#the cain and abel complex is so strong in them

[svnfyres]

guys tik tok WANTS to hurt me…

[yellowocaballero]

ok so im not very far into trigun (which. you convinced me to read/watch) but ive seen you talk about vash as a christ/messiah figure which. means im kinda obsessed with how you described his impact on the world in no name on the bullet (christ healing the lame, christ feeding the thousand... christ delivering his people from evil.) did you have any specific biblical references you kept in mind while writing?

i also think its super interesting how the fic seems to focus more heavily on healing as opposed to how (what ive seen of) trigun is a lot more gunman focused - is part of that influenced by how knives is a pacifist in a "cold turkey" way, or a choice on your part? i think it makes an interesting dichotomy, christ the gunman and satan the physician

I've gone my entire life without recommending Trigun to anybody, because I always felt it was too weird and ultra-violent and love-it-or-hate-it to actually ask people to watch it. Look at me now. Getting at least 3+ people into it. Boo boo the fool. Also I'm sorry that this response is so long skull emoji.

I'm ex-Catholic so you have asked the right question lol. Vash is very inspired by the Old Testament God. I have a strong mental image of him obsessing over the Noah's Arc story in his cute children's Bible. Sodom and Gomorrah is brought up again much later, in an extremely important way. Garden of Eden and Paradise, as the show does. The Plagues where every firstborn son dies. These is all imagery that Vash specifically evokes on purpose. Vash...uses the Bible to understand his own experiences and feelings and desires (that's the most neutral way to phrase it), but like a lot of people he uses the Bible/God partly as justification for his actions. God destroys cities for being sinful, and Vash is the closest thing to God this planet has, so he's entitled lol. God Complex McGee up in here.

And Vash's cult has no Jesus, because there is no forgiveness for humanity, and no way for them to be saved. Which is how you know that Vash's Jesus-ey actions as described in the story are very deceitful on a lot of different levels. Kind of like regular Vash lmfao - as I said earlier, he's VERY much also a messiah deconstruction. Vash is a pacifist partly because he needs it - he needs to be believed that people can be saved, that the world can be good, that nobody has to die, because otherwise the world is nothing but an endless parade of misery and death and his own suffering. It's about saving his own soul, and the memory of Rem.

For me, on a writing level: Cain and Abel, obviously. 'My brother's keeper'-ass mofo lmfao. It's more themes for me, though - redemption, salvation, forgiveness, original sin, sin in general, guilt, fate. Knives is pretty obsessed with all of these topics. I make fun of him for it. None of it's healthy. But Knives embodies a few other Christian ideals that I don't make fun of him for, such as the importance of good works and good actions, and dedicating his life towards helping others without the desire for a reward. There's also some subtle 'shepherd and his sheep' stuff going on later.

Re: the gunfights: can you IMAGINE Knives carrying a gun. He is WAY too proud of his own #biologicalsuperiority and #ultimatelifeform and #impenetrabledefense (literally Shadow AND Gaara-ass mofo) to rely on cheap human trinkets like guns lol.

The plot has more action than my usual (yay! - that was what I was working for lol), but it's based off the skeleton of the Stampede plot, which is genuinely a lot more space opera than Western and as such its action looks different. Turns out that when you remove the Gung Ho Guns from a story, there are a LOT LESS gunfights, lmfao (I don't know what kind of errands Vash sends the GHG out on, I am afraid to find out). So partly there's less gunfights because a) Stamp plots don't require too many gunfights, and b) without a Gunman (TM) there's no reason for the group to use guns to solve their problems if at all possible.

It's also just that, basically, Vash's plots are partly man vs self and partly man vs other. When a character is level 99, the tension of the fight scene isn't if they'll win the fight - it's if they'll win the fight under their self-imposed conditions. In Vash's case, the Q in every gunfight is 'can Vash win the fight and save people without compromising his principles?'. For Knives, he is so ridiculously OP that it's impossible to write a fight scene with genuine tension, and he doesn't care nearly as deeply about casualties. So the most engaging plotlines for Knives are entirely man vs self, which tends to shake out into a lot of trolley problems lol. That's the answer to your Q from a writing perspective.

So it's mostly a choice for plot/writing reasons. But YUP the dichotomy is SUPER JUICY, and the fun part of the story is reading the Ultimate Killing Machine be forced to do literally anything else than Ultimate Kill - to do the only thing he wasn't meant to do. Because doing what he was meant to do reduces him to a biblical figure instead of a person - it makes him just a devil, who's never exercised the free will God gave him, and as such can't be called sentient. It's not what Rem would want. And it's a very juicy juxtaposition to somebody who interprets his own meaning in life as a Christ figure as a divine compulsion to brutally murder orphan.

[lucy-the-cat]

Didn't agree with the previous post, but I do agree with this one! I think Julian and Maven's relationship is a complex and interesting one that can be easily flattened if you don't take their circumstances into account. One feeling like Cassandra in Troy, unbelieved until it's too late, and the other like Cain, eternally jealous and resentful of all his brother has that he never will. (thanks @drewtanakagf for the Cain and Abel metaphor, she did a few Calore brothers webweaves about them check her out!) I like to headcanon that they kinda circled around each other for years as Julian tried to be a good influence to Cal, and for his sake, if nothing else, did try to be fair to Maven. But I think he was somewhat scared of Maven, since he did have standing over him as a prince and still had Elara's eyes. He'd snap at him more easily. He'd freeze up when he approached. It'd start with pure emotional, bodily reactions, and the justifications would come later. Children notice things like that. And children are easy to feed lies to. So Maven would go to Elara and she'd tell him nasty things about Coriane and Sara, most of them false. And everything she said, he'd repeat, loud and proud. Cal would tell him to stop. Cal would tell him it was cruel. But Maven would barrel right through him, talking about how this was what it meant to be Silver, to be strong, to be powerful. That Cal, as the crown prince, should already know this.

It would not end well.

Julian would full on run from the room in the middle of a lesson to avoid doing something that would get him banished. Cal would force them to apologize to each other later, but the damage was done. They would go to the front in a few weeks. And in that time, Julian would have to sit with the knowledge that Maven had only apologized because Cal made him. That he saw the lie behind his eyes, some mask that shifted too quickly, too easily, an unnerving smile and handshake that grew cold the instant Cal left. That Elara was raising a son that believed the same things she did, that might do the same things she did. It didn't matter that he was a child, because Silvers are not allowed to be children. They are tools for dynasty, for power, shaped by their parents and shows of ability to crush others into the dirt no matter the cost. Any concern he might have had for Maven's safety had always been vastly overshadowed by his fear for Cal's, trapped in a court where he could be stripped of his humanity piece by piece, where Coriane's memory has already been corrupted and erased, where he would be expected to serve as a vessel for those who had the power to make him bend. He must've been terrified of Elara killing him, or worse, scooping the free will out of him to make him her puppet. He must've been frozen between grabbing Cal and running, consequences be damned, or staying as close as he could to try and teach him history, kindness, and the difference between cruelty and necessity. Maven couldn't factor into the equation, not when he was already in emotional overdrive. It's possible that after the front, Maven may have gone to Julian to ask about Thomas. Maybe he'd heard he'd been sympathetic to Reds, and wanted to know if he was wrong for liking Thomas. If he was broken for ever caring about him, if his death was punishment for him trying to defy fate. Or maybe he thought Julian could make him forget when Elara couldn't, that maybe her ability had limitations where his did not. That maybe his father was right to care about Coriane, that his ability to still mourn her was not proof of weakness, but humanity. That the reason Elara had trouble erasing romantic love, but not as much trouble with familial love was because she was raised to value her blood family, the Merandus tree, more than life itself. That she could understand the intricacies of loving and even resenting those who raised you, but was never allowed to value anyone outside that. That any feelings she had for anyone else, whether they be romantic or platonic, were heavily repressed by both herself and others. That all she knew how to do was call those feelings "weak" and "useless", to force her own unsteady hand through them despite the memories they were stirring in her. That it was her inability to process her own mistakes that made her work bloody and unproductive.

(The fandom circles I run in tend to headcanon her as a lesbian, so I nominate her as having, at one point, had a crush on Larentia that was stomped to dust by some snide comment about Robert Iral that hurt her for some reason she couldn't pinpoint. And that when Coriane and Tibe married, she was not just livid about her lost power, but seething with envy that they were able to marry for love and she never would be. That you could either devote yourself to a "whore" or devote yourself to your family, and she would always choose her own flesh and blood.

Maven would not know about this. He would never be allowed to.)

However, Maven kinda stumbles when articulating this because a) he hates himself for so, so many reasons that he's too afraid to reckon with and b) the front has fueled his resentment of Cal to new heights, from his rise in the military ranks to the ever-widening gap in approval from Tibe to the fact that he didn't have to live with what he did to Thomas. Julian might understand, but he wouldn't. He loves Cal too much, and why wouldn't he? Cal has everything. Cal is his family. Cal is everything Maven is not, cannot, will not be: A fool. Blind to the trouble his actions cause, blind to the ambitions of those around him, blind to his own brother's--

Julian cuts him off before he can confess anything, telling him that he has a mother and Cal does not. That his jealousy was frankly, disgusting. That he didn't how bad Cal had it because of Elara's actions, that he should be thankful Cal loved him at all after what she did. He realizes the last part went too far the instant it leaves his mouth. But it's too late. Maven draws back as the air grows cold. "You're right, Jacos." His fists clench until there are crescents in his palms. "I have a mother, and he does not. I suppose that makes me better."

Julian stays silent, unable to tell if he shut down a confession or a manipulation. It's strange, how quickly Maven turns from a sobbing wreck to . . . whatever he is now. Someone who laughs and says, "I wonder what Cal would do, if I got Mother to banish you. If they ever found you played a role in your sister stealing the throne."

No reaction. Maven tries again, louder. "Or worse, if you broke and attacked me. If he'd choose me over you if it ever came to it."

Julian knows the answer. He doesn't have to like it. "Scheme somewhere else, Your Highness. My library is not open anymore." Not for you.

Maven stares at him. His next words are slow, deliberate. "Because of Cal."

"Because of your mother, and the poison she's feeding you."

"What would you know about her?" He snarls. "What would you know about anyone, besides your precious Cal?"

"Enough to know that she wants you on the throne. And she doesn't care who stands in the way."

Maven pauses, staring past him. "You don't think I love him."

"You're not acting like you do." Again, the words leave on instinct. Again, rage and pain war within him. "You're acting like a spoiled brat. And maybe Elara will tolerate that, but I won't."

Something ghosts over him, some truth Julian has no time to glimpse. "Perhaps." Maven turns around, clutching the doorframe with nails that, if Julian looks closely enough, seem to be crusted with blood. "Sleep well, Jacos." He sneers. "Or don't. I never do."

Julian knows he could have handled that differently, but not the how or why. Coriane's death still echoes in his bones, and he hates Elara for all she's done, Tibe for not stopping her, and Maven for taunting him when he's so close to the edge. He sees Elara walk with Maven through the gardens, hug him when no one's watching, sneer at everyone else as she gives him a rare smile. Silvers still love their children, after all. And if Elara loved Maven . . .

What's the worst she could do?

It's this cycle of "you always hated me." "I tried so hard not to." The torture of knowing something, but not enough, not until it's too late and other people are in the balance. That you were right, even if in some ways you weren't. That you are both already on your paths, and if you let yourself reckon with what could have been, Cal will start reckoning with it too. And you can't let Maven destroy him anymore.

okay so I feel like I should clear a few things up from the “true villains of red queen” post, because I didn’t articulate my point well and people replied with valid criticisms.

Okay so someone (I don’t remember their name I’m sorry) commented about how Julian couldn’t really say anything about Elara and Maven to Tiberias the Older (I don’t remember what number he was sorry) because after his sister died Julian didn’t really have standing in court, he was just the royal librarian and his love got her tongue removed just for knowing what Elara did. So yes I accept it I was wrong, he had a pretty good reason not to say anything.

When I said Julian was at fault for what happened to Maven, I wasn’t trying to say he was entirely at fault. That’s my fault for not making that clear, I read the post back and yeah I could’ve worded it better. What I was trying to say was yes, Elara is entirely at fault for the abuse Maven suffered, she is the abuser. I just wanted to have like I don’t know a conversation about how Julian and Anabel contributed in a small way to Elara’s ability to enact that abuse. Not saying what happened to Maven was entirely their fault and I’m not excusing Tiberias the Older’s hand in it either, I think I said in an earlier post that his neglect also heavily contributed to Maven’s abuse. It’s just abuse is complicated thing right? There are a lot of components to it, and I just wanted to highlight that. No it wasn’t Julian’s fault that Elara abused her son.

I was just trying to point out how Julian’s and Maven’s relationship might’ve contributed to her being able to emotional abuse her son. I mean Julian and Maven don’t have a good relationship, even before Mare gets to the palace. The first thing Julian tells Mare is that Maven’s “his mother’s son.” So you can assume they’ve never really gotten along. But you can’t assume it’s because “Maven and Elara were trying usurp Cal” because they themselves said they only started scheming for the throne when Mare arrived, and Maven, despite not being able to feel love for Cal, still felt something close to it and had a somewhat decent relationship with Cal that he would hold onto in his own way until he spares Cal the pain of “killing his little brother” by pretending the boy he was supposed to be was never there in the first place So at least I assumed that wasn’t why Julian didn’t like Maven. The only other reason was because of what happened to Sara and his sister. Which when you think about it is crazy considering Maven wasn’t even born when that happened. But Julian can’t hold Elara accountable for it, she’s the queen, and he’s just a librarian, but he can in a way hold her son accountable for it. That’s all I was trying to say.

so no. I don’t think Julian is entirely at fault for Maven’s abuse. I’m not saying it’s all Julian’s fault that Elara abused Maven. I was just trying to have a conversation about how Julian and Anabel might’ve contributed to Elara’s means of abuse by giving her things like favoritism (on Anabel’s part) to manipulate Maven with. Just like Maven’s father did by neglecting his youngest son even though he did love Maven without being able to show it.

I’m open for a further conversation about this in the comments, and yeah, if you disagree that’s fine, we all have our opinions so yeah have a great day and thanks for reading this super long post

[sidecarghost]

Kripke: Family (as a source of trauma)

Sam and Dean’s brotherhood and the dichotomy of loving your brother while also disagreeing with him on almost everything at a fundamental level.

Azazel fostering a group of special children to serve in his holy war, and John raising Sam and Dean as soldiers for his holy war.

Filial piety taken to the extreme where any agency is given up. Meg’s blind faith in Azazel and then Lucifer, and Michael’s blind faith in following through with God’s plan for the end.

John Winchester’s legacy of hate and revenge being passed down to his children, Sam and Dean.

Dean, Cas, and Micheal and the consequences of absentee fathers and their sons hopelessly trying to gain approval from them.

Found family that helps emotionally support each other with team free will Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Cas vs the toxicity of the family you are born to. Similar parallel to fate vs free will.

Gamble: Identity (roles we assume vs our authentic self)

Souls as the fundamental particle that establishes our internal compass, but also capable of being lost or weaponized.

Assuming a role at the cost of being authentic:

Dean and Lisa where Dean tries to be a better father to Ben than John was to him

Cas as God where Cas tries to be a better God than the father he never met

Sam as soulless where Sam tries to be a better hunter than John, Dean, or the Campbells ever had been

And Leviathan becoming better capitalists than humans (authentic chameleons that live their best life by assuming whatever form let’s them be the most effective predator)

Carver: Oppression (being a hero to some makes you a villain to everyone else & the only force strong enough to cure oppression is love or total annihilation of the oppressors)

Abuse of power at all levels: Hell, Heaven, Earth

Monsters are shown to be morally complex and an oppressed population

The MoL is a defunct organization of humans that oppressed monsters.

Sam and Dean as the inheritors of the MoL legacy of oppression. They are never redeemed and carry on killing monsters until the end of the series.

Cain saves his brother Abel from damnation, but the cost doomed millions. His only escape was conquering the mark because of the love of one woman.

Naomi overriding the free will of angels by reprogramming them to keep them kowtowed to her agenda for heaven. Cas is able to conquer Naomi’s reprogramming because of the love of one man.

Metatron ejects the angels of Heaven forcing them to live among the people heaven has oppressed in the name of God. The show frames Metatron as a hero and a villain because good and evil can be subjective.

Rowena as the narcissistic mother that sees Crowley as a failure because of her own failings, and attempts to emotionally manipulate and influence his role as king of hell. Eventually Rowena is redeemed by developing genuine love for her son and team free will.

Styne family as a dynasty of white supremacists trying to make a race of superior humans. Their reign of oppression ends with their annihilation by Dean.

Sam clings to faith and hope in a righteous God even though he has suffered his whole life. Sam’s relationship to faith is never resolved through the end of the series.

Light oppressing the Darkness. God’s only sister was kept entombed by her only brother. Love for each other was the only force strong enough to stop their suffering.

Dabb: Fuck if I know???? (Cw: racism, suicide ideation, rape, incest) Dabb era is the most racist era of a very racist show. Other eras were problematic, but at least they attempted to tell a story based on an interesting theme. I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a theme for Dabb that the season wide plots feed into (calling it plot is a misnomer because there really is none in s12-s15, that shit cannot be consumed serially).

Destiel is shamelessly queerbaited, because Dabb has found that the queer and queer ally portion of fandom responds favorably to these crumbs.

BMoL as oppressive but now also British, and a new bunch of white people are added to the cast, because in the Spn universe Britain is solely populated by white people.

Lucifer keeps appearing to antagonize the protagonists, even though his relevance as a legitimate antagonist ended 7+ seasons ago.

Lucifer rapes a woman by posing as her lover. This results in the birth of the Messiah and death of the woman. No one ever seeks justice for Kelly, instead they endlessly obsess over her fetus.

The actor cast as Jack, the Messiah, is yet another white person in a cast full of white people.

Alternate universes are found that are like the main universe but way more boring.

Crowley is killed because Dabb is out of ideas for the character.

Sam and Dean are only interested in finding a way back to the apocalypse universe because their mom got stuck there. They express no desire to find a way back to help the universe where humans are being exterminated. They have completely given up on altruism and are living it up as privileged white people in their bunker mansion.

Black archangel Michael is villainized and loses any of the moral complexity that white archangel Michael exhibits.

Kevin Tran (one of the few recurring PoC), reappears in the Apocalypse universe just to blow himself up as a suicide bomber.

Archangel Gabriel was being kept imprisoned by Colonel Sanders who moonlights as a prince of hell. Does any of this mini arc impact the overall narrative? No. Just more white men added to the story because Dabb can’t figure out where to take the franchise.

Mary Winchester is fridged, yet again, by another yellow eyed supernatural being, so a singular family member can go into a vindictive rage about it.

Canon bisexual God is villainized. I would say for plot reasons, but I have yet to discover anything in s15 resembling a plot.

Main universe Kevin Tran (who sacrificed everything to devote his short life to helping Sam and Dean) reveals that God sent him to Hell all those years ago. Kevin is then doomed to wander Earth as a ghost until he goes insane. At which point, white guy Sam is probably going to kill him sending him back to suffer for eternity in Hell.

Billie, a black woman, becomes Death, a primordial entity and a stronger force than God (will reap God in the end). She is villainized and killed by white men for being committed to keeping the universe in balance and adhering to the natural order. No one seeks justice for her.

W*ncest is shamelessly baited because Dabb has found the portion of fandom that prefers bros as soulmates responds favorably to these crumbs.

Romanticizing suicide in a meta attempt to inform viewers that this show has lived past its useful shelf life and keeping it alive is a punishment to be endured.

Spn Prequel: ??? Not to jinx the prequel but at least it should not be worse than Dabb era.

[lilacandladybugs]

What’s your current relationship with god? I’m very curious lmao

I’m sorry if this sounds incomprehensible and rambly and disjointed or pretentious. I care a lot more about this than almost anything else in the world and I wish I could do a better job of explaining myself. But I feel like why I believe in God or what my relationship with him is like is like trying to explain who I am. And I’m just the accumulation of everything I’ve ever experienced or that I think and I feel like it’s really important that I communicate it correctly so here is my attempt.

Here’s a video that’s really good that I think will give some good background information. If you don’t want to read all of this, the video is probably enough to explain.

TLDR: This isn’t the way things are supposed to be. Death isn’t supposed to happen, it isn’t a part of the natural order of things. God loved us so much he died to fix it, and rose again to defeat death. God loves me and I love him, and I’ve never found peace or fulfillment like that in anything else.

I hope this makes sense anon let me know if you have any questions or if I misinterpreted your question. 

TW suicide // grief // abuse // rape mention (not v bad or graphic or anything)

Long version:

I think I've always thought that there's something naturally (for lack of a better word) poetic about existing. Not really meaning that it's good, but kind of that everything feels really purposeful it seems to flow together like an old epic. Everything seems intensely meaningful to me.

I've always thought that life was tragic. That death is a fracture in the way things are, like we live in the ancient ruins of a long lost civilization.

And I've always thought that life seems like an incomprehensibly wonderful gift, because how can there be tragedy if there isn't anything worth losing? But somehow it seems like peace is the basic way things are, that normalcy isn't normal at all but like this status quo of goodness which makes bad things happening not only heart breaking but surprising.

Reconciling all of those ideas is really confusing.

I'm a strong proponent of thinking analytically about what you believe since the answer we choose to the question of whether or not God exists is like quite literally something we bet our lives on. We bet our life that God exists or that he doesn't, that things have meaning anchored in an external source or that they don't. 

So while I grew up a Christian I've never felt really dead in it. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to be stubborn in asking questions and I don't have a problem with questioning authorities on why they believe what they believe—especially if they really confidently assert it. I want to be able to know things and understand them.

My junior year of high school three of my closest childhood friends died, and several others almost died. I remember sitting up at like two am listening to twenty one pilots self titled album just like seething and exhausted asking lord why would you abandon me like that?

Some other really horrible things happened to people that I cared about, I felt abandoned and rejected by Christians just for being broken, some of them caused it or contributed to the trauma and abuse. How could people who claimed the name of God do that?

My debate partner's best friend killed himself the same year that my friends died, and he became an atheist and I stayed a Christian. We fought about it a lot. I really seriously considered becoming an atheist.

The thing that I couldn't accept was the lack of eternality. 

Really ironically I think I stayed a Christian for the same reason that my friend became an atheist. We were both asking why all of the living world is crying out in anguish. We both wanted to die. We both were angry. We both were horrified.

My friend thought that the question of “where is God?” was harder to answer than “why is there meaning to death?”

I'm a Christian because I'm horrified. He's an atheist for the same reason.

If you don’t feel like reading it, here’s the TLDR: there is no reason for someone to do something or not do something if God isn’t there to tell them to. There isn’t a moral grounding for law.

Arthur Leff was an atheist law professor at Yale in the eighties, and he wrote about the moral grounding for laws in his essay, Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law. The question he was asking was what can we do to ground morality? What can we do to prove objectively that there are things one ought to do and things one ought not do?

I am unwilling to accept that. There is something evil about abuse, neglect, rape, torture. There is something about these things that violates human rights, human dignity. There's something about them that goes against objective moral law.

But without God there is no moral law. So I wouldn't be able to say, "you should never rape someone, because rape is wrong." And everything that I had experienced flew in the face of that.

Dr. Leff wrote this about that question;

“All I can say is this: it looks as if we are all we have. Given what we know about ourselves and each other, this is an extraordinarily unappetizing prospect; looking around the world, it appears that if all men are brothers, the ruling model is Cain and Abel. Neither reason, nor love, nor even terror, seems to have worked to make us "good," and worse than that, there is no reason why anything should. Only if ethics were something unspeakable by us, could law be unnatural, and therefore unchallengeable. As things now stand, everything is up for grabs.

Nevertheless:

Napalming babies is bad.

Starving the poor is wicked.

Buying and selling each other is depraved.

Those who stood up to and died resisting Hitler, Stalin, Amin, and Pol Pot-and General Custer too-have earned salvation.

Those who acquiesced deserve to be damned.

There is in the world such a thing as evil.

[All together now:] Sez who?

God help us.”

In the end, it comes down to this; Do I believe that the complexity of the universe is because there was someone intelligent actively involved in its design, do I believe that information, reason, logic, emotion, and morality exist and are reliable because they have grounding in God’s identity? Do I believe that God is who he says he is?

And I guess the answer to those questions was yes.

I saw God. He was there in the stillness - in the sunrise and sunset and at 2 am after I couldn't cry anymore. I felt him. And I know part of his goodness that I wish I never had to know. I felt like I was lying breathless bleeding out in a gutter watching the stars. Almost like a pause - just a moment in time where I was hurt enough, still enough to hear his voice.

One of the most important things I learned is that life is not hopeless.  If life is a story, then the last chapter of the book has already been written. This is the premise of the song It is Well with My Soul by Horatio G. Spafford.

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, God has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul” 

The powers of evil and darkness can take away my friends, my sanity, my family, and even my life, but God has already saved me, and I can find peace in spite of my circumstances. Three of my friends died, but God has already conquered death. I feel powerless, but God is powerful. I feel abandoned, but God loves me so much that he died a horrible torturous death for me. Living in light of that is peace. 

Whenever I felt like I couldn’t keep going there would be something to stop me. I heard his voice in music, and in my friends that held me when I cried, and in morning glories on my morning walk. I kept lists of all of the times this happened, every time that someone encouraged me to keep going, every time that someone would quote a Bible verse when I was crying out for God to answer me, every time that the world paused. Everything asked me the same question, do you think it means nothing? Do you think that there is a direction that we’re going? Are we coming from nothing and going toward nowhere?

I had friends who heard him too. He was so gentle to us. I wasn’t able to go to church, I wasn’t able to listen to worship music but the LGBTQ+ community took care of me, they were isolated from church as well. There was enough for me in that God promised he would take care of me, and he did. He died for me. He talked to my trans friend and said, “listen, your parents have rejected you and said you’ll never be your son, but I am a good father. I love you. Be my son instead.”

God mourned with me. He saw everything and he was angry. I was able to breathe because I knew that in the end there will be justice for abuse victims, because God said that he is the holder of justice, and vengeance will be his.

When one of my friends was hospitalized I stood outside during the beginning of a thunderstorm and watched the clouds and the sky darken and lightning flash across the sky.

Even the wind and the sea obey him. He asked me if I trust him. 

I guess my answer was yes.

In spite of everything that I went through, I was more thoroughly convinced that I ever was before that things matter. I was convinced that abuse is evil. I was convinced that death is an abomination. I was convinced that these laws of morality are woven into the fabric of the universe. I was convinced that God died to save us from that reality. I was convinced he loved me.

I still am

[in-the-whisper]

I’m sorry if this sounds incomprehensible and rambly and disjointed or pretentious. I care a lot more about this than almost anything else in the world and I wish I could do a better job of explaining myself. But I feel like why I believe in God or what my relationship with him is like is like trying to explain who I am. And I’m just the accumulation of everything I’ve ever experienced or that I think and I feel like it’s really important that I communicate it correctly so here is my attempt.

Here’s a video that’s really good that I think will give some good background information. If you don’t want to read all of this, the video is probably enough to explain.

TLDR: This isn’t the way things are supposed to be. Death isn’t supposed to happen, it isn’t a part of the natural order of things. God loved us so much he died to fix it, and rose again to defeat death. God loves me and I love him, and I’ve never found peace or fulfillment like that in anything else.

I hope this makes sense anon let me know if you have any questions or if I misinterpreted your question.

TW suicide // grief // abuse // rape mention (not v bad or graphic or anything)

Long version:

I think I've always thought that there's something naturally (for lack of a better word) poetic about existing. Not really meaning that it's good, but kind of that everything feels really purposeful it seems to flow together like an old epic. Everything seems intensely meaningful to me.

I've always thought that life was tragic. That death is a fracture in the way things are, like we live in the ancient ruins of a long lost civilization.

And I've always thought that life seems like an incomprehensibly wonderful gift, because how can there be tragedy if there isn't anything worth losing? But somehow it seems like peace is the basic way things are, that normalcy isn't normal at all but like this status quo of goodness which makes bad things happening not only heart breaking but surprising.

Reconciling all of those ideas is really confusing.

I'm a strong proponent of thinking analytically about what you believe since the answer we choose to the question of whether or not God exists is like quite literally something we bet our lives on. We bet our life that God exists or that he doesn't, that things have meaning anchored in an external source or that they don't.

So while I grew up a Christian I've never felt really dead in it. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to be stubborn in asking questions and I don't have a problem with questioning authorities on why they believe what they believe—especially if they really confidently assert it. I want to be able to know things and understand them.

My junior year of high school three of my closest childhood friends died, and several others almost died. I remember sitting up at like two am listening to twenty one pilots self titled album just like seething and exhausted asking lord why would you abandon me like that?

Some other really horrible things happened to people that I cared about, I felt abandoned and rejected by Christians just for being broken, some of them caused it or contributed to the trauma and abuse. How could people who claimed the name of God do that?

My debate partner's best friend killed himself the same year that my friends died, and he became an atheist and I stayed a Christian. We fought about it a lot. I really seriously considered becoming an atheist.

The thing that I couldn't accept was the lack of eternality.

Really ironically I think I stayed a Christian for the same reason that my friend became an atheist. We were both asking why all of the living world is crying out in anguish. We both wanted to die. We both were angry. We both were horrified.

My friend thought that the question of “where is God?” was harder to answer than “why is there meaning to death?”

I'm a Christian because I'm horrified. He's an atheist for the same reason.

If you don’t feel like reading it, here’s the TLDR: there is no reason for someone to do something or not do something if God isn’t there to tell them to. There isn’t a moral grounding for law.

Arthur Leff was an atheist law professor at Yale in the eighties, and he wrote about the moral grounding for laws in his essay, Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law. The question he was asking was what can we do to ground morality? What can we do to prove objectively that there are things one ought to do and things one ought not do?

I am unwilling to accept that. There is something evil about abuse, neglect, rape, torture. There is something about these things that violates human rights, human dignity. There's something about them that goes against objective moral law.

But without God there is no moral law. So I wouldn't be able to say, "you should never rape someone, because rape is wrong." And everything that I had experienced flew in the face of that.

Dr. Leff wrote this about that question;

“All I can say is this: it looks as if we are all we have. Given what we know about ourselves and each other, this is an extraordinarily unappetizing prospect; looking around the world, it appears that if all men are brothers, the ruling model is Cain and Abel. Neither reason, nor love, nor even terror, seems to have worked to make us "good," and worse than that, there is no reason why anything should. Only if ethics were something unspeakable by us, could law be unnatural, and therefore unchallengeable. As things now stand, everything is up for grabs.

Nevertheless:

Napalming babies is bad.

Starving the poor is wicked.

Buying and selling each other is depraved.

Those who stood up to and died resisting Hitler, Stalin, Amin, and Pol Pot-and General Custer too-have earned salvation.

Those who acquiesced deserve to be damned.

There is in the world such a thing as evil.

[All together now:] Sez who?

God help us.”

In the end, it comes down to this; Do I believe that the complexity of the universe is because there was someone intelligent actively involved in its design, do I believe that information, reason, logic, emotion, and morality exist and are reliable because they have grounding in God’s identity? Do I believe that God is who he says he is?

And I guess the answer to those questions was yes.

I saw God. He was there in the stillness - in the sunrise and sunset and at 2 am after I couldn't cry anymore. I felt him. And I know part of his goodness that I wish I never had to know. I felt like I was lying breathless bleeding out in a gutter watching the stars. Almost like a pause - just a moment in time where I was hurt enough, still enough to hear his voice.

One of the most important things I learned is that life is not hopeless.  If life is a story, then the last chapter of the book has already been written. This is the premise of the song It is Well with My Soul by Horatio G. Spafford.

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, God has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul”

The powers of evil and darkness can take away my friends, my sanity, my family, and even my life, but God has already saved me, and I can find peace in spite of my circumstances. Three of my friends died, but God has already conquered death. I feel powerless, but God is powerful. I feel abandoned, but God loves me so much that he died a horrible torturous death for me. Living in light of that is peace.

Whenever I felt like I couldn’t keep going there would be something to stop me. I heard his voice in music, and in my friends that held me when I cried, and in morning glories on my morning walk. I kept lists of all of the times this happened, every time that someone encouraged me to keep going, every time that someone would quote a Bible verse when I was crying out for God to answer me, every time that the world paused. Everything asked me the same question, do you think it means nothing? Do you think that there is a direction that we’re going? Are we coming from nothing and going toward nowhere?

I had friends who heard him too. He was so gentle to us. I wasn’t able to go to church, I wasn’t able to listen to worship music but the LGBTQ+ community took care of me, they were isolated from church as well. There was enough for me in that God promised he would take care of me, and he did. He died for me. He talked to my trans friend and said, “listen, your parents have rejected you and said you’ll never be your son, but I am a good father. I love you. Be my son instead.”

God mourned with me. He saw everything and he was angry. I was able to breathe because I knew that in the end there will be justice for abuse victims, because God said that he is the holder of justice, and vengeance will be his.

When one of my friends was hospitalized I stood outside during the beginning of a thunderstorm and watched the clouds and the sky darken and lightning flash across the sky.

Even the wind and the sea obey him. He asked me if I trust him.

I guess my answer was yes.

In spite of everything that I went through, I was more thoroughly convinced that I ever was before that things matter. I was convinced that abuse is evil. I was convinced that death is an abomination. I was convinced that these laws of morality are woven into the fabric of the universe. I was convinced that God died to save us from that reality. I was convinced he loved me.

I still am

[scarletta-ec]

Original Sin Story: Re_Crime

[AFTERWORD]

So this is mainly mothy talking about the original book so I guess this means I get to go through my process. More or less just my patch notes from this build of Original Sin Story: Crime.

Part 1

First, I made Maria a little older when she was caught in a storm. I wanted to distance Levia from lightning and make Maria a more Miku-ish age rather than a typical Rin age. 

Basically, I’m increasing Levia’s association with wind instead of lightning.

Next was Miroku’s name. I don’t know, it’s an alright name but it feels weird for a surname from later EC being a first name of a not-Jakokuese character here. I first renamed him Nemanja, but then found a Slavic G- name I liked, Gavriil. It’s an equivalent to “Gabriel” which is the name of an archangel.

I liked the first few chapters so not too much has changed. It got exponentially more and more divided from the source material as the book quality went down.

I haven’t changed too much of the worldbuilding or politics cause that is not my strong point, lol. It’s serviceable so I let it be.

I added a description of curled platinum blond hair for Irta Li because I think he should look like Alucard.

Changed the “gear” system of time to “period” since that term is an actual expression of time and is not used in-universe/in the book for this purpose.

Changed Adam and Gammon’s reactions to being late. I just feel maybe Adam shouldn’t be so smug and Gammon such an ass.

I didn’t change anything about Vaju, but his description makes me think of the Capitol elite from The Hunger Games.

Part 2

Didn’t feel like settling on “Mogura” or “Mole People” for those people who dig up Second Period relics, so I just titled them Excavators.

Kept the magic car cause it’s pretty dope and it made my friend go feral cause she predicted it.

Genderbent Raiou into Raijoou because I always imagined the Zvezdas as matriarchal and instead of switching it so Raiou was the late parent, I just said screw it, Eve gets two moms.

I like the idea of Horus Solnste being his own character but there’s really no way to make it work without even more rewrites so he’s still Seth here.

Raijoou’s wife still claims to have found Eve in a river. This is an in-story lie and a meta misdirection.

Added that Adam and Eve have a year to two year difference in age, but they’re both around 20.

I found the whale thing kind of dumb so I just made Catherine a “white blur under the waves” (i.e. a dead sunken body). I get it was a Jonah’s whale reference but I don’t think she needs to literally be a whale for her to fulfill that reference, like how Seth is never a literal snake.

Changed the mention of “THE White Army” to “A White Army”. Raisa mentions a test of her “Second Regiment”. I changed her from a Salem inheritor to a Vlad inheritor (who uses fire magic). This “Second Regiment” is an undead army that are all white, like the Netsuma humans of her First Regiment. Though the zombies are resistant to regular fighting, lightning gets them down quite easily.

I have to say, I wasn’t really chill with Meta being a Gilles inheritor when the info came out but the Red Devotees are so terrifying I couldn’t change it.

Salem inheritor fire is not fire magic. The Netsuma are not all Vlad inheritors like Raisa, but they are all skilled in the fire arts, that is, fire spells and weapons. The arts don’t cover blue flames, as only Salem inheritors produce that.

I made Eve a Held sect member from the start, for more conflict between her and Zellana as Zellana proceeds to be an asshole about Held. Since Nemu isn’t too close to the forest, Eve hasn’t seen Held for herself, so she tries not to cause so much of a fuss, aware she’s in a Levia sect majority place.

Part 3

Adam doesn’t have a direct memory of any river. He was just already out in the open as a very young child as far as he could remember.

Adam is still caught up in a storm like the original tsunami and is saved by Catherine.

Made Horus/Seth as less of a dick than he is, by him being unable to bring Adam to Maria (or reveal Adam as Maria’s son) since Maria’s visitors really are restricted and enforced.

It’s unclear if Horus really did update Maria on Adam’s condition as he claims, decide depending on how you want to see him.

Made Gammon and Adam’s relationship just a bit more pining-y, so when Gammon is drunk he just leans on Adam instead of the counter.

Changed the fucking STUPID Levia inheritor bullshit with Venom. Venom is now connected to Gilles Inheritors. Kept the dead body experimentation part so it’s uncomfortably close to the truth.

Made Adam a little less willing to commit homicide.

MADE ADAM KEEP HIS STUPID, GROSS PLAN ON THE BACKBURNER. HE DOESN’T GO THROUGH WITH IT.

Adam circumvents Seth for the recipe for Venom. This is very important.

Horus/Seth has told Adam about the river children, not telling Adam he is one of those. Adam thus assumes he must be one of them. This is further misdirection.

Raijoou is still a founding member of Apocalypse.

Seth isn’t around so much while Adam and Eve hang out, so as far as Adam is aware, Seth doesn’t know he’s using Venom. This is important as well.

Gammon flirts with Adam but slyly takes it back before he notices.

Adam is already paranoid that he’s given Eve too much Venom (this is unchanged from the source but still important for the payoff)

Scene with Catherine is unchanged, because I love her and this scene.

When Eve has the stillbirth, Seth implies something on Adam’s part is what caused it. The pieces all come together: Seth may have created Venom, but Adam went behind his back to get Venom, used it while trying to keep Seth from knowing about it, thus making this all Adam’s fault. Seth didn’t even convince him to use it, either.

Part 4

Seth gets a black eyes and is being creepy when pistol-whipped. Also his glasses were sent flying off his face.

Finally, Seth clears the meticulous shit I set up, lmao.

After Maria was rendered sterile and her twins were gotten rid of, she still wanted a child and enlisted Seth to make it happen.

The twins aren’t Adam and Eve. Seth kept the boy in cryostasis in Lunaca Labora for his destruction powers, and gave the girl to the Lighwatch Temple so he could keep a close eye on her. These are Amostia and Elluka, respectively.

Adam is essentially a tube-grown human. He’s not a ghoul child because he was made with two sets of DNA, Maria’s and a foreign man to obscure Adam’s phenotype.

Lunaca Labora is a large underground complex, with secret entrances spanning to and from many important capital buildings.

Thus, when Apocalypse bombed one of these buildings, this caused a collapse in the section of Lunaca Labora below it, the chaos in which Adam disappeared.

It was incidents like this that made Raijoou leave Apocalypse and take a wife in the quiet village of Nemu once again.

Horus had met both Raijoou and her wife, Inanna while searching Evillious.

I named her wife Inanna because I wanted a name that resembled “inazumi” to fit Raijoou’s lightning theme, in addition to Inanna meaning “lady” and “heaven/sky”, and being a Sumerian goddess equated to Ishtar.

Without Raijoou’s input, Inanna enlisted Horus to make them a child, she she couldn’t have any, and of course not with Raijoou.

Eve is fashioned the same way as Adam- made with two sets of DNA donated by Inanna and Raijoou.

She was a backburner project so she was finished about a year after both Adam and Meta. Seth had also made Eve a HER carrier.

Since Raijoou is a Held inheritor, Eve ended up as one, too. Noticing this early in her development, it got Seth interested in making ghoul children with inheritor abilities.

Seth is still a shitty father, but I made it less..... cartoonishly horrible. Not better, just less awful. Seth is already a twisted guy, so he tried raising Adam the way he himself was raised, the only way he could think of: purely for their intelligence. Seth had gifted child syndrome, I’m calling it.

Seth tried making Gilles inheritor ghoul children specifically because they were hard to make. If he could get them correctly, he could make any kind of inheritor.

When he failed, he melted down their compositions since they were now useless. This is where Venom really comes from.

His first success was Meta, which opened the door for more inheritors.

Seth would have preferred Cain and Abel be born alive, as he swapped the God Seed for Seeds of Malice when they were first conceived. (Notice how Seth just always has it with him and is the first to brandish it, even in OSS: Crime?) Eve being a HER carrier would have increased Cain and Abel’s chances of being born with HERS.

They did indeed die because Eve had too much Venom. Not because of some really gross lazy ass-pull of a plot twist. That’d be crazy, right?

Eve was actually immune to Venom because as the Held inheritor test tube human Seth made, her own powers cancelled Venom’s powers out.

But even though the drug did not affect her mind, it was still in her bloodstream.

Normally, that’s not a problem, but Venom’s side effects in a pregnant person include deformities in the developing fetus(es) that can kill in utero (the same general reason Gilles Inheritors were so hard to make)

Eve still went mad after the stillbirth, which is not because of all the Venom in her bloodstream, the trauma activated the self-hypnosis (another Held inheritor power) she uses throughout the series. It’s a self defense tactic to protect her from the death of her children, by making her think they are alive and well.

That hypnosis will last a VERY long time, it’s in constant action like a flexing muscle, though its effects waver. I imagine it’d make her kind of despondent or tired since she’s just constantly using her inheritor powers without even realizing it.

Seth is definitely puppeting all these disasters but Cain and Abel’s deaths are on Adam’s hands.

Part 5

RAISA AND META ARE ACTUALLY FRIENDS, LIKE MOTHY ORIGINALLY SAID.

I mean honestly they’re like casual, informal girlfriends. It’s like they never actually asked the other out but when they spar for fighting practice they pin each other a lot. They just like being near each other. Looking at each other. They drink together a lot.

I made Meta not such a bitch about Raisa, too. Like, Jesus Christ, mothy. Meta is now worried for Raisa because she’s such a hellbeast in battle, not cause she hates her for [404 REASON NOT FOUND].

Meta didn’t really have any impression of Raisa when Pale suggested they recruit her, mainly agreeing because it beefed up their forces, coming to know her because they had since lived together with the rest of Apocalypse.

Meta finds Raisa’s scar (particularly around her mouth) distracting because they aren’t covered up behind a mask like they usually are.

Raisa literally climbs onto Meta’s bed and probably over Meta so they can be face to face.

Meta’s almost not even listening, cause Raisa’s hair is like a glowing white next to her red face. Meta, please stop thinking about how pretty your girlfriend is and listen.

Instead of completely pointless amnesia, Meta simply wishes to not dwell on her past. It’s more of a conscious effort to repress that time of her life than actual locked-away memories.

To nonamnesiac Meta, her life really only meant something once she was around 20.

HEY, INSTEAD OF CHILD META BEING ASSAULTED, LET ME PROPOSE: 

Much like Adam, Meta had nothing to do but wander around the country, though she more often broke into homes and stole than he did.

Her Gilles inheritor charms allowed her to weasel her way out of trouble, but she always thought people went easy on her because she was a homeless child.

Her powers/the genuine pity of onlookers sometimes allowed her to SCP-1076 her way into a home, but she always felt out of place and would usually end up running away again.

Meta was caught up in an attack by Apocalypse but as the action was winding down, Pale found her and recruited her, her murdering a hostage as a sort of initiation.

The Royal Capital Army’s armor can’t be breached by Raisa’s fire. This is important later on.

Meta is done zoning out so she hugs Raisa to make her stop shouting.

Some very subtle rewording that implies Meta wasn’t dressed before Raisa left the room. Not necessarily naked, but maybe in whatever nightclothes she had. I imagine just lingerie though.

Milky is dressed as she usually is, on top of the covers while Pale is under them.

Made Meta less so goddamn spiteful about Milky??

Basically Meta and Pale kind of joke with each other about their other partners, Raisa and Milky respectively. Apocalypse is a big ol’ polycule, minus Yegor. Cause he’s a creep.

Kept the cute stuff Meta thinks about Pale... who’d have thought their relationship would be the least garbage out of the original book?

Changed a little bit about Pale’s music box tinkering. He’s not making something, he’s taking it apart. Though he plans to put it back together to get better at making things.

Meta is still thinking about Raisa so she accidentally brings her up when they’re discussing the mole in the group.

Meta genuinely doesn’t think Raisa is the mole, and defends her when Pale asks if she’s implying something.

The woman Meta comes across is still? Eve? I have no goddamn idea why it can’t be her in the original so, you’re welcome mothy, I fixed it.

The fog and fighting has knocked out Adam, whom Eve is cradling. The fog is a byproduct of Venom so it doesn’t affect Meta nor Eve.

Eve is so stressed, so hypnosis is going into overdrive to the point she can’t even get her children’s names right. or she could just be so upset that she’s slurring her words. 

Raisa has somehow come into intel that says Yegor is the mole and is conspiring to capture Meta, so she abandoned her trip north to warn or help Meta.

Raisa is not immune to Venom, but the mask she uses to cover her scars is helping filter some of it out so she’s still lucid enough to yell to Meta.

The fog has overtaken most of the scene, Eve has escaped with Adam, and Capital Army forces are closing in on Meta.

Raisa tackles Meta to the ground in an effort to cover her and unleashes an explosion (that ends up knocking the both of them out) in an effort to keep them away.

Elluka is older on account of being Maria’s twin daughter. She’s still quite youthful anyways.

Removed the second period legacy room mumbo jumbo. It can just be a Third Period anti-magic room.

Yegor Asayev looks like V from V For Vendetta, because I said so.

Instead of dying like a punk and offscreen no less, Raisa was killed immediately after her stunt to protect Meta. Remember, her fire can’t penetrate the army’s armor. She was aware of this but it was all she could think to do, or to do at all.

Yegor doesn’t know how Raisa caught wind of his betrayal and wonders if he has a mole of his own. I don’t either. It’s for intrigue!!

Made Meta more... emotional. Cause she kind of seemed not to care too much. Like obviously she was angry and defeated but since in this version, someone she loved, Raisa, died protecting her, all in vain, she’s even more griefstricken.

Meta and Elluka are friends by the barest means. Meta tried scaring her to get what she wanted, but Meta ends up giving her advice. This is how it was in the original but I still want to highlight it.

Instead of a pendant, Seth’s plan and map is kept in a glass bottle on Meta’s person.

Seth remains a little shit in this scene because he’s honestly the best part of the original book.

Elluka still cries for Meta, because of their rapport. God, I just think it’s so sweet.

Kept the baby Pale thing. I mean in the original it was probably added to make the age gap between Elluka and Kiril less YIKES, but I wasn’t quite sure how to take it out. Even if Elluka is older in this continuity, I think Pale being de-aged doesn’t hurt.

Hansel and Gretel are preemies!

Clearly something is up with Gammon, so I added he’s being tying his hair differently and smiling more often.

Since it was traveling into Maria’s maze that marked this changed, I changed his hair tie from high to low to match Irina’s low braid to suggest Maria might be in there.

I think it’s weird if Gammon himself was just kind of removed from the story by another character in his body so I made it ambiguous as to whether he’s still in there or not.

Looking at the babies forces Meta to think about her own childhood.

Meta can’t drain the tanks without letting the babies fall, so she dives inside, disconnects them from their support tubes and breaks them from the inside.

Yes, I’m aware the strength needed to break the glass would have to be fucking IMMENSE since it can handle the pressure from containing a building’s worth of heavy fluid, but shut up, Meta is buff in this continuity. Besides, the glass probably isn’t made to withstand sharp, repeated points of stress from the inside as opposed to the designed entire surface area pressure. I’m sure someone who’s into physics is reading this and pulling their hair out and I’m sorry. Not sorry enough to fix it. sdfghj

I want the incident that allowed Adam to escape to be the same one Meta escaped in, but I have NO idea if I can make that work in the timeline. I sure which there was a goddamn calendar system for this, mothy.

I have no idea what the hell mothy is talking about with Levia’s blessing, but anyways I kept it vague about how the babies are immune to the Venom fog. The wording is more in line with what we hear during Lust Arc when IR is talking about Mikulia’s immunity to Sateriasis’ lust spell.

Part 6

Kept the fourth wall breaking with Eve. That shit’s too great.

Definitely made the pre-demonic Venom Sword Raisa’s sword that they confiscated.

Eve picks up her Held worshiping habits again. They technically never went away but it was hard to do deep in Levianta.

Part 7

Adam doesn’t recognize Meta. To be honest, I can’t tell if he DOES recognize her in the original or not. But for sure here, he doesn’t point her out as Meta.

Adam is kind of silently panicking, so he just says sorry for every movement of the shovel he makes to bury her.

The time placements are all over the place in this chapter, just ignore it.

Eve’s self-hypnosis is still in full effect when they escape deep into Elphegort.

I sort of added a whole scene? More like I took stuff from other scenes and added enough to make it its own scene.

Her hypnosis was in complete swing when she came in the door, but Adam and the reality of Meta’s death finally broke it. Her denial from now on is normal self-denial, not the result of an inheritor ability defense mechanism.

Even though Eve has, on some level, acknowledged her wrongdoing and the reality of things, she still finds comfort in the babies.

I know earlier I made Adam less willing to commit homicide but I find his even just contemplating infanticide darkly humorous. Like, what the fuck, Adam? Of course he doesn’t follow through on it, though.

Kept Gretel being weirdly conscious of everything while Hansel is just a normal baby. I love the idea of Gretel being a creepy horror movie baby who knows more than she should and Hansel is just here vibing.

Remember that Adam thinks she’s done all this because he drugged her with Venom. He is indeed responsible for killing her unborn children with Venom, but he isn’t aware Venom hasn’t affected her mentally.

So Eve’s Original Sin is killing Meta and taking her babies, and Adam’s Original Sin is “ruining Eve” and thus killing her children.

Part 8

Added how Seth technically had Maria’s permission to do what he did, but he still took advantage of that, so even revealing that wouldn’t make him look good. It’s not officially reported cause it could lend him some credence.

Kept his edgy little manifesto because it makes me laugh.

Didn’t take out the Pale/Kiril thing because honestly that was an adequate turn of events.

Glossary

Levianta was founded by a cabal of mages who discovered Second Period artifacts. Magic is powerful, but requires time and preparation to use—however, the old technology streamlined the usage of magic, making it easier and more useful for technological advance. The woman who would become the first queen was named Alice Merry-Go-Round, and she is the one who realized this.

She hired people to dig up the technology in the temple, but was faced with resistance from the local populace, who revered Levia-Behemo using that temple. Alice put a wall around it in response, and this became the “first wall”. More walls were built and eventually this became a fortress.

Her followers named it Alicegrad, and Alice herself founded Levianta with herself as the queen. Still, they faced resistance from the natives. To appease them, Alice declared Levia-Behemo as the country’s god, and made a council of 12 people. Six of them were mages who served under her, and six were comprised of the local natives. Levianta grew prosperous. 

When the first queen died, her daughter inherited her position and took on the name of Alice Merry-Go-Round herself. Since then, every queen has taken that name. The one who appears in the story is the seventh one.

Alices 1 through 4 are based on Alice of Human Sacrifice, broken by the Fifth one.

Loop Octopus and Vaju are of the 6 mage families in the senate. Asayev and Li are of the 6 native local families. The families are supposed to be equal, but there are great gaps between them. Example being Loop Octopus has taken much of Vaju’s wealth, and there are two Loop Octopuses on the senate now (Gammon and his younger brother, Nazar, the family’s heir).

Lighwatch is a place where they raise queen candidates, but also has things like jail cells and execution devices like Torcia Tower. Lighwatch collects girls with Levia inheritor powers. They are able to remove “malice” from people’s hearts, and also hear the “voice of god”. Yegor is able to tell them by sight, as he is an inheritor of Behemo, who can see another person’s inheritor powers. Zellana and Elluka are orphans.

There were different varieties of Ghoul Children when it came to the artificial personalities they had. “Clean” refers to those that have no memories, “Preset” refers to those that have pre-made false memories, and “Copy” refers to those that have identical memories to Seth.

Catherine was a marine scientist, and married to Gilles. They rode along in the Climb One. They had a son, but he was sickly and did not ride on the same ship as them.

For this reason she grew jealous towards female psychologist Rahab, whose two children were able to board the ship with her. When she realized that Rahab was having an affair with Gilles, her jealousy turned to rage. She conspired with Lich to kill Rahab, but in the end was killed by Lich, who she realized too late was really “malice” wearing his form.

So then, I guess I’m gonna have to fix Original Sin Story: Punishment, whether I want to or not. Can’t wait to see what fuckery awaits us in it.

[emperorren]

is it ok if i ask you to discuss more why romance is the way to make a kylo rey dynamic compelling if they aren’t family and the light / dark stuff ? if you dont want to im sorry for this please ignore .

What you have in Reylo is the trilogy’s crucial hero/villain dynamic where the two characters involved develop much more complex and intense feelings for each other than simple hatred—the hero wants to save the villain, the villain wants the hero at his side, and is devastated when (s)he refuses to follow him. By identifying with the hero’s perspective, the audience becomes invested in the dynamic with the villain, and wants him redeemed just as bad as the hero does. Can you have a Star War without these elements? I don’t think so. Now, imagine you’re a writer, you have Rey and Kylo Ren and you gotta make their dynamic compelling in the way I described above. You have to ask yourself: what motivates these characters? Why do they end up caring for each other? Why does the hero want to save the villain? Why does the villain feel affection for the hero?

The Star Wars movies have 3 basic templates to answer those questions: a) familial love (Luke/Anakin); b) friendship (Obi Wan/Anakin); c) romantic love (Padme/Anakin).

We can immediately rule out familial love, as TLJ revealed with no ambiguity that Rey and Kylo are not related. So no bro/sis separated in infancy feels, no Cain and Abel narrative, no “I can’t kill him because he’s my brother (/cousin)”, no “finding happiness in family again through long lost relative I didn’t even know I had”. Not that these narratives were bad, on the contrary—it’s just not happening in this story.

We can also rule out friendship, because friendship in Star Wars requires a solid relationship built on shared ideals, common goals and working side by side. You have essentially two types of friendship in the SW movies:

camaraderie/brotp, seen mostly between age-peer(ish) characters (typically male, like Han/Luke, Han/Lando, Obi Wan/Anakin, F*nn/Poe, though F*nnrey and Leia/Holdo also qualify)who have Gone Through Some Shit Together: the characters are comfortable around each other, know each other fairly well, joke a lot, there might be some tension occasionally but it’s generally resolved within the same movie; it can be a long time friendship or an insta-friendship that blossoms while being in the same adventure together;

mentorship (Obi Wan/Qui Gon Jinn, Obi Wan/Anakin, Obi Wan/Luke, etc.): seen mostly between male characters with sizeable age gaps, who have been each other’s mentor/student for a certain period;

and neither fits the Reylo dynamic as we’ve seen it so far. (sure, there’s “friendship” involved—”You’re not alone” “Neither are you”, and there’s “mentorship” involved—“I can show you the ways of the Force”, and he did, via the Force Bond), but both are are tinged with too much tension, too much electricity, too much unspoken-ness to neatly fit the boxes above—this relationship is simultaneously less and more than friendship as Star Wars does it.

So it has to be romantic love. Remember: you’re going for a STRONG dynamic, so half measures and weak sauces aren’t going to work. There have to be lots of drama and tears involved, especially now that the legacy characters are dead or virtually dead: Rey’s the only living character who is in pain because of Ben’s fall. That pain SERVES the narrative—is actually crucial to the narrative—and has to be MOTIVATED, believable, on Rey’s part. Why would she care so much for Kylo Ben, if Kylo Ben isn’t: 

a) her blood

b) her friend?

Because she’s in love with him, that’s why. Love is one of the strongest pulls a human being can feel towards another, and it doesn’t require a lot of explanation narrative wise, because sometimes love just… happens. Irrationally. Against all hope or better judgment. Romantic love is both strong and chaotic enough to explain why Rey would become attached to her sworn enemy. Thus it’s the simplest and most effective narrative path to follow for these two characters.

(there could have been another way, which I call the Frodo Effect—Rey becoming invested in Kylo’s redemption because she sees in him what she could become at any moment if she gives in to the dark side. She feels compassion for him because she knows they’re not that different, they both have this raw strength, this violent energy that’s so easy to lose yourself in, and deep down she knows she was tempted, and could have gone down Kylo’s path if circumstances had been different. But the trilogy so far doesn’t seem too preoccupied with Rey’s dark side, and neither does Rey: she has some darkness in her and she’s aware of it, but she’s not particularly angsty about it, or worried that it might consume her—certainly not enough for it to be her only motivation to save Ben.)

As for the light vs dark, think of the Jedi and the Sith as archetypal opposites, like two plates of a scale. Star Wars has always drawn inspiration from eastern philosophy, and the light side vs dark side thing is pretty much a space version of the yin/yang dichotomy. Yet the original trilogy failed to address an important part of this archetypal dichotomy, which is that neither side can exist without the other, and each side contains a seed of the other—there’s always a little feminine in every masculine, always a little shadow in every light, and light itself cannot be defined or conceptualized if not against its opposite. The original trilogy dismissed all this subtext with an oversimplified, westernized concept of the “balance” as “light triumph over darkness”… but if you think about it, if you have a pair of forces pulling in opposite directions, the balance CANNOT be one force destroying the other—that’s the opposite of what balance is. And the prequel trilogy HAD the opportunity to deconstruct this oversimplification—it ALMOST did, by showing how Anakin was pushed to the dark side by the Jedi’s fundamentalism and attempts to destroy everything the dark side represents, even on an individual level, by censoring passions, emotionality, anger in their adepts—but eventually failed to properly introduce a new concept of balance as well. It was a set up for something that never happened… until 2015, when the sequel trilogy started. 

I’m fairly sure that by having a boy and a girl at the extreme sides of this polarization, they mean to have them meet in the middle and make sweet sweet love. Romantic/sexual attraction and hopelessly falling in love as a metaphor of the inexorable pull of the light towards the dark side and vice versa, to achieve a balance of opposites that’s the only way to -ahem- creation.

[astroalive]

Abell: Asteroid 3449

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Genesis 4:4

General

Key Concepts

Where and how we sacrifice in a religious or spiritual sense.

Where and how we possess ability or success without loss of humility.

Where and how we are recognized.

Where and how our ability, recognition, or success may incite jealousy.

Where and how we may rub others the wrong way.

Extreme and intense religious beliefs.

Religious or spiritual conflict.

Familial conflict.

This post contains an examination of Abell’s discovery chart, the Biblical background, etymology, and a conclusion on the astrological influence exhibited by this asteroid.

Overview

Abell is a main belt asteroid, orbiting at about 3.1 AU from the sun. It was discovered November 7th, 1978.

Discovery Chart

In the discovery chart, we find a very tight conjunction between the Sun and Venus, placing Venus in the space of combustion. Here we see the first signs of Ego and Love’s conflict. Venus is also in the sign of its detriment, Scorpio. We can see love being inhibited or altered negatively by pride and jealousy, which truly sets the tone for this asteroid overall. “Taking things personally” is a general descriptor that can be applied to both the aspect and the placement, especially when combined.

We see further conflict between the Ego, or Conscious mind, and the Unconscious mind with Sun square Moon. The placement of the Moon in Aquarius can indicate that there is sympathy here, but that sympathy conflicts with the ego and drives. The square formed between the Moon and Venus and the Sun can drag all of these issues of power and struggle into the home, as we see in the case of Cain and Abel.

In Leo, Jupiter provides a remarkable deal of self-confidence, generosity, and optimism. There is a desire for influence, respect, and importance that often comes with this placement. This can certainly be met with very extreme reactions from others, positive or negative. To some, this confidence is magnetic, and to others it is repulsive. This is because this confidence may very well slip into egotism.

Sun square Jupiter is characterized by a unique case of lack of forethought in areas relating to excess and giving. There is a hint of negative extravagance that can be seen here, especially considering Leo’s influence.

Saturn’s placement in Virgo indicates a drive to work hard, but to a point that it is off-putting to others; it’s a very strict, if not harsh, placement.

The sextile between the Sun and Saturn may discount the idea of lack of forethought, and it adds a sign of loyalty. This loyalty is strengthened by Saturn sextile Uranus.

When in opposition to the Sun, Chiron can have the interesting effect of driving one to need recognition, but also avoiding it, on some level. Oppositions of the Sun specifically can indicate where ego can create feelings of contempt in others. When Chiron is involved, it can add into the mix issues of confidence and respect. This is only drawn out by Taurus, in which Chiron indicates issues of self-worth and self-love. There may be a tendency to overcompensate as a result, which only serves to rub others the wrong way. There is a constant struggle between taking the spotlight and giving it up to others.

Again, we see the Moon bringing in familial issues with Jupiter. We can specifically see how religion comes into play, conflicting with the family in some sense.

Moon square Uranus can indicate difficulties in getting along with others in general, or simple impatience.

In Sagittarius, Neptune expresses intense and positive faith in religion and spirituality. Neptune’s sextile with the Moon brings in a strong connection to the family, despite the other indicators. We can also see that there is compassion here, despite the indicators of coming off negatively to others. This throws in a passivity, which may, at times, translate as humbleness.

We could translate the trine between the Moon and Pluto, quite stiffly, as a connection between family and death. This is where a sense of respect can be drawn upon. Confidence, courage, and power are all often expressed through this aspect, and often draw intense responses from others, for better or for worse.

Mercury conjunct Mars again throws in more characteristics associated with creating intense responses, such as brutal honesty, aggressive communication, and overall directness, all of which are strengthened by Sagittarius’s influence. In Sagittarius, Mars can indicate an unyielding drive to convince others to share the same beliefs as oneself. In general, the beliefs are dogmatic and severe in nature, as well. Mercury’s placement here, too, can be associated with being driven to obtain knowledge for the sake of authority, and then use that authority to spread one’s “truth” to others, which, yet again, can simply rub others the wrong way, particularly when we consider the influence of Mars.

Generosity can be seen through Mercury trine Jupiter. Confidence and positivity characterize this aspect. To counteract this, Mercury square Saturn can be somewhat hindering to honesty and the like.

There are multiple aspects which may indicated indulgence in some sense, including Venus square Jupiter.

Venus sextile Saturn also indicates serious loyalty to the family and loved ones, along with intense generosity and, in a sense, congeniality. This chart is full of contradictions between “dislike” and “like.”

Venus conjunct Uranus may indicate a tendency towards individualism. This brings out the already indicated sense of service and devotion to others, despite the individualism. Again, we find contradicting droves.

Venus opposed Chiron may indicate a fear of not being enough and attempts to counteract this. This is extremely stressed by Saturn square Neptune. Inferiority complexes can very much be seen in both aspects here.

Mars trine Jupiter connects violence and anger with religion, in some sense. One can translate this as religion in action, as well; Abell’s sacrifice specifically is an example of religion in action. Again, this is an aspect which can relate to confidence and admiration, as well.

Another aspect which can relate to coming off negatively or rubbing people wrong is Mars square Saturn. This is generally associated with a sour disposition. Ironically, it is an aspect associated with danger in business or duty, and if we see Abell’s relation to God as a duty we can then continue the connection to the violence experienced due to his worship.

Jupiter square Uranus can indicate odd or extreme religious beliefs, and extreme idealism.

Religion and spirituality, again, are present in Jupiter trine Neptune. This aspect is associated with “losing” oneself in their religion, for better or for worse.

The placements of the North Node in Virgo and the South Node in Pisces speak to martyrdom, selflessness, sacrifice, compassion, and manipulation. We can apply these interpretations to the story of Abell quite easily.

Etymology

Abell comes from Hebrew, Hevel (הבל). Hevel, as a noun, means steam, vapor, breath, or foolishness. As an adverb, it means “for nothing.” Many scholars, however, believe Abell to stem from another source, and thus not be connected to this concept of breath at all.

Another interpretation is that Abell comes from Arabic, and means “herdsman,” as that is Abell’s occupation.

The Story of Cain and Abell

Abell comes from the Book of Genesis, where he is described as the second son of Adam and Eve, while Cain was their firstborn.

Abel was a shepherd while his brother was a farmer, so when it came time to make a sacrifice to God, Abel gave “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” and Cain gave “some of the fruits of the soil.” Abel’s offering was favored while Cain’s was not.

When God saw how angry Cain was, he said, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain did not, however, “rule over it.” Instead, he took his brother to the fields and killed him.

The interpretation is that Cain did not provide the best he could, while Abell made a point of giving God his most valuable meat.

Abell is seen as the first martyr. For this reason, there are times when the death of Jesus is compared to that of Abell, but their deaths meant very different things.

“… and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24

According to the Book of Enoch, Abell is the chief of martyrs, and someone who seeks justice for the wrongs committed against him.

"That is the spirit that proceeded from Abell, whom his brother Cain slew; and it laments on his account till his seed be destroyed from the face of the earth and his seed disappear from among the seed of men." Book of Enoch 22:7

The Book of Enoch also adds onto the original depiction of Cain and Abell, suggesting that Cain acted out because Satan suggested to him that Abell was loved more by their parents, and that they were going to marry Abell to the more beautiful sister. We see, in this depiction, that jealousy between them is compounded.

Astrological Influence

Abell reveals where and how an individual may inspire jealousy and contempt from others, even when the individual has the best intentions. This may simply be a place in life where we excel and thus draw envy, but it can reveal how we rub others the wrong way in general. This is, again, an unintentional effect, but it is there nonetheless. Abell also shows us that this may be both unintentional and unconscious.

You may find it helpful to investigate this asteroid because awareness of where and how we make others feel envious or simply uncomfortable is the first step in altering the behavior. The pride, or wounds to the pride or healthy sense of self-worth, can get in the way of love. Love, in this sense, can apply to a multitude of expressions, including self-love and love in a more religious or spiritual sense.

Abell’s placements also can reveal where we may struggle with our egos, lack of self-awareness, and self-worth. It reveals a point where we struggle between feelings of intense confidence and an equally intense lack thereof. This is where we need recognition but also feel the need to avoid it, as if torn between two extremes. The overcompensation seen here, too, can come off negatively to others.

There are obviously very intense religious and spiritual influences at work here. Sacrifice and martyrdom, particularly in this context, are stressed by this asteroid. How we make sacrifices and how we are martyred, not necessarily with our own consent or intent, is revealed by Abell’s placement. This sacrifice is, ironically, not necessarily entirely selfless. As the discovery chart shows, there’s a huge drive to do these things for approval, authority, and general influence.

The religious and spiritual beliefs may create tension with others, as well. This placement can reveal where and how others attempt to get others to share their beliefs, spiritual and otherwise. This placement can also reveal where and how we may express somewhat extreme beliefs in general, at least in relation to religious and spiritual beliefs.

A post detailing the influence of Abel in the Signs, Houses, and in aspects is coming soon.

How to find asteroids in your natal chart // Other asteroids // Asteroid directory

[oosteven-universe]

Justice League Dark Annual 2021

Justice League Dark Annual 2021 DC Comics 2021 Story by Ram V & Dan Watters Written by Dan Watters Illustrated by Christopher Mitten Coloured by Romulo Fajardo Jr. Lettered by Rob Leigh    After barely making it out of Atlantis alive, the Justice League Dark regroups and prepares themselves for the ultimate battle for magic against the finest sorcerer to ever live…MERLIN. It’ll take the minds and memories of WONDER WOMAN, RANDHIR SINGH, and an unexpected visitor to unlock the mystery behind the villain’s sudden appearance and what he’s after. Only with that vital information does our team of magical misfits stand a chance at saving the world from a threat the likes of which the Justice League could never survive! You won’t want to miss this oversized tale that’ll affect the future of magic in the DCU for years to come!    I hope this means that the Justice League Dark will be making a return to monthly ongoing series status.  One can dream and hope I suppose.  If you haven’t been following their adventures as a back-up feature in Justice League don’t worry because this does an amazing job in explaining what’s going on and what the team is in the midst of.  Oh and with its cover it is no secret that this is the return of Mister E!  A character I’ve liked for a very long time and it’s great to see him make his return, now if Cain and Abel would just come back….    I am loving the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in spotlighting their various personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story we are easily enrapt with what we see.    I am pretty impressed with the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen with the more we learn.  I also like how the layers open up new avenues to be explored and Mister E’s bargain well that’s one for down the road that will need special attention.  All this adds some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.    I love the interiors here!  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work we see is extraordinary.  I’m a huge fan of what seems like delicate linework that is actually quite strong and expressive and that’s what Christopher does here.  The backgrounds along with how we see the composition of the panels used to enhance and expand the moments while also bringing out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story are marvellously rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a great understanding of how colour works.  The creativity and imagination throughout is utterly brilliant work. ​    This was impeccably written with some sensational characterisation, sigh Mister E, alongside these brilliant interiors all conspiring to remind us that this team and its dynamic need to be read.  The conversations, the trips through reality, what Dr. Fate and Wonder Woman experience and how this is brought to life and E’s story are just so gosh darn fascinating that it is hard to escape how much you want to see more, right now kind of more. 

[potorgaret--inactive]

Day 2 / Jan 2

Day 1 ; Day 3 ; Introduction

Gen. 4-7

Chapter 4 opens with Adam and Eve fucking and giving birth to two kids: Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, but Abel was a shepherd, and when it came time to sacrifice to God, God liked Abel's better and then Cain got really jealous and he unintentionally killed his brother. God finds out about this and curses Cain to wander in the land as a vagabond, but also makes sure that no one can kill Cain.

Cain goes to live in Nod with his wife and gave birth to a son, Enoch (different one). Several unimportant generations later we come to Lamech (another different one). Lamech took two wives, Adah and Zillah, and has several unimportant kids. Eventually, I think he murders somebody and says he's gonna be avenged 77 times over. Very confusing.

Chapter 4 closes with Adam and Eve fucking again and giving birth to Seth, who then has a son, Enosh.

Chapter 5 is an unnecessarylily long family tree, which ends in Noah and his 3 sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth. Chapter 5 also mentions that Enoch lived to be 365 years old before God "took him up". Noah's sons are also thought to be patriarchs to entire continents, that is, Japeth with Eurasia, Ham with Africa and Shem, where we get the term Semite, with the Middle East. This is fleshed out later.

Now we get to the weirdness: Chapter 6. Chapter 6 opens the Sons of God impregnating human women en masse, with the children being the Nephilhim[1]. This is interrupted with the verse

"Yahweh said, 'My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years." Gen 6:3 (WEB).

Why the redactors thought to put it there beats me. Gen. 6 further continues the weirdness with doublets, that is the same story being told right after one another. You can see all of the doublets in the Torah here.

After these Nephilim were supposedly on Earth, God saw that Humanity was wicked and decided to Flood the Earth. But thankfully, God saw one pure man, Noah, and so gave him the single most complex logistics problem in all of history. That being, make an ark to specific dimensions, then get 14 of every clean animal and 2 of every unclean animal and bring them on the ark. God then almost copies with Noah what he did with Adam, he makes a Covenant that the descendants of Noah would rule over the Earth. After a week's time, the rains start coming for 40 days and 40 nights, which seems to be a commonly reoccuring phrase for some reason. The text tells us that the flood began in the 600th year of Noah's life, specifically the second month and the 17th day. This would put it at about 'Iyyar 17 of AM 1656 or Early May of 2105 BC. After the forty days of rain, the floodwaters stayed put for 5 months. They also only rose 15 cubits, which is only 22' 6". Yet it still somehow covered mountains?????????????????????????

That's where Chapter 7 ends and so that is where we shall end for today.

In these chapters too, the Documentary Hypothesis shows its influence. While Chapters 4 and 5 use יהוה and Elohim exclusively, except for one verse in Chapter 5, Chapter 6 switches constantly. Verses 1-2 use Elohim, but then the verse I mentioned earlier switches to Yahweh, then to Elohim and then it stays with Yahweh for a while for the first version of the "Wickedness of Man" story, but then goes to Elohim for the rest of the chapter. Chapter 7 also shows this pattern with the names used always switching. As you might expect, this lines up perfectly with each version of the story, as seen in the doublets.

What's curious is that the Flood Myth isn't only in the Bible, or even the Near East. In fact, it appears in nearly every mythology/religion ever. As far Mesoamerica, the Mediterranean, India and China. In almost every telling, a massive flood is going to wipe out all life on Earth, but a deity choses one special person to save the good stuff. The chosen one then has to usually build a boat to survive the Flood, and once the Flood is done, repopulate the entire world. For example, in India, there's gonna be a flood so the god Vishnu tells the first man Manu to build a boat and gather all the animals and priests. Once the flood comes, Vishnu changes into a fish and guides the boat to dry land where Manu builds a new society.

The widespread prevalence of this myth raises more than a few questions. Was there ever a flood? Why are the tellings similar? Why was it worldwide? Where did this originate? How long ago did the story start? You see, there's one very clear answer to all of these, Nobody. Fucking. Knows.

Quick sidenote: In 8th grade we had to do a simple 'analysis', I think, of a non-fiction article. I just happened to choose something about the Flood and I made up my own batshit theory to explain it, and you can read that here.

Sources

Videos

1: Trey the Explainer: Nephilim

Wikipedia

Flood Myth

List of Flood Myths

Articles

'Noah': Flood Myths Are Far Older than the Bible

NOVA | The Bible's Buried Secrets | Evidence of Many Authors

NOVA | The Bible's Buried Secrets | Homepage

Part 2 of NonStampcollector's Video

"Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand, and his holy arm, have worked salvation for him. Yahweh has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations."

Psalms 98:1-2 WEB

[shorilicious]

t/n: actually I promised to translate this without knowing how long it would be orz. but here it is. will edit tomorrow bc too lazy now. share some yama/shori luv.♡

Yamada Ryosuke x Sato Shori interview

Q. Yamada is teaching Shori the secrets of tear-jerking acting!

Yamada: Since I didn’t have a chance to talk about being center with people from other groups who are center, I was looking forward to today. Shori: Even when I met you on a popular song programme, Yamada-kun told me “I am looking forward to this meeting” and I was happy. However, when I entered Johnny’s, Yamada-kun had already have this presence of carrying his group on as a center, so that’s why even being here with you together today makes me kinda nervous... Yamada: It’s been 7 years since Shori entered Johnny’s now, right? For me it’s been 14 years, so if there’s such a difference, I think it’s normal to be nervous. The Shori that I see, I feel like you have a really genuine image. Shori: ...yes! (smiling) Yamada: My juniors who admire me, they often don’t really see me as a senior. (Kikuchi) Fuma and (Kotaki) Nozomu ask me things like “How are you recently–?” and it feels more like we’re friends. Shori: Hahahahaha! Yamada: It’s not that I hate that, but in that sense I feel like Shori really sees me as his senior. Shori: Because I’ve been watching the drama “Detective School Q” with Yamada-kun before I entered Johnny’s! I watch Yamada-kun’s work even now but I especially thought that you’re amazing at crying scenes. A longer time ago, while I was watching “Perfect Son” with Fuma-kun in a hotel room during our tour, we were like “He can cry here!?”, and “He’s so amazing after all!”. Yamada: There is even a scene where I thought to myself “I have to cry here?” (laughing). In “Cain to Abel” there is a scene where I start crying while eating pizza, so I was thinking “I’m crying while eating pizza!?” on the inside. Of course I understand now that there are many situations where you have to cry! Shori: The final edit doesn’t show all the emotions, it cuts only to that one scene. Yamada: Right. That’s why even if you’re suddenly told to eat pizza and cry... you have to do it right? Shori: When acting out crying scenes, is there something specific that you’re trying to think about? Yamada: I try to let out all my emotions in one go. On the contrary, during rehearsals, I close my eyes and think about the scenery that I cannot see and try using all my power. Shori: In my movie “HaruChika” I almost cried for the first time in a scene too. I decided “In this take I will cry!” and even though I was able to tear up as a result, I was gambling on my own. Yamada: Right now I’m filming “Miracles of the Namiya General Store” in a studio where I’ve seen a “HaruChika” flyer and every time I see it I think “I also want to do work like that”. It’s romance, right? Shori: There are a few romantic elements to it, but I feel like it’s a refreshing film about youth. Yamada: That’s nice~ In my case, somehow I always end up getting roles about solving mysteries and killing people (laughing).

Q. Understanding the seniors’ greatness by experiencing them being chairman in a play

Shori: My audition song was “Arigato~sekai no doko ni ite mo~”. After learning the choreography, I was rehearsing with Hey!Say!JUMP together to dance in the back on a popular music programme, that’s when I’ve seen Yamada-kun for the first time. Yamada: Ehh– But we started working together properly in 2012 in “Johnny’s World”. Shori: That’s right. Because while performing “Arigato–“ I was just called over to perform as a trainee, I couldn’t think of interacting with any of my seniors. That’s why during “Johnny’s World” I was able to hang out in Arioka (Daiki)-kun’s dressing room... There have been days when Yamada-kun was in the same dressing room, so at that time we exchanged phone numbers. Yamada: I remember it well. Shori: I was so happy because of that! However, when Arioka-kun asked me to exchange phone numbers before that, it felt completely normal. Yamada: Hahahahaha! I know how Dai-chan handles things pretty well (laughing). At that time I was 19 years old and I had to work as Hey!Say!JUMP’s chairman, so because I had many things that I had to do, to be honest I don’t remember having talked to anyone about it. Shori: At that time you were only 19 years old...! Being the chairman, you’re going on stage without any respite and also you have a huge responsibility for the people who are performing on stage. I’m no match for Yamada-kun but experiencing the difficulties of being a chairman and understanding it a little bit more, I think it’s amazing having done that at the age of 19. In addition I think that the first performance of “Johnny’s World” in 2012 was really difficult too. Yamada: But looking at “Johnny’s 2020 World” in the following year, I think it became more powerful. However, there were some parts that didn’t change, like the opening performance, so it felt nostalgic, but I earnestly said “I am now in a position to hand over the baton to my juniors”. Shori: Well, so I’ll also be able to do that soon... Yamada: That’s so early (laughing)!

Q. “I think being he center is like being the group’s special force”-Yamada

Shori: Yamada-kun, what’s important about being the center of Hey!Say!JUMP? Yamada: As a center, when something happens to the group, it’s the most important thing to be able to lend a helping hand as the group’s special force. Also if necessary, you have to speak up and also be able to take action. “I’m fully responsible for where the group is heading”, I was thinking if I’m capable of doing that. Shori: I think the center is the image of the whole group. When the center breaks, the group breaks too. So I think it’s important to have a strong faith. Yamada: By doing that, I think that it’s necessary to be stubborn in that sense. Is it hard being Sexy Zone’s center? You have to handle Fuma and (Nakajima) Kento after all (laughing). Shori: That’s... right (laughing). Yamada: Recently I’ve often been watching “Sexy Zone Channel” and seeing images of the old days, Fuma and Kento are really doing whatever pleases them! “What are you guys doing even before it’s starting?”, I thought that as they were joking around foolishly. Shori: I just took in all their jokes one by one. Yamada: Matsushima (Sou)-kun is a natural airhead, Shori is a upfront guy and Marius (Yo) is impossible! “That’s admirable, it must be hard to handle all of this”, I thought that while watching it (laughing). Shori: Thank you (laughing). But because I didn’t have a career, I could hardly feel the pressure as a center. If I had a career, I would have to take care of things like “I have to make Sexy Zone known more widely”, but in my case I had a strong feeling of having to increase things that I can do first. Therefore I wonder if the weight of my career has changed. Yamada: At the time of debut most of my members were seniors to me too, so originally (Nakajima) Yuto was put as center and I didn’t have the feeling of wanting to stand on stage as a center at all. So when I was moved to be center in our second PV shooting “Dreams come true”, I didn’t know what has happened. I thought that it was only going to be that one time but when I was center or the next single too I was like “what?”. During those days, Yuto and me of course, everyone had complex feelings. Shori: From when on did your awareness of being center change? Yamada: It clearly changed since I experienced “Johnny’s World”. I guess it was during a moment when I decided “Let’s go eat as Hey!Say!JUMP!”. Shori: I see. In my case I think that was during the time when Kento-kun, Fuma-kun and me had our 3-people activities. When I’m asked what I would like to do as a center from now on, I say “I definitely want to stand on stage as five people”. Yamada: I’m sure that at the same time the four others thought “We have Shori as our center so it’s going to be okay”. Rather than just standing at the center of the group, the awareness of you standing up for them is bigger. That’s why I also think that I definitely can’t lose the members’ trust.

Q. “I want to become the center of a top group”-Shori

Shori: Of course I’m the center but when my position becomes complicated, isn’t that frustrating? Yamada: I get that! On stage I feel like “I’m on number zero (number representing the center position)!” while with a complex formation... For example, thinking should I move to number five or not? As I move from the center to reach to both sides, I count one, two... as the number increases, number five is almost at the edge. Since usually I don’t go there, I seriously worry! Shori: After all it’s like that! Yamada: Especially recently JUMP have many formation changes, so I finally got used to it (laughing). Shori: In Sexy Zone, except me the four others move quite swiftly. Everyone has been doing it for the past five years so they remember their position quickly, only I am kinda slow. For example, when Marius couldn’t appear at the countdown concert and the four of us had a performance, the moment that I’m not in the number zero position anymore, I’m like “Where’s 1,5...?” (laughing). Yamada: That reminds me, who in Sexy Zone does the greeting in a concert? Shori: Normally I do it. Yamada: Is there something you do during encore? Shori: I will do something exciting. Like throwing a kiss. Yamada: I see. Yabu (Kota)-chan was responsible for the encore and closing it down but afterwards if there is a double encore, I will be the one ending it. If there is a triple encore, Yabu-chan and me make eye contact on stage and decide who is going to close it down, but every time I get to it I think “I’m already out of words!?” (laughing). So during last year’s “DEAR.” tour I found out that saying “Well, today, ** please close it down!” suddenly, it will shake somebody up. Shori: I feel like I’m getting better at closing down a concert. “Thank you for your time today!”, I will say something like that with excitement and then it’ll be settled (laughing). Yamada: As I get to the end of a sentence, I just gradually increase my voice (laughing). Shori, from now on what type of center would you like to be? Shori: First, Sexy Zone has a small number of people, so I want all the members to aim for top class. Like Arashi-san, I think that we have to establish being an individual group. So, even if I surround myself with members like that, I want to become a person who appears to be center. Yamada: I think Arashi are really a perfect group. I was often talking about that with Ninomiya (Kazunari)-kun and he said that everyone in Arashi respects everyone from the bottom of their hearts. It seems doable but also quite impossible. Well, if I were the center of Sexy Zone, I would suddenly get angry at Fuma and Kento. I would say “You guys, talk more!” (laughing). Shori: Their relationship is very good right now, so everything is alright (laughing). Yamada: I see. There was a time when me and Yuto didn’t speak to each other at all as well. However, when I turned 20 years old, we had opportunities to talk, like “I hate you” and “I hate you too” while competing with each other. Since then we reconciled and now we became good friends who can lead deep conversations about work, I thought it would be good if we turn out like that. Both Fuma and Kento adore me, so they consult me about various things. Shori: Thank you for consulting the members. Yamada: Isn’t Kento’s true character like a prince? Are you accustomed to him being like that every day? Shori: You get used to it (laughing). Yamada: When I meet him once in a while I think “Wow, awesome!”. That’s why even if I became the center of Sexy Zone, I would leave all the signature phrases to Kento! Shori: So, Yamada-kun wouldn’t do Sexy Zone’s “Sexy Rose”? Yamada: Yeah. In that case I would let Kento stand in the center, like “come on now!”. While watching it from the side, I want to make a “kyaa!” noise with the fans (laughing). However, it would be bad to actually see my pulse before saying a signature phrase. Even now I feel really excited before saying “I love you” in Hitomi no screen. Because I think it will make the fans happy, I will do my best. Shori: I understand why they get excited over “I love you”, they will think like “He said I love you, kyaa!!”. But I still don’t understand why anyone would go “kyaa!” over “Sexy Rose”. Since I only say “セクシーバラ“ in English... Yamada: But if it’s said by a handsome guy, of course the fans will be extremely happy. The guests will come to the concert because they want to feel like a princess, so we also have to stand on stage like we are a prince. Shori: Oh... that’s right! Today I was able to hear many stories and learn a lot from them. Because I’m 20 years old and can drink alcohol now, I definitely want to go out for dinner the next time! Yamada: When we have the chance, I want to call Shori to go with Tomo (Yamashita Tomohisa) and me in private and continue our conversation from today! Shori: Another thing, when I co-act with Yamada-kun in the future, I also dream about being able to play a shady role... Yamada: So, since I would play a refreshing role, how about we have a setting where the two of us compete for the same woman? Shori: Yes! Someday definitely, I would love to act together with Yamada-kun!!

Keep in mind I am not a native speaker therefore there might be mistakes in my translations. Also I’m not exactly translating word for word. Feel free to correct me in my ask box any time you want, I’d appreciate it! I apologize if someone already translated something before me and I didn’t notice, I hope you don’t mind.

Credit goes to yoshiko_mama @ LJ for the scans, thank you!

[roxy-davenport]

Days of How and Why

 Pairing: Dean x Reader, previously Cain x Reader

 Word Count: 1,877

My beta: @raspberrymama. Thanks you so much for being my beta and for brainstorming with me. I was sooo stuck on where to go with this. You’re a lifesaver.

A/N: ANGST, depression, grief. I blame it all on the album I choose. This was written for @mrs-squirrel-chester’s Album Challenge with the song, Days of How and Why, which is the fifth song on the album, “Ash & Ice” by the Kills. The flashbacks are in italics and the lyrics are bolded.

Also on A03

 “Could this list be any longer Sam? Organic apples, really?”

 “Apples nowadays have quite a lot of pesticides, Dean. It’s the smart move.”

 You tried not to laugh at the bitchface Dean was giving Sam. Shrugging your shoulders, you took the list and headed to the garage. Dean started the impala and in twenty minutes you would be in front of the biggest grocery store for thirty miles.

 Dean was about to rock out to AC/DC but you placed your hand over his so he couldn’t press the button.  

 “I know how you feel about the healthy food Sammy, and I dig it, so how about you buy all the fattening but divinely delicious products.”

 “Deal.” He looked over at you and kissed your forehead and then boom, blaring music. Man, was Dean predictable.

 The second you got to the grocery store, you split up. You didn’t particularly want to hear Dean bellyaching the entire time about the price of apples.

 If anyone asked you you’d say you had had depression but you were okay now. You dealt with the complexities of your lover dying. You weren’t guilty or in denial about your lingering feelings, right? Nope, you were completely okay. But it seemed the universe wanted to convince you otherwise. Your brain kept on making weird associations; from apples to the Garden of Eden and then to Lucifer who made the Knights of Hell. You immediately stopped your brain from going further down the path. Why was today a bad day? Why the associations today?

 You honestly thought you were okay but grief is a strange thing. You had been with Cain for seven years and it had only been two years since his death. Dean was an amazing boyfriend and he was always there for you. He always reacted immediately and gave you the comfort and support you needed any time, no questions asked. He was your rock, your support system. Which is a bit weird considering that he was the one who killed Cain. But if you were being truthful here, Dean killed the monster Cain became and not the Cain you fell in love with.

 In the beginning Cain was a good man, a loving man. He was always gentle with you despite being named the father of murder. You lived with Cain in his cabin away from prying eyes, away from hunters and demons and any distractions. It was just the two of you. It was calming being close to nature with the man you loved. You made dinner together and told each other everything about your lives. You learned a hell of a lot about bees including how to care for them. The sex was gentle and loving and he always made sure you came at least three times before he came. He resisted the mark for you but he couldn’t resist forever. You just wished you had had more time with him.

 Unfortunately, you were never really good at dealing with grief. You preferred not to dwell on sad thoughts and repressed a lot of your emotions so it was reasonable to assume they might pop up at random times.

 Something you're doing

Ain't doing me good,

I can feel it in my blood.

Thunderstruck.

Wheels spun

I believe anyone.

Always looking,

Never found

How I'm keeping

My head down.

These days of why and how

Get so hard,

I'm not saying another word.

 The aisles were always so small in supermarkets and predictable you bumped right into two shoppers. They were unfazed by it and continued talking rather loudly.

 “Yeah that’s a Cain and Abel story if I heard one. What a rivalry between two brothers.”

 You froze in the aisle when you heard his name and everything came flooding back to you.

  “Cain, you don’t have to do this.”

 “I do.”

 “No, please. I’m begging you. Please. Don’t let the mark control you. You’re better than that.”

 “I have to do this. I have to destroy everyone in my bloodline.”

 “Everyone?”

 “Yes.”

 “Even the children? What’s wrong with you? People are given free will. They can choose to rise above any “cursed blood.”

 “Like I did.”

 “Yes exactly.”

 “I’m tired Y/N. Really tired. The mark has been calling to me everyday. I just can’t ignore it anymore.”

 “Apparently Collette was better at getting you to stop than I am.”

 “Don’t you dare bring her into this.”

 “Saint Collette, right? Clearly, you loved her more than me.”

 The sound of Cain’s hand hitting your check was the only thing heard in that moment. The chiming of the grandfather clock and the creaking floorboards were forgotten in that moment. You drew back from him, tears in your eyes as you walked out of the door. If he wanted to be a monster, let him. You refused to stand by and watch it happen.  

 “Wait. Wait. I-I’m sorry. I just...”

 “No. Cain. No. I don’t forgive you and I’m not staying to watch you destroy everything we built and lose yourself in sadism. You don’t love me like you loved her. Maybe losing her the way you did made you not able to really love anyone else but I’m not strong enough to bring you back from the brink. If I stay, I’ll destroy myself trying to help you. I can’t do that. I love you Cain, but the man I choose to be with is already dead.”

 You were leaving him to the wolves. There was no hope that he could be anything better than a killer without you but it wasn’t fair for you to stay and damn yourself either.

 When I hear your name

It's like a freight train

Shake shake shake shake

Shaking me

Off my tracks.

The one acting

The fool is nigh

I can feel it in my heart

Silence is the loudest shot,

A train passing in the dark.

All I do is wonder why,

Why and how

you leave me every night

Oh, oh

 You were in the supermarket bending down with a hand on the aisle to support yourself. You felt numb, your chest hurt and your mind wouldn’t stop associating with Cain. You turned to your left and saw McCain food in the freezer section. Fries. Cain’s name on fries? How banal. You walked over to the freezer on shaky legs dropping the food you collected on the floor. Your hand went on the freezer door and you cried.

 The Winchesters needed help, Intel on Cain and so they forced their way into your house desperate to get you to help them. You had no idea how they realized there was a connection between you and Cain but they had. They took you with them to show you the damage Cain was doing. You agreed that he had to be stopped and so you joined them.

 However, when the time came to kill him, you couldn’t let it happen. You ran down the stairs yelling at Dean. You burst into the room and Castiel had to hold you back as Dean killed Cain with the first blade. You screamed and screamed. Knowing this was your fault. You had willingly worked with them, helped them to find him. And even worse, his last words to you were, “I’m sorry.”

 Cain was the villain in the piece so why were you trying to save him. It was a rational argument but every time you felt guilty. Guilty for leaving and guilty for doing what you had to do to save everyone else. He trusted you and you betrayed him. He may have said, “I’m sorry” but you wished you could have told him you were sorry.

  When I hear your name

It's like a freight train

Shake shake shake shake

Shaking me

Off my tracks.

When I hear your name

It's like a freight train

Shake shake shake shake

Shaking me

Off my tracks.

 People in the grocery store were staring at you crying over freezer food. There was quite an audience gathering. You vaguely heard Dean’s voice calling you but you were still lost in the memory of Cain. Dean kept calling all over the store until he came to the crowd.

 Like a linebacker, he pushed everyone out of the way to get to you. He saw the food on the ground and instantly dropped what he collected. He ran over to you and turned you to face him. You slapped him.

 “You killed him,” You whispered in a pained voice.

 Dean knew exactly what was happening. He looked over and saw the Cain food. His eyes softened as he pulled you into himself.

 “I know, sweetie. He loved you until the mark was too much for him. He held off for seven years. That’s a lot longer than I ever could. Let’s get out of here. Come on baby.”

You pulled away from him. “I’m sorry. I.I…” you began.

 “I know, baby. You’re having a bad day. I understand. No anger, no resentment. I just want to make you feel better. Come on, let’s get out of here and talk.”

 “What about your pie?”

 “You’re more important.”

 You were shaking, tears streaming down your face. Dean held your hand every so often on the drive back home.

 “I’m sorry I slapped you, Dean.”

 “It’s forgotten, baby. What happened though? Was it seeing Cain on freezer food?”

 “That helped sure but it was a passing remark from someone. They were comparing something to Cain and Abel.”

 “I’m so sorry.”

 “I thought I was doing better Dean.”

 “Grief is a strange thing, Y/N. This is just a bad day. But I love you and I will stand by you through anything. I promise you that when we get back, I will do whatever it takes to put a smile back on that face. That’s my job as a boyfriend, to take care of you.”

Dean continued, “You looked dazed in there, like you were lost in a memory or something. What were you seeing?”

 “My last conversation with him as a girlfriend and then, ever.”

 “Oh, wow.”

 “Yeah. He needed to be stopped though. He was turning into a monster, killing innocent people and if it wasn’t you who did it, we would have never met. And I would be very upset about that. You’re the best thing that ever happened I have to learn to be okay with this.”

 “It doesn’t happen overnight.”

 “I know. I’m going to see a therapist this week. Using an alias, of course.”

 “Sounds like a great idea. I’ll help you look for names.”

 When I hear your name

It's like a freight train

Shake shake shake shake

Shaking me

Off my tracks.

When I hear your name

It's like a freight train

Shake shake shake shake

Shaking me

Off my tracks.

 Dean carried you out of the car and into your joint bedroom, ignoring Sam. He laid you down gently and sang, “Hell’s Bells” to you trying to lull you to sleep. He knew how you loved to hear him sing and Hell’s Bell was shared favorite between you and Dean. He kissed you on your forehead and watched you sleep; committing himself to do whatever was necessary to get you through this difficult time.

 Tagging

Forever @purgatoan, @killerofthesouth, @charliebradbury1104, @chaos-and-the-calm67, @chelsea072498, @everday-supernatural-af, @kalliravenne, @toogardenenthusiast, @winchesterprincessbride, @one-shots-supernatural, @take-me-tonirvana, @hellsmother, @ellen-reincarnated1967, @faegal04, @deals-with-demons, @mamaredd123 @atc74, @hamartiamacguffin

Dean Folks from my list: @buckymetallicstump, @faith-in-dean, @bennyyh, @ruprecht0420, @supernatural-jackles, @jesspfly, @webcricket

 @aprofoundbondwithdean, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @dr-dean, @nichelle-my-belle, @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid, @thegreatficmaster, @salvachester, @blushingsamgirl, @bkwrm523 @whispersandwhiskerburn, @lipstickandwhiskey, @impala-dreamer, @samsgoddess, @frenchybell, @for-the-love-of-dean, @jelly-beans-and-gstrings, @fiveleaf, @deansleather,  @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname, @waywardjoy, @imadeangirl-butimsamcuriousm  @kayteonline, @supernatural-jackles, @idreamofhazel, @wevegotworktodo, @ilovedean-spn2 , @quiddy-writes, @wi-deangirl77 @deantbh, @mysaintsasinner, @chelsea-winchester, @fandommaniacx, @teamfreewillimagines, @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @castieltrash1, @supernaturallyobsessed, @memariana91 @writingbeautifulmen, @captain-princess-rose, @plaidstiel-wormstache, @ageekchiclife, @winchester-writes@idreamofhazel, @revwinchester, @supermoonpanda,@i-dont-know-how-to-write, @vintagevalentinexx, @ohwritever, @mysupernaturalfics,@sammit-janet @bowtiesandapplepie @itsemmyb, @ezauraemmaline, @matteson-crazed, @charliesbackbitches, @crzcorgi, @gryffindorable713, @deerlululucy, @walkingencyclopediaoffandom, @manawhaat, @growleytria, @thegleegeneration, @samtomydeanwinchester, @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki, @i-never-said-a-pilot, @thewinchestielboys, @supermoonpanda, @sis-tafics, @amaranthinecastiel, @kittenofdoomage, @samanddeanwinchester67,  @ferferelli @lilyoflothlorien, @the-morning-star-falls, @ackleslaugh, @noisilyyoungpuppy, @fangirling-instead-of-working, @eyes-of-a-disney-princess, @chrisatplay @kayteonline, @spnsimpleman, @faith-in-dean, @for-the-love-of-dean, @mamaimpala, @zanthiasplace, @sleep-silent-angel, @pada-ackles-reads, @thing-you-do-with-that-thing, @gadreelsforbiddenfruit, @trenchcoats-and-bees, @curliesallovertheplace, @jencharlan, @not-so-natural-spn, @skybinx-blog, @thebunkerismyhome, @feelmyroarrrr, @beachy2014, @fandom-book-nerd, @tia58, @sams-little-toy, @sunriserose1023, @saving-things-hunting-family, @winchesterswoonathon, @jotink78, @lucifer-in-leather,  @babypieandwhiskey, @howmanytuesdaysdidyouhave, @supernatural-jackles, @avasmommy224, @angelwingsandsupernaturalthings, @mysaintsasinner, @chelsea-winchester, @spn-fan-girl-173, @besslincoln-bruh, @wheresthekillswitch, @shelovesallthethings @maraisabellegrey, @notnaturalanahi

[christineamccalla]

Yazziz Al-Shayeb, Lord Chief Justice; Man At Nations, At Large - NATO; Vizier; Lord Chamberlain; Or, Application Of The Ali Baba Defense As  A Holocaustal Litigiously Offensive Strategy, by McCalla, Christine Ann, MBA, MS, CBME, CAHR, CBDE, CTW, CPA

The potential lies at the heart of the man, historically or so it said. For the religious dispensation that is Christianity, it bears more than a metaphor or euphemism. Cain and Abel; Esau and Jacob; and, King Saul and the boy of the pastures, David later to become King. Religion while being of a violent disposition often posits to reality, and the current one of a Middle East’s tragedy of deception; instability; murder; and, kingmaker’s psychosis, bearing a striking resemblance to Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince, and his varying and many-dimensionaled character attributes.

While married to the Monarch and not born as one, Yazziz Al-Shayeb and all variations thereof understands and shares many attributes with Wikipedia’s Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe

(The Prince); diplomat and political theorist being Chief Justice, Lord Chamberlain, entrepreneur and other attributes. In these attributes Al-Shayeb has demonstrated his knowledge of Machiavelli’s methodology in keeping the faith, “You must know there are two ways of contesting,[*] the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have re-course to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man.” Being Chief Justice, Al-Shayeb understands the recording of contests by law, and by character attributes contesting by force. A lesson Prince Mohammed bin Salman would do well to learn among allegations of his involvement in the high-level Saudi officials liable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashogg, in Chris Harris & Reuters’ article, “Credible evidence for probe into Saudi prince over Khashoggi's murder, says UN report”, dated June 19, 2019. Prince Mohammed bin Salman who is unrelated to Yazziz Al-Shayeb’s wife, by familial presence, association or affiliation, and should have received her writ of separation to familial presence, relations, association, and affiliation.

Machiavelli also argued “All states, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been and are either republics or principalities. Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new.” In  Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s case and his lack of vetted monarchical ties, is a new principality according Euronews’ UN special rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. It is unclear bin Salman’s principality’s establishment, but given his association with Callamard, the UN funded by monarch Al-Shayeb’s wife would be a safe bet. Given the complexities of said socio-economic and political systems, one can only imagine the hostilities of Al-Shayeb’s personal and married life, given the undue advantages and influences the UN is capable of wielding, demonstrating again Machiavelli’s conference of principalities in which such dominions are thus acquired as either accustomed to living under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability.

Al-Shayeb’s wife, monarch, has not issued an opinion on the rivalry of bin Salman or the Saudi Arabian government and officials, but assume her lot cannot be an easy one given she must finance her murders, murderers, holocausts, and demise with the risk of death by impoverishment and homelessness as her reward. To respond to Machiavelli’s conference, “... you cannot take strong  measures against them, feeling bound to them; ...may be very strong in armed forces, yet in entering a province one has always need of the goodwill of the natives.”, what is the UN’s analysis of risk management in said regard given its humanitarian and peacekeeping stature internationally? Furthermore and of a more political sensitive nature, is the perception of bin Salman’s principality’s establishment in Al-Shayeb’s competitive landscape; strategic frameworks including client acquisition and satisfaction, and supply chain management; his wife’s relationship by birth, association, and affiliation including her native country Jamaica; and, her pursuits, of life, liberty, health, welfare, internal revenues, and commerce, trade, and industry.

Given Al-Shayeb’s stature as jurist in which he understands the sophistication of protesting by law and by force, the peace must prevail as Machiavelli’s Dante argued: Knowledge doth come of learning well retained, Unfruitful else. To avoid rivalries, bin Salman must by now be aware of Machiavelli’s new principality and its theories and theorems, mainly being:

“But the difficulties occur in a new principality. And firstly, if it be not entirely new, but is, as it were, a member of a state which, taken collectively, may be called composite, the changes arise chiefly from an inherent difficulty which there is in all new principalities; for men change their rulers willingly, hoping to better themselves, and this hope induces  them  to  take  up  arms  against  him  who  rules:  wherein they  are  deceived,  because  they  afterwards  find  by  experience  they  have  gone  from  bad  to  worse.  This  follows  also on  another  natural  and  common  necessity,  which  always causes  a  new  prince  to  burden  those  who  have  submitted to him with his soldiery and with infinite other hardships which he must put upon his new acquisition”.

Given the UN’s conferral of stature with titles including, The Office Of The United Nations Special Coordinator For The Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO); and UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO): International Monetary Fund (IMF); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); The World Bank; and, The United Nations Institute For Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); the UN can hardly afford to play Kingmaker, Princemaker, Nepotism, or Cronyism. As such a petition is necessary and issued as, writ of injunction and separation from contamination and contaminatory elements including the confusion of Machiavelli’s principalities and theorems and all their varieties, variants, and variations thereof, fabrication of varieties, variants, and variations thereof of the statute Title Of Nobility, applying all laws, statutes, et al, et al, regarding Suits Of A Person Injured and Right To Face The Accuser, set eternally, transferable and attached, et al.

On a separate and congratulatory note, congratulations to Al-Shayeb and his wife who has allegedly been recognized as Presidential Gubernatorial Entrant (USA) and Congresswoman, Maryland - Defunct, who are still waiting on official dispatches to retain compliance with the Convention of Judicial and Extrajudicial Service on Civil and Commercial Matters. For them this conference regarding Machiavelli’s advice on governings are applicable: there are three courses for those wishing to hold cities or principalities known for living under their own laws prior to annex: the  first  is  to  ruin  them,  the  next  is  to reside  there  in  person,  the  third  is  to  permit  them  to  live under  their  own  laws,  drawing  a  tribute,  and  establishing within  it  an  oligarchy  which  will  keep  it  friendly  to  you. Because  such  a  government,  being  created  by  the  prince, knows  that  it  cannot  stand  without  his  friendship  and  interest, and does it utmost to support him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more  easily  by  the  means  of  its  own  citizens  than  in  any other way.

Al-Shayeb’s wife’s gubernatorial status came through substantial societal risks and increasing socio-economic and political unrest and violence the United States of America has been experiencing over the last decade, and defied taking the path well-traveled while exhibiting the highest  examples  both  of  prince  and  of  state;  because  men,  walking almost always in paths beaten by others, and following by imitation their deeds, are yet unable to keep entirely to the ways of others or attain to the power of those they imitate. Defying increasing odds, Al-Shayeb’s wife has retained right to life; right to expression; and, forcibly rendering the Preambles of We The Peoples as true and upheld in all aspects of her interactions. Congratulations to her and best wishes on her new endeavors! ‘Le radici e corrispondenze,’ It is for writing stead!

The comparison of bin Salman and Al-Shayeb though unreasonable has not yet concluded, and can be compared to Macchiaveli’s Francesco Sforza and Cesare Borgia. Francesco Sforza (who by  proper  means  and  with great  ability,  from  being  a  private  person  rose  to  be  Duke of Milan, and that which he had acquired with a thousand anxieties he kept with little trouble. UN could be considered proper means.), and Cesare Borgia (acquired his state during the ascendancy through familial presence [his father], (Macchiaveli).

The comparison continues with Macchiaveli’s Agathocles, the  Sicilian, who after infinite treacheries and cruelties, should live for long secure in his country, and defend himself from external  enemies, seeing  that  many  others,  by  means  of  cruelty, have never been able even in peaceful times to hold the state,  still  less  in  the  doubtful  times  of  war, shall bear to Al-Shayeb and all his stature, the designs and methodologies of Cain and Abel; Esau and Jacob; and, King Saul and King David the need for relief; victory; and a Kingmaker. Of the three (3) biblical epics, it was King David who accumulated the greatest victory with Wikipedia’s Prophet Samuel being King Maker by deception.

Prophet Samuel’s feat of defying King Saul, 1 Samuel 16:1-23 (www.bible.com), went to anoint a new king in Bethlehem in deception in the dynamic of making a holy sacrifice, and went to the man named Jesse who had seven (7) sons including David, would-be king. Once anointed with oil, the Spirit of the Lord left the existing king, Saul, and covered David instead. It took decades for David to be King and may triumphs and disappointments along with the territory including isolation, ostracisms, and famine, and described as permitted by the Right to Expression, Freedom of Religion, Association, Assembly, Press, and Petition, King David had a heart of God and followed his mandates. King David contested by both law and force, but never departed from his principalities as prince.

In I Samuel 24, David crept up to Saul in Saul’s indiscreet moment and cut off a piece of his robe, distanced himself, then shouted, O King Saul, I have cut your robe but have not taken your life. I have not bestirred rebellion nor treason against you. In this struggle of principalities, bin Salman’s claim of monarchy has not resulted in Al-Shayeb’s holocaust, treason, jeopardy to stature, nor espionage. For Al-Shayeb, this may be a case of reality or character attribute.

Machiavelli’s conference assessing Al-Shayeb’s dilemma continued in,

“A  principality  is  created  either  by  the  people  or  by  the nobles, accordingly as one or other of them has the opportunity;  for  the  nobles,  seeing  they  cannot  withstand  the people, begin to cry up the reputation of one of themselves, and they make him a prince, so that under his shadow they can  give  vent  to  their  ambitions.  The  people,  finding  they cannot resist the nobles, also cry up the reputation of one of themselves, and make him a prince so as to be defended by his authority. He who obtains sovereignty by the assistance of the nobles maintains himself with more difficulty than he who comes to it by the aid of the people, because the former finds  himself  with  many  around  him  who  consider  themselves his equals, and because of this he can neither rule nor manage them to his liking. But he who reaches sovereignty by popular favour finds himself alone, and has none around him, or few, who are not prepared to obey him.”

For the Kingmakers, principalities, princes, sovereignties, nobles, peoples, and ambitions themselves, it is helpful to be mindful that Al-Shayeb’s title of monarchial presence was acquired through TItle of Nobility, and to which he has added the Title of Peerage. This alone has preserved his inherent right to life, equalities, justice, and dignities. There are also the following complications in Al-Shayeb’s favor, Act of State doctrine, War Powers Clause, Marque and Reprisals, Letters of Marque and Reprisals, and We The Peoples Preambles. In the acquisition of equals, both to rule and manage, reputations matter. Whether in ambition, venting, or crying up, may Al-Shayeb be able to find peers whether as The Prince, Cesare Borgia, a dignity, or as himself, Yazziz Al-Shayeb and all varieties, variants, and variations thereof.

Another context of the principalities, one by the law, the other by force (Macchiaveli), is the Ali Baba Defense As  A Holocaustal Litigiously Offensive Strategy, which after all is Al-Shayeb’s existence given bin Salman’s monarchial states and powers, that have held and hold rule over men as either republics or principalities (Macchiaveli) with UN’s support (Harris) rendering Al-Shayeb’s personal dynamics as that of being holocaustal.

A recommendation of escape is the Ali Baba Defense strategy in which his opponent is converted to being an entity, that of the judicial administration and a failed infrastructure. Every applicable law is applied inclusive of the laws, properties, foundations, and fundamentals of statistics’ decision trees. bin Salman being a principality of vented ambitions and without resistance of the nobles, shall cry up the reputation of himself, and why making himself a prince requires being defended by his authority (Macchiaveli).

[pope-francis-quotes]

9th September >> Pope Francis speaks to Colombia's priests, religious, seminarians: Full Text. (Photo ~ Pope Francis greets crowds in Colombia on his Apostolic Visit - ANSA) (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, who is currently on an Apostolic Visit to Colombia, spoke on Saturday to priests, religious, seminarians and their families in Medellin, some 200 kms northwest of the capital Bogota, where he was on a day-long trip. The Pope’s last event of the day at Medellin’s Macarena Entertainment Center, included listening to testimonies of a priest, a cloistered nun and a family, who contemplated on their vocation. The Pope spoke of a “contagious apostolic zeal” that results from knowing and encountering Jesus, saying that “making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.” Comparing the Church of Colombia to “Jesus’ vine”, Pope Francis explained that the health of the vine is gauged by the harvest of genuine vocations despite today’s cultural crisis. This vine, he said, needs to be pruned of its imperfections through an “intimate and fruitful union with Jesus.” Pope Francis offered three ways in which their dwelling in Christ can be effective. Below, please find the official English translation of the Pope's prepared speech: Meeting with priests, men and women religious, seminarians and their families. Medellín Saturday, 9 September 2017 Dear Brother Bishops, Dear Priests, Men and Women Religious, and Seminarians, Dear Families, Dear “Paisas”! The parable of the true vine which we have just heard from the Gospel of John is given within the context of Jesus’ Last Supper. In that intimate moment, marked by a certain tension but full of love, the Lord washed the feet of his disciples, and wished to perpetuate his memory in the bread and wine, as he spoke from the depths of his heart to those he loved the most. In this first “Eucharistic” night, in this first sunset after his example of service, Jesus opens his heart; he entrusts to them his testament. Just as the Apostles, some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1: 13-14) continued to meet in that Upper Room, so too we are gathered here together to listen to him, to listen to one another. Sister Leidy of Saint Joseph, María Isabel and Father Juan Felipe have offered us their testimonies… So also each of us here could share our own vocation story. All these would converge in our experience of Jesus who comes to meet us, who chooses us first, thus seizing our hearts. As Aparecida says: “Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy” (Aparecida Document, 29). Many of you, young people, have discovered the living Jesus in your communities; communities with a contagious apostolic zeal, which inspire and attract others. Where there is life, zeal, the desire to take Christ to others, geniune vocations arise; the fraternal and fervent life of the community awakens the yearning to devote oneself entirely to God and to evangelization (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 107). Young people are naturally restless and, although there is a crisis of commitment and of communitarian relationships, many of them stand together against the evils of the world and become involved in various forms of political action and voluntary work. When they do so for Jesus, feeling that they are a part of the community, they become “street preachers (callejeros de la fe)”, to bring Jesus Christ to every street, every town square and every corner of the earth (cf. ibid. 106). This is the vine which Jesus refers to in the text we have just proclaimed: that vine which is the “people of the covenant”. The prophets, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, refer to the people as a vine, as does Psalm 80, which says: “You brought a vine out of Egypt… Your cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land” (vv. 9-10). At times they express the joy of God contemplating the vine, at other times his anger, bewilderment, and disappointment; yet he never forgets his people, he never ceases to feel their distance and go out to them, who, when they turn away from him, dry up, burn away and are destroyed. How is the land, the sustenance, the support where this vine is growing in Colombia? Under what conditions are the vocational fruits of special consecration born? No doubt in situations full of contradictions, of light and darkness, of complex relational realities. We all would like to count on a world with straightforward families and relationships, but we are a part of this cultural crisis and, in the midst of it, in response to it, God continues to call. It would be almost unrealistic to think that all of you heard the call of God in the midst of families sustained by a strong love and full of values such as generosity, compromise, fidelity and patience (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 5); some are like this, and I pray to God that they are many. But keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground means recognizing that our vocational experiences, the awakening of God’s call, brings us closer to what God’s word already reveals and to what Colombia knows so well: “This thread of suffering and bloodshed runs through numerous pages of the Bible, beginning with Cain’s murder of his brother Abel. We read of the disputes between the sons and the wives of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the tragedies and violence marking the family of David, the family problems reflected in the story of Tobias and the bitter complaint of Job” (ibid., 20). It has been this way since the beginning: God manifests his closeness and his election; he changes the course of events to call men and women in the frailty of their personal and shared history. Let us not be afraid, in that complex land, for God always brings about the miracle of producing good clusters on the vine, like arepas at breakfast. May there be vocations in every community and in every family in Medellín! This vine – which is Jesus’ vine – has the characteristic of being true. He has used this term before on other occasions in the Gospel of John: true light, true bread from heaven, and true testimony. Now, truth is not something that we receive – as bread or light – but rather what springs up from within. We are a people chosen for the truth, and our call has to be in truth. There can be no place for deceit, hypocrisy or small-mindedness if we are branches of this vine, if our vocation is grafted onto Jesus. We must all be careful that every branch fulfils its purpose: to bear fruit. From the start, those who accompany the vocational process need to encourage a right intention, a genuine desire to be configured to Jesus, the shepherd, the friend, the spouse. When these processes are not nourished by this true sap that is the Spirit of Jesus, then we experience dryness and God learns with sadness that these branches are already dead. Vocations associated with special consecrations die when they love to be sustained with honours, when they are driven by a search for personal reassurance and social advancement, when the motivation is “to climb the ladder”, to cleave to material interests and to strive shamefully for financial gain. As I have said before on other occasions, the devil enters through the wallet. This not only applies to the early stages of vocation; all of us have to be careful because the corrupting of men and women in the Church begins in this way, little by little, and then – as Jesus himself says – it takes root in the heart and it ends up dislodging God from our lives. “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6:21, 24), we cannot take advantage of our religious state and the goodness of our people in order to be served and gain material benefits. There are some situations, customs and choices that evidence signs of dryness and death: they cannot keep hindering the flow of sap that nourishes and gives life! The poison of lies, obfuscation, manipulation and the abuse of the People of God, the weak and especially the elderly and young, can have no place in our communities; they are branches that are determined to dry us out and that God tells us to cut off. And God does not only cut away; the allegory goes on to say that God purifies the vine of its imperfections. The promise is that we will bear fruit, and abundantly, just like the grain of wheat, if we are able to give ourselves, to offer our lives freely. In Colombia, there are examples that this is possible. We remember Saint Laura Montoya, a remarkable religious whose relics are with us and who, going forth from this city, gave herself completely to a great missionary effort on behalf of indigenous people throughout the country. How much we can learn from this consecrated woman of silent and selfless surrender, who had no greater desire than to transmit the maternal face of God. So too we remember Blessed Mariano de Jesús Euse Hoyos, one of the first students of the Seminary of Medellín, and other Colombian priests and women religious, whose canonization processes have begun; as well as so many others, thousands of unknown Colombians who in the simplicity of their daily lives knew how to give of themselves for the Gospel, and whom you hold dear in your memory and who encourage you in your own commitment. They all show us that it is possible to respond faithfully to the Lord’s call, that it is possible to bear much fruit. The good news is that the Lord is willing to cleanse us, that we will not be cut off, that as good disciples we are on the way. How does Jesus eliminate those things which lead to death and which take hold of our lives and distort his call? By inviting us to dwell in him. Dwelling does not only signify being, but rather also indicates maintaining a relationship that is alive, existential and absolutely necessary; it means to live and grow in an intimate and fruitful union with Jesus, “the source of eternal life”. Dwelling in Jesus cannot be a merely passive act or a simple abandonment without any consequences in our daily and concrete lives. Allow me to propose three ways of making this “dwelling” effective: Dwelling by touching Christ’s humanity: With the gaze and attitude of Jesus, who contemplates reality not as a judge, but rather as a good samaritan; who recognizes the value of the people who walk with him, as well as their wounds and sins; who discovers their silent suffering and who is moved by peoples’ needs, above all when they are overwhelmed by injustice, inhumane poverty, indifference or by the perverse actions of corruption and violence. With Jesus’ gestures and words, which express love for those nearby and search for those far away; tender and firm in denouncing sin and in announcing the Gospel, joyful and generous in surrendering and in service, especially for the smallest among us, steadfastly rejecting the temptation to believe that all is lost, to accomodate ourselves or to become mere administrators of misfortune. Dwelling by contemplating his divinity: Awakening and sustaining an admiration for the study which increases knowledge of Christ because, as Saint Augustine reminds us, we cannot love someone we do not know (cf. Saint Augustine, The Trinity, Book X, ch. I, 3). Giving priority, in this way of knowing, to the encounter with Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospel where Christ speaks to us, reveals his unconditional love for the Father, and instils the joy that comes from obedience to his will and from serving our brothers and sisters. Whoever does not know the Scriptures, does not know Jesus. Whoever does not love the Scriptures, does not love Jesus (cf. Saint Jerome, Preface to the Commentary on the Prophet Isaiah, PL 24, 17). Let us spend time prayerfully reading the Word of God, listening to what God wishes for us and for our people. May all of our study help us to interpret reality with the eyes of God, that it may not be a way of avoiding what is happening to our people, nor be subject to the whim of fashions or ideologies. May our study not be overcome by nostalgia or the tendency to confine the mystery, nor may it be unwilling to respond to questions that people no longer ask themselves, and may it not abandon those who find themselves in an existential void and who question us from their worlds and cultures. Dwelling in and contemplating his divinity by making prayer a fundamental part of our lives and our apostolic service. Prayer frees us from the burden of worldliness, and teaches us to live joyfully, to distance ourselves from what is superficial, in an exercise of true freedom. Prayer draws us out of our self-centredness, from being reclusive in an empty religious experience; it leads us to place ourselves, with docility, in the hands of God in order to fulfil his will and to realize his plan of salvation. And prayer teaches us to adore. To learn to adore in silence. Let us be men and women who have been reconciled in order to reconcile. Being called does not give us a certificate of right conduct and sinlessness; we are not clothed in an aura of holiness. We are all sinners and we need forgiveness and God’s mercy to rise each day. He uproots whatever is not good in us, as well as the wrong we have done, casting it out of the vineyard to be burned up. He cleanses us so that we may bear fruit. This is the merciful fidelity that God shows his people, of which we are part. He will never leave us at the side of the road. God does everything to prevent sin from defeating us and clsoing the doors of our lives to a future of hope and joy. Finally, dwelling in Christ in order to live joyfully: If we remain in him, his joy will be in us. We will not be sad disciples and bitter apostles. On the contrary, we will reflect and be heralds of true happiness, a complete joy that no one can take away. We will spread the hope of a new life that Christ has given to us. God’s call is not a heavy burden that robs us of joy. He does not want us to be immersed in a sadness and weariness that comes from activities lived poorly, but rather wants a spirituality that brings joy to our lives and even to our weariness. Our contagious joy must be our first testimony to the closeness and love of God. We are true dispensers of God’s grace when we reflect the joy that comes from encountering him. In the Book of Genesis, after the flood, Noah planted a vine as a sign of a new beginning; at the end of the Exodus, Moses sent scouts to inspect the promised land, who returned with a cluster of grapes, a sign that in the land flowed milk and honey. God has looked upon us, our communities and families. The Lord has cast his gaze on Colombia: you are a sign of this loving election. It is now up to us to offer all our love and service while being united to Jesus, our vine. To be the promise of a new beginning for Colombia, that leaves behind the floods of discord and violence, a Colombia that wants to bear abundant fruits of justice and peace, of encounter and solidarity. May God bless you; may God bless the consecrated life in Colombia. And, please, do not forget to pray for me.

[catholicwatertown]

Pope Francis speaks to Colombia's priests, religious, seminarians: Full Text

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis, who is currently on an Apostolic Visit to Colombia, spoke on Saturday to priests, religious, seminarians and their families in Medellin, some 200 kms northwest of the capital Bogota, where he was on a day-long trip.

The Pope’s last event of the day at Medellin’s Macarena Entertainment Center, included listening to testimonies of a priest, a cloistered nun and a family, who contemplated on their vocation.  

The Pope spoke of a “contagious apostolic zeal” that results from knowing and encountering Jesus, saying that “making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.”

Comparing the Church of Colombia to “Jesus’ vine”, Pope Francis explained that the health of the vine is gauged by the harvest of genuine vocations despite today’s cultural crisis.  

This vine, he said, needs to be pruned of its imperfections through an “intimate and fruitful union with Jesus.”  Pope Francis offered three ways in which their dwelling in Christ can be effective.

Below, please find the official English translation of the Pope's prepared speech:

Meeting with priests, men and women religious, seminarians and their families.

Medellín

Saturday, 9 September 2017

Dear Brother Bishops,

Dear Priests, Men and Women Religious, and Seminarians,

Dear Families, Dear “Paisas”!

The parable of the true vine which we have just heard from the Gospel of John is given within the context of Jesus’ Last Supper.  In that intimate moment, marked by a certain tension but full of love, the Lord washed the feet of his disciples, and wished to perpetuate his memory in the bread and wine, as he spoke from the depths of his heart to those he loved the most. 

In this first “Eucharistic” night, in this first sunset after his example of service, Jesus opens his heart; he entrusts to them his testament.  Just as the Apostles, some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1: 13-14) continued to meet in that Upper Room, so too we are gathered here together to listen to him, to listen to one another.  Sister Leidy of Saint Joseph, María Isabel and Father Juan Felipe have offered us their testimonies… So also each of us here could share our own vocation story.  All these would converge in our experience of Jesus who comes to meet us, who chooses us first, thus seizing our hearts.  As Aparecida says: “Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy” (Aparecida Document, 29).

Many of you, young people, have discovered the living Jesus in your communities; communities with a contagious apostolic zeal, which inspire and attract others.  Where there is life, zeal, the desire to take Christ to others, geniune vocations arise; the fraternal and fervent life of the community awakens the yearning to devote oneself entirely to God and to evangelization (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 107).  Young people are naturally restless and, although there is a crisis of commitment and of communitarian relationships, many of them stand together against the evils of the world and become involved in various forms of political action and voluntary work.  When they do so for Jesus, feeling that they are a part of the community, they become “street preachers (callejeros de la fe)”, to bring Jesus Christ to every street, every town square and every corner of the earth (cf. ibid. 106). 

This is the vine which Jesus refers to in the text we have just proclaimed: that vine which is the “people of the covenant”.  The prophets, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, refer to the people as a vine, as does Psalm 80, which says: “You brought a vine out of Egypt… Your cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land” (vv. 9-10).  At times they express the joy of God contemplating the vine, at other times his anger, bewilderment, and disappointment; yet he never forgets his people, he never ceases to feel their distance and go out to them, who, when they turn away from him, dry up, burn away and are destroyed.

How is the land, the sustenance, the support where this vine is growing in Colombia?  Under what conditions are the vocational fruits of special consecration born?  No doubt in situations full of contradictions, of light and darkness, of complex relational realities.  We all would like to count on a world with straightforward families and relationships, but we are a part of this cultural crisis and, in the midst of it, in response to it, God continues to call.  It would be almost unrealistic to think that all of you heard the call of God in the midst of families sustained by a strong love and full of values such as generosity, compromise, fidelity and patience (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 5); some are like this, and I pray to God that they are many.  But keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground means recognizing that our vocational experiences, the awakening of God’s call, brings us closer to what God’s word already reveals and to what Colombia knows so well: “This thread of suffering and bloodshed runs through numerous pages of the Bible, beginning with Cain’s murder of his brother Abel.  We read of the disputes between the sons and the wives of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the tragedies and violence marking the family of David, the family problems reflected in the story of Tobias and the bitter complaint of Job” (ibid., 20).  It has been this way since the beginning: God manifests his closeness and his election; he changes the course of events to call men and women in the frailty of their personal and shared history.  Let us not be afraid, in that complex land, for God always brings about the miracle of producing good clusters on the vine, like arepas at breakfast.  May there be vocations in every community and in every family in Medellín!  

This vine – which is Jesus’ vine – has the characteristic of being true.  He has used this term before on other occasions in the Gospel of John: true light, true bread from heaven, and true testimony.  Now, truth is not something that we receive – as bread or light – but rather what springs up from within.  We are a people chosen for the truth, and our call has to be in truth.  There can be no place for deceit, hypocrisy or small-mindedness if we are branches of this vine, if our vocation is grafted onto Jesus.   We must all be careful that every branch fulfils its purpose: to bear fruit.  From the start, those who accompany the vocational process need to encourage a right intention, a genuine desire to be configured to Jesus, the shepherd, the friend, the spouse.  When these processes are not nourished by this true sap that is the Spirit of Jesus, then we experience dryness and God learns with sadness that these branches are already dead.  Vocations associated with special consecrations die when they love to be sustained with honours, when they are driven by a search for personal reassurance and social advancement, when the motivation is “to climb the ladder”, to cleave to material interests and to strive shamefully for financial gain.  As I have said before on other occasions, the devil enters through the wallet.  This not only applies to the early stages of vocation; all of us have to be careful because the corrupting of men and women in the Church begins in this way, little by little, and then – as Jesus himself says – it takes root in the heart and it ends up dislodging God from our lives.  “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6:21, 24), we cannot take advantage of our religious state and the goodness of our people in order to be served and gain material benefits.

There are some situations, customs and choices that evidence signs of dryness and death: they cannot keep hindering the flow of sap that nourishes and gives life!  The poison of lies, obfuscation, manipulation and the abuse of the People of God, the weak and especially the elderly and young, can have no place in our communities; they are branches that are determined to dry us out and that God tells us to cut off.

And God does not only cut away; the allegory goes on to say that God purifies the vine of its imperfections.  The promise is that we will bear fruit, and abundantly, just like the grain of wheat, if we are able to give ourselves, to offer our lives freely.  In Colombia, there are examples that this is possible.  We remember Saint Laura Montoya, a remarkable religious whose relics are with us and who, going forth from this city, gave herself completely to a great missionary effort on behalf of indigenous people throughout the country.  How much we can learn from this consecrated woman of silent and selfless surrender, who had no greater desire than to transmit the maternal face of God.  So too we remember Blessed Mariano de Jesús Euse Hoyos, one of the first students of the Seminary of Medellín, and other Colombian priests and women religious, whose canonization processes have begun; as well as so many others, thousands of unknown Colombians who in the simplicity of their daily lives knew how to give of themselves for the Gospel, and whom you hold dear in your memory and who encourage you in your own commitment.  They all show us that it is possible to respond faithfully to the Lord’s call, that it is possible to bear much fruit.

The good news is that the Lord is willing to cleanse us, that we will not be cut off, that as good disciples we are on the way.  How does Jesus eliminate those things which lead to death and which take hold of our lives and distort his call?  By inviting us to dwell in him.  Dwelling does not only signify being, but rather also indicates maintaining a relationship that is alive, existential and absolutely necessary; it means to live and grow in an intimate and fruitful union with Jesus, “the source of eternal life”.  Dwelling in Jesus cannot be a merely passive act or a simple abandonment without any consequences in our daily and concrete lives.  Allow me to propose three ways of making this “dwelling” effective:

 Dwelling by touching Christ’s humanity:

With the gaze and attitude of Jesus, who contemplates reality not as a judge, but rather as a good samaritan; who recognizes the value of the people who walk with him, as well as their wounds and sins; who discovers their silent suffering and who is moved by peoples’ needs, above all when they are overwhelmed by injustice, inhumane poverty, indifference or by the perverse actions of corruption and violence.

With Jesus’ gestures and words, which express love for those nearby and search for those far away; tender and firm in denouncing sin and in announcing the Gospel, joyful and generous in surrendering and in service, especially for the smallest among us, steadfastly rejecting the temptation to believe that all is lost, to accomodate ourselves or to become mere administrators of misfortune.

Dwelling by contemplating his divinity:

Awakening and sustaining an admiration for the study which increases knowledge of Christ because, as Saint Augustine reminds us, we cannot love someone we do not know (cf. Saint Augustine, The Trinity, Book X, ch. I, 3).

Giving priority, in this way of knowing, to the encounter with Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospel where Christ speaks to us, reveals his unconditional love for the Father, and instils the joy that comes from obedience to his will and from serving our brothers and sisters.  Whoever does not know the Scriptures, does not know Jesus.  Whoever does not love the Scriptures, does not love Jesus (cf. Saint Jerome, Preface to the Commentary on the Prophet Isaiah, PL 24, 17).  Let us spend time prayerfully reading the Word of God, listening to what God wishes for us and for our people.

May all of our study help us to interpret reality with the eyes of God, that it may not be a way of avoiding what is happening to our people, nor be subject to the whim of fashions or ideologies.  May our study not be overcome by nostalgia or the tendency to confine the mystery, nor may it be unwilling to respond to questions that people no longer ask themselves, and may it not abandon those who find themselves in an existential void and who question us from their worlds and cultures.    

Dwelling in and contemplating his divinity by making prayer a fundamental part of our lives and our apostolic service.  Prayer frees us from the burden of worldliness, and teaches us to live joyfully, to distance ourselves from what is superficial, in an exercise of true freedom.  Prayer draws us out of our self-centredness, from being reclusive in an empty religious experience; it leads us to place ourselves, with docility, in the hands of God in order to fulfil his will and to realize his plan of salvation.  And prayer teaches us to adore.  To learn to adore in silence. 

Let us be men and women who have been reconciled in order to reconcile.  Being called does not give us a certificate of right conduct and sinlessness; we are not clothed in an aura of holiness.  We are all sinners and we need forgiveness and God’s mercy to rise each day.  He uproots whatever is not good in us, as well as the wrong we have done, casting it out of the vineyard to be burned up.  He cleanses us so that we may bear fruit.  This is the merciful fidelity that God shows his people, of which we are part.  He will never leave us at the side of the road.  God does everything to prevent sin from defeating us and clsoing the doors of our lives to a future of hope and joy. 

Finally, dwelling in Christ in order to live joyfully:

If we remain in him, his joy will be in us.  We will not be sad disciples and bitter apostles.  On the contrary, we will reflect and be heralds of true happiness, a complete joy that no one can take away.  We will spread the hope of a new life that Christ has given to us.  God’s call is not a heavy burden that robs us of joy.  He does not want us to be immersed in a sadness and weariness that comes from activities lived poorly, but rather wants a spirituality that brings joy to our lives and even to our weariness.  Our contagious joy must be our first testimony to the closeness and love of God.  We are true dispensers of God’s grace when we reflect the joy that comes from encountering him. 

In the Book of Genesis, after the flood, Noah planted a vine as a sign of a new beginning; at the end of the Exodus, Moses sent scouts to inspect the promised land, who returned with a cluster of grapes, a sign that in the land flowed milk and honey.  God has looked upon us, our communities and families.  The Lord has cast his gaze on Colombia: you are a sign of this loving election.  It is now up to us to offer all our love and service while being united to Jesus, our vine.  To be the promise of a new beginning for Colombia, that leaves behind the floods of discord and violence, a Colombia that wants to bear abundant fruits of justice and peace, of encounter and solidarity.  May God bless you; may God bless the consecrated life in Colombia.  And, please, do not forget to pray for me.

(from Vatican Radio)

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