#there is no verse where mari is not salty

[shougancid]

Actual footage of JJK verse Mari coming back to Kyoto after her tantrum vacation, five years older and a hundred times saltier

[kleenexwoman]

1) F unless I really trust or personally know the author. OCs are tricky, and I say this as someone who's written my share. Reading your friend's Mary Sue fic is fun because it's your friend and you know them, but beyond that I prefer my OCs to play a support, world building, or satirical role. And there are characters where OC relatives make sense because they come from large families and you need to flesh that out. So if an OC relative is unobtrusive and seems like part of the natural plot or world building, sure. But if the fic centers around them, it's by personal rec only.

2) B. I love AUs, I really like historical AUs, and I will happily read a thoughtfully written time shifted AU just for the aesthetic. But I really dislike Regency romances and that's unfortunately a fair chunk of time-shifted AUs in many fandoms. And I feel kind of salty that I've put in stupid amounts of effort to capture a particular moment in time and literary fiction in the "shoplifting from Tao Lin"-verse and there's a ton of modern AUs for various fandoms that don't do anything with the characters except give them smartphones and opinions on modern TV shows, but whatever.

[mayiayi]

RivaEre/Ereri Fic Masterpost

Hello! I loooooove reading fics, it's my favorite past time so I decided to put together all of my fav ereri/rivaere fics! It's mostly Rivaere (Top Levi and Bottom Eren) but I like Ereri too! Since I split this to two parts, Im not exactly sure how many of each will be in here. If anyone has some awesome fics that they've read, please rec some to me too! Starred fics are my absolute favs btw. I hope you riren babies enjoy these fics as much as I did <3

Completed:

Lying on the sand watching seabirds fly (planet_B612) : Going along with the flow, it's only natural that they live in a house by the sea and decide what to do when there are no more titans trying to eat them.

A fic in which Eren and Levi try to figure out this living together thing, and Levi realizes Eren's puppy dog eyes do not lose their effectiveness even when he's no longer a teenager.

* Wings of Freedom (Sugarplumsenpai) : All I can Say about this series is to please read it. Beautifully written and well loved by the fandom.

Blackbird (inkshaming) : The war is over and after the fall of the titans, humanity has begun to take its first steps beyond the walls...

...leaving Humanity's Strongest behind them to recover from medical complications that result in an amputation that leaves him feeling trapped, broken, and alone.

And he might have stayed that way too, if it hadn’t been for a certain green-eyed soldier who was too stubborn for his own good.

* Words Cannot Describe (folaigh) : People had always said that Eren wasn’t right in the head. As a kid, it didn’t bother him. But hearing those words now stung in a way he could never have imagined.

A canon-verse, sort of slice-of-life future fic in which Levi gets a well-deserved break, Eren deals with some haters, and they both prove that while communication is sometimes difficult, understanding can occur with just a little patience, effort, and care.

Meeting People is Easy (foreverautumn) : He’s been sitting in his car for the past fifteen minutes, trying to muster up the courage to walk inside the restaurant. "He’ll be sitting by the window. Try to have a good time, won’t you, Eren?"

Eren groans, slumping forward until his head rests against the wheel.

30 (A26) : Levi is a cursed albino merman with a bad temper and a ticking time limit to his thirty year lifespan which is drawing dangerously close to its end. The remedy for his curse? True Love.

No one thus far has captured the salty creature's heart, that is until he lays eyes on a certain brown haired young man who is tasked with the impossible... Cleaning his tank.

Don't Let Me Down (SailorHeichou) : Levi is a twenty-three-year-old runaway raising his six-year-old cousin, Mikasa, after escaping from their abusive alcoholic Uncle several years before. Now a young man, Levi works two jobs just to support Mikasa and himself. With a string of failed relationships behind him, Levi pours himself into working to make sure Mikasa can live comfortably. With a six-year-old child to support, Levi firmly believes he is better off alone but his friends all think otherwise.

Enter Eren Jaeger. It's love at first sight but Levi stubbornly refuses to act on his feelings. Can Hanji and their friends, including one very attractive Eren Jaeger, convince Levi that it's okay for him to try to be happy despite his broken past?

Another Time, Another Place (appleapple) : The one where they have to pretend to be married.

No Such Thing as Fate (mysecretfanmoments) : “You forgot,” he said, with a tone of sudden clarity. “Ah. So that’s why you called me captain.”

Reincarnation AU in which Eren and Levi never established a relationship in that other life. (background pairings: Erwin x Marie, Armin with past feelings for Annie)

The Red Long Johns, Or " Be Sure to Dress in Layers" ( shulkie) : It’s the week of the yearly Trust Initiative Teen Action Network (T.I.T.A.N.) retreat but this year Levi is left out in the cold when Hanji breaks her leg. To make things worse, Principal Smith gets a replacement chaperone—the new, very green English teacher Eren Jaeger. Levi and Eren butt heads over every little thing from professional to personal. Despite all of this, Levi finds himself distracted by the red long johns the fashion-challenged Eren wears under all of his winter gear and just how to get into them…

Time Deprives All But Memories (appleapple) : Living in a future in which survival is their only victory Levi wonders if there can be anything left to lose.

Offered a chance to make things right, he discovers that everything has a price...

10 Years (appleapple) (I really like appleapple's stories!) : Ten years after first joining the Survey Corp Eren returns to Shinganshina. The world has changed. Humanity has defeated the Titans and begun colonizing the outside world. Eren and his friends have gone their separate ways, but at a reunion dinner they find their fates entwined once again...

Double Tap That (Chofanus) : Levi lives the glamorous life of a social media star. People can't get enough of his seductive and cold instagram persona. Things gets hectic when his past catches up to him and he has to face the consequences of hiding his son from the world and his baby daddy. (Bottom Levi)

* The First Words (alphaofallcats) : The first words your soulmate says to you, upon initially meeting, are inked on your wrist. It's a cool thing for the world, except Levi is deaf. Minor complications ensue.

* It's Always the Quiet One (BurningBroadripple) : In a world where you can read your soulmates thoughts on your body, it should be easy to find them. Unfortunately for Eren, his soulmate seems to keep their thoughts to themself. Cannon-ish, but only up to the end of the first season. Takes place three years after. Eren-centric in the beginning, with Levi POV chapters later on. The slowest of slow burns - this one is all about getting them together.

Fumbling to Make Contact (BurningBroadripple) : Levi struggles with showing affection in their new relationship - thankfully his soulmark makes it a bit easier. ( continuation of It's Always the Quiet One).

You Set My Heart on Fire (driedupwishes) : “Your mother’s going to think I’m a fucking idiot,” Eren mutters. It’s soft, half muffled into the scarf Levi still has wrapped around his neck as Eren drops his head to rest there. The ghost of Eren’s breath against his skin sends a wave of goosebumps across his skin, even though the inside of the rink is blissfully warm compared to the drifting snow outside. Levi rolls his eyes and pushes back from the wall of the rink, wedging himself in between Eren and the ice so that when he leans up on tiptoe they’re almost nose to nose.

“My mother’s not going to think you’re a fucking idiot just because can’t tell the difference between a toe loop and flip. She doesn’t have a goddamn quiz ready for you, okay? You could mix up ice dancing with pair skating and she wouldn’t give a fuck.”

In Living Memory (Ketita) : The war is over, and Levi and Eren are on their way to the sea at last. If only Levi could remember how they got there. ( Heavy angst :( )

And Famine (sciencefictioness) : “No one eats until this place is clean. Not just this morning, but every morning. Get it done, and we’ll go from there.”

Everyone’s eyes snap over to him. Auruo grins, obviously having expected this, a devious kind of enjoyment on his face. Petra’s smirk is softer, but she’s amused too, and she gestures over towards Levi at the collective groans of the recruits.

“Captain Levi will be overseeing your training personally, so I suggest you get to it.”

There are a flurry of salutes, a handful of half-hearted acknowledgments, yes Captain, as the recruits all slowly move to obey.

All except one, who’s crouched next to a bunk with his hand in his pack, frozen in place. He’s staring up at Levi, eyes wide and vivid bright, irises so green it’s almost eerie. His hair is wild, tangled from the ride in and falling in messy russet waves across his cheekbones. He cocks his head to the side, and his nostrils flare as he breathes in deep, brows furrowing in confusion.

Something inside of Levi throbs, and it’s painful, and suffocating.

As though he’s full of smoke, and there is nowhere for it to go.

* Rewind (Tammyiia): Eren is just your average medical student, on his way to work in the early morning when he gets hit by a car. His memories of the past had always haunted him, but never to this extent. Eren finds himself in the past.

* A Series of Sweet Events (SimplyTsundere) : Fresh out of prison and ready for his second chance at life, Eren Jaeger proceeds to finally do the one thing he's wanted to do since he got out two weeks ago: go to the park. The spring winds were brisk, the sunlight was bright and warm, but his dog, Yvaine, did not want to agree with the good weather. After yanking the leash from his friend's hands, Eren's dog takes off and plows right through a picnic of a group of strangers. Eren could only sit and watch in horror while his dog destroyed the get together. As part of his parole was wearing an electronic monitoring anklet and the radius he was given would not allow him to cross the road. Luckily his friend and sister were in tow and collected his dog but that didn't stop of the men from the picnic from walking over to him with a deeply furrowed brow....and was that almost a smile?

After the sudden, disastrous meeting Eren is captivated by this man and offers to make it up to him. How? Well he doesn't know exactly since the man refuses. Eren, however, is not giving up. Whatever it takes, he wants to take this man out. Somehow he's managed to enrapture him with a simple conversation and Eren knows that it isn't one-sided.

Never End (twisting_vine_x) : Basically, the one in which Levi and Eren have been best friends for years, and Levi is so absolutely gone over him.

I Want You More Than an Oscar (plasticmarshmallows) : “You’re so whipped.” Hanji said with a sigh, turning to follow Isabel.

Levi grabbed his backpack, dragging it behind him as he walked up the stairs. “I know.”

Stay, Always (folaigh) : The war against the Titans is over. Levi, retired from the Survey Corps, now works at the orphanage Historia established. Squad Leader Eren Yeager is a frequent visitor between expeditions. When Levi learns that many people assume he and Eren have been a couple for years, he is taken aback– is he really that obvious? Meanwhile, Eren has something on his mind too, but he won’t say what.

I Will Never, Love Another, Like You (ZWorld) : “So, did you ask him?” Ymir asked, fork in the air and pointing straight at him.

“Ask who what?” Eren questioned, feigning naivety.

“Oh, my, god. Dad, come on!” Ymir whined, dropping her fork loudly against the wood. “Are you kidding me!?”

Eren swallowed, his eyes widening at her sudden outburst. “Ymir, I told you-”

“Grow a pair, Dad!” she shouted. Eren gasped, beyond shocked at his daughter’s forwardness.

“Ymir-”

“No seriously, please. For the love of God! I’m so sick of watching you act like a love sick puppy. Please spare me and Nan. Please! Ask him out already! Come on!”

I'll Be Back by Sunset (Arlene0401) : "It was pathetic really, being hooked up on a person who had left, seeking comfort in the company of others who were equally wounded. It should be even more pathetic to waste time on the porch every evening around sunset. Every evening, without fail, he would mumble something about catching some fresh air and his housemates would let it pass. After a while, he could almost make himself believe he only seeked a little solitude and a glimpse of the dying sun. Almost. Because no matter how hard he tried to suppress the memory of Eren’s last words to him, they popped up in his mind, unwanted, unasked. “I’ll be back by sunset.” (Angst)

Torschlusspanik (pandotowrites) : (n.) lit. "gate-closing panic"; the fear that time is running out to act, often regarding a life goal or opportunity.

Nobody ages backwards, not even Captain Levi. The clock never stops ticking, and it's awaking sleeping fears.

(Top Levi)

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Remember?

Summary- 1.9k Frank Adler x You. Frank wakes you up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am and will not even tell you why. Written for @stargazingfangirl18​ 5k challenge

Warnings- like... barely there mention hint of smut? But just barely? I cant even count it as a warning to be honest. 

A/N- so yes this is written for a soft!dark challenge, but dark writing just isn't happening. I went with just soft and with the prompt of lazy make out session.I really wanted to make sure I was giving something to Siri’s challenge because she works so hard on providing us wonderful fics to enjoy, is incredibly supportive and honestly she deserves it. Much love always babes and thank you for all you do.  

A/N 2- Can be read as a one shot. It is in the same verse as Oppressive. Also trying out a new site to make moodboards. I kinda like it? what do you all think? And I know the Fort Myers pier is made from concrete, not wood, but I wanted wood. So I went with wood. I always appreciate your thoughts on a fic. Alright, Much Love, Happy Reading! 🌊

“Baby wake up.” You heard a husky whisper in your ear as well as a rough scrape against your shoulder from Franks cheek as he pressed in close to your back, the soft hairs of his chest pressed into your sleepy warm skin and you muttered a no into your pillow as you hid your face into the cotton covers. 

He must be out of his ever loving mind to think you were going to wake up at… a quick peek at the old 80’s looking radio clock Frank loved sitting on his night stand. The red numbers were unfocused at first, but blurry sharpened to three thirty am. Yes, your man was crazy to think you were up for anything at all, and the way he was pressed into your ass cheeks, you suspected he woke up early for sex. 

That was going to be a hell no. “Frank go back to sleep. I will fuck you later.” You promised as you shifted back into your warm safe hollow. He chuckled gruffly and his hands slid on your hips to twist you to fast him, causing you to sigh and blink up at him. In the dark of the room, his eyes were a dull blue shining down at you amused. You though were no in that same mood as you blinked up at him, pushing a hand against his chest. “Come on Frank, I'm not in the mood. I was sleeping so good.” 

“You would think I would wake you up just for sex.” Frank scoffed.

“It wouldn't be the first time.” 

“Probably won't be the last either, but that's not what this is about. Come on Sweetheart, get up. I have a surprise.” He tapped your ass and pulled away as you were groaning, knowing sleep simply wasn't going to happen. 

“Adler, I swear to all that is holy, this better be good.” You grumbled as you sat up and tried to wake up. Frank came back out with some clothing for you, a pair of capris, tee shirt and undergarments. You looked at the casual clothing and arched your brows. “Where are you dragging me?” 

“Its a surprise, trust me, those are appropriate.” He started as he dressed in some old faded blue jeans and grey tee. Wherever he was taking you wasn't going to require dressing up too much, so you just pulled your hair back into a tie, and didn't bother with makeup. He kept glancing at his watch, and by three fifty he had you out the door and to his pickup truck. He tossed a bag in the back and when you went to question it, he shook his head firmly in a no while ushering you into the passenger side. “Part of it, just trust me.” 

“I trust you to have something up your sleeve Adler, considering you know I love my sleep in on Saturday Morning.” You grumbled under your breath. Typically you and Frank slept late Saturdays. Mary would go to Roberta’s Friday night for her weekly sleepover that both woman and child insisted on, you and Frank would go to the local bar for a night of cold drinks, games of pool and the occasional dancing when you could get Frank drunk enough to go on the small dance floor. Simple, but you always had a good time. Saturday was recovery day. 

So why was he dragging you out of bed on recovery day? 

“So a hint?” You decide to pester a bit, sliding closer on the bench seat till you were against his side, his arm circling around your shoulder to tuck you in closer and press a kiss to your temple. You could feel his lips upturned to a smirk against the side of your head. 

“You want a hint… It has to be done early in the morning.” 

You rolled your eyes at him with a huff, dropping your hand to dance your fingers against a jean clad thigh, making his eyes dart down to your hand. “I want better then that.” 

“You are not gonna get it Baby, but you can try your best.” 

He really was being serious this time, because he caught your hand from wandering up to far and brought it to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. 

“Alright Adler, keep your secrets then.” You let your head rest on his shoulder and eyes close. Frank was stubborn, always had been. You knew when you just had to let it go. You drifted in and out as he sped along the interstate. Soon he was turning off, but you weren't quick enough to catch what the exit was, so still had no idea. 

“Are we there?” 

“Close, you don't know where we are?” He asked with a slight laugh in his voice. You shrug a bit as you two are driving down the main drag of the area, passing all night gas stations, fast food chain restaurants, outlet stores and parking lots. 

“No clue, every place in Florida has this Frank.” 

He hummed a bit, slowing to an intersection and flicking on his blinker. “True, but you will soon see.” He winked as he made the turn, pulling away from the city-like area and moving towards the beach strip. Where million dollar homes, hotels, and beach side tourist traps laid quiet in the barely morning hours. It was starting to lighten though, you could see the black blue of the night sky make way for lighter purples and pinks. 

So you remained patient, waiting for wherever Frank was taking you. The terrain started to get sandier, the crack of the window took on a breezy salty scent and you could taste the hint of surf and sand in the air. Your lips turned upwards, just that scent alone reminded you of a couple years ago, and it all clicked right where you were. 

Your first overnight away from home with Frank was to Fort Myers, a small rundown motel on the beach. The room was iffy, the Ac barely worked, neither of you dared to use the pool. At the time it was all you two could afford. And it was all perfect. 

Because that morning, before sunrise, you two escaped to the beach, arm in arm and sat in the dunes to watch the sunrise over the crashing ocean, and all was perfect in the world with each other. 

Frank glanced over to see the knowing look on your face, and his own softened in a smile, his hand coming to grasp the inside of your thigh gently, squeezing. “Now you know?” He pulled into an almost deserted parking lot. At the other end were a group of people, unstrapping their boards to get ready to go into the surf. 

“Of course Frankie.” You said with a touch of sentiment in your tone as you leaned over to peck his lips and nip at him playfully. “How can I forget?” You pull away suddenly and jump out of the car, yanking off your shoes to ditch in the truck. Frank followed, doing the same with his own boots. 

You had already taken off into the sand, making your way towards the surf to dig your feet into the wet sand happily. Now it was getting lighter, those dark purples and pinks made way for the reds and oranges as the barest hint of the sun kissed the horizon. 

Frank came up behind, having managed to yank his jeans up partially around his calves and pressed you two to walk out a bit further into the surf, the salt water spritzing you both in a fine cooling mist, clinging to your skin, in your hair, on your clothes. It all brought back the sensations of that first trip together. You fall back into his chest while he dips his head to mouth kisses into your neck, enjoying the quiet of the moment with you in a more physical way for a moment. Making you tilt your head to the side while the sun finally broke. 

From the nearby pier, heavy pelicans lined the side to swoop down, skimming over the water in lines, giving the two of you a show all for yourselves, among the surf the small sandpipers chased after the tiny ghost crabs trying to escape back into the surf, all of it made you smile. This felt like home to you, right here with Frank. 

“It feels like forever since we have visited.” You finally say as you turn to face Frank, the two of you stepping out of the surf, and hand in hand making your way along the beach's edge towards the pier, the sandpipers running away as fast as they could, a few taking to wing to fly several yards ahead of you to start there search in the surf retreating back from the edge once more. 

“Been a couple years at least. I was looking at the calendar and realized an anniversary of ours was coming up.” He mentioned while you two stepped under the pier. A small private world for you two at the moment as far above you people made their way towards the end stretching out over the water, ready to drip lines for fishing in the surf. Here though, underneath it all, was just for you and Frank. 

Nothing but water crashing to the shore, wood above your heads and the morning bringing back fond memories. Memories of shared kisses against one of the ageless logs helping to hold the deck yards above them steady, the way your legs wrapped around his hips as he pinned you in place and loved you so freely out in the open where they could be caught. How afterwards Frank said those words that he never uttered to anyone else in the way he said it to you. 

Fuck I think I love you. 

You thought then you loved him to. Now you knew you did. Your fingers looped in his belt loops and you walked backwards, till your back pressed once more against that sand and salt aged wood, looking up at him in the now very present dawn. 

“You know Frank, I think I love you.” 

“You know what Y/N, I think I love you too.” He winked, sliding in closer till he was pressed against you, his hands cupping the side of your face and tilting up to meet him, his tongue sliding past soft lips to the sweet heat of your mouth and tangling his tongue with yours. It elicited a soft moan from the back of your throat. 

Warming salty air really agreed with Frank, mixing the tastes on your tongue, you curled your arms around his body, clutching at his back as you now clung to him, thoroughly enjoying the way this kiss made you feel. 

The sensations of love and passion curling in your belly and your heart thud against your breast bone, absorbing into Frank as he pressed into your body, trying to daze you from rational thoughts, away from the everyday thoughts. 

Frank had a talent at making you appreciate the here and now. 

And right here, with sand covering your feet, your shirt and pants clinging to you from the ocean spray and your man completely pressing every ounce of his affection into you, you could do nothing but appreciate being in the moment. 

“Scratch that, I don't think, I know I love you Frank Adler.” You managed to break out of his kiss for half a second. 

“I know you do.” He assured you as he grasped the back of your thighs and lifted you enough to fold your legs around his waist. “I plan on showing you just how I feel.” He promised, the glint in his ocean blue eyes turning mischievously playful under that pier.

[bcbyteeth]

ABOUT CADE || Drink up you’re wasted on me.

CHARACTER SUMMARY

*     ◟    :    〔   dylan o'brien  ,      cis man    +   he/him    〕      cade dyer ,      some say you’re a  twenty seven year old  lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  resourceful  and  tactless,  one can’t help but think of  i want to kill you  by   citizen  when you walk by.    are you still an  co-founder and owner of house of dioscuri nightclub & tv cultist,     even with your reputation as the icarian?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and    neon lights painting skin under the taste of salty tears, the split of a locket's clasp after tugging a cross as it digs into your palm, paper crowns and promises that taste like tainted lullabies,    although we can’t help but think of tammy fae bakker, klaus hargreeves, hawk lane   whenever we see you down these rainy streets.      (      danii  ,      twenty-three  ,      she/her  ,     est    +    n/a  .      )

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: Cade Dyer, formerly Ezra Morrison

AGE: Twenty-Seven

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis Man, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Dylan O’Brien

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HEIGHT: 5′11″

DATE OF BIRTH: May 28th, 1994

ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: High School Diploma

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A, formerly Catholic

OCCUPATION: Founder of House of Dioscuri Movement and Nightclub, TV Cultist 

CHARACTER HISTORY [TRIGGER WARNING FOR RELIGION, INFIDELITY, GASLIGHTING, CULT ]

Cade, born Ezra Morrison, was born in a small town whose found themselves in acquaintance with all under the roof of the Gilded Stairwell Church. In society’s wavering morals, the community found itself woven together for protection and prosperity with the Morrison family as their guiding hand. Their name was as much as an important verse as those in the pages bound in their hands. The church’s message and mission spread beyond the gates of their haven, speaking out against androids and returning to life as it was in order to ensure enlightenment and purity in trying times through televised service. 

The church, however, has skewed places where it tucks away its faith with the hopes of bright smiles keeping anyone from looking away from above. Teachings of celibacy and chastity were at the height of their values, alongside ensuring natural order against the evolution of mankind and technology. Loyalty was to be upheld between father and son, husband and wife, and neighbor and neighbor. Ezra and his father, however, always had a less than ideal relationship because he had wrapped his youngest heir in a thin foil of gold, and Ezra did whatever he could to scrape it away. 

Ezra was the product of an affair and he’d been forced into the care of his father when she left the church. It was the only agreement they could come to, and so one of his family jewels was no more than polished glass. Cade was constantly shut out, and as a result, acted out by defying his father’s teachings. He used the smile he knew how to curl so well to his advantage. He broke the morality of so many of his father’s followers and proved that the only higher power they really believed in was the one that arched their back to the sky above. 

His pattern, however, didn’t stop when his father slept with Barbara Carter. The news broke out when both Ezra and Barbara’s daughter, Mary, found out their secret. They were given leverage as a means of keeping their secret safe until the news broke out despite their silence, leaving both families to face the consequences. The church’s PR stepped in immediately but other scandals came to light, leaving Ezra and Mary to question their beliefs. Ezra’s mother’s death and how it could have been avoided were laid out for the family to decipher, the excommunication of members and the truth of what lead to their exile, and more of his father’s selfish leadership.

Ezra and Mary left the church as a fight against another forced vow of silence, but their exile was used an example. They had to navigate the world on their own, but they found freedom. They gave into impulse and craving, reveling in thrill. They found good pain and bad pain, and more importantly, the ability to find recovery on their own. To separate themselves from who they were under the thumb of the church, Ezra renamed himself as Cade Dyer and Mary as Delilah Barlowe. Together, they found themselves in New York living in satiation in what their family deemed sin. 

Leaving at eighteen, they spent a lot of their time in sex work as a means of financial survival. If there was anything Cade knew how to do with ease, it was to create a fake sense of faith for someone else’s sake. He’d let someone else be god for a night, and in the morning, he’d find someone else to pray to in order to give him a haven for just a little while. 

Cade eventually grew tired of this, and with growing connections and black mail, was able to open a nightclub with Delilah at twenty-one. It was a hole in the wall that barely made rent, and only managed to stay afloat due to Cade’s careful finances. The club, however, had more purpose than cheap liquor and flickering lights. It had become a safe house, and under Cade and Delilah’s hospitality, it grew into more. They offered shelter and safety to patrons who came for more than a drink, and they helped with the function of the club with that as payment. It was a quiet arrangement, one that took care, but it soon grew and many were willing to partake. Cade and Delilah’s helping hand had gained a reputation, and their home for everyone who was an outsider became a community.

The House of Dioscuri, named after the gods who watched over travelers, expanded within three years, moving from a small club to overtaking the block it sat on by the time they were twenty-four. Cade and Delilah instilled a different kind of hope in not patrons, but members of their movement against being casted aside. They supported a lifestyle that made it easy to breathe, one where adrenaline was the first communion into their movement. They supported a softer sense of anarchy where self actualization wasn’t found through enlightenment by a higher power, but surrendering to yourself instead.

 Using the tools they were told to shy away from, their movement was given a platform and it didn’t take long for Cade’s face to be recognized as the missing piece to the Gilded Stairwell’s picture perfect family. They gained more recognition, slowly gaining a larger following that put them head to head with his father’s mega church across the country. 

PRESENT DAY [TRIGGER WARNING FOR GASLIGHTING, CULT]

There’s no denying that the House of Dioscuri is a cult, but Cade and Delilah will never agree. They believe they’ve created a movement even if access to the night club is exclusive and requires invitation. Through their outreach, they’ve acquired not only a multitude of followers but even investors in their club because of the discretion it provides. The night club itself has become a melting pot of affiliations where people look past their vows for a chance to escape, or a hum of music that sits overhead for privacy–– unless you pay the right price. House of Dioscuri offers membership through simple invitation, but not everyone is required to join once they enter. They can return upon a plus one to an existing member, or if its leaders find interest, they will continue to reach out until they grow bored

Cade and Delilah televise the teachings of their movement and the lifestyle they lead. They are reminiscent of a modern day Tammy Faye Bakker, except its guidance aligned with an ever evolving world. You can catch Cade at the heart of the city, never alone whether it be with those involved with House of Dioscuri as members or investors. 

Even if the House of Dioscuri is a lifestyle and there is no vow taken that binds members like a crime organization, there is an emotional tie that is to sever. The lifestyle has dangers and risks that are hard to keep under control without the support and resources of the group, making it hard to maintain on your own. You need the Dioscuri, but it’s been said that the Dioscuri also need you. 

HEADCANONS

House of Dioscuri is similar to that of the Iceberg Lounge from The Batman. It has different levels of access for those loyal to the needs of the community whether it be through service or financial aid. With the right price, though, you can find your way to the club inside the club–– from the cult, to its sponsors and their pockets. 

On the outside, House of Dioscuri is an exclusive and high end club that requires invitation to attend. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Former clients when Cade was an escort

Investors in House of Dioscuri

People who have been invited to House of Dioscuri (doesn’t mean they’re in the cult, but Cade is interested in them as an investor, a recruiter, etc!)

Business arrangements where the club is used by another muse as a meeting ground

Media connections

Anything and everything

[southern-belle-outcasts]

;the belle

real name: Anna Marie Darkholme (known to only people it’s been revealed to)

codename/alias: Rogue

single or taken:  verse and thread dependent

abilities or powers: In any threads unless plotted differently, Rogue is post absorption of Carol Danvers and Wonder Man, meaning her canonical powers include- absorption of memory and emotions connected, life force, significant physical features if they do not appear as a normal human, and powers if present, abilities being absorbed for sixty times the amount of time she had skin contact. psyche absorption is permanent. flight. invulnerability. super strength- listed as class 100, limits presumably unknown. can see in the dark. some ultraviolet vision. resistance to most poisons and toxins. ionized cells prevent illness and aging, reduced need for oxygen. Knowledgeable in martial arts and hand to hand combat. Speaks fluent bayou French.

eye colour:  green

hair colour: auburn with a white streak in the front

family members: Owen, father, presumably deceased. Priscilla, mother, deceased. Carrie, aunt. Raven Darkholme, adoptive mother. Irene Adler, adoptive mother, deceased. Kurt Wagner, adoptive brother. Other non-biological family members, verse dependent.

pets: in v; parle moi sale- Spades, Remy’s black cat (who is still Salty™ Remy brought Rogue home to stay). Default Romy verse- Figaro, Lucifer, and Oliver, Remy’s cats. Other pets verse dependent.

hobbies/activities:  reading- majority fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi (escapism queen here, people), large piece count jigsaw puzzles but only with an audiobook playing or the quiet drives her nuts, knitting (that anxiety gotta go somewhere), swimming (clothing optional), horseback riding (western or bareback style only), drinking coffee (that IS an activity), stargazing, hiking, daydreaming, getting stuck in her head thinking of a million and one things that could go wrong, playing hide and go seek with things she just had because Object Permanence

animal that represents them: giant river otter- peaceful, family group animal, powerful, nearly apex predator, and will kill a person in defense of its cubs. Or like, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever- water loving, suspicious of  new people, protective, strong, lots of wavy hair, loyal af.

worst habits: heavy drinking (she can barely get drunk okay it just LOOKS bad), pulling at her gloves or sleeves, jumping to conclusions, pushing people away when they get close, doubting her self-worth and capabilities, blaming herself for true accidents, raging when feeling emotionally vulnerable or betrayed, thinking she’s unlovable and that all love besides the love she offers is only temporary, LOSING SHIT, forgetting to eat and then getting lightheaded for it (look I’m making the executive decision the canon is wrong and she still needs food and water).

role models: Ororo Munroe, Logan Howlett, Kurt, others verse dependent.

sexual orientation: pansexual, demiromantic (she’s not going to fuck you without feeling close to you, time unable to touch people be damned)  

thoughts on marriage/kids: Craves it but does not easily trust that it will go smoothly or that she deserves good things. She wants very much to have both but she also views them as a giant oppurtunity for her to fuck something up, as she does so frequently in her mind. This is showed in canon with literal years of off and on relationship with Remy, working through trust and abandonment issues before she finally agrees to marry him. Unlike canon, my Rogue never changed her mind out of the blue AFTER being married, doesn’t matter what verse it is, she eventually would like kids. She might not ever bring it up, depending on the partner and their stance on kids as she would rather settle for a partner she loves, then have kids with someone who doesn’t want them, as she feels that was the situation with her birth mother. While she is very nuturing and loves kids, she just doesn’t quite trust herself not to fail with the rolemodels she had growing up, as well as always having in the back of her mind the what if she never gains and/or loses control.

style preferences: She has a very eclectic style. some days she might be in a sweater dress, leggings, and boots, others it’s jeans and a flannel shirt. Regardless of where she lives, she always has a least one bomber jacker and one leather jacket in her closet at all times. Gloves are still a staple, she ‘gets cold’ very easily- while it doesn’t affect her health and won’t get frostbite, she is still Aware of the cold and she doesn’t appreciate it. Card holding member of the leggings are pants club. Lots of greens, greys, blacks, and whites in her wardobe. Typically red and black, or green and white for the plaids. You might have a hard time finding much underwear...well, anywhere. She is not a fan.

approach to friendships: Sus of people getting too close initially but once they have gotten close enough to win some trust they have a friend for life. She considers friends family and will go feral protecting them. She is very prone to people going quiet out of nowhere as an indication they are no longer interested in her and she will not initiate contact without them saying something first. Any sort of perceived betrayal, especially something she would never do to someone, is taken as a serious affront and has potential for her to go cold as ice, and cut ties.

thoughts on pie: As long as it isn’t pumpkin or sweet potato (she cannot stand the texture and eggy aftertaste) or lemon meringue (again, texture, and the sour is too much), she is questioning why anyone doens’t love pie. Eat all the pie.

favourite place to spend time at: The country or the river. Places where you don’t have the smell and sound of civilization, the crowding . OR somewhere with her person. She will put up with the most polluted, noisy, crowded city because they are there so it’s worth it.

swim in the lake or in the ocean: Lake, but obviously only the cleaner kind. The ocean is too much of a run-off site. Even if she isn’t going to get sick from it, it’s the Principle.

their type: Someone that isn’t going to shrink when their exceptionally strong, extremely emotion driven, prone to getting Loud partner Loses It™, or thinks they’re not loved anymore, or is starting to get very angry. So while she very much requires someone that can be kind, affectionate, and okay with clingy (she TRIES not to, okay? She’s aware, she’s paranoid of it pushing people away), she also very much needs someone with a backbone, who can call her on her bullshit, and when needed can be a stabilizer, not toss gasoline on the flames. If that isn’t present, she won’t be able to consider them, aesthetically pleasing or no. She’s also very much an ‘eyes are the windows to the soul’ kind of person. If there isn’t a, for the lack of a better word, spark in them, she’s not interested. 

camping or indoors: Depends on the day of the week, honestly. Sometimes you want to get away and have some campfire cooked food, and enjoy the crickets. Sometimes you want your goddamn bed and a hot ass shower with a microwave.

Tagged by: @mynameisanakin​

Tagging: anyone with Pants

[hydra-collector]

a sanders sides analysis of “far“

far, if you’re not aware (which honestly you probably werent) is an album by regina spektor (the same one as ‘one more time with feeling’ from logan’s playlist) and regina spektor has songs that work weirdly well with sanders sides so i’m going to give each song on the album a side. i might do this again with ‘what we saw from the cheap seats’ but its not as weirdly perfect as far.

this ended up being really long, so it’s under the cut.

the calculation: logan, no question. it’s basically about trying to 'calculate’ love from what they saw around them, mostly in media, because don’t understand it. they’re desperate to make it work, so they try again and again “beating their hearts against each other” and eventually, it sparks. intrulogical if you’d like someone to pair it with, since roman has all the romance with thomas.

eet: this one was more difficult, but i think its a lot of patton. after all, the summary on genius literally says “’Eet’ is a wistful, introspective song brimming with nostalgia. The overarching themes seem to be about a person’s development of morality through their experience in their childhood.” it connects a lot to ‘moving on’ in that respect, where thomas wishes he could go back to the times he remembered in patton’s room. if you don’t already know, eet is the backspace key on a typewriter, but since it actually prints letters, you can’t really go back. i also think the line “using your headphones to drown out your mind” is perfect for virgil. i think in “someone’s deciding whether or not to steal/he opens a window just to feel the chill/he hears that outside a small boy just started to cry/’cause it’s his turn, but his brother won’t let him try” janus could be the thief, trying to decide what thomas should take for himself, and obviously remus would be the brother that’s crying because he doesn’t get his turn to be listened to.

blue lips: janus or logan. part of it is kind of like an analysis of society, but it’s mostly about death and aging, which i think both of them will have thought about. the line “the pictures in his mind awoke/and began to breed” definitely reminds me of remus, intrusive thoughts and stuff. its preceded in one verse by “and no one saw and no one heard/they just followed lead” which i think could be about how thomas won’t let himself talk about remus’s thoughts, or janus’s lies, or even logan being tired of how thomas just tries to do everything everyone else does.

folding chair: roman, i think. part of it, patton, maybe. it’s hard to articulate exactly what i mean, but i think a lot of it has to do with being tired and lonely. i think maybe what i’m thinking with roman is that he’s been living so long one kind of way, but it’s not a happy kind of way. like he wants to do something (maybe flashbacks to ‘broadway here i come’ mayybe) or become a dark side, but he’s scared. “now i’ve been sitting on this abandoned beach for years/waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears/but every time the tide comes in to take me home/i get scared, and i’m sitting here alone.” i’m still not completely sure why this came off as roman to me, but maybe someone else would see it better. i don’t think it fits nearly as well as the other songs, but hey, i said i’d do all of them.

machine: janus or logan. kind of surprised it’s not a definite ‘logan,’ with its name, but it’s a lot about society and there’s a transition from “pre-war apartment” to “post-war apartment” which doesn’t fit logan very well at all. and rather than being ‘i am a machine,’ it’s “i’m hooked into machine.” i think that implies that the machine is society (forgive me if that doesn’t make much sense, genius doesn’t have much on this one) because we’re so intertwined, so connected to each other and functioning as a society, possibly how the government wants us to. some of the lyrics make me think it’s about some alternate universe, like “I collect my moments/into a correspondence/with a mightier power/who just lacks my perspective/and who lacks my organics/and who covets my defects,” which is the only reason i didn’t take logan out of the characters completely.

laughing with: janus, if he’s singing it sarcastically. i think he would be making fun of the people who ‘laugh at god.’ also the line “no one laughs at god on the day they realize/that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes” which i think would’ve resonated very well with janus before svsr. not gonna say much else bc i can barely listen to the song as it is, much less analyze it.

human of the year: maybe also janus, but then again maybe moreso roman or patton. i say janus mostly because it has a very creepy vibe to go with the fictional award of “human of the year.” but roman or patton fits more with the receiver of the award. at least roman would probably give up anything to be deemed that great person, that hero.

two birds: anxceit babyyy. or roceit. it’s really weird because i can’t really tell whether virgil is leaving the wire or janus. the obvious option would be virgil, leaving for the light sides, but the subtler option is the callback. then again, i’m not sure if the one on the wire would change to roman or the general light sides if it was the callback. i also don’t think that virgil wanted janus to come with him, which doesn’t make sense for how the one bird would ask and the other would lie (hehe deceit) and say he was going to come. then again, that could just be a different interpretation of how virgil left the dark sides. in my opinion, though, roceit is much more fun. “i’ll believe it all:” roman. “i won’t let go of your hand:” janus. roman is lying to janus, he’s saying he wants to go to the wedding. janus is trying to just get him to go to the callback. roman’s tempted by it, tempted by how janus is treating him. the line “one more or one less, nobody’s worried” could maybe be janus trying to convince them that it doesn’t matter if they go to the wedding, that lee and mary lee won’t really care. anxceit’s also fun, though.

dance anthem of the 80′s: doesn’t really have a side that it fits in canon, but i think it’d be interesting to put it with patton in an AU. the character is peppy and innocent at first, but it descends into a more depressing tone. i also think the heteronormativity does it a favor in its context. again, it has nothing to do with canon, just thought it’d be cool in an AU.

genius next door: logan, or remus. this song hurts me every time i hear it, since i’ve started associating it with logan. it’s pretty much about this kid, the genius, who’s presumably depressed and goes into the lake each night, holding his breath until he comes back up. this ends up being a bad idea, because at one point he holds his breath too long, and dies in the lake. mostly as i’ve thought about it, i’ve considered logan, but honestly it kind of fits remus better, like how he “didn't care as long as he was able/to strip his clothes off by the dumpsters/at night while everyone was sleeping/and wade midway into that porridge/just him and his secret he was keeping” (the porridge is the lake.) in addition to that, they describe his death as “and the genius next door was sleeping/dreaming that the antidote was orgasm.” sorry for y’all having to catch me referencing other songs, but in the mountain goat’s “amy aka spent gladiator 1″ he says “do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive/do every stupid thing to try to drive the dark away” (which i think is also a very remus song) so he’s describing how it feels good to risk your life. the adrenaline will make you “feel alive,” which is probably why the kid in the song did it (which i saw in the comments someone compared to being the ‘orgasm.’) and while this is not a good idea, considering what happened to the genius next door, i do think it’s a very remus thing to do if he was depressed.

wallet: patton. it’s a very cute song, and it’s pretty much just about how the singer found a wallet, looked at it a little, then returned it to the owner. the singer says “i have no wallet/i keep my cards together with a blue rubber band” and i think that would be something patton does. “you'll never know me/i'll never know you/but you'll be so happy/when they call you up” is probably how patton would feel returning it. finally, something not depressing.

one more time with feeling: i don’t need to choose a side for this one, it’s already logan. i do want to share my thoughts on it, though, ‘cause it seems i disagree with a couple people (plus i didn’t analyze his playlist so i haven’t said anything about it before.) “everyone takes turns/now it's yours to play the part.” he’s supposed to help thomas, as he did in dwit and tried to in svsr. “and the misery inside their eyes is synchronized and reflecting it to yours.” they didn’t listen, though, in svsr and it took half an hour in dwit. for the chorus, “hold on/one more time with feeling/try it again, breathing's just a rhythm/say it in your mind until you know that the words are right/this is why we fight,” i think maybe he’s trying to be interesting to them. to just get through it, and practice and practice until he has the words that they’ll like. that’s just my little hc, though. “you thought by now you'd be/so much better than you are/you thought by now they'd see/that you had come so far.” these lines hit the hardest for me. remember how logan was in the beginning? especially in moving on, he seemed to have no compassion for thomas’s feelings. but hasn’t he gotten better? i think he’s trying to be better to them, to be kinder about emotional problems. and he has come far, but not as far as he would’ve liked, especially considering that he hasn’t seen them appreciate it. he was hoping that they’d notice, that they’d be glad he was doing better. that they’d be proud of him. but they aren’t. they just disregard him even more, unable to forget about who he was, unable to consider how far he’d come (maybe projecting a little.) i also think that the “this is why we fight” could be him talking about how because they don’t listen, he’s exhausted from getting angry at them each episode, and they get annoyed but their ignorance is why they fight.

as a whole, i think he’s just trying again, and again, and again, and i thought, maybe he’s trying with feeling. like, he’s trying to feel for them, trying to care. maybe it has to do with what he did in svsr, where he hinted at his feelings, how he felt like they didn’t care. and they didn’t say a thing. they only could’ve reinforced the idea that even though they’ve tried to tell him that he feels, they don’t care. i went on a whole rant about patton, roman, and thomas in svsr and i could again, but that’s not related to the song.

man of a thousand faces: roman, loosely. at first i was like “man of a thousand faces?!?! janus?!?” but it actually barely fits him at all. it might actually be about drugs, but we’ll ignore that. “his words are quiet like stains are/on a tablecloth washed in a river/stains that are trying to cover for each other/or at least blend in with the pattern” could represent his mistakes, his ideas, maybe stuff that didn’t turn out. and maybe the better ideas will cover up his mistakes. “good is better than perfect.” it could be that his perfectionism is driving him insane, and he needs to start reminding himself that it’s better if he starts reaching for at least just good. “and i’m crying for things that/i tell others to do without crying” is such a roman line i...

anyway that’s the album. if you read through this i’m... impressed.

[side-effect-of-the-meds]

Erin and Ania are like holy fuck I can’t even. But for real Neil sees Abby as a mother figure in the book so like is it the same for Ania? Andrew too? Idek I just need to know their relationships with everyone

It’s time I map out their relationships anyways lol so thanks, love!

Let’s start with the lovely Ania 

Dan, Allison, and Ania are roommates. It’s tough after Seth’s death bc Ania has to face her all the time. Erin tells Allison her theory too so Allison is avoiding Ania so :////

Dan is essentially what Matt was to Neil. She sees Ania and her first thought is ‘baby’. She adopts her so fast. Every morning before class, she’ll pinch Ania’s cheeks and kiss her fingers, chef-style Idk man. It’s just something my mom does to me ok. Let me be soft. 

Renee rooms with Erin so Ania isn’t comfortable with her. Anyone that can spend the night in a room with that girl has to be hardcore. 

Allison also gives Ania a lot of shit about her wardrobe. At some point it starts to get to her so when the monsters head to the mall, Erin catches Ania drifting towards the girl’s section on her own. She’s high so she follows her around, prodding her about it. When Ania tells her, there’s this moment where Erin’s drug haze parts for a second. Ania could have sworn that she saw anger flashing in Erin’s eyes for half a second. She shrugs it off until Allison shows up at the dorms with a bruise on her jaw. Erin knows Ania hides her body bc scars and bc she doesn’t like men staring at her. She refuses to let Allison shame Ania into doing something she doesn’t want to. In general, Allison and Ania have a rocky relationship because Erin keeps interfering. After Christmas, the two of them end up getting along a lot better bc they bond while Allison covers Ania’s bruises with makeup. Also after Christmas, Ania and Renee trade dorms so she and Allison aren’t in constant contact. Part of their friction was due to the amount of time they spent together. A lot of things have happened to Allison this year and the fact that she constantly has to see the source of a lot of her problems makes it hard for her to heal.  

I’ve considered Fem!Nicky but I personally prefer Gay/Lesbian solidarity between him and Erin a lot better so yeah (However if you want me to run a few Fem!Nicky hcs, hmu and I’ll do it. She won’t be a part of the fem!verse but it would be fun). He’s exactly the way he is in canon. However, he is constantly trying to set Ania and Erin up and Erin? Doesn’t? Stop? Him? She’s so desperately in love with Ania that if Nicky wingmanning for her is what it takes to win her over, then she’ll take it. She also has a really dirty sense of humor. The jokes he makes fuel her late-night fantasies. 

Aaron is disgusted with Nicky and, more importantly, himself. Ania is incredibly beautiful and he’s incredibly straight. He doesn’t like her bc he’s so gone for Katelyn. That doesn’t make Ania any less pretty. He finds himself staring at her all the time but so does every other fox so he doesn’t feel bad. 

Katelyn thinks Ania is hot. She’s bi but leans heavily towards guys. It takes Aaron a long time to unlearn his homophobia but he manages it because Katelyn is bi and he couldn’t possibly hate anything about her. Once Riko is gone and Ania is safe, she starts to develop feelings. I mean, she always had feelings but now she doesn’t try to suppress them. She lets herself want to be friends with people. Katelyn happens to be at the top of her list. While the twins are with Bee at their sessions, Katelyn and Ania hang out. Sessions are only an hour/hour and a half long so the girls just grab a soda together or go window shopping in Reddin. I hc Katelyn as a genuinely sweet VSCO girl. Let me have this! Ania has a grunge/goth aesthetic because Erin buys her clothes for her but she thinks Katelyn’s clothes are cute too. Erin wants to hate the thousands of scrunchies and anklets she finds strewn across the dorm but they make Ania so happy. Once on a double date, on Bee’s insistence, Katelyn catches sight of a bubblegum pink scrunchie in Erin’s hair. It’s a stark contrast to her all-black outfit but it’s really cute. When Aaron goes to grab their drinks from the barista, Katelyn tells her so making sure to stay well out of Erin’s reach. Erin just grunts and turns to look out the window. The twins don’t blush with their whole face. Instead, their ears turn red. With Erin’s hair pulled up and out of the way, Katelyn has no trouble seeing her burning red ears. It’s progress! 

Ania spends a lot more time out at Evermore as a kid than Neil did. As a result, she was really close to Kevin and Riko. She only knew Jean for like a month before she dipped. I got a request for Fem!Jean so you’ll see Ania’s relationship with Jeanie soon. Kevin sees her as a baby sister. He and Kayleigh were actually at the hospital when Ania was born. There’s a baby photo back at Kayleigh’s old house of 3yr old Kevin carrying a newborn Ania. He’s crying rivers in it. There’s an actual video of it as well. In it, Kay asks him why he’s crying. “She’s sho shmall!” little Kevin sobs. “Can I keep her? Pleashe, mom. I’ll be nice to her and take care of her and I’ll tell her I love her all the time.” You can hear someone laughing in the background. The camera pans across the room to reveal Wymack sitting in a chair by the door, cackling

TANGENT BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WYMACK FOR A MINUTE! So Wymack and Kay are friends with some obvious benefits. He flips his shit when Kevin is born because what if that’s his kid??? Kay is just like, I was with a lot of guys and brushes it off. She’s lying through her teeth. Wymack is the only man she’s ever loved. Tetsuji is salty and I will go into this in another post but I think that Tetsuji really hated Kevin because he was Kay’s son but not his. I absolutely believe that Tetsuji was in love with Kayleigh Day and was pissed when she had a kid. Anyway, Wymack flies out to Ireland a lot to check up on Kay and Kevin because Kay is crazy. How could the inventor of exy not be? It’s literally murder lacrosse. He goes out to make sure Kay isn’t overworking herself and bc Kev has no father figure. Kev grows up knowing Wymack and absolutely adores him. When Kay dies, Wymack wants custody of Kevin. Kay knows who the Moriyamas are and recently she and Tetsuji have been fighting a lot. She’s scared that something is going to happen to her so she writes her will and emphasizes that she wants her son sent to Wymack if she dies. Her fight with Tetsuji comes to a head and the car ‘accident’ happens. It’s not an accident. Tetsuji ordered her killed in a fit of rage. He’s devastated when it actually happens. He loved her and now she’s dead. Well, who’s fault is that, ya dumb bish? He flies out for the funeral and so does Wymack. Tetsu finds the will first and is anger. He has it burned and has Nathan forge a new one where he gets custody of Kev. It breaks Wymack’s heart bc now he thinks Kay didn’t want him around Kev. Kevin is five and he’s crying because his mom is dead and now he can’t live with Wymack. He calls Wymack Dad and Wymack can’t do anything about this. Instead, he just hugs little Kev close and tells him it’ll be okay. Wymack tells Kev that Tetsu has a niece his age. Maybe Kev and Riko can be friends. Maybe they’ll even get married. Kevin says that’s disgusting and Wymack laughs a hollow laugh. Anyway, that’s how Kev gets shipped to Evermore. Tetsu doesn’t allow Wymack near Kev bc he knows the truth. The reason why Wymack always has a sports channel on because he used to keep it on in case Kev ever showed up. He watched every one of Kev’s games and interviews and everything. Wymack doesn’t get to be there to watch Kev grown up so he just watched from a distance. I'm not crying you are. 

Wymack is a father figure to Ania and Erin. He’s there when Ania is born bc he went to visit Kay and Kev who were in Baltimore to meet baby Nathania. Kay carts him out to the hospital to meet her too. Nathan Wesninski was not in the room when his daughter was born. He doesn’t even meet her until she’s six months old. Wymack is the first man Nathania meets and she doesn’t even know. Mary didn’t want to hand Nathania over to Wymack but she and Kay are friends and she knows that he’s her baby daddy. Wymack doesn’t recognize Ania because he only knew her for a month when she was a newborn. Of course he doesn’t recognize her. However, he thinks about her a lot. She’s actually the first baby he’s ever held. He didn’t get to hold Kevin until he was two. Wymack treats Ania the same way he treats Neil but he puts in a bit of extra care bc he knows about Millport incident. 

Abby is definitely as much of a mom figure as she was to Neil. However, after she shows her her scars, Ania gets a lot closer to her. She refuses to tell her things but when Erin gets sent to Easthaven, Ania has a hard time staying at the dorms. She spends all her time at the court bc she has to. She hides in the library bc it’s the one place she wouldn’t see Erin anyways. She crashes at Abby’s a few times because there are times she can’t stand the thought of going back to the dorms without feeling the brush of Erin’s hand on the back of her neck. 

Oh. That’s a thing. Every night after midnight practice n Kev has gone to his room, Ania says goodnight to Erin. Erin will trail her hand across the back of Ania’s neck as she passes in response. It makes Ania shiver because her neck is as much of an erogenous zone as Erin’s is. Erin always watches it out of the corner of her eye bc God it’s the most amazing thing she’s ever seen. It makes her feel. Ania doesn’t really realize???? She’s so dumb. She knows it makes her feel good but she just can’t for the life of her figure out why. 

It’s time I addressed the real psycho lesbian… While Erin’s is a facade, Riko is genuinely psychotic. She’s seven types of crazy. Actually, it skews a little more yandere but I will go into depth about it in the Fem!Jean fic. Rn, I’ll try to keep it short. Riko has her first crush when she’s eight? Nine? She kisses her crush on the cheek when she’s ten and Tetsuji… doesn’t take it well to say the least. The bit about it’s easier to remain straight? It’s the thing Kevin hears Riko say to herself every morning in front of the mirror. Regardless, Riko never gets over that first crush. Riko will never not miss Nathania Wesninski. When she finds out who Ania really is? She loses it. It’s fate, she tells herself. She will have Ania or die trying. Christmas at Evermore is a thing so I mean, I guess she does have Ania :( But she wants Ania to love her. She tells Ania as much and Ania spits in her face. :)

Most of Erin’s relationships are the same except for the Matt and Renee thing I covered earlier. The only other one that changes is Kevin. I know I say this a lot, but she really thought Ania and Kev would be a thing. She says no to Kevin for everything bc she’s petty.  Kevin has always gotten everything that he wanted handed to him on a silver plate. Now he’s taking the one thing she really wants.  If he gets Ania, he can’t have anything else. Again, I’ll cover her relationship with Jean later. 

Thanks again your ask <3

Edit: I'm really tired and have a quiz tomorrow but I forgot to talk about Cleo. I'll make a separate post about her so stay tuned for that!!!

[ouidamforeman]

Reasons you should watch Jesus Christ Superstar, my favorite musical in the world

(It’s technically an opera because there are no spoken parts, specifically a rock opera, but anyway)

I’m going to attempt to convince everyone to watch multiple adaptations of this solely through ranting praise and tv tropes screenshots. So, stupidly long post coming up.

Okay so first of all this is probably the best thing Andrew Lloyd Webber has ever done, and that’s saying something. And there are so many different adaptations with varying character presentations and even varying lyrics but the thing they all have in common is of course the story and most of the songs (some adaptations have extra songs, and they’re all fantastic too), and the fact that it’s a Passion Play that focuses on Jesus as a celebrity figure, politics, and the humanity and relationships between the characters, especially Jesus and Judas (who is portrayed as extremely sympathetic and is arguably the most important character because the story is really told through his viewpoint), in an intentionally anachronistic setting. And they’re so badass:

The lyrics are masterful and I notice new things every time I listen to them:

The music is wildly good like I can’t even describe how flawless it is (especially the ‘73 movie imo, which is like ??????? what the fuck how can vocal talent and musicianship be this good????) The guitar riffs alone and the structure of the score and all the motifs make me wanna cry they’re so fantastic, and the emotion behind the lyrics that’s projected is INSANE:

All the music is also beyond catchy even though some of it is literally impossible to sing if you can’t do long, high metal screams or a ridiculously low bass part. But you are DAMN WELL GOING TO TRY. Some of it is eerily menacing and some is really groovy and some is funny and some is just totally badass and god it’s all so great. It’s complex but you get roped into singing these songs with rockstar vocals or gloriously hammy deliveries or super rapid fire verses in uncommon time:

(Yeah ‘Judas’s Death’ is AMAZING. I want to see a singing competition where people have to sing it and ‘Gethsemane’ and if they can’t do it with enough emotion and vocal prowess they get eliminated)

And did I mention how GREAT the adaptations are? There’s the SUPER GROOVY 70s one, there’s one that’s more glam, there’s one that’s really punk, and it all works bc it’s all rock

The characters are fabulous, for instance:

-Salty Jesus

-Judas is relatable because he understandably doesn’t want to go to jail or die, and he’s SO STRESSED OUT ALL THE TIME. He also gets the best outfits. Like leather pants, punk eyeliner, fabulous white fringe, glitter mesh, and other things depending on the song and the production. Also he cries in acoustic at one point and it’ll probably make you cry too.

-Mary Magdalene and Peter are there and they’re the least hammy characters so I don’t have much to say about them beyond how great they are. Yeah.

-The high priests are ridiculous and menacing at the same time and I love them even though they get Jesus killed

-Simon the Zealot aka the angry radial fanboy who summons acrobatic backup dancers

-Pilate is Tired(TM)

-And King Herod...exists (you’ll see what I mean. There is literally no production where Herod is a normal guy.)

Almost every character is either very sympathetic, an anti-villain, or both, which is a really special and interesting thing you don’t see in a lot of stories. The only real villainous driving force is the mob that turns against Jesus at the end. Everyone is either doing what they think is best or just doing their job. They are Trying Their Best ok.

More important things:

-It’s so sad????? Everything is a Disaster and it’s sad but it’s so. Good.

-Herod tells Jesus to walk across a swimming pool

-Jesus and Judas have a huge tenor-off fight at the Last Supper

-Everyone in the ‘73 movie version is super hot. Now that I think about it the 2018 NBC cast is pretty hot too.

-Hot takes on timelessly relevant political themes, celebrity culture, religion, and humanity

-HEROD’S SONG EXISTS. LOOK IT UP.

-In the 2012 version the Priests watch everything on security cameras and idk I love it

-Fab mood whiplash in the middle of songs that really works (Mary: “EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT” Jesus: “Judas my guy you’re gonna be sorry when I’m DEAD”)

-The ‘73 movie was filmed on location in Israel and it shows beautifully

-Epic “calling out God” song

-The title song ‘Superstar’ is amazing and meta and a smash hit. It includes the line “Israel in 4 B.C. had no mass communication.” It’s sung by Judas who comes back as a ghost.

-REALLY clever lyrics

-You will never get the songs out of your head

Lastly:

Like same

Anyways please watch this you won’t regret it

This post was way longer than I intended but apparently I love Jesus Christ Superstar to a stupidly excessive degree, far more than any reasonable human being should

[cbk1000]

Jenn Recommends: Poetry

Today you get two rec lists for the price of one! Because I actually had most of the other one written up for 84 years and have been too lazy to finish it

I was just freaking out about poetry the other day and lamenting the fact that no one really reads it anymore, so MY FRIENDS HERE WE ARE. This list is going to be a bit different from my other recommendation lists since poetry is a different beast altogether. For today’s recommendations, I will list a few poets who have touched the cold black spaces inside me where people normally keep things like their heart and stupid shit like that, and recommend a few of my favourite works. If you’re new to poetry this will give you a way to dip your toe into it without fumbling around screaming WHERE DO I FUCKING START and just feeling generally overwhelmed, since we now know my taste is impeccable and you should just read whatever I suggest.

If You Like: Angsty war poetry and just some beautiful goddamn compositions

Read: Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Owen was a WWI poet who died within days of the Armistice, which really sucks for obvious reasons, and also because he wrote some absolutely gorgeous verse and I always wonder what he might have gone on to do with his literary career. Two of my personal faves: ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, but pretty much anything by him is brutally beautiful. Pro tip: you can read these and other poems for free on poetryfoundation.org if you don’t want to commit to buying an actual collection right now.

If You Like: More angsty war poetry about how much dick the British Empire can eat for doing the whole WWI thing 

Read: Siegfried Sassoon

Siegfried Sassoon was another WWI poet who actually managed to survive the war and he was fucking pissed about it. While many soldiers were bitter and disillusioned after watching their entire generation disappear into the maw of The Great War, Sassoon was bitter AND literary. (Fun fact: he was also a little batshit crazy, and once single-handedly killed 60 German soldiers using only hand grenades.) He was highly critical of the war and regularly cut a bitch (a bitch being the British government) with his poems. Some notables: ‘Dreamers’, ‘The Redeemer’, ‘Does It Matter’, and ‘Suicide In the Trenches’.

If You Like: SHIT THAT TOUCHES YOUR SOUL EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE ONE I FUCKING LOVE KEATS OK

Read: John Keats 

Listen; listen. Sometimes I actually have to put down Keats’ poems to clutch my chest because they’re just so fucking beautiful and holy fuckballs is language amazing and holy fuckballs do I wish I could write like this. (Also, pause for me to say I had a couple of lines from some Russian poems affect me this way the other day and now I’m salty that I can’t peer pressure you into reading these poems because I don’t think they’ve been translated and DON’T LOOK AT ME ok poetry is a bitch to translate.) Keats was only 25 when he died but still managed to gift us with a fuckton of brilliant shit, so here you go: ‘Hyperion’. ‘On the Grasshopper and Cricket’, ‘To Autumn’, and ‘Ode to Apollo’.

If You Like: The same all-caps enthusiasm I used for Keats and beefing up your vocabulary

Read: Percy Bysshe Shelley

Husband to Mary Shelley and one of the most influential Romantic poets, Shelley could be his wife in dude drag because he was kind of a pretty bitch. Sadly, he kicked it at only 29, because someone was probably bumping off talented young 19th century poets (Byron?), but as with Keats, he left us plenty of material to flip our shit over. (Another fun fact: if you ever think you’re being a little extra, remember that Mary Shelley allegedly kept her husband’s heart after he drowned and carried it around in a silken shroud for years. After she died, it was found in her desk wrapped in the pages of one of his last poems. So you’re actually not that dramatic after all.)

As for the actual recs: ‘Prometheus Unbound’ and ‘Queen Mab’. These are both longer poems because I eased you into this with a bunch of small little verse, now you gonna’ settle in, bitch.

Bonus: Aleksandr Blok.

This is a bonus section because tbh I’m not sure he’s really made his way into English translation, but on the off chance that one day you happen across an old translation floating round in a used bookstore somewhere, pick it up. I just finished a long poem of his called ‘The Twelve’ that I fucking loved. I ordered another of his collections today for my two year Russian anniversary (it’s technically in September, but I have to make sure I have the books in time to properly celebrate me, obviously).

[graciousheaven]

WHY YOUR PRAYERS AREN'T AND CAN'T BE ANSWERED BY GOD

The Lord says in John 15:7, "If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it."

Oftentimes, when people pray to God they are only focused on getting an answer as quickly as possible; they do not consider what the Lord requires of us. When the Lord says, "If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it", we need to understand that not anyone can just turn to the Lord in prayer and get what they wish for. But only those who honour the Lord, those who keep God's words and faithfully do what He requires have been given this privilege. Only those who obey God's laws and commands and submit themselves to his will can have their prayers answered by the Sovereign Lord.

Some people think there is a systematic order to follow when asking God for help and so they come up with some 'steps to follow'. Little or no emphasis is put on what the Lord commands us, that is to remain in Him and to keep his words. They believe that by following those steps you will get what you want from God, as if God has the responsibility to answer your prayer whether or not you honour Him and faithfully submit to his will. 1 John 3:22-23 says, "We receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases Him. What He commands us is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us."

There are some people who do not honour the Son, they reject Christ the Saviour, they do not love Him and think that God will answer their prayer. These are those who believe there are many ways to get to Heaven, many ways to get to the Father other than Christ. In fact that is what the false religion of this world teaches them, and they are convinced that by rejecting the Son of God He will still answer them, in the same way they believe in salvation by works. 1 John 2:23 tells us, "Those who reject the Son also reject the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also." The reality about prayer is far beyond these worldly views. Prayer is not a means to get what the sinful self desires but it is a communion time between God and his children. And who are God's children? Those who do what is right. 1 John 3:10 says, "All who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children."

We also need to mention the fact that many people consider themselves Christians but they truly are not - they love the world and live in gross immorality, they worship false gods and offer sacrifices to the dead, they rush to fortune tellers and consult the spirits of the dead. They do all kinds of evil practices and still think that the Lord will listen to their prayer. "The Lord says, 'I will condemn those who turn away from Me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals. They are like bushes in the desert, which grow in the dry wilderness, on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to them. But I will bless those who put their trust in Me. They are like trees growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. They are not afraid when hot weather comes, because their leaves stay green; they have no worries when there is no rain; they keep on bearing fruit." (Jeremiah 17:5-8). If you truly are of the Father you must separate yourself from the world, you must deny yourself and give yourself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. If you are a true Christian you must worship only God and be faithful to Him even in times of trouble; you will not turn to fortune tellers, to mediums and all kinds of so-called miracle workers of the pagan world when trials come your way. The Lord Almighty says in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, "Have nothing to do with what is unclean, and I will accept you. I will be your Father, and you shall be my sons and daughters."

So unlike many people think, it is mainly and exclusively the type of relationship we have with God the Father and the Son that conditions the answer to our prayers. It is not just some steps we have to follow, although it is important to know how to pray. But we do not need to worry about that nor do we need an external guideline to teach us how to pray, for our Lord Himself addresses this issue in the teaching He has given us.

In Matthew 6:7-8 the Lord says: “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because theirs prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him.”

The Lord knows everything we face in life, so we do not need to make our prayers unnecessarily lengthy. Long before we even open our mouth to speak, the Lord already knows what we are going to ask Him. On the other hand, we should not worry about what words to say when we pray to God - the Holy Spirit that our Lord has given us is there to help us connect to our Father. Romans 8:26-27 says, "The Spirit Himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will."

Another important thing to know about prayer is that there is only one Way to ask - in the name of the Son. Christ is the only Way to the Father. The false religion of this world rejects the Son - Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Judaists, they all reject the Way; Romans Catholicism teaches people to call upon the name of Mary. That is not what the Bible teaches us. Christ alone is the Way to the Father. The Lord says in John 14:13-14, "I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask Me for anything in my name, I will do it." In John 15:16, the Lord tells us, "You did not choose Me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in my name." In John 16:23 the Lord says, "I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name." The only One who pleads on our behalf with the Almighty God is Christ his own Son. No human being can plead with God the Father on your behalf. So do not be fooled by the evil doctrine of this world; have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, do everything He requires and ask everything in his name and the Father will answer you. The Lord goes further and teaches us how to pray. He gives us The Lord's Prayer as the guideline to follow whenever we pray to the Sovereign Lord. "This, then, is how you should pray: (Says the Lord in Matthew 6:9-13.) 'Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One.'" Let's break down the meaning of the first verse a bit. We begin by honouring the Lord our God, we acknowledge all his attributes and call Him Father because that's who He is to us Christians. Then we honour his name because our Father's name is holy and so we treat it as such. We also seek his Kingdom; that his glory be manifest in our lives and so we seek to conform ourselves to the standard set by the Father, so that our deeds, our thoughts, and everything we say may bring Him glory. We also ask for his will to be done not ours. This first verse brings our attention on all the critical elements each prayer we say should display. Every pray we say should be based on this guideline. The second part of the prayer talks about us. Oftentimes, many people when they go to the Lord in prayer, they are so irreverent; they do not treat the Lord with honour, they do not seek his will but dictate what they want. The Lord takes pleasure in those who honour Him. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "We have courage in God's presence, because we are sure that He hears us if we ask Him for anything that is according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask Him; and since we know it is true, we know also that He gives us what we ask from Him." Submit yourself to the will of the Father, honour Him, for He alone knows what is best for us.

Another important thing many people tend to forget is obedience. At times people disregard God's commands and only focus on what they want. Proverbs 28:9 tells us: “If you do not obey the law, God will find your prayers too hateful to hear.”

To illustrate this let's take as example, someone who cries out to the Lord, seeking his mercy but they have not been merciful to others. The Lord commands us to forgive one another, for He first forgave us. And in Matthew 6:14-15 the Lord says, "If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done." The Lord says in Mark 11:25, "When you stand and pray, forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done." You cannot dishonour the Lord by disobeying his commands and still be pleasing to Him.

It is also important for us to know where to pray. The Lord says in Matthew 6:5-6, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”

Also, when praying to our Father, we have to be certain that what we are asking will be given to us; we should have faith. There should not be doubt. The presence of any doubt translates our lack of faith and trust in God. Nothing is impossible with the Lord Almighty, and He is faithful to all his promises. Doubt does not have room in our relationship with God. The Lord, through his servant James, says, “When you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. People like that, unable to make up their minds and undecided in all they do, must not think that they will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-8). The Lord says in Mark 11:24, "When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and it will be given whatever you ask for. Matthew 21:22, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Another thing many people fail to understand is God’s purposes. As a result, many lose their faith after being exposed to the test, because they think that the Lord has abandoned them; they think that He refuses to answer their prayers. There are moments where, in order to preserve us from sinning and to keep us closer to Him, the Lord might not take away from us the very thing that we think is causing us distress. You may have prayed earnestly to the Lord, begging Him to change your situation, but nothing seems to have changed. Do not think that the Lord does not care for you. Instead, it is the way for the Lord to care better for your soul. His protection never leaves us because He knows we rely on Him for help. And remember, as Romans 8:28 says, "in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to his purpose."

We have the story of the Lord’s servant, the Apostle Paul to sharpen up our understanding and strengthen our faith in such a situation. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, “To keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked Him to take it away. But his answer was: ‘My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.’’’

We should all be happy with our weaknesses just like the Apostle Paul was when he said:

“I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

The Lord is omniscient; He knows all our needs. But sometimes people fail to understand that the Lord alone knows what is best for us, and when they do not see any changes to their situation they become discouraged. We have to remember that any burden we carry in life fulfills God's righteous purposes and is done for our own good. And He always gives the strength we need. Even if at times we might feel weak, the Lord is always there to strengthen those who put their trust in Him. There are moments when the Lord sees that it is best for us to go through trials and does not grant our request because He wants to keep us closer to Him; otherwise we may forsake Him and fall into temptation. We should keep a strong mindset in suffering and hold firmly to our faith at all times, and always pray even when persecution comes. The scripture tells us: “Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.” (Jude 20-21). So when the Lord gives us an answer like the one He gave to the Apostle Paul, we need to be content and praise his holy name. For everything the Lord does is right and good.

There are other factors to consider in prayer such as patience, perseverance and God’s will. At times when people pray, they want God to answer them as quickly as possible. They are not patient, they are not perseverant. The Lord says in Luke 11:9-10: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For all those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find, and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks.” This is the Lord's promise and He is always faithful to his promises. So when you pray, always have the patience to wait for his answer, and He who knows what is best for us will answer you in his own good time. The Lord also tells us to always pray and to never get discouraged. He gave us the Parable of the Widow and the Judge in Luke 18 to exhort us to persevere in prayer. Oftentimes, while longing for a change in their lives, people have not the patience to wait for the Lord's answer; they do not persevere in prayer. They are more concerned about the delay of the divine providence and they question God. Sometimes they lose hope and give up their faith in Christ. The Lord is always at work for us; He does not forsake his children. What the Lord sees and knows, we do not and cannot see or comprehend. The Lord knows what is best for us and the right time for every situation to take place in our lives. We should not oppose God's plans and purposes for us - the Lord has set the time for everything, for his own divine purpose and glory.

We must submit ourselves to God's will and purposes and trust his sovereignty in suffering and in rejoicement. So whatever you face in life, as 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that He will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you." We cannot make a request to the Lord, dictating Him what we want. Instead, we should ask for his will to be done. When praying, we should also keep in mind that our request might not meet what God has in store for us. In such circumstances, the Lord will not give us exactly what we ask for but something else or simply we may not receive anything. But this does not mean that the Lord does not care about our situation. Simply, He knows what is best for us – at times we are better off with no changes to our situation. So whatever happens, Colossians 4:2 says, "Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God."

Another thing we need to show in prayer is compassion for others. Ephesians 6:18 says, "Pray always for all God's people." The Lord wants us to pray for others. When we pray to God we should not be selfish and focus only on ourselves. We should think of others and present their situations to the Lord as well. It does not matter who they are to us. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 says, "First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence towards God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth. For there is one God, and there is One who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem everyone." In the same way the Lord asks us to love our enemies, He also asks us to pray for those who persecute us. The Lord says in Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For He makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.” Intercessory prayer can help change our enemies into friends, it can transform people and make them stop doing evil. It can help change someone’s life forever. We should pray for the sick, the oppressed and the needy. We should pray for God to change those who have gone astray, but whose sin does not lead to death. 1 John 5:16 tells us: “If you see your brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray to God, who will give them life. This applies to those whose sins do not lead to death.”

Another important thing we need to know about prayers is thankfulness. We should not be of those who bow their knees only to ask God for help and forget Him the minute after. When the Lord blesses us, we give Him praise and thanks and testify to his abundant grace. We should not be like those nine men that the Lord healed from dreaded skin diseases. Instead of expressing their gratitude to the Lord, they forgot what He did for them and continue their way as if nothing ever happened to them. They called to the Lord for help, when He was going into a village, shouting: “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us!' Jesus saw them and said to them, ‘Go and let the priests examine you.’ On the way they were made clean.” (Luke 17:13-14). But they did not care to turn back and thank the Lord. This shows how self-centered those nine men were. They did not truly care about God; what mattered to them was only their lives, their body.

What we have to know is that, in our relationship with God we should abstain from such flagrant, arrogant and irreverent attitude. We should not turn to the Lord only when we need help. We must worship the Lord constantly, to keep a strong relationship with our Father. We need to acknowledge Him as Lord all the time, not just when we are in distress. Those who act like those nine men clearly demonstrate their selfish interest and superficial love for God. If it hadn't been for their condition, they would never have turned to Jesus. How do we know that? Their attitude testifies against them; they did not come back to the Lord after they were healed. It is important to always give thanks to the Lord. Ephesians 5:20 tells us: " In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father." We should not say Lord, Lord only when we need something. We should follow the Lord and carry Him in our hearts all the time to show that we truly love Him, and that we want to remain his children forever. To love God means to worship Him, to praise Him, to be thankful and faithful to Him and to obey his commands. And when the Lord performs miracles in our life, we should give testimony to others, for the glory of our Father in Heaven. We should be like that one man who, out of the ten that were healed by the Lord from the dreaded skin diseases, “came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him.” (Luke 17:15-16).

We need to demonstrate a strong devotion to the Lord our God at all times, in order to preserve our union with Him. We all know how important it is to preserve what we have. The Lord exhorts us to always keep his words in our minds and hearts and to remain faithful to Him to the end. In Revelation 2:25-28, the Lord our Savior says: “Until I come, you must hold firmly to what you have. To those who win the victory, who continue to the end to do what I want, I will give the same authority that I received from my Father.” In suffering and in blessing, we are to remain faithful to the Lord; we must maintain fellowship with our Father through constant prayer and study of the gospel - it is our weapon both to attack and to defend ourselves; it is the sword that the Spirit gives. It is only by studying the word of God that we can truly know his attributes, his will, his plans, promises and purposes for us, and how to pray. And Prayer should be a constant routine in our life as Christians. We should always pray so that when persecutions and trials come we are able to stand our ground. Prayer and knowledge of the Lord strengthen our faith in the Lord and enable us to resist the devil. One thing we should know is that the devil is never happy to see people devote themselves to God. Therefore we should not lower our guard. We need to be constantly alert. For the devil uses lies to create doubt in people’s minds. “From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies.” Says the Lord Almighty in John 8:44. The devil is never happy to see us closer to God. He likes to use lies to discourage people from following Christ. The only way to resist him is through the power of the Holy Spirit. When people are miraculously healed by God for example, the devil may send some lying symptoms to create doubt in their minds. Never let any symptoms or signs fool you; hold strongly to your faith, keep trusting your God no matter what happens and by the glorious power of the Holy Spirit you will defeat the devil. We should never let go of our faith in Christ, but must trust his sovereignty, constantly giving Him praise and thanks and pray as the Spirit leads. For “What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit.” Says the Lord Almighty in John 6:63.

[cardboard-moon]

40 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me

You probably already know me decently well or else you wouldn’t be reading this, so instead of rehashing the basic (boring) “getting to know me” questions I dug a little deeper and asked myself about what’s really important. Here is the result: 40 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me. Enjoy!

1. What Parks and Rec character am I?

While I could argue for almost everyone on the show I’m probably most like Ben Wyatt: a white, brunette, and sad man who eats soup alone on a park bench (minus his love of math and rollerskate kink)

2: Top 5 books?

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret History, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Help, 11/22/63

3: Top 5 movies?

Chinatown, Star Wars, Rear Window, National Treasure (nick cage can be good in small doses ok) and Nancy Drew (2007)

4: Top 5 shows?

Parks and Rec, B99, That 70′s Show, Mad Men, Arrested Development

5: Top 10 most iconic vines?

1) Chris is that a weed/Mary is that a police

2) Hi My Name is Trey I have A Basketball Game Tomorrow

3) Rebecca It’s Not What You Think

4) The one where the girl is just hitting elmo with a baseball bat

5) Anything Kermit but esp. the one where he falls off the building

6) You Know This Boy Got His Free Taco

7) 2 Bros Chillin in the Hot Tub

8) Waelcom to my Keeetchen we have bananis and avocadis

9) Whoever Threw That Paper Your Mom’s A Hoe

10) i spilled lipstick in your valentino bag (yOU SPILLED WHAHULAUG LIPSTICK IN MY VALENTINE WHITE BAG)

6: Where do I see myself in 21 years?

One of my dreams in life is to marry the heir to a prestigious winery out in wine country. I have a vision of myself at 39, waking up at 10 AM on a tuesday and standing on my private balcony in my state-of-the-art spanish stucco villa. i am drinking a chardonnay despite the early hour whilst i observe my grape empire in my silk negligee. the only event planned for the day is a portrait sitting for my rottweilers (4 of them), for which i have arranged spaces in the family’s private art gallery. i am aging well despite the harsh california sun and my partner and i have a trip to tuscany planned for the fall. it’s a charmed life and i never tire of eating grapes  

7: Top 5 favorite cryptids

1) Nessie (Nessie is a true lady I believe in her)

2) Mothman (not real)/ el chupacabra (possibly real)

3) the kraken (definitely real)

4) Bigfoot (not real but a legend anyways)

5) the yeti (real only in russia)

8: Do I Believe in Ghosts

It’s a complicated topic and of course we will likely never know for sure but the short answer is yes. in my opinion though, what ghosts are is the important question: are they really the dead coming back to haunt the earth? are they just manifestations of energy that the mind interprets into recognizable shapes? hallucinations? or is it wish fulfillment and the reduction of tensions on a heavy conscience? our brains are capable of powerful things, but it begs the question as to whether if a human desperately wants something to be true does the human mind have the power to make it true? c. s. lewis mentioned once that he never understood the ghost debate since, given that ghosts are real, they have no real power over us or anything interesting to say. but i believe that just goes to show how the mystery is far often more important than the solution.

9: Best/Worst Month of the Year

Best: May/November (spring/fall in full swing, holidays, time off school, great atmosphere) Worst: August (too dang hot & start of school)

10: What is one of my embarrassing secrets

I didn’t learn how to tie my shoes until I was nine (velcro ftw)

11: What is my Dream Date

We go cryptid hunting in the woods and have a picnic in the dark; you supply dogs for entertainment and guardianship purposes, i supply drinks and the cryptozoological myths we are chasing. Afterwards we get gelato

12: Top 3 Presidents

(this is based solely on arbitrary opinion not policies) 1) Barry Obama 2) Lincoln  3) Millard Fillmore (his name is funny) 

Honorable mention: jimmy carter (he was the only noncorrupt man in office for like 30 years before barry)

13: Top 3 Vice Presidents

1) John Adams, if nothing else but for the drama this man caused 2) Walter Mondale 3) the big boy JB 

Honorable Mention: Nichard Rixon

14: Top 3 Secretaries of State

1) Madeline Albright 2) Henry Clay 3) Elihu P. Washburn 

(note: secretaries of state have the funniest names, like Hamilton Fish (1869-1877) rest easy Mr. Fish)

15: Worst Activity they make you do in middle school PE

Middle school P.E. is the worst in general but I’m going to say either grading you on your shotput skills (?) or BMI (??) or just the tuesday run in general (luther kids know)

16: Top 4 Worst Scents

1) Washing a knife covered in peanut butter 2) Really cheap perfume that they sell in checkout lines at convenience stores 3) Olives 4) organic deodorant

17: Top 7 Conspiracy Theories

1) The Denver Airport is an underground military fallout shelter designed to protect the 1% from nuclear warfare

2) A Roman pope adjusted the Gregorian calendar so that his reign would fall on 1000 AD so we’re actually living in the year 1783

3) Paul McCartney is dead and was replaced prior to the Seargant Pepper album by a lookalike named Billy Shears

4) The state of Wyoming is a myth

5) Avril Lavigne died and was replaced back in the early 00’s

6) The Titanic sank because too many people went back in time to prevent it from sinking

7) Not to be cliche George Bush and the military-industrial complex orchestrated the 9/11 attacks (jet fuel can’t melt steel beams and all that)

18: Inside jokes with myself

I’m not usually a “gamer” but every year without fail someone introduces me to a game exactly at finals time and I get hooked and it ruins my gpa and study habits. This year it’s Stardew Valley, last year it was Dream Daddy and the year before that it was undertale and I blame Jojo for absolutely all of it bc they are usually the instigator. Anyway, every year I joke with myself about what game will derail my grades this year

19: Top 5 Worst Tactile Sensations

1) Putting tights or leggings on wet, hairy legs post-shower

2) Running fingernails along cardboard

3) Sweating in a turtleneck

4) Having wet, salty hair after swimming that drips down onto your back and makes the top of your shirt damp

5) Reaching into a bag of grapes and only finding really soft, slimy ones

20: Best Cat I’ve ever encountered

One time my friend and I were leaving Romancing the Bean and walking back to her car and the fattest, fluffiest, softest ginger cat I’ve ever seen came trotting up to us and flopped over at our feet. He was such a good boy!!! And so friendly with strangers!! He was very well groomed and just wanted some love, and whenever we stopped petting him he would jump up onto our legs and leave little wet paw prints everywhere, I wanted to kidnap him

21: Best dog I’ve ever encountered

All of them

22: Best squirrel I’ve ever encountered

My dad has befriended a squirrel named Nutty that likes to sneak into his office when the door’s open and steals peanuts. if the door is closed he’ll bang on it and scream until we acknowledge him

23: If I were a furry what would my fursona be

I do not know because I am not a furry. HOWEVER someone who is well-versed in furry matters told me once that I would be one of those long, nervous dogs like a greyhound maybe and tbh I could see it

24: Favorite/Least Favorite Disneyland Rides

My favorite has always been haunted mansion, except for the halloween season when it’s nightmare before christmas and then it’s thunder mountain. I just love the outside atmosphere of the house bc I’m a slut for that southern gothic architecture style. Worst is splash mountain because there’s no seatbelt and LOGICALLY i know I don’t need one but it doesn’t stop me from having a panic attack every time I get on and we go up the big hill as I worry about being flung from the toboggan across the park

25: Least favorite restaurant within 10 mile radius of my house

I live over by Porto’s so I am #blessed to be surrounded by some really dope food. However there is a hipster place a couple of blocks over in Toluca Lake that only serves bizarre food like fried chicken in maple syrup with waffle fries and it’s surprisingly bland, so the lack of taste combines with how expensive it is probably makes it the worst (it’s also forgettable bc I can’t even remember its name)

26: Rank of JBHS history department according to how good of a parent they would be

9.Mr. Bixler - I have never had this man so I can’t say shit. NA/10

8. Ms. Snowden - I’ve never had her either but I’ve heard enough about her between Burroughs and Luther to know that this woman is kind of scary, intimidating and uptight, all things I personally do not desire in a parent. 2/10

7. Mr. Hatch - I love Scott Hatch but he is a tremendous mess of a man. Judging by his wife’s instagram photos his idea of parenting is taking naps while cuddling his children and letting his wife do the rest of the hard work. Plus he seems like the type to be too wrapped up in his own melodrama and too busy hangin out with his best friend Edward Frankenbush playing Xbox to pay much attention to his kids. However, he did skip the first day of school to take his daughter to kindergarten so he gets points for that. 4/10

6. Mr. Lee - Mr. Lee is a very respectable guy who seems like he does a very good job providing for his family. He’s ranked as middle of the road because he’s a naturally private person so I can’t speak to his parenting tactics or personality much, however the few stories he shared about his daughter were very cute and he does the typical teacher/parent things like making her his screensaver on his computer. Overall, a very quality dad and man, 6.5/10

5. Mr. Fitz - Kyle Fitzgerald is similarly a mess of a man, but the difference between him and Scott Hatch is that he seems to make an investment in his kid. He always talks about current events in terms of what idiocy his poor daughter will have to put up with which shows his devotion to her well-being and survival in a confusing world. Also he brought her in to go swimming once while I was working at Verdugo and I got to see them having a great time on the splash pad and it warmed my heart. Great dad 7/10

4. Mr. Piper - Richard Piper is such a good father but in a detached way. He loves talking about his son and wife just as much as he loves talking about planes. The real kicker? When he talks about taking his son ON planes and geeking out over history together. He also asked all of his classes for people looking for tutoring work when his son was struggling in math which is so cute. Good guy Rick gets an 8/10.

2. (tie) Mr. Frankenbush and Ms. Hacker - Ed and Jan are both beautiful people. I know Ms. Hacker is #divisive but I personally am a big fan and would die to have her guidance in my daily life. She’s always interested in what’s going on in people’s lives and sure she’s definitely chaotic but it’s a loving chaos that’s only looking to help other people. I’ve not had the pleasure of having Mr. Frankenbush but he always is hanging out with his son Joey and they love coming to the Burroughs pool and playing water polo together; they spend a lot of time together since his wife works so much and they have such a buddy friendship. Both of these lovely people are super devoted and invested in the youth and would make great parents. 9/10

1. Mr. Clark - A god. We don’t deserve this man and I can’t sing his praises enough. Were were all lucky enough to be Greg’s children I don’t think evil would exist in the world. 11/10

27: Worst book I read for school

Hands down Tale of Two Cities since it’s the only one I’ve never finished. Dickens just doesn’t do it for me I guess plus I get really tired of the one dimensional characters and how much he romanticizes Lucy

28: Favorite little-known tidbit of history

When Richard Nixon went to Soviet Russia as Eisenhower’s VP during the cold war his secret service agents detected higher than usual amounts of radiation coming from Nixon’s hotel room, so they started talking loudly about it bc they knew the Soviets had planted buds and were listening. Within like an hour the radiation had vanished and they never heard anything about it again so man Soviet’s ain’t sly

29: 5 Places in Burbank That Are Definitely Haunted

1. Coral Cafe for obvious reasons, look up the ghost on youtube

2. The View seems like it would have some kind of el chupacabra-esque creature prowling around, maybe a mountain lion hybrid

3. Fry’s Electronics

4. The abandoned train station under the bridge

5. The LA river by the equestrian center

30: Rank of all the AP classes i took in order of entertainment value

9) AP Bio: I liked bio but the class wasn’t very entertaining. There’s not a lot of humor in bacteria and cells, and Mr. Van Loo is much more of a calming than a humorous and chaotic presence, so overall it takes the hit as the least entertaining class.

8) AP Stats: Math is similarly not very entertaining, but Mrs. Hollingshed’s erratic personality gives it the edge over Bio. Definitely more humorous than expected of a math class.

7) AP Econ: I bombed econ and business/money isn’t very entertaining but Jan Hacker made it so thanks to her chaos (love her though).

6) AP Euro: European history is incredibly iconic because, spoiler alert, Europeans are idiots and historically speaking everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I just wish I remember it since I think idiot sophomore Lily slept through most of the class so needless to say I didn’t soak up much of the entertainment value. If it were up to me I’d take it over again and maybe stay awake this time.

5) AP Lit: Lit was just as much challenging and intimidating as it was entertaining, so it balances out. Mrs. Caluya is notably iconic and the books we read were all pretty interesting so it gets a high vote from me.

3) (tie) Gov/APUSH: History is always entertaining in my eyes since people do stupid things out of pettiness. These two tie for different reasons: Mr. Piper is a great teacher and that mock trial we did for the industrial age was great, but the subject was also extremely entertaining overall. I loved reading about how John Adams made making fun of him illegal. Gov was mostly just entertaining because of Mr. Hatch and how salty his is about the government. His sarcastic comments about how corrupt everything is gave life to an otherwise pretty lifeless subject.

2) AP Lang: aka the class with no curriculum, or the Kuglen Hour. I love Mr. Kuglen so much and he is responsible for 99% of the amusement in the class. I somehow learned how to be a better writer by listening to him complain about Trump and everything else under the sun for an hour every day so it was well worth it. Also who doesn’t like a class where you read Dave Sedaris for homework?

1) AP Psych: Without question, this is the epitome of entertainment. Psychology is just a mishmash of people trying to figure out why humans are as stupid as we are and why we do dumb things. Add in all the iconic psychologists and history and a class led by salty Mr. Hatch and you have a recipe for an entertaining year.

31: Top 5 Iconic JBHS teachers that I NEVER had (no particular order)

Mr. Peebles: A quirky man who I would have loved were I any good at math whatsoever

Mr. Arakelian: Band kids hate him but the stories I hear are so frickin iconic that I wish I could be an honorary band kid for a day and see the horror firsthand. If you have Arakelian stories please send them my way I’d love to hear about your pain

Mr. Frankenbush: A sad boi who everyone should get to experience and I regret never having.

Dr. Madooglu: He was so kind to me after the failed anti-trump lunchtime protest last year and he didn’t even know me. I wish I could’ve experienced him as a teacher.

Mr. Clark: The man, the myth, the legend

32: List of some iconic swim horror stories

Charlie breaking his hand after he lost a race and punched the gutter as hard as he could

Some idiot JV boys smearing poop all over the Burbank High locker room

The entire JV team getting Burroughs swim banned from Islands

Me almost passing out at the Los Amigos meet last year after I didn’t eat or sleep all day

Everyone always feigning illness or injury to get out of swimming the 4x100 relay

Getting in trouble for watching boys volleyball practice instead of doing the weight room sets

Every. Single. 5AM morning practice before school.

When coach martin finally figured out how periods work and suddenly we couldn’t use that as an excuse for not swimming anymore

33: What Office Character Would I Be

A mix between Angela, Oscar, and Kelly (we love our dramatic icons)

34: #1 Thing I’d Bring With Me to a Desert Island

Castaway for instructional purposes

35: What Would I call my memoir

Schadenfreude

36: 7 Best Buzzfeed Unsolved Episodes (no particular order)

This is one of my favorite shows so these are my recommendations:

1. 3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons - one of the very first and best episodes; a 45-minute special where the Boys investigate the Winchester house in San Francisco, the Island of the Dolls in Mexico, and the Sallie House in Kansas

2. The Strange Disappearance of D. B. Cooper - A man going by the name of Dan Cooper hijacked a plane, demanded money and passage to Mexico, and then at some point jumped out of the plane and was never seen again. To this day no one knows his identity or his fate despite some of the ransom money turning up in a river somewhere.

3. The Haunted Halls of Waverly Hills Hospital - Ryan and Shane explore an abandoned asylum in Pennsylvania and some creepy stuff ensues. One of the best supernatural episodes

4. The Thrilling Gardner Museum Heist - An almost hilarious story (with reenactments!) about a seriously inept security guard and the loss of some of the world’s most beloved paintings. This was one of the first episodes after they started making money and the production quality is off the charts 

5. The Scandalous Murder of William Desmond Taylor - Another excellent reenactment story about one of Hollywood’s first and biggest scandals, the suspicious murder of a leading film producer.

6. The Enigmatic Death of the Isdal Woman - A woman’s body was found suspiciously burned in the European wilderness and no one knows who she is or how exactly she was killed. Watch if you like espionage!

7. The Strange Killing of Ken Rex McElroy - An entire town seemingly rose up to murder a douchey, violent pedophile. One of the only episodes that’s actually happy?

37: 6 Things I would Have Changed About High School

1. Definitely would have joined yearbook as soon as I could

2. Wouldn’t have forced myself to swim for all 4 years; if the passion’s gone then you shouldn’t force it. It’s just a sign that you need to move on to better things

3. I would’ve taken more AP’s and maybe tried another stem ap class. I’ve always been self-conscious about how bad I am at math, but I’ve gotten a little better over the years and instead of being too afraid to challenge myself I would’ve liked to see how I could do and prove myself.

4. Worrying less about grades!! I killed myself over my grades for like three years and then I just kind of let myself go. I would have let myself have who knows how many more hours of sleep and taken the L on a couple of assignments; I’m still learning that my health is more important than perfection.

5. Meeting the right people! I wouldn’t have restricted myself to a few friends and would have branched out more by joinng stuff like JSA. It sucks meeting the right people your senior year and realizing that I was hanging out with the wrong people this whole time.

6. Spanish instead of French.

38: What Would I Name My Farm Animals if I had A Farm

I’d definitely name them all after female Shakespearian characters. My cows would be Hippolyta and Titania from Midsummer, my horse would be Desdemona from Othello, my chickens would be Gonereil, Regan, and Cordelia from King Lear and my goat would be named Gertrude from Hamlet

39: Most Useless Talent I Have

I have a really strong internal clock so when I don’t think about it too hard and guess intuitively I can usually predict how much time has passed/what time it is without looking at a clock. It’s really only useful for estimating how much time I wasted standing in the shower staring at the wall

40: Top Regret After Writing This:

Writing this instead of studying for my econ test in seven hours.

Thanks for reading!

[misomilk]

hi :) is it possible to get an answer for all of the country questions? if no, can i pls get the answer to what you think of translations to eng, your fave song in your native tongue and fave author?

Hello~! You’re so sweet, anon. Thanks for giving me something to do to pass the time while I ignore what I’m supposed to do. LOL

This was so much fun to answer. I hope you pick up things about where I’m from. :) Have an awesome day!!!

1. favourite place in your country? I really love El Nido. It’s super pretty, and not so tourist-filled the last time I went. (That was many, many years ago…) The water is so clear. The critical spots for animals are properly preserved. Gosh. It was perfect. :’) Arashi’s Aiba Masaki had gone there HUEHUEHUE Too bad I went like, a year before he did. A year before I ever found Arashi. XD The beaches of the Philippines are really super lovely.

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad? I prefer traveling abroad. I pretty much fly to Japan every chance I get. LOL But if I were to travel with family, yes. I’d rather just kick back and relax in one of our beaches. We went to Coron last time! It was beautiful, too. But El Nido remains my favorite.

3. does your country have access to sea? Yes! We see the sea all over. (laughs over XV joke)

4. favourite dish specific for your country? Oh, boy, oh boy. I gotta name three of them.1) Kare-kare - I guess?? It’s our version of curry but it’s so different from any other curry. It’s peanut-based, normally soupy, with boiled vegetables and (typically) ox tongue. I love my mom’s take on it. Very thick sauce and very peanut-y. * W * She uses normal beef parts bec I dont eat ox tongue.2) Lumpiang Shanghai - this is probs taken from Chinese cuisine but still. Very Filipino in its own way. Always see it in parties. I LOVE IT.3) Adobo - The #1 Filipino dish, probs. I think there’s no “XXX tastes Filipino Food” video out there that doesn’t include this. Every household has its own take on it—white or brown, sweet or salty, soupy or not. I LOVE IT A LOT. Brown, sweet, and soupy, please.

For desserts, I fuckin love leche flan, ube (purple yam) and pichi-pichi.

5. favourite song in your native language? I fucking love “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (The Last El Bimbo) by Eraserheads and “Beer” by Itchyworms. They’re my go-to karaoke songs, and are very much #hugot—which is the word we use for when we “pull out all them feels”, normally related to heartbrokenness. I’m not particularly heartbroken atm, but these songs are just so good.Lately, I’ve been hearing the song “Tagu-taguan” (Hide and Seek) by Bita and the Botflies. I hear it on the radio. I love it coz it gives me such Shiina Ringo vibes.

6. most hated song in your native language? probably that fuckin moshi moshi ano ne song. it makes fun of those japanese words :/ and any song by william revillame (an asshole gameshow host) or used in Eat Bulaga. hayyyyy :/

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?1) takipsilim - deep word for ‘sunset’2) bukang liwayway - deep word for ‘sunrise’3) ulap - lit. ‘cloud’bonus: nakakapagpabagabag - lit. ‘worrisome’ bec it felt like a tongue twister when i was younger. hahahabonus2: maharlika - lit. ‘nobility’ just bec it sounds cool hahaha

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom? strangely, though I am Filipino, I get mistaken (by fellow Filipinos) to either be Chinese, Korean or Japanese. I guess it’s in the way I dress?

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best? I know Japan best. For sure. Haahaha. I have no other nearby country that I want to travel to.

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language? ‘pakshet’, which is just ‘fuck shit’ but said tagalog-like? XD

11. favourite native writer/poet? I’m sadly not well-versed in our native prose. See, it’s hard for me to understand my own language sometimes. :’( But I hear Ricky Lee is very good.

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem? Hmm, strange. I haven’t heard of any English translations of our books, actually???? I think it’d be really cool if there were! But I guess Filipino prose/poetry isn’t popular enough to be translated. XD

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders? I think we have a lot. Like, removing the ring on someone’s finger when you weren’t the one that put it on them means you’ll get in a fight with them. (Personally, I extend it to bracelets. LOL) Or, we can’t take a shower after 3pm on Good Friday bec blood will come out instead of water. xD

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV? No. It has very shallow comedy, or really awful flat storylines. We have really good quality films, but sadly those aren’t the ones that catch attention here. :/

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get? “susmaryosep”, i guess? (Jesus Mary Joseph) Is that considered a saying? Somehow my first thought was: “bababa ba?” (are we going down?) HAHAHA that cracks me up every time it’s used in the elevator when foreigners are around. They get this look like, “… did they really just understand each other?”

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with? I HATE that people assume when we go to other countries it’s either to be prostitutes, caretakers or maids. :/ What do I somewhat agree with……… that we’re cheerful people.

17. are you interested in your country’s history? yes, but idk where to start. I wish I’d listened more carefully back when I was still in high school or college.

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language? No TWT I want to speak Kapampangan, which my sisters and my dad speak. By the time I was born, we already moved to the city, so, I didnt have the chance to learn it.

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem? The flag, yes. The Anthem, tho there are parts that are iffy, yes.

20. which sport is The Sport in your country? Pacquiao’s boxing. specifically Pacquiao’s boxing. -_- I HATE IT. I wish we had more baseball. I’m glad we’ve been getting more into volleybal in the recent years.

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be? A Filipino treat, like Napoleones or bibingka or ube. And, an abaca fan.

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed? I’m proud of our beaches. They’re seriously so B E A U T I F U L— go north or south. I’m also proud of the Filipino hospitality, although I for one am not so amazing at that bec of my introvert-ness. LOLI’m ashamed of a whole lot of aspects, sadly. Like how a lot are poor, yet we have a fuckton of malls. The government is shit. (Always has been since I can remember.) Many Filipinos are racist, sexist, homophobic bastards that focus on physical wayyy too much. It’s awful. Just. AWFUL.

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country? San Mig or Red Horse beer, I think. I don’t like those tho.

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country? Every other nation aside from ours, I think. :/ If there’s one that sticks out more than others, maybe China.

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country? YES. I’D ANSWER YES IN A HEARTBEAT. HAHAHA I’d so love to be born Japanese instead. Their values really resonate with mine. Sometimes my mom, my bosses and my friends say that I’m a Japanese spirit lost in a Filipino body.

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal? We get portrayed as the shitty English speaker who’s a maid.  I can fuckin speak in an awesome accent, thanks v much. In Japan we’re portrayed as hostesses in a bar and it really disheartens me. I don’t like it at all, but what can we do? sighs

27. favourite national celebrity? uhhhhh She’s not my “favorite” bec I’m not into local showbiz, but I really love seeing Liza Soberano. She’s so pretty (/o\)

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites? YES! I guess my favorite would be Taal Lake, since it’s the one I get to see the most. It’s got a volcano in the middle of the lake!!

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country? uhhh I dont think so

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family? well, technically my family’s a mix of a whole lot of races: Chinese, Spanish, Japanese. Idk if I have American blood, otherwise I’d have the blood of all our conquerors in my system? XDD

Thanks again for asking!!

[adelmortescryche]

R u ready cuz i got me a LIST. I'll send prompts in separate asks and if u don't like any feel free to disregard! First off is Victuuri, with "I'm not very good with commitment, or soulmates, or love." Preferably said by Yuuri bc i l o v e angst. A lot.

hah, can i just say that i was fcking delighted to get this one with Yuuri being the one to say the line. i mean, as i mentioned before, i’d have had yuuri say it either way, but then i registered that that was exactly what you wanted anyway. such a lovely coincidence. this turned out fluffier than expected, but hey, it’s still mildly angsty.

an explanation in advance, if it isn’t obvious: soulmates live their lives in this ‘verse with sensory deprivation of some sort. so they’re all actually impaired to a certain extent until they meet their soulmates. soulmates don’t necessarily have to be romantic or stay together. guess what side of the argument these two dorks are on.

In response to this post. salty soulmate prompts ftw.

Victor supposed that he should have seen this coming. He’d spent his entire adult life wondering what taste was, read books about flavor and food, and stared at cooking shows, wondering if food was really more than just aesthetic appreciation and matter being shoveled in for energy and nutrition. Whether there was actually someone out there, a destined someone who would who would bring flavor and taste into his life like a tidal wave. He’d heard Chris think about smell in the same way until he’d met his dashing mystery man, too - if it was real, if something as mundane as the way things smelt was worth the hype.

The first thing he’d done in the aftermath was drag Chris into a flower shop. And had weathered the teasing about being a pathetic romantic while Chris all but buried his face in a vase full of lilies.

So, yes. He should have seen this coming. He’d spent enough years as a precocious teen scoffing at the thought of something as ridiculous as fate and a soulmate deciding anything about his life. He’d spent many more as a lonely adult thinking that it might not be that bad, having someone promised to you so soundly. He should have seen this coming. 

Yuuri, for his part, just looked uncomfortable. And maybe a little tired, eyes just a bit puffy and red. His fingers were tight around the edge of his door, holding it in place like a shield to hold Victor at bay. Ridiculous. As if Victor needed anything of the sort to keep him back when Yuuri-

“Sorry. I’m just… not very good with commitment. Or soulmates. Or love. We had this discussion already, Victor, I’m-”

Not good with people, Yuuri had said. Not good with relationships, casual or otherwise. Just not comfortable with social interaction outside the bare minimum at all. Funny how Victor had assumed that meant people who weren’t soulmates. Relationships that didn’t involve him. Because he was- because Yuuri was-

“Sorry.” Yuuri repeated, and slammed the door shut in his face.

 *

“You look like you need a drink.”

He blinked muzzily down at the table, then forced himself to lift his head enough to peer up at the red clad form kneeling on the other side of the table from him.

Ah. It had gotten rather quiet, hadn’t it.

“Sorry, I’ll go back up,” he mumbled, a few more blinks making it easier to recognize the form as Mari. Yuuri’s older sister.

She just shook her head, though, gesturing for Victor to stay where he was, then proceeded to settle into a more loose-limbed crosslegged posture. It took a little longer for the situation to compute, but when it did, Victor’s head drooped a little lower. 

“You heard us.” It wasn’t a question.

“Aa. You were very quiet, but…” she shrugged, unapologetic, and Victor had to give a tired laugh. Fantastic. Obviously he shouldn’t have brought the topic up at the inn. But it was either the inn or the rink, or the walk between the two. Or assorted restaurants that Yuuri had been willing to introduce him to. If nothing else, the inn had been more private than the other options.

They were silent for a moment of companionable silence, long enough that Victor suddenly found himself wondering if Mari had met her soulmate yet. What her take on the topic was. Yuuri had made his stance very clear, but that didn’t mean all the Katsukis felt the same way.

“My brother… he isn’t shy.”

Mari’s words were blunt. Abruptly so. They made Victor blink again, confused, but she barged on before he could actually understand what she meant.

“He isn’t shy, but people make him uneasy. People who want his time make him break. Ah, I mean-” she paused, looking irritable, but Victor nodded slowly in response, willing to take her at face value. Even if the thought of Yuuri breaking made something sick settle at the bottom of his gut.

“He gets very uneasy, when he does not know what someone wants. It is always better to tell him what you want.”

Victor frowns at that, and wants to argue that that was exactly what he’d done. He’d come clean. He’d said that flavors had bloomed in his mouth only after he’d met Yuuri. He’d even left himself open to hurt, and said that he was happy that Yuuri was the one to return his missing sense to him. How much clearer could a man get?

Mari just looked vaguely exasperated, though. Maybe a little long-suffering. She was older than him, Victor remembered distantly. It had been so long since he’d had peers who were older than him that actually mattered.

“You want that drink?” she asked.

Victor shook his head.

“Then you sleep. Go. And talk to my idiot brother in the morning. Oyasumi.”

“Oyasumi,” Victor parroted dumbly, watching as she pushed herself to her feet and walked away. Not sure if he should take issue with the appellation, then deciding that if anyone had the right to call Yuuri an idiot, it was his older sister.

By the time he got himself to his room, Makka was already curled up and half asleep on top of the covers. The sight makes him pause by the door, an odd smile pulling taut across his face. Even when Makka lifting her head to stare at him questioningly, wondering why he hadn’t already gotten into bed already, didn’t erase the smile from his lips.

Well. He still had Makka, didn’t he. This didn’t change anything. Yuuri didn’t change anything. Soulmates didn’t change anything. He could still try coaching for an year, be thankful for the break and actually enjoy eating food.

So what if he’d been right all along, as a teen. His seventeen year old self would probably laugh to see how far he’d fallen.

Makka whined, and Victor stepped into the room, the action a reflex more than anything else. Her stare was enough to get him switch off the one lamp that was still lit, and get under the covers without much more thought.

“You’re more disapproving than a mother with a teenager under her roof,” Victor muttered into the curls topping her head, once she’d flopped down on top of him, all but burying him beneath herself. 

No response, but then, he’d never needed one, from Makkachin. He could always tell when she wanted him around. Now if only Yuuri were that easy to re-

A cool, dry nose nudged at the hollow of his throat, sudden enough that he almost yelped in surprise. When he pulled back, he found Makka staring up at him accusingly. It had him bursting into snickers that he promptly buried into her fur, much to her sleepy irritation. Not that she protested. She never did.

Okay, then. Sleep. Actual sleep, without working himself into the ground thinking about Yuuri, or fate or anything else that was liable to leave him awake through the night. He was a coach now, after all. And if his student was avoiding him… Well, then he’d just meet his student halfway. Soulmate or not.

*

A few days down the line proved early on that Yuuri was not an easy man to meet halfway. Not when he seemed stubborn and embarrassed enough that he was doing his literal best to skedaddle whenever Victor got anywhere near close enough to ask to talk.

It was enough to drive a man crazy. Especially when Mari slowly went from looking exasperating to commiserating to amused. Hiroko and Toshiya weren’t of any help either, clearly just as amused as their daughter, and while Minako was kind enough to split bottles of sake and plum wine with him, but she wasn’t kind enough to not laugh at his plight.

“You seem to be doing something right, at least. Yuuri sure as hell wouldn’t act like this with a coach.” Minako crowed, while Victor knocked back the last dregs of whatever had been left in the flask before them.

“It’s not like it helps. He won’t even talk to me!” he snapped back, and immediately regretted it. A friendly listening ear aside, Minako was still Yuuri’s old ballet teacher. Lilia would probably smile with perfect poise in a similar situation, all the while plotting to murder anyone badmouthing her students.

Minako, thankfully, just laughed some more, and patted him roughly on the back. Hiroko, in the process of bringing out yet another bottle of wine, most likely for Minako because Victor was stopping while he was ahead, reached out to pat him on the shoulder, murmuring something in Japanese that just made Minako laugh even harder. Victor wasn’t sure if he wanted to know or not.

The mean glint in Minako’s eyes told him that he was really better off not knowing.

A clatter near the entryway had Victor glancing that way reflexively, only to find Yuuri in the process of leaving, most likely for an evening run. Yuuri barely met his eyes for a split second before he dashed away, though. It was barely a surprise at this point.

“See? That’s not how he’d treat a coach. I should know, I’ve been his teacher since he was a tiny kid. Hell, I stood in for a coach a whole lot when he’d been a kid, too.”

Victor’s not sure how it matters, when the equation there was so different from whatever was getting built between him and Yuuri. Maybe that was where he was supposed to start in that talk. Mari though he should tell Yuuri what he wanted, but… that didn’t seem to be helping at all. Maybe he should just ask what Yuuri wanted instead.

Something of the frustration brewing in his head must have shown on his face, because Minako nearly cackled. And proceeded to fill his ochoko with another shot of sake.

“Drink up, boy, clearly you’re going to need it. And then maybe you can consider going on a run to catch up with Yuuri-kun.”

“Maybe,” Victor agreed, the smile on his face a lot more plastic than it had been in a while. No way in hell was he going to go chasing after Yuuri. Not only could he set a terrifying pace when he was focused, Victor suspected that trying to catch up with him after that momentary traded glance earlier would backfire a lot more than any other attempts he’d made so far.

So no. Maybe he could try to catch him at the rink in the morning. He felt safer near the ice, right. That’s what Nishigori and Yuuko had implied, at any rate.

Well, Victor could say the same. Neutral ground! Maybe that would help, if nothing else did. Honestly, he didn’t even care as much about soulmates any longer, not after the last few days he’d been through. No, fate and destiny could go fuck themselves, all he wanted was Yuuri, acting normal again. His fledgling student, the fellow competitor who’d managed to sweep his heart away well before Victor even registered that he’d returned his missing sense as well, the man whom Victor had slowly begun to realize would be a worthy friend to have, too, aside from everything else.

Morning. The ice rink. It was on.

*

“…Victor, are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Victor, in the process of getting his skates off, eyes hard in his head, started in surprise. When he regained enough control to look back at Yuuko, who’d managed to sneak up on him when he’d been busy knocking the ice off of his blades, she just looked more alarmed than her voice had suggested.

The expression did little to soothe his ire, but he did take the time to offer her a smile. It’s not her fault that her friend is starting to feel roughly as stubborn and bratty as Yura. Victor was tempted to shove that in Yuuri’s face, just to see how he’d react to it. 

“It’s nothing, we’ll be taking a break today, i think.” he replied, smile firmly pasted in place, and Yuuko stared at him for an uncomfortably long moment before finally coughing out a laugh.

“Don’t be too hard on him. Yuuri isn’t shy, he’s just-”

“Really not good with people. Yes, thank you, I’ve figured that out now.” Victor completed cheerfully, something in him very tempted to drop the smiles to the wayside just this once, because he was tired, damnit, but Yuuko didn’t deserve the vitriol buried beneath them, just waiting to be unleashed. 

She looked uncomfortably knowing when she waved him out of the rink, all the same. 

Cycling back to the inn in the cold air managed to cool him down somewhat, enough so that he’s relatively calm by the time he’s kicking his shoes off in the genkan and trading them in for his own pair of indoor slippers.

He runs into Mari when he’s heading up the stair, and she only needs a single glance at his face before she lips tugged apart in a delighted smirk.

“Finally,” she declared, sounding aggrieved. “Do you have any idea how irritating the two of you have been these past few days. Please go tell him what you want from him so he can stop hiding in his covers.”

“Thanks, Mari,” Victor replied pleasantly, not bothering to correct her, and somehow that just made her smirk broaden. She didn’t say any more, though, instead continuing down the stairs without giving him any grief.

By the time he gets Yuuri’s door open to drag him out to the beach, he’d almost completely managed to convince himself that he’ll be okay with however this is going to end. Even if everyone else seemed to have their own opinions about what’s going to happen. 

*

“-and even if I couldn’t actually feel her arms around me back then, something about that situation left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I just- shoved her away. Because she was making assumptions about what I was feeling, and was forcing her emotions on me… It’s never been something I’ve been comfortable with. I need space, Victor. To just exist, maybe to figure out what I want. And no one I’ve been with in even the flimsiest of a relationship till now seems to understand that, outside of my family and friends, here. I’m not weak.”

And so the unease about commitment. And love. And soulmates. Victor tightened his grip around Makkachin involuntarily, only relaxing it when she whined, confused. 

Yuuri sounded exhausted, and vehement, almost like the words he’s said had been clawing at his throat ever since they’d stopped talking to each other.

“No one thinks you’re weak, Yuuri. I certainly don’t. This entire time, all I’ve wanted was to ask you what you wanted out of this. I said that I’m certain we’re soulmates, but that doesn’t have to mean anything more that you want it to. Did you want me to be a father figure to you? A sibling, a friend, a lover-” Victor paused when Yuuri’s hand abruptly reached out to cover his mouth. 

When he looked over to the side, Yuuri’s face was flushed enough that it bordered on unhealthy. He seemed determined, though. So Victor waited, curious.

The next thing he knew, Yuuri was standing up and bowing, at a perfectly formal 90 degrees, arms steady at his sides. It’s enough to make Victor fumble in place, eyes going wide, but before he could say anything, Yuuri was speaking, Japanese spilling smoothly past his lips, in a stream fast enough that Victor had no chance of understanding any of it. It wasn’t much, only a sentence, but at the end of it, Yuuri eased off on the bow enough that Victor could see his face again. And the small, impish smile playing on his lips, too.

“Pleased to meet you, thank you for returning my tactile sense.” He said, this time around in English, and Victor choked on a surprised laugh, delight budding bright in his chest.

“Yuuri-”

Yuuri just cleared his throat rather pointedly, though, and Victor sighed, smiling a little helplessly as he pushed himself to his feet. 

“Pleased to meet you, thank you for returning my sense of taste.”

“There. That was better.” Yuuri said, actually laughing out loud when Victor rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

They stayed on the beach for longer, simply walking by the water, throwing a ball for Makka whenever she got bored, segueing into more casual topics of conversation, even discussing what it felt like to have a sense returned to them. Apparently Yuuri had been stuck in bed for weeks because of how bad the pain had been for him, years of ballet and figure skating without any tactile sensation finally catching up with him. Victor had cringed at the thought, in turn offering up photos of all the different food combinations and cuisines he’d taken to trying out once he had a fully functioning sense of taste.

It wasn’t until they were ready to leave that Yuuri slowed down to say that he didn’t want Victor to be anything but himself. Because Victor the Person, his coach and possibly his friend, was at least a little more important than whatever had destined for them to be soulmates.

It’s enough to make Victor think, if only for a split second, that he’s very relieved that Yuuri was the person that had been destined for him after all.

*

A few months down the line and Victor’s tackling Yuuri to the ice, heedless of the screams and the lights and sound of thousands of camera shutters flashing, hellbent on smothering him in kisses. He’s still not sure if that’s more because Yuuri was his soulmate or because Yuuri was Yuuri, and Yuuri was never going to stop surprising him, but by that point, Victor really couldn’t care less.

[burstbombbitch]

★★★

      Stars granting factual wishes. || ⚜       lmfao this is old. not accepting

Her Inkling Idol verse is a genuine challenge to write. But I’ve decided it’s gonna be the centerfocus of this ask so thanks for sending it in, like, almost three months ago lmfao.

[ ♪ ||     I do not believe that the change is unprecedented, or sudden. Or even, really—a change at all. While this verse is definitely ideal in a sense that she is a sweeter person, S2 Idol Bon is a result of her letting down her guard. Her “kindness” does not suddenly spawn—she has always had the capability, and instead opted against it, even against her better judgment. Blatant opportunities displaying themselves to her did not go without scrutiny, for she did not believe herself to deserve good things. Such luxuries were to be stolen by hand—not simply handed to her. She would fight tooth and nail, even if she didn’t have to. Even if it caused extra casualties.

Early in that verse, she is still learning. She still responds like a feral cat backed up against a wall. She is by no means unhappy, because she’s doing what she loves, but it is strange to be so “vulnerable”. She will never be anyone’s doormat—and her talent agent will soon discover this, too—and will only put up with something for so long. An improvement, considering she used to bite you for any small transgression she perceived.

I guess, in essence, she’s nice—but still would drink your tears if you tried shit. She has also become considerably more reasonable regarding others, utilizing her decent Emotional Intelligence. As a result, she understands that not everyone will trust her, considering her past animosity. While she craves that forgiveness—she knows that she is not entitled to it. She will not go out of her way to be forgiven, but she will not persecute them for treating her the way she once treated them. This doesn’t mean that she won’t grow tired of relentless harassment, and retaliate appropriately: she just understands not everyone will change or warm up to her.

But she’s going to be her own person now. And that’s all that matters to her.

[ ♪ ||     I’m still trying to come up with a name for her “band”, so to speak asdf. Inkaesthesia feels so on the nose, but really it’s where most of her success comes from! Her memory for music, and audio as a whole, is impeccable—she doesn’t screw up when it comes to her performances. She uses the colors she “sees” to navigate her movements, making for creative dances that almost always share a fitting rhythm with her songs. This, coupled with the lights that line her body and the ones that brightly illuminate her stage, makes for a memorable show. They’re always ridiculously vibrant, and Bon wants her fans to have fun—so you’ll usually hear Inklings screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs when she turns to her audience to sing with her. On occasion, if she doesn’t feel like using her regular back-up dancers, she will request fans! Free lessons (much to her agen'ts chagrin). It’s not something they’ve discussed, but Bon doesn’t intend on stopping any time soon.

Unfortunately, utilizing her Chromesthesia tires her out, even with the protective ear wear she uses to lessen audio interference. As a result, she does not do concerts more than thrice a month, and they are usually announced in advance so that people prepare to purchase tickets on the date they’re available. They’re sold out relatively quickly. Free glowsticks at the front door—but they use super sea snail shells. Sorry.

Seeing how Callie and Marie frequently got swarmed, Bon makes it a point to her fans that there are times she can handle it and times she cannot—and overall, they respect her boundaries. Granted, it’s after a… situation with an overzealous fanatic. Warning signals, a la her “freckles”, are their first sign, and usually the clearest. Unfortunately, due to her stature and intricacy, she can’t really play sneak-about, so this was her second best option. She definitely continues to uphold the look-from-afar clause, but on occasion, when she’s dressed for stardom, she opens the floodgates. Sometimes to her chagrin, as infrequency breeds higher demand, but she makes do well enough.

[ ♪ ||     Bonbon still makes appearances at tournaments, albeit she no longer plays in them ( good timing, really, because she heard that E-Liter no longer is worth anything and she refuses to give up the 3K ). She is S+ in all categories again, though it is simply a show of skill and no longer her life blood. In her spare time, she works as a teacher for budding Chargers. Having reunited with Nia after a two year feud, she intends on finding her a new partner—and trying to talk her back into competitive after Sheldon’s less than adored weapon decisions ( “He ruined the Carbon Roller!” ). A few of her songs play during the tournaments, considering their upbeat and intense nature. Keep on your toes! And remember, stay salty.

[180abroad]

Day 122: Edinburgh, Part 1 (Castles, Whisky, and Football)

Today we discovered one of my favorite capital cities in all of Europe. The historic core of Edinburgh is divided into two halves--the elegant Georgian New Town, built in the Georgian style and reminiscent of Bath, and the brooding cobblestoned Old Town. The Old Town is perched on a sloping, mile-long mound of volcanic rock jutting dramatically up out of the ground. And at the peak of the rock is Edinburgh Castle--our first stop of the day.

We started the day slowly, enjoying our complimentary breakfast and trying not to spill absolutely everything. At least, I was having to try.

We took an Uber up to Castle Hill and walked up to the Edinburgh Castle. It was cool to finally see Edinburgh as I was expecting: dark, brooding, and charmingly magical.

The view was only mildly spoiled by the large stands being erected outside the castle for the annual Royal Military Tattoo--a massive series of drum corps performances held throughout the month of August as part of the larger Edinburgh Festival.

The castle was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as some other places Jessica and I have been to (*cough* Versailles). The line moved quickly, and soon enough we were through the main portcullis gate and into a large courtyard overlooking the New Town.

We took the free half-hour tour that introduces visitors to the main sites of the castle as well as some of the most important events in its history.

We learned that nearly all of the castle dates from the 1500s or later, which is why it looks fancier and more like a fairytale castle than the older, more utilitarian Norman castles we saw in England. The castle complex is much older than that, but it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt during the wars between England and Scotland. For example, when Scottish freedom fighters lead by Robert the Bruce retook the castle from the English in the 1300s, they razed it to the ground rather than risk letting it fall back into English hands.

The only building that predates this destruction is St. Margaret’s Chapel, which dates back to the 12th century and is actually the oldest building in all of Edinburgh. Whenever the rest of the castle was destroyed, the chapel was always respectfully spared.

The chapel is named after St. Margaret, an Anglo-Saxon princess who fled England after the Norman invasion. She ended up marrying King Malcolm III of Scotland and teaching him Christianity. The chapel holds some beautiful–if small–stained glass windows, including one of William Wallace attacking an English flag.

Outside the chapel is Mons Meg, the largest cannon of the medieval world. It could fire a 330-pound shot over two miles. Edinburgh Castle is actually famous for its collection of cannons. It was one of the first castles in Britain to be heavily fortified with cannons.

Another, much more modern cannon is the One O'Clock Gun, which we could see looking down from Mons Meg. The One O'Clock Gun is fired every day at--you guessed it--one o'clock in the afternoon. This was originally done to help ships docked in the harbor keep accurate time. In other ports, time would be noted by a signal flag, but the Firth of Forth gets so foggy that ships wouldn't be able to see flags from shore.

The reason the gun is fired at one o'clock instead of the more usual noon is a perfect example of stereotypical Scottish frugality. It's so that they only have pay for one shot every day instead of twelve.

From our vantage, we could also see a special cemetery just for soldiers' dogs, perched on a small ledge below Mons Meg.

At the peak of the castle complex is a beautiful crown of three magnificent buildings: the Royal Palace, the Great Hall, and the Scottish War Memorial.

Inside the palace, we got to see the Scottish crown jewels as well as the legendary Stone of Scone, upon which the British coronation chair is placed every time a new monarch is crowned.

The palace was started in the mid-1400s under James IV, and it was extensively expanded and remodeled over the following centuries.

We got to see the small dark room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI--who would also grow up to become James I of England, paving the way toward the official formation of the United Kingdom one hundred years later.

The castle's Great Hall dates back to 1511 and was also built for James IV, who was killed just two years later in battle against Henry VIII of England. It is famous for its beautiful wooden roof and currently holds a modest but well-presented collection of medieval arms and armor.

The National War Memorial is much newer than the other two buildings. It was built after World War I in the style of a Gothic chapel. It honors every Scottish regiment that has seen combat since the outbreak of WWI, and the names of every fallen Scottish soldier are penned in the monument's rolls of honor.

Inside the central chapel, a verse from the Book of Wisdom carved in large letters across the walls:

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God. There shall no evil happen to them. They are in peace.

Even after all of the memorials we've seen so far, I still got a little choked up reading that.

We also saw the remains of my dad’s tower.

His tower isn't very good. It's mostly in ruins now, but at its peak it stood a hundred feet tall--taller than the Tower of London. The original tower was one of the buildings destroyed by Robert the Bruce in the 1300s. In the 1400s, it hosted a Game of Thrones-esque gathering called the Black Dinner, where two nobles were denounced as traitors by being symbolically served a black bull's head for dinner. The ruined foundations of the tower were rediscovered in 1912, and during WWII it was used as a hiding place for the Scottish Crown Jewels.

After a quick lunch at the castle cafeteria, we visited the undercroft, which features a museum on how the castle's lower levels have been used for military prisoners over the centuries.

We learned that these vaults were used to hold American sailors captured during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The jailors recorded them as pirates instead of POWs, which meant that they didn't have to be given as much food.

We also learned that prisoners would earn money by making handcrafted goods. They would start by carving the bones from their meat, then trade up to wood that they could craft into decorative boxes.

Finally, we toured through the Scottish National Military Museum. It briefly but enjoyably covers the military history of Scotland from the late middle ages up through the 20th century. We saw traditional weapons and uniforms–including kilts, of course–from throughout these different time periods.

Scottish culture has an interesting place in British military history. Scotland and England were bitter enemies throughout much of the medieval period, and after the Jacobite rebellions of the 1700s, Scottish culture--and Highland culture in particular--was ruthlessly suppressed. Young Scottish boys were pressed into military service to prove their loyalty in the thickest fighting that the English officers could find for them. And they did so well that over time, the Scottish regiments became some of the most feared and respected in the world.

We enjoyed Edinburgh Castle so much that we ran out of time to see the rest of Old Town and the Royal Mile that runs down its spine. Luckily, this was only the first day of our week in Edinburgh, so we'd still have plenty of time to explore this magical city. And we did have time for one more stop.

Right outside the castle is the much-hyped Scotch Whisky Experience. My dad I and were a little hesitant at first, since it is extremely touristy. But after mulling it over in the gift shop we decided that it was just something we had to do. Jessica–a dedicated wine and cider girl–was just along for the ride. And we are so glad that we did.

What we really wanted was a chance to sample some good, representative whiskies from the different whisky regions of Scotland. I’m fairly familiar with Islay whiskies (the smokiest, most “challenging” of the Scotch whiskies), but I wasn’t as familiar with the other varieties. I only knew for certain that I don’t like Glenfiddich, a mass-produced single-malt from the Speyside region.

I had arrived in Edinburgh with just two goals to achieve before we left: to have tried at least one whisky from all the other regions of Scotland, and to find a whisky that Jessica actually likes. The tour–while just as touristy as we expected–was also surprisingly informative, and I’m happy to say that we accomplished both of my goals.

The tour starts with a “barrel ride,” much like the ride in the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which takes you through a multi-media presentation of how Scotch whisky is made. Next, a guide gives a succinct and helpful lecture on the different Scotch whisky regions and what their distinctive characteristics are:

Lowlands–Light, grassy, and citrusy.

Highlands–Floral, spices, and possibly peat smoke.

Speyside–Fruit, nuts, and spices.

Islay–Strong peat smoke and sea salt.

Campbeltown–Moderate peat smoke, sea salt, and spices--like a milder hybrid between a Highlands and an Islay whisky.

The lecture didn’t cover it, but many experts also define an Islands region, which covers all of the Hebridean distilleries not on Islay. They tend to have a fiery, smokey, salty flavor--similar to Islay whiskies but less peaty.

Next came the tasting. Almost. We entered a room with a large tasting table and were given a short presentation on blended whisky. Blended whiskies used to be classier than single-malts, and the quality of modern single-malts is largely due to the technological innovations driven by whisky blenders.

The lectures finally over, we were given the chance to taste one of six whiskies–a single malt from any of the regions or a blended whisky. My dad and I are already familiar with Islay whisky, so we wanted to try as many of the others as possible. I chose Campbeltown, my dad chose Highlands, and Jessica chose Speyside. The only one left out was the Lowlands (not including Islay, which we were already well acquainted with).

And as it turned out, each of us chose our favorite. I loved the Campbeltown (though not quite as much my favorite Islays), I liked the Highlands, and I disliked the Speyside. Jessica liked the Speyside (yay!), didn’t mind the Highlands, and hated the Campbeltown. My dad liked all of them, but he liked the Highlands best of all.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Our drams poured, we entered the next room to have the tasting itself. And it wasn’t just any room–it holds the largest collection of unopened Scotch whisky bottles in the world.

Our guide gave us a quick demonstration on how to taste whisky, then let us to it. Unlike wine, there’s no wrong way to drink Scotch.

And we got to keep our glasses--the first of many during our stay in Scotland.

After the tour, we were able to go to the tasting bar and buy a sample of Lowlands whisky to finish the checklist. I got a dram of Glenkinchie, Edinburgh's local distillery. It was tasty, but I didn’t like it as much as the Campbeltown or Highlands. My dad ordered Jura Seven Wood, which was surprisingly sweet–we dubbed it "flaming cotton candy." I liked it more than my dad or Jessica, who aren’t the keenest on sweet drinks.

Down in the gift shop, we were able to see the Scotch whisky tasting wheel that my dad had found an image of years ago. All of Scotland's single-malt distilleries are listed on the wheel according to their signature flavor profile. Appropriately, the shop also has a stunning selection whiskies to purchase.

Looking back, by far the most impressive part of the collection is the number of sample-sized mini-bottles you can get. Back in the States, you can usually find mini bottles of the biggest brand, but not much more. You can find a lot more in a typical Scottish gift shop. But in the whisky experience, you could get a mini bottle of almost any whisky they had on the shelf.

We gathered up a good haul of bottles to try later. The most notable pick proved to be Auchentoshan 12, a Lowlands whisky made near Glasgow using triple distillation, like Irish whiskey. When we first heard that from our bartender, Jessica’s interest was immediately piqued. Much like we were hoping for, it combined the rich flavor profile of Scotch whisky with the smooth, light body of Irish whiskey.

Finally, we had found a Scotch that Jessica loved!

Another notable pick was Glenfarclas 105, a cask-strength whisky made by the same distillery that made Jessica’s sample dram. Our bartender had recommended it to me after I mentioned that I didn’t like any of the Speysides I’d tried so far.

Glenfarclas 105 is apparently very highly regarded in the whisky world, but to the three of us it tasted like flaming battery acid. Even cutting it in half with water made it only barely tolerable.

The World Cup semifinal between England and Croatia was starting in a little less than an hour, so we went looking for a pub to have dinner and watch the game. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult. We went to three places before we found one that had TVs, seating, and food.

At least the view was good while we walked around like idiots. Seriously, though, Edinburgh's Old Town is spectacular. With levels up on levels of buildings towering above and winding away below, I felt like I had fallen into a storybook.

We ended up at a gastropub called the Last Drop. And if you’re thinking the name is about drinking, you’d be wrong. Apparently, the place is located on the site of the old city gallows, where convicts would get the last drop of their lives, so to speak. The walls gleefully illustrate the point.

The food was good, the drinks were good, and the game was good. Croatia ended up beating England, which was fine by us and better than fine by the Scottish patrons.

After admiring the sunset illuminating the castle, we caught a bus back home and headed pretty much straight to bed. Tomorrow would be an early morning for a bus tour of Loch Lomond and Stirling.

Next Post: Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle

Last Post: To Scotland