respiration reaction uses carbohydrates like glucose as a substrate. Whereas humans eat food to provide the fuel for respiration, plants make their own through photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, plants would not have carbohydrates for respiration. In addition, the carbohydrates produced in photosynthesis are also used to build plant cell structures, like the cellulose cell wall. Proteins of animal origin are more often high-quality complete proteins relative to the dietary needs of humans. There are eight essential amino acids, so called because they’re essential to the human diet. The human body needs them for survival and can’t synthesis them from plant foods. There are two more that we can synthesize, but only from the essential AAs, so if we lacked all the essential AAs in the diet, we’d lack 10 of the 20 protein-building AAs.

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Save A Horse Ride A Dyke Shirt

This is a fun question. For about 35 years now I’ve hosted a Christmas party for about 30 friends. The ‘price’ to get in is a homemade ornament. You would not believe what my friends have come up with. I have numerous boxes of Save A Horse Ride A Dyke Shirt . About 8 years ago, I told them to not bring anything. But last week, party weekend, about 15 still brought one. They all said that they just loved doing it and it put them in a party, Christmas mood. So the last 8 years I had to come up an idea for the tree. Some of my best were: going through printed pictures of my friends, had some of their pets- most now gone. Vacation pics with one or more in it, and just neat / interesting landmarks etc. took over 100 to Walgreens . For a dime/picture, the copied them onto print stock. I refilled the originals and then cut out the the thing in pic I liked. Bought a stack of manila folders and a bottle of Elmer’s glue, both cheap. Opened the folders and laid them flat on my dining table that had a sheet on it, arranged all the cut-outs on the open folders to get as many as possible on each one put glue on the back of the image, pressed it onto the folder. A couple hours later, cut the pics out of the folder Now the pics were very sturdy. On the back, more glue and a metal ornament hanger. (Like 200 for $ 1) guests had a great time retelling old stories associated with the memories the photos inspired. Hope you like my ideas.

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End Of Year School Survivor Last Day Of School Teacher T Shirt To understand why, you need to End Of Year School Survivor Last Day Of School Teacher T Shirt NASA’s history. During the Apollo days, James Webb, NASA administrator, was focused on one thing: Apollo. Post-Apollo planning was entirely nonexistent because he didn’t want to allow dreaming about the future to negatively impact the incredibly difficult mission they were already focused on. That’s not to say that he expected us to go to the moon and stop, however. He fully expected to continue towards a goal of “preeminence in space.”

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[studio-interview-repository]

Interview -- Lenee P.

NG: To me, you are a person of many hats, and you’re always finding new methods of creating to express your themes! As someone who struggles with that myself, do you find it overwhelming when considering all the possibilities to convey an idea, or do you often know right away which “hat” to put on to best translate that particular idea? LP: I don't find it overwhelming but more so exciting, I like having so many options to choose from when conveying a message that is obviously so important to me. I think some mediums just work better for some narratives and I want to honor that rather than try to always make a painting out of something that could have been way more impactful as a sculpture, play, book, etc. NG: Theatricality is (obviously!) a big motivation in your work. You’ve spoken about it before, but why is theatre important to you, and what works of theatre have been most impactful to you as an artist? LP: I love theatre because of how human it is. History was told through stories and oral narratives for soooo long before recorded history became accessible, so theatre feels like us carrying on that tradition. It's super collaborative, even small or one person shows have a crew behind them. Small indie theaters, high school theaters, broadway and off broadway all have a team of people coming together to make something and that is so special to me. Some of my favorite musicals are The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Fun home, and Gypsy. Some of my favorite (and most impactful) plays and one acts would be Talk To Me Like The Rain And Let Me Listen, Buried Child, Proof, Children of a Lesser God, and Twelve Angry Men. NG: As someone who’s a big fan of questions, what do you ask yourself when creating a work? Are there any reoccurring questions you hold in your mind to keep yourself on track? (Yes, this is a shameless excuse to ask you more about your practice!) LP: I'm not sure I think of questions when I'm creating but I do get little phrases that pop into my head that circulate around. Usually something small, like "be the bigger person" will come up and I just can't stop thinking about it. I think my subconscious always knows what I'm trying to say while I'm working and I just get these little phrases as hints to keep chipping away at a concept. Could also just be the OCD.

[stockstr]

This is Jesus, Son of Mary, the Word of Truth

     Festivals and celebrations are considered one of the distinctive characteristics and key features of societies around the world as they constitute a major part of cultural fabric for people. This means that there is hardly any human society without festivals, whether they are related to religious occasions or non-religious ones. While there are some Islamic festivals like, Eid al-Fiṭr and Eid al-Adha, there are also various celebrations and festivals that distinguish Christians from other religious groups, such as Christmas. Thus, every year, the Christians celebrate the Christmas all over the world, which is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus (PBUH). There are different hypotheses regarding the date of Jesus' birth; however, the Catholic “Western” church has fixed December 25th to be the Christmas date. On the other hand, the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the Christmas on January 7th.[1]The present article focuses on the position of Jesus in the Islamic texts and how Islam and Muslims hold great reverence and respect for Jesus and his mother.

Stock Strategy

Reviewing the Glorious Qur’an, one finds that there is no book on earth that has given Jesus and his mother more reverence and honor than the Qur’an does. We will not be exaggerating if we say that the Qur’an gives more respect and reverence to Jesus more than the current Torah and Gospel do. In the Qur’an, there is a full detailed surah entitled Al-Imran and it refers to the family of Jesus, where Allah says, “Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds. Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing”.[2] It is known that the aforementioned surah is classified as the second largest Surah in the Qur’an next to al-Baqrah. In addition, there is another surah entitled Maryam, the mother of Jesus. However, there is neither a full detailed surah in the Qur’an about the family of Prophet Muhammad PBUH nor his mother.  

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Maryam was named six times in Surah Al-Imran and this surah includes precise information concerning the story of the pregnancy of Maryam’s mother, as many scholars explained that Maryam’s mother was a barren old woman, and when Maryam was born, her mother was in deep grief as she had pledged what is in her womb for Allah’s service. The righteous people disputed greatly over who would take care of Maryam, and then it was Zakarīyā who ultimately took good care of her, and she grew up under his patronage as a righteous girl. Every time Zakarīyā entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He used to ask her about the source of that provision, and she replied, “It is from Allah.”

Maryam’s name was also mentioned twice in surah al-Nisāʼ in the context of dispraising the Jews for their disbelief and their false accusation of Maryam, where Allah, Glory be to Him says, "And [We cursed them] for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander, And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them" Surah Maryam, her name was also mentioned twice where Maryam brought Jesus to her people carrying him as they accused her of doing something unprecedented. In Suah al-Taḥrīm, she was named once, attributed to her father (Maryam daughter of Imran) in the place of praising her for her deep and unshakable belief. Allah says, “And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient”

In addition to the Glorious Qur’an, there are loads of Aḥādīth referring to the stature of Maryam among Muslims and how they respect and revere her greatly. Abū Hurayrah said, "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) say, “There is no one born among the off-spring of Adam, but Satan touches it. A child therefore, cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of Satan, except Mary and her child." Then Abū Hurayrah recited: "And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from the outcast Satan"  In addition, Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Sufficient for you among the women of mankind are Maryam daughter of ʻUmrān, Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, Fāṭimah daughter of Muḥammad and Āsiyah the wife of the Pharaoh”

Regarding Jesus, the son of Maryam, his story was mentioned in many surahs of the Glorious Qur’an such as Maryam, Al-Imranm, al-Māʼidah, al-Nisāʼ, al-Ṣaff, al-Ḥadīd and al-Zukhruf. In surah Maryam, for instance, it included the address to both his mother and Jesus and it seems as if the two stories are only one story. However, at the end of the surah, the verses emphasize the Oneness of Allah and t

[camillasgirl]

A speech by The Queen Consort at a ‘Violence Against Women and Girls’ Reception at Buckingham Palace, 29.11.2022

Your Majesties, Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Buckingham Palace as we gather on the fifth of the “16 days of activism against gender-based violence”.

These 16 days mark the UN’s annual campaign that runs from 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10th December, Human Rights Day.  Throughout the world, individuals and organisations are coming together to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. Why?

Because over a period of 16 days, worldwide, more than 2,000 women will be killed by a partner or a member of their own family. Because, in England and Wales alone, during that same period, police will record that more than 3,000 women have been raped. And because up to 1 in 3 women across the globe will endure domestic violence in the course of their lifetime. Behind every one of these statistics lie individual stories of human suffering and heartbreak.

We are uniting today to confront, rightly, what has rightly been called a global pandemic of violence against women. Faced with such challenges, it can be hard to know what practical steps we can take to even begin to make a difference.

Over the years, in my previous role, I had the privilege of meeting many survivors of rape and domestic abuse; and of sharing in the sorrow of people who had lost family members to violence. And again and again, I heard that two of the most powerful ways in which to help were to remember and to listen.

We remember those women who have lost their lives at the hands of a stranger, or of the person who should have loved them best. In so doing, we refuse to be desensitised by cold facts and figures and we resolve to keep the names and the memories of these women alive. We remember Brenda Blainey, Mariam Kamara, Lucy Powell, Samantha Drummonds, Yasmin Begum, Sally Turner, Hina Bashir, Jillu Nash and her 12-year-old daughter Louise, to name but a very few of those who have been killed this year alone.  And we remember - because we cannot forget - all the other women and girls who died in similarly horrific circumstances.

These women, tragically, can no longer speak for themselves. But we listen to those who can. I have learnt from my conversations with these brave survivors that what they want, above all, is to be listened to and believed, to prevent the same thing happening to others. They know there is power in their stories and that, in the telling, they move from being the victims of their histories to the authors of their own futures.  

I have heard countless examples of the ways in which victims have become victors, using their experiences to hold out a hand to help others escape abuse. One such person, Vicky, left a violent relationship and her ex-partner was sent to prison.  Knowing what it was like to live in permanent fear, she started working for the police, supporting victims and witnesses of crime. Today, she is an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser and says of herself, “There is life after abuse. I am evidence of that”.  

Ladies and gentlemen, your vital work is, in the same way, evidence that there is life after abuse. You are also evidence that we can have hope as we head towards our goal of ending violence against women and girls. Armed with that hope, let us press on. Let us not lose this precious opportunity to speak up and to galvanise action that will see the end of these heinous crimes forever. With determination and courage, we will succeed. Thank you.

[hobbit-in-kuroshitsuji]

Kuroshitcember 2022 Prompt Nr. 25 - Christmas Special 3/3

prompt: Sebastian bears an awful resemblance to someone held near. Pick a character and let them realise this!

You can find all prompts here!

All of these will be uploaded/archived to this blog's Ao3 eventually

📌Because I ended up not being able to participate in quite a lot of prompts lately, I decided to put together a 3 part little story for 23rd, 24th, and 25th of December, each chapter inspired by that day's prompt. I tried incorporating as many characters as I could <3 I hope you enjoy!! I hope I can keep up writing after Christmas though <3 these prompts have been amazing, and it's been so much fun participating <3

Summary: On Christmas Day, the Phantomhives host a special Christmas Dinner. This year, it's even more special than they anticipated... as memories of Vincent flood everyone's minds. CW: kuroshitsuji spoilers (if you don't know about o!ciel and r!ciel, do not read this 3 parter!!), mentions death, suicide, anatomy study, workhouses - please be careful if you are easily triggered by real events that happened in the past. oh, if you don't ship Vincent/Undertaker, please don't send hate <3 it's just a fleeting mention, but still <3

“What…” Sebastian and Ciel stood in the dining room, forty minutes before the annual Christmas Dinner was set to begin.

The decorations that the servants, along with Agni and Prince Soma, had put together were………..

Interesting.

It was all made of paper and glittering glue. Tanaka had tried to show everyone the best way to create Christmas crafts to decorate everything – but the servants weren’t the greatest at following orders.

Amidst well presented art made by Tanaka were some that were… either plain ugly, burned to a crisp, or confusing imitations of Christmas trees.

Sebastian hoped they were Christmas trees, at least…

Oh, and the Undertaker had shown up early to the party, inviting himself to aid in the Christmas crafts to add some “festive skulls” to the decorations – of course, because why not?

Prince Soma had also taken it upon himself to change the way the table had been carefully prepared by Mey-Rin, removing all chairs for everyone to sit on cushions on the floor, and removing the “confusing amounts of cutlery”. How Prince Soma had managed to find a low enough table that housed over 14 people, no one knew. Not even Agni.

“He looks positively pale. That means we succeeded in what dear Finnian called the ‘wow’ factor,” the Undertaker said with an air of sarcasm only Ciel and Sebastian seemed to pick up on. The glares they sent his way only made the Undertaker fall into a fit of laughter.

“My lord, I will immediately change–“

“Don’t.” Ciel interrupted his butler. He sighed. “Despite what I might think of the decorations… it does incorporate the culture and personalities of everyone at the estate including the varieties of guests we’re serving. Christmas doesn’t belong to aesthetics. It belongs to the people. Just leave it. Spend the time double checking the food is… up to standards though. I’m starving.” Ciel turned to leave, but paused to add a quick: “Focus on the desert, actually.”

Sebastian sighed. This Christmas was definitely not running the smooth, traditional way it usually did. Then again, what else did he really expect at the Phantomhive estate?

“I think he liked our decorations,” Finny whispered to the others with glee.

Shaking his head, Sebastian left them to their joy to double check Agni had saved the food.

…

“He acts awfully fatherly, doesn’t he?” Ronald pointed out. He and his red dressed reaper partner were on their way to give William the… (sort of) bad news.

The holidays were a time when reapers had to work overtime. For a full 24 hours, they had to deal with suicides (this was not on Ronald’s pay-roll, only certain reapers were allowed to handle these), murders, starvations, people freezing to death, and other freak accidents (a lot of people die from candles, surprisingly)… Normally, there was a night shift. But with the added family drama humans often brought to the holidays, the night shift also had to work 24 hours alongside the day shift.

“Who?” Grelle asked.

With three more hours to go, things were starting to calm down. When Ronald and Grelle walked through the office, people weren’t running around with papers and bloody scythes anymore. People were starting to clean up instead, or slumping down in their chairs with a hot beverage to calm down.

Ronald pitied the reapers that had to take first shift in the morning after all these hours – but this was the life of a reaper. They had to suck it up.

“That demon of his. Of Phantomhive’s.”

“If you ask me, it only shows what good potentials he would have as a husband,” Grelle said simply, smirking.

“You want children?”

“If they’re mine I wouldn’t quite hate them so much,” Grelle scolded. “If they were mine, they would have impeccable taste and not shout so much. Obviously.”

Shaking his head at Grelle’s words, Ronald refrained from commenting on it. Truth be told, Ronald could see her being quite a good mother. There was empathy and gentleness hidden away behind a façade of craziness.

Though… that was not what either reaper should be focused on anyway, because they had just reached William T. Spears’ office door. Preparing themselves for the scolding of a life time, they opened the door to find their supervisor hunched over his table, paper everywhere from table to floor to even one stuck on the ceiling, and with his hair a complete mess. The long shift had taken a toll on him too, it seemed.

Which most likely only meant the scolding was going to be ten times worse.

“Ehm…” Grelle pushed Ronald ahead, forcing him to take point on the bad news. “Mister Spears, sir. We uh… We just came back from London-“

“Yes?” William snapped, lifting his gaze from piles of papers to try and locate a report in Ronald’s hands. Upon not seeing one, his eyes narrowed into anger which was dangerously murderous.

“Uh – Well, you see… Those uh, workhouse children you asked us to reap?”

“Yes?” Despite only speaking so few words, it was crystal clear what William still meant. Honestly, it was a gift that he could portray so much with just the inclination of tone… and glares…

Hurry it up, Knox, I have work to finish.

“Uh, we didn’t get their souls. The demon – Sebastian Michaelis – got in the way… We did, however, get some other souls that took their place if that’s-“

“What?” William straightened up behind his desk. “What do you mean he interfered? We- We would have known if he was going to! Those children were set for death, we were not told of any inclinations of possible fate twisting changes-”

Standing up, William began rummaging through the mess on his desk, lifting papers, throwing some to the floor even, to try and find what he was looking for.

It was madness, really. William T. Spears was never disorganised.

“William, darling,” Grelle piped up, stepping up beside Ronald with a less crazy look in her eyes than she usually had around Will. “Have you allowed yourself even a second’s break?”

“What does that have to do with the – There,” William found what he was looking for, apparently, and lifted one folder for him to read through. “Six souls, aged between 6 and 10…”

Then it got quiet.

“They’re not deceased?” William asked again for clarification.

“No, sir.”

“None of them?”

“None.”

William flopped back down into his chair, folder falling to the floor as he let out such an exhausted sigh that it looked like he had given up on life – again.

“It’s not in the report. Which means Sebastian acted upon a nature which was not predicted by fate, which indicates it even goes against demon nature… Those are four separate reports for me to fill in after work, not to mention the two reports I will have to write taking your statements, then write up a full conclusion of my own investigation as I go down there-“

“William,” Grelle interrupted. “That’s impossible for you to do all alone after this shift.” She walked up to him, noting he was still listing reports and documents he needed to take care of because of this one incident under his breath, not listening to her.

He was beyond exhausted. He was getting delirious.

“William…”

“No, you cannot help. There is a Christmas dinner being served for all who have participated in this long shift.” The words ‘you both should go, I’ll handle this’ were not said, but it was heavily implied.

“William, darling, you do so much for us all…” Grelle tried with a frown, earning nothing more but a shake of his head. Approaching him, she sat down on the arm rest of his office chair, wrapping herself around him, arm around his shoulders. William didn’t budge, not even leaning away from her to try and recover some personal space.

It was both an act of affection from Grelle, and her making good use of this version of William so she could have some intimacy… But it was mainly a testament to William’s exhaustion. If William had been feeling alright, he would have pushed further, moved away from Grelle’s attempts to let her help him.

“How about, we give you a break not for you, but for someone else?” That sentence was entirely confusing, even for Ronald. Both male reapers glanced at Grelle in confusion. Gently, she brushed some stray strands of hair away from William’s face, an act normally not needed should the supervisor be feeling like himself. “If you can’t take a break for yourself, then take a break for someone else…” That didn’t clarify it either. “Besides, you have to go there anyway to investigate the premises and search for that demon.”

…

Apologising profusely, Mey-Rin wobbled up the ladder. Her glasses were fogging up from the sheer anxiety… But she soon calmed down when Agni remained gently smiling at her, doing nothing more but climb the second ladder to assist her.

The entrance hall to the Phantomhive Manor was huge. Literally. It was a testament to the wealth of the Phantomhives, and a testament to the dramatic flair of a certain demon who had “helped” rebuild it.

Of course, the servants and everyone else didn’t know about the latter part.

Its grandness meant that the walls were extremely tall, perfect for fitting large portraits of long lost family relatives onto it; watching over the going-ons in what used to be their domain.

One such portrait was that of Earl Vincent Phantomhive, the previous head of the family before Ciel.

“Sorry to disturb you, sir,” Mey-Rin whispered to the portrait. “Twas all my fault, I’m too clumsy.”

In harmony, Agni and Mey-Rin lifted the long line of tinsel up and stuffed it back behind the top corners of the portrait. Around the entire hall, Christmas decorations were put up high up to create a flair of glistening beauty as a welcome to the guests. Mey-Rin had… somehow… tripped and let one plate fly up into the air, only for it to bring the decorations down with it.

Agni had been present, catching Mey-Rin before she fell face first onto the floor, before then proceeding to help her fix the decorations.

“There we are,” Agni calmly said, “all fixed again, and no one will ever know anything even occurred here.”

Yet, despite being done, both stayed up on the ladders, staring at the portrait. It was immaculately done, with details only the finest of artist, or closest of friend, would have known existed on Vincent’s face.

“He looked like a kind gentleman,” Agni eventually said. His voice echoed against the walls, but no one paid it any attention. All guests were currently in the dining hall, enjoying the peculiar decorations, the fine food and each other’s company. Even Ciel had been seen cracking a smile from time to time when Elizabeth said something – that in and of itself was a Christmas Miracle, truly.

“I wish I could have known him… I bet it woulda gladdened the Earl plenty if someone could tell stories about his dad,” Mey-Rin pondered.

“Tanaka could, no?”

“Tanaka does, but… There’s something between the two of them. I can’t tell what, but sometimes it feels like Tanaka doesn’t want to remind Ciel of the past, even the good stuff.”

“It can be painful sometimes… To know the good will never come back.” Agni sighed. “I see it in my prince’s eyes sometimes. He does not want to go back home, but he does miss it… I know he does.”

“But there’s new good things here,” Mey-Rin said.

“Yes.” Agni smiled at that, offering an appreciative smile toward the maid. “And that is the case for your master too.” Slowly, the two started heading down the ladder again. “I heard he spent the afternoon helping the poor.”

“Yes he did indeed, sir. My master is the kindest. He took us all in too, even if we were… not exactly the best of servants.” Done on the marble floor once more, the two continued to stare up at the portrait. “I wish he could have something other than a portrait of the good times, I do.”

“He has a great Khansama. Actually…” Both servants suddenly cocked their heads to the side, realisation hitting them both. “His Khansama looks a little like…”

“Yes,” a third voice said, “so you’ve noticed it too?”

…

“That was mighty kind of you, sir,” Ronald praised, stuffing his mouth full with leftover stuffing.

“You are meant to eat that with the turkey – Oh why do I bother? You’re going to do whatever you want anyway,” William sighed, rolling his eyes.

He, Grelle and Ronald were perched atop the church roof once more. Down below them, Christmas carols were being sung by a choir, their voices a beautiful background to a Christmas morning sunset. Across the road, the workhouse stirred with laughter, cheers and prays of gratitude. Not only had the children been offered toys that day, but the children had also been given a mysterious feast of Christmas food – prepared, unknowingly to them, by the reapers who had wrongfully predicted their deaths.

Sitting atop foldable beach chairs, the reapers took in the sight of their charity as kids rushed around sharing the food amongst each other; food they otherwise would have never gotten, not even a goose to share between them.

“It wasn’t my idea, Knox,” William corrected. “Though I suppose no one will ever believe it if we said Sutcliff offered up a luxury of hers.”

“Hey,” Grelle commented with offense, “I can be nice sometimes. Besides, you really needed a break from working with the dead.”

“That’s… awfully insightful of you,” William said in surprise. In his hands, he held a plate of food he was enjoying at the end of their shift. His held more turkey than the others. He’d been forced to have more turkey on his as he had made a simple comment that he enjoyed turkey – apparently, hearing William say he ‘enjoyed’ something was seen as a Christmas Miracle, which then urged Ronald and Grelle to fill his plate with turkey.

“I take offense to the fact you sound so surprised.”

“And I am surprised Miss Sutcliff isn’t throwing a tantrum over all these offenses thrown her way,” Ronald teased. “’Tis a Christmas Miracle!”

Ronald’s last words were said in unison with one of the kids rushing outside to throw themselves into the snow, creating a little snow angel out of glee to have new toys and food all within the span of 12 hours.

All three reapers – yes, even William – chuckled at that.

Sometimes, working with the dead meant little appreciation was offered to the living. All they saw was the suffering toward the end, moving past the good they saw in the cinematic records like it was nothing, but always taking note of the bad. The good… was easy to forget, and easy to set aside when in reality that should be what people focused on the most. Successfully eating three meals a day, successfully brushing one’s teeth, seeing a puppy on the street, having access to one’s favourite books, being able to go for a walk, laughing with friends – or, in this case, sharing Christmas dinner on the roof of a church whilst enjoying the merriment of happy children being fed by luxuries no one on Earth had (William was going to get in trouble for this, but for now… he didn’t worry about it).

As shifts ended, other reapers joined them too. It wouldn’t become a tradition, but it was a pleasant way of spending Christmas morning together as a found family in the afterlife.

…

“Yes,” a third voice said, “so you’ve noticed it too?”

The Undertaker had been taking a break from the merriment of nobles. He didn’t mind it so much, really, he was used to accompanying the Phantomhives at holidays. It was just… a lot, and a lot of colour and a lot of jokes that only made half sense to him as a being who knew the intricacies of the universe.

It got tiring to dumb it down sometimes.

Besides… lately… these holidays had been a tad more difficult for him. It used to be that Vincent sat at the head of that table, Rachel by his side and twins running around the table until they were told off by Madam Red. It used to be that the Undertaker sat on one end of the table, next to Vincent, whilst Rachel sat opposite him on the other side of Vincent.

It used to be that Vincent would hold both their hands under the table, offering glittering, appreciative glances to both as they secretly celebrated a shared holiday as a family bigger than the onlookers thought it was.

It used to be…

But it wasn’t no more.

Now, a child pretending to be another child sat at the head of the table, with the Undertaker far away… watching as a demon who had stolen the looks of his beloved tended to the butler duties and whispered in the young lord’s ear. It was suffocating to know more than even demon and master…

But it was also pleasant to be reminded of the old days, in a sad sort of way. And it was pleasant to be reminded of what he was attempting to change… what he was trying to accomplish…

So when he had walked back to the bathroom and heard the maid and prince’s butler talk about Vincent, the Undertaker had stayed in the shadows to listen in. He couldn’t quite help it.

Nor could he help but butt in once they realised a truth he so desperately wanted others to realise too.

Why did the demon choose a father’s face if demons could not care for humans?

“Yes, so you’ve noticed it too?” Mey-Rin and Agni spun around so quickly that the Undertaker simply had to cover his lips with oversized sleeves as he let out a giggle. “The face of a dead father returns in the shape of a black butler, mimicking the human like a raven found at cemeteries, picking at the dead… waiting to pounce…”

“I… sir?” Agni voiced as Mey-Rin was too scared to ask anything at all.

This particular guest was always an enigma to all. He helped the young lord, yet he also… was curious. Scary, sometimes. As if he was an antagonist waiting to show his true colours.

“teeeheee – look at your faces,” the Undertaker giggled. “Did I fool you? Vincent was a great friend of mine. If you want to know anything ever all you have to do is call on me. I aid not just the dead.” The Undertaker was beginning to walk away, when Agni stopped him with his words.

“Sir? Do you think Earl Ciel chose Sebastian as his Khansama because he felt… that the familiar face was comforting?”

The Undertaker dramatically turned around in a slow gesture, tilted his head to the side and offered a tooth revealing grin as he said: “Oh no, I think it was the exact opposite. Those with dark hearts are not meant to become attached, but I think something in the past of our beloved hell of a butler changed the man to want the child to choose him as his most trusted protector. Like a father. I think the man chose the son.” The Undertaker grinned at their confusion. “But then again, I’m just a crazy fool speaking far too many truths. I should return to the feast.”

Indeed… the Undertaker had a feeling that the face was chosen purposefully, so Ciel would feel calm around that which was a demon of hell, meant to scare kids. Whatever past the demon held had meant that the demon understood how a child’s mind works… It knew Ciel needed a father figure to help feel comfortable as he exacted revenge. To keep motivated.

And to feel safe.

…

“I don’t mean to speak ill of the master’s guests but… What a strange man,” Mey-Rin pointed out.

Agni quietly nodded his head, not wanting to speak ill of anyone either. “Let’s return to our work. The feast will be over soon.”

…

“Sebastian?”

The demon paused in the doorway. Room dark from the night. The only light source was the candle held by Sebastian, and the moon shining brightly outside. The child barely saw Sebastian. But the demon saw him as he turned to look.

It had been a long day, and Ciel was exhausted, his breathing even a little ragged from poor health making him even more easily tired.

“Yes, my lord?”

“If Timothy wanted you to be his father, how could you… take his soul?”

The question struck deep within the demon, eyes turning red. Enough about Timmy, already. His master really needed to learn to let go of the past – then again, if Sebastian started teaching Ciel that, his work to get Ciel’s vengeful soul to perfection would fail.

“In truth, my lord, I found ways to extend the contract. I am not proud of it, but I did. It was… a confusing couple of years.” Staying in the doorway, Sebastian only felt comfortable admitting this because of the distance between them, and the fact that Ciel’s question had come out slurred, indicating the boy was half asleep and might not remember this. “And it was not easy to take the child’s soul. Nor will it be this time.”

There was no reply. Sebastian assumed Ciel had gone to sleep and left the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

Left alone in the darkness, Ciel, quietly, pondered those words. The face of his father had spoken those words… It felt… Strange. Oddly comforting.

When Christmas Day ended, Ciel fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his lips…

__

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