#Collector is my child by the way no I am not taking criticism-

[zibiscusloon]

Yeah Imma be away for a while I need to process everything that happened in The Owl House-

[that-ari-blogger]

The Perils Of A Set Up Episode

If you take even a basic writing lesson (and I'm talking super basic, like watching a YouTube video), you will probably learn two things: Show don't tell, and set up and payoff.

This is fairly decent writing advice, and though its universality is debatable, it can prove helpful. The issue I want to highlight, is that set up isn't always the most enthralling of things to watch or read. This isn't a fault, and there are a ton of ways that you can make set up interesting. It's also essential, in my opinion, to at least foreshadow elements of your story.

But why am I talking about this? Because the subject of this post is Hooty's Moving Hassle, the sixth episode of the Owl House, and this episode is entirely setup. As such, this post is going to try and analyse all of the things that this episode sets up, and some of the pitfalls that the episode falls into.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

One criticism of the Owl House that I have heard a lot, has been that the show starts slow, and that season one takes a while to find its feet. I don't necessarily agree that this is a fault, sometimes something needs time to gear up to a meaningful conclusion. Anime is famous for taking its time (One Piece is 1097 chapters long at the time of writing this), and the Owl House is plainly inspired by the genre, so I'm not holding this element of the show as a failure, just a difference in taste between audience members, which is perfectly fine.

That being said, pacing is difficult, and I am not blind to the fact that not everything can be a slam dunk. While Once Upon A Swap is the poster child for this part of the Owl House, Hooty's Moving Hassle is where I see it most obviously.

The problem isn't that this episode is bad, I want to make that clear. I do not dislike this episode. The problem is that this episode is entirely set up for other elements to come later on. This episode needed to happen, and this is a pretty good execution of that need, but that fundamental premise of making other stuff more digestible and interesting waters down this episode's memorability, in my opinion. (This is just my opinion; you don't have to defend your honour for liking this episode)

In any case, this episode is actually really well written for what it does. As in, this sets up a lot of things very efficiently, and I'm going to try and delve into some of these.

I'm going to start by just listing some of the ideas that this episode introduces.

The owl beast limits Eda's magic, and the curse is getting worse. What could this mean?

Tibbles' rivalry with Eda. You could say this is set up and payoff all in one place for this arc, but in my opinion, this just sets up later storylines with Tibbles.

The Night Market is a place where you can get weird stuff. What kind of weird stuff? Maybe weird stuff that could curse someone, I don't know.

It's also mentioned off handedly that Tibbles can just call the emperor's coven, which would mean that they know about this illegal market, and don't do anything about it. Why? What is their angle?

The moon has magical significance that brings things to life and revolves around friendship. This is kind of the Collector's whole deal in season three.

These goofballs. Tom steals the show here, but that's not the point. The point is that this is why the Owl Beast is kept a secret. If these guys want to sell a house demon to a restaurant, what might they do to Eda?

Willow and Amity used to be friends. This is why their relationship is so strained. Although I want to point out how this is said.

"When Amity got her magical powers, and I didn't..."

Willow then immediately shows how good she is at plant magic. So it's either Amity doesn't like magic that isn't her perceived normal, which has been disputed when she learns about the glyphs, or there is something else going on here.

More hints about Amity's whole deal. She lives in a manour, and she is starting to show some more sympathetic qualities towards Willow, even half-heartedly standing up for her. She doesn't actually help, and that's the point. She is willing to be "nice" but she isn't willing to back out of her societal status. One is important, but the other is more important to her at the present moment.

And finally, Hexes Hold'em. And it is this that I would like to dwell upon, because it is a neat little metaphor for the rest of the series. First up, what do we know about this game? It's addictive, and it doesn't make sense. You get called back to it because you think you will win. This isn't a sly point here, I'm not guffawing and saying that "oh the series draws you in with promises of greatness and doesn't give you it" because that ain't true. What I'm saying here is that this is Belos' whole plan.

You get drawn in with promises of greatness, the deck is stacked against you, but that's what will make it so sweet when you win, right? But you don't win, because there is a wild card in play. Even when you think you are winning, one card can turn the tables.

And that's also what Luz does. Luz is the wild card in the series, the spanner out of left field that Belos cannot predict. The question of the series is which wild card will prove victorious? And the answer is neither of them. The answer is the collector. Luz and Belos turn out to be the players, and the Collector themself is this wild element. Whoever controls the collector controls the game.

Previous - Next

[robinreflects]

Hi, I want to ask you what are your thoughts on the "mentor/mother figure" tropes that surround Eda and how the show handled them, because to me it fell flat. Sure, Eda does count as a mother figure to Luz and King, and my disinterest in this found family, could be writen off as just that - me being disinterested in them.

I have a small gripe with how the show calls the tropes Eda has in the story itself by the characters naming them, that I get the feeling the writers are telling me how to view Eda and to love her character.

And this more fandom related, but am I the only one who doesn't get the whole "Eda is a Mama Bird" thing? Because outside of Luz and King, the only child she has this mentor/parental dynamic with would be Edred.

She doesn't have many moments with Willow and Gus, even back in season 1. I would say, Willow and Gus have more of that "parent/child" dynamic with Camila.

Eda and Amity do go on a dventure together for the Titans Blood, but nothing about their dynamic screamed "parent & child". The same goes for Hunter, but I will acknowledge that their lack of interactions is because of the cut on season 3.

I know my criticism mostly stems from me not clicking with Eda's character like many fans of the show do, so my view on Eda will differ from theirs.

First off, I totally get not clicking with Eda as a character, even if I liked her. I also know most of my liking of the character actually comes from Wendie Malick's performance, I think she did a splendid job, especially in the more emotional scenes (like the fight scenes in s1 with Lilith). I also knew her as Beatrice Horseman before I watched The Owl House, so seeing her play a good mother figure was very engaging to me. 

THAT BEING SAID, the moment when Luz and Eda’s relationship didn't feel as special to me was when the show was trying to portray Eda in a motherly way with any other kid. I don’t mean just the main team, I mean, if there was a child character, they’d find a way for Eda to mother them. I think this started in season 2 when the show already had a decent-sized fanbase and was making their own interpretations and headcanons for Eda. Mainly the one you mentioned, her being a “mama bird”. Multiple (even background) characters call her “Mama Eda”, which seemed like excessive fan service. Many things like that were done in excess or amped up because the show's fans were responding to it well and a lot of those amped-up/excessive moments felt out of character for Eda. She didn’t even want to take care of Luz in the beginning, that alone would be enough for me to believe she wouldn’t be willing to adopt everything that lives and breathes. 

Willow and Gus definitely have more of a "parent-child" dynamic with Camila, which I think was very nicely done, same with Hunter. I see him having more of a "mother-son" dynamic with Camilla than Eda. The season 3 being cut short is an argument I see a lot, however, if they managed to create this dynamic between Willow/Gus/Hunter and Camilla within the first episode of season 3, I don't see how them not doing that with Eda can be attributed to the shortening, precisely because they had either 2 or 1 season (Hunter I believe met Eda in season 2) to write this dynamic, unlike with Camilla who only became an interactable character with the main cast in season 3, while Eda was there from the beginning.

The "self-aware", breaking the fourth wall-esque humor you mentioned, is one of my biggest pet peeves with the show. Pointing out tropes in the most fandom way imaginable will never fail to make me cringe. Show, don't tell is one of the most basic, easiest ways to make a story interesting, and somehow, for the sake of "incorrect quotes" type of humor, they keep failing at it. A few quotes that instantly come to mind are the "cool aunt vibe" from Collector and "What are those stupid kids doing? Wait, those are MY stupid kids" said Eda herself. Most of the characters are written very quirky, almost falling into the MPDG territory. Often reducing them to one character trait for the sake of, as I said before cheap jokes.

I also have an issue with Luz and Eda’s narratives, in that the writers can’t seem to decide if Eda is the character Luz relates to or Camila is. Camila’s speech about understanding Luz in season 3 felt very haphazard because we’ve spent 2 seasons of Eda and Luz’s narratives paralleling each other in the points Camilla is bringing up. Being unaccepted, feeling isolated, having no one understand them, being seen as dangerous at times, messing up all the time, and not liking conventionality. These points are a big part of Luz and Eda’s characters and are parallels to each other. Camila’s speech would’ve been so impactful, if it was Eda instead, not only because of the fact their stories parallel each other (and this scene was exactly what their storyline was going towards) but also because of the fact that we know Luz looks up to Eda, seeing her as weirdly perfect, exonerating her at times even. Luz, not seeing Eda for who she really is, realizes they are much more alike after the speech, and that Eda understands her.

Thank you so much for the ask! I love talking about this! So if you want to hear my thoughts on anything else, just shoot me an ask! <3 I also just woke up so this might be a little over the place and I apologize for that.

[universestreasures]

@hhorakhty (Plotted Starter)

"Tasuku, come in! This is the Buddy Card Office. We just caught word there is an unregistered game shop located in District A that was distributing duel disks. We think that is where a faction of the Rare Hunters could possibly be."

"Roger that, Mr. Takihara. I'm on my way. Let's go to work!"

Immediately, he flashes the police sirena and turns the steering wheel in a different direction. While it would be faster to travel there using Jack's Buddy Skill, it was too risky with the city this crowded to use such powers. Though, he and Jack are both prepared to use them if necessary. The Rare Hunters were a merciless group of thieves known for not playing fair and putting civilians in harm's way . So, why should he show them any mercy?

This entire tournament had caused the city to be infested with them like bugs. Anyone with knowledge of the black market's workings should know gathering so many rare cards in one place was a dangerous idea with these criminals still on the lose. Then again, he deduces that's what Seto Kaiba wanted, considering how avid a collector of Duel Monsters cards he is. Maybe he still was the kind of person he suspected him to be initially, even after what happened to him following Death-T and Mokuba's faith in his brother. For the younger Kaiba's sake, Tasuku hopes his hunch is wrong and Seto Kaiba is innocent in all this.

For now, he has to focus on the task at hand. He's prepared to do whatever he has to once arriving, whether it be fighting in a game or with his fists. He wasn't going to let those criminals get away. Sadly, it seemed he had gotten there too late. He rolls up to the shop and notices someone exiting the building, a short teen he instantly recognizes.

"You're...You're Yugi Muto! The Duelist Kingdom Champion!" He says in surprise as he slowly walks out of his car, certainly not expecting to see such a notable figure walk out of that place. That shock isn't lasting as he moves forward and his tone shifts to one of concern. "Wait...were you just... in that shop? Did someone force you to duel in there?! Are you hurt at all?!"

"N-No, I'm not hurt. How...How did you know I was dueling? And who are you?"

The Buddy Police Boy Wonder then moves into his pocket, taking out his badge and showing it to the duelist. "My name is Officer Tasuku Ryuenji of the Buddy Police. I'm here investigating the Rare Hunters who have infiltrated the city and the Battle City Tournament. Our intel says one of their groups had hidden out here, and I was sent to check it out and put a stop to their operation."

"Tasuku Ryuenji...I think I've heard that name before...Wait! Aren't you the child prodigy at the game Buddyfight?!"

"I'm flattered someone as notable in the gaming world as you knows who I am. I wish we got to meet under different circumstances. However, I need your help with my work. Any and all information you have on the Rare Hunters is critical. If situations like what I assume happened to you get out of hand, we might need to shut down the tournament for everyone's safety until those criminals are put behind bars."

"Shut down the tournament?!" The shock in the young one's words are followed by a subtle glow of the object around his neck, a mysterious pyramid-like pendent. While Tasuku didn't notice the object's glow, he instantly felt the entire feeling in the air around 'Yugi' changed. It seemed more...strong and confident, like he had been described by Mokuba when recounting his match with his brother.

Then, he feels something in his chest pocket. Tasuku moves to put his hand over it gently. In that pocket was his buddy's Buddy Rare card, a form Jack had to take to conceal his true nature from the world. He was calling out to his buddy, eager to hear what he had to say as he always did through the power of telepathy.

"Tasuku, I sense a different presence coming from that boy now. Something...ancient and powerful. Be on your guard."

"A different presence...?"

[hatsue-exe]

Jujutsu Kaisen men with a reader S/O headcanons:

warnings: one curse word, gn!reader.

Fushiguro Toji:

He doesn't care much but enjoys doing stuff like sharpening his knives while you're in the same room reading.

He likes to share the silence.

10/10 will get scared if you gasp out of nowhere because of the story

"The fuck is so good about that anyway?"

You proceed to explain the story to him, and he will pretend he's not that interested, only to wake you up at 3 am saying: "Yo, finish the book, I need to know the ending."

Geto Suguru:

Geto was a bookworm as a child, and you can't convince me otherwise.

He lost his reading habit throughout the years, but he loves to listen and comment on what you are reading when you gush about it with him.

It wouldn't take much to convince him to read something with you, a little book club forming between the two of you.

However, once he gets the hang of it, he will finish the books first and tease you about it.

"Not my fault you're so slow, sweetie."

Gojo Satoru:

BULLIES YOU (you know it's true).

"Hey, nerd, what you're reading now?"

He's a little menace. If he thinks you're paying more attention to the book than to him, he will snatch it out of your hands and hold it above your head.

"There's nothing more interesting than me! Now give me my kisses."

At least he does buy you tons of books, collector editions included, so you can't complain much.

Kamo Choso:

Choso came from a time where books weren't exactly popular, so it takes a while for him to get used to the idea of everything being so accessible now.

If you like reading digitally, be ready to do a lot of explaining.

"How do so many books fit in such a small device? Is this your special technique?"

Lays on your lap and asks you to read for him all the time. He loves the proximity and the sound of your voice.

He enjoys poetry a lot and might gift you some poetry books to have you read for him.

Nanami Kento:

We all know he has a lot of books he hasn't read yet, so if you ever run out of books, he will offer his to you.

Kento reads a lot of classics and non-fiction books, but he'll give a chance to other genres if you insist a bit — he will not pretend to like it, though. Be ready to hear some critics of your favourite book.

Takes you on bookshop dates and enjoys debating about the recent launches. Will buy you something when you're not looking.

He reads for you as a way of getting onto his to be read list. Always pretends to be annoyed at your comments, though you can see the smile in the corner of his lips.

"Did you know Tolstói used his wife's diaries as inspiration?" "And where did you learn that?" "Booktok." "Darling, what have we discussed about TikTok information?" Someone help him.

[clearwillow]

Lookie what got dusted off? No for real I thought I had notes for chapter 5 of Fever Dream and I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I drafted an outline the other night from scratch. Since Making Waves is done and Nailed It is in the queue, I may jump between some wips. I have no idea when this chapter will be ready, but I have some (unedited mind you) of it here. I’m so sorry it’s been actual years, the guilt is eating me up but I am working on it again!

---------

The food somehow stayed in the basket she’d carried out to him. It was a wonder she hadn’t thrown it at him, even if there were three now.

Again. Kind of like how she was taking the little meal back to Kaede’s hut.

Kikyo wondered if this was what that “uphill both ways” statement Kagome made in jesting about her grandfather’s sayings meant. Only, there wasn’t any snow. Not yet anyway, but it wouldn’t be too long –

“Argh!” she let out an uncharacteristic groan and debated throwing the basket of food straight up into the air. Maybe she could get it high enough that it would be taken by the stars, so that she wouldn’t have to return with it and have to explain why the hanyou hadn’t eaten it. Kikyo didn’t want to explain that, because that meant having to come forward and explain everything that had happened on the work site.

And that meant admitting that she’d…that she’d…

“Kagome will kill me once she finds out…”

“Finds out what?” Kaede hadn’t expected to get one on her sister, but she had to take a little delight in seeing Kikyo levitate off the ground without the use of the soul collectors she once had. “Kagome is very forgiving, Kikyo. Whatever it is I doubt that if she were to be upset, it would linger for long.”

Kikyo clutched her chest with her free hand, almost as hard as the basket’s handle. She hadn’t heard her little sister come up behind her, and as she looked around she realized she’d walked further than she’d expected. She really hoped that no one had heard her fit moments before, if she was this close to the village.

“Inuyasha has split again.”

“Oh dear,” Kaede sighed. “I can’t imagine why, since they are bonded now.”

“Inuyasha told me.” She felt out of place talking about this, because it should be the hanyou to explain, but since he’d taken his human side and ran for the well… “He’s scared, about risking Kagome’s honor in her time. With her obligations to her family that she needs to complete, he’s worried that he might…” Dammit why was she blushing! She didn’t blush! “He doesn’t want to take the chance of her carrying his child before she’s ready,” she finished in a rush.

Glancing at her sister was a bad idea, because now she was giving her a critical look with her one good eye. “Why are you flushed, Kikyo?”

“It’s nothing!”

“Mm. If it were nothing, you would still be fair as fresh linens, but your cheeks are pink.” Then she looked down at the basket and Kikyo really did want to throw it into the sun. “And did Inuyasha eat his lunch?”

“He did not.”

“Well, I suppose Shippo will volunteer to eat it before it spoils,” Kaede shrugged. “Don’t think you’re getting away from my question, sister.”

Oh good, the authoritative tone she used to use to pull rank on Kaede was now being thrown back at her. That’s just what she needed right now. Technically she was still the older sister. The fifty years of being dead ought to count for something, even if she was born again with that sliver of Kagome’s soul. “F-fine. When I came to bring Inuyasha the food, I found him on the ground. He wasn’t responding…and neither were the other two…”

Kaede’s lips quirked up slightly.

“I thought something was wrong! I thought a youkai had attacked – not find a naked one splayed out across the grass –”

Kaede lost it. She stopped walking as she doubled over laughing at the image her sister described.

“Why are you laughing?! This isn’t funny, Kaede!”

“It is!”

“No it isn’t! I saw him naked! I saw that!”

Why her sister thought this was the funniest thing in the world, she’d never understand. It didn’t help her situation any when Kaede calmed enough to respond. “Come now, Kikyo. You’ve seen naked men before when you’ve treated them for injuries. You know good and well that that’s not the end that bites –”

“Of course I know that!” Now she was bright red, and the gods were laughing at her expense along with her sister. “But it was large enough that it could have!”

Kikyo didn’t recall Kaede ever having such a dirty laugh as a child, and wondered if this was some development that had happened with age. As mortifying as it would be to speak to Kagome and confess that she’d looked – multiple times, to make sure she wasn’t seeing things – she could only hope that Kaede was right about the woman’s ability to forgive.

[username426005]

My reactions to the finale:

"I hate it here!" They really said that lol

The girls are fighting!!!!!

Her hands get cold..... MITTENS LORE

Wish we had gotten to see more of Eda's time in Hexside with the others

"I will not be taking notes this time" Raine canonically criticized his fashion sense before apparently

Get back plant bitch

*Belos betrays the Collector* why am I gasping? I already knew that

Also he fixed his face? Was that part of the "scarred by wild magic" narrative of his? He looks better like this anyway

Kiki can't get a win

YEET

Luz came out of a pokéball and used fucking fire blast

Willow strong as hell

Alador baby no :(

I guess Terra wasn't really buying all of Raine's acting after all

COVEN HEADS FIGHT

Eber were those the flesh-eating beetles? Did you just kill him?

EWWW KEEP THAT MASK ON

Okay he's alive

Wow, who would've thought Raine wasn't a traitor, just worried *stares at half the fandom*

My brother in Titan, YOU killed your brother

Oh the scar is back

NOT THE PETRIFICATION SPELL. Luz really should've kept that one to use on him tbh

Luz declared Phillip dripless

The parallel between the Collector's pinky swear and Luz's handshake and how Phillip trusts it...

Also Luz quick thinking there girl, nice

Well fuck. Does that look like paradise to you?

Goop form time baby

King, Alador, Hunter, Eda :(

Ok, the crack is form the fall, he's safe otherwise

Kiki you nosy little bitch

HIS NAME WAS CALEB CONFIRMED

Shit that's a lot of masks

The symbol from the tower hides stuff from the Collector, and it really was King's dad that trapped him

Another parallel, the kids trust in pinky swears

They really just removed her hand. RAINE!!!!

Oh shit, they just look like that, no possession required. Also his full theme slaps

Luz got a scar in her eyebrow too

"I'm not angry though!" *swirls your arm like spaghetti and kills you*

The gang pretending to know what they're talking about like in the last ep with the assets

HUNTER'S WHINE AUSHHAHAHA

This mf really went "Lunar locket!" and moved the moon out of the way. Op child

IS EVERYONE SAFE NOW?

Dude don't break his skull like that :( They're going to the human realm?!?!?!?

Again, the music slaps. The visuals too

EXCUSE ME? WHAT KINDA LICH THING WAS THAT. IS HE NOT DEAD YET? IF HE HURTS HUNTER ANY FURTHER I SWEAR TO TITAN

She's holding it together. The portal, not her emotions and mental health

The Collector's shorter than that dream, I wonder why

KING NO. His big sis :(

The way she just stands at the door like at the end of Agony of a Witch...... me too Gus

TOH AMPHIBIA IN THE SAME UNIVERSE

CAMILA AND VEE

HE'S STILL ALIVE NO

[thefinalcinderella]

Azul Birthday Personal Story

I want to know what happened with Azul’s mom and stepdad lol, sounds like a soap opera

> Happy birthday.

Azul: My my, thank you for taking the trouble to do this.

> How is the party?

Azul: I am enjoying it, thank you. This liveliness reminds me of my birthday parties back home.

> Are there also a lot of people at your parties back home?

Azul: Yes. My family runs a ristorante.

In the past, every year for my birthday, they would close the ristorante and my family and all the staff would celebrate it.

Gorgeous decorations and music…the piece de resistance is all my favorite dishes piled onto the ristorante’s largest table.

“Eat that too, eat this too…”

Thinking about it now, I would like to complain that they were overdoing it, but…

When I was a child, I innocently enjoyed it.

> What is your family like? Please tell us.

Azul: My mother runs the ristorante. In the beginning, it was a small establishment she started by herself…

But by the time I became aware of my surroundings, it was already the most famous ristorante in the Coral Sea, with a large number of staff.

She was already an excellent cook, but she also has a talent for management.

She is also very interested in Mostro Lounge. Isn’t friendly rivalry* between parent and child wonderful? (TN: This expression 切磋琢磨 can also mean working hard together.)

Next, about my stepfather… He’s my mother’s second husband, so we are not related by blood.

He is a lawyer, and he and my mother became acquainted when he was mediating her divorce. 

You never know what will happen in this world. 

He is normally a kind and honest man, but…He is cunning when it comes to his work! 

He taught me a lot about contracts and the law. He has a good relationship with my mother, and he is a stepfather I can respect. 

Lastly, my grandmother. My entire family are magicians, but her magic surpasses us all. 

She uses her magic to solve the troubles of her neighbors.

Yes…she is a compassionate person like me.

Everyone in my family has different personalities, but we all have our own talents—It truly is a family I can boast about.

> Please tell us what you are particular about in regards to Mostro Lounge.

Azul: Hmm, there are many things, but…if I’m forced to choose, I would say the tableware.

Flavor is not the only thing that is important for the quality of a dish, there is also appearance.

No matter how delicious a dish may be, poor tableware will detract from its appeal.

That is why, almost all the tableware used in Mostro Lounge are of high-quality brands.

…Thinking back, everyday when I was preparing to open the restaurant was difficult.

Gathering information on famous restaurants, having outside staff go around to tableware manufacturers, strictly inspecting samples, and repeating all of that…

Well, thanks to that hard work, we were able to collect excellent tableware.

> I never noticed such attention to detail.

Azul: Fufu…that is fine. If you knew the price, you would no longer be able to carefreely hold our teacups anymore.

You do not need to know the price of even a single piece of tableware.

Attention to detail is connected to the high-class feel of the lounge as a whole.

However…Floyd sometimes roughly handles the carefully selected tableware and breaks them. 

Even though I cautioned him many times…Really, what a difficult person.

> It sounds like a lot of work.

Azul: Well, I also relax in moderation.

> Relax…what do you mean?

Azul: I read in my room.

I turn down the lights to relax and read autobiographies of businessmen I borrow from the library.

Also, my favorite interior decorations and collections are gathered in my room, so…

My heart feels at peace when I look at them, and I feel well-rested.

> Do you have any hobbies?

Azul: Coin collecting. It was my hobby since I was young.

> Please tell us what made you start.

Azul: Made me start…Yes, I remember. It started when I picked up coins near sunken ships when I was a child.

At first, I thought it was ordinary money from land, but…

When I researched, I learned that it was commemorative currency from a kingdom where only one hundred pieces were distributed.

The coin’s face value is 100 Madol.

However, among collectors, it is a premier item where one coin can be traded for 500000 Madol!

Learning the existence of such rare coins, I began to collect them.

The history and minting of the coin makes it worth more than the amount of money it is stamped with…don’t you find that interesting?

> It is interesting. How many do you have now?

Azul: About 200. I put my favorites in a frame and decorate.

By the way, it is difficult for the value of coins to be affected by the market, so it is a recommended hobby for asset formation as well.

> Do you have any other hobbies?

Azul: I do… There’s also playing board games.

Right after I enrolled, when I was touring the clubs, I intruded upon the Board Game Club.

There, Idia-san…was next to Ortho-san, who introduced me to something that can simulate business transactions.

I thought, “This can cultivate my business ability!” and I decided to join the club on the spot.

For club activities, I can play different kinds of games, but…

It has considerably strengthened my courage to be daring at the critical moment.

More than anything, it is very fun to make an opponent surrender with your brains. Fufufu…

> You have a lot of hobbies.

Azul: You never know when something might be related to business.

There is nothing better than experiencing many things.

> Thank you very much for telling us many things.

> Once again, happy birthday.

[legends-live-in-memories]

I Have Too Many Opinions. ep. 1

lmao. i got encouragement to post my opinions on fandom things and now i want to make a miniseries doing just that. so here i am. doing just that.

im putting it under the cut cuz this was 4 whole pages including the disclaimer. yes i put a disclaimer and i explain why.

Anyways, here is the first piece in what inevitably will become fandom info dump, this time on thomas astruc’s writing on miraculous ladybug. but only some of my opinions cuz we would be here all day otherwise.

So… a disclaimer before I begin… 

I do not hate Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir (yes i'm using their government name). I am quite a fan of the show actually despite its faults. I am also older than the intended audience but was obviously younger when the show first aired which is how my interest was piqued (the fact that its been 6 years and only 3 seasons says more about the show than me being a fan for that amount of time but also i never want to rush content creators cuz they're doing their best) and due to my age, there will be inherent bias in my approach of what i'm about to say as there is in EVERY opinion. The fact that it is an opinion should imply the presence of bias but most people tend to lack the critical thinking skills required to draw that conclusion ANYWAYS…

If I did hate the show I would not have this blog nor would I be even writing this because i tend to not give more than 2 seconds of thought to things i actively dislike (some of yall should give this a try) and i'm allowed to like things that are designed for an audience that i was originally a part of but grew out of. (I don't suddenly stop liking things because I'm older despite what many younger fans seem to believe about older audiences. I also don't need to be ‘allowed’ to do anything cuz i wasn't asking for permission anyways.)

This will not be character bashing, astruc bashing nor fandom bashing cuz, again, that would imply i hate any of those elements and if i did, i would not dedicate brainpower to them. Analyses and criticisms of media are fun and engaging and required if you wish to produce good enjoyable content. Now most of this should be already assumed and self-explanatory but people on the internet like to play morality roulette roll dice on purity culture and I rather have documentation that I am in fact not bullying fictional 14 year olds or a grown man. But alas, people get trigger happy whenever someone has less than 1000000% positive opinions on something they like and will throw out words they can't define (gaslight, baiting, toxic, problematic, gatekeep etc) in an attempt to defend their blind devotion, 

which is not needed, if you like something you never have to defend it, even if i don't like it. If you respond to anything I post saying you disagree with me, I will not argue with you. I won't debate back and forth and try to convince you that the things you like are wrong. Unless you are being absolutely tone deaf to what i'm saying, you wont get a negative reaction from me. So don't try to fish for a fight. Please. I got metaphorical hands for days and I'm mean, you don't want me hurting your feelings on the internet. Do yourself the favour. Difference of opinion is how we get diversification in media and is inherently a good thing. Now that that's out of the way, please don't ever let me have to say that again. I beg.

Now onto the fun stuff

I didn't know what I wanted as a first topic so my trusty internet friend @moonlitceleste suggested astruc’s writing… 

AND BOI do i got some opinions on ole tommy boi. Again I don't hate the dude. In fact, he has worked on a few shows that had defined my childhood, including but not limited to W.I.T.C.H. (all eps available on youtube for those interested, 2 seasons, general fun time all around).

So I don't think he’s scum of the earth but I do think his approach to writing mlb specifically has more misses than hits.

The first big miss is that he has no idea how to write 14 year old girls. At all. Almost every girl he has ever written feels like some terrible archetype built entirely for marketability and childish projection and pubescent self-insert (kind of). He has never been a 14 year old girl. I have. In fact when the show first aired, I WAS around the (assumed) age of the mlb characters. The behaviour he passes off as quirky or awkward or just the character’s genuine personality tend to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of teen girls found in the media and are never actually addressed as harmful. they just get swept under the rug. Marinette’s exuberant collage of teen heart throb model boi Adrien Agreste and her very painful almost fan worship she has of him (which flip flops like a paper sandal in the rain) being portrayed as a cute school girl crush uwu, Chloe being the y7 Regina George, Alya being the token best friend of colour with her ‘sassy’ personality (i want y'all to imagine me eyerolling so hard i bust a vessel in my eye), Kagami being the very damaging Perfect Asian Child stereotype. And before y'all get on your dusty soap box and defend going on about “BUT IT'S FOR CHILDREN”,,,, know this.

 i don’t give a solid fuck. 

Not one. 

Children arent stupid. Children are always going to remember the richy bitchy blonde who bullies the art kid, and the big kid, and the shy kid, and the non white kids, and was only nice to her equally rich white friend who she probably had a crush on or was only ever civil to her equally white lapdog. They're going to remember the half asian girl who was never allowed to actually be asian or the only black girl who existed solely as a soundboard for enabling bad habits or chastising the main character for the same habits she enables in the first place (boi aint THAT a topic for later). Like do i really need to explain that alya chastising marinette for taking max’s spot in gamer just to play with adrien rings absolutely hollow when she actively encourages her to sabotage the contest she’s in just so Kagami doesn't win?? Like I don't have to explain that right?? Again kids arent stupid and its quite something that Mari gets chastised for proving herself the best video game player regardless of her intentions just cuz it comes at the expense of max’s feelings/ego but is actively encouraged to sabotage not only kagami but herself by extension cuz kagami is ‘competition.’ Adrien is not a trophy to be won. And no I don't expect 14 yrs old to be perfect and to always make good decisions but these decisions are never addressed as being bad decisions. they get swept under the rug cuz those decisions were necessary for the ‘plot’ but astruc can barely keep characterization consistent and his characters suffer for it and it's the same children you preach are watching it that suffer as well. Cuz guess what? I KNOW 14 yr olds aren't like that cuz i've been there done that (this is the last time i'm saying that i promise) so I know astruc is just metaphorically throwing darts to figure out who says and does what without consideration for pre established personalities to drive the stalemate plot along. The same kids you say are watching this don't know that that's not how preteens work and will absorb and internalize those dynamics like baking soda and vinegar. Cata-fucking-strophically. 

And I haven't even gotten to the boys yet. Which honestly doesn't require much explanation anyways cuz they suffer the same fate as the girls. Tired archetypes with nothing to give them life. Nino falls into Adrien’s person of colour token best friend who dates the female lead’s person of colour token best friend so they can have cute double dates uwu. Except the plot goes nowhere and we have no inclination of romantic development beyond moments that only act to actively convince me to anti ship the lovesquare (i don't want to do that so i self indulge in fanon that actually cares about the characters and plot. may i interest you in True Sight on AO3?). Max is the residential nerd but it doesn't matter (cuz he and everyone are dumbed down for the sake of ‘plot’), kim is the sports jock (which interestingly subverts the asian comedic relief stereotype but only barely) and luka is cute older guy ™ that wears black nail polish and is in a band. The point of all this is to say there is no depth in the characters. It's especially blatantly obvious with the characters astruc doesn't like (chloe). Again, it being a show for kids is not an excuse to be absolved of putting effort into the characters you make.

This is one of the biggest misses astruc has. I haven't even gone into all the nuances of this particular miss. And i havent gone into how that works against him in the plot either. Mostly because the plot itself hasn't gone anywhere and partially because I wanted to go into the plot (or lack thereof) separately as its own miss. 

AND BOI is it a miss. 

SO home boy astruc wanted to reap the benefits of a serial show with ‘engaging’ plot without putting in any of the work to make a linear storyline and relying on the episodic format for, again, marketability. You can't have the best of both worlds, you are not Avatar: The Last Airbender. Which btw has a lot less episodes and a desired end goal that didn't involve top dollar. Legend of Korra did but that's not the point and it had its failings with that too. I challenge you, tell me how many episodes actually contribute towards a plot point or introduce new thematic elements to the show? Can you name them? I can and I'm going to include the plot points that moved the story in some direction if only temporarily. Yes only temporarily for some of these and i will explain later. (if you're in the server you already saw this list *wink*)

25/26. Origins- self explanatory, the beginning of the story, 

24. Volpina- introduction of the grimoire and Master Fu (kind of) and no, Lila is not a plot point,

28. The Collector- proper introduction of Master Fu,

37. Sapotis- introduction of Rena Rouge,

41. Syren- introduction of new aquatic power ups,

44. Anansi- introduction of Carapace,

47. Frozer- introduction of new ice power ups,

48/49. Style Queen- introduction of Queen Bee,

51/52. Heroes’ Day- introduction of Mayura and mass akumatization,

66. Startrain- introduction of Pegasus,

67. Kwami Buster- Marinette wears multiple miraculouses,

68. Feast- backstory as to how the miraculouses were lost,

69. Ikari Gozen- introduction of Ryuko,

70. Timetagger- introduction of Bunnyx,

71. Party Crasher- introduction of Roi Singe and Viperion,

73. Chat Blanc- alternate timeline that essentially means nothing but got a reaction out of fans anyways (myself included)

 77/78. Love Eater/Battle of Miraculous- Marinette becomes guardian and other heroes lose their miraculous,

New York Special- other heroes exist and there is an American miraculous box,

That's 21 episodes. 21 out of a heaping 78 plus 2 specials. Everything else was just your typical akuma of the day episode and everything that happened outside that had no lasting consequences on the plot thanks to the miraculous status quo. Was it entertaining to watch Lila stir the plot of the class dynamic? Hell yeah. Too bad it meant nothing by the end of the episode cuz we were struck with miraculous status quo. She literally doesn't appear again until Heroes Day. that is from episodes 25 all the way to 51, she means nothing and yet she is treated with the severity of a b-villain/rival thing. She means nothing by the end of Volpina if I'm being honest. She is only relevant for 20 mins of episode time she’s in then it's back to magic status quo that undoes any shift in dynamics and relationships. It's like Spongebob who can't get his driver’s license. The worst part is I actually like Lila and I wish the story treated her with the seriousness we as an audience are expected to treat her with. Despite being painfully inconsequential by the end of each of the 3?? 4?? episodes she’s in, it's entertaining to watch a character create drama just because. 

Too bad it means nothing.

Astruc is constantly building up suspense to something ‘important’ only for it to not deliver and fans are constantly having the rug pulled out from under us. Oblivio teased us with a reveal only that gets undone cuz memory akuma. Chat Blanc teased us with romantic development but that gets undone cuz time travel bullshit. Feast introduced more miraculous lore and the history of the guardians but that means nothing by the next episode or ever (i'm not including any reference to the season 4 trailer cuz i've been around the block a few times and im familiar with this lil dancy dance). Heroes Day teased us with a possible future team of heroes but that gets undone in Battle of Miraculous cuz ????? why?? (here's why; astruc was having a jolly ole time letting us know how irredeemable Chloe is at the expense of shooting his own stagnant plot in the foot. Again, discussion for later.)

Too bad anything that slightly swerves off course from the akuma of the day gets undone or ignored. Too bad nothing has any lasting consequence. I mean, if anything did, the episodes would have had a consistent order and release schedule so im not scrambling to watch the leaked ep in Portuguese or something while the french dub is two episodes behind while the english version hasnt even been dubbed. I really wonder how he plans to conclude the show when he’s so afraid to step out of the corner he painted himself in.

Again, not going into nuances. If you want you can ask for more specifics (i doubt anyone would) but this is really just a slightly detailed general overview of my opinions on astruc’s writing. 

I was going to include another miss in his approach to this show but imma save that for another time. 

How’s that for a ‘first’ post?

[transgamerthoughts]

What I Found In The Leaves

Last August, as the lease to my apartment was about to end, the roof began to smolder until the place I lived was full of smoke. When all was settled and done, my apartment had no roof. My room was spared and most of my things were okay—this part of the story being set in late capitalism, I am required to assure you that the things I purchased were okay too—and I decided to leave New York City to return to New England with my family. One of the first things I did when I arrived was look at the sky and imagine I was up there. Falling or sailing or flying. It didn’t really matter. I wanted to touch a cloud, to feel the whipping wind.

I promise… this is leading to something. In the months since, in spite of comfort and proximity to my family… in spite of the arrival of my nephew into this world—a child I would climb a mountain and punch God for if I needed to—and in spite of a happy job… I have spiraled into depression. My solution was work and writing. To throw myself into my job and to, somewhat foolishly, take on the task of novelizing my favorite game: Skies of Arcadia. Because if you’ve read my work long enough, it always comes back to Arcadia. I am proud of that project but it sparked a yearning in me. To truly connect to the world I was writing. It lit a fire. Before we proceed, let me be clear that by depression I don’t mean the woes of pandemic living or some disaffection with the reality of entering my 30s. I mean a deep and painful darkness with all the implications therein. Regardless to say, my efforts to combat it drained me. To the point that I burnt myself out and with some prodding from my boss, took a vacation. Which I am currently on. This is not the first time this series of events has played out. I made a promise to myself when I started vacation: no writing. I am breaking it because I have found, yet again, a moment where I must desperately drain the wonder in my heart and attempt to explain to you that I think there are magical things in the world, and that I believe there is some type of magic in art—in that strange alchemic or shamanistic way—that transfers to us. This will be my second attempt to explain it, and to explain what it has to do with video games. (Forgive the indulgence of this introduction by the way; an editor would surely have cut it all but I need you to understand two things: I am in pain and there's a part of that pain which I think points to something important.) This is a story of ritual and tea. Of how my senses and imagination came together to send me on a journey around a fictional world, in search of heroes who both do and do not exist. As part of my love for Skies of Arcadia, I’ve become something of a paraphernalia collector. I bought an old light novel from ebay, I used my rudimentary Japanese skills to set up a warehouse dropbox so that two fan magazines could be sent there and then subsequently shipped to America, and I have drank tea based off the game. At the time, I wanted to collect the little tins the tea came in; they seemed excellent collector’s items. What I found with my first round of tea was art unto itself; balances of flavor and spice and blends that symbolized characters and connected me to them. These were crafted by a dedicated fan and fellow writer. I don’t have the time to sit and research all the ways in which tea is used in ritual. Because I am tired and older and depressed and writing a blog post that perhaps thirty people will read. Regardless, to my delight I found that the tea-maker had created blends based off the various moons that dot Arcadia’s skies. For those who do not know the game, which I assume is many of you: each nation of the world rests under a magical moon. There are six, with one—a Black Moon—theorized to have gone missing. Here was my opportunity for a journey.

I bought teas based on each moon, and one based on the world itself. I will post a separate collection of all my individual tastings and reviews later. The important thing is this: I had been given an amazing gift. With these teas, I had something of that digital world which was actual. When we play games, we hear them and see them. Perhaps with certain haptics we can feel them. But we do not smell them or taste them or literally consume them. Eight teas, eight chances to smell and taste that wonderful world. To touch the clouds. Quem quaeritis? This is a famous question asked by an angel to the three Marys visiting Christ's tomb: his mother the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, who is the sister of Lazarus—the man Christ brought back to life after his death. It means: “whom to do you seek?” I was journeying, one tea cup at a time, around Arcadia. From continent to continent, I tasted their spices and experienced hints of their values, their cultures as expressed through the tea. The question played in my mind: Quem quaeritis? Whom was I seeking? The answer is complicated. First, I was seeking something of myself. The part of me that understood magic and wonder. The part of me that believes in the soul and believes that art, in allowing the complex interaction of creators and characters with players, performs some type of soul-magic. It impresses upon us, real and actual changes. I was seeking that piece of me; that part of me that understood that each cup was a ritual that brought about a communion with a distant world. I was searching for the younger part of me that believed in wonderful things. 

I drank the teas in the order our heroes travel the world, and in doing so I was performing a sort of perseveration of their journey. I communed with some place distant and followed in their footsteps. Which answers another half of the question. Whom did I seek? I sought my heroes. I sought the adventurous Vyse and his dogged determinism, I sought the firecracker Aika and her swift rushes to action, and I sought Fina. The woman I wish I could be: feminine, slight, beautiful, kind, brave. Quem quaeritis? All of this sounds like nonsense and when I try to explain the nonsense, I feel a deep embarrassment. To care in the 21th century, particularly in America, is to be weak. To be publicly vulnerable is to make yourself a target. You must be hard and solid as a rock. You cannot believe in magic or else you are doomed. But here I was, chasing myself and my heroes one cup at a time. And I need you to know that it hurt to do that. 

I went to the corner store today to buy some energy drinks. When I got back home, my father asked: “did you find what you were looking for?” I told him “That’s a very complicated question.”

Let me explain. Let me do the thing that I feel I cannot do well anymore; let me do some game criticism. In the world of games, the entities we control exist as two things. They are actors; manipulatable bodies, guided by code and controller inputs, that we guide around as we see fit. In this way, players have extraordinary power. In some ways, it is a… fraught power. We can, as Soulja Boy did, leave Braid’s protagonist in a perpetual flux state: jumping and rewinding. Back and forth, forth and back. Eternal puppets for our amusement, avatars for our power fantasies. Sometimes, as in the case of a game like Skyrim, our controllable actors are little more than flesh suits But actors are, more than anything, just… avatars. Video game actors are also characters. Within their worlds, which are fictional, they have motivations and wants and desires and dreams. They want to live and grow and succeed. Cloud Strife wants to defeat Sephiroth and uncover the truth about himself, Joel wants to protect Ellie and survive in a cruel world. Arthur Morgan wants to find a calmer life and redemption for his sins. They are, as characters, people. But since they are also actors, we can deny them their hopes and dreams whenever we want. We can have Cloud while away his days gambling at the Gold Saucer and, if we want, we can force Arthur Morgan to murder to population of an entire town. The core truth of a player's relationship to the character is this: we decide if their dreams are fulfilled. I find that troubling and I will try to explain why. But first let’s be clear: I do not think the character in games are sentient entities. I outlined this relationship of players and characters in a GDC talk a few years ago, using highly rhetorical terms and my reward was the ridicule of countless gamers who questioned my sanity. Some made videos about my presentation. It was hell. To be a woman, perhaps especially a progressively minded trans-woman, in games is to know a very real hell. To this day, I cannot go a week without some type of horrid experience on the internet. Some judgment of my worth, some assumption about my competency, or in the worst cases some proclamation about my right to live. No doubt this is part of why I needed my vacation. But here is why I find the player/character/actor relationship troubling. It is not merely the abstract notion, the thought experiment that elicits fun but meaningless philosophical natter. The reason I find that relationship troubling or at least complicated is because for all of their fiction, the characters in games can give us real things. They can, through some type of power—a deep power found in the act of story-telling itself—impart aspects of themselves on us. For instance, they can teach us lessons which we then carry into the rest of our lives. My father, for reasons I can’t recall, once told me: “the meaning of life is to serve others.” Though he does not know it, that truism has been etched into my soul. It is a “thing” that my father has given me. But my father is not the only person who has etched something into my soul. Vyse, that dashing pirate, has etched many things into my soul. For instance: “impossible is just a word people use to make themselves feel better when they quit.” That is etched on my soul too. Just as much as anything my father has taught. So we come to the heart of it: what does it mean that Vyse can so alter my being and values, and that he can do it with the same strength and “realness” of my father? What does it mean for a character, who is also often an actor that I guide, to give me such a powerful gift? Because let us be clear: values are “real” things. When I tried to explain that I believe that certain things are actually true, for instance that looking at landscapes does mean that we are looking at something real…. I spent an afternoon with former Jeopardy! contestant Arthur Chu and a cohort of Twitteristas attacking my philosophical surety. So, again, fuck the internet… I digress.. Let’s explore: I believe in the realness of things because of the depth of the emotions those things make me feel, and I refuse to believe that life is just endorphins, hormones, and instinct. That music or games or anything else can make us weep for joy is proof-positive to me of the existence of a soul; of an ineffable thing that is “us.” Not necessarily all enduring but certainly extant. And if this thing exists, it can be acted upon. I know this because my father, with his truism, changed my soul. Changed the core of me. I know this because Vyse and the others did so as well.

I’ve written that games criticism is a kindness; that it seeks the good in art and attacks the banal explicitly because art is beautiful. I write today to suggest this: art is magical. It alters us, not metaphorically, but in the ways it can affect our souls. Which brings us back to character and actors. I control Vyse since he is an actor and I am a player; but he is a character with dreams and hopes and personality. And values. Wonderful values which he shared with me. So what does it mean now that I can send actors to their doom? What does it mean that I can control them utterly when I know for a fact that they can affect and change me? I do not have clean answers for this. Perhaps there are none. Perhaps all I have written is silliness, even as I beg you to please understand. Please. 

Understand the power of stories, understand it in the way that Tolkein did when he said: “Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else … may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds.” Understand that I am telling you that the locked thing is your heart and soul, and that just as a lover or parent or mentor can open that thing… so can the people we meet in our fictional journeys. Vyse is not just the captain of a ship. He is my captain. That means something. Art is ritual and play is ritual. In creation, we place something of ourselves in another thing. In play, we allow ourselves to be transmuted and changed. This is magic, of a sort. I am left wanting however. I followed the path of my heroes in as literal a way as I could, pulling on new senses to understand the world they live in and touch their skies for a fleeting moment. But I cannot reach them; I am Tantalus in the mire. Ever reaching, ever chasing. For that moment I can be the person that my heroes trusted me to become. Note by musical note, word for written word, tea cup by tea cup, I am chasing my captain. When I went back to my apartment the day after the fire, I looked up at the spot where the roof used to be. All I could see was blue sky and I thought I might fall into it. Perhaps in superficial ways I have shared something with my heroes; I have tasted something they have, even though the tea is not actually from Arcadia. It was merely a conduit to my imagination, to the transformed parts of my souls. Yet, I did not find him and I could not find myself. Which is why it hurts, in spite of how wonderful it was. Quem quaeritis? He is not here. So I will keep sailing after him.

[wildestmustang]

To those from the next generations who might read it as but a childish fable and not a social criticism. Good read.

Prologue [Page 3]

Part I: The Colour Carmine Red [Page 4]

Part II: The Suicide Of The Mother Of Us All [Page 6]

Part III: The Eulogy [Page 12]

Part IV: The Funeral Pyre [Page 14]

Part V: Dancing Of Gavels [Page 15]

Part VI: DIE TO LIVE [Page 19]

Part VII: Agony In The Garden Of Gethsemane [Page 20]

Epilogue [Page 23]

SHELTER

Prologue:

-- Adam's a living proof of condescending being with opulence in the heart and tyranny in the mind, praying vehemently to the altar of himself.

Part I: The Colour Carmine Red

At the crossroads, there was I, puffing on the cheapest spliff my money could buy at the time, walking by the edges of the ledges of a terraced vicarage out west of the retograde City Of Atrocities. -- which was shrouded in darkness altogether -- where the dazzling sun never shone upon. When suddenly I witnessed a orphaned, fully-fledged, gold-feathered pheasant offspring right under the pale moonlight -- he was astonished by its ethereal incandescence; which was the sun in disguised burning through her; captivated by the blackout and somewhat slightly aghast too -- crawling up the thatched-roof of a broken cottage house a few kilometers away of where I was, in pursuit of a sort of a shelter -- the wreckage in-between the dormers I supposed -- situated right on the halfway to the peak of roof. But It didn't take too long for a belligerant bird of prey colour the fragile pheasant in carmine red all through and through like a oil painting of white Ophelia floating, lifeless, upon the puddle of her own blood. The roof itself was littered with carcasses of all kinds of pheasants scattered all over. -- tracing a curvilinear trail to the intangible shelter where none of them ever stepped into and ever will.

"Oh, my dearest, dearest, pheasant! I'd wish I had swaddled you in a comfy cloath, and thereafter I'd wish I had cradled you in my forearms like a helpless baby ultil you had fallen into a celestial slumber of no return, whilst a choir of sparrows would be singing a lullaby for thee. I'd wish we could've had flown to the highest height that any bird or any or any man can reach, over the railway station of life until the train of death comes and takes you away from me. Fly in peace, my dearest darling" I murmured to myself wiping the mob of poisonous tears welling right up to the edges of my nightshade eyes.

Part II: The Suicide Of The Mother Of Us All

One day in the quiet of the night I saw the theophany of Madame Hope -- The Mother Of Us All -- leant up against on my wall, voluptuously wrapped in a flyaway darkish-blue nightgown of satin. -- as stupendous as the shining of the Hope Diamond, a blue gemstone framed by an oval pendant of 16 smaller diamonds.

"Listen, dear Adam, listen. Freedom's a sort of unorthodox religion built upon love and not fear. To fear is blasphemous, to fear is a deathful sin. But, at least, some of it may be enough to fuel every fiber of your rectilinear body with fury and wrath to withstand this ongoing odyssey you are in.". She, persuasively, whispered those wise words through the frigid breeze of New York jolting me awake like the screaming of a rooster at sunrise from the coma I was in, and at that very moment I felt the stormy sea of self-doubts in my war-torn mind boiling off like it wasn't even swallowing me. The rhetoric was her foil and she fought like the most clever of the sophists.".

"A feast of fears undoubtedly provided Gilgamesh -- a king of Uruk from the ancient Babylonia -- days and nights of resilience to keep on seeking out his unattainable immortality until his conformity killed him."

"Freedom's a religion where in its followers pilgrimages through the negro streets outside the City Of Atrocities, barefoot, aimlessly -- with a short-faced bear's strength -- oblivious to the obstacles along the road beneath their feet, heading into an eternal search for a shelter far away from the factories of sterotypes and the irksome peddlers of false dichotomies -- heading into an eternal odyssey in search of an utopian progress which still being an ideology."

"Mother..." I replied clutching onto my blanket and the sheets underneath it, as hard as I could, but they weren't meant to shield me against the truth, I just pretended they could. "I, Adam, shall take control over people's minds to dethrone the kings of iniquities and bring peace into this world. I was born to wear a crown, or at least take the power thereof, and I will.". And I really took for granted I could do it without love and hope, just clutching onto my blanket and sheets.

Subsequently, I watched the silhouette of Madame Hope, walking towards the largest window in the chamber, step by step, and then throwing herself out of the Hemisphere House building -- where I used to live back in the day. And suddenly half of the one whom once I used to be had perished into nothingness. Melt into oblivion. Wiped out from the matrix, therefore, just a mythological figure lost to history.

And as an afterthought I realized she was the branch and I was just a immature persimmon clinging onto it.

Part III: The Eulogy

"My beloved mother, I must bathe my crow quill feather pen into a black ink bottle and unto you write one of my most sorrowful eulogies, sitting before thy funeral pyre as the flow of kerosene tears trickle down my scarlet cheeks eating the bitterness off my skin -- in order to nurse this exquisite pain of mine which squeezes my dying heart in its fist like a very stiff sailor's hitch, unable to be undone.

"O sweet serial killer who slaughtered my hopes! I solemnly swear one day I'll get out of all these tiny boxes which I shrunk myself to fit in. Je t'aime, moma, adieu. Rest in peace" I wrote it like it was the last feeling of mine I would ever depict from there on, but even the most disdainful child of all the trivialities surrounding her wouldn't have believed it.

Part IV: The Funeral Pyre

"Wherefore dost thou left me when I needed you the most, my dear? Now here I am sailing through the seas of uncertainty on my loneliness as the fluttering flames of thy funeral pyre corrode every atom belonging to you into mist.

Part V: Dancing Of Gavels

“Mother, I am the one who killed those pheasants from the news. -- the one against whom their fathers swore to take vengeance on -- I bludgeoned one by one to death with no remorse whatsoever. Mother, I'm one in a myriad of scoundrel vultures, one in a myriad of hunters of fragile creatures, I'm a repulsive collector of blood-stained feathers and other unpleasant things."

" And now I am sinking my sharpen-pointed claws into my own chest to pluck rib by rib off my sternum as a prelude to break this hollow egg-shell heart of mine free, whose rage holds hostage pounding against my ribcage. -- abstained from love, abstained from warmth."

“Mother, I've done unpardonable things. I really did. I devoured them all like putrid meant to satisfy this voracious appetite I have, and I ate their cheap dreams like carrions. -- I shouldn't have done it by the way -- And now I can't get away from this anymore, I can't flit from hideout to hideout and call them home sweet home. Now, I must confess, I must surrender. By rights, I should knee below a guillotine and feel its lozanged blade making its way down my neck."

“No doubt I am a complex being deserving of each wicked epithet given to me. Either I confess all of the loathsome crimes I committed or I will live in this perpetual state of fear -- an untamed fear of being handcuffed by the Pinkertons, sentenced to death in the courtroom of life by the supreme pontiff; and executed by the Almighty Lord for the lots of pheasants I've killed -- until my very last day. So, mother, I MUST CONFESS NOW. I am phantom shackled to this decomposing corpse unable to rest., laying in wait within my own coffin until the dancing of gavels begin.”

Part VI: DIE TO LIVE

I MUST DIE TO LIVE!

I MUST DIE TO LIVE!

I MUST DIE TO LIVE!

I MUST DIE TO LIVE!

Part VII: Agony In The Garden Of Gethsemane

“Rely upon me from now on, I've already paved inch by inch of your way right back home. So follow me. As long as you live there will always have a place to be from and you need to search for it from the inside out, you can't get to it from the outside in.”

"Regardless how cliché it may seem to be, thou canst not escape from having to always have been, although thou looketh at thy inner self seeking after futile subterfuges to."

“Life goes on, my dearest Adam, so don't you ever say to me again you must die to live, EVER again.” seeped a sweet dreamlike voice out of the cosmos — which belonged to my beloved mother — beckoning me to cross through the threshold of Gethsemani to grieve and supplicate in agony -- like the Virgin Mary depicted in La Pietà -- to the Almighty for THE SAKE of my mixed-up mind, the so-called shelter, where I belong to and I always will.

Epilogue:

“At length, I feel vividly how it's like to be free. Goddam, I am...so free.”

Written by Andrew O'Keefe

[porlockstompf]

Reading de Nacht Reading 2018

                                  my favourite books of the year

my overall favourite book of the year:

wiliam h gass "the william h gass reader" (2018)

post-cyberpunkstompf:

01 cixin liu "ball lightning" (2018)

02 kim stanley robinson "red moon" (2018) 03 dave hutchinson "europe at dawn" (2018)      + dave hutchinson "shelter (the aftermath 01)" (2018) 04 paul kincaid "ian m banks (modern masters of science fiction)" (2017) 05 hannu rajaniemi "summerland" (2018)

06 m john harrison "you should come with me now: stories of ghosts" (2017) 07 wade rousch (ed) "twelve tomorrows (2018) 08 christopher moore "noir" (2018) 09 jonathan strahan (ed) "infinity's end" (2018)     + jonathan strahan (ed) "the best sf & f of the year, vol XII" (2018) 10 neil clarke (ed) "the final frontier" (2018)      + neil clarke (ed) "the best sf of the year vol III" (2018)

11 gardner dozois (ed) "the year's best sf: thirty-fifth annual collection" (2018) 12 steve toutonghi "side life" (2018) 13 mike ashley (ed) "lost mars: the golden age of the red planet" (2018) 14 mary robinette kowal "the calculating stars: a lady astronaut novel" (2018) 15 mingwei song & theodore huters (eds)  "the reincarnated giant:      an anthology of twenty-first century chinese science fiction" (2018)

16 john zakour & lawrence ganem "the peach-blonde bomber" (2018) 17 becky chambers "record of a spaceborn few" (2018) 18 yoon ha lee "revenant gun" (2018) 19 derek künsken "the quantum magician" (2018) 20 gregory benford "rewrite" [arc] (2019)

21 richard k morgan "thin air" (2018) 22 charles stross "the labyrinth index" (2018) 23 john varley "irontown blues" (2018) 24 peter watts "the freeze-frame revolution" (2018) 25 karl schroeder "the million" (2018)

26 drew williams "the stars now unclaimed" (2018) 27 peter f hamilton "the salvation" (2018) 28 neal asher "the soldier" (2018) 29 nick mamatas "the people's republic of everything" (2018) 30 s j morden "one way" (2018)

31 gareth l powell "embers of war" (2018) 32 alex white "a big ship at the end of the universe" (2018)      + alex white "a bad deal for the whole galaxy" (2018) 33 s k dunstall "stars unchartered" (2018) 34 catherynne m valente "space opera" (2018) 35 alastair reynolds "elysium fire" (2018)

36 charles stross "dark state" (2018) 37 n k jemisin (ed) "the best american sf & f 2018" (2018) 38 jack mcdevitt "the long sunset" (2018)   + jack mcdevitt "a voice in the night" (2018) 39 elizabeth moon "into the fire" (2018) 40 r.e. stearns "barbary station" (2017) /      steven erikson "willfull child III: the search for spark" (2018)

polarstompf:

01 david hewson "the savage shore" (2018)

     ex aequo      andrea camilleri "the pyramid of mud" (2018)      + andrea camilleri "death at sea: montalbano's early cases" (2018)

02 mirko zilahy "de schaduw" (2017)   + mirko zilahy "de mythe van de dood" (2018) 03 mick herron "london rules" (2018)   + mick heron "the drop" (2018) 04 volker kutscher "babylon berlin" (2017)   + volker kutscher "the silent death" (2017)   + volker kutscher "goldstein" (2018) 05 chris petit "pale horse riding" (2017)

06 edgar cantero "this body's not big enough for both of us" (2018) 07 ian rankin "in a house of lies" (2018) 08 philip kerr "greeks bearing gifts" (2018) 09 jack grimwood "nightfall berlin" (2018) 10 dolan cummings "the existential leap: a crime story" (2017)

11 ann van loock "de expo '58 moorden" (2018) 12 massimo carlotto "master of knots" (2004) 13 joseph knox "sirens" (2018)     + joseph knox "the smiling man" (2018) 14 geir tangen "het meesterwerk" (2017) 15 kate atkinson "transcription" (2018)

16 patrick conrad "diep in december" (2018) 17 jorge zepeda patterson "zwarte trui" (2018) 18 wolfgang burger "heidelberg requiem" (2016) 19 charles cumming "a divided spy" (2016)      + charles cumming "the man between" (2018) 20 frank goldammer "the air raid killer" (2018)      + frank goldammer "a thousand devils" (2018)

21 andreas norman "stille oorlog" (2018) 22 jesper stein "de onrust" (2018)      + jesper stein "papa" (2018) 23 luca d'andrea "in de greep van de waanzin" (2018) 24 jo nesbø  "macbeth" (2018) 25 hans dooremalen "descartes in amsterdam: filosofische detective" (2018) /      chris pavone "the expats" (2012)

klassikstompf:

01 wiliam h gass "the william h gass reader" (2018)

02 louis armand "breakfast at midnight" (2012)      + louis armand "the combinations" (2016)      + louis armand "canicule" (2013)      + louis armand "cairo" (2014) 03 andrew crumey "the great chain of unbeing" (2018) 04 viv albertine "throw away unopened" (2018) 05 daniela cascella "singed" (2017)

06 ted geltner "blood, bone, & marrow: a biography of harry crews" (2017) 07 steve erickson "zeroville" (2007) 08 olga tokarczuk "drive your plow over the bones of the dead" (2018) 09 julián ríos "the house of ulysses" [] (2010)      + julián ríos "poundemonium" [1997] 10 daniel mendelsohn "an odyssey: a father, a son, and an epic" (2017)

11 giorgio van straten "in search of lost books: the forgotten stories of eight mythical volumes" (2017) 12 pascal mercier "night train to lisbon" (2004) 13 tony white "the fountain in the forest" (2018) 14 alejandro zambra "not to read" (2018) 15 gabriel josipovici "the cemetery in barnes" (2018)

16 lucy ives "impossible views of the world" (2017) 17 matthew herbert "the music: a novel through sound" (2018) 18 ann quin "the unmapped country: stories & fragments" (2018) 19 stephen fry "mythos" (2017) & "heroes" (2018) 20 johan swinnen "happening: de aanslag op de Inno" (2017)

21 ermanno cavazzoni "the nocturnal library" (2018) 22 richard powers "the overstory" (2018) 23 alain robbe-grillet "project for a revolution in ny" (1972) 24 melchior vischer "second through brain" (2015) 25 bob van laerhoven "return to hiroshima" (2018)      + bob van laerhoven "dossier feuerhand" (2017)      + bob van laerhoven "dangerous obsessions" (2015)      + bob van laerhoven "heart fever" (2018)

gedächtnisstompf:

01 jacques derrida "geschlecht III: sexe, race, nation, humanité" (2018)      + jacques derrida "le goût du secret: entretiens 1993-1995" (2018)

02 tom cohen, claire colebrook & j hillis miller      "theory & the disappearing future:  on deman, on benjamin" (2011) 03 hannah arendt "het waagstuk van de politiek:      over politieke leugens en burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid" (2018)      + dirk de schutter "hannah arendt: politiek denker" (2015) 04 serge andré "les perversions #1: le fétichisme" (2013)      + serge andré "les perversions #1: le sadisme" (2013)      + serge andré "les perversions #1: le masochisme" (2013) 05 ger groot "4 ongemakkelijke filosofen: nietzsche, cioran, bataille, derrida"            (2003)

06 mark fisher "k-punk: the collected & unpublished writings (2014-2016)" (2018) 07 molier, ellian, rijpkema (eds) "de strijd om de democratie:      essays over democratische zelfverdediging" (2018) 08 florentijn van rootselaar "filosofisch veldwerk:      grote filosofen van nu over leven in barre tijden" (2018) 09 lieven de cauter "van de grote woorden & kleine dingen" (2018) 10 nemanja mitrovic      "the (im)possibility of literature as the possibility of ethics" (2017)

11 sue prideaux "i am dynamite! a life of friedrich nietzsche" (2018) 12 paul farley & michael symmons roberts "deaths of the poets" (2018) 13 erik bledsoe (ed) "perspectives on harry crews" (2001) 14 kailash c baral & r radhakrishan (eds)      "theory after derrida: essays in critical praxis"(2018) 15 agnes czajka & bora isyar (eds)      "europe after derrida: crisis & potentiality" (2016)

poesisstompf:

01 john cooper clarke "the luckiest guy alive" (2018)

02 kate tempest "running upon the wires" (2018) 03 robin robertson "the long take" (2018) 04 david austin "dread poetry & freedom:      linton kwesi johnson & the unfinished revolution" (2018) 05 tommy pico "junk" (2018)

platterstompf:

01 power, devereux, & dillane (eds)       "heart & soul: critical essays on joy division" (2018)

02 michael glasmeier & ursula block (eds) "broken music: artists' recordworks"         (2nd edition 2018) 03 mark e smith "messing up the paintwork: the wit & wisdom of mark e smith"         (2018) 04 willy dirickx (ed) "de brassers" (2018) 05 tommy mackay "40 odd years of the fall" (2018)

06 john h baker "the art of nick cave: new critical essays" (2013) 07 will oldham "songs of love & horror: collected lyrics of will oldham" (2018)      + alan licht (ed) "will oldham on bonnie 'prine' billy" (2012) 08 michael goddard & benjamin halligan      "mark e smith & the fall: art, music, & politics" (2013) 09 daniel kane "do you have a band? poetry & punk rock in nyc" (2017) 10 bendle "permanent transience" (2015)

11 david grubbs "now that the audience is assembled" (2018) 12 nick soulsby "swans: sacrifice & transcendence (the oral history)" (2018)      + michael gira "the egg: stories" (2018) 13 robert young & irmin schmidt "all gates open: the story of can" (2018) 14 mike goldschmith "discord: the story of noise" (2012) 15 bruce russell      "gilded splinters: essays & aphorisms towards an aesthetic of noise" (2018)

16 philippe robert "agitation frite" (2018)²      + philippe robert "action friite" (2018)      + philippe robert "action frIIIte" (2018) 17 guillaume belhomme, philippe robert, ea "le son du grisli:      varèse, tzara, mochizuki & cave" (2018) 18 david stubbs "future days: krautrock & the building of modern germany"                (2018)       + david stubbs "mars by 1980: the story of electronic music" (2018) 19 blixa bargeld "europa: una letania" [2009] (2018) 20 chris bohn (ed) "the wire" 

21 richard hirst (ed)      "we were strangers: stories inspired by unknown pleasures" (2018) 22 françois girodineau "nick cave & the bad seeds: tender prey" (2018) 23 mick middles "the fall" (2009) 24 jim dooley "red set: a history of gang of four" (2018) 25 mats gustafsson      "discaholics! record collector confessions vol I (2nd ed)" (2018) /      + rob van scheers "drie akkoorden & de waarheid: muzikale levenslessen"              (2014)

stagestompf:

01 ian rankin & rona munro "rebus: long shadows" (2018)

humorstompf:

01 robin ince       "i'm a joke & so are you: a comedian's take on what makes us human"       (2018) 02 simon munnery "how to live" (2018) 03 lucien randall "disgusting bliss: the brass eye of chris morris" (2011)

bilderstompf:

01 michael glasmeier & ursula block (eds)      "broken music: artists' recordworks" (2nd edition 2018)

02 thomas bernhard & ferry radax "thomas bernhard: 3 days" (2016) 03 ed van der elsken "love on the left bank" (2002) 04 philippe monsel "francis bacon" (1994)

05 paul duncan & jürgen müller (eds)   "film noir plus taschen's top 50 pick of noir classics from 1940-1960" (2017) 06 cuauhtémoc medina "manifesta 9: the deep of the modern" (2012) 07 julian schnabel: permanently becoming & the architecture of seeing" (2012) 08 reinhard kleist "nick cave & the bad seeds: an art book" (2018)

wissenschaftstompf & other distractions:

01 brian cox & robin ince      "how to build a universe: an infinite monkey cage adventure" (2017)

02 patrick moore & chris north       "the sky at night: answers to questions from across the univers" (2012) 03 chip carter "obsessed with star trek" (2011) 04 leon hunt "danger:diabolik" (2018)

cyclostompf:

01 jean cléder "petite éloge de la course cycliste" (2018)

02 max leonard "higher calling: cycling's obsession with mountains" (2018) 03 colin o'brien      "giro d'italia: the story of the world's most beautiful bike race" (2018) 04 velominati      "wielergoden: de meest heldhaftige renners ooit 38 heroïsche verhalen”           (2018) 05 william fotheringham "sunday in hell" (2018)

06 jonas heyerick (ed) "bahamontes" (magazine) o.a. extra editie de giro (2018) 07 jorge zepeda patterson "zwarte trui" (2018) 08 dirk jan roeleven "de nieuwe fiets: villar san constanzo - a'dam" (2018) 09 frederik baeckelandt "gino bartali (les héros 03)" (2018) 10 chris sidwells "the call of the road: the history of cycle road racing" (2018)

10 john dowie "the freewheeling john dowie:                  a comedian, a bike, & a tent, what could possibly go right?" (2018) 12 edward pickering "the ronde:       inside the tour of flanders, the world's toughest bike race" (2018) 13 charles pope "a golden age of cycling" (2018) 14 roger gilles "women on the move:       the forgotten era of women's bicycle racing" (2018) 15 peter cossins "the first tour de france:       60 cyclists & 19 days of daring on the road to paris" (2017)

16 paul maunder "the wind at my back: my cycling life" (2018)       + paul maunder "rainbows in the mud" (2017) 17 giacomo pellizzari "het geheim van de eenzame fietser" [2015] (2017) 18 dries de zaeytijd & fons leroy "25 jaar kweekvijver van koerstalent" (2018) 19 peter sagan "my world" (2018) 20 bradley wiggins "icons: my inspiration, my motivation, my obsession" (2018)

most pleasing purchases:

01 jayne county "man enough to be a woman" (1996)

02 berns, moyaert, & van tongeren (eds)      "de god van denkers en dichters: opstellen voor samuel ijsseling" (1997)

03 anselm kiefer       "l'art survivra à ses ruines: anselm kiefer au collège de france" (2011) 04 ludger lütkehaus       "'ruhe. grösse, sonnenlicht': friedrich nietzsche in sils-maria" (2014) 05 paul raabe "spaziergange durch nietzsches sils-marie" (1994)

… tsundoku !

may your home be safe from tigers, leroy, x HNY!

find me on LT:

TBR... PILING UP ...

postcyberpunkstompf:

adam roberts "adam (the aftermath 02)" (2018) eric brown "the martian simulacra: a sherlock holmes mystery" (2018) gary gibson "scienceville & other worlds" (2018) greg egan "phoresis" (2018) ian mcdonald "time was" (2018) ian whates & tom hunter (eds) "2001: an odyssey in words: celebrating the centenary of arthur c clarke's birth" james lovegrove "firefly: big damn hero" (2018) james patrick kelly "the promise of space & other stories" (2018)

jeff noon "a man of shadows" (2017) + jeff noon "the body library" (2018) kevin j anderson "selected stories: science fiction vol I" (2018) rich larson "tomorrow factory: collected fiction" (2018) seb doubinsky "missing signal" (2018) stephen baxter "redemption" (2018) + stephen baxter "xelee: vengeance" (2018) steve erikson "rejoice" (2018) tom schweterlitsch "the gone world" (2018) & maybe, just maybe: jay key "how to pick up women with a drunk space ninja" (2018) + jay key "how to win a pit fight with a drunk space ninja" (2018)

polarstompf:

dario correnti "heimwee naar bloed" (2018) giancarlo de cataldo "suburra" (2017) matthew pearl "the dante chamber" (2018) victor del árbol "a million drops" (2018) zygmunt miloszewski "priceless" [2013] (2018)

[masksandmadness]

Pre-Pre-Story Flashback 5

———————————————————————

This snippet goes way WAY back to when Alex and Sebastian were teens, probably around fourteen or fifteen, because A) I want to write something fluffy, B) I don’t want to give everything away before I write my book, and interactions between these two kinda do that, and C) because dammit, they deserve to be happy for once. Izzy in this is mentioned and is ten/eleven. Enjoy!

This piece is dedicated to @starspangledscarf for being an amazing human being and leaving such nice comments for me, and because they enjoyed Seb and Alex’s interactions, and I hope this satisfies, even though it isn’t angsty!! Also, it won’t let me tag you?? For some reason?? So I hope you see this!!

Comments are always welcome, criticism too, thank you so much for reading!

———————————————————————

Perhaps it was morbid to stargaze in front of a cemetery, maybe even disrespectful, as Sebastian had pointed out, but Alexander was certain he could charm their way out of trouble if they were caught. Besides, it was such a beautiful view of the city on the hill; the lights and noises never died, but on this hill, it was peaceful, calm. It felt like a different dimension, and Alexander adored it.

Izzy would only cover for him for so long, he knew, and should he be caught out so late his parents would be awfully disappointed, but Alexander couldn’t bring himself to move his arm to check his watch when Sebastian’s body was on top of it, his head nestled comfortably in to Alexander’s neck and eyes closed. They’d been out there for hours, both of them using bursts of their power to create warmth and keep the damp night at bay, but Alexander was beginning to feel it now; the shivers, the chill in the air. He should really pry Sebastian off him, say goodnight, go home.... But glancing down at his best friend (though they were so much more than such a term really), Alexander’s resolve shattered.

Sebastian was fast asleep, chest rising and falling at a steady pace while his face was calm. The other boy had nightmares almost every night; about his parents, about their deaths, and judging from the deep circles under his eyes, he hadn’t slept well in a few days. He just looked so peaceful curled up next to him, and Alexander felt a surge of affection rise up within him.

“I think I may be in love with you, sunshine,” he whispered, and when Sebastian mumbled sleepily under his breath, linking his own hand with his, Alexander thought his heart might burst from how full it was. “Even though I am supposed to be the hero, and you the villain. I think I’m in love with you.”

He knew it was wrong. Two boys dating was wrong, of course it was, according to his father, but what was worse was the fact that Sebastian... would grow up to be a villain. That was what his parents had told him. Sebastian, with his evil parents and orphaned upbringing and dark hair and hot temper, had no choice — that was simply what his destiny led him to. Alexander was the antithesis — his parents had told him many times that with his blonde hair and bright smile and wonderful heroic parents, he had no other fate he could possibly end up with. He was destined to be the hero, just as Sebastian was destined to be the villain.

Looking at the peacefully sleeping boy beside him, Alexander’s stomach tightened. How? He didn’t see evil laying next to him. He saw his best friend, his crush, he saw Sebastian. Sebastian couldn’t end up the villain. He just couldn’t.

He knew it was inevitable though, and that made his heart ache. Heroes and villains were supposed to hate each other, this he knew. How was he supposed to hate Sebastian when the smaller boy made him feel like he was made of stardust, like he was amazing, like he could deliver the moon and galaxy to the other if only to see him smile? He knew not many felt like this about their best friend, and couldn’t help but ask the universe why it had to be him that fell for his best friend, why he had to be the hero, why Sebastian had to be the villain. It didn’t seem fair.

“I’ll never hate you,” he told Sebastian quietly, though not quietly enough it seemed, for the boy stirred, eyes fluttering open as he rolled to look at Alexander with a faint soft smile.

“I hope not,” his friend replied with a yawn, stretching, “that would really suck.”

Alexander laughed lightly, and, before he could help himself, leaned down to press his lips to Sebastian’s forehead, remaining there for one beat, two, before his head caught up with his heart and he pulled away as if he’d been stung, cheeks flushing furiously.

Stupid boy, he could hear his father’s voice, angry and loud in his head, he’s the villain. You’re supposed to kill him, not kiss him. But the close lipped smile on Sebastian’s face grew from timid to open lipped shy joy, and Alexander felt the regret diminish. Maybe Sebastian was the hero, and maybe he would one day be forced to kill him as the hero.

But for tonight, they were just Alexander and Sebastian, and he wouldn’t let anyone take that away from them.

———————————————————————

Tag list: @soruawrites @joyful-soul-collector @recloonbabloo @fandom-child-4life @starspangledscarf

[jean-and-ali-liveblogs]

Jean:

This episode annoyed me. Generally it was a bad episode, only the ending got more emotions.

I was very surprised by the gem Steven picked for cleaning. It was kinda surprising. The whole thing would go differently if Pearl would instantly come to clean. In a way Steven – by the choice he made – was responsible for what happened later. I am a bit angry at him, because he should know what character and attitude toward mess Amethyst has, but he still picked her. Was he just making an easy choice when picking Amethyst, because Amethyst is more pleasant and nicer to work with and more chill than Pearl? So it would be funnier? He should not take into account what Pearl thinks about Greg, he should take into account who will do the job better. Steven really disappointed me. Where was his intuition? Where was his wisdom? What was he really thinking about? Because on one side he really wanted to clean, but on the other side he picked a gem that is completely not suited to it.

-digression: since forever I am wondering about what makes specific people be picked for specific things. For example, why some actors are taken to the movies or tv series etc. We have actors or singers that are really genius, who are doing a great job, who have passion, who are good role model and should be showed to everybody because of their wisdom and greatness. But often people like that are getting zero interest. You look for people who are controversial, not in the good meaning of this word, but in the bad meaning of this word. Who are jerks or who are not as talented. I am just wondering why so often people picked for music, culture or just for making an ad are people who are totally not suited to do it. People who are not like the ones I already talked about.

-We have producers – I am not talking about all producers – but I generally noticed a trend. A trend to give an enormous opportunities in movies or ads or music to people who could be replaced by much more better people. Or less problematic people. Who have class and talent, who are good at being actors or musical, but they are not interesting somehow. They do play in movies, but it’s not enough, they are being unused.

- And this is why I am talking about it now. We have Pearl who everybody knows loves cleaning and she loves order, she likes when everything has it’s place, but despite that in Steven’s opinion she is not somebody suited for the job. Steven didn’t pick her. And my question is why? Since everybody was expecting her anyway! He picked a person who only created problems in this episode… So I am mad at Steven.

I understand that Steven was afraid of Pearl seeing the mess. But in the end he picked for cleaning the person who is the least suited to do it. Just because somebody has mess in their room, that means they can handle a mess better? So like, what, a person who is garbage collector is going to do a better job cleaning around themselves? In my opinion it’s the last person you should be asking to segregate or clean anything in your house. Never!

Steven’s reasoning really saddened me. I CANNOT HANDLE IT, why it’s like this. Why people make such bad decisions, why they are so wrong. Steven could ask anybody for help, but he picked the most wrong choice. He added to his suffering and to Greg’s suffering.

I am really blaming Steven for his choice, which completely changed to episode. The choice that unfortunately provoked the situation that happened.

The way Greg was acting through whole episode – the way he was forgetting about what’s important – was very sad. It was so easy for him to watch Little Butler all day and night. He wasn’t keeping an eye on the time, it didn’t matter that fireworks happen only once a year and that Steven was saying from the very start of the episode that he was waiting whole year for it. … it all went by unheard… There was a need for a very drastic emotions for Greg to finally understand that Steven is his son, who is important to him, and that he is a father and he should be with his son, not with Amethyst. The weakness of his character and how easily he gets influenced killed me. I just could not believe how soft Greg can be, without a character, without anything. At some point I became indifferent to him. For how long can you complain about somebody who is acting like Greg.

For me everything went too far when Amethyst showed her attitude towards Steven - “IT’S STEVEN”. I am not going to let that go. There is everything in them. Her whole attitude. How she has no respect for somebody who is this close to her. And you can just leave him, hurt him, make him sad, for your own desires, because it’s Steven. It was very selfish.

Greg wasn’t despicable in the episode. He acted like a little child, who is busy watching at the screen and forgets about thinking. Although it’s terrifying how easily it was for Amethyst to manipulate him. Nothing excuses him. But he wasn’t despicable.

Amethyst was despicable. She was genuinely and on purpose despicable. The way she acted towards Greg and Steven in in my opinion one of the worst things you can do. Torturing Greg with his biggest weakness, Rose’s death. And treating Steven like somebody who doesn’t matter, just a boy who will forgive everything, so you can shove him away, because it’s not important. All that matters is that she has fun. And Steven doesn’t matter at all. She put Steven in a very not-nice position. Like if he wasn’t anybody important, and you can mock him and laugh at him and mock the way he can enjoy things and the way he is good and genuine. That was really despicable, I can’t even put in words how despicable it was.

Something really bad happened after this episode. Amethyst fell the most in my eyes. And Greg made me see how weak character he has and that only critical moments can wake up his morals.

It was very interesting and emotional episode where I got to see emotional moments and how people can’t handle various stuff. I will surely remember this episode. 5/10

_____________________________

If you like what you see, and you want to support us, there are two places where you can.

https://www.patreon.com/alijons

https://ko-fi.com/alijons

All help is greatly appreciated!

[lwells]

Photos of some of my murals in Galerie Na shledanou in Volyně, Czech Republic. … the show is up till mid-October

Also the interview in Czech and English that I made with the curator, Jan Freiberg:

Co tě přivedlo do Čech a co Tě tady (kromě rodiny) drží dnes?

I came to CZ in the first wave of Americans in the early 90s. I wanted to find a romantic life in Europe and it was an easy way to feel that I had “done something with my life” by simply moving far away. In the beginning the economic aspects were also appealing that everything seemed cheaper, but after living on the low salary available here, the economic reality also becomes a trap and keeps me here to some degree. On the brighter side it is true that CZ is a beautiful country with good health care and public transportation. There are many social democratic advantages in comparison with the USA.

Do Čech jsem přišel s první vlnou Američanů na začátku 90. let. Hledal jsem v Evropě romantický život a tím, že jsem se přestěhoval hodně daleko jsem měl aspoň pocit že jsem „něco se svým životem udělal“. Na začátku bylo také velmi přitažlivé, že se všechno zdálo levnější, ale poté, co člověk žije z malého platu je ekonomická realita jako past a to je také to, co mě tady do jisté míry drží. Tou lepší stránkou je, že Čechy jsou krásná země, s dobrou zdravotní péčí a veřejnou dopravou. V porovnání s Amerikou je zde mnoho sociálních demokratických výhod.

Pocházíš z rodiny s velkými kulturními kořeny. Mohl bys popsat některé hlavní osobnosti a co tě s nimi spojuje?

My mother was a painter when she was younger and I grew up studying her art history books. My father is a writer .. so I sought to choose a creative path and art was easier to avoid competing directly with my dad. My stepmother was the niece of William Faulkner and so this example of a genius in my family circle, although I never met him as he died in 1962, made it seem possible to reach for something more than just a career. But in a way I gave up my American roots when I moved here .. this is the sacrifice of the one who leaves his homeland. Mississippi is the land of the Blues .. I guess that melancholy and struggle stays with me.

Moje matka byla v mládí malířkou a když jsem vyrůstal, studoval jsem si v jejích knihách o dějinách umění. Můj otec je spisovatel .. takže jsem se chtěl vydat tvůrčí cestou a ve výtvarném umění jsem se vyhnul tomu, abych se s ním měřil. Moje nevlastní matka / otcova druhá žena byla neteří Williama Faulknera. Příklad génia v rodinném kruhu, i když jsem ho nikdy nepotkal, protože zemřel v roce 1962, tak pro mě vytvářel zdání, že lze dosáhnout něčeho vyššího než jen chození do zaměstnání. Svým způsobem jsem se ale vzdal svých amerických kořenů, když jsem se sem přestěhoval .. pro toho, kdo opustí svou zem, je to oběť. Mississippi je zemí Blues .. Proto se mě asi melancholie a zápas nepouští.

Na  svém facebooku je vidět, že politické dění sleduješ přes americká média  a vyjadřuješ se  k nim z pozice Američana. Možná díky socialnim sítím žiješ mentálně ve spojení se svou domovskou kulturou a politikou než s tou českou. Co si o tom myslíš a jak vnímáš malé evropské měřítko?

It's difficult for me to be fully Czech and I hold myself at a distance. My Czech language ability is still, after many years, pretty bad .. so yes you are right about Facebook .. but I need to turn it off. I had hoped CZ would develop more quickly .. I shared in the dream of Havel and I didn't understand the way people in the East and West still support an Iron Curtain culturally even some 30 years almost after it's gone.

Je těžké být Čechem naplno a tak se držím stranou. Moje znalost češtiny je po mnoha letech stále mizerná .. takže ano, s Facebookem máš pravdu.  .. měl bych ho vypnout. Doufal jsem, že Čechy se rozvinou rychleji. .. jako jiní jsem věřil v Havlův sen a nerozuměl jsem, jakto že lidé na východě i na západě pořád udržují železnou oponu v kulturním slova smyslu, a to 30 let poté, co je pryč. 4.Jak se žije americkému malíři v Čechách?

I teach English and I translate. I make very little money from my painting. I am a romantic and a dreamer and I dont play the game of convincing rich collectors to choose my work. Again I was naïve in that I believed people had good taste and supported committed artists, when of course the reality of the “art market” is much more about status and superficial material concerns.

Učím angličtinu a překládám. Malováním vydělám jen velmi málo. Jsem romantik a snílek a nehraju hru na přesvědčování bohatých sběratelů, aby si vybrali mé dílo. Byl jsem naivní, když jsem věřil, že lidé mají vkus a podporují oddané umělce, přitom „umělecký trh“ je mnohem více založen na věhlasu a povrchních materiálních zájmech.  

5.Jací umělci z amerických dějin jsou ti blízcí? V čem se liší tvé malířské kořeny od těch evropských?

From the previous generation I admire the work of Philip Guston and Wayne Thiebaud. I was in college in the mid-80s so the whole Neo-Expressionist movement affected me. My mark is naïve, on the border of art brut .. I work with my limitations and strengths, like any artist. I was quite inspired by the Georg Baselitz show at the Rudolfinum and to see the influence Guston had on his work. I like German and Italian painting and I would like to believe an American can participate in the cultural dialogue of Europe, even as it evolves. Lubos Typlt warned me that Czechs are more concerned with Conceptual Art instead of painting, which is dominated by Germany. Perhaps I would have had better luck in Germany .. who knows …

Z předchozí generace obdivuju dílo Philipa Gustona a Wayne Thiebauda. Na vysokou jsem chodil v polovině  80. let, takže mě ovlivnilo celé neo-expresionistické hnutí. Můj rukopis je naivní, na hranici art-brut .. Jako každý umělec, dělám, co umím. Udělala na mě dojem výstava Georga Baselitze v Rudolfinu a uvědomil jsem si vliv, jaký na jeho dílo měl Philip Guston. Líbí se mi německá a italská malba a rád bych věřil, že jako Američan se můžu podílet na kulturním dialogu Evropy. Luboš Typlt mě varoval, že Češi jsou více zatíženi na konceptuální umění spíše než na malbu, kterou zase ovládaji v Německu. Možná bych se byl uplatnil v Německu .. kdo ví ..

6.Konec večírku. To je název tvé výstavy v Galerii Na shledanou. Jak ho můžeme chápat?

 The monkeys represent humanity, the empty bottles is our depleted environment. We are at a critical place in our relationship to technology and progress. I feel we are still little more than monkeys in our understanding of the world, and in fact the monkeys themselves are more connected to nature than we are. We take and take, but we don't give back to the world. The party (1945-2008, post-WWII reconstruction) is over .. what comes next? We need to have more respect for the world we live on because we are are on this planet together. We either live or die all together. The ship is a journey, we are all on a journey, but to where?

Opice představují lidskost, prázdné lahve jsou naše vyprázdněné životní prostředí. V našem vztahu k technice a pokroku se nacházíme v kritickém bodě. Mám pocit, že jsme jen o málo chytřejší než opice v tom, jak rozumíme světu, opice jsou dokonce s přírodou spjaté více než my. Pořád jen bereme, ale nic světu nevracíme. Večírek (1945 – 2008, poválečná rekonstrukce) skončil .. co bude dál? Ke světu, v němž žijeme, musíme mít větší respekt, protože jsme všichni na jedné lodi. Buď spolu budeme žít nebo spolu umřeme. Loď je cesta, všichni jsme na cestě, ale kam? 7.Je ti blízká tématika konce, smrti. Ve svých obrazech pracuješ někdy s atributy smrti. Co tě k tomu vede?

Still life painting in the classical sense of memento mori led me to the theme of death. Moving to CZ and seeing Renaissance and Baroque culture closely helped me feel the power of the symbolic still life. Also having my own child and getting older myself opened up this theme for me. Often the art market focuses on the energy of young artists, but what do they know of the world? I think after we live and see the world, we begin to understand what we can say in response to it.

Malba zátiší v klasickém duchu memento mori (pamatuj na smrt) mě přivedla k tématu smrti. Příchod do Čech a bližší seznámení se s renesanční a barokní kulturou mně daly pocítit sílu symbolického zátiší. Téma mi také otevřela otcovská zkušenost a stárnutí. Umělecký trh se často zaměřuje na energii mladých umělců, co ale ti vědí o světě? Myslím, že teprve když žijeme a zakoušíme svět, začínáme rozumět, co máme na něj odpovědět.

8.Často maluješ klasické zátiší. Které tradiční alegorické předměty používáš a které jsi na scénu přinesl sám a proč?

I answered this above, but I feel my addition of the monkeys as a mirror of the viewer .. a living presence among the objects. Still life painting reveals an inner psychic landscape, it's rich with association. As a small theatre stage, it also has its weaknesses.

Už jsem na to odpověděl výše, ale můj vlastní příspěvek pociťuju v opicích, které jsou jako zrcadlo diváka … živé bytosti mezi předměty. Zátiší odhaluje vnitřní psychickou krajinu, která může být bohatá na asociace. Jako malé divadelní jeviště má ale také svoje slabosti.   

Měl bys chuť sám charakterizovat svou práci?

My work is a poetic response to my lived condition. Some aspects of my life as an immigrant are reflected in the monkeys who cannot speak, the emotional contact with faces and eyes.

Moje dílo je poetickou odpovědí na mou žitou zkušenost. Určitý aspekt mého života coby imigranta se zrcadlí v opicích, které neumí mluvit, v emočním kontaktu pomocí obličeje a očí.

Co Tě zaujalo ve Volyni?

 I was quite drawn to the river Voltynka and the benches on both sides of the river .. the beautiful sunsets created dioramas of village life: families with baby carriages, girls smoking on the benches. The graveyard and the devotion of people coming to clean the graves is very touching. I saw one Italian name there on a grave, so even here a few outsiders among you.

Velice mě přitahovala řeka Volyňka s lavičkami na obou březích … krásný západ slunce vytvářel diorama života na venkově: rodiny s kočárky, dívky pokuřující na lavičkách. Hřbitov a velmi dojemná oddanost lidí, kteří sem přicházejí starat se o hroby. Na jednom hrobě jsem viděl italské jméno, takže i tady mezi vámi je alespoň jeden outsider. …

[dfroza]

Love and Light exists.

but we still need to seek it personally, to come to “believe...”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is chapter #2 in the book of Mark:

Some days later when Jesus came back to Capernaum, people heard that Jesus was back in town and many gathered at the house where He was staying. Soon the crowd overflowed from the house into the streets, and still more people pressed forward to hear Jesus teaching the message of God’s kingdom. Four men tried to bring a crippled friend to Him; but since the crowd prevented their carrying him close enough to get Jesus’ attention, they climbed up onto the roof, opened a hole in it, and lowered the paralyzed man on his mat down to Jesus.

Jesus recognized the faith of these men.

Jesus (to the paralyzed man): Son, your sins are forgiven.

Some scribes were sitting in the crowd, and they didn’t like what they were hearing.

Scribes (reasoning to themselves): What does this Jesus think He is doing? This kind of talk is blasphemy, an offense against the Most High! Only God can forgive sins.

At once Jesus realized what they were thinking. He turned to them.

Jesus: Why do My words trouble you so? Think about this: is it easier to tell this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to tell him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk”? Still, I want to show you that the Son of Man has been given the authority on earth to forgive sins. (to the paralytic) Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.

The man rose to his feet, immediately rolled up his mat, and walked out into the streets. Everyone in the crowd was amazed. All they could do was shake their heads, thank God for this miracle, and say to each other, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”

Another time Jesus was out walking alongside the Sea of Galilee teaching the gathering crowd as He went. He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the booth where he collected taxes.

Jesus (calling out to him): Follow Me.

Levi left the booth and went along with Him.

At Levi’s house, many tax collectors and other sinners—Jews who did not keep the strict purity laws of the Jewish holy texts—were dining with Jesus and His disciples. Jesus had attracted such a large following that all kinds of people surrounded Him. When the Pharisees’ scribes saw who shared the table with Jesus, they were quick to criticize:

Scribes (to His disciples): If your master is such a righteous person, then why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners, the worst among us?

Jesus heard them.

Jesus (to the scribes): People who have their health don’t need to see a doctor. Only those who are sick do. I’m not here to call those already in good standing with God; I’m here to call sinners to turn back to Him.

The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees made a practice of fasting.

Some People (to Jesus): Why is it that John’s followers and the Pharisees’ followers fast, but Your disciples are eating and drinking like it was any other day?

Jesus: Guests at the wedding can’t fast when the bridegroom is with them. It would be wrong to do anything but feast. When the bridegroom is snatched away from them, then the time will come to fast and mourn.

These are new things I’m teaching, and they can’t be reconciled with old habits. Nobody would ever use a piece of new cloth to patch an old garment because when the patch shrinks, it pulls away and makes the tear even worse. And nobody puts new, unfermented wine into old wineskins because if he does, the wine will burst the skins; they would lose both the wineskins and the wine. No, the only appropriate thing is to put new wine into new wineskins.

One Sabbath Jesus and His disciples were walking through a field of grain; as they walked, His disciples grew hungry. They began to pull from the stalks and eat.

The Pharisees confronted Him.

Pharisees: Did You see that? Why are Your disciples doing what our law forbids on the Sabbath?

Jesus (turning toward the Pharisees): Do you remember the story about what King David and his followers did when they were hungry and had nothing to eat?

They said nothing, so He continued.

Jesus: David went into the house of God, when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the bread that was consecrated to God. Now our laws say no one but the priests can eat that holy bread; but when David was hungry, he ate and also shared the bread with those who followed him.

The Sabbath was made for the needs of human beings, and not the other way around. So the Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath.

The Book of Mark, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 4th chapter of the book of Esther where Esther chooses to stand for her people, the Jews, even going against the laws of man. just as we are to share the spiritual truth of rebirth in Light of the Son (True illumination) even if it were to go against any such unjust laws and the fear of man and of this world. we are meant to stand as mountains and Trees in our True nature as daughters & sons of our Creator and King, who even decides to make us kings & queens of earth, made in His pure image:

Mordecai mourned when he found out what had happened. He ripped his clothes, put on sackcloth, and wiped ash onto his body. Then he went through the city, weeping loudly in anguish. When he came to the king’s gate, not far from the palace, he stopped since those wearing sackcloth were not permitted to enter it and disrupt the mood of the court.

In the meantime, as word of the king’s decree began to spread throughout all of the provinces, terrible distress grew among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and screamed out in misery. Like Mordecai, many put on sackcloth and ashes.

Back in Susa, Esther’s maids and eunuchs witnessed Mordecai mourning outside of the king’s gate. They went and reported to the queen all that they saw.

Esther: What is wrong? Why is he doing this? It breaks my heart to think of him like this. Take these clothes to Mordecai so he can put them on instead of wearing sackcloth.

But when the servants arrived, Mordecai refused to wear the clothes Queen Esther had sent. So Esther sent for Hathach, who was one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to serve her.

Esther: Hathach, go to Mordecai at once. Find out why he is mourning, and report back to me all that he says.

Hathach went to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told the queen’s servant everything that had happened and how much money Haman had pledged to place into the royal treasury in exchange for the destruction of the Jews. Then he gave Hathach a copy of the order for mass murder of the Jews, the same order issued in the city of Susa.

Mordecai: Show it to Esther. Tell her everything I have told you. Convince her to go before her king and plead for his favor, not only for her life, but also for the lives of her people.

Hathach returned to Esther and told her everything Mordecai had said. Esther ordered Hathach to return to the city gate and reply to Mordecai.

Esther: How am I supposed to see the king? It’s known throughout the land, from the greatest of the king’s officials to the common folk who live in the provinces, that any person who approaches the king in the inner chamber without being invited is sentenced to death. That’s the law! There’s only one exception, and that’s if the king were to hold out the gold scepter to that person and spare his or her life. It’s been 30 days since the king last summoned me!

Hathach and the other servants took Esther’s response to Mordecai.

Mordecai: Tell Esther, “Don’t be fooled. Just because you are living inside the king’s palace doesn’t mean that you out of all of the Jews will escape the carnage. You must go before your king. If you stay silent during this time, deliverance for the Jews will come from somewhere, but you, my child, and all of your father’s family will die. And who knows? Perhaps you have been made queen for such a time as this.”

Once again, Hathach returned to Queen Esther with Mordecai’s message. In turn she sent a reply back to Mordecai.

Esther: Tell Mordecai, “In preparation for my audience with the king, do this: gather together all the Jews in Susa, and fast and pray for me. Intercede for me. For three days and nights, abstain from all food and drink. My maids and I will join you in this time. And after the three days, I will go in to the king and plead my people’s case, even though it means breaking the law. And if I die, then I die!”

Mordecai left the king’s gate and put all of Esther’s instructions into action.

The Book of Esther, Chapter 4 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, April 1 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about finding our identity in what is True:

"Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). Sin is not so much disobedience to an external code of behavior, however, as much as it is abandoning your trust, your identity, and your hope as a beloved child of God. As you believe so you will behave, and as you behave so you believe... Therefore one of the greatest of sins is to forget the truth of who you really are – a beloved and redeemed child of God! The great temptation of sin is rooted in the lie that we are unworthy people, that God does not really loves us (just the way we are), that He is disappointed in us, and so on. “Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence” (Nouwen). Forgetting who you are leads to forgetting who the Lord is, just as forgetting who the Lord is leads to forgetting who you are.... Therefore the Lord constantly tells us to remember and not to forget the call of his heart, the message of his love.

Sin seduces people to destroy themselves, since it first of all seeks to disown, impugn, and reject what is most important for spiritual life. The devil seeks to murder and destroy all that we need to be eternally healed... And though we might want to escape from this conflict (or to pretend that it’s not really here), the battle is intractably real and must be fully engaged until our redemption is complete (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Meanwhile, spiritual struggles can be downright ugly. Would any one deny that the cross of Messiah was a sacred space - and yet it was precisely from there, from the place of blood and suffering and pain and terror, that the grace, beauty, and strength of God for us would shine forth.

To effectively combat the devil, let us first of all pray to the LORD God Almighty and ask for His power, wisdom, and grace to deal with the evil one's devices and strategies used against us (Eph. 6:11-18; Rom. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Cor. 10:4-5). Since we are not to be ignorant of the devil and his devices (2 Cor. 2:11), let us particularly ask God to remind us of who we really are in the Messiah, and to give us the power of the Holy Spirit to genuine walk in the truth of our sacred identity as his beloved. Let us ask God to help us practically apply the victory given to us in the resurrection of Yeshua. With God's help, may we be bold to take our place at His banqueting table, assured that we are indeed His dear children... [Hebrew for Christians]

3.31.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

April 1, 2021

The Earth Is the Lord's

“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.” (Psalm 24:1-2)

The psalms often draw our hearts to praise the Lord for His wondrous deeds and marvelous attributes. In today’s text, we are reminded of the Lord’s role as sovereign Creator of Earth and everything in it.

The Lord Jesus Christ is Creator (Colossians 1:16; John 1:1-3), and as Creator He is the rightful owner of His creation. He created all things, and everything belongs to Him.

While some search for life beyond our solar system, our finite minds still haven’t completely fathomed the intricate designs found on our own planet. From billowing clouds to the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean, from the peak of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench, the wonder and beauty of God’s creation are clearly seen (Romans 1:20).

Life is unique to our planet. The Lord designed Earth to be the exclusive home for living things. Do you remember the old hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful?” It said, “All creatures great and small...the Lord God made them all.” Think about the largest dinosaur and the tiniest bacterium. Living things are extremely complex.

Scientists discover new creature features almost every day. Some credit nature with the power to select and direct. But God’s Word is clear: The Lord—not nature—“founded” the earth, and He alone created “they that dwell therein.”

Why does this matter? The Lord who created all things— humanity being His special creation, made in His image (Genesis 1:27)—is the same Lord who became one of us and died in our place (Philippians 2:5-9). The Lord who created earthly life is the Savior who freely offers us eternal life (John 3:16). MH

from Today’s email message from The Passion Translation:

Encounter God’s Heart . . .

The Constant One

Life carries with it the promise of change. It is continually ebbing and flowing with the certainty of the unexpected. The highs and lows of life have one thing in common—God can be found in their midst.

No matter what we face, our Father is available to face it with us. He is the constant One. His love is our life-source, and it’s always available. It infuses us with courage and strength. The presence of the Holy Spirit is our home. Our safe place. The ultimate reality that keeps us grounded and secure when hell rages against our souls. His joy isn’t dependent upon the changing seasons. And, regardless of how happy or unhappy our circumstances make us, our deepest joy remains when it is found in him.

Father, walk with me today. Let me smell the blooming fragrance of your love everywhere I go. When the cold winds of adversity blow against me, tuck me into the warmth of your constant care. In the ups and downs of life, whisper the reassuring melody of our holy union.

From "Firstfruits" written by Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez

Genesis 8:22

The Passion Translation

As long as earth exists there will always be seasons of planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.