#the one who must not be named has 24 songs in his but he does have a whole bunch of life to connect songs to

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Something that’s kind of funny to me is that among my few character playlists, the Ahti II one has seven songs to its name (and one of them is a joke) and, just like as a random example, the Karleeen one has 18 songs. Like hmm I wonder which character I like, think about maybe a little more

[skemford]

I like talking about bendy characters so it’s time to touch up topic of… Joey Drew himself

Doing it before fade to black release on purpose :)

Here’s my analysis of his behaviour and on the illusion of living philosophy

It’s a huge read and I’ve enjoyed writing it!

(Continuation under the cut)

1. Joey’s family situation was hard on it’s own

Joey doesn’t talk about his parents way too much and mostly focuses on story elements (his father being a shoe maker and how his parents affected his childhood) rather than on his parents as their own people.

They weren’t rich and Joey talks about their family earning a “honest living” but at the same time, he describes how hard it was for his father.

“We weren’t rich. There was an honest living to be earned and Father did that with Mother keeping the books” (TIOL, page 18)

“I definitely saw her (mother) more than I saw Father, who sometimes would only appear briefly at the dinner table, hunched, brow furrowed, silently eating his meal. He’d disappear downstairs right after, and I’d help Mother with the washing up. (TIOL,page 18)

He comments on his father creating fake scenarios (elves helping him to work) to distract from hardship of needing to work a lot to be able to feed their family.

Joey has hard time of understanding ‘why’ he does that and how fantasy can help to work but he wants to believe. He tries to prove to himself that magic can be real.

"I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it” (TIOL, page 19)

“I couldn’t see the elves. They must have been sitting on the table itself, hidden behind Father. I pushed the door open just a little bit and stood taller on my tiptoes.” (TIOL, page 21)

Joey switches between wanting to believe in illusions and not wanting to. He’s scared of not being perceived as normal by others.

He says that it’s not okay to be deep into the fantasy but notes on the fact that he can grasp the concept.

“I knew about make-believe. Played it all the time with my friends. But I didn’t know that adults knew about make-believe too. I nodded. (TIOL, page 23)

After he asks his father directly, he explains his reasoning and says that make-believe helps to feel less lonely (I’ll note on this part, it’ll come in handy later) which changes Joey’s perspective greatly:

"But the make-believe, the little characters, the songs, that changed his reality. What was reality except what we perceive it to be? Elves and magic? Well, why not? (TIOL, page 24)

It’s everything we’ve got to know about his family.

Hard working to earn money for living, using escapism to cope and distant from each other because of their struggles.

This distance likely has continued to grow with years, since for some reason he escaped his home when he was 15 y.o (+ signed up to army); no one seems to actually care and he was left on his own.

1.1 Stage name

Talking about Joey’s distance from his family, he doesn’t use his real family surname or full form of his name.

It’s not something that was explored a lot in Bendy (among all of its content) but we know that he doesn’t like to be referred this way.

'Joey’ was a nickname that he picked up for himself when he was 19 y.o.

"I’m Detective Adam Sinclair. You’re Joseph Drew.” “Joey,” I said. It was a new nickname I was trying out, ever since I moved to the Village. (TIOL, page 88)

Usually he’s referred as 'Joseph’ by his family members or people who are distant to him/don’t know him well.

But "Joey” is not the only one name he gave to himself.

'Drew’ doesn’t look like a real surname. He likely picked it up after getting close with Henry.

Imo Drew is a fun pun name that’s related to Joey owning the studio (and “Joey drew Studios” (literally) in the case of the cycle)

It has never sounded real.

Employees handbook mentions some “Dempsey” person who invests their own costs into the studio:

(Receipts: Investor Deposit, J. Dempsey)

Their initials are “J.D.” which makes it’s obvious who they are.

Joey’s house also doesn’t look rich which would make sense if he put all his earnings into the studio itself.

Bendy devs like to pick names that fit characters & “Dempsey” means “arrogant person” which does fit Joey perfectly.

1.2 Joey is deeply ashamed of the way his family lived.

Everytime someone mentions anything he associates with his past (shoes, for example) he overthinks and creates imaginary conflicts with these people.

His negative thoughts about them take whole paragraphs of text; he tries to make himself believe that he doesn’t care about looking “less” in someone’s eyes. He looks for reasons why they're worse than him constantly.

"Probably trying to figure out my past, and that was none of his business. Then I told myself it didn’t matter because I didn’t care what he thought. I didn’t care much for him in general. He might have been richer than me at the time, but that’s where his superiority ended." ( TIOL, page 26)

He often downplays people because he's deeply insecure and is scared of being outcasted, especially by rich successful guys.

After doing so,he switches toward praising himself and names reasons for why he's better (classic Joey Drew behaviour)

He was a year younger than me, hadn’t fought, hadn’t signed up like I had, hadn’t lied about his age to fight for his country like I had. What could he say to an answer like that?Nothing. Absolutely nothing (TIOL, page 26)

Не believes that they need to feel sorry for this because they have no idea how much he struggled in the past.

2. He's insecure & scared of things he can't control

I could've continues this in previous paragraph but it's a bit different.

You see, while Joey was insecure of his past (things he associated with it acted as "triggers") he still was full of himself.

It was an act but it looked convincing enough; with time it became harder for him to keep it up.

It easily explains his behaviour in batim tapes.

When Joey tries to reassure everyone that he knows what's going on, he actually doesn't. He's as lost as everyone else, he tries to act only when he's forced to do so.

He lies to people and runs away from responsibility because he's scared of abruptness, something out of his control.

Joey shows fear of everything that's unknown to him but he tries to play it off somehow: he tries to be on top and be unpredictable to others.

He treats himself as a human that lives around unpredictable fictional characters that he can't control or read intentions of.

"My father though was a real person. I knew that deep down. But in this moment I saw him not as a son looking at his father but as a viewer looking at a fictional character." (TIOL, page 50)

It's mentioned in the novels that Joey likes theatre and he expresses his thoughts about it to Buddy in dctl.

Theatre operates in "cycles":

Actors play their parts→ the audience applaud→ actors bow→ performance ends→ performance begins and so on.

It's has a pattern and won't introduce anything that will caught you off guard. It's "safe" and as a part of audience,you don't need to perform, you only watch.

Does it remind you of batim's cycle? Outside of holding grudges toward Henry and wanting to run away from everything Joey has performed with GENT, he also searches for control while not being included directly.

HE decides what will happen to the cycle residents. HE writes the story that other people can barely affect. HE blames other people for studio's downfall and makes them suffer for his wrongdoings.

Joey knows that he has failed but he can't process it. He doesn't know what will happen and he's scared of being put into situations he can't predict.

It's really shows how insecure he became with years.

3. Why Henry is important?

Why exactly Joey couldn't replace one man he didn't knew for a really long time? What made Henry so special to him?

We don't get a big insist on their friendship but it can be said that their short-lived bond was strong or at least Joey believed that it was.

Henry seems to be Joey's role model of sort even if Joey doesn't want to acknowledge it.

Joey notes on how Henry changed the course of his life without knowing about this

Henry is a determinated man who went for a career in art because he knew what he wanted & he stayed on this path no matter how hard it was to get any recognition.

Henry's the man who makes decisions and acts when he needs to.

Meanwhile, Joey feels lost his whole life. He searches for answers,purpose or a place with a "soul".

Henry gave him new meaning for life. Creative path with endless possibilities that Joey could build from scratch.

Joey was heartbroken when Henry left, doesn't matter for hard he tries to act like he wasn't.

"His presence was helpful, I can happily admit, but his absence was even more so. Not having him at the studio ended up being one of the best things that could have happened to it" (TIOL, page 138)

For some time his life was revolving around Henry. He knew what to do and what will happen, Henry always pushed him to the right decisions.

He says so directly in batim chapter 5:

"The truth is, you were always so good at pushing, old friend... pushing me to do the right thing"

With loosing Henry, Joey lost his newly gained purpose in life. It wasn't something that he was able to figure out by himself & it made him blind to the road that lies ahead.

He's angry at Henry for being like "other people" that he hates. For leaving him behind when he's scared of being alone.

We don't know about Henry's perspective much but he strikes me as someone who would be supportive of Joey at first.

He made some of Joey's ideas real and left only after a breaking point.

3.1 "Cartoon family"

Joey is deeply attached to main JDS toons that he "mutually" owns with Henry.

Especially, it's noteciable with toon Bendy who was called his child on a couple of occasions:

"Bendy was Joey’s child, and he felt just as strongly about Bendy as I feel about my flesh-and-blood son" © Nathan Arch (TIOL, page 5)

"He was my very first creation—one could even call him my firstborn." (TIOL, page 12)

Joey not only sees Bendy as his child but he also relates to him.

He draws parallels between them both, calls bendy manifestation of "the illusion of living" and shows some of his mannerisms (as he says)

Joey wants to see himself as Bendy.

A character who's loved by kids and adults alike and who always has friends around.

"I tell people that Bendy is the perfect example of my philosophy." (TIOL, page 12)

"To know that I needed a creation so perfect, so accessible to so many people, that it would help me change the way the world saw itself." (TIOL, page 13)

In Joey's apartment the only one picture in frame that he owns is illustration/animation cell of toons drawn by 'Henry Stein':

They're depicted holding hands with Bendy being in the middle of both; it's portrays closeness between them and Bendy's importance in the picture

But was it's actually signed up by Henry or Joey is the one who did it for himself?

We know from batim (and batdr notes) that Joey's signature is "your best pal" which makes this case...a bit complicated

Joey could've wanted to pretend that Henry is still close to him and decided to sign up drawing with his name

Or possibly it was signed up by Henry somewhere in the past. In this case, Joey could've adopted Henry's signature as his own.

Both speculations have place to be real and we can't prove any of them.

Joey's known for pretending (which would fit with the 1st possibility) but he's also stuck in the past and stole a lot of ideas that belong to other people.

Imo it can be interpreted based on the way you see him.

4. Why was Susie fired?

Joey's obsessed with everything that is related to Bendy which can be seen with him being angry about "crooked bendy dolls" or bendy expression sheet in batim ch 2.

We can speculate that Susie Campbell wasn't fired from the role of Alice's voice actress for any valid reason BUT because Joey felt personally offended.

As Norman says in dctl, Alice Angel was really popular for a bit, which possibly could have been unacceptable for Joey.

Bendy is the main character Joey relates to and he wouldn't have wanted to be overshadowed in any way.

Susie being fired and humiliated (for not knowing that she was in fact fired) is the consequence of Joey's insecurity.

Susie claims that "she was absolutely perfect for the role" at first so at some point Joey completely changed his perspective.

Any character getting attention would be good for the studio. Firing a voice actress that helps to get this attention lacks logical reasoning.

After Joey "calms down" he has a conversation with Susie about 'an opportunity' he has for her. This opportunity is Susie being the first (speculated to) human sacrifice. He believed that she'd have been a perfect Alice.

Joey puts Bendy above Boris and Alice (like he does with himself & other people) so him acting pitiful about any other character getting popular does makes sense.

But he still cares about them...to some degree.

"Boris was special, Alice was complicated." (TIOL, page 154)

Joey having complicated feelings with Alice as character is really interesting and it's perfectly reflects what he was thinking about Susie.

She was a perfect voice actress to others but wasn't to him. He thought that she'll be a perfect Alice (after the ink machine was created) but she failed to be.

"She was beautiful. And loved by all. She was perfect...No matter what Joey says." (batim chapter 3, Susie talking about herself in 3rd person)

In dctl he claims that he relates failed experiments to "people not being real enough" or says that they weren't pure.

At the end, Joey basically has decided to pretend that she never was real

Susie is never mentioned in his memoir and she's almost fully erased from studio's history.

In Batdr's studio tour (music department part) "Susie Campbell" was replaced with "Allison Pendle"; meaning that Allison is officially the only one Alice Angel voice actress according to him.

5. The ink demon

It's one of the most interesting parts here and I'm sure that a lot of people have talked about him better that I'll.

The ink demon is a "product" of mistreatment, Joey's unhealthy projecting and capitalism (duh)

Joey saw Bendy as his son

He wanted to be like Bendy, someone who's loved and can always escape from troubles

One of reasons to bring Bendy to life is his marketability. Joey wanted "alive attractions" he can get money from.

The ink demon wasn't able to fullfil any expectations that Joey had.

He was passive and harmless (at first) but to Joey, he's not a cheerful toon that he has always dreamed about.

One of main issues that Joey has with him is that he's off-model:

"Listen Tommy, i know you boys over at Gent are doing your best but I'm paying for living attractions,not walking abominations. Whatever that grinning thing was i saw walking around your office,you better keep it up locked tight! Might scare off investors!..." (batim chapter 5)

"Grinning thing" and "walking abomination." The ink demon is completely dehumanised because he's not marketable.

As it was mentioned earlier, Joey sees Bendy as a perfect being and relates to him

He doesn't want to relate to the ink demon; for this reason, he separates them both.

Joey has hard time with accepting "failures". They either get forgotten, dumped or he tries to change them somehow.

The ink demon is a mistake that Joey and GENT have tried to "fix" for years. "A monster" that has shattered Joey's dreams.

5.1 The ink demon's sense of self

It's Joey character analysis so this point won't be too big.

The ink demon was treated like a mistake for being different:

Closed off, isolated, put in the cycle,tortured.

He was in the place where no one would care because he's not "a perfect bendy". Most of it comes from Joey or is related to him in some way.

Everyone saw him as a monster and he has accepted this role.

We know how it went in batim/batdr.

Worth to mention that unlike Joey, he has never lied in batdr. It's either harsh truth or projecting.

6. Ink Children

Allison was close to Joey and had a good impact on him,as he claims.

Indirectly, she made him want to have a family with the help of the ink machine.

I doubt that this decision has come from the place of jealousy toward Henry (who has a family) unless future content will somehow prove that I'm wrong. Joey can have one good intention while failing everywhere else.

Joey could've wanted to have a family to prove that there's still something good in him.

He was scared of dying alone and being forgotten.

"I hadn’t known that at the time. It gave me chills. The thought of success only after death, now that terrified me. That was not the plan and would never be the plan" (TIOL, page 122)

We don't know how many children have perished until the final, perfect one. And we can't claim what exactly has happened to them.

We don't get much details about the creation process of artificial "almost humans".

The only one we heard (outside of Audrey) is "AD" (name of the file) from batim chapter 5

"Tell me another one,uncle Joey..." ("AD" in batim post credits)

And sadly,you can't say much based on this.

They could've been physically unstable and die on their own terms

(milk packages from Joey's kitchen table in batim chapter 5. All of them were stained with ink)

If they stained object with ink by interacting with them, it could've become worse with time.

Again,with lack of context,it's almost impossible to debate for or against this idea. Was that's a thing for other ink creatures?

Susie does brings up in batim that she was "a shapeless slug" at first.

Joey didn't changed much and dumped imperfect ones

Honestly this part depends on how much you believe that he could grow as a character.

(memo from batdr, GENT building)

The way Joey talks about "other versions" sounds... indifferent.

Which is weird, because he did spend time with "AD" from batim by entertaining her with stories when she has asked him to

Does he tries to justify them being dumped OR he's distracting from the fact that they didn't had a chance to properly exist?

It feels like it was left for interpretation on purpose.

6.1 Audrey Drew

Second and last artificial child after "AD" that we canonically know about.

For Joey, creating something perfect that will outlive him could've been a key to his definition of immortality. He wanted to leave something after his death that people could know about. A piece of "perfect art"

"...Of course, I intend to live forever, so that will never happen! Ha, a joke indeed, but in a way not a joke, for what is art but a doorway into immortality? The greatest Illusion of Living then, living on after we are no longer alive. What is more of an illusion than that?" (TIOL, page 219)

Joey makes jokes about living eternally even before the ink machine's existence.

After it's creation, it's wasn't something that he has planned but he was ready for this fate (for one reason or another)

At the end of his life, Audrey has became a thing he'll live through eternally. And Memory!Joey is here ig

Memory!Joey basically calls Audrey his magnum opus:

"...My Greatest creation" (batdr, final Memory!Joey custscene)

Which further established that Joey is more proud of Audrey than he ever was on the Bendy franshise (it's hard to be proud of the stolen ideas, peoples deaths or the cycle,eh?)

Audrey seems to share adventurous spirit of young Joey (in his early 20s) & determination

They both got dragged into events they didn't asked for:

Joey (when he was 19 y.o) by detective Sinclair who has blamed him for a murder.

Audrey by Wilson Arch who has wanted to murder her.

6.2 Audrey and the ink demon

Similar trauma, different outcomes and treatment.

How present Joey was in Audrey's life? Why did they got separated at one point even before he has died?

Is there's something Memory!Joey hides from Audrey on purpose?

Batdr archives mention that Audrey has repressed her memories but what and why exactly?

In batdr the ink demon interacts a lot with Audrey which holds huge significance on the story.

In his first interaction with her he says "ink speaks to me and whispers your secrets" so the ink machine (who seems to hold some sense of identity) does know too.

The ink demon heavily relates to Audrey through the game. They were both left alone (in different ways) and they share one creator.

"You are without the purpose. Your very existence.. was a terrible lie...you're a mistake. A monster. Just like me." (batdr, the ink demon, last playable segment)

He heavily projects on her through this last interaction. Audrey does has a purpose,she was created to be a daughter Joey did wanted and loved. As much as Joey Drew could love at least, if you see this part as debatable.

But there's one thing he's right about, her existence is a lie.

Joey put burden of "protecting the cycle" on her while she thought that she's an orphan.

Batdr archives also question how much agency she has, which i find interesting.

7. "The illusion of living" (or TL;DR for this analysis)

The art of lying masterfully and manual on how to justice God complex.

Joey describes his life from early childhood (when he was 5 y.o.) and to the point of him being 42-43 y.o., a bit before the ink machine was created.

This book is about a man who couldn't find his purpose in life even with the help of other people and decided to blame everyone for this.

Lies, accusations, insults, distorted information, searching for "a soul" (literally and figuratively) and never ending hidden sadness after he lost Henry.

He tries to replace this empty gap with letting their creations become his whole life but it doesn't end well... (the ink demon,dead employees and the cycle)

He tries to separate himself from this and focused on creating a family.

Artificial daughters are electric boogalo №2 (unexpected direct sequel) which has ended working somehow.

But still,i wouldn't trust this man even a pet rock and the ink demon & Audrey are a proof on 'why.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trivial facts (bendy employees handbook/the illusion of living):

>He loves mac n cheese

>Joey meet Sammy at a theatre when they were teens

>Joey loves throwing peanuts at theatre actors

>In Joey Drew studios you can celebrate only main toons birthday or Joey's birthday. Other birthdays are prohibited.

>Joey stole award that Sammy has earned

> Joey officially is an employee of the month eternally...

> Joey stoles ideas for cartoons from employees and they don't get even a couple of cents for this (woah! How surprising /j)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to everyone who interacted with my Audrey analysis earlier!

[adachimoe]

PSC Eps 25-26 "Ah-ha, I SEES it!"

Last time: Ep 1 + Explanation, Eps 2 + 4, Ep 5, Eps 6 + 7 (no Q&A), Eps 8 + 9, Eps 10 + 11 (plus PSC Cafe), Eps 12/13/18/19, Eps 20/23/24

Episode 25:

Q: I think that all the awesome music plays a big part in Persona's appeal. I have a lot of favorites, but pieces like "Mass Destruction", "Deep Breath Deep Breath", and many others are masterpieces that defy the long held beliefs about what video game music is. And with so many bangers, there must be discarded songs that were made but never used. Can the Stalker Club skill those pieces with Endure Dark before they get buried in the Mudo of history?! A: If you made it, then you can find a suitable place for it to play, so there are no pieces that got discarded even though they had been completed. If anything, there are some sad incidents where, due to a change of direction, a BGM no longer fits something, but in such cases, rather than discarding it, it gets recycled to play somewhere appropriate. That said, it is thought that behind one completed song is multiple rough drafts that exist in the form of tunes being hummed. However, the existence of these drafts could not be verified because the composer already Mudo'd them himself.

(I added in the Mudo part cause I figured people would recognize that as a skill name faster than Endure Dark)

Q: In Persona 4, Chie's Persona Tomoe is wearing a helmet. Is the helmet-shape actually her head, or is she just wearing a helmet? A: When it comes to a Persona's appearance, there is no clear distinction made between their body and their accessories. But, if one must dare to say which is which, that's a helmet. Since Personas are beings that have transformed from Shadows, they are often designed with a "mask" of sorts similar to the enemy Shadows. And in Tomoe's case, hers is her helmet.

Episode 26:

An Akihiko-focused question session because his voice actor, Hikaru Midorikawa, was the guest.

Q: Sanada's Persona Caesar was such a womanizer that he was called "Rome's Lover" and he held a title like "Debt King" which gives him the opposite image of Sanada. How did he go from Polydeuces to Caesar? A: Because his Arcana is the Emperor. That Caesar was able to fearlessly carry out innovative reforms corresponds with Akihiko's strength. Furthermore, the history with how Caesar lost his standing then made a comeback and became synonymous with the title "Emperor" is similar to Sanada's story and so forth.

(This answer says "became Emperor" (皇帝となった). I added in "synonymous with" so this would sound historically accurate. In the old P3 artbook, they also say that Caesar was "known for being the Emperor of the Roman Empire". In P3 Reload, the Persona profile says his name became a name for Roman Emperors, so they corrected it for Reload.)

Q: There are many flavors of protein such as strawberry, chocolate, etc. What is Sanada's favorite? Or will any do? A: Sanada takes protein because that's logical to him as both a boxer and as someone who wants to get stronger. Taste barely even registers to him as a deciding factor. I'm certain that if an ingredient was the best for one's strength, he would say, "I'll try it" and put it in his mouth even if it's bitter or spicy. Q: Why does Sanada never wear his uniform jacket during the game? He doesn't even wear it in winter. A: Normally, he'd wear it at school and other places, so it's not as though he has a hang-up that causes him to stubbornly refuse to wear it. However, a blazer would restrict his movement when boxing or fighting, so it's more like he's never seen wearing it when interacting with the protagonist. He might seem really extreme at first, living his life like he's ready to fight 24/7, but he has been attacked by a Full Moon Shadow at the dorm where he lives. When you think about that, it doesn't seem so extreme.

Episode 26 was the last episode of Persona Stalker Club. After, they had a special stream where they announced the release date of Persona 5, then the show changed into Persona Stalker Club V for Persona 5 coverage. I might have misread this, but afaik, the Q&A section didn't return until the very last episode of V (episode 10). Anyway, next post = V episode 10 and then done done.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

No recollection

Part two to this idea - yes, already, I have a terrible case of mdzs brain worms disease today.

Part one here

This is the final part to this AU. From this point on, canon ensues (without the confession, you'll see why)

Warnings: Lan Qiren is especially cruel here (sorry, daddy)

Let me know what you think and thanks again to everyone that's been so supportive of me writing this!

Wei Wuxian wakes up in a place that he's not supposed to be in once again within 24 hours and he's starting to grow suspicious. How many coincidences can there be in a day before it becomes a pattern?

For one, he keeps losing consciousness. This is never a good thing in general, but given his predicament, it's even worse. He doubts it has anything to do with the sacrificial ritual, he has fulfilled Mo Xuanyu's wishes, the cuts on his arm are all gone and he has no other injuries elsewhere on his body. For all he knows, this body is now his own, no holds barred.

However, he doesn't remember anything about his previous life. Anything that seems even remotely significant for him causes him immense amounts of pain and -

He jolts up immediately, panicked, ignoring the pain that shoots through his body. He blacked out again, he definitely remembers that - what did he say this time? Did he scream the same thing? Did anyone hear him?!

He scrambles to recollect last night's events. He knows he blacked out, but he did wake up still in the forest at some point - a different part of it, but he definitely remembers waking up there. Several other things happened after that, and then he woke up this morning in this strange new place.

Which means that he must have blacked out again. That makes it, what, four times in one day.

It's definitely a pattern now.

Wei Wuxian sighs, laying back down. He doesn't know what happened when he blacked out, but he must have run away before he said or did anything incriminating. And anyway, that kid wouldn't have probably known what he was on about if he did hallucinate again.

Next thing he remembers is carving out a flute out of a bamboo shoot, a rudimentary thing and - playing a song. He would have never guessed himself a flutist, much less the kind that could summon something with it, but it seems as though his body knew all these things better than he did.

Then... someone showed up. Not just someone, some people. A lot of people. He doesn't know who any of them were, but trying to remember them hurt so much he collapsed to the ground, unable to think or even breathe. There has been screaming, fighting, maybe - he can't remember, hadn't focused on that at the time, it all hurt too much.

But there was one person that it didn't hurt being around.

---

The door to the house opens. Wei Wuxian has been walking around, inspecting the place and trying to make sense of his circumstances for a while now, so, dee in his thoughts, he hasn't noticed the sound, or the presence of someone else in his vicinity.

"Wei Ying."

He nearly jumps out of his skin at the voice, and sheer panic adds on to that seconds later. A man in those same white robes and forehead ribbon as the juniors - a man whose presence elicits the same bone-chilling terror - is standing just a few feet away from him, holding a tray of food.

He appears... concerned. Confused.

How does he know Wei Wuxian's name? Why is he using it so casually? Is this the man that's the source of Wei Wuxian fear?

It can't be, no, he would be dead if that was the case. Not to mention, though he can't remember him, Wei Wuxian doesn't feel any pain in his body when he tries to.

"Wh-who are you?" Wei Wuxian asks, unable to hide the fear in his voice, taking a step further back when the man tries to get close to him.

"Wei Ying, are you feeling alright?"

He tries to get close again, but Wei Wuxian walks even further back, and tries not to show his fear upon his back touching the wall.

"Stay away!" he warns, trying to sound scary, hoping his instincts take over and he can do some of those cultivation tricks from before and escape. "Don't-don't come any closer!"

The man puts the tray down and seems - even more confused now? He places his sword on the table, and Wei Wuxian's eyes cannot help but be drawn to it. It's beautiful, masterfully crafted, shining into the morning light. He feels that frustrating sensation again, of information being just barely out of his reach in his brain. He should know the name of this sword.

"I will not hurt you." The man says, and holds his hands up as proof to show he is unarmed. "I never have hurt you."

Wei Wuxian believes him, but he's still scared. Why is he so scared, what have these people done to him?

"What's your name?"

"Lan Zhan, courtesy name Wangji." the man replies, but he does it sorrowfully, like he expects Wei Wuxian to have known it and is greatly pained that he doesn't.

Why does this man appear so incredibly sad all of a sudden? He looks at Wei Wuxian in such a way that's both soft and aching, longing and regretful, and his features seem to have lost color, like he was losing hope for something.

"I've brought you food. Please trust that it is not poisoned. You are not comfortable with me here, so I will take my leave."

He turns around, walks past the table and towards the door but-

"Your sword." Wei Wuxian says. "You should take it."

"It will not harm you." Lan Wangji responds, but doesn't turn around. "You can use it to defend yourself if you feel in danger. It will obey you."

Wei Wuxian slides down the wall, not knowing whether he's relieved or even more conflicted now. A cultivator's sword is their pride, their companion, their most prized possession. Why would this man leave his own with Wei Wuxian?

And why would the sword obey him if he is not its owner?

Lan Wangji slides the door open and Wei Wuxian calls after him before he can stop it.

"Please, stay."

"No. You are... afraid of me." Lan Wangji says, and he almost sounds like he's crying as he does.

"I... I don't know what's going on with me." Wei Wuxian's eyes begin filling with tears, overwhelmed and fearful and frustrated. "I don't remember anything, and when I try, it hurts and..." he's desperately trying to wipe at his eyes, but the more he does it, the more tears fall. "...you're the only one that it doesn't hurt trying to remember."

He hears the door slide shut.

Oh, has Lan Wangji left? Maybe he really doesn't want to be around Wei Wuxian now, especially since he seemed so disappointed when Wei Wuxian didn't recognize him... will he go tell the rest of his clan? Will they come kill him?

But he suddenly feels himself enveloped in warmth and sandalwood scent. Lan Wangji is... holding him?

"You stayed?" he asks, between sobs, and burrows against the man even though he feels like he shouldn't.

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian curls up against Lan Wangji and wishes he could make himself small and stay there, hidden away, for the rest of his life. This is the safest he has been since he's been revived, and the longest he's gone without being in pain. Maybe this is the safest he's been in two lifetimes.

"I'm not scared of you." he finally says, and feels Lan Wangji's arms tighten around him, "You look like the person I'm scared of, but you aren't them."

Lan Wangji swallows hard. He has an idea of who it might just be that Wei Wuxian is so afraid of that resembles him so much. But Wei Wuxian doesn't remember that person now, and perhaps it's better this way.

"Can I ask you something, Lan Zhan?"

His heart leaps with both joy and ache upon hearing Wei Wuxian use his birth name again. He's never thought he'll ever hear it again.

"Ask."

"Was I really a bad person before?" Wei Wuxian's voice trembles on the last syllable, and his eyes tear up again. "Was I the kind of person that's worthy of being hated?"

Lan Wangji kisses the top of his head, and Wei Wuxian feels two tear droplets that aren't his own. "No. You were good and kind and brave. You were everything. You are still."

"Then why..." And he can't suppress a sob, "...why did they kill me? Why did they want to kill my son?"

Lan Wangji lets out a gasp and a pained sound and holds Wei Wuxian even closer, his own quiet sobs joining Wei Wuxian's.

They cry like that for a while, in each other's arms, and even when they stop, at last, they don't let go. Wei Wuxian asks, and Lan Wangji tells him everything he knows, from the moment they met to the present. How he was like, how much people admired him, how much Lan Wangji himself did. What happened during the war, how he saved the Wen remnants, how he stood up against injustice and how he lost his life for it.

The memories slowly, ever so slowly, return to Wei Wuxian. They don't hurt as much when it's Lan Wangji comforting him, and even when they do (the memory of his golden core surgery has been especially harrowing), he knows Lan Wangji is there for him in case he blacks out again. He never does, not even through the worst memories.

"I saved your son." Lan Wangji whispers in Wei Wuxian's hair, loud enough only for them two to hear. "I went looking for you in the Burial Mounds, and I found him there."

Wei Wuxian whimpers, in pain, and his fingers grip onto Lan Wangji's wrist. "I-I wanted to... hide him..." he manages, "...but he followed me and I had to fight him off..."

"You don't have to remember that now, Wei Ying. It's late, you're tired."

"No, I want to. I have to. I have to know..."

Lan Wangji sighs. "It was my uncle. Lan Qiren. He was acting sect leader at the time."

Wei Wuxian grunts in pain again, louder this time. Lan Wangji begins humming their song quietly, and Wei Wuxian relaxes against him once more.

"He wanted to kill A-Yuan. Said all evil must be eliminated from root." Wei Wuxian says, but he doesn't sound pained anymore. He's angry. "He almost - I had to overpower the stygian tiger amulet to stop him. That's how I destroyed half of it, and how I died."

"Wei Ying..."

"I begged him to just kill me and leave the child alone. I begged him to take me hostage if he wanted, I'd do whatever he asked. I'd give him Chenqing, the amulet, my notes, my soul, everything. He refused."

"You wouldn't have... you wouldn't have died if he hadn't..."

It's Wei Wuxian's turn to sigh. "If your uncle hadn't found me, A-Yuan and I would have hidden in the Burial Mounds together for as long as my body would hold. Probably a month or two at most."

He lifts his head, his eyes meet Lan Wangji's shocked, tearful ones, and he hopes a little smile and a gentle hand on his face will make the landing easier. "I was dying anyway. My days were already numbered."

"Wei Ying..."

"I'd been dying for a long time before it actually happened. The Burial Mounds isn't a place for the living."

Lan Wangji says nothing, and begins humming their song again, to comfort them both. Wei Wuxian joins him, and they harmonize, body and soul.

They don't say it, but the song ends with "I love you" anyway.

[minsungchronology]

My Personal Opinions on Minsung's Dynamic (2021)

Disclaimer: I am not trying to pass off my opinions as facts. This is my personal interpretation of what is laid out right in front of us. I could be completely off base because I don’t know these guys personally, so take this with a grain of salt and feel free to disagree!

Good god their flirting has really ramped up this year.

If 2020 was subtle, then this year it’s more on the surface. I really think 2021 is where you get to see just how good their chemistry is and how well they bounce off of each other.

I think at this point they’ve found their footing and are very comfortable with each other. It’s so interesting to see their progression on camera, when you get to watch everything in order from the beginning to now. I keep saying this but it’s actually such a fun experience. There’s not a lot of content during the first half of the year because of Kingdom mostly. But the show really shows you how insane each member’s work ethic is, how talented they are, and how hard they work as a group. Not just with each other, but the staff who are with them 24/7 as well.

But back to the main topic:

They seem a lot surer of themselves and are blatantly flirty. Han is the boldest he’s ever been (the development). The members are openly more 😏🤔😟 of them. I think the teasing comes back in full force this year. 

First (I noted this in the video), this moment is debatable to me:

I know a lot of shippers talk about this one even though it’s not explicitly confirmed, but it’s during the Chan’s room Vlive where Lee Know recommends a few songs, one of them being Johnny Balik’s Honey. They briefly talk about the song and how LK has an affinity for listening to multiple songs of the same artist, etc. Then all of a sudden Chan asks if he likes “honey” with an almost teasing? tone of voice. LK is a bit taken aback by his question and is like “why do you ask?” And Chan says, “just because”.

I’m on the side that Chan was deliberately trying to tease him about Han “Hannie” (his name sounds like honey when you add the -ie particle). On multiple occasions, the members have also made connections with Han’s name and honey before, especially with JYP’s “Honey” song. LK’s confused reaction kind of adds on to that with him quickly saving the question by answering about actual 🍯. But again, this moment is debatable b/c it’s not as clear cut like the other moments I’ve placed in this project. I’m actually curious to see what opinions people have on this moment.

Then there’s Seungmin who blatantly says they act “lovey dovey” off camera (lmfao what tf does he see??????) and commenting on their photobooth photos and how they look like a couple. I think out of all the members, him and Changbin have the least filter when it comes to LK and Han. Chan is a close third.

Then there’s I.N feeling like a “third wheel” during the cooking show and subtlety alluding to that because of their high energy together.

Now onto the moments that make me go “what??”:

In Mysterious Kitchen, Lee Know asks himself what his favorite food is and Han very quietly but instantly blurts out “Me”. Man forgot the cameras were on for a second. 😭

Then comes the infamous Vlive where LK forgets to tell Han he turned on the speaker to his phone. Han ends up calling him “Jagi” through the phone and starts stuttering and panicking as soon as he realizes that everyone and their mom can hear him. If they played it off as a joke I wouldn’t raise my brows towards it at all, but Han panicked, so it must mean something and how they want/don’t want to be perceived at this point in time.

Han does come on his next live and clarifies that he also calls the other members that and vice versa (which again, it’s normal to use terms of endearment towards your friends), but him getting nervous and stuttering on himself when being caught with calling LK that is quite telling.

And then all of a sudden after this incident you have them openly calling other members “Jagi” on camera,,, when that has NEVER happened before. (LK did it as a joke back in 2018 at a fansign, but it was still a joke at the end of the day so…)

Another moment I want to point out is how LK mentioned on the radio show that Han is a “Yes man” when it comes to him (feel like this is also very much reciprocated, you’ll see this a lot next year). Recently, a Two Kids show episode came out and Han talked about how he doesn’t like hanging out with people in general. In the past, he’s also been open about being more of a homebody than someone who is constantly out and about. Compared to him, LK is more outdoorsy and adventurous, so it’s speaks volumes when Han almost always agrees to LK’s suggestions, and LK immediately understanding Han’s boundaries without any protest when he’s like “I don’t want to go out today, I already used up my energy for that”. Getting a little glimpse of that just shows you how well they “get” each other and how mutual/healthy their friendship (as we can see) is.

Personal Opinions:

I think this year, they are very much at a place where they’re the most comfortable they’ve ever been with each other.  I still think at this point they consider each other to be just friends and are able to maintain that, but they have no reservations playfully flirting with each other and even toe the line sometimes. Like the other members also seem to be very much aware that they have a special bond and aren’t shy about teasing them.

I also believe very, very late into this year, there’s a glaring awareness between them that the “more than platonic” feelings are mutual. But, again, they’re able to maintain their friendship while realizing that they might have something *special*. That’s probably why all of the playful flirting manifested this year.

2022 is where things start to get noticeably blurrier in the platonic/non-platonic department. It’s where I also believe at some point, maybe in the middle of that year, before or very early on in the Maniac Tour, is when they started something.

[poorlittlegreenie13]

Greenie's Masterlist — Come & join the party <3

About Me:

Hi! My name is Greenie, which is a reference from David Bowie's song The Jean Genie which has the lyric "Poor little Greenie" in it.

I'm a 20-something lesbian virgo, triple earth sign, eternal-student, Donna Tartt enthusiast, 90's alt rock enthusiast, record-collector, & fic writer <3.

This blog doesn't have a specific theme... I go wherever the muses take me. Below you'll find links to & descriptions of all of my fics sorted by fandom.

Link to my AO3

Stories:

The Bear:

Rules For (fake) Dating an Italian 🇮🇹 - Sydney/Carmy. Complete, WC: 100K.

WANTED: Female, aged 20-30, to be my date for Christmas eve dinner with my Italian family. Must be willing to eat my mom’s cooking. No physical intimacy required. No strings attached—I will drive you home after. 4pm-10pm, 12/24. Salary negotiable. Call Carmen: (773) 555-0901.

OR: The one in which Sydney just needs a job, and Carmy will die before he proves Richie right.

Yellowjackets:

Wretched Things 🔥 - Jackie/Shauna, Taissa/Van, Lottie/Natalie. Complete, WC: 260K

It’s been five years since Shauna Sadecki volunteered for Jackie Taylor at the Reaping and won the 45th Hunger Games. Now, at the second annual Quarter Quell, everyone who has been previously Reaped is eligible to be thrown back into the arena. That includes former best friends Lottie and Natalie, and former lovers Van and Taissa.

(aka, me offering up another Yellowjackets Hunger Games AU)

The Killing of a Sacred Doe 🦌 - Lottie/Natalie, Jackie/Shauna, (minor Tai/Van, minor Natalie/Shauna). In progress.

|| Inspired by The Secret History by Donna Tartt || (but can be read without having read TSH)

By every metric that matters, Natalie Scatorccio should not have been admitted to Wiskayok Conservatory for The Arts. She didn’t have the test scores, or the tuition money, or any particular talent or ambition that might have made her a promising asset for a conservatory to acquire. She did have a drinking problem, a dead father, and no other option. So sure, why not art school? It was better than rehab. Or jail. 

let the light in 🖤 - Van/Taissa. Complete, WC: 5k.

“Take me home, please, Van.”

Taissa’s words are soft. Not a question, just a destination. They have always been heading here.

(Post finale getting-back-together fic)

Six of Crows / Shadow & Bone:

angelum mortis amo 🪽 - Jesper/Wylan. Complete, WC: 45k.

Jesper and Wylan are both hitmen from rival gangs. Wylan tries to kill Jesper. It goes about as well as you might expect.

(Featuring crazy-in-love Wylan Van Eck, flirting-at-gunpoint Jesper Fahey, and mob boss Kaz Brekker).

Show Me Yours 🐦‍⬛ - Jesper/Wylan. Complete, WC: 20k.

Wylan's past abuse hovers over him like a shadow. Jesper's gambling addiction binds him like a chain. But as they grow closer, it turns out secrets can melt like ice in the right kind of warmth.

(A character study of TV show-Wylan & Jesper & the way their backstories could factor into the progression of their relationship).

Stranger Things:

Star Star ✨ - Steve/Eddie (minor Chrissy/Robin). Complete, WC: 93K.

Rock band AU in which Robin, Eddie, Jonathan, Nancy, and Chrissy play in a band, and Steve has no choice but to hang out with the most annoying frontman in the world, Eddie Munson. Things escalate when they're forced to pretend they're in a relationship.

Modern AU, fake-dating (kind of).

I Buried a Hatchet (it's coming up lavender) 🪓 - Robin/Nancy (minor Steve/Eddie). Complete, WC: 60K.

Vecna nearly killed Robin before Nancy could take him out for good. Luckily, Robin's too stubborn to die, and Nancy's too stubborn to let her. Nursing her back to health, Nancy soon begins to question the feelings that almost losing Robin awoke in her.

In which Nancy has to do everything herself, compulsory heterosexuality is a bitch, and Robin Buckley is more charming than she thinks she is.

Harry Potter / Marauders:

Burn, Pine, Perish 🎶 - James/Regulus (minor Sirius/Remus). Complete, WC: 33k.

Sirius' family has magically forbidden him from dating anyone until Regulus finds a suitable pureblood partner. The problem is, Sirius is in love with a certain werwolf, and Regulus' romantic inclinations remain a mystery.

James, a pureblood, is nothing if not eager to help a friend.

AKA - A '10 Things I Hate About You' AU in which James attempts to woo Regulus so Sirius can have a chance with Remus.

Lonely Bones 🦴 - Draco/Hermione. Incomplete, on indefinite hiatus, I'm sorry, please stop asking me when I'm going to finish it, your guess is as good as mine, final answers is... sometime, probably, maybe?

Hermione Granger can't sleep. Draco Malfoy can't walk. The war is over, but it feels like it isn't. Neither of them are happy, but maybe the times together are better than the times apart. 

Draco is cursed in the battle of Hogwarts with unhealable bone fractures. Hermione is in desperate need of money to bring her parents back from Australia, and when Narcissa offers her a job attempting to cure Draco, she has no choice but to take it.

A League of Their Own:

It's Rotten Work 💐 - Jess/Lupe. Complete. WC: 10K.

Nobody's ever taken care of Jess McCready.

Not until she met Lupe García, anyway.

(In which Jess is oblivious, Lupe is romantic, and both of them are a little bit confused.)

Devour What's Truly Yours 🏴‍☠️ written in collaboration with the lovely @somebodytoundress - Jess/Lupe. Complete, WC: 37K.

Lupe Garcia had planned to go down with her pirate ship when it was raided by Spanish soldiers one dreadful night. Bleeding out on the deck, she accepted her fate—until an infamous ghostly captain with no name and a haunting face rescued her from the burning ship and nursed her back to health. With no ship, no crew, and no fortune, the solution is clear for Lupe. She‘s going to kill this captain and take over her crew so she may return to ruling the seas. And she’s definitely not going to fall in love with her.

Simply Elegant 🚬 - Jess/Lupe. Complete, WC: 7K.

Lupe is the most popular jock in school.

Jess is a burnout weed dealer.

Lupe goes to Jess to buy weed for a party, and things progress from there.

Bein' Good Isn't Always Easy ⛪️ - Jess/Lupe. Complete. WC: 32K.

The hottest part of summer, working in a guitar shop in the heart of Texas, Jess has the worst sunburn of her life. And she has the hots for the preacher’s daughter. She’s not sure which is worse.

Sing Me to Sleep 🌃 - Jess/Lupe. Complete. WC: 5K.

Lupe's past comes back to haunt her on the anniversary of an important date.

Jess tries to understand. They fall a bit deeper in love.

Slice of life.

Keep Your Electric Eye on Me, Babe ⚡️- Jess/Lupe. Complete. WC: 4K.

Five times Jess caught Lupe's eye when she shouldn't have + one time Lupe did something about it.

Fever With Thy Flaming Youth 🌡️ - Jess/Lupe. Complete. WC: 2.5K.

Estí gets the flu. Jess & Lupe take care of her.

FAQs

Can I translate your fic?

Please ask first! We can discuss details.

Can I bind/print your fic?

As long as it's legal and no one is profiting off of it, go wild, send pictures when you're done!

Why haven't you updated (insert fic)?

Either I lost interest in it for some reason, or I got really excited about something else & intend to return to it, or I have something personal going on & can't write as much. Sorry!

Can I make fan art of your fic?

PLEASE make fan art of my fic. Please send it to me when you're done so I can share it!!!!

[buggie-hagen]

Sermon on Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Day (12/25/24)

Primary Text | Psalm 98

-------------------------------------------------------

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things…The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God (Ps. 98:1, 2-3). Yes, we are talking about the Christ—born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Jesus. The word-made-flesh. The Word was in the beginning. The Word was with God. And the Word was God. Christ the Word was present at the creation of all things. All life on earth came about through him—including you, he has made you and formed you. On Christmas morning, God began to sing a new song. One that has not been heard before—a song of things hidden until that wintry December morning. The new, marvelous thing God had done—when Jesus was born, God became a human being. With all the messiness that entails. As a baby. He’d often vomit up his food because his stomach was weak and not good at digesting yet. As a baby, God would be found pooping his pants. His father and mother would have to wipe up his butt. God would wake up with the sleep in his eyes. His parents would wipe boogers from his nose. The human blood pumping in his veins is also God’s blood—human blood just as you and I have blood pumping through us. Like any other baby, he would be totally dependent on his parents to survive—without whom he would have perished in his fecal matter 100 times over. Though the Christ-child had created all things, on Christmas morning he has stepped forth into the very creation he created.

What does it mean that God became a human being? We hear from the Gospel of St. John: “But all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Through God becoming a child, we too become children of God, when we believe. For in this little child born of Mary God “has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel” (Ps. 98:3). Our own blood, our family heritage does not make us children of God. Free will does not make us become children of God. Free will has no power to save us. Nor can any other person on earth save us. It must be the God made known in Jesus Christ. Only this God who became a baby is able to save you. Only the baby God can save you. Do not accept any god for yourself besides this God who took on human flesh and blood in Jesus the Christ. In Christ, you are free. In Christ, you have mirth and joy and every gladness—because the darkness cannot overcome this light.

Because in Jesus Christ you have been made a child of God, make a joyful noise! Sing praises to the LORD with instruments and trumpet sound! Make a joyful noise to the LORD. Christ took your sin and became sin. In him, your punishment is given. In him, your healing has begun. In him, the joy of Christ who has been born, who has been raised from the dead, is a joy that belongs to you. Because your joy is Christ’s joy, no one and nothing can take it away. Amen.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

23rd October >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Wednesday, Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time 

or

Saint John of Capistrano, Priest.

Wednesday, Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Ephesians 3:2-12 The pagans now share the same inheritance.

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery, as I have just described it very shortly. If you read my word you will have some idea of the depths that I see in the mystery of Christ. This that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel. I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his own power. I, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Isaiah 12 The rejoicing of a redeemed people.

R/ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear. For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

R/ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name! Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples! Declare the greatness of his name.

R/ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Sing a psalm to the Lord for he has done glorious deeds; make them known to all the earth! People of Zion, sing and shout for joy, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

R/ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Gospel Acclamation John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!

Or: Matthew 24:42,44

Alleluia, alleluia! Stay awake and stand ready, because you do not know the hour when the Son of Man is coming. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 12:39-48 The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--------------------------------------

Saint John of Capistrano, Priest 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Wednesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-20 We do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh.

The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them. From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’ O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 9:57-62 'I will follow you wherever you go'.

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Woe to the Complacent

1 Woe to those who are at ease in Ziona and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria — the notable people in this first of the nations, those the house of Israel comes to.

2 Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

3 You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.

4 They lie on beds inlaid with ivory, sprawled out on their couches, and dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.

5 They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.

6 They drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the finest oils but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

7 Therefore, they will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and the feasting of those who sprawl out will come to an end.

Israel’s Pride Judged

8 The Lord God has sworn by himself — this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Armies:

I loathe Jacob’s pride

and hate his citadels,

so I will hand over the city and everything in it.

9 And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die.

10 A close relative and burner a will remove his corpse from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, “Any more with you? ” That person will reply, “None.” Then he will say, “Silence, because the Lord’s name must not be invoked.”

11 For the Lord commands: The large house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.

12 Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does anyone plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood —

13 you who rejoice over Lo-debar and say, “Didn’t we capture Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?”

14 But look, I am raising up a nation against you, house of Israel — this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Armies — and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of the Arabah. — Amos 6 | Christian Standard Bible (CSB) The Christian Standard Bible copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 10:10; Genesis 22:16; Exodus 19:5; Leviticus 26:30; Numbers 34:7-8; 1 Samuel 5:8; 1 Samuel 31:12; 1 Kings 8:65; 1 Kings 20:16; 1 Kings 21:7; 2 Kings 25:9; 1 Chronicles 15:16; 1 Chronicles 23:5; Esther 1:6; Job 8:14-15; Psalm 94:20; Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 56:12; Jeremiah 9:21; Jeremiah 16:8; Jeremiah 44:26; Ezekiel 9:4; Daniel 5:4; Amos 5:3; Luke 6:24; Luke 12:19-20; James 3:18

[venturismcdonald]

Alright you, I am totally willing to chat with you about Derek Venturi's vibe being "folklore" by Taylor Swift. I'm gonna end up listening to that album again this weekend while thinking about him, my favourite blorbo, and internally screaming while I work retail; and I both blame AND thank thee.

Okay, yes, because here's the thing: folklore is an album full of contradictions and really fucking confusing plotlines and self doubt while simultaneously believing in oneself above all else and that is Derek Venturi to a t. (He's also Midnights but that's a conversation for another day.) Please add your thoughts to this somewhat comprehensible thing I wrote about this!

Literally ever since the thought came to me all I have been able to think is Derek being every song and I have ✨thoughts✨ on it.

the 1: alright, look, Derek is aware that people *think* he's cool. But the thing is, he's had two serious relationships in his entire life. Sally was cool, he thinks he loved her, in the fearless way someone loves when they're sixteen and might have had feelings for their stepsister at the same time. Being with Sally was cool, but he knew it never would've worked out long term because... *vaguely hand gestures to his brain, which must be at least 20% Casey.* It's not that Derek regrets being with and loving Sally, he's just aware it wasn't forever and was never meant to be. He always felt like he had to be better around her, to be a version of himself that didn't prank Casey and start wars with the football team (even though, hello, they're football players, Sally, they totally deserve it! Max is annoying and an ass and not a good partner to Casey and football is a terrible sport that only narcissistic egomaniacs who should be spouting the Star Spangled fucking Banner play), a version of himself that was soft and kind and just not Derek. He can be those things, but not all the time. His love language is fond insults.

cardigan: this one is how he feels a lot of the time. As a society, we've acknowledged this is a song about being used when someone needs something but not actually being what they need or want. That's how Derek feels. He's a god amongst men, alright, and that comes with people wanting him for something or another constantly. Do they care about him? Not really, but don't they do a damn good job of pretending? It's almost convincing. Just like the song.

the last great american dynasty: is he a woman named Rebekah living in Rhode Island after the death of her first husband? No, not to his knowledge. Does he fit the vibe of someone who decides that fuck it, he's going to spend the rest of his life doing a bunch of random hijinks with his friends and Casey and their pack of kids? Of course. That's literally Derek. He has dyed a dog key lime green (Casey didn't find it nearly as amusing as Derek and Molly did, because she is lame and needs to expand her horizons), he has decided to pace rocks just to look insane and aesthetic and he's certainly made questionable gambling decisions (hence Sky's conception. Use a condom, kids.)

exile: do you know how long this man spent pining after Casey?? If we take LWL into effect, it's twenty four years! And in those 24 years, Casey was never single longer than nine or ten months (because she's Casey and loves long term relationships and all the bullshit that comes with them because she's never done anything casually. Except the one time they fucked and he ran away to Paris and they never spoke of it again), which meant Derek had to watch her fall in love, over and over again, with different terrible men! Really, what was she thinking? A football captain, a douchebag who rated her (and only thought she was a six and a half, as if Derek would ever obsess over a six and a half! It's insulting), a guy who didn't have a personality and a neglectful husband have been her choices. He has to watch, from the sidelines, because she doesn't let him in after everything happened, after the fight and the sex and the avoidance. All he is to her is a stepbrother she once hooked up with. Nothing more. Meanwhile, his heart cracks every time he sees her and Peter on Facebook.

my tears ricochet: specifically the first verse is giving Derek vibes to me. He knows he can bring out every side of people effortlessly, he can read them like a book because Derek is so smart, it's just people smart! It's why he knows that he has to try and be the greatest (not that it takes much effort, but it's difficult some days) to get any attention, to get love from his parents and his family and everyone around him. Because everyone loves him conditionally and Derek is barely holding himself together. Scotch tape doesn't fix everything. But c'mon, Marti, Simon and Sky are the only people who have loved him without conditions, without terms of service. What else is he supposed to believe? That he's suddenly lovable and perfect and doesn't need to put in any effort ever because he's not a fuck up? That would erase literal decades of George, Abby and Nora's parenting.

seven: being a kid is fucking great, man. Even a kid whose parents don't like him, who make him feel like a fuck up because he had to repeat the first grade (look, alright, it's hard to focus and his brain won't because Derek is broken and he's aware. Moving on), a kid who tries so hard and never gets acknowledgement. And then his parents have Edwin! Just because! Edwin is planned, he's wanted, he's everything Derek isn't. But when Derek is seven, George and Nora start fighting more. He takes Ed (who's two) and they hide out in the backyard, in a shitty treehouse that'll probably result in a broken bone one day, playing pirates until Edwin falls asleep or the yelling stops, whichever comes first. Because being seven is also impossible. It's great in hindsight, but at the time? God, it sucks. He romanticizes it until he remembers having to scream so loud the neighbors thought something was wrong so George and Abby would stop fighting, remembers the time he broke his arm on the slide because they wouldn't get outside and play so he went first and they didn't even notice until three days later because they were in such an intense fight. Being seven was the best and worst of times and sometimes, Derek thinks it was his peak. In a weird competition, his parents would always try to shower him with love right after a fight. It didn't add up, but whatever, who is he to judge?

august: Derek is August. I need this to be known; he's the one waiting on a call, who desperately wants to get it and knows he won't. Casey won't call, she'll never call, because they fucked everything up, hooking up. He saw it clear as day on her face the morning after, it's why he went to fucking Paris. And honestly, he's never really a first choice, is he? He's always the backup guy, the guy who you drag out for looks but don't actually love. You'll pretend to, and you'll do a good job, but no one actually does and that's okay.

this is me trying: he tries, alright? It may not seem like it, with Derek being a solid D+ student, but he tries. So hard. It's not his fault that his fucking brain won't cooperate and he can't learn the useless stuff. Give him a hockey stick, he'll be so good you'll forget all about your problems, but don't make him do school. He hates it. The only topics he can learn about are the ones he's obsessed with (mythology, film, music, the history of video games that one summer, the bodice rippers Casey keeps under her pillow, Casey as a whole entity (this is entirely against his will. Believe him, his life would be so much easier if he didn't know so much about Casey and feel so much about her he cannot breathe and he can't talk about it so it just sits there, being a crushing weight on him because she is inconvenient! And annoying and the absolute worst!), hockey, all of Marti and Simon's interests, etc) and five paragraph essays do not fit that. But then there's the fact he practically is a parent to Marti, doing all the emotional and physical labor of one most of the time. He tries so hard to not fuck her up because he loves her so much. Ed's cool and he loves him, but Smarti's different, okay? When Derek met Edwin, he sort of just shrugged, loved the kid and failed to get him into anything cool. When he met Marti, Abby told him he'd be taking on responsibility and Derek took that seriously. He's uncharacteristically responsible with her. Marti is the fucking best. Derek tries so hard to not be obsessed with Casey, even though it feels like she's in his fucking bloodstream, she's running through him, she's a goddamn part of him and sometimes he wants to crawl inside of her skin and live there, because he knows she can't feel the same. Casey doesn't love him. Casey doesn't even like him! So he pranks her and grins and throws a fit when she dates Sam (which, seriously Sam? What a fucking betrayal, dude. The male code! It's a real thing and definitely not something he just pulled out of his ass so you wouldn't date his annoying and hot stepsister) and eventually tries to be a decent person because, for some reason, she doesn't give up on him. It's sickening.

illicit affairs: before Casey finalized her divorce with Peter, there was (shh, it's a secret, don't tell the family) an affair happening in her house. Take two guesses as to who it was. Derek and Casey? Brilliant. Yeah, it's an affair, and it makes Derek feel dirty, like all he's good for is being a secret boy toy, but he loves her so much that he'll take whatever she's giving, even if it's just bare scraps. Derek will break himself in half to help her, to make Casey feel better, and if being her mistress is how he does it, then it'll be fine. He won't panic about their future once her divorce is finalized at all.

invisible string: there is only one explanation for why Derek's felt so drawn to Casey since he first met her. She had a schoolgirl uniform on. Is it his kink? No, not particularly, but she's a hot girl in a schoolgirl uniform. He's not blind! But also, he met her and something in his brain lit up, some part he'd never known was there before, some part that made him want to be around her all of the time for some inexplicable reason. She's infected him like a cancer. It's evil. He loves it. There's something dragging them together constantly, and at his age of 38 (please don't mention it, he's coping poorly), he can admit it might be fate or the universe or whatever. Derek loves Casey and she loves him back. Has for decades, apparently. They should've pulled their heads out of their asses so much sooner, because they're in love and it's great and they go do all the cute coupley shit Derek used to swear he'd never do but in his defense: it's Casey and she lights up doing that bullshit and Derek is a total marshmallow when it comes to her. She even gets to steal his food! And watch her terrible reality shows during hockey games! This whole love thing has turned him into a disgusting sap of a person. Shoot him, please. He begs.

mad woman: Derek's spent enough time around women (Casey especially) to understand they are complex creatures. He'll never fully understand them, but he can try to. They get mad at... A lot, honestly, being a woman must be exhausting (Casey and Marti are constantly feeling things so deeply it's painful) and sometimes it's each other? He's not quite sure, but he knows they're mad. And when they are, do not mess with them. Even Casey, who is stupid hot when mad. The world is against women, apparently, so they get mad at that and the fact they have to pay for tampons (Derek ends up buying them, do not make it a thing) and having it be inferred they're just fucking insane. Which, to be fair, they are! Casey especially! But yeah, it's gotta be annoying, so he's trying to empathize and be feminist and other bullshit that Skyler has bullied him into.

epiphany: so here's the problem: Derek is aware he's had a pretty decent life, all things considered. No massive traumas, nothing a therapist should see him for. Still, he can't help but feel sometimes like there's a war being waged between his brain and the Canadian education system. It's fucking insane! School just doesn't work and Derek is broken because he doesn't get it, he doesn't understand, everything feels violent and he can't cope. Hence hockey, where he can hit things and people with sticks! Hockey is great! It's bloody and gorey and everything else Casey hates.

betty: oh boy. This one's a doozy. But it's not Derek's fault, he will maintain, that he accidentally pissed Casey off so much she won't talk to him. He made one joke about her divorce (which wasn't even that bad! The kids laughed! Simon laughed! Casey is the only one who didn't) and now she's stormed off and won't talk to him so obviously Derek needs to apologize. He hates apologies; they're lame and suck all the fun out of everything and they are the worst! But he does, and god, does he hope that it'll be enough for him to apologize by playing her a song he wrote and talking about his (ugh) feelings for her to kiss him in front of the kids and their parents and admit this is what she wants. Because this thing between them has always been on her terms, he's just along for the ride, but he'd really like to be with her forever.

peace: one of the few cons of being as amazing as Derek is that he doesn't get any privacy half the time. Neither do his romantic partners, as a result. He's aware of this and it's part of why he doesn't date anymore; it's too hard to find someone willing to deal with all of it. Once he and Casey officially get together, one of Derek's biggest fears is that she's going to realize he's not worth it. Because she'll never have a quiet, peaceful life that Casey deserves, not being with him. Everything will be an article and it's going to suck and Derek loves her. Will she be okay without getting that peace? He'd get it if she wasn't; it's okay, he won't hold it against her. She'll never get to live a normal life with him. When she tells him she'd rather insane with anyone else than normal with him, he may or may not shed a tear or two. Because he's not worth that, he isn't even close to worth the chaos that'll come with it, but Casey thinks he is for some reason, so Derek will keep trying to prove to her that he is. Every day for the rest of his goddamn life.

hoax: when love feels conditional and faithless, it's essentially a massive hoax. Derek doesn't believe in a love that'll exist with unwavering loyalty and faith and trust. It's not for him. Maybe for other people, but he doesn't get that. Everyone's love for him is a fake, a pretend, and Derek is great at pretending he doesn't know it. Love is bullshit, the kind they talk about in the movies. That doesn't exist for people like Derek. It exists for Marti and Casey and Edwin and Lizzie and Nora and George and hell, Abby and Dennis, but not for Derek. He's not wired to receive it. And he'll believe they all love him endlessly to go to sleep at night, waking up knowing it's a lie.

the lakes: sometimes, a man wants peace and quiet. He wants to go to an abandoned lake, write songs with his girlfriend, let the kids play and do whatever the fuck Luca and Sky do (he thinks Luca has a boyfriend?? It's confusing. He FaceTimes him a lot) and avoid people forever. And then Derek remembers how much he hates camping because urban hell scapes are his favorite thing, shrugs, and proceeds to overromanticize small New England towns until he goes to one. Let him have his fun, he's an artist. This is his muse.

[rastronomicals]

5:57 PM EDT April 19, 2024:

Robin Trower - "In This Place" From the album Bridge Of Sighs (April 20, 1974)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

So: after 1983's Back It Up, James Dewar retires as the voice of the Robin Trower Band. But Robin of course wants to keep playing, so he hires a guy named Dave Bronze to sing for him and to play bass. And I'm sure Dave Bronze is a nice enough guy, but to say that he doesn't have the baritone presence of either Dewar or Jack Bruce would be a little of an understatement.

It is against this background that I tell you how my buddy and I went to see Trower in the late '80's, as the guitarist was touring off either Passion or Take What You Need.

My buddy is thinking how great it would be to have an autograph of Mr. Trower, but the other salient fact is that my buddy was not a vinyl guy; he was a cassette tape guy. I told you this was the '80's, right?

So he does what's required and makes a special trip to the record store to try and buy some Trower on vinyl, so he can take it to the show and have the guitarist sign it.

But then as it turns out, said record store doesn't have any Trower on vinyl--all it has on vinyl is The Best of Procol Harum. Certainly not ideal, but hey, he'd made the trip and he wanted to have something for Trower to sign, and Trower DID play on many of the cuts, so, no doubt thinking about our imperfect universe, my friend buys The Best of Procol Harum.

So we get out to the show, and Dave Bronze ain't James Dewar, but Robin remains Robin, and it's pretty fucking great, even if the songs from Passion are perhaps a little too obviously poppy. And my buddy's clutching his Procol Harum record throughout.

And then afterward, he sees a small throng forming stage right, and he's like, that's where I'm going, and I'm like, I'll be outside.

I'm through my beer and into a second one outside when he stumbles up to me with a sour expression on his face. And it turns out there were a bunch of people queuing up, but Trower never opened the stage door-although Dave Bronze did. So with much the same feeling that he must have had when he bought the Procol Harum record, my friend exercised the limited option he had available to him, and had Dave Bronze--who most likely never even MET Keith Reid or Gary Brooker--sign his copy of The Best of Procol Harum.

1/12/24 EDIT: Oh shit, looks like Dave Bronze was actually a member of Procol Harum! Trower rejoined Brooker and Reid for a 1991 album and he brought Dave with him. Point still remains, I'd think.

--

[stolasbuckzo]

You know you’re obsessed Hazbin Hotel when…

• You’re not just listening to the soundtrack 24/7 but also you know majority of the lyrics (honestly, for me it’s Loser, Baby)

• You know Angel Dust’s real name is Anthony (you can also differentiate between the two personalities)

• You know without a doubt that both Posion and Addict are SA (sexual assault) related songs

<> Seriously… this a pet peeve for me because other people joke about it with other characters — like Charlie, Lucifer, Alastor and even Husk to name a few — when they haven’t been SA’d.

Not to mention the “Ohhhs” and “ahhhs” of the lyrics were actually the sounds of pain/discomfort of being SA'd

• You realise that the Vees are just as bad as each other (there is no “oh that one is worse than the others”) and the fact that the other two indirectly participate in the ongoing sexual assault; for one Vox has cameras in Angel’ room (as key witness). For another, Velvette has created a love potion — along with Valentino— specifically for date rape purposes

• You noticed that Loser, Baby is basically not only Huskerdust’s love song (if you think about the visual aspects and the meaning behind it) but also the instrumentals played in 1x08

• You know that Angel Dust does actually have a venomous bite ~ which doesn’t kill anyone but makes them exceptionally ill and disoriented

• You know that Poison is basically a reprise of Addict (and you have the urge to tell people that they’re basically the same song and not to separate them)

• You can’t stop thinking about characters and their respective aesthetic (for example: rubber ducks for Lucifer, poker for Husk and the letters XXX for Angel)

• You realise that if Angel Dust hadn’t died in his 30s — in 1947 — he’d be around the same age as Husk (only 12 years younger so really there’s no “age gap” difference)

• You are a Huskerdust fan (subjective) since the pilot episode and absolutely get excited for episode 4+

• When it said “no balls” in Husk list of flaws in Loser, Baby you realise it was metaphorical

<> Which makes sense because in “Dad Beat Dad” he was terrified of Alastor when he had pissed him off

• You know that sinners are the only demons who are situated in the Pride and cannot go to the other rings

• You realise that Husk technically would be in love with Anthony not Angel Dust

• You know that Angel Dust — as a SA victim — it wouldn’t make sense for someone as overly-consensual as Husk to make the first move (so it’d have to be the former)

<> And no it even wouldn’t have mattered if Husk even asked permission if he could kiss him ~ I think he’s the type of guy to be “all in or nothing” if he wanted a partner (poker pun intended 🤭)

• You know that possibly (unless Viv changes things) that Angel was closer to his sister Molly than her was to his older brother and technically was a bully to Arackniss when they were younger

• There are certain words/names trigger you (ie husk, blitz, angel dust, Valentino ~ literally traumatises me now)

[hasdrubal-gisco]

eurovision '24 semifinal 2 early review

content and spoiler warning for albania, armenia, austria, czech republic, denmark, greece, malta, switzerland, belgium estonia, georgia, israel, latvia, the netherlands, norway, san marino, france, italy, spain

albania - opening witha good and strong song. would have been better if it was in albanian, but albania always brings the heat. albanian and serb are brothers because they are son of same bitch (many are saying this !)/10

armenia - absolute banger. singer doesn't have the classic hayastani spade face which must have hard for her growing up. genuinely This is what eurovision is about. may you drop thousand bombs on baku/10

austria - (watching music video) i liked display of aryan man masculine power energy, sweat dripping down his chest. how this make you feel ? song ? generic, forgettable, this will score no points without mr schutzschtaffel flipping tires. you will never regain lost glory/10

czech republic - Yes i am deadnaming this country. i do not recognize these silly zoomer pronouns like "czechia." NOT REAL ! song is relatively good on its own but to me it its not a eurovision song. it's giving pale waves without the production by mr the 1975 whatever his name is. i think this will be well received by juries but it's not fun in the way we expect from battle royale evropa edition. props to the czech republic for sending a russian girl in these russophobic times. i will not mind hearing this on the radio in the car in the coming year/10

denmark - she's technically white seeing as she's very obviously ethiopian (amhara, not those COLORED varieties). good singer but the song is nothing. relatively dignified considering the scandinavian's propensity for cringe/10

greece - she gave cunt she served she died or whatever it is you kids say these days. it's giving noa kirel if we're being honest. in my top 3 i'd say. no wonder greeks invented civilization/10

malta - for this one my opinion is colored by the fact that going into it i know she's some commercial real estate magnate's daughter who paid her way into the competition. when will people learn, war criminals' nieces are simply better than investor's daughters. don't even thing about being a talentless hack if your uncle isn't exterminating minorities. only positive is the tooth gap/10

switzerland - european college student is not immune to american they/them disorder. if he sings the hard parts well, this could save some of it musically but culturally it's a L. go back to sending kosovar albanians/10

belgium - european man in his 30s is ALSO not immune to american they/them disorder. this is nothing, but we must always keep in mind only a few years ago a good third of the contestants would send ballads so. belgium has no reason to exist, think about it/10

estonia - MICHAEL VSAUCE ?? estonian pitbull be like mr balt-wide. it's above average in an extremely poor year/10

georgia - rising from the ashes like a phoenix is actually referencing the historical period during which georgia did not exist on the map, like poland, but re-emerged as a sovereign state. and this is what they did with it. also the bizarre sour food. below average in an extremely poor year/10

the illegitimate fascist ethnostate of isnotreal - the best of this variety of song we've heard, largely because the music is more subtle and she can in fact sing. this will either get high or no votes from the general public depending on prevailing sentiment on the holocaust du jour. thee mathematical average in a poor year/10

latvia - na-baron, house harkonnen does not know what's coming for it. bro the lisan al gaib's fedaykin are coming for ur bald ass ! this is nothing/10

the netherlands - i will confess this is not bad. TO ME it is a quirky and lighthearted version of a stupid eurovision song, with some self awareness that the finns (both this year and last) sorely lack. unlike other TREASURED MUTUALS i do not consider this man SEXUALLY ATTRACTIVE. i will let the senatus populusque tumblorus draw its own conclusions based on the notes of this post. MAGNA EVROPA EST PATRIA NOSTRA/10

norway - i can recognize there is an audience for this and that audience is not me. is it good ? i'll have to ask them. i think this may get an unusually high amount of votes from juries for some reason. feels like the kind of song that would play for a super epic and dramatic ( :I ) final scene in vikings (tv show). eeeh/10

san marino - you can tell she thinks she's quirky from the facial expressions. if i wanted sexy skeletons i'd have played undertale. this sucks, you're san marino you have no identity, genuinely this should be a vehicle for importing flo rida or something. this sucks/10

france - incredible voice. getting a lot of dune princess vibes from the outfit (<- guy who just watched dune). this will get panned because it's france, and somehow american warships have secured total anglo victory in the cultural thousand year war (the hundred year war). liberté, égalité, fraternité/10

italy - i had not heard this as i abstained from san remo, but this is pretty good, it's very ethnic, it's sexy, it has hot blood coursing through its veins. top few (final ranking pending)/10

spain - relatively okay beat/instrumental that's wasted on a nothing singer. send basque opera singers next time. i'm ready to go to sleep/10

final conclusion - there were more good entries than in the first semi, i'll come up with a final list and rough ranking of who i'd like and hate to see go to the final for any undercover jurors reading the die karthagische zeitung. feels like the entries that are good are really good, and there's a lot of blah, but at least we're skirting by with very few ballads. pee breaks speckled in for those of us who have bladders like old women who have somehow had babies (not me tho).

[thenightling]

Well, now that I've updated my favorite Christmas songs list. Here is my list of favorite Halloween songs. Note, this list is subject to change based on my mood.

Bonus: Locked Within the Crystal Ball by Black Moore's Night. It's not actually Halloween related but it has a very elemental magick feel to it so I felt it was worth a mention.

Also bonus mention for Queen's A Kind of Magic.

25. Witch's brew by Omnia. The lyrics are directly taken from Shakespeare's MacBeth but because the play is considered to be cursed the song may be cursed. The story goes that the scene with he three witches was based on an encounter Shakespeare had with some actual witches and as punishment for making them characters in his play, the play was cursed. Now actors and theatre crew consider it bad luck to say the name of the play. It's often referred to as "The Scottish Play" and the only time its name can be said is when you are talking specifically about the character. So because it might be cursed, I put it very low on the list.

24. Lost in the Shadows from the Lost Boys soundtrack. This is an old favorite as I used to watch that movie every summer but I associate it more with summer than Halloween which is why I put it so low on the list.

23. The Master's song, sung by Renfield in Dracula the musical by Frank Wildhorn.

22. Life after Life from Dracula the musical by Frank Wildhorn and sung by Dracula and Lucy.

21. Anything can happen on Halloween sung by Tim Curry for the TV movie version of The Worst Witch.

20. Hex Girl from The Hex Girls for Scooby Doo and The Witch's Ghost. From the Wiccan Eco Goth equivalent of The Spice Girls.

19. Touching old Magic AKA The Halloween song from the Halloween door episode of The Real Ghostbusters animated series. Surprisingly good for a song from an animated series from the 80s.

18. Halloween by John McCutchen. This was a pain to track down. I heard it on Halloween radio and liked it and it took me a while to find a decent recording of it.

17. Halloween by J. P. Ashkar. This song was a Tiktok hit last Halloween and the full (longer) version of the audio can be found on Youtube. It's really very catchy.

16. Creepy Crawlies by Scary Bitches. This song was (for many years) the unofficial theme song to the Spirit Halloween store. The first time I heard it was on the radio in a Spirit Halloween store.

15. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) by David Bowie. Not quite Halloween related but it plays on Halloween radio and so does Magic Dance (which is listed under this one). The album Scary Monsters (and super Creeps) inspired Danny Elfman during his Oingo Boingo days.

14. Magic Dance by David Bowie for the movie Labyrinth. Sung by Jareth, The Goblin King, and his goblin minion, to entertain a human baby.

13. The Witches are back to the tune of the similarly named Elton John song, from Hocus Pocus 2.

12. One way or Another. The Hocus Pocus 2 version sung by Bette Midler.

11. I put a spell on you. Bette Midler's cover from Hocus Pocus.

10. Horror in Action by Kayak. For some reason this song makes me think of Cain and The House of Mystery horror anthology comics by DC.

9. You won't survive by Count Crow. A parody version of "I will Survive" sung by Dracula to his victims. I just think it's darkly funny.

8. Fright Night from J. Geils Band. This is the title track for the movie Fright Night from 1985 starring the late Roddy McDowall as a hasbeen horror actor who is dragged into the world of the supernatural when teenager, Charlie Brewster, believes his neighbor to be a real vampire. Peter Vincent must overcome his fears and becomes the hero he always pretended to be. Roddy McDowall's voice is even sampled briefly in the song.

7. Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. How can I not love this classic? But my favorite version of it is a recording I actually only heard relatively recently. Vincent Price's cover from the 1970s.

6. Thriller by Michael Jackson and Vincent Price. I mostly love it for the iconic dance but most especially for Vincent Price's poem / "Rap" and of course his iconic cackle at the end of the song. My friend Sarah used Vincent Price's cackle from the song as my ringtone on her cellphone for many years.

5. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. This one is a childhood favorite. The title track to the original Ghostbusters movie and the theme song for The Real Ghostbusters animated series. The animated series inspired me to study parapsychology and made me want to be a parapsychologist when I was thirteen.

A recent interview with Ray Parker Jr. revealed that he loves the song because it always makes people smile. No one is ever crying when the Ghostbusters song is playing. He said how even little kids will answer "Who you gonna call?" with "Ghostbusters!" And that's what he likes about the song, it brings people joy. There's no negative emotion attached to the song. And I realized he's right. It's just a fun song.

4. Pet Sematary by The Ramones. Deliberately misspelt, this song was the title track for the movie of the same name, based on the novel by Stephen King. I actually like the song more than the movie. The song is from the point of view of someone who doesn't want to be raised from the dead. In role playing games I always made this the favorite song of my original character, Shelley.

A cover of the song was performed by Plain White Ts for the soundtrack of Tim Burton's remake of Frankenweenie (he was remaking his own short film but as stop motion). I actually prefer the original Ramones version. Though I do love it's use for a Frankenstein story.

3. Weird Science by Danny Elfman / Oingo Boingo. I love the song for it's bouncy nature. Yes, it's "Mainstream' but so what? Oingo Boingo fans who refuse to like any of their "mainstream" songs are (in my opinion) kind of pretentious. Yes, it was written for a cheesy teen comedy that later became a 90s teen sitcom on USA Network. But so what? The song is from the point of view of a scientist / sorcerer or alchemist attempting to create life. It's heavily inspired by Bride of Frankenstein and the version used in the opening of the Weird Science TV series samples clips from Bride of Frankenstein.

In role playing games I often made this the favorite song of my "therapist for monsters" character Percy Van Helsing.

2. Dead Man's Party. This song will now always remind me of a wonderful time I had with my cousin and soul sister, Jessica Louise Conroy and her son, Joey, at Six Flags last Halloween season. It played a lot over the speakers there and was already a Halloween favorite of mine. It's by Danny Elfman from when he was the lead singer of the rock band Oingo Boingo. And it makes reference to the scary story "Room for One More." Today Danny Elfman uses it as his encore performance at the end of his Nightmare before Christmas concerts but between 1996 until 2015 he did not perform it live. Now it's tradition that he adds it to his annual Nightmare before Christmas concerts. And the song became the basis for Six Flag's Halloween stage show of the same name, "Dead Man's Party."

1. This is Halloween. Written by Danny Elfman for Nightmare before Christmas it finally reached the Billboard Top 100 for the first time this year. My favorite recording of it is the demo version sung by Danny Elfman himself because it sounds like Jack Skellington is giving you a tour of his home town.

Another Bonus: I also love Halloween Bash by Irving Fink. I didn't put it on the list before because I couldn't remember who recorded it. I knew it as "Monster Bash" from Halloween Radio, a song I heavily associate with my dearest friend Lorie Pringle

[rolkstone]

In the OTP scenarios ask...

Skinner X Fat Tony

1 Who most initiates PDA? Fat Tony. He usually kisses and hugs other men anyway, but he goes above and beyond with Skinner, even in public. He defies anyone to give them shit about it.

2 Any sleep habits either had to get used to? Both. Skinner had to get used to Tony getting up late at night for missions. And Seymour would at times wake Tony from his night terrors.

3 Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender? A mix of both, leaning towards hot and steamy. Tony is naturally sadistic and Seymour is excited by this but can only handle so much.

4 How did they first meet? Way back when Fat Tony tried to muscle in on the school. They were very antagonistic at first.

5 What is their love language? Sweet words and sayings and pet names

6 When did they realize they loved each other? Both felt attraction very early on, but both were reserved into falling in love. As time went on they gradually became more fond and then passionate about each other.

7 Who is more sentimental? Seymour

8 What’s one way their personalities complement one another? Tony is aggressive and makes a bee-line for the target; Seymour can calm him down and lead him correctly. Meanwhile Seymour can get into mental rabbit holes and Tony can help direct him onto something more concrete.

9 How are their personalities different? Tony: very aggressive, soft spoken but quick to take violent action, holds grudges, very romantic and spontenoue

Seymour: more methodical, takes care in things, prefers itineraries, avoids conflict and violence at all costs, loves romance but is very rigid

10 What are some non-sexual activities they do together?  A lot of appreciation for the arts, like opera and art museums and happenings. They also spend a lot of time going over logistical details for the crew. They also help raise and be there for Michael.

11 Which member is more physically affectionate? Tony. It's just in his nature.

12 Which member is more verbally affectionate? Tony

13 Which member steals borrows the other ones clothing? Seymour has stolen a few coats from Tony but otherwise they don't really borrow from each other, as their sizes are quite different. That coat was swimming on Seymour, btw.

14 Are they an introverted couple or an extroverted one—AKA would they prefer to go out to a party or event together or would they rather stay in? Tony is a lot more extroverted. Plus his work requires him to attend parties and functions held by higher ranking or equal ranking mobsters. Sometimes he'll even attend a lower ranking mobster's party just to show his face, and he will drag Seymour along. Seymour would rather, usually, have a quiet night in of movies and snacks and possibly calming paintings or music.

15 Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason? Tony; Seymour (he is his counselor, after all)

16 Who stays up way too late and who tries to drag them to bed? Seymour; Tony

17 Who fell in love first? Tony; Seymour followed very soon after. Tony at first thought it was puppy love

18 What song fits them perfectly?

19 How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time? They have to deal with this a lot actually. Tony's job has him away almost every night and many days. He is fine, as he's busy with missions, though he does think of Seymour a lot. Seymour tries to busy himself with his hobbies, but he gets really sick with anxiety over what Tony must be going through.

20 Who holds a grudge the longest? Tony

21 Which of the two is quick to speak and which one is quick to listen? Tony; Seymour

22 Who gets more easily embarrassed? Seymour

23 Who overthinks the most? Seymour

24 Which of the two is the most competitive? Tony; though Seymour has been getting competitive with his motorcycle racing

25 Who’s the most stubborn? Tony; though it's a very close race

26 How do they comfort each other? Tony will use physical affection like kissing, massages, hugging, while Seymour will say encouraging things to Tony to remind him of his power and strength

27 What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other? Notebooks and texbooks will remind Tony of Seymour; guns, weapons of any kind, baseball bats and the opera will remind Seymour of Tony

28 Do they get along with each other’s friends and family? speaking of only biological family; not really. Tony has not introduced Seymour to his relatives. Seymour doesn't have any besides his adopted mother, and she has long since abandoned them.

29 What is their sex life like? Hard and steamy and passionate, but also tender and reciprocal. They are very in-tuned to each other by now.

30 What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.) Tony: neck. Seymour: lips and hand

31 What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky? A mix. they love each other passionately but are often fighting; they deeply disagree on some very key things

32 How do they resolve their arguments? Tony will usually use money; he'll donate to some cause Seymour cares about, or get him some expensive gift. Seymour will be extra affectionate and give a speech as to why he should be forgiven, which usually gets Tony grinning half-way through

33 Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them? Seymour, usually about his military experience. Usually he would just ride them out but now Tony is right by his side and will hold him and get him water or whatever else he needs when it happens.

34 Do they give each other nicknames? Tony likes to use Italian names for Seymour like tesorio mio. Seymour almost always calls Tony "Tony." However he's known to let a "darling" slip now and then

35 What movies do they enjoy watching most? Rom coms mostly or documentaries. Tony loves true crime and mafia movies but Seymour gets irritated by those.

36 How’d they meet each other’s families? Tony met Agnes some time ago (refer to the fic)

37 What do they like the least about each other? Tony dislikes how spineless Seymour can be sometimes, how hard it is to push him to stand up for himself

Seymour dislikes how reckless and quick to violence Tony can be

38 What was their most memorable date? perhaps when they went to the miniature golf course and had sex in one of the holes (surrounded by a large model of a windmill)

39 What other couple would your otp get along with the best? any other that is based heavily on the Mafia maybe; perhaps Fernando and Joey the Scar

40 Who makes the other smile with almost no effort at all? Seymour; he often says things that get a smile, grin, or laugh from Tony, without even trying

[thad-daeus]

70 horrible questions ... Fuck it

01: yes and no. i definitely have a better relationship with my mom after moving out but i have zero contact with my dad which is also ok for me.

02: to my best friend.

03: there is a lot i regret. opening up to some people.

04: 50/50. sometimes i am so insecure, i can't even wear my favorite outfit and then there are times where i am confident as.

05: i am singly af. i don't even flirt nowadays. but i am in love .. with someone i can't have.

06: while i am sleeping and while i am having a beautiful dream, like in vampire diareis, when rose dies.

07: lemon cake with raspery and a marcaron (birthday cake my colleage made for me)

08: not really .. i was four yrs in a sports school .. does this count?

09: never.

10: puh, probably last summer.

11: yes, i like people too fast :(

12: for sure when i was a teen.

13: unfortunately yes.

14: yes, i miss him everyday.

15: no

16: actually very good. i am quite sentimental and think a lot about my past. but nonethless very good.

17: yes 18: fck, hell yes.

19: i am not sure. i like where i am right now.

20: lol, i had to google "snogged". in the guys car. 21: read, read, read.

22: yes, i want kids. i want 2-3.

23: yes i do. if earrings count too, then i have 8, otherwise i have 3 piercings.

24: business economics, accounting and german .. i am so proud that i was the best student inthe subject in high school.

25: sadly yes.

26: i am craving for a bankaccount that is not in minus.

27: maybe. i am not sure.

28: yes

29: i never had a boyfriend before, so no.

30: why i am single. why it's so hard for me to find THE man for me.

31: i guess no. at least, not romantically.

32: green

33: yes.

34: i dreamed about best friend from high school (we don't have contact anymore nowadays). in my dream i was in school and i suddenly saw her. she had completely different hair and and she told me, she is doing well and will move to america and try a new job. later on i was in the show gntm. i was basically in the episode where heidi invite the family and friends of the girls. and there i saw him. it was pretty crazy. in the dream i knew who he was but he has a different face. better say he was my a guy i f+ with years ago. i remember i hugged him and asked him if he was single now. and he said yes. we hugged and he also heaved me and i was like a koala .. legs and arms around his body and snuggled on his neck :(

35: it must be in the cinema where i watched the bts concert movie with my friends.

36: sometimes yes but usually no.

37: forgiving is easier. i still can't forget how some "friends" treat me last year.

38: definitely yes. i feel so light and free and just happy. i never been this happy before.

39: 19

40: ahm no.

51: uff there are so many ... wan tan.

52: yes, there must be reasons why something didn't happen in the way i wanted it. at the end there is always something better for me.

53: reading on my kindle?

54: hell no. not even cheating in school is ok tbh.

55: i would say yes. at least a little bit.

56: hmm idk .. i think no one?

57: yes, i do.

58: for me the perfect weather is those autumn weather where the sun is. the sky is full of bright clouds. a weather where you can sit on the bank with only a thin sweather.

59: only when it's christmas.

60:yes, yes, yes. i know for many people a marriage it's not important anymore. ofc for me i don't need a marraige to feel loved by him. but i would love to get married. i would love to have this fairytale-like romantic day with the person i love.

61: it depends on the person that said it. i hate it when frienda call me baby. for men it depends of their character and also on the situation .. idk. i often find it so cringe when the man calls the girl baby in books .. so actually it's better when no one calls me thsi lmao.

62: listening your fav songs, cooking, daydreaming, reading .. nowadays there are so many things that make me happy.

63: never ever. i love my name so much. i love my chinese name and i love my european name. i love that my name is written with an h instead of without. i always say when i get married, i would take the surename of my husband but i would also keep my whole name. my name will be so long hahahahahah

64: yes. i don't want to kiss this guy ever again lol.

65: i don't have friends from the opposite sex.

66: i don't have any.

67: my colleague.

68: my best friends.

69: yes.

70: i always think i would .. other than my family i am not sure tbh.

lol this made so much fun. i want to do this more often.

70 horrible questions ... Fuck it

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? 02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? 03: Do you regret anything? 04: Are you insecure? 05: What is your relationship status? 06: How do you want to die? 07: What did you last eat? 08: Played any sports? 09: Do you bite your nails? 10: When was your last physical fight? 11: Do you like someone? 12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? 13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? 14: Do you miss someone? 15: Have any pets? 16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? 17: Ever made out in the bathroom? 18: Are you scared of spiders? 19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? 20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? 21: What are your plans for this weekend? 22: Do you want to have kids? How many? 23: Do you have piercings? How many? 24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? 25: Do you miss anyone from your past? 26: What are you craving right now? 27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? 28: Have you ever been cheated on? 29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? 30: What’s irritating you right now? 31: Does somebody love you? 32: What is your favourite color? 33: Do you have trust issues? 34: Who/what was your last dream about? 35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? 36: Do you give out second chances too easily? 37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? 38: Is this year the best year of your life? 39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? 51: Favourite food? 52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? 53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? 54: Is cheating ever okay? 55: Are you mean? 56: How many people have you fist fought? 57: Do you believe in true love? 58: Favourite weather? 59: Do you like the snow? 60: Do you wanna get married? 61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? 62: What makes you happy? 63: Would you change your name? 64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? 65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? 66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? 67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? 68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? 69: Do you believe in soulmates? 70: Is there anyone you would die for?