#yes i am celebrating the death of a fellow human being before anyone starts wondering

[evilkitten3]

good news, everyone!

[the-minecraft-funnies]

Hello fellow you seem to have a mimecraft based blog i too am a gaming person would happen to have any gaming facts perhaps about craft?

minecraft is actually 7 feet tall but wont tell you their secrets about the mines or craft BUT the real reason they won’t spread rumors is because according to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. 

The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Ooming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Oan you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good.- Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick ourjob today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as... Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! "What's the difference?" How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Oool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that... ...kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you... I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway... Oan I... ...get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?" Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look... There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you...? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again... for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Oarl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. "They make the honey, and we make the money"? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Ohung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Ohung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, Olassy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, "I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this"? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Oolumbus? Bee Gandhi? Bejesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week... He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots... Next week... Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard 'em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go 'cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting... - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, "Honey, I'm home," without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Oase number 4475, Superior Oourt of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson... you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but... the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right... there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the rightjob. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads. Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? Funny, I just can't seem to recall that! I think something stinks in here! I love the smell of flowers. How do you like the smell of flames?! Not as much. Water bug! Not taking sides! Ken, I'm wearing a Ohapstick hat! This is pathetic! I've got issues! Well, well, well, a royal flush! - You're bluffing. - Am I? Surf's up, dude! Poo water! That bowl is gnarly. Except for those dirty yellow rings! Kenneth! What are you doing?! You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! We need to talk! He's just a little bee! And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? No, but there are other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night... My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! Goodbye, Ken. And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners made by man! I'm sorry about all that. I know it's got an aftertaste! I like it! I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. Are you OK for the trial? I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers... Yeah. Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. - You got the tweezers? - Are you allergic? Only to losing, son. Only to losing. Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. What exactly is your relationship to that woman? We're friends. - Good friends? - Yes. How good? Do you live together? Wait a minute... Are you her little... ...bedbug? I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? - Yeah, but... - So those aren't your real parents! - Oh, Barry... - Yes, they are! Hold me back! You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? He's denouncing bees! Don't y'all date your cousins? - Objection! - I'm going to pincushion this guy! Adam, don't! It's what he wants! Oh, I'm hit!! Oh, lordy, I am hit! Order! Order! The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! - Adam, stay with me. - I can't feel my legs. What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison from my heaving buttocks? I will have order in this court. Order! Order, please! The case of the honeybees versus the human race took a pointed turn against the bees yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. - Hey, buddy. - Hey. - Is there much pain? - Yeah. I... I blew the whole case, didn't I? It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. I'd be better off dead. Look at me. They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. Look, there's a little celery still on it. What was it like to sting someone? I can't explain it. It was all... All adrenaline and then... and then ecstasy! All right. You think it was all a trap? Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. What will the humans do to us if they win? I don't know. I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! Oh, my. Oould you get a nurse to close that window? - Why? - The smoke. Bees don't smoke. Right. Bees don't smoke. Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. That's it! That's our case! It is? It's not over? Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. And assuming you've done step correctly, you're ready for the tub. Mr. Flayman. Yes? Yes, Your Honor! Where is the rest of your team? Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, and as a result, we don't make very good time. I actually heard a funny story about... Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs taken up enough of this court's valuable time? How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. But you can't! We have a terrific case. Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? Show me the smoking gun! Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? Here is your smoking gun. What is that? It's a bee smoker! What, this? This harmless little contraption? This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. Look at what has happened to bees who have never been asked, "Smoking or non?" Is this what nature intended for us? To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines and man-made wooden slat work camps? Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! The court finds in favor of the bees! Vanessa, we won! I knew you could do it! High-five! Sorry. I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this. Barry, how much honey is out there? All right. One at a time. Barry, who are you wearing? My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. - What if Montgomery's right? - What do you mean? We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. Oongratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, every last drop. We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. We're all aware of what they do in the woods. Wait for my signal. Take him out. He'll have nauseous for a few hours, then he'll be fine. And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames... But it's just a prance-about stage name! ...unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. Oan't breathe. Bring it in, boys! Hold it right there! Good. Tap it. Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! - I think we need to shut down! - Shut down? We've never shut down. Shut down honey production! Stop making honey! Turn your key, sir! What do we do now? Oannonball! We're shutting honey production! Mission abort. Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. Oh, yeah? What's going on? Where is everybody? - Are they out celebrating? - They're home. They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. I heard your Uncle Oarl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. At least we got our honey back. Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. And now... Now I can't. I don't understand why they're not happy. I thought their lives would be better! They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? - What did you want to show me? - This. What happened here? That is not the half of it. Oh, no. Oh, my. They're all wilting. Doesn't look very good, does it? No. And whose fault do you think that is? You know, I'm gonna guess bees. Bees? Specifically, me. I didn't think bees not needing to make honey would affect all these things. It's notjust flowers. Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees. That's our whole SAT test right there. Take away produce, that affects the entire animal kingdom. And then, of course... The human species? So if there's no more pollination, it could all just go south here, couldn't it? I know this is also partly my fault. How about a suicide pact? How do we do it? - I'll sting you, you step on me. - Thatjust kills you twice. Right, right. Listen, Barry... sorry, but I gotta get going. I had to open my mouth and talk. Vanessa? Vanessa? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? To the final Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. They've moved it to this weekend because all the flowers are dying. It's the last chance I'll ever have to see it. Vanessa, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I never meant it to turn out like this. I know. Me neither. Tournament of Roses. Roses can't do sports. Wait a minute. Roses. Roses? Roses! Vanessa! Roses?! Barry? - Roses are flowers! - Yes, they are. Flowers, bees, pollen! I know. That's why this is the last parade. Maybe not. Oould you ask him to slow down? Oould you slow down? Barry! OK, I made a huge mistake. This is a total disaster, all my fault. Yes, it kind of is. I've ruined the planet. I wanted to help you with the flower shop. I've made it worse. Actually, it's completely closed down. I thought maybe you were remodeling. But I have another idea, and it's greater than my previous ideas combined. I don't want to hear it! All right, they have the roses, the roses have the pollen. I know every bee, plant and flower bud in this park. All we gotta do is get what they've got back here with what we've got. - Bees. - Park. - Pollen! - Flowers. - Repollination! - Across the nation! Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, Oalifornia. They've got nothing but flowers, floats and cotton candy. Security will be tight. I have an idea. Vanessa Bloome, FTD. Official floral business. It's real. Sorry, ma'am. Nice brooch. Thank you. It was a gift. Once inside, we just pick the right float. How about The Princess and the Pea? I could be the princess, and you could be the pea! Yes, I got it. - Where should I sit? - What are you? - I believe I'm the pea. - The pea? It goes under the mattresses. - Not in this fairy tale, sweetheart. - I'm getting the marshal. You do that! This whole parade is a fiasco! Let's see what this baby'll do. Hey, what are you doing?! Then all we do is blend in with traffic... ...without arousing suspicion. Once at the airport, there's no stopping us. Stop! Security. - You and your insect pack your float? - Yes. Has it been in your possession the entire time? Would you remove your shoes? - Remove your stinger. - It's part of me. I know. Just having some fun. Enjoy your flight. Then if we're lucky, we'll have just enough pollen to do the job. Oan you believe how lucky we are? We have just enough pollen to do the job! I think this is gonna work. It's got to work. Attention, passengers, this is Oaptain Scott. We have a bit of bad weather in New York. It looks like we'll experience a couple hours delay. Barry, these are cut flowers with no water. They'll never make it. I gotta get up there and talk to them. Be careful. Oan I get help with the Sky Mall magazine? I'd like to order the talking inflatable nose and ear hair trimmer. Oaptain, I'm in a real situation. - What'd you say, Hal? - Nothing. Bee! Don't freak out! My entire species... What are you doing? - Wait a minute! I'm an attorney! - Who's an attorney? Don't move. Oh, Barry. Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain. Would a Miss Vanessa Bloome in 24B please report to the cockpit? And please hurry! What happened here? There was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. One's bald, one's in a boat, they're both unconscious! - Is that another bee joke? - No! No one's flying the plane! This is JFK control tower, Flight 356. What's your status? This is Vanessa Bloome. I'm a florist from New York. Where's the pilot? He's unconscious, and so is the copilot. Not good. Does anyone onboard have flight experience? As a matter of fact, there is. - Who's that? - Barry Benson. From the honey trial?! Oh, great. Vanessa, this is nothing more than a big metal bee. It's got giant wings, huge engines. I can't fly a plane. - Why not? Isn't John Travolta a pilot? - Yes. How hard could it be? Wait, Barry! We're headed into some lightning. This is Bob Bumble. We have some late-breaking news from JFK Airport, where a suspenseful scene is developing. Barry Benson, fresh from his legal victory... That's Barry! ...is attempting to land a plane, loaded with people, flowers and an incapacitated flight crew. Flowers?! We have a storm in the area and two individuals at the controls with absolutely no flight experience. Just a minute. There's a bee on that plane. I'm quite familiar with Mr. Benson and his no-account compadres. They've done enough damage. But isn't he your only hope? Technically, a bee shouldn't be able to fly at all. Their wings are too small... Haven't we heard this a million times? "The surface area of the wings and body mass make no sense." - Get this on the air! - Got it. - Stand by. - We're going live. The way we work may be a mystery to you. Making honey takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs. But let me tell you about a small job. If you do it well, it makes a big difference. More than we realized. To us, to everyone. That's why I want to get bees back to working together. That's the bee way! We're not made of Jell-O. We get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow! - Hello! Left, right, down, hover. - Hover? - Forget hover. This isn't so hard. Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Barry, what happened?! Wait, I think we were on autopilot the whole time. - That may have been helping me. - And now we're not! So it turns out I cannot fly a plane. All of you, let's get behind this fellow! Move it out! Move out! Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Oome on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Oan you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Oome on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Oome on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, orjust Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Oan I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Oan I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Oan we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.

[littlemisscancer]

“Save the last dance for me.”

a little story about a sororitas and an inquisitor. definitely. bent some lore a little bit for the sake of the setting, but it was fun to write.

The room was lively and full of merriment, as the crew aboard the Crocuta Invicta welcomed their guests to the main observatory.

Captains, Inquisitorial representatives, and Imperial officials of all sorts coming from across the fleet for this particular celebration. One of these Inquisitors had brought aboard his contingent of Adeptus Sororitas, with gowns that flattered his own formal attire.

The various attendees mingled together, glasses of alcoholic beverages being passed around via Servitors. Part of the observation deck had been cleared for an improvised ballroom floor, the distant stars shining upon mirrors set around the room to create ‘disco’ lighting. Quite a few of the couples and working partners had already made their way onto the dance floor, swaying and skipping to the joyous tunes being played by a very eager band of Imperial Acolytes.

Not all those attending were that happy, however. There was an Arch Magos, the head honcho Explorator of this fleet in attendance. He was sulking near the punch bowl, quite by himself. No one dared approach the hulking mechanical monstrosity, for fear of starting an intergalactic incident. Not even the Skitarii typically accompanying him were around. They had all been assigned other duties by him personally.

An Inquisitor, freshly Graduated from Inquisition School of the Arts™ leaned in towards a Celestine, remarking in a low tone, “He sure seems to be the life of the party. Any idea who pissed on his timepiece?”

The Sister merely laughed, her eyes sliding over to the miserable mechanicus, responding in kind, “Oh, he’s always like that I’ve heard. Never one to so much as give his peers the time of day normally, much less at a gathering like this.”

The Celestine elbowed a nearby Sister, nearly causing her to spill her undrunk champagne. She scowled, and readjusted a small brooch that adorned her dark black hair. Her superior continued to laugh, and tried to include her.

“Have you ever seen something as pathetic as an Arch Magos that’s on it’s last limb? Truly, Sister Anna, it’s an abhorrent sight.”

The blonde haired Celestine lifted her chin, head being held with a beaming pride.

“It is a disgrace to this Imperium, and a creature that cannot hope to be held as highly in regard as us.”

The Inquisitor laughed, and gently took the Celestine by the elbow to the dancefloor.

Sister Anna furrowed her brows, before shaking her head. Her grip on her champagne glass had tightened considerably, a small metal ring around her left ring finger glinting in the funky lights. It was shaped similar to that of a horseshoe, or the insignia of the Ultramarines. The sign of Omega… But it was more like a horseshoe.

She looked up, to find the Arch Magos staring directly at her. Although his face was now metal and motionless, his augmented eyes looked very sad. A pang hit her heart like a boltround, and she quickly looked away.

The brooch upon her head began to slide off her hair once more, and she narrowly avoided having it fall in her drink. Sister Anna was starting to feel slightly miffed, and stopped short of ripping it out of her hair. Confound Inquisitor Jarris, and his pining for them all to wear these wretched things! She’d rather wear her veil to show she was a Hospitaller, not some fancy hair clip that said the same thing!

Another pang to her heart. She didn’t even deserve to wear that veil, and she knew it. It felt like the ring was burning into her hand, but she dared not remove it.

The agitated Sororitas began to walk quickly towards the dance floor, handing her glass to a genuinely surprised Tech Priest. They let out a brief high-pitched squeak of thanks before she marched past.

The Inquisitor, called Jarris was chatting cheerily with his fellows of their various Ordos. But he wasn’t so enthralled as to not see Sister Anna walking straight towards him, so it didn’t catch him off guard when she placed his left arm in a death-grip.

“I… I wish to dance with you, Inquisitor Jarris.”

He blinked in surprise at that, however. The grizzled Inquisitor knew that this one was a handful, Hospitaller or not. But he thought it best to humor her outburst. Besides, she was definitely not the worst looking Sororitas in his retinue.

Arm in arm, the pair began to walk to the dance floor. Once the music kicked in once more, they faced one another, hand in hand, eyes locked, with barely any room between them.

It was a calming waltz, from some composer hailing Holy Terra itself. It was an old piece, but it was a piece that Sister Anna knew very well. She had listened to it often while aboard…

It was as if her heart was being twisted into a vice.

Anna gasped, and nearly tripped over Jarris’ quick footsteps. He caught her as the music dipped, faces inches apart from one another. His eyes, bright green with flecks of gold stared into her darker hazel ones. But it wasn’t just his gaze that she felt. She felt something, no, someone else’s eyes boring into her.

It was as if the God Emperor himself was glaring at her.

The music ended and there was much applause, Inquisitor Jarris gently lifting her back up onto her feet. Anna noticed that one of his hands was placed on her lower back, but she made no move to distance herself. She looked around, having this sinking feeling she knew precisely who had been looking at her. But no matter where her eyes lay or how far her neck craned, she didn’t see anyone. Not so much as an awkward Servitor had been looking at them.

Perhaps it was her overwrought nerves, she reasoned internally.

Inquisitor Jarris in the meantime had been guiding her back towards his small circle of friends, and she barely heard one of them remark on their well-executed performance. Jarris laughed, wincing a little bit.

“Well, Hospitaller Anna had a future in dancing herself before being tragically moved to my ship.”

He gave her hip a light pinch, and she perked up immediately. A smile flashed and she giggled politely, quietly admitting her thanks.

The smile, however bright it may have looked to the other members of the Inquisition, was quite fake. It felt wrong, all of it did. She shouldn’t be there.

Anna looked up at Jarris with her tired eyes, leaning into his broad shoulder much like a wife would her husband.

“Excuse me, but I am quite dehydrated after all that dancing. Will you be alright with me gone?”

A few chuckles from an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, a hearty old fellow with a big red mustache.

Jarris rolled his eyes at him, before looking down admiringly at Anna, “I do believe I will find a way. Go one now, can’t have you dying off the battlefield now can we?”

She gave a much meeker smile, before not so gently removing herself from his embrace and making a beeline for an exit. He wouldn’t be able to spot her sneaking out through all these people, she mused.

And so, the Hospitaller slipped out of the main observatory, and found herself in one of the much smaller rooms adjacent.

The entire ceiling was comprised of glass, and for a moment she thought she had stepped out into the vacuum of space. Nebulaes floated off in the distance, adding wonderful colors to the forever night sky.

To think that beyond her vision, countless battles were being won or lost across the entire Imperium made her feel… Very, very small.

It took her a moment to realize she had walked to the very edge, hands pressed up on the glass as she looked up and around.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” A familiar voice said, sounding as if the owner of such a voice was right behind her. Anna did not move, for she was not fazed in the least. He always had a habit of sneaking up on her, anyway. At that moment she also realized that something had placed its hands on her shoulders.

“It’s rare to see it completely still like this outside of a painting.” She replied, now looking directly above her head.

All she could see were red robes, the shine of a medallion, and the beginning of a metal encased face.

“Yes, just as it is rare for me to find you alone.”

Arch Magos Explorator Velut Equo looked down at her, the augmented eyes dimmed to mimic a blink. They were blue, an ever curious and never changing bright blue. They were merely lights, artificial. Hers were the true beauty.

“You normally like these sorts of things, I thought. What’s changed?”

The Sister sighed, and she turned her gaze back to the stars.

“Do not play coy with me, Velut. You know why tonight was different.”

All she received as a response was a mechanical ‘hmm’ noise, and a tightening grip on her shoulders. It quickly relaxed however, but she still flinched.

“You were upset by me merely hanging about those of my… Status. You truly are terrible at being subtle about it, too.”

Again, no response apart from the sound of him breathing. They stared together in silence, the faint sound of music being heard through the thick walls. The Arch Magos began to sway slightly as he listened, gently tugging on her shoulders as he did so.

He finally let out a mechanical sigh, and lowered his head. His face, or what would constitute as one was buried in her hair.

“In all my years, and after all I have seen, you must understand that this kind of emotional attachment is… New to me, as much as it is to you. I do not look it, but I am still… Human.”

Anna didn’t say anything, instead looking up once more at him. Even though his face couldn’t move anymore, he still looked sad. Like a lost puppy that thought it had known the way, but was sorely mistaken.

“Oh, a… And you, er… You dropped something.” Velut let go of her very suddenly, backing up a step or two. She turned around, confused until she saw what he was holding. It was her brooch - Bearing the insignia of the Hospitallers. A pained smile crossed her face, as she graciously accepted it.

“It is not a good idea to lose important trinkets such as this, you know.” He eyed her very carefully, his forever unamused expression illuminated by his eerily lit eyes. She knew he wasn’t talking about the brooch, and she also knew he didn’t mean the veil she had left behind.

The ring felt like it had just been removed from a forge on Nocturne, and she twisted it nervously. Velut’s eyes brightened as she did so, and knelt down in front of her. His hands, cold and metal, gently clasped her own. One of the metal fingers rubbed against the ring, a faded out set of markings coming back into the light.

It had been inscribed in binary, that short summer ago. A quiet evening, stealing away to the barracks of the Cadian infantry. Then, with the help of his Guardsman acquaintances, a short get-away to one of the nearby lakes.

Tears welled up in her eyes, as she suddenly embraced Velut. He was only slightly surprised, gently putting his arms around her. Her body shook as she sobbed, and he murmured words of comfort she could barely understand.

Her eyes moved to the galaxy surrounding them, the twinkling lights creating a strange silhouette of the starstruck couple. Funny that.

“Anna Ciocanu, will you do me the honors of… A dance?” Velut asked shyly, looking down at her.

The Sister looked up at him, the tears having left streaks down her pale cheeks. She nodded shakily, smiling.

“Yes, it would be an honor and a privilege to dance with you… My dear.”

If he could have smiled, she was sure he would have. But she knew that she had somehow messed up, as he didn’t perk up nearly as much as she thought he would.

Odd.

Velut took lead, gently guiding her across the floor. The humming of the engine mingled with the distant music, creating a strange and erratic melody. The pair did not mind, as Velut moved off-beat regardless. He watched in silence as Sister Anna danced alongside him, keeping in step with his less gracious ones. Her tired face seemed to brighten with each beat, as if she was finally becoming… Comfortable.

The Arch Magos had only seen her expression like that once before, and in snippets as he would find her whilst in the midst of his work. If it took him around the fleet, at least.

Soon the music stopped, and the distant sound of applause could be heard as the pair bowed before one another.

Velut rose last, and rather stiffly at that. His breathing had become more ragged, but only now that she was not distracted did poor Anna notice. She stepped towards him until there was no space between them, reaching up to touch his face. He bent down so she could grasp onto the tubes that allowed him to breathe, her hands gently caressing the intricate carvings that made his face.

“When will I get to see you again?” She whispered, her smile beginning to fade. The realization that they would be separated again was dawning on her, as she came back to reality.

The old mechanical man looked away from her, staring out into space. His shoulders sagged, and the mechadendrites milling beneath his robes clacked in anxiety.

“I’m… I’m not sure. But I will tell you this.”

He sank down to her eye-level, robes swathing around her as he did so. His hands were on her shoulders as he pulled her close.

“You will join me and never have to worry about this again. It will be soon, I promise you that.” A mechadendrite snaked out and caressed her cheek, wiping away at the tears that began to reform.

“I just need a little time. Then you can be my wife without fear.”

He brought his left hand and placed it in her right, the light catching a similar ring to her own. The medallion around his neck jangled as he moved - The symbol of the Mechanicus, and his own Forge World glistening. A permanent reminder, as if his appearance wasn’t enough, that the two of them would never truly be one.

Anna smiled tearfully, and gently placed a kiss against his mask. Velut’s eyes dimmed completely, as his head craned downwards.

“I will wait for you, as I always have Velut. For I am yours, and you are mine. I will be your wife, faithful as always.”

Her eyes locked with his, as they flared to life once more. He stared at her in silence for a few seconds, his artificial eyes narrowing.

“And I will be faithful in return.” He stated, monotone voice wavering. Albeit what he said earlier was true, she was more prone to human flaws than he was. This evening proved that in his mind. She was painfully aware, but her expression didn’t change.

The eyes gave away her fear, though. The way they darted off to the side towards the main Observatory told him all he needed to know.

He did not say anything.

Instead he gave her a reassuring wheeze, and squeezed her shoulder as he stood up. Instead, he waved her off, telling her he did not mind it when she danced with others. Instead he hung back, claiming to not like the noise.

Instead he stood there and watched the love of his life walk away with what felt like would be the last time.

Instead he saw the door close with a hiss, as the room sealed off. Instead he stayed completely still, not even moving to look back at the starry void behind him.

Instead, he just stood there and waited.

Completely alone.

[littlemisssquiggles]

RWBY Musings #38: A Squiggle Meister’s Views on The Man with Two Souls: The Future of Oscar and Ozpin.

With V5 concluded, it has just dawned on me that Blake has yet to be properly introduced to Oscar as technically Ozpin’s new form and I am pleasantly looking forward to seeing her reaction to meeting the aforementioned Man with Two Souls.  I can imagine this being passed off as an intentional joke at first with Blake possibly nerding out and being uncharacteristically fascinated with Oscar since he’s the living embodiment of a character from a book she read and probably loved. 

Almost like meeting a celebrity; y’know if that celebrity also happened to be the headmaster of your old school whose soul was reborn into the body of a fourteen-year-old farm boy from Mistral.

But then things will ultimately turn dire as unexpected pressing implications surrounding the original tale of the Man with Two Souls are brought into question. To me, it is no mere coincidence that the CRWBY writers introduced this prospect into the story volumes ago.

Yeah sure, we have Ozpin and Oscar sharing a body as the man with two souls. However, the fact that this concept was teased earlier in the story since its first volume and as a book series, no doubt, brings some curious thoughts to mind.

When Ozpin’s curse was revealed, RWBY theorists started speculating that he, or at least one of his prior lives must’ve been the original author of said book.

While I agree with this theory and believe in the high likelihood of it becoming canon, I also have my own take on this particular premise that I’d like to share with you readers. Check this out:

The Wrong Kind of Man

What if...

The original author of the Man with Two Souls story wasn’t Ozpin but in fact one of his previous vessels. Moreover, the man who wrote the manuscript for the story that ultimately became the novel used to be an associate of the man the story was based off of.

I’m thinking that the tale was based heavily on old diary entries from the original composer. Like perhaps Ozpin's original self used to keep a journal or a collection of several journals dictating his traumatic experience with the old wizard in excruciating detail. What if...because this host wasn’t as compliant as any of Ozpin's usual vessels, it was one of the rare occasions when Oz was forced to take over leading to this one particular vessel being driven into madness?

Has anyone else wondered if Ozpin ever had a vessel that wasn’t willing to cooperate with him?

You ever wondered what it would be like for Oz to share something as delicate as a body with someone who refused to cooperate with you? As far as well know, Oz doesn’t get to choose his successors. He's more or less stuck with whoever his soul is merged with next and can only hope that he gets along well with his new host until they merge. 

I wonder if there was ever a point in history where Ozpin shared a form for only a short space of time. Like perhaps he was once partnered with an ill-fit vessel who, rather than conform to the old wizard’s will, the person was instead driven insane by Ozpin's intrusion and attempts at control to the point that said vessel committed suicide in order free himself of his influence.

I know it’s a bit on the dark side of things but it does make me curious of Ozpin's lineage and if he ever did meet a vessel he couldn't work with before. I'd like to think that that was the story the Man with Two Souls was based off of. A man whose own mentality succumbed to the paranoia of sharing a mind with the soul of another person within him and ends up dying tragically because of it.

When we first learned of this book from Blake, she explained to Ruby and Yang that the premise, as she had read thus far, was about a pair of souls trapped in one body constantly at odds with each other for total dominance. 

However at the time, Blake had yet to finish the book. So how did the story end? Did the two combating souls ultimately learn to coexist in harmony or was the conclusion as chillingly tragic as its plot foreshadowed? What if...the Man with Two Souls ends in death; at least the book counterpart does.

I can see Oscar being very curious to learn the full origins of this story with Blake being the one to help him discover it as the owner of one of its published copies. 

Since they introduced the concept of the Man with Two Souls since the start of RWBY and brought it back for the most recent arc by adding Oscar to the cast, I'd like to believe that the CRWBY writers are definitely setting this up to be a point of conflict for Oscar's character. If not for next volume then for an eventual one to come as part of his character journey with Ozpin. That part I can predict with absolute certainty.

Wizard Mind Tricks

I know one of the common concerns with Oscar’s character in the show for most of his fans has been the threat of Ozpin taking full control of his body completely with every shred of the young farm boy’s original personality being erased. As a fellow Pinehead, while I too shared this concern, now that I’ve pondered on it some more, I don’t think that will be the case anymore. Despite his young age, the show has done well to establish that Oscar is a very strong willed individual. 

Yes he's been consenting for the most part this last season however he can also be quite stubborn too; at times even opposing Ozpin when he attempts to take control without his approval. Even if Oz does attempt to forcibly take over a second time, it’s not like Oscar is gonna go down without a fight.

Just because Ozpin got away with this during the Battle of Haven doesn’t mean that it’ll be allowed to happen again; at least not willingly. While assuming control to more or less protect him against the rampaging Hazel Rainart could be argued in good faith, I highly doubt Oscar is going to let this one slide; even if it was for his own good and safety.

It’d be interesting to see Oscar master his own mental capabilities to the point that he perfects how to place mental walls between himself and Oz so that the old wizard wouldn’t be able to pull reigns as easily as he did before. Imagine if...Oscar learns to retract control from Ozpin.   While I’m still holding out for Oscar’s semblance having something to do with his mind (y’know clairvoyance, telepathy, etc), I’ll admit it would also be cool to see the precious farm boy become much stronger in his little mental game with Ozpin. So much stronger that he’s even able to pull the rug from underneath the old wizard. Between the two souls, Oz has shown to be the more superior mind. I guess you can blame it on his millennia-long immortality jumping from reincarnation to reincarnation. But like I said, it’d be pretty sweet to see Oscar master some of those same mind tricks too and start taking control of his mind again, especially during those scenarios where Oz demands control against his will.

Perhaps the mind tricks, as I call them, are reflective of a respective souls’ personality. What do I mean by this? What I’ve noticed is that Ozpin seems to be a very open-minded individual. For the most part, he always optimistic and remains hopeful in spite of all the tragedy he’s witnessed throughout the years. Heck, his confidence and overall fate in humanity at times even border lines naivety; quite contradictory for a man so far beyond his years. I'd like to believe that this is why Ozpin has the ability to take control from his host. I found it odd that Oz is able to pull reigns on Oscar yet the young boy isn't. Sure you can argue that this is probably because Oscar lacks the training/mental strength to do so but...maybe each the two souls possess their own little mind trick that matches their personality, if that makes sense. I’m only theorizing here but perhaps this could explain how Oz can easily take the reins and Oscar can’t. This mental trick is Ozpin’s power and his alone for the time being because it mirrors the same aspect of his character where he's able to reach out to others, taking complete control over a situation even when his help or company might not warranted. And the sole reason why he’s able do as he pleases with this power is because Oscar trusts him.

Before arriving in Mistral, Oz was never shown to possess such an ability to take control over Oscar’s body. What was the difference back then? Oscar was still acting stubborn. Still skeptical. He was very resistant to Oz’s influence and unwilling to accept his presence as part of him.

Perhaps that is what is needed for Oz’s mind trick to work. He needs his vessels to accept him; thus granting him permission to take over whenever necessary. Consider it a form of mutual trust and respect between Oz and his new vessels. That being said, what would happen if Oz loses Oscar’s trust again? Would he be rendered powerless? Become no more than a lingering voice trapped within the walls of Oscar’s psyche; a literal prisoner within the young child’s body? Or perhaps worse? As I mentioned earlier, Oz is open-minded whereas young Oscar Pine is kind of the opposite of him, in a sense. Despite being a like minded soul, Oscar kind be a little narrow-minded at times, going solely off his behaviour after he first heard Ozpin. It'd be cool if the young lad can take that conventional aspect of his nature and transform it into a superpower. Not like a semblance but his own little mind trick for when dealing with Ozpin's advances.

I’ve toyed with this idea before in a previous musing about Oscar and Ozpin. Picture... Ozpin attempting to resume control but just as he does, Oscar suddenly puts up a mental barrier that completely blocks the old wizard. Try as he may, Ozpin can't reach through to Oscar. He can’t take control and to make matters even more pressing, the block even prevents Oscar from hearing neither Ozpin’s voice nor could the wizard read the child’s thoughts anymore. Oscar has completely shut Ozpin out.

Similar to Ozpin’s mental reining; the mental block comes with its own fair share of limitations. Constantly placing walls on his mind to keep Ozpin at bay, would take a lot of concentration on Oscar's part to maintain. Not to mention that if he's not too careful with it, he can place a lot of strain on his own mind which mostly results in physical ailments such as dizziness, mental fatigue and in the worst case scenario, one really bad headache---the kind where the pain is so bad it can cause you to black out. Just envision that for a second here. Wouldn’t that be cool to see done visually in the show?

It’d be interesting to see something like this happen canonically between Oscar and Ozpin. There is some potential for it given the foreshadowing of their character dynamic. Merely a concept but still one that I quite like it.  

The Birth of the Wizard

The inevitable is the eventual fight between these two differing souls. But one idea I wanted to play around with is the unexpected outcome where the two learn to accept each other and merge to become one person with both Ozpin and Oscar's traits so it never feels like one of them is totally gone.

I’m not even thinking it's a thing where Ozpin disappears for good, leaving Oscar as the dominant soul with his memories and abilities to carry him forward. Lately I’ve been considering the possibility of Oscar and Ozpin reforming to become one new being that is neither one nor the other. He is both. A perfect fusion of the two souls.

You can tell that this new individual is both Oscar and Ozpin. He’s such a perfect combination of both minds that it feels like them both while at the same being a completely new and different person. Makes sense?

The best example I have to describe what I mean is the character of Garnet from Steven Universe. Always gotta make a Steven Universe comparison to RWBY, am I right folks?

For us SU fans, we know that Garnet is a fusion of two other gems called Ruby and Sapphire. However at the same time, Garnet is her own character and is treated just so. Sure she may borrow similar traits from  Ruby and Sapphire but at her core, she is still her own gem. She has her own individual personality that never gives you the impression that one fusion gem dominated the other.

She is the perfect fusion and I believe the same fate will be met for Oscar and Ozpin. When the two souls finally become one, they will result in the birth of a new character. This person will be the perfect union of Ozpin and Oscar, retaining attributes from them both while creating something entirely new.

For the sake of this post moving forward, I’m going to simply refer to this perfect Ozpin and Oscar fusion, as the Wizard, for lack of a better term.

The Wizard would retain memories from both his counterparts. Therefore if Oscar harboured any romantic feelings towards Ruby during their time together I’d like to think that the Wizard would also share those same sentiments toward the Silver Eyed huntress. At least, that’s what I speculate mostly.

Since the FNDM never knew any of Ozpin's original forms, we can’t really tell what the merging of the two souls would spell. Does Ozpin’s being completely eclipse the original person becoming the dominant mind or...is it indeed a shared fusion? That’s still left to be determined. Nonetheless, I’d still like to hold onto the belief that this 'changing' Oz foretold of back in V5: Chapter 3 is the merging of him and all of his past selves within Oscar henceforth transforming him into the Wizard; who will be a culmination of them all.

I’d like to think that Oz’s merging with Oscar would be different--- the most unique of any he’s experienced. As a matter of fact, I think Oz’s entire bond with Oscar is going to be significant. I wonder if Oscar is the youngest vessel Ozpin has paired with. Like perhaps in the past, his previous selves were all mostly men or young adults no younger than seventeen or eighteen (the ideal age for a huntsman in training) when Oz first merged with them. Young at heart but still mature enough to comprehend the magnitude of the responsibilities that Oz brought with his mantle; unlike Oscar who, as Lionheart so rightfully put it, is merely a boy. A child.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ozpin’s experience with Oscar is going to be a special one. While I’m unsure of the kind of changes Oscar will bring for his arc with Oz---the good, the bad and the ugly; all I can say is that I’m very much looking forward to seeing their conjoined stories play through. They are my two favourites after all.

Referring back to Steven Universe, in the series, even though Garnet is a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, she is never treated as being either Sapphire or Ruby. Garnet is seen as her own individual character; completely separate from the two gems she is comprised of. As a matter of fact, SU fans didn’t even know Garnet was a fusion til she was revealed to be one later in the story. And even now, she still continues to be her own character who is made of Ruby and Sapphire but isn’t them.

Garnet’s feelings are her own. Yes, she may share behavioural quirks with her two gem counterparts such as Sapphire’s future vision and Ruby’s weapon of choice. But as I’ll say once more, at her core, she’s her own being. So much so that you sometimes forget that she is even a fusion.

That’s what I’m hoping the Wizard will be like. A new person who shares qualities and abilities with Oz and Oscar but at the same time, is his own person who is like Oscar and/or Ozpin but at the same time, is recognized as being neither of them. Not sure if this is making sense to anyone but this is how I see it.

Oscar + Ozpin = TheWizard: A completely new character who looks like Oscar, sounds like Oscar, talks in the same articulate manner as Ozpin, bares the combined memories of both Oscar and Ozpin and dominant feelings of the two regarding relationships with other characters, shares personality traits and behavioural patterns with both beings who make him up but at the same time, isn’t either of them and is recognized more or less as a new person.

‘...I’m cursed. For thousands of years, I’ve walked the surface of Remnant; living, dying and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form and clearly wasn’t my last. It’s an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved...

...So who—what are you?

...I am the combination of countless men who have spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed; but my memories stay with me...’

As Ozpin mentioned in V5 Chapter 3, when he merges with his partnered soul, he is changed. He becomes a new person but not in the ominous sense that Ozpin straight up parasites his way into this person’s life and steals his body and identity. I’d like to believe that when this ‘change’ occurs, it is indeed that fusion of Ozpin and his new host coming together to become a whole new self while still sharing the memories of their conjoined past lives; more specifically Ozpin’s centuries of other incarnations.

To put in computer terms, think of it like changing or upgrading your computer’s operating system---like for us Windows users, switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The previous OS is completely altered and it might not look or function the same as the older OS in some areas. However all in all, it is the same system you know and love especially since you still get to restore all of your old files and software cause you backed up. At least; this is how I see it. Ozpin becomes an entirely new person. Meaning that once he’s merged, he is no longer the old Ozpin that we knew him to be. He will have the memories of the past lives he’s lived including the form we know him best by, but overall, he will become someone else. He and Oscar will become someone else who looks like Oscar but is not him. He isn’t Ozpin either. He is both of them with the best parts of their personalities but not them at the same time because this new person will be his own character. He is the Wizard or whatever this perfect Ozpin and Oscar fusion decides to call himself from then on.

The Merging of the Two Minds with Ozpin and Oscar learning to better coexist as one is unquestionably going to play a major role in shaping Oscar and Ozpin’s dual character development for the seasons to come. So I’m really, REALLY hoping we don’t get to see the Wizard appear until much later down the line.

Needless to say, the Wizard will make an appearance eventually and I’m very interested to see the kind of character he will be. Not just for how different and similar he will become as the fused persona of Ozpin and Oscar but to witness overall what a true Ozpin fusion looks like to dispense any dark theories centred around Ozpin’s past fusions. You know the ones I’m talking about.

Once upon a time, I toyed with the thought that Ozpin merging with his current vessel also meant changing a part of their physical appearance to symbolize the union. Like inheriting Ozpin’s white hair and golden eyes, for example. While cool as a concept at first, I later debunked it. Oscar suddenly gaining white hair and golden eyes, especially with that lusciously tanned skin tone of his...I dunno, that might make him resemble the vessel of a certain character from another favourite franchise of mine. I’m just saying. 

So yeah, when Oscar merges with Ozpin, I’d love that nothing about his actual physical appearance is altered. While golden eyes would look somewhat cool on him, I quite prefer Oscar’s gorgeous hazel eyes. As a matter of fact, his eyes are the most unique part about him; secondary to his precious, totally kissable freckly cheeks. I wouldn’t mind if they made the Wizard’s eyes glow gold whenever he’s like channelling the memories of a past life or something like that. That would’ve been a cool touch.

However since the series already established that the golden eyes are only present when Ozpin first fuses with a new host, I’d settle for no golden eyes rather than change Oscar’s trademark hazel ones. They are just too pretty and suit our precious farm boy too perfectly. I really want someone in the RWBY main series to acknowledge how striking Oscar’s eyes are. It doesn’t even have to be Ruby or another main character. It could be a side character or a villain for all I care. So long as someone in the actual show verbally concedes this, I will be grateful.

Silver eyes are mysterious and cool and all but have you taken a good look at what’s behind these hazel eyes? 

A Love That Transcends

When the two souls merge, it will literally be a rebirth for both Oscar and Ozpin where instead of one half disappearing while another remains as the sole persona; it’s a mutual blend of the two.

So if Ozpin had a close friendship with Qrow Branwen and the other members of his old inner circle, then the Wizard will share those same sentiments towards his old friends. Just as how if Oscar developed close bonds with other characters such as Ruby, the JNR members and perhaps Weiss and Sun Wukong then the Wizard will feel the same way about these said characters cause he would’ve retained those feelings from Oscar’s memories.

Henceforth, and this goes out to my fellow RoseGarden shippers, if Oscar does end up sharing a close bond to Ruby which eventually leads into our two honest souls forming a blossoming romance. Even after Oscar and Ozpin fuse, his relationship with Ruby will continue to flourish because this new version of him will have those feelings too.

Now I already had this idea in mind when I first composed this musing, but after seeing this ♦fanart for RoseGarden Week created by the talented @tomecko​ it made me think about this potential moment even more.

Imagine...

A scene where Oscar is slowly regaining consciousness. He had blacked out when the fated time to merge has occurred and had been in a coma for some time until those who had devoted their time to stay at his side, noticed him stirring.

It would be the man-child’s first time opening his eyes as a new person so the rest of the team were all apprehensive and emotionally on edge about the kind of person the Wizard would be. The ones who were mostly loyal to Oz were anticipating it to be him fully tugging the strings whereas the few people who knew and cared about Oscar, they were praying that some semblance of the young farm boy would’ve survived the merging of souls. So Oscar opens his eyes---his permanently hazel eyes that bared no sliver of gold symbolizing that the merge was a success. However because the merge was still fresh, the fusion hadn’t gained all of his memories as yet, as he put it. He didn’t recognize everyone in the room, only acknowledging a few familiar faces from each fraction.

For example, he fully remembered Qrow but only recognized Ironwood and Glynda enough to call them both by name without fully understanding how he knew them. Similarly, the Wizard hailed Jaune from the crowd as well however he mixed up Ren and Nora’s names, asking which one was the badass with a hammer that’s also a grenade launcher cause that’s what he remembered. The Wizard remarked that a majority of his past memories were still flooding in so it would’ve been some time till he fully remembered everything. In spite of this setback, he reassured everyone in the room that he at least recognized who they were in some shape or form since he had a feeling of familiarity between all of them. However, the greatest shocker was when the Wizard turns to Ruby Rose and claims he didn’t know her. Ruby, who couldn’t contain her joy of seeing Oscar alive and awake again after spending days at his bedside, practically tackles the young boy in her eagerness to embrace him in a welcoming hug.

But as Oscar looked Ruby square in the face for the first time since his ‘rebirth’, for some odd reason, she was the only one who he felt no sense of familiarity to. 

‘...You...have silver eyes? I’m sorry...but...who are you...exactly?’

Unlike the others in the group, everything about Ruby---her face, her name, even her eyes...which was the first thing Ruby recalled him noticing about her the first time they met---nothing about Ruby rang any bells for Oscar and all the boy was left with regarding her were a jumble of odd emotions he had a difficult time deciphering.

This is especially disheartening to Ruby because before he blacked out, Oscar pulled her into his arms and promised her that no matter what happens during the merging, he would always remember her.

No matter who he becomes in his ‘next life’, there would always be a place for her reserved in his heart. She was his beacon---his guiding light to bring him safely home; even if it took him years to find it again.

So Ruby is left feeling disappointed and depressed over this strange occurrence. However being the person that she was, Ruby forced herself to put on an encouraging smile as she was soon tasked to aid the Wizard---this new stranger who shared the face of the boy she loved but may or may not be him anymore.

So Ruby assists the Wizard with regaining the rest of his memories. At that point, everyone was addressing him as Oz-car instead of officially Ozpin. At least, not the younger huntsmen who all wanted to give Ruby the assurance that Oscar would return some day. At first Ruby was fine with this task especially since it gave her the opportunity to rekindle her relationship with the new Oscar. However when Oz-Car began remembering things about other characters; with the exception of her, little by little she felt her faith in her beloved returning dwindle with the passing days. One afternoon, Oz-car confronts Ruby about his inability to remember her. To help rectify this, he asks Ruby to recall some of her memories with his past life of Oscar in hopes that that might jumpstart any familiar feelings with him. Ruby obliges. She tells the Wizard some of her most memorable experiences with Oscar Pine; some good, some not-so-good in the embarrassing sense. Some funny. Some sad and then, there were the really good ones.

The ones she cherished when she realized she was falling in love with Oscar. While those feelings had initially confused her especially when tied with the complication that part of Oscar was shared by her old Headmaster and mentor, Ruby still considered them fond memories because they were what brought her and Oscar closer as friends and ultimately, more.  

As he listened to Ruby re-educate him about his past self, Oz-car couldn’t help but notice the tinge of sadness that shadowed the young girl’s happiness. It was no doubt or surprise to him that reminiscing about Oscar---the old Oscar weighed heavily on Ruby’s emotions. It was evident that she missed him dearly. However in spite of this, Oz-car unfortunately couldn’t bring himself to tell her to stop because there was this sense of almost urgency for him to know about that part of him that was connected to her. She was the only one whose face he couldn’t pinpoint. The only one whose memories he couldn’t unchain from either of his past lives. And what made it even more frustrating was the strong desire he felt to know. So Oz-car pushes Ruby further to tell him her most cherished memory of Oscar. The one that above all, made her realize that he was a special person to her. So, against her crumbling feelings, Ruby starts off talking about a time when she and Oscar were alone. No teammates. No adults. Even Ozpin was silent. It was just the two of them.

For the sake of this theory scenario, let’s say for some reason they were in a field of flowers, relaxing and naturally the topic of flowers came up in the conversation.

Remember my musing about Ruby and Oscar having nicknames for each other?

In that post, I theorized that Oscar’s nickname for Ruby would be ‘Ru’. 

.So Oscar shares with Ruby that the reason he calls her Ru for short was because of a flower of the same name: Rue. It was a special kind of flower that had many different meanings throughout Remnant depending on where you were from. Most of the meanings behind the flower weren’t quite pleasant. Since rues were a common flower found around the more rural sides of Anima, the People of Mistral decided to adopt their own meanings to give this delicate little flower species a new, more pleasing impact. Haven grown up in a family of farmers; Oscar was able to learn some of the nicer meanings for the flower given by his Mistralian people. He went on to further express that the reason he nicknamed Ruby after the rue was because she made him think especially of two of the nicer meanings for the flower. One of them was ‘beauty in strength’ which Oscar felt suited Ruby perfectly because she was a strong huntress and, he also thought she was a really beautiful person both inside and out. He gave this last part of the explanation while beaming at Ruby---a genuine contented smile that radiated a sincerity that was even mirrored in his eyes and he eyed the red-haired huntress deeply for a few uninterrupted minutes. All before dissolving into a beet red face of flustered embarrassment at the realization of what he just said. Even Ruby herself felt her own cheeks burn at the compliment. At that time, she and Oscar were still only friends. While their friendship and trust has certainly blossomed for the better to the point that she considered him a close and trusted confidant, hearing him flatter her looks made he feel strange for some reason. Not in a bad way but certainly in a way that made her ears burn and her heart skip several beats. When Ruby questions Oscar about the second meaning; this only serves to deepen his embarrassment as he informs her that he can’t quite disclose the other meaning to her in that moment. However, he promised to tell her one day when it would matter. Ruby didn’t understand what Oscar fully meant by that, however as she looked at him closely again with that same sincere expression returning to his freckly face, she decided to trust him and wait for that day when he would be ready to tell her.

This moment was special to Ruby because it was the first time she could remember feeling that initial spark that made her realize that Oscar was more than just a friend to her. It wasn’t a memory she shared with just anymore. She didn’t consider herself to be an entirely selfish person but for that moment with him, she just wanted that to be hers. Though she never got to hear the other meaning of the name he had picked for her, at least, she had that memory of him that she could freeze and hold onto; even as she may never have any new memories with him to gain. It is in that moment where Ruby finally breaks down. It is also within this moment that something inside of Oz-car grapples at his very being. The young man suddenly found himself gripping tightly at his chest and holding his head as he is barraged by an unexpected influx of memories.

Immediately Ruby ceased her tears as she dropped to Oz-car’s side in concern.

When the young huntsman finally caught himself, his hand reached out to touch Ruby’s cheek as his eyes met with hers again. Even clouded by her previous tears, Ruby concluded that he was fine. But there was something different about his face this time. No longer did he wear an expression of strained confusion and uncertainty. Instead Ruby was met with softened hazel eyes that swelled with tears as he gently cupped her face.

‘...The Rue flower holds many varying meanings in different parts of Remnant. The People of Mistral didn’t like some of the other meanings the other kingdoms gave to this small, gentle misunderstood flower so...they gave it new meanings. There are many good ones but...Oscar chose two of the best ones because to him, he felt they suited the most important girl in his life and captured her perfectly.

One was ‘beauty in strength’ which he felt best emulated her power as a huntress and her magnificence as a woman. A magnificence which still astounds him till now. The second meaning was ‘...everlasting love...’ because no matter what happened to him, Oscar knew even back then that he would love this girl forever.

He knew he would love you forever. I...I knew I will love you forever, Ru...’

Finally the last chamber of memories was unlocked and Oscar remembered Ruby.

He remembered everything about her---the beauty of her eyes, the sound of her voice, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the bittersweet memories they shared together mixed in with their dual conviction to protect one another as they faced Salem and the Forces of Evil.

All the things; good and bad that made her the most important person to him! For the second time in his life---this new version of Oscar found himself falling madly in love with the Silver Eyed girl all over again as the fond and beautiful memoirs of their times in each other’s company came flowing back into his heart filling him with the unique kind of happiness that he only felt with her. This time, Ruby didn’t bother to withhold her tears as she wept happily at the return of her beloved.

‘...I thought I’d lost you forever. I thought you forgot me...!’

‘...I didn’t forget you Ru. It just...took me a longer time to find you again and I’m sorry that I made you wait so long, my love. But now that I’m here, in your arms, seeing your beautiful face...I’m finally home and I’ll never let you go again...’

‘Promise...?’ ‘Promise.’ 

As he wiped away her tears and tickled her flushed face with his kisses, in between their shared giggles and warm smiles, Oscar made a promise to never forget Ruby again. Though it took him a longer time to find her, he vowed to continue to love and be by her side for the rest of his lifetime, old and new; forever more.

End scene. Roll credits. Mail me my cheque for my scriptwriting skills RoosterTeeth.

Jokes aside. This is how I depict the RoseGarden ship in the event that Oscar becomes the Wizard. An example I have to back this concept is Urumiya from the manga series: Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden. I don’t want to disclose any spoilers from the series in case anyone was interested in reading it for themselves. Basically the gist is, Urumiya was a character who was once divided into two people. He was once two identical twin brothers with different personalities and at some point, the brothers fused to become one man. The thing is that one half of Urumiya shared a romantic bond with another character in the manga. So when he fused, this new complete version of himself pretty much inherited those feelings too and he was able to continue his relationship with his past lover. So who knows? Perhaps the same will play out for the fate of Ruby and Oscar’s relationship; especially in the event that romance is in the cards for our two honest souls. For now, only time will tell with what RWBY has for us moving forward.

So in conclusion...

Alrighty, I believe I’ve now officially covered all of my theories regarding Oscar and Ozpin; at least the more major ones. Based on the amount of time I’ve talked about them already, I guess you guys can tell that Oscar and Oz are pretty much my two all-time favourite characters in the entirety of RWBY. I mean I straight up mentioned it earlier in this post even. Y’know what’s funny about that? Prior to V5, I didn’t have a favourite character for RWBY.  Sure there were one or two characters I liked and considered favourites. However there was never any defined character from the show that I could directly point out and say ‘There! Character XYZ is my all time favourite character, hands down because of so and so reason’.

This all changed once Oscar entered the story. His introduction into RWBY made me appreciate Ozpin a lot more than I did in previous seasons. I always kinda had this vibe that there was more to Ozpin’s character than the story led on. He was always such a mystery. Kind of a blank slate but still leaving enough intrigue to make you wanna try to connect the dots on what his role in the overall story would be, y’know what I mean? I even remember someone asking me if I thought Ozpin might’ve been a clone or something. Even back in the earlier days of V1-V3, Oz stood out as this person of interest.

I’m happy that the CRWBY writers introduced his bond with Oscar because it led to me finally crowning them both as my two official favourites; especially Oscar. He’s my number one best boy. 

I am so psyched to see what Oscar’s role in the story is gonna be like. I’m excited for his development. I’m excited to see more of him overall. Again it’s funny. When I first saw Oscar, I honestly didn’t care too much for him in the beginning, shameless to say.

I didn’t adopt him until Volume 5.  I’m a terrible godmother. I neglected my precious god son for one whole season. But in my defense, a lot of stuff went over my head for V4. Not gonna lie. It’s not that I considered V4 to be a bad season. On the contrary, I thought V4 was a pretty decent character building season. Wished we’d gotten some more for V5 before going into the Haven Battle but, I digress. There’s always V6 for some more character building moments, yes? I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into V4 and mostly prepped myself to enjoy what I got. And that’s how it was. I genuinely enjoyed what I saw but I didn’t start analyzing stuff until the following season in V5. So I didn’t acknowledge Oscar’s potential until V5. And now that I have, I really, REALLY like him a lot as a character and I’m so undeniably pumped to see what the CRWBY do with him for the upcoming seasons.

I’m stoked to learn more about Oscar’s personality. Learn more on his back-story (i.e. his history and full relationship with his aunt, his parents and any other possible family members) and over all just watch him grow. 

I haven’t been this attached to a character in RWBY since...probably Penny Pollendina. Penny was a favourite. I liked Penny a lot. Probably not to the degree as I love Oscar but Penny was another adopted child. Her murder moment from V3, however, didn’t really surprise me as much as it should’ve since it was pretty much hinted at throughout the season. Plus Penny’s a robot so you know she’s coming back! Don’t think I’m not expecting my girl Penny to roll up like an Autobot for the Atlas Arc. 

Anyways, I’m hoping to see Oscar come out of his shell more; bond with other members of the team, make more friends. Make twice as much enemies. Form close confidants with other characters besides Ozpin. Become less dependent on Oz and gain more confidence in his own abilities. Train. Fight. Eat. Live. Love. Grow stronger while still remembering to have that nice splash of cutesy fluff moments with romance and first crushes that you’d expect during those awkward teenage years. Let my child fall in love for the first time in his seemingly sheltered upbringing and don’t know what the literal f*** to do cause he doesn’t know how to romance. I know he’s a huntsman with the soul of an ancient wizard inside of him. But let him be an awkward teenage boy with raging hormones too. Please. Let him! I want the whole shebang with Oscar. Colour me one big Proud Pinehead. I love my precious farm boy god son and want what bests for his side of the plot. 

I just really cannot wait to see what’s next for his story. I can’t wait for V6 to see how the story progresses with the aftermath of the Haven Battle affecting Oscar and subsequently his link with Ozpin. I think V6 will be the true first chapter to jumpstart Oscar’s Arc with Ozpin; generally focusing on him for a change. I want the series to flesh out Oscar some more---a whoooole lot more. I want to see more of Oscar’s personality shine through like the colour he was named after. I wanna see and know more about him dagnabbit. Apart from being introverted and a hard worker, we’ve also seen that Oscar could be rather mischievous and even playful when he’s comfortable around someone close. I wanna see him be like that with more characters (y’know like Ruby and Team JNR but mostly Ruby).

I’m excited to see the development between Oscar and Ozpin. I’m excited for their transformation into the Wizard. I’m ecstatic to learn more about Ozpin as well; specifically his history with Salem. While I’m on that subject, I actually have my own theories on that too. I plan on visiting this in the next musing post after this one so look out for that if you’re curious. Overall, I stand by what I said where I hope V6 will take some time to concentrate on Oscar before commencing the Atlas Arc. It needs to be done. So long as it gives some important focus on him, I’ll be a happy pining camper.

♦ More RWBY Musings by Squiggles

~LittleMissSquiggles (2018)

[bldgrelationshipwgod]

Narrow Is the Gate: What Did Jesus Mean?

Several times Christ gave advice that seemingly discourages rather than encourages people to become Christians. Why did He do this?

Surprisingly, all but a relatively small number of disciples turned away from Jesus by the end of His ministry!

The thousands that once chased our Savior like a celebrity apparently dwindled away to a few hundred after His death [Acts 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:6].

How strikingly different the true picture is from the supposedly easy path to becoming a Christian by just giving your heart to the Lord.

Acts 1:15 | In those days Peter stood up among the fellow believers (a gathering of about a hundred & twenty) & said,

1 Corinthians 15:6 | After that, He appeared to more than five hundred fellow believers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

In Matthew 7:13-14 we read of Jesus saying, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate & difficult is the way which leads to life, & there are few who find it” [emphasis added throughout].

Matthew 7:13-14 | Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & many enter through it. But small is the gate & narrow the way that leads to life, & only a few find it.** [**omits “difficult” in following versions: Berean, NIV, NASB, KJV, ERV]

1.] Narrow gate, difficult path

The phrase “narrow is the gate” is fairly easy to understand.

A narrow gate is harder to pass through than one that is wide, & only a few people can go through a narrow gate at once.

In saying “difficult is the way which leads to life,” Jesus was explaining how hard being a Christian really is.

“Difficult” is from the Greek word thlibo, which means: “To press [as grapes], press hard upon; a compressed way; narrow straitened, contracted” [New Testament Greek Lexicon].

The lexicon adds that the word can be used metaphorically to mean “trouble, afflict, distress.” If Jesus wanted to draw people to follow Him, why did He tell prospective disciples that doing so would bring them grief?

To understand what He meant, let’s examine a few of the passages where He seemingly discouraged people from following Him.

2.] Advice to would-be followers

Luke writes of three encounters Jesus had with would-be Christians as He & His disciples were traveling.

One of them made a dramatic statement of commitment, saying to Christ: “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go” [Luke 9:57].

Luke 9:57 | As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus didn’t reply, “Wonderful! Please join us!”

Instead, He said something that, at the least, would have caused a person to have second thoughts.

At the most, would have turned them away completely: “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” [v.58].

Jesus was conveying the uncertainty that could accompany the life of a true Christian.

Luke’s narrative continues with Jesus turning to another person & telling Him, “Follow Me” [v.59].

Luke 9:58 | Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Luke 9:59 | Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go & bury my father.”

The person begged off, asking to be allowed to first bury His father. Since Jewish custom was to bury the dead ASAP, it is unlikely the person was out with the crowd around Christ with a dead father at home.

More likely, the person was asking to spend whatever remaining time he might have with an aging or perhaps ill father—an open-ended request actually.

The blunt record of Luke has Jesus responding to this man’s excuse, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go & preach the kingdom of God” [v.60].

Obviously, dead people do not bury anyone.

Here, Jesus was referring to those who were spiritually dead—people who had not responded to His teaching.

Jesus was telling the potential Christian that His calling was infinitely more important.

Then a third person, who was committed to becoming a disciple, made a seemingly reasonable request to first return home to say goodbye to whoever was at his house, whether family or guests we do not know [v.61].

To this person, Jesus responded: “No one, having put His hand to the plow, & looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” [v.62].

We cannot know with certainty, but this person may not have been as committed as his Words make it sound. The Bible records only the essence of the exchange—what we need to know to understand the main point.

All 3 of these responses add clarity to Christ’s teaching that “narrow is the gate.”

In this third example, the added lesson was that Christians must continue to keep their eyes on the goal—God’s Kingdom.

An experienced plowman immediately recognizes the point of this analogy. When plowing, the farmer fixes his eyes on a rock, a hill or some other marker, so that he will plow straight furrows.

Although modern farmers with vast fields often use GPS equipment to accomplish this, the principle remains the same!

                    _____________________________________________________

3.] More little-known advice

A few CHs later, we find another insightful account about what we must do to become followers of Jesus Christ.

With a huge number of people crowding around to hear Jesus’ every word, He gave more examples not of how easy it is to give your heart to the Lord, but how heavy the obligation of becoming a Christian is.

     3a.] “Hate” those closest to you?

In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me & does not hate their father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters, yes, & their own life also, s/he cannot be My disciple.”

      This instruction seems strange until we understand the meaning of the        original language.

      The NKJV Study Bible explains: “To ‘hate’ one’s family & even one’s life is       rhetorical. It refers to desiring something less than something else”       [2007, notes on Luke 14:26].

      In other words, a Christian’s love for living God’s way of life has to be       greater than the love s/he has for any human relationship, as well as for self.

      Even clarified, the statement is rather unexpected.

3b.] Endure trials

      The next example was extremely graphic.

Jesus said, “And whoever does not bear their cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple” [v.27].

      Just as condemned criminals were made to carry the crosses upon which       they would be executed..

we must be willing to endure whatever trials we may face for being Christians.

3c.] “Count the cost”

      Next, Jesus spoke of a construction project.

      He pointed out that any responsible builder would consider the cost of the       entire project from start to finish & then make sure s/he had the       necessary funding to complete the project before s/he would even start.

      Beginning a construction project without considering funding could result in       an abandoned, partially complete building—a visual symbol of the builder’s       lack of judgment [v. 28-30].

This principle can also be applied to becoming a Christian.

We need to understand the challenges & hardships—that are sure to come when we begin living God’s way of life.

3d.] Consider your resources

      Jesus then gave an illustration about going to war.

      Quite simply, Jesus said that a king or general counts His troops before       engaging an enemy. Know in advance that victory is possible.

      Insufficient resources to win, makes peace instead of going to war       [v. 31-32].

      >> As for Christians, our battles are spiritual in nature.

      In reality, it is impossible for us to win this war by ourselves.

      Upon becoming a Christian, we need help of God’s great power—His       Holy Spirit—to achieve victory against overwhelming odds.

3e.] “Forsake all”

      Concluding His teaching on this occasion, Jesus said,       “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that s/he has       cannot be My disciple” [v.33].

      The lesson here is that in order to truly follow Christ,          >> this must become the most important thing in our lives.

      Why would Jesus tell people that unless they met these undeniably       stringent standards, they could not become His disciples, Christians?

He was simply further expounding upon the principle that “narrow is the gate.”

                    _____________________________________________________

4.] John’s account

Another insightful passage of Jesus’ teaching on becoming a Christian is found in John 6:25-66. This section of Scripture is a composite of interactions with a variety of people.

Some wanted Jesus to repeat the miracle of producing food.

Some were in audiences of synagogues at which Christ spoke.

And some were Jewish leaders critical of Jesus.

John 6:25-66 | When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves & had your fill. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it & believe You? What will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven & gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, & whoever believes in Me will never thirst. But as I told you, you have seen Me & still you do not believe.

Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, & the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.

For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son & believes in Him shall have eternal life, & I will raise them up at the last day.”

Christ began talking about physical manna & then explained that He was the true manna & that the way to salvation was by “eat[ing] My flesh & drink[ing] My blood” [v. 53-56].

Not understanding that He was talking about the Passover symbols of bread & wine, which represented His flesh & blood, many people abruptly stopped following Him [v.66].

On the surface, it again appears that Christ’s approach seemed illogical, because His words did not entice people to join Him.

Clearly, Christ did not want just numbers.

He wanted all who became His disciples—students or learners & members of the spiritual body called in Scripture “the Church of God” [Acts 20:28]—to make it through to the end.

They needed to know they would encounter the most difficult challenges of their lives. He would have been irresponsible had He failed to prepare the disciples.

Acts 20:28 | Keep watch over yourselves & the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

By analogy, failing to counsel them on the challenges they would face if they became Christians would be like taking a group of average citizens & sending them on a military mission meant for an expert team such as the U.S. Navy SEALS or the British SAS.

Without proper training, the people would not likely survive such a mission. And it would be disastrous for the mission itself.

God wants all to achieve their potential, & He wants Christians to understand the serious nature of their commitment to follow Him.

                    _____________________________________________________

5.] Christ never leaves those who commit

Of course, warnings about the challenge of becoming a Christian is not the only counsel Christ gave.

He also promised those who did commit to this way of life, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [Hebrews 13:5].

The NKJV Study Bible comments, “This quotation is one of the most emphatic statements in the NT. In Greek it contains two double negatives, similar to saying in English, ‘I will never, ever, ever forsake you.’ Jesus uses the same technique to express the certainty of eternal life for believers [John 10:28].”

Hebrews 13:5 | Keep your lives free from the love of money & be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

John 10:28 | I give them eternal life, & they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

You may have heard the military saying “Never leave a person behind!” Similarly, the Father & the Son are fully committed to those who respond to God’s calling.

Jesus made a similar promise at the end of Matthew 28:18-20 saying He would never stop being with Church members at any time throughout the ages.

Matthew 28:18-20 | Then Jesus came to them & said, “All authority in heaven & on earth has been given to Me.

Therefore go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

                    _____________________________________________________

6.] What path are you choosing?

So why would anyone choose the narrow gate, symbolizing the way Christians must live, when it is such a difficult path compared to the smooth, easy way of the world?

Because there are often adventures, thrills & vistas available only to those who take the difficult path.

The difficult way brings rewards that those who remain on the smooth & easy way will never know!

Similarly, the experience of being in the Church is incomparably rewarding to those who are called of God.

They become part of the family of God now.

They serve in His work.

They are energized by interacting with people of like mind.

They anticipate reigning with Christ in the coming Kingdom of God.

They deeply appreciate being led by the Holy Spirit & understand that godliness has benefits for “the life that now is” & “that which is to come” [1 Timothy 4:8].

                   _____________________________________________________

Conclusion

Look at your level of commitment, which you can judge by:

>> how much you put into practice what you know God would have you do.

Would “narrow is the gate” describe the way you are choosing to live? Or, Are you choosing the smooth way, the way that meets the least resistance?

To learn more about becoming a Christian, be sure to read the articles in the “Change” section of this website.

Source: lifehopeandtruth via wisdomfish