#all social interaction there feels so natural and calm. its like reading a book sometimes even. it happens

[dearestones]

Twisted Wonderland Matchup: Riddle Rosehearts

Warnings: Fluff. 

Anonymous Request: hello! may i request a romantic matchup with twisted wonderland? prefernto be match with male pls and i use they/them prns and my personality: im really shy and kind of awkward when socializing others bcos im not really good interacting with them so i just stay in the sideline where i observe people and their behavior and thats the reason why people depict me as intimidating and hard to approach and also bcos of my stoic expression too but when im with my close friends, im really bubbly and more comfortable with them. im really quite moody sometimes and i also tend to overthink things. i always listen to my friends whenever they're having a problem and just be there for them sometimes pitching in some advice now and then. im also the type of person to run away from their problems and tend to push people away bcos i dont want to burden them, i also laugh at small things, im also the type of person to read a body language very well bcos of my observant nature. i also get insecure with my appearance too. i'm also blunt with my words.

my hobbies/likes includes writing stories and reading books, poetry composition, learning about stars and outer space, watching horror videos on yt, staying up all night writing down my ideas about my next stories, sleeping, i also have a fascination to ocean and i tend to stare at it, dark academia, i also like abandoned places especially if its haunted, i also love matcha green tea, i really love a meadow full of lavenders. thanks!

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After going through the description provided, I believe that you best pair well with Riddle Rosehearts!

The first thing you should know about Riddle is that he’s very respectful and cordial of others—a courtesy that he owes to his mother and the standards that he holds for himself. When he hears that you use they/them pronouns, he’ll immediately start using them. 

Furthermore, he’s also appreciative of your personality. In his dorm, there are too many troublemakers and he only has so much magical energy that he’s going to exert to punish them. Since you’re the sort of person who doesn’t get into trouble too often, he’ll mostly leave you alone.

Don’t worry if he doesn’t approach you too often. He’s not intimidated by your appearance or your stoicism; again, he’s grateful and thinks that you’re a breath of fresh air. Besides, it’s not like he isn’t as intimidating as you and he’s spent time with the other Housewardens: you’re soft and cuddly compared to them. Once he knows your true self, he’ll be somewhat surprised but gratified to be considered a close friend—and later, a lover. 

He likes your bubbly nature! Please laugh and smile around him! It makes his chest leap with unfamiliar warmth and his stomach fills with butterflies. He promises that it’s not against any of the dorm rules, you won’t be punished! 

As for your moodiness, that’s quite all right with him. Honestly, there are days when he doesn’t feel as particularly amiable (and his dorm already knows this), so he won’t judge you if you aren’t as open as before. In addition, your tendency to overthink is something that Riddle can help you with. His mother may have been a terrible parent, but her ability to heal was unparalleled. There are a few tricks that she must have imparted about anxiety and overthinking to Riddle. And if not? Riddle is more than happy to look up some techniques to calm you down or give you rational explanations to help you. 

As a Housewarden, Riddle is constantly bombarded with various projects and duties that he must uphold. Therefore, it’s not rare to see him somewhat stressed and a bit too “trigger happy” when it comes to his Unique Magic. When you become friends with him, he’ll slowly start venting to you about his troubles and even appreciating what bits of advice you can give him. Once the both of you become lovers, his tendency to lash out with “Off With Your Head” is nearly nonexistent. For some odd reason, you calm him down and he’ll often seek out your presence even if he is troubled with trivial concerns. 

Please don’t run away from Riddle. He’s spent the majority of his childhood alone and unloved, please don’t do this to him. You listen to him when he’s complaining about his dorm’s antics and the rest of the school’s shenanigans, so why can’t he help you as well? Let him help you carry the burdens that weigh you down. Even if your troubles may look inconsequential, he wants to be at your side. Please, trust him with this. 

As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Riddle’s mother has poisoned him with the thoughts about what sort of people he should be spending time with. For the first time in his life, he’s away from such a toxic environment, but it takes a while for him to break out of this mindset. When he first meets you and you don’t fit his mother’s strict standards of what a potential lover may look like, he might spurn you. However, as time goes on, Riddle will realize that your body type should not matter. You are you and Riddle loves you because it’s you. Your body should be a source of pride and love. If you’re feeling self-conscious, Riddle will take you aside and talk some sense into you.

Also, don’t cut your words with Riddle. For a long time, his dorm’s residents acted like they were stepping on eggshells around him and it’s gotten tiring. Be blunt with him. Put him in his place. He may be angry, but in the long run, it’ll help him become a better person.

Oh, will you drink matcha tea with him during his tea parties? Feel free to write your stories and poetries at the table. During intimate times like these, all he wants to do is simply be in your presence and breathe.

(If you want, you can go on a date at the beach… provided that Floyd isn’t there.)

Overall, the both of you suit each other rather well! There might be times when your relationship may steer towards turbulent waves, but as long as the both of you talk it out, you’ll be fine. 

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If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

TWISTED WONDERLAND MASTERLIST

[pizzapizzadickz]

Haaah. If yesterday is anything to base things off of I shouldnt use my headphones today bc my neck is fucked.

[lunaekalenda]

quick 🅁🄴🄻🄰🅃🄸🄾🄽🅂🄷🄸🄿 🄷🄴🄰🄳🄲🄰🄽🄾🄽🅂

fem!reader x some genshin characters!

↳✧･ﾟ ; zhongli, childe, xiao, yanfei, kazuha, xiangling.

✧ zhongli

be ready to manage the finances because man will not.

likes to spoil you with gifts but he isn't aware of the quantity of money he's spending.

"you don't have to buy me a jade bracelet every month, Zhongli."

"who says that?"

"our bank account, please."

he'll end coming back with money, you don't know from where and don't want to now tho.

he discovers a lot of mortal aspects because of you, so he'll be always thankful.

sometimes you'll ask him for some advice and end having a philosophy class.

be asking to meet your parents and act as if them were the Archons, we stan a polite and humble man.

will compliment your cooking skills.

takes you to beautiful sites to watch the sunset.

✧ childe

the T in Tartaglia stands for teasing.

boy will never leave you alone, always around, making bad jokes and teasing you.

"And what are you gonna do about it? Fight with me?"

"I'm not gonna name the cat Mora, for the Archons"

takes you to hundreds of social events, due to his personality.

he battles thinking about arriving home, to your arms again.

you don't like his job a lot, but he always promises to come back.

asks you to go fishing, that way he can be relaxed and enjoy a free day with his favorite girl.

you get along easily with Teucer, and he enjoys your company a lot too, so it isn't rare to find the three of you walking around Liyue, with him in the middle of you.

if he has to travel for some days, he'll make sure to send a letter everyday. if he can't, he'll send flowers or some cute items that reminded him of you.

makes up to you for the nights away in just one. just one.

daydreams about taking you to Snezhnaya.

his eyes recover its shining when he's with you.

✧ xiao

he didn't want to have anything to see with mortals

but there he is, hugging you from behind while you cook almond toffee for him.

he doesn't sleep, so he uses that time to admire you.

somedays he'll just leave with his weapon and return late at night, always giving you a gentle smile to let you know he's well.

sometimes, he asks you to leave him, remembering all the bad things he did.

you remember him that you're there for him, and that you're not gonna leave him behind.

even when he's quite reserved, is easy to see for his actions that he's grateful for having you with him, and that he really loves you.

he always cares for your well-being before anyone's else, even his.

he has spent so many years alone, that having you with him feels like a totally new life.

likes to sit with you on the rooftop of the hostal, watching the stars while he hugs you.

likes how your fingers trace his tattoos.

✧ yanfei

she's always reading, your house gets full of law books fast.

she likes to travel for work, but she likes to travel even more with you

will never let anyone scam you, and if you get scammed when alone, she will fast take legal actions.

you discovered her adeptus heritage by chance, but she doesn't make a show of it.

she likes to be between humans, talking and interacting with them.

she talks a lot, so be ready to hear her beautiful voice all the time!

despite of being a legal assessor, she dreams of a world without crimes, and she usually talks to you about it.

sings really good due to her low voice.

will always thank a hot plate of food when she arrives from work.

lets you brush her hair before sleeping every night.

✧ kazuha

composes haikus about you

finds so easy to recognize your scent on the wind

never got a place to call home until now

he's really sweet and soft.

likes to have long walks on the nature with you during calm weather days.

asks to have a maple on your backyard because he really likes them.

he was quite shy at first, but now he's all light chat and sincere caresses.

likes to cook for you so you can try his natal country plates.

sometimes he'll sit outside, missing his city. after all, he has been moving for years.

he'll just need a tight hug and a smile to go back home.

do almost all things quite slowly, he likes to enjoy and take time on them, such as kissing you.

✧ xiangling

cooking is her love language

she will prepare your fave plates for you, always adding something new for you to try!

she's sad you didn't like the texture of slime on her last rice, though.

she gets easily scared, so it is common for you to hear her screams when you look silently above her shoulder.

it's quite common to find her playing with Guoba outside.

asks you to go with her to get some ingredients, even if you have to travel for it.

hear the sound of her waist bell makes you instantly happy

tag: @jemmagotnojams i really hope you like it <3

some characters for part 2?

[robin-the-enby]

I was wondering if i could get a matchup for Diabolik Lovers? Feel free to ignore this if you want. I'm an ENTP in Myer Briggs personality types. Im very extroverted and I like to put myself out there and fight for what I believe in.

I have a lot of social anxiety at the same time though. I second guess myself a lot and around new people I tend to be rather quiet for a while. I also tend to be reserved if someone seems to be getting upset. Also I'm easy to fluster as soon as anyone shows any kind of confidence or if i lose my train of thought.

I'm short. Im around 5'1-5'2 and have short red hair and blue eyes. My hobbies are very indoors-y. I like to draw and listen to music or sing. I enjoy watching anime and reading fanfics or sometimes actual books. I do enjoy going outside and being active every now and then though.

Like I said, youre free to ignore this if youre not comfortable doing a matchup. If you do end up responding to this, thank you! (I don't know how to end this lol so its a bit abrupt, sorry)

Hi! Thanks so much for requesting! I don’t get many requests, so this makes me really happy. Don’t worry, my requests are open and the rules say I’ll write anything, from oneshots and headcanons to matchups <3 I hope you’ll like it, I haven’t seen the show in a while...

I match you with:

Kou Mukami

He’s a very sweet guy, and would not hesitate to approach you as soon as you catch his attention.

I feel like he’d be drawn to your extroverted personality. And if he saw you standing up for something you believe in? Oh he’s absolutely smitten.

He would also think it’s cute that you get flustered around him, he would take pride in that. He wouldn’t think of it as anything more than just you being shy though.

At first you two would be walking on eggshells around each other I think. You because of your anxiety and him because although he is very outgoing and seems very open, he’s a guarded person. He’s been hurt very badly during his childhood, so he doesn’t open his heart to just anyone.

He would definitely use his abilities on you to see if your intentions are good and your love genuine. Deep down he really craves affection and love, so if you persist, you’ll have him wrapped around your finger.

He would 100% support any of your hobbies and encourage you to pursue any kind of dream you have. You said you needed a new sketchbook? Let’s go to the shop then! New pencils? No problem!

When you two feel like going outside once in a while, he’d love to take you on a karaoke date or a concert. He’s famous, he could get a vip anywhere if he tried.

However, with fame come fans and with them, haters. If you get together with him, be prepared that all eyes are gonna be on you. Their idol found somebody to love, everyone is curious and dying to meet you!

That’s probably when Kou would feel like your behaviour around people isn’t just shyness.

He probably wouldn’t say anything at first, because I think he would think it’s not his business and if you wanted him to know what’s up, you’d come to him.

If you ever get overwhelmed by some more “hard to shake off” fans or persistent haters, he’ll help you in any way he could. 

He would be mad for your lack of responsibility towards yourself though, so do expect some scolding from him when you’re somewhere safe.

If you decide to open up to him about your anxiety, it would be as if something clicks together in his mind.

He’d be like: “...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...makes sense, yeah...”

He’d catch on that this is something personal and it is to be taken seriously, so expect him to try and open up about his own past and struggles as well.

Please be gentle with him and his feelings. You won’t regret it, I swear.

After that, he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. He likes to pretend that everything is okey-dokey, but if you get uncomfortable, he’ll nonchallantly whisk you away, like it’s nothing.

But he’s down to listen if you need. It makes for some epic bonding days.

Aytao Sakamaki

Oh he’d be such a little shit.

No, but really, he’d enjoy pissing you off so much. He’d love to argue with you, because you always stand up for your opinion and he likes that, oh so much.

Seeing you glare at him like you’re about to rip his throat out makes his stomach twist in the best of ways.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t get salty when he loses an argument with you. Be on alert, because his ego and god complex have taken damage and he wants a rematch.

Your constant bickering will piss everyone off so much, they would kick you or Ayato from the table so they could eat in peace.

If you see this as much of a game as Ayato does, good for you, because the more you can hold your ground, the more equal to himself he sees you and the more friendly he’d be.

He becomes almost stalkerish, always following you around and watching everything you do from a distance.

Yes, he may see you as somewhat equal to him now, but that means you’re a threat, because he must be the best. So he’s watching you like a hawk to ensure you’re not trying to stab him in the back or something.

Like Kou, he would take pride in making you flustered. He’s a more confrontational type of guy so if he notices how you act around certain people and that your extroverted side fades out sometimes, he calms down a little. You pose no threat to him and his glory anymore, congrats, you passed.

However, at this point, you managed to worm your way into his heart and he becomes overprotective. He’s not watching you from a distance anymore, nah, he’s walking right beside you, looking as uninterested as always.

As soon as somebody tries to start any shit with you, he’s ready to throw hands, no matter how powerful that being may be.

You’re Ore-sama’s special human, nobody can mess with his stuff!

And while this is nice, although kinda demeaning, it has a deeper, more selfish reason. Just because you don’t pose any immediate threat to him, doesn’t mean it will stay that way in the future. Deep down he feels like he needs to ensure you stay just the way you are, so he can always be at least a bit better than you.

As for your hobbies, well, I think Ayato would be sort of indifferent. He is not above using recordings of you singing something silly as possible blackmail, doesn’t matter what your relationship status is.

As for your drawings, if you were to show him one, he’d really try and take the time to look at it and appreciate it. But again, after agonizing minutes of silence, his god complex would kick in and he’d point out all the little things you could have done better in his opinion.

Others I can see you with: Yuma Mukami - He’d also enjoy both your extroverted and flustered side. He would probably be the best of the brothers to help you properly with your anxiety. He’s pretty outdoorsy, but only when it comes to nature I think, but if you don’t like going out, you can just hang out in his garden, it’s almost the same. You can draw while he tends to his veggies and stuff and if he’s in a good mood, he’d sing with you some nice pop or folk song! Shuu Sakamaki - probably the only one that isn’t into the whole extrovert thing, but would love to make you flustered. He’d also really like that you prefer to stay at home and that your hobbies are tame, you’d be a really chill couple. Prepare for him making you sing and carress his hair though, he’d definitely make you his songbird. Plus, you can’t get social anxiety if you don’t interact with people!

[fatehbaz]

On soil degradation and the use of non-native plants as weapons to change landscapes and sever cultural relationships to land; and on the dramatically under-reported but massive scale of anthropogenic environmental change wrought by early empires and “civilizations” in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and ancient world (including the Fertile Crescent, Rome, and early China): I didn’t want to add to an already long post.

This is a Roman mosaic, from when Rome controlled Syria, depicting an elephant (presumably the Asian species, Elephas maximus) interacting with a tiger (the Caspian tiger, a distinct subspecies of tiger, lived in Mesopotamia, the shores of the Black Sea, and Anatolia up until the mid-1900s). This mosaic is striking to me, because I guess you could say that this is clear evidence of the higher biodiversity and more-dynamic ecology of the Fertile Crescent in the recent past, until expanding militarism and empire led to extensive devegetation. After all, does the popular consciousness really associate elephants and tigers with the modern-day eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia? Not really. But for the majority of human existence, lions, tigers, elephants, and cheetah were all living alongside each other in Mesopotamia. Pretty cool.

Anyway, I wanted to respond to this:

Which was in response to a thing I posted:

Pina: Thanks for the addition! I don’t know much about the technicality Rome’s devegetation of the Mediterranean periphery, but - like you - I’ve read some cool articles about it, and then forgotten to bookmark them. (I know that I have at least one good article in print form, about Roman devegetation; I’m going to try to find it.) I’m glad you mentioned it!

The first image is in the public domain and depicts a rhino-shaped ritual wine vessel made of bronze, from about 1100 to 1050 BC, during the Shang era. (The piece is housed at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.) The second image is another bronze wine vessel from a site in Shaanxi Province, this time inlaid with gold and hailing from later in history during the Western Han period, about 205 BC to 10 AD. (Photo by Wikimedia user Babel/Stone.) The rhinos in both of these pieces are depicted with two horns, meaning that they likely depict the Sumatran rhinoceros; this is corroborated by the existence of fossil remains of Sumatran rhinos from across China prior to 1000 AD.

On devegetation in the ancient world:

Yes, it feels like the ecological effects of empires prior to the Middle Ages are not just “under-discussed,” but dramatically overlooked. Some “quintessential and iconic African fauna” like lions and cheetahs lived throughout the Fertile Crescent, until devegetation during the late Bronze Age and, a few centuries later, the ascent of Rome. Caspian tigers (a distinct subspecies of tiger) also lived nearby, in Anatolia, the Caucasus, the shores of the Black Sea, and Persia - right up until the 20th century, in fact! (Other iconic species present on the periphery of ancient Mesopotamia were Asian elephants; leopards are still present.) Aside from the devegetation of the Fertile Crescent and the later landscape modifications of Rome, I also don’t see a lot of popular discussion (there is academic discussion, though, obviously) of ecological change in Zhou-era and early imperial China, either. While early Mesopotamia is famous for the amount of social prestige ascribed to irrigators and engineers, who were evidently essential to maintaining the domesticated crops so important to “hydraulic civilization,” early China (apparently) also revered irrigators and engineers. At least according to folklore and written histories, before the Han period, seasonal floods, especially in the Yangtze watershed, would regularly destroy human settlements. Also, there far more tigers, leopards, rhinos, and elephants present; rhinos and elephants lived as far north as the Yellow River until empire really expanded, and the animals lived as far north as the Yangtze River into the European Renaissance era. So, those people with the technical expertise to “tame the wilderness” by damming rivers or calming floodwaters were given prestige and sometimes treated as folk heroes. [Chinese history is not a subject that I really know a lot about. I’m just relaying the observations made in one of the better books on environmental history in East Asia, which is Mark Elvin’s The Retreat of the Elephants - 2006.]

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On empires’ use of soil degradation to “sever connections to land” and “indirectly” destroy alternative or resisting cultures:

Seems that empire uses ecological degradation to enact a “severing of relations” (in Zoe Todd’s words). Basically: If you destroy somebody’s gardens, then they have to come to you to buy food. Furthermore, destroying someone’s connection to land will also harm their cultural traditions rooted in that land, eliminating a threat to the imperial cultural hegemony and erasing “alternative possibilities and futures” from the collective imaginary. (And destroying the imagination doesn’t just harm the invaded cultures, it also prevents the relatively privileged people living in the metropole or imperial core from “achieving consciousness” or whatever, wherein someone living in 150 AD Rome or 1890s New York City might imagine an alternative system and potentially dismantle the empire from within.)

It’s violence; destroying soil, cutting forests, it’s violence. But when empires destroy soil, they get to maintain a little bit of plausible deniability: “Ohhh, it’s not like we outright killed anybody, we just accidentally degraded the soil and now you can’t grow your own food. Damn, guess you have to rely on our market now, which also means you have to assimilate/integrate into our culture.”

Europe, the US, and the World Bank did this in West Africa after “independence.” They said “oh, yea, sure, we’ll formally liberate you from colonial rule.” But since the palm and sugar plantations were already installed, and many of the ungulate herds of the savanna had already been killed, what were new West African nations supposed to do? Miraculously resurrect the complex web of microorganism lifeforms in the soil? So what the US and its proxies are essentially doing is saying: “If you want loans, you have to keep the plantations and also install supermarkets to sell Coca-Cola.”

Todd: “The Anthropocene as the extension and enactment of colonial logic systematically erases difference, by way of genocide and forced integration and through projects of climate change that imply the radical transformation of the biosphere. Colonialism, especially settler colonialism – which in the Americas simultaneously employed the twinned processes of dispossession and chattel slavery – was always about changing the land, transforming the earth itself, including the creatures, the plants, the soil composition and the atmosphere.” [Heather Davis and Zoe Todd. “On the Importance of a Date, or Decolonizing the Anthropocene.” ACME An International Journal for Critical Geographies. December 2017.]

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On the use of non-native plants as a sort of “biological weapon”:

The use of non-native plants and agriculture to enforce colonization and empire is the whole focus of this influential book from Alfred Crosby. (I have some issues/criticisms of some of his work/theories, but his work is generally interesting.) Crosby popularized the term “neo-Europes,” and he proposes that European empires attempted to subjugate the native ecology of landscapes in Turtle Island, Latin America, Australia, etc., while attempting to introduce European species, cattle ranches, pastures, dairy farms, gardens, etc. in an effort to “recreate” a European landscape.

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Speaking of Rome’s devegetation of the Mediterranean: One of the famous cases of Roman devegetation that made the rounds recently was that of silphium. A couple of excerpts:

[From: The Original Seed Pod That May Have Inspired the Heart Shape This historical botanical theory has its roots in ancient contraceptive practices.” Cara Giaimo for Atlas Obscure, 13 February 2017.]

Silphium, which once grew rampant in the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, in North Africa, was likely a type of giant fennel, with crunchy stalks and small clumps of yellow flowers. From its stem and roots, it emitted a pungent sap that Pliny the Elder called “among the most precious gifts presented to us by Nature.”

According to the numismatist T.V. Buttrey, exports of the plant and its resins made Cyrene the richest city on the continent at the time. It was so valuable, in fact, that Cyrenians began printing it on their money. Silver coins from the 6th century B.C. are imprinted with images of the plant’s stalk -- a thick column with flowers on top and leaves sticking out -- and its seed pods, which look pretty familiar: 

[End of excerpt.]

Silphium is extinct now. There is a lot of conjecture about what, specifically, caused the extinction. But it looks like the expansion of Rome across the North African coast of the Mediterranean, and Rome’s development leading to soil degradation, is a likely cause.

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Thanks @pinabutterjam​  :3

The scale of ecological imperialism’s effects ... planetary, no escape. It’s exhausting.

[popcornbutterflymedia]

the teen show genre is back. that it had announced it’s grand return at such a time of deep uncertainty and unimaginable loss, especially for an entire generation of teenagers, is relief, respite, and a necessary and urgent gain. there is nothing but gratitude for this...for its intended audience and for those of us who will live vicariously through the lives of the kids, for those of us who will watch, and walk with the kids. for someone like me who longs to feel strongly about a story enough to write again.

despite my ‘desperate begging’ for the return of the youth oriented show. i did not picture this. in my defense, i did not know about this story at all. now, when i did learn the gist of the story, i did not expect much. it is, after all, a trope we’ve repeatedly seen in practically every language. in my defense, again, i would have found this show, and watched it anyway, in support of the network, probably be mildly entertained, slightly amused, and successfully distracted. and that would have been enough. i was bound to find this show, though during a deep dive into the youtube rabbit hole, chancing upon a japanese doll and an american cutie, realizing the creative team for this show is that creative team. my favorite creative team. i was sold.

i knew i was going to love this show enough to write. the question is, how? do i live tweet, take notes, and write a post for every episode, or do i live tweet take notes, listen, take notes and write one big post at the end of the series? judging by how much detail i know this team puts into a story in the form of metaphors, seeds, pay offs, connection and clues, clearly obvious in this first episode alone, this calls for an episodic post, for the peace of my own nerdy, detailed obsessed mind.

it is worth repeating that i haven’t read the book. this focuses on the series alone. no references, no comparison to its source material.

and it begins. oddly so.

first, a note on the casting: my attachment to a show is dependent on my attachment to the cast of the show. i spent the weeks and months leading up the pilot episode learning as much as i can about this refreshing cast of newbies. i’d been watching rise since it began, and so it wasn’t difficult to develop a soft spot for the five rise kids who are part of the show. as for the rest of the cast, their interviews and streams are all surprisingly impressive. i always like to say ‘walang patapon sa mga batang ito.’ none at all. they are all so special that i am in awe of how many gifted children are in one batch at one time, in time for a show like this. the teen show slot was vacant because it was waiting for these specific kids. 

everyone who was given moments on this episode made the most of their moments. episode one’s surprises were criza, who is a natural. i am just grateful naih was able to use all of criza’s kulit energy. gelo, i’ve known is funny, but it wasn’t until i saw him in character that i realized just how hysterical he is. i enjoyed his interaction with ysay, i am wondering if there is more of that. v no longer surprises. i find that she is incredibly underrated still. i love that girl. fictional life sometimes clouds my judgement, ever so slightly, but these mean girls, are the mean girls i would cheer for. i’ve just been enjoying the girls’ junket interviews so much that it is also a joy to watch them in character. aimee is spunky, sophie is incredibly poised. khloe is a joy to watch, and ash just fits in, dalia...i have never seen a girl with such strong presence and beauty since hopie. i have never enjoyed watching a local queen bee as much as i feel i would enjoy, and hate to watch kim. dalia is amusing to watch too, so there’s that. joao, you know i have always found reliable and competent. limer, i am just happy an actor like him is in a show as big as this. kaorys is my in on this show. they are favorites. i adore them. she registers well on camera, and rhys is music to my ears, and has such an animated, expressive face. i cannot wait to watch their subplot and write about them in detail. i am attached to these kids. i know they are going to be a joy to watch.

melizza, melizza deserves her own paragraph. i first paid attention to when she was answering those miss universe questions on rise, and my jaw literally dripped at how intelligent she is. that intelligence shines through in her portrayal of elle. she is self-aware, and aware of her co-stars in a scene. she is conscious of where she is in a scene. she does she is a realiable actress in that there is no fear that she will break character it doesn’t have to be her scene, but i cannot help but watch her. she isn’t a scene stealer, but she is always acting, always reacting. she gets the assignment: from speaking french to playing a nuanced mean girl whose meanness, is as she understands and plays elle, stems from fear, from being threatened. i actually love that. there is no real villain in this story, just kids navigating unfamiliar, ugly, strange feelings, with limited ways to express these feelings. melizza gets it. i said i am a melizza fan now. i mean it.

donny and belle individually: i had known of donny, watched him long enough to know him, and who his family is. since he started mostly on social media, this ate didn’t quite get the appeal. no offense, it’s just a generational thing. haha! when he started acting, he was like most greenhorns to me, appeal understandable, charming to an extent, but with still so much to learn. i missed his last acting stint before this show. i did not watch jpd.

belle is a going bulilit alum. that’s all i really need to know to trust the casting. i wasn’t a fan yet. i had no clue about the story so i did not know just how much weight the character carried, but by virtue of the fact that she’s been acting the longest out of the ensemble, i knew she knew what she would be doing. i knew the management knew what they were doing when they casted her. belle as the focal point of the story lends such an air of confidence that the story will be told well and that the necessary intimacies will be handled with care. belle’s ability to transform would make max’s arc effective. i did not watch jpd. i had heard about it.i had heard it was surprise. ‘the ending part...’ it was all too familiar: lizquen, circa 2012, must be love: ‘the ending...’

it was completely blind, complete trust.

their casting made me momentarily forget that there were multiple rounds of auditions, from which the each of the cast were carefully picked. it just seemed so random, that is, in context of say, kaori and rhys that could count kuya’s house as part of their shared history. so much of my acceptance of this new pairing depended on how much i trusted the team, and how i knew they worked. i then consumed any and all donbelle content i could find, which, at that time was painfully lacking. imagine the excitement when that first general assembly officially kicked off the hih junket, from then on, they started to grow on me. 

these are two calm, cool, collected kids, with a kulit side for sure, but they both take their sweet time. there is a formality and wide open space that was begging to be bridged with these two. there were times i would will myself to see it.  theirs isn’t an instant explosion of chemistry, but a sustained afterglow. once that was clear, the goal of sustaining this partnership for however long, how many other stories they can tell together, also became clearer.

it was the tv patrol interview by the lockers that had me sold. it was him joking that they were already married with three kids. it was the way he looked at her in that interview, the way he still does, with donbelle, it’s all the little, quiet things. i don’t know how to explain it, but if they were to jump into the emotional deep end together, i have no fear.

now, back to the beginning which i thought was strange. a recap of what i imagine is the entire first season, artistic as it may be, is one huge spoiler. i realized, this is based on a book. those who’ve read it obviously know what’s going to happen. such opening is meant to set the mood. it’s an invitation to emotionally invest. it’s safe to say, it accomplished those two goals, but i feel as though there is more to that opening. as someone who is clueless about the source material, it reassures that it doesn’t matter what we know, or don’t know, because this is less a story of ‘what?’ and more a story of ‘whys?’ and ‘hows?’this takes me back to the first general assembly when comparisons to the meteor garden, boys over flowers were brought up. i understand the comparisons, but now that the first episode has aired, i feel so strongly against it.  

this introductory montage is proof that it is not about the pieces of the story, but how the pieces are moved around to tell a story, to give us a fresh new perspective of a trope, starring stereotypical characters. the story is told in retrospect, with our lead looking back, taking all the pieces of the whole apart, rather than building the story as she goes along (which is incidentally how i like to take in stories).

the introductory montage is a device that allows a more expanded storytelling. the story is told from max’s point of view. it’s a story of how she sees things, this makes her an unreliable narrator due to her blind spots and clouded judgement. as the story goes along, the audience sees that it is not only max’s story, it is deib’s as well, and the rest of the characters’ stories, max only sees the bigger picture in retrospect. because i am such a nerd, imagine my kilig when i realize why that choice for an opening was made? i may have screamed.

notes, questions, favorite moments.

belle’s ‘sigurado,’ the first 4-5 notes of the hooked sprinkled throughout the episode.

on the road: the transition from max on the trike and deib, in his car rushing through a countryside road, if that was clean editing, i’d celebrate it...that the two people were on the same road at the same time travelling different directions is the most clever storytelling moment thus far. i love when seeds are planted and pay offs are grand. it was hardly a meet cute, but it was some intense head on collision. okay, i got it just then, the accident was a literal representation of their metaphorical colliding. it was a lot of things for her: irritation, wonder, disturbance, fascination, disruption. it was a complicated mix for him too, except clouded by the rush of having to be somewhere else other than that moment. charged. electric. spark. lightning that escaped him. (yup. more on that later).

this encounter begs the question: what was deib doing there? why was he in a rush?

the airport scene: ‘hinihintay ka na ng kapalaran mo.’ a beautiful verbal sign of things to come.

meeting daddy: it’s what uncertainty does to max that i find so disarming her fidgeting the heart shaped pendant close to her chest, summoning said heart for strength, and grace, counting on the assurance of its familiarity.

the car conversation with dad: still disarming. charming. curious. that the necklace from which hangs her heart shaped confidante was actually her dad’s gift to her mom. how heartwarming is the thought that the one thing that makes her feel close to her mom is actually from her dad who she is meeting for what i assume is the first time? i think it’s a beautiful irony.

the dinner table scene. the family dynamic it established. elle’s french, max wrestling with the chopsticks on the side.

sleepless max. her hidden vulnerability, and with whom that vulnerability finds comfort. who is babu?

max’s fist at the school entrance, and elle calling her out on it.

the cafeteria scene, and how that whole moment is the selling point of the story - brave max who does not care for the social rules of her new school standing up to the bully who happens to look the way he does. i won’t say she’s unaffected, but at that point  her view is clouded with the injustice she just witnessed, that is until they recognize each other. as a side note: ysay and lorde’s interaction made me smile.

the aftermath. max has now caught the attention of the whole school, she has caught the attention of the mean girls so much so that walking down the halls is social suicide. when aimee confronted her, (sophie did so well!) my eyes looked for elle’s eyes. there were layers upon layers of emotion there: shame, hesitation, confusion, fear, maybe anger, there was a flash of her wanting to connect too, or did i just imagine it?

the gym scene with all the boys. it’s probably my favorite...not really, but it’s the scene that gave me so much, the scene that proved to me that this is more than just a simple, one dimensional teen show. this one moment spawned so many fan theories online that i have yet to read. it’s interesting when we cross that bridge, but to me for now, it is from this point up to the debate that kind of turned the tables, and gave the story a sudden depth that’s unexpected. it made the audience pay attention to deib as well, that this is as much his story too. and on the aspect of change, in one interview (i can’t remember which one), i remember belle describing max as someone who wants to change the people around her, and through that, she is changed as well. i did not understand what she meant at that time, until this. and the debate.

the debate: i just love the debate, simply because i love words, but long-winded dialogue like that is risky especially on a show like this. i loved it. i loved the rhythm, poetry, and point of it. i love how layered it is. i loved how comfortable was delivering his lines. i did not cringe, which just means he has gotten better at this whole acting thing, and it’s always a joy to watch someone breakthrough. this moment was necessary as a springboard to the next scene, to show that the rivalry isn’t just a physical one, but a rivalry of the minds too. (i enjoyed that that was pointed out in one of the kumu lives)  this is also one of the scenes that proved what the introductory montage was trying to establish: that max is an unreliable narrator, that there are things she doesn’t see. i would say the tables have turned, and it has, but we also discovered that deib has always been the romantic, and max the realist. at that moment we know that max will be changed irrevocably. that ending took the wind out of me. that hurt, but it was thrilling too, made me excited for things to come.

 ‘love is like lightning.’ poor deib doesn’t know he has been struck by lightning, and is prone to the electricity of one. he doesn’t know it yet because of the gray sky gloom of his shattered heart.

the kiss is everything, it was shocking, kilig and all that, but in context of the story, it is more appealing more kilig to think of all the interactions that lead up to that accidental kiss, all the pent up tension in those interactions that is channeled into that meeting of lips. oh gosh! it just occurred to me, this kiss was predicated by such a verbose exchange just to prove a point, to win. it only took this kiss to shut both max and deib up. i would say there are no winners here. they are both losers to love. except. it’s still to early to call it, right?

in terms of the team up: implied as it is, this is what i mean when i say, i am unafraid for these two to go there, when necessary. there is such a safety i sense between donny and belle, in the way they care for each other. it’s beautiful.

to say that this show only promotes bullying to its young, impressionable target demographic, could not be more wrong. this show matters because it gives its characters (who are representative of today’s teen generation), complete arcs, and safe spaces for feelings no matter how ugly they are. it’s a show that allows teens to be teens, allows them to figure things out for themselves, a show that allows them to relate with one another, as they should. and the usual byproduct of emotional teens relating with one another is bullying. it’s not the best thing ever, but it is what it is. see, we can only pray and hope that the kids turn out to be good ones, but to expect kids to be perfect is out of the question. this is a work of fiction, of course there is a tinge of exaggeration. now, if you all are that bothered by the bullying, i hope there are adults watching with you. be kilig. have fun with the show, but always look deeper.

why do you think i needed three re-watches and few days for a post this long?

i am excited for the next episodes.

__

(if i think to add more, this will be edited).

[save-the-spiral]

Wiztober Day Eleven: Darkness

Welcome to day eleven of Wiztober! One character is pointedly not named. I don’t like writing down or coming up with deadnames for trans characters, it makes me extremely uncomfortable (though they are misgendered, it’s from the perspective of people who don’t know they’re trans, or the character themself doesn’t know they’re trans). My first time writing more about actual cultures, and also a trans femme character more in depth. Feel free to send an ask and correct me if need be. (ALSO. I can explain the names in another post. the intersection of culture and gender comes into play). My content warning are specific but! they need to be. Sorry if it’s awkward! some things would be specifically upsetting to me if faced with them out of the blue, and I’d like to note them.

Content warnings for perfectionism forced upon children from their parents, physical and verbal bullying, ableism (towards a ‘weird’, not openly autistic person), chronic pain mention (endometriosis), attempted murder, injury mention, and like, two lines of implied racism, though it could be interpreted otherwise.

(link to prompt list)

Quyen and Phuong Jade were close siblings. Born only a year apart, Quyen was a good older brother, going out of his way to protect his two younger siblings, but with a soft spot for his sister Phuong. In the beginning they were three sons from a good, ‘normal’, Vietnamese family, even with an adopted youngest child. Now Quyen, Phuong, and their younger brother were wizards, and not all of them were sons, and they had left their home on Earth behind years ago. They had all left their names as well.

Quyen chose Celyn, and Phuong went by Morelle, and they chose the last name Jade together. Quyen was thirteen, Phuong twelve, and their younger brother ten. This youngest brother didn’t get input as to their new last name, and his first name was already western, given by parents he never knew. He saw himself as an afterthought most of the times, the adopted baby to be taken care of as Quyen and Phuong acted like twins, mischievous yet hard working together.

Celyn was eighteen, now. He never faltered when responding to his western, fake name. He was a year ahead of Morelle, and yet she spent more time helping him with his homework in their study sessions than the other way around. Morelle was also taller than him now, a consistent point of good-natured ribbing.

He was still supportive and protective, though his brother had insisted on being given space in his moodier teenage years, now fifteen with a steady girlfriend and a need to prove himself. So Celyn gave him distance, checking in sometimes but always being pushed further away. Morelle insisted that their brother needed to find his own friends, find himself, because although he seemed ungrateful, he still loved his siblings. They had to. They would always be family.

Morelle was seventeen, and even more outspoken and strong than before. She still had dragged Celyn with her to (almost) every doctor’s appointment as she transitioned, genuine when she looked him in the eye and said she needed someone to know, and care. Celyn already cared, and he found rare books on the magic used to help in her transition, and left them in her dorm.

Celyn always loved rare books, and had a skill for finding them.

That, one could suppose, is as good a start as any, though it goes back two years ago.

Celyn had been given a tip by a grateful acquaintance about where he could find rare, even forbidden, books in Wizard City. Just had to have the right key, and go behind the right waterfall, and be prepared to pay the price if caught.

Since he was sixteen Celyn had been sneaking into Nightside, slipping between abandoned streets and alleyways in the dead of night, wearing a dark cloak, carrying a dagger, maybe being a bit too dramatic. He had found some of his best finds in empty houses and bookstores, and even once grabbed a tome from the library, though that felt too actually criminal for him to attempt again.

At first it was just extra reading material, he and his siblings were all great life wizards, but they could always be greater. They strove for perfection as children back on Earth, and even now without parents to scold them, they still felt a frantic need to be the best, the kind that left them pulling all-nighters and waking up in a panic over tests already taken..

Morelle was fifteen when she started tutoring a pretty girl in life magic. The girl was known around school as quiet to the point of unnerving, never getting social interactions right, so the myth wizard had been labeled as ‘weird’ by the majority of people and written off as smart but too freaky to befriend. Morelle, who looked at this girl and couldn’t help but blush, who found her intriguing now that she noticed her, was thankful she had been assigned to tutor her.

Morelle and Morae became quiet study partners after that. Morelle came to Celyn for help with her rapidly growing need to get to know the girl, to speak to her and find a way to connect where no one else had tried before.

Celyn decided to find some esoteric myth tomes for Morelle to give to her new friend. That was when he found a book on Shadowmancy.

He kept the strange, unique book, shoving it under his homework an interest to pursuit later. He passed on the myth spell books and Morelle came back later, gushing about how Morae was from Earth like them, though on the opposite side of the globe, and then she said more and more until Celyn realized it indeed was a crush.

Celyn met Morae. She was as quiet as rumors said, though there was a logic to it, and Celyn respected that. They both relished in a silent, calm environment, and both enjoyed having someone outgoing and wild like Morelle to pull them out from time to time. They rarely spoke, aside from Celyn giving Morae advice about wooing his sister, and Morae asking clarifying questions about Morelle and how to interact with others without coming off as always aloof, when in reality she was actually rather excited or happy.

Something Morae was startlingly quick to divulge was that she was in nearly constant pain, and kept a blank face as a habit so she wouldn’t scowl at everyone. Then, she would forget to smile. When asked further, she just shifted, pressing a hand to her lower back, and muttered that it was chronic, and even magic didn’t have a cure, so she took standard medication imported from Earth.

Celyn wasn’t one to adopt others as friends quickly. That was Morelle’s forte. But something about Morae opened up his heart, and while his brother pushed him away, he felt like he was gaining a second sister rather quickly. He answered Morae’s questions, he kept and eye out for interesting books Morae would like. He even picked up food for her to try, although she was quick to dismiss things with unpleasant textures, it was something he did to add variety to her life, as she admitted living by routine was soothing, but sometimes monotonous.

It was a month or so later that Celyn actually delved into the book that had gotten lost in his shuffle of books and homework. Shadowmancy was interesting. It spoke of other schools of magic Celyn had never heard of before, ones concerning the Moon, the Sun, and the stars. Some part of him burned with a cold resentment that such lost knowledge was buried in abandoned shops and homes, that it could have been lost to time, even though students would always be eager to discover and learn a new school. He had to know more.

As Morelle grew closer to Morae, Celyn fell into isolation, only studying for school, and for this new magic he had found. Months passed, and the only times he left his dorm were for class or seeking out more books in Nightside’s forgotten corners, then dropping off books for Morae and Morelle during group study nights.

Things progressed. Now, Celyn is eighteen. Morelle and Morae are seventeen.

Celyn would graduate in a few weeks’ time. Morelle and Morae had been dating for half a year, still tentative, barely doing more than some adventurous hand holding in public.

The world shifted when Morae showed up to one of Celyn, Morelle, and Morae’s group study sessions with a bruised face, and couldn’t speak. Morelle instantly went to her girlfriend’s side, emotional but trying her hardest to not raise her voice or cry herself.

Celyn sat there, watching it happen, and felt like he was grinding his teeth into dust. Anger surged, as if someone flipped a switch inside him, and his usual pleasant and sometimes coy demeanor became nothing. His face was devoid of emotion, his green eyes, something so different from his siblings’ plain brown, were dull.

He saw nothing but the shadows, and the shadows saw him. Life magic had no solution for this aside from soft words and healing spells. Shadow knew how to twist circumstances in one’s favor, how to change the game and make others regret.

Morelle told him the next day before a shared lecture. Morae had allowed her to confide in him, and so his sister told him that there were some very persistent bullies seeking a response from Morae. That they had been doing this for years, and were just now escalating to physical actions. After that day, he spent more time with Morelle and Morae, supporting them. She would show up to their usual meeting spots with a random bruise or two, insisting it was nothing. He was trying his best to remain calm and not lash out at the entire world for allowing harm to come to Morae.

Instead he watched, waiting, but still he felt tense. A bow string pulled past its limits, cold with righteous fury that must be sated eventually. He became less orderly, forgetting some of the last assignments in his school career, dressing in ink stained theurgist robes, no longer tying his hair back.

Morelle joked that they looked like twins more than ever, and Celyn grinned at that. Their sharp smiles were identical, and Celyn knew he could bring Morelle in on the only secret he had ever kept from her, if only from omission.

So on a night where Morae wanted to study on her own for myth school exams, Celyn invited his sister over. He showed her the books he had accumulated, hidden behind his driest, most boring textbooks. She was interested, downright fascinated, but only drawn to what Shadowmancy could do to make her a better healer and protector.

Celyn had been drawn the violence. He was always of the opinion that the best defense was a swift and ruthless offense. Morelle had a better sense of when to play fair, where he was more ruled by anger. He probably should have guessed what facets of this school she would find entrancing.

She knew this about him too, and vocalized it when she noticed how much fewer his books on healing and protecting were. Morelle simply teased him, smiling as if it was something as commonplace as her razzing on Celyn over his height. Celyn smiled back, and knew Morelle was better at predicting him than he was at reading her intentions.

Celyn even brought her along on a visit to Nightside, where she could scope out and pick books of her own, and they didn’t sleep that night. It was amazing, the adrenaline of a heist combining with the giddiness of their old mischief making them carry twin smiles.

They were not careful. They were seen.

Those who saw them knew who they were. Who their few other connections were. A distanced, adopted brother who was busy being dragged around by an overbearing girlfriend anyway, and wasn’t consequential. And then Morae, the same girl they had been harassing, that they were so keen on finally getting a reaction out of.

So that was how things came to a head. Threats were made to Morae about getting the only people who cared about her kicked out of Ravenwood. Morae was angry, very angry.

All her life, Morae had been passive. She was quiet, sensitive. A good girl back at home on Earth, who kept quiet and did everything asked of her, even when that meant failing school to take care of siblings, even when that meant smiling and pretending she didn’t understand the insults, even if she was fluent in English as well as her native Spanish. She was different no matter how silent she was, her large afro of hair and Vitiligo always easy to point out.

Then Morae was told she had to potential to be a wizard, to go learn fantastical things. She took the chance, because when she asked her parents, they said they didn’t care either way, and tried to guilt her, but she didn’t get that they were trying to guilt her, and so she just left. She cut her hair close to her skull, the texture finally no longer a constant pain just under her skin, and became a myth wizard.

And for years, she still acted the same. Quiet, passive. A good girl. Until she reached out and asked to be tutored in life magic. And she found someone worth being herself for. 

Almost two years of being friends, almost six months of being girlfriends, and Morae had found her spine, confidence wrapping around her like a heavy, anchoring blanket. When threatened, anger rose up for the first time since she was very young. Anger made her fists clench around the strap of her school bag. It made her look up from her shoes. It made her pay attention and want to defend what was hers.

So Morae looked the bullies in the eye, standing at her full height of six feet, and scoffed. The eye contact was uncomfortable, but it was worth it for the bullies’ discomfort, as they noticed just how tall she was, how severe her face could look, even in the dappled sunlight outside the myth school. She told them she didn’t care, that they could bring it because nothing had worked yet, and she was getting bored.

Then she left, and within a minute she had interlocked her fingers with Morelle’s, and she kissed the girl on the cheek, spontaneous enough to leave them both giggling.

Morae told Morelle and Celyn about her confrontation that night when they were supposed to be studying, her eyes bright as she rambled on, open and honest and excited about this new development, as if it were idle yet juicy gossip, and not a serious threat.

Morelle knew Celyn was angrier than ever, though it was because he was scared, and he knew if they got caught it would be his fault. Morelle knew what kind of person Celyn was, and that her brother would take the punishment for the both of them if he could figure out how. And she wouldn’t let that happen, not when they could control the situation. In the past few weeks her studies in shadow magic pushed her towards thinking like this, and she found it very beneficial.

So Morelle, that night, told Morae about the school of shadow magic. Morae, who had already gone to the limits of her magical prowess mastering life magic alongside her first school of myth, was interested, but unable to learn it anyway aside from maybe a spell or two. Celyn, understanding what Morelle was going towards, helped her plan out what they were to do next.

What neither of them considered was that plans always fall apart the moment one comes in contact with the enemy.

And so this was where they were.

A day before graduation, and Celyn’s dorm was being searched after he was accused of attacking some students who may or may not have a reputation for bullying. He did attack the students, but it still felt unfair. Of course they found the shadowmancy books too, because Celyn didn’t exactly think things would get this far, and in his defense, he was eighteen, and thought a few stuffy textbooks would be a good cover for contraband. He was expelled, and then exiled, quickly and quietly. He was leaving through the Spiral Door before anyone knew what had taken place that morning.

Morae was missing. Morelle was frantic and looking for her, a lime green aura of powerful life magic fluttering around her, lighting up all the dark spots as she scoured everywhere one would expect Morae to be.

Someone, like a god damned serial killer, had slid a note halfway under Morae’s door sometime after Morae had searched her girlfriend’s dorm that morning.

It had just a location, and Morelle was on a warpath. If those who caused this, whoever Celyn had missed in his little vengeance mission, were still there, they would regret it.

Luckily for those people, they weren’t there. Morae was.

She had been thrown from the edge of Ravenwood, down into Nightside.

It was a gorey scene. If Morelle hadn’t been medically trained, she likely would have been unresponsive when faced with something so awful. She did all she could with her life magic, straightening broken limbs and bandaging open wounds, staring helplessly at obvious internal wounds. She even managed to conjure a stretcher, the fabric and wood a deep green, her magic too emotional to bother with proper colors as it glowed and levitated, illuminating Morae’s injuries in a sickly color.

Morelle ran as quickly as she dared, the stretcher following her, Morae’s breaths wheezing and shallow, filling the small cave entrance behind the waterfall when Morelle stopped for breath, in her mind trying to construct any plan.

There was no plan for this.

So Morelle walked out of the fine mist of water from the waterfall, using her magic to shield Morae’s body as the stretcher floated through. The busy students preparing for the graduation ceremony tomorrow stopped and stared from their places scattered about the Commons. Once shock turned to alarm, people began yelling and crowding around, more and more coming as they heard the others, and Morelle only got as far as the courtyard right before the tunnel to Ravenwood when she snapped.

Instead of lime green life magic, Morelle’s magic darkened. It became a forest green, still surrounding and shielding Morae, what little healing magic she had left being slowly fed into her body, trying not to overload her.

But around Morelle herself that forest green darkened further. She shouted for people to back off and clear the way, but still the crowd shifted, fellow theurgists offering their aid and conjurers offering faux sympathy after years of ignoring their peer, one of the best of them.

Then, ink falling into water, blood falling onto cobblestones, Morae falling into Nightside, Morelle’s ambient magic became a deep, unfathomable black. It absorbed light around it, filling out and circling like a predator, a deep chirruping hum of interest as it built a barrier.

Then Morelle’s shadow stretched, rising, holding a scythe she didn’t own yet. Shadow didn’t care for time, it knew who Morelle was.

And, as Shadow always does, it broke the rules.

There were limits to magic in healing, the potential to make magic spill over as if the wizard body was a cup and magic was water, and it was infuriating to many healers. Shadow could overflow, and still stay, all that magic anchored and solid, as if frozen and still rising, leaving bit by bit as the body absorbed it and truly healed.

Morelle’s hair rose, long black strands twisting and warping as she merged with her shadow, a sentinel and seraph in one form, armor clad in indigo and black, wings protectively curled where they became one with the barrier around her.

Next Morelle knew, she was in a daze, and it was the dead of night, and she was told of her expulsion, a key in hand as she entered the Spiral Door.

Next Morae knew, she was waking up as healthy as she could be, told of her girlfriend’s expulsion, and girlfriend’s brother’s exile. How those who were attacked by Celyn and those who she knew had thrown her off a cliff were getting off with no punishment for their bullying, or for their actual crimes of assault and attempted murder. And she was angry, and spiteful, but this time she was willing to wait for a better plan.

She would complete her last year of school in only months of time, and find her girlfriend. She would return to Wizard City one day, Morelle at her side, with a plan that wouldn’t fail.

So Morae smiled softly, if not a little tearfully, and quietly thanked the life student in the clinic who was known to rip up the homework of those he disliked. Morelle and Celyn had such interesting gossip from the secret hierarchy of life wizards.

There were many secrets in Wizard City. Morae would just have to find the right one to make Ambrose regret his choices. She would bide her time, but when the time did come, she would make eye contact no matter how painful, just to see that soft sparkle in Headmaster Ambrose’s eyes to fill with stark terror.

[hrker-a]

STARTER / @hagyak​

                              𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙼𝙱𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙻𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙽𝚂𝚈𝙻𝚅𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙰 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃 𝙷𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴 . he had noticed that the days ended early there : the sun would barely touch the snow ridden horizon with its belly and , immediately , the darkness would swallow all the color out of the sky . jonathan could only stand there , in his chambers , and watch the whole natural spectacle happen . it was quite beautiful , witnessing the light cut through the tall trees only to slowly die out like a flame that did not burn . but harker would be lying if he said to not be unsettled by the deep darkness . IT WAS WILDERNESS THAT LINGERED THERE , outside the castle’s walls . waiting with unhinged jaws for any man who dared venture on his own . and though moonlight did touch the transylvanian woods , the shapes mr . harker managed to make out in the night brought him no comfort .

                                              the englishman pulled his gaze away from the window to focus on buttoning up his waistcoat . he would dine with his client yet again tonight . it was a meal which jonathan found himself quite excited for . his need for social interaction had grown significantly since his arrival for he spent most of his days alone , attempting to decipher the labyrinth that was dracula’s castle to no avail . his only comfort was the man’s library ; though many of the books were written in romanian , jonathan would sometimes come across one in english and find some form of entertainment within their pages . every time he attempted to read through romanian he’d only find his struggle with the romance languages perpetuated . it was during these times that HE MISSED MINA THE MOST .  ───   his nightly conversations with dracula had become an absolute necessity in order to keep the young lawyer from stepping too close to that dangerous abyss named LONELINESS .

                                                  suddenly , the darkness moved . with a furrow of his brow , jonathan stepped closer to the window . it moved once more . he could see it ! a large animal standing atop one of the hills , too large for a wolf but not lean enough to be mistaken for a horse . harker stood there , transfixed by that haunting sight . and before he could identify the WILD BEAST , it started��a’running . down the hillside and into the forest it went and jonathan wished to get a better look , for his eyes hungered for knowledge ; SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT THERE . he continued to feel as if things were being kept from him : shadows would peek through doors left ajar only to vanish when he opened them , dracula’s servants were nowhere to be found and the man himself carried the most peculiar way of life , coming to him only in the evenings , never sharing a meal or a drink with him . mr . harker needed to be sure he had not gone mad : NEEDED TO KNOW ! he ran out of his room , climbing down the stone steps quickly , glancing out every window he came across , watching the animal’s shadow moving amidst the trees . it ran closer to the castle . both horror and adrenaline pumped through jonathan’s veins . 

                                              the man turned right on one of the many hallways , believing this would lead him to some sort of balcony , where he’d be able to have a better look of the terrifying beast . but he was surprised to find himself in the parlor . mr . harker blinked his eyes furiously , deeply confused . HAD HE LOST HIS WAY AGAIN ? only after a few moments did he notice his host , standing in one of the corners of the room , next to an open window . dracula’s presence startled jonathan , but not as much as jonathan had startled him , surely .

                                     “ forgive me , count , i did not mean to be so sudden . but i just sighted the largest of animals ! it appeared to be a wolf or a bear or  ───  ” mr . harker felt his chest rise and fall due to his small run . he must have looked abhorrent . one of his hands ran through his uncombed hair , pulling it away from his eyes , doing his best to look presentable . a sudden wave of self-consciousness came crashing down on the poor man . he looked unhinged . HE HAD NOT WISHED TO SCARE THE COUNT . jonathan attempted to regain his usual calm demeanor before opening his mouth to speak again . “ does it not worry you ? living this close to wilderness ? ”

[anuschkalova]

The Backup Plan (Chapter 1: The Approaching) Elliot x Reader

Summary: Elliot who suffers from weekly crying attacks finds comfort by chatting with a girl called Y/N that he met online. They have a real mutual understanding and grow close. Elliot enjoys the virtual connection, but is soon forced to step out of his comfort zone.  Pairing: Elliot Alderson x Reader Word count: 2.795 Part 2 HERE

If Elliot had to name one thing that he hated the most, it would be his loneliness.

He hated it whenever the silence overfilled his apartment, making him aware of the missing. He hated the overwhelming sadness that attacked his body, forcing him to curl up into a weeping ball and let it all out. He hated his own fucking blubbering; it was pathetic.  And he hated the fact that his morphine was out. 

Elliot squeezed the empty plastic can in his hand and threw it against the wall. „Fuck!“, he spat and pulled at his hair in frustration, walking in circles. Tonight was far worse than usual - his whole mind was intoxicated by the mixture of every single negative thought he had collected over the years, and this damn mental cocktail was hard to swallow. 

He needed something else to numb the pain, to turn his overheated system into sleep mode. What Elliot needed was a backup plan, a good one and preferentially in the next few seconds.

Flipper’s sudden barking made him slightly jump and Elliot stared at the little dog. She always did this during his crying sessions, probably because she sensed his anxiety. But the longer Elliot stared at the big round black eyes it seemed they fixed something behind him, so he turned and sighed. The computer.

„Of course…“ Elliot sat down and furiously tipped on the keyboard, bringing the monitor to life. Its harsh light illuminated his puffy face and the rest of the dimmed room. 

One klick and the browser opened, Elliot typed swiftly and the white page turned into his surrender: the blue version of his morphine - the most popular social media platform. He created an account, logged in and began searching. Looking for someone to write to, getting off his mind for the moment, exchanging nonsense and feeling normal for once. He went to ‚public groups‘ and thought about a topic, something that his future dialog partner would share with him; a common interest was essential for a fluent conversation. Elliot knew that, but only theoretical.  It was a group called Best movies of all time where he read Y/N’s comment about The Nightcrawler, discussing the two faces of society with three other members and without thinking twice his hands had already started a private conversation.

Elliot A., 12:43  What are your favorite movies?

He brought one hand to his mouth and bit at his knuckles impatiently. Shit, he was so desperate that he forgot a ‚Hey‘ or ‚How are you‘. She probably won’t answer him. One minute had passed and the loneliness was still there. Elliot moved the cursor to close the conversation, eager to find someone else, when a noise accompanied the new message he got.

Y/N, 12:45  I will tell you after a proper greeting.

Elliot A., 12:45  Hey.

He hesitated and typed more.

Elliot A., 12:45  Hey. I’m sorry.

God, why did he have to be that awkward? But nevertheless, he got an answer again.

Y/N, 12:46  Hey, don’t be. I was just messing with you ;-) I do like thriller movies like Shutter Island, Split and Hick. What about you?

Elliot felt his tensed shoulders relax as his eyes roamed over the letters. 

Elliot A., 12:46  Sounds interesting. I like any kind of movie as long as it’s good.

Y/N, 12:46  Haha, and what is ‚good‘?

Elliot A., 12:46  Back to the future is pretty good.

Y/N, 12:47  Yeah, I’ve seen it. So you like the sci-fi genre or just the imagination of traveling through time?

Elliot A., 12:47  Don’t we all wish to do that somehow?

Y/N, 12:47  In order to escape reality, yes. 

Elliot leaned closer to the monitor. He felt a weird sensation, as if somebody had put a cozy blanket over his back and rubbed the soft fabric on his skin while whispering I understand you. Did Y/N understand him?

Elliot A., 12:47  Do you wish to escape reality sometimes?

His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he awaited her answer. Elliot was so nervous that he didn’t register his burning eyes due to not blinking. His body however forced him to do so and after his eyes were set back to the monitor he had a new message.

Y/N, 12:48  Yes.

Her answer was short, but it revealed so much more. Elliot, intrigued by Y/N, clicked on her picture to visit her profile. It was set private, so he just stared at her smiling face. She looked so happy and open-minded, her messy bun had lost some strains of hair that framed her blushed cheeks. What story hid beneath those sparkling eyes? What made her wish to escape reality? Elliot’s fingers began to tingle, they always did before he hacked a person. He felt the urge to open her sealed book, reading the missing lines that would complete her story, the beginning and the ripped out pages - he wanted to know everything - every misery and every secret. 

The familiar annoying noise of another message interrupted his thoughts.

Y/N, 12:49  I don’t want to seem weird or anything, considering we chatted for only 5 minutes, but I’m glad you texted me, Elliot. 

Every word became more blurry as Elliot’s eyes teared up. He ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath. Her honesty unwrapped his true intention, so gently and careful not to rip the thin paper that covers his vulnerability. 

Elliot A., 12:49  I am the weird one. I know it must sound pathetic, but I needed someone to talk to.

Y/N, 12:49  Then you’re not alone. I need someone to talk as well. Idk why, but it’s so much easier with a stranger than a friend.

There it was. He read the sentence over and over like a mantra. You’re not alone. You’re not alone. You’re not alone. And then, the loneliness was gone. Elliot, who went to therapy for over two years now, started to understand Krista’s words. His therapist always urged him to tell his thoughts instead of bottling it all up inside. Now, the relief was overwhelming as the lid was removed, the inner pressure left his body in pleasant small waves. 

Elliot A., 12:49  I understand you. 

Y/N, 12:50  :-) Btw, I guess you’re a man? You have a unisex name, my sister’s name is Elliot as well. 

Elliot A., 12:50  You’re right. How do you know?

He had no profile picture and no information given to the site besides his name. Of course Elliot had used a fake e-mail account during the registration process. The internet was not trustworthy. 

Y/N, 12:50  The way you write gives it away. Or maybe I just traveled through time and got a glimpse of you.

She tried to lighten up the mood and Elliot appreciated it. His lips twitched into a quick smile before he typed his answer.

Elliot A., 12:51  I take option two. So how do I look?

It took a while for Y/N to answer, so he went over to Flipper’s bowl to fill it with fresh water. The little dog wagged its tail happily while drinking. The roll chair creaked when Elliot sat back to read her text.

Y/N, 12:55  You have bright eyes, blue or green, I couldn’t tell in the short time and you have natural curly hair, brunette and not too short. You wear glasses and a knitted oversized sweater with cats on it.

Elliot A., 12:56  I almost believed you. 

Y/N, 12:56  Was worth the try and hey, I don’t judge.

Elliot A., 12:56  I’m more a dog person. 

Y/N, 12:56  Cool. What’s his/her name?

Elliot A., 12:56 Flipper.

And so Elliot told Y/N the story of how he got Flipper, of course leaving out the hacking part, and they continued writing about this and that. He learned that she was addicted to coffee and long hot baths; that she enjoyed going to the cinema and secretly danced at home to 80’s music. Y/N on the other hand found out that Elliot worked for a cybersecurity company and that he had a sister as well. When Y/N excused herself for a moment, Elliot checked the time. It was 2:28 am and for the first time during this day he was calm. The anxiety had crawled back into the back door of his mind and Elliot won’t open it for the rest of the night. He decided to end the chat and go to sleep, work awaited him in 4.5 hours.

Elliot A., 02:28  I’ll go to bed now. It was nice talking to you, Y/N. 

Y/N, 02:29  Alright. Good night, Elliot. Keep the systems clean :-)

Elliot A., 02:29  I will.

Y/N, 02:29  See you soon.

___

That conversation took place on a Sunday night, and since then the two of them would chat every time Elliot suffered from his loneliness. He could go for a week, completely fine by himself, enduring the lack of human interactions in his life, just to break down within the safety of his apartment. But Elliot had his personal backup plan - Y/N. They wrote about nonsense and meaningful things, about deep emotions and opinions. She was the anchor when his anxiety washed over him like a giant wave, she would keep him on the surface and Elliot stopped panicking.

The routine was set like a clock:  Crying and writing to Y/N. One week past. Crying and writing to Y/N. One week past. Crying again and writing to Y/N.

It worked. She became an important part in Elliot’s life and so it was only natural for him to hack her. He had lasted two days before he gave in and followed his nature. Private messages with friends and family, bank and e-mail accounts, online-shopping activities and social media profiles were not safe from Elliot’s endless thirst for knowledge. He was more than glad to find out that she told him the truth. Then, something caught his attention in her browser’s history, a specific search.

>>Cybersecurity company New York Elliot<<

Y/N had tried to find him. Elliot leaned back in his chair and kept his eyes locked to his name. It was understandable, her wish to put a face to the person she spend hours and hours writing to. Elliot got it, but he still felt uneasy about the imagination showing her his face.  Their relationship would reach a new level of intimacy. He wouldn’t be a screen to her anymore, but a real human. A human she could meet in real life.

„Elliot?“ Krista’s soft voice addressed him, causing him to snap out of his thoughts.  Today was Thursday and Elliot sat on the large couch of his therapist’s office. She titled her head a little. „You are quieter than usual. What are you thinking about?“ Elliot refused to meet her eyes and instead looked down at his fumbling hands. He hadn’t told Krista about Y/N until now.

„I’ve met someone…“ Elliot could see from the corner of his eyes how the woman’s head lifted up, eyebrows raised. He got her full attention. „That’s great, Elliot. Tell me about him, her.“ „Her name is Y/N… We are writing a lot“, he said slowly and his face softened. It was the first time he said her name out loud and he liked the way it left his lips. Krista noticed the change of Elliot’s mimic and smiled in satisfaction. Seeing her patient like that really warmed her heart.

„So you haven’t met Y/N so far?“ Elliot’s head twitched slightly and he turned towards the window. „Elliot?“ „I’m afraid of showing her my face. What if she’ll be disappointed?“, he spoke quietly and Krista watched him swallowing hard, fighting against the upcoming tears.

„What if I won’t match her expectations? We live in a world where looks and status rule. Swiping left because the nose is too big or the eyes are too narrowed, the first impression is always crucial for a relationship.“ Elliot began to shake as the anger built up, his eyes darting across the room before he finally locked gazes with his therapist. Krista raised her hand and motioned him to calm down. He took a deep breath and clenched his hands. 

„You are talking about relationships. Do you feel something for Y/N and are afraid of her possible rejection?“ Elliot shrugged his shoulder and kept his eyes down. „But Elliot, she must be special if you write so much with her. Do you really believe that she’s superficial and will abandon you?“ Krista was right. Y/N wasn’t like the others, she was willing to write to a complete stranger who’s face she hadn’t seen. She had trusted him and what did Elliot do? Hacking and accusing her for being a hypocrite. 

„No…“, he mumbled and Krista nodded. „I know I tell you this every time, but real human interactions are important for you, Elliot.“

___

Y/N, 10:13  Hey, how are you? 

Elliot frowned at Y/N’s message. It had been three days since his last crying session and she was never the one who approached him first. Y/N always waited for him to start the conversation, because she probably knew not to push him.

Elliot A., 10:14  Hey, is everything okay?

She didn’t answer right away and it fed Elliot’s worry. He tipped his fingers against the wooden desk and his nervous tick made Flipper bark in response. „Sorry“, he said to the dog and finally he heard the noise of a new message.

Y/N, 10:17  I’m sorry it’s just… I feel so alone right now. My shithead of boyfriend broke up with me and I’m not sad about it, just really mad. I knew that he cheated on me and I planed on breaking up, it’s just that he accused me of destroying the relationship… He blamed me for everything and it’s just so frustrating.

Guilt laid heavily on Elliot’s shoulder as he recalled today’s therapy session. He also had blamed his anxiety on her and Elliot regretted it. He also regretted hacking her and therefore feeling the lack of surprise. He had read the chats of Y/N and her boyfriend, hacked his profiles and found out about his dirty secret named Samantha. Judging by the texts, he had cheated on Y/N for 1.5 years and Elliot was often tempted to blow his cover.

But he didn’t, because Y/N knew it. She wrote with her sister about his cheating and how she was going to break up with him. Or using her words ‚beating his ass up‘.

Elliot A., 10:18  Don’t be sorry. I would feel the same. He is more than a shithead if he gives up on such a smart and funny woman.

He hoped that his words eased her pain a little. God, he was so bad at this. How did Y/N just managed to safe him every time he was close to falling apart? He saw her typing, but then she paused a moment before she continued.

Y/N, 10:20  Thank you, Elliot. 

She was holding back something, he felt it.

Elliot A., 10:20  You can tell me anything, Y/N. Don’t hide.

Elliot scoffed at his own text. Don’t hide. He should be the last person telling her to not hide. But his words actually reached her and Elliot’s heart stopped beating when he saw her plead.

Y/N, 10:22  I just wish you could hold me in your arms. I’m sorry if it’s weird, but I trust you so much and I know you probably want to keep it this way and maybe it’s just because of my emotions, but I want to know you more.

Elliot could visualize her crying face - eyes red and cheeks glistening from her salty tears. She must be so desperate if she asked him for the one thing she knew he avoided all the time. Elliot’s backup plan was a real human with real emotions and a beating heart. Y/N had saved him so many times, so wasn’t it his turn to return the favor? His hands ghosted over the keyboards, waiting for his brain’s order. He wet his dry lips as he tipped his message to her.

Elliot A., 10:24  We can meet tomorrow if that’s okay.

To be continued… Part 2 HERE

[dailyaudiobible]

09/20/2019 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 33:10-36:22, Galatians 5:13-26, Psalms 64:1-10, Proverbs 23:23

Today is the 20th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. I am excited to be here with you today as we all just come in and find our places around this global campfire that is our community. And so, as we often say and really, as was the theme that we spoke about in Isaiah yesterday, let's exhale, let's return to God, let's rest and allow his word to wash over us before we get blown away. And, so, this is a good time to anchor ourselves in the Scriptures, and in our relationship with God. So we’re reading from the New English Translation this week and we kinda crossed the center of the book of Isaiah yesterday so we’re moving into the back half. Isaiah 33 verse 10 to 36 verse 22 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, it's a pretty regular thing in the Bible to find that paths are laid out before us and we can choose this one or we can choose that one and we get to see where both of those paths lead and then we get to choose. And so that was a case as we were reading in the book of Isaiah yesterday. And we talked about

And, so, in our reading from Galatians today we had another one of these opportunities to see a couple of paths and their outcomes so that we can choose. And in this case, the paths are that of the sinful nature and the path of union with the Holy Spirit. So, Paul says, “for the flash has desires that are opposed to the spirit and the spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh for these are in opposition to each other so that you cannot do what you want.” Okay, so the path that submits to sin fights for control of our lives but how do we know? Like, yesterday we were talking in Isaiah about just being blown off the path and we even prayed, asked the Holy Spirit to show us when the drifting starts so that we can see that and repent then, as opposed to when it’s all all chaos. So, are there any signs? Like anything that could reveal that we are choosing the path of sin? According to Paul, there are. “When we follow the desires of our sinful nature then the results are clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasure, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, dissensions, or quarreling, jealousy, fits of rage or anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other things like that” is what Paul had to say. So, let's spend a minute with that. I mean…I mean we can understand how sexual immorality would be on that list, right? We can understand how lustful pleasures would be on that list because those are like A list of sins. So, we think. We can understand why drunkenness would be on the list. Those are A listers. But what jealousy, what about envy, what about outbursts of anger. Because according Paul…there on the same list. Have we ever thought about the fact that those are walking the path of sinful nature as well? And we might be like, alright, listen, we’re free from the law, so I'm not going under another law. What's the big deal. Everybody gets mad. Everybody gets angry. For Paul, the big deal was that those kinds of behaviors, those kinds of sins don't lead us to anything other than more bondage. And when we started our reading from Galatians today Paul was talking about supreme freedom. And, so, Paul’s trying to reveal that freedom in Christ is boundless. There is no limit to that freedom. But it's a choice, and we have pretty good built-in indicators. Like one…I mean…when you're looking at what somebody else has and thinking, “I'll never be able to get there. I'll never be able to do that” like, when you're comparing your life to somebody else's life and jealousy and envy are all around you, how free did you feel? I mean, how free were you in that moment? I mean, did you get a sense of wholeness and shalom that just kind of overwhelmed you out of nowhere where all of a sudden you were at such peace that you hadn't felt that way in so long. The last time you had an outburst of rage, right? Like, when was the last time lust gave you this immense sense of God's presence and this joy this spiritual joy that was just coming up from within you, right? So, it's kind of built in. Paul gave us a list and he does that a lot. So, we got a list, but we kinda got a built-in spiritual gauge. And when we’re walking off the path, we’re not going to be experiencing the presence of God and an overwhelming sense of calm and peace and strength. So, Pal’s like, I’ve told you this before, I’m telling you it again, if that's the life you’re gonna live, if that’s where you’re gonna go then…then you’re not gonna inherit the kingdom of God. So, thankfully what Paul didn't say is that anybody who fails in any of those areas is hopelessly lost. Its…it's the person that lives into that way of being, the one who walks that path will not inherit the kingdom of God. So, are we walking that path? So, I mean we can look at the A listers and go like, “I’m not walking that path”, but Paul didn't like…he didn't categorize what he was saying. So, are we walking the path or not? And is the path that we’re walking on going to end up where we hope it does? Because Paul gave another path, a counter path, an opposite path. And he says the fruit of the spirit, so like if you're gonna walk the path of the spirit, then the outflow of that, the fruit of that will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And as an aside, Paul illuminates that there are no laws against those things. So, we have some contrasting paths today and we need to examine ourselves to understand which path we’re on and we’re probably on both of those paths and how can you end up in two different places? And, so, we need to decide which path leads to the place that I am hoping to end up and then follow that path. And whatever path we are walking will absolutely be borne out in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds

Prayer:

Father, this is challenging, and Your word challenges us constantly. And we need it. And sometimes we’re very, very deeply convicted because the lights have come on and the darkness has been illuminated and we can see clearly what's going on and we ask for that, that the light of truth by the power of Your Holy Spirit would shine into the dark recesses of our hearts illuminating what's really going on. What path that are we walking? Because so often we walk ourselves into a wall and then blame You and are angry at You when we walked there. And perhaps we were confused about where we were walking, but that’s not Your fault, You never left us, and You promised to lead us into all truth. And, so, we gotta do our part and listen and obey. So, come Holy Spirit and show us again what path we’re walking. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here so be sure to stay connected.

The Prayer Wall is in the community section at dailyaudiobible.com and all the different social media places we were interacting is in the community section at dailyaudiobible.com.

And all this new Global Campfire line of resources that we’ve been talking about is available in the shop at dailyaudiobible.com.

Of course, all of this is also available in the app, just press the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner and it’ll take you there.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com together. As you can see, Daily Audio Bible is home base, right, I say it every day, but it is. It is where we find out what’s going on. So anyway, thank you. Thank you profoundly for your partnership. So, there’s a link on the web site…on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996, Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request for comment you can press the Hotline button in the app, the little red button at the top or the number to dial is 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today. Let’s have a great weekend. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi this is Victoria Soldier just calling tonight to talk to some of the DABbers. I wanted to say hi to Jerry the new listener and want to continue to pray with you that you keep the faith in your marriage. I want to pray for the family of the father that committed suicide and left those precious kids and his mother and family. Lord, I just want to __ just continue to pray with that and the kids going to school and the challenges that is happening in our nation of the separation and people in the devastated areas. Gracious father we praise You today. Lord, we know that You’re a God that can do anything but fail. We know that Your ways are not our ways. Lord we know that You are a mighty God You’re a God that can do anything but fail. Lord we ask You to touch that family of that man who wind up taking his precious life. Oh Lord whatever the devil __ make that man think that he couldn’t hold on, that he didn’t have anything to live for. Those precious babies, I pray that You know that You have something to You live for, You have to live for the legacy that Your father left You. You have to live for the legacy that Your mother left You and the legacy that Jesus gave You. He has a plan for Your life. It’s for a future and a hope. We pray for the saints. I pray for the missionary that was going through and she needed strength. Lord You give her the strength like You give her the strength like never before. Oh Lord You have Your miracles. Lord You stretch out Your hands on the DABbers. You know the needs. You know the thoughts, You know the intents of their heart. Lord we ask You to bless Lord. We ask You to open up the flood gate of heaven Lord and bring them out of the blessing. Lord You work miracles Lord. You decide. You direct Lord. You protect Lord. Oh Lord…

Hi this is Susie from Colorado. I’m just calling in with an update. I wanted to say thank you from the deepest part of my heart for all the prayers and the compassion that you showed by praying for me. I had just gotten back from Haiti about a little over a week ago and called in pretty distraught feeling really cut up bruised and hurting and you know just tired. You know I’ve been working in Haiti 25 years and I just had had…kind of had it. I’m feeling so much better. I tell you about 70% recovered and I…I want to thank Duane from Wisconsin for lifting me up in prayer and Dave Steinhearst and Sheriff I believe it was. I did try to email you. My husband thanks you all for praying for us. Also, I heard yesterday, today’s the 14th, Jude and Anya lost their dad to suicide and Jude found him deceased and I know that Jude is only in 10th grade and I…I…I’m so sorry. My heart is lifting you up to the Holy Spirit every day. And the boy whose getting bullied at school, it was so encouraging for me to hear him praying for blessings and love for those who are being the bullies. Tat just…you are something very very special and I just want you to know that we all will be praying for you…you all. Thank you. God bless. Bye.

Hi, my name is Liliana. I need prayer. My boyfriend __ just yesterday morning went in for surgery for leukemia then later on the hospital contacted me saying that he’s in a coma and has lost a lot of blood. I just need desperate prayer. Thank you. Thank you, Daily Audio Bible.

Hi, this is Ben from Ohio. I just heard about Jude and Anya losing their father to suicide. And, so, I want to pray for them now. Father God, I pray that You would go and You would touch the hearts of these two Young people. Jesus, please intercede on their behalf. Please go and rescue these two Young people as they bore the loss of their father as they have, You know, as they were morning of their loss of their family and now they’ve got to mourn the loss of their father. Lord I just pray that You would go and You would work this for good Lord. I pray that You would only as You can only in Your power could something good and fruitful come out of this. And so we are trusting You father, we’re just trusting You Jesus, we’re trusting You Holy Spirit to go and intercept these children, these Young people hearts Lord to keep them from going into bitterness or self-destructive behavior or…or doubt Lord. I pray that this would be a catalyst for hope and rescue and pursuit of the You Lord. And I pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family it’s Jay from Nashville Tennessee. Listen guys, God is so good. I’m calling with a praise report, obviously, because you can hear it in my voice. And, you know, I was going to a spiritual retreat and on this spiritual retreat I was told I can’t bring any electronics - no phones, no laptops, no watches, nothing, right? And the problem was, right before I had to go in my project management class, I had a 49%, that was my grade, a big fat F. And I called up the team and I said, listen I need to bring my laptop, I need to bring my phone and I need to bring my iPad because I’ve got to get these papers and these quizzes and things done or I’m gonna fail my class. And before I left, I prayed, and God spoke to my heart and said, “have I ever let you down before.” And I thought, “God you’ve never let me down.” So, I left my laptop, I left my phone, I left my watch, I left my iPad and I trusted that God would give me the ability to get that work done in the five hours that I would have left before the deadline when I got home. So, I got home from this retreat. And I mean when I tell you I cried like a baby at this retreat, I cried like a baby. Long story short, I get home and I’ve got five hours left. I sat down and I prayed, and I said, “Lord whatever your will is in this moment I trust in it.” And I sat down, and I started typing and my fingers moved at the speed of light. I could not keep up with the information that came from God. I got all the tests, all the discussions, all the posts, all the papers. I went from a 49 to a B. God is good. Trust in God. He will provide. I love you guys.

[gweyowmi]

Gweyowmi Rose Character Sheet

Childhood

Abandoned as a small child, Gweyowmi was found at the age of two by an angry old pirate between two palm trees along the coast at Costa Del Sol. He saw that she was starving and unable to survive so reluctantly brought her home. He did this only because he decided he had already seen enough women and children die in his time and there was no treasure to be had for this young sun seekers death. She grew up in the fringes of Costa Del Sol, with only animals from the wild she would befriend from a deeply ingrained feeling of loneliness. The pirate would raise her, teaching her how to fight, and unintentionally, his attitude about the worth of others lives when there was something to be gained by robbing or killing. As a result she developed poor social skills, the ability to drink the best of 'em under the table, and little regard for others beyond a very small circle of souls she would ever truly care about.

At age 14 Gweyowmi ran away from home wanting to explore and see someone, anyone, her own age. She was found by a Madam who was never seen without her pipe, smoke circling the air around her like a cloud of poison. This Madam lured Gweyowmi into her brothel at first for cheap labor, with the intention to train her in the arts of seduction and charm. Gweyowmi was not nearly as naive as the Madam had assumed. She stayed for two years learning all that she could, silently sneaking around and spying on others to learn different tricks to deception and charm, learning to master social cues and reading others. Gweyowmi saw first hand the lessons her adoptive father had always taught her about others. If there is something to be gained, and no one there to stand as witness, even the most noble in appearance will often succumb to their own selfish desires at the cost of others. This confirmed for her that she should always look out for herself and only herself despite her strong desire for companionship. At 16 she ran away and then began to apply what knowledge she already had.

Gweyowmi has zero interest in politics, rules, social expectations or anything at all that would inhibit her from living how she wants to. She only modifies herself if it serves her a purpose, be it an invite to an event, occasionally giving to the poor or unfortunate out of a subconscious need to try and fix others who are broken, or obtain something she desires.

Work

Fluent in several languages, athletic, charming, beautiful, Gweyowmi might as well have written the book on infiltration and seduction. Combined with her lack of regard for life when gil becomes involved she naturally became a mercenary with her specialty being covert jobs assassinating and other types of high risk jobs. She shows zero discretion in who she kills once the price has been agreed upon. Extra up charge for cold and damp environments as she despises the snow and cold considering she grew up along the beach and spent her teen years in Limsa.

Communication is key in work and life, Gweyowmi figures out a targets desires and wants then molds herself to best fulfill that desire to get close to the target if this is applicable then poisons them, she prefers this to killing from afar. Otherwise she changes her appearance, the way she walks and holds herself, is a master at quick change technique in the middle of a crowd with out missing a beat, changing her voice tone and laugh to fit the role needed for the job. Sometimes she will steal uniforms that are commonly seen and discounted so she is not remembered by passerby's and infiltrate the area to find an opportunity to neutralize her target.

Between the extreme personality shift and her appearance being masked Gweyowmi can easily go unnoticed or recognized when she needs to.

About

Despite being a person who will kill any man, or woman for the right price, Gweyowmi is not completely without a heart. Nor does she wish to ever pass up a good time. When Gweyowmi is not on a job she appears on the surface to be a carefree bikini clad sun seeker Miqo'te often playing down on her own intelligence level, and pretending to be clumsy. Often fun loving, confident, outgoing and social, interact with her enough you will begin to notice hints of something lying beneath her sunny persona, however this may be hard to break through. She is often seen with animals following her around. If she sees an abandoned or wounded animal she will carefully take them in, giving them medical care and treatments. She never imprisons them, but if they wish to stay with her she continues to feed them and carry them around as they wish. Since she too was abandoned as a child, and animals were the first friends she had, she has quite the large soft spot for lost, broken, and abused. Paired with the inner desire to have a normal relationship with someone she can truly trust and confide in, Gweyowmi often attempts to make friends but pulls back with an ingrained fear of being abandoned self-sabotaging her relationships. If you are able to become friends with her though, she would easily slay an entire village, trekking across all of Eorzea for you.

After all, Gweyowmi wants to be loved, and she wants to have someone to trust. Her adoptive father always taught her to be self reliant however there's a flame of desire for companionship burning within her that refuses to be extinguished. She compartmentalizes well work from other aspects of her life. This allows for her to socialize and blend into the crowd while living day to day life. For this reason, and perhaps others, Gweyowmi on the surface appears to be nothing other than a typical happy woman who just seems to severely lack the understanding of how society dresses or expects women to dress.

Traits

Age: 26

Race: Miqo'te - Sun Seeker

Height: 4'6" - 137 cm

Weight:  38kg 

Eye Color: Black

Hair Color: Blonde or black usually, changes fairly often.

Skin Tone: Deep Tan

Orientation: Pansexual

Birthplace: ????

Grew up: In some woods along the border of the Beach by Limsa Lominsa

Tribe: Unknown

Family: Adoptive Father.

Alignment: neutral

Likes: Gil, parties, drinking, gambling, treasure hunting, sassy or shy characters, broody types.

Dislikes: Hero’s of any sort, Lawfully good especially, Ishguardian nobles, Tribal types(since she was abandoned), too serious of personalities. 

Sample

Drinking her preferred simple drink of dark rum mixed with cream, Gweyowmi is slid a piece of paper beneath the next glass she orders. She delicately cups the glass with both hands, her right hand at the very base of the glass. While lifting the glass to her mouth with her left hand she leaves her right hand low and casually lays her hand flat on the bar top tucking the paper into her palm to retrieve. She expected a reply to her requested price, however did not expect such a quick one. Regardless she isn't in a rush to finish her evening so soon. Brushing a stray strand of pale hair from her temple she begins mentally preparing and plotting her next targets demise.

She smiles sweetly to the barkeep as this is a bar she often frequents and leaves him a generous tip. Gweyowmi understands there's three basic desires to everyone, sex, money, and rest. By fulfilling these needs to others she ensures she in return gets treated well at places she favors to spend time in. Letting herself slide off the bar as she is small in stature and cannot touch the ground typically when seated, she hits the ground with barely a noise, slipping away into the crowd disappearing.

Once safely away from prying eyes Gweyowmi takes out the paper she was discreetly slipped and reads the name and location of her next mark. She can see the price she had replied with has been agreed to and collects her things along with a dark wig and disappears in the dead of night out of her home traveling to a city in a neighboring country. She stops momentarily at the beach outside of her apartment admiring the calm sea. Moonlight glints on the crest of small waves gently coming in with the tide, the sight of the sea always calms and centers her. Water is the most adaptable of all elements, can be the most brutal and devastating source of harm, but is also required for all life, and beloved by most for play. Gweyowmi sprints off into the night reminded again that one of the most important things in life, is the ability to adapt.

------

Koala Pet

Precariously balancing herself, hidden well within the protective foliage of a well established tree Gweyowmi is resting. She hears a strange noise with an infliction of pain in the tone, and looks below scanning the area. There is a koala limping around and is being harassed by some larger creature with the lust for murder glowing in its eyes. Gweyowmi jumps down nimbly while firing off a simple arcane spell at the predator. The spell hit a split hairs distance from the creatures paw as intended, scaring it away lumbering into the nearby bushes. Gweyowmi holds out a leaf that has a sweet taste to it and the koala recognizes it but is unsure of this stranger.

Much time passes as the wind gently blows the surrounding terrain, along with the scent of the food gweyowmi is offering to the small wounded koala. She keeps herself low with her ears relaxed and tail calm and visible so the koala knows she means no harm. Eventually it begins to limp towards her and she then gives it more food out of her bag. Gweyowmi noticed earlier the wounded paw and her heart ached at the sight of something defenseless and innocent being threatened. Unlike most of the beings walking Eorzea able to speak and reason, yet still choosing to kill each other for personal gain, animals are viewed as pure and worth effort in Gweyowmi's eyes.

Eventually, after some time passes of continuously camping in the area and feeding the kola it allows Gweyowmi to pick it up and bandage the paw. She ends up taking the tiny animal home with her and allows it to take time to heal, then be set free back into the wild if that is what the koala chooses, or allow it to stay with her.

OOC

I I am not opposed to gore/violent/dark/super natural/ mature themed rp. I am opposed to character death and permanent scarring/injury. 

PLEASE NOTE

My in-character interactions with your character do not necessarily reflect my view of you outside of the game. If my character becomes involved with yours romantically, that does not mean that I reciprocate that interest outside of FFXIV. I have my own life. This is role playing, a fictional character intended to explore and develop same as a character in a book. On the same note, if my character dislikes yours, that does not mean I hold any animosity towards you outside of RP. 90% I don't. If you cannot respect these limits, I will attempt to reconcile the issue with you, but I may end up blacklisting you if it becomes a recurring issue.

[the-angry-pixie]

Yo Pixie, so I was wondering. What do you think it would have been like if Mike and Theo became friends before Starman went down? Like what if they met in drama class and were kind of annoyed by each other but also got along well enough to start forming some inside jokes and then they discovered that they were both theater nerds enough to randomly spout references to each other and it was all over from there? What would it have looked like if they were already friends before Theo dated Will?

Are you kidding me Anon? That is some serious butterfly effect shit right there. It would have changed everything! Basically the events of Starman wouldn’t have happened at all. Theo and Will never would have dated. But don’t worry I plan to illustrate what brings me to that conclusion…

… through the medium of interpretive dance…

… just kidding. Here are my notes of what would happen in response to your delicious prompt (not proofread at all so I apologise for the shoddy writing).

- Ok first of all we need to establish that Mike in this universe is not a drama nerd. Its a popular headcanon I know but in the Starman universe, its Dustin who is more into drama. He’s the one in Drama Club, not Mike.

- But that doesn’t mean Mike and Theo couldn’t meet another way.

- I’m imagining some sort of collaborative effort between the “Writers Club” and the “Drama Club”

- the writers in Writers Club have set themselves a project to try their hands at script writing (just one scene, but the prompt is “tension”, so they gotta be bloody good scenes), and the best ones will be handed over to the Drama club to actually be performed for real

- You guessed it, Theo reads Mike’s scene and instantly absolutely adores it and hoards it all for himself – he’s kind of the King of Drama Club so he can get away with shit like that.

- Its this gritty interrogation scene where the Investigator and the man being interrogated do not realise that they are dopplegangers that look almost identical – a bleak character study that examines narcissism, masculinity, corruption and, and… subtle homoerotic undertones??

- Theo has to know if he’s interpreting these characters right – in his mind he’s already going to be playing both characters himself and filming it instead of performing it live to the club like they’re meant to – like I said, the King of Drama Club can get away with shit like that

- Mike Wheeler is the name on the front of the script – and so Mike Wheeler is who Theo sets out to find.

- its easy enough. Theo is the guy who gets along with everybody. He’s spent years orchestrating it so. He’s got an in with most social circles. And so he quickly works out that the mystery Mike Wheeler is a sophomore?? Holy fuck! So young!

- So talented!

- So handsome (when Theo finally gets a chance to clap his eyes on him)!

- and so Theo approaches Mike

- Mike is very flattered and a little embarrassed that this reasonably popular junior has approached him and seems to like his writing so much and wants to get together with him to discuss character motivations and everything. His little nerdy author’s heart is skipping for joy really!

- and so they meet up and go to a diner or something after school and sit talking for hours about what Mike’s ideas were behind writing the characters the way he did

- Theo is delighted when Mike is not immediately repelled at his suggestion that there is sexual tension in the scene.

- “Well yeah, the corrupt cop is in love with himself, there is definitely an attraction there” - Mike blushes and takes a long drawn out sip of his milkshake while Theo smirks.

- “Very ‘Strangers on a Train’...” Theo murmurs.

- Mike recovers quickly from his embarrassment with a cute excited smile “You’ve read Strangers on a Train??”

- Theo quirks his eyebrows, “Read? No, no darling watched! Hitchcock doofus!”

- And it all snowballs from there. Sure they seem to disagree more than they agree about most things - predominantly which is better, the book or the movie adaptation (they go through several versions of this argument and things almost get physical when The Shining comes up)

- But they appreciate each others moxie and so a respect and an admiration blossoms.

- they leave their diner date as tentative friends. The kind that smile and wave hello to each other in the school hallways. The kind who call each other on their home phone because Theo has more nerdy questions to ask about how he should play the scene – it also helps that Mike is in AV Club and has good knowledge of filming equipment and suggestions about scene blocking.

- it all comes to a head when Theo insists that Mike come and help him rehearse cause “Its not like I can be my own scene mate! And who better than you?”

- the afternoon spent in Theo’s nice house drinking his Mom’s nice mulled wine – Mike is startlingly at ease as they sit in Theo’s room

- We all know Mike has a dramatic flair and Theo is further delighted to discover that Mike makes a great scene partner. This kid should totally join Drama Club!

- We know from Starman that Theo thought Mike was attractive. So sue him for maybe enjoying getting all up in Mike’s business a little bit too much. The scene calls for it he swears!

- So they run the scene several times and keep work-shopping it

- “No I think you should grab my collar here”

- “Nah we can’t start out yelling at each other. If we start too big we’ll have nowhere to go. We gotta let the scene grow and the tension to build.”

- etc etc.

- then one time they are nearing the scene’s climax and they are both really in the zone - Mike’s Suspect is sitting petulantly in Theo’s desk chair while Theo’s Cop stalks around him, zeroing in. It’s Cat & Mouse, but Mike’s character is keeping step easily with Theo’s in this intense dance as their voices rise and their smirks deepen and suddenly Theo’s hands are on Mike’s shoulders and he is kissing him!

- it is brief and thorough and Theo pulls back panting to gauge Mike’s stunned expression. That was stupid of him. Now he’s gotta do damage control. Stupid Theo – why you gotta always be thinking with your stupid gay dick??

- What he’s not expecting is for Mike to laugh and wipe at his mouth with an “Easy there big guy, that’s a bit on the nose don’t you think?”

- And its ok Theo thinks, Mike’s choosing to believe it was all part of the drama, part of the act – so he laughs too and agrees with a sheepish apology

- He notes the flush on Mike’s pretty face though – he’s embarrassed sure, but maybe not as much as he should be…? Interesting.

- And so when they come to that same moment again Theo takes another risk and kisses Mike again – its different this time, because they were playing the scene different – more slow, calm - like a wave slowly building and building and then finally, finally crashing

- This is of course reflected in the kiss which again Mike doesn’t pull away from

- in Mike’s mind he feels like maybe he should but they’re just acting right? Its not real? They’re just following the natural trajectory of these two characters right? It’s fine.

- And besides, Theo’s a good kisser – whoops did he just say that out loud?

- Theo laughs reaching over to ruffle Mike’s hair and put forward that he’s “not so bad yourself. Should I be thanking your bathroom mirror or the crook of your elbow?”

- and that cheeky remark sets a fire burning in Mike’s stomach, slowly stoked and fuelled through the buildup of erratic energy in the scene as they run it again - Mike is on edge and suddenly its like he has no choice but to grasp fingers around Theo’s annoyingly well-sculted jaw and pull him in for the kiss this time.

- Its much more passionate. This time lips are parted and tongues are involved. Wet, hot tongues and Mike sighs as Theo settles himself across Mike’s lap and feels arms around his neck.

- its lasts... quite awhile. Mike’s eyes are closed and his senses are on fire.

- but its not long before Mike’s brain begins to catch up with him and start protesting vehemently against this turn of events – no matter how pleasantly stimulating they might be

- so he pulls back. He can’t look at Theo. All he can offer is a mumbled “Sorry man. Got a bit carried away”

- “I’ll say” is Theo’s smartass response.

- Mike wiggles uncomfortably at the implication in those words “But its just acting right? No harm done. I’m not… I’m not yanno like that.”

- He’s still looking down. He doesn’t have many other places to look as Theo is still sitting in his lap. So close its almost claustrophobic. He doesn’t see the slow, calculating look the older boy is giving him.

- “Yeah. Me neither” he finally says dismissively as he stands up. He’s not about to push Mike. That’s a shitty thing to do before someone is ready.

- Mike looks up at him with big brown pleading eyes. What they are pleading of him he does not quite know. “Can we just like, forget this ever happened? Otherwise I’m never going to be able to look you in the face again.” Mike chuckles nervously. Theo could see the merit in that. Theo wants to be able to too look Mike in the face too. He quite likes looking at Mike’s face. He doesn’t want to lose that just yet.

- “Sure man. Shall we... take it from the top?”

- And so they forget it. And they still remain tentative friends. Good enough friends to wave and say ‘hello’ to each other in the school hallway and sometimes even stop and chat out near the bike racks after school.

- And ALL OF THIS happens before the end of Theo’s Junior year when the production of Hamlet becomes a thing.

- And he gets to know a certain young Will Byers.

- Yes he still is very attracted to him and yes he is still almost sure that Will bats for his team but there is one big difference!

- Theo knows Mike. He is friends with Mike! And these two adorable chaps are apparently best friends!

- In Starman Mike and Theo were kept very separate until after the Halloween party, but here, there would be no reason for them not to all be interacting especially once they all learn of Mike and Theo’s previous connection with each other

- And so Theo gets to observe Mike and Will around each other a lot earlier than he did in the Starman universe. And don’t forget Dustin is there too. So Theo has an immediate comparison to the difference chemistry among the friends. And Theo’s a master of reading chemistry.

- And with this new dynamic it is all very clear to him. As much as he may like Will, he doesn’t have a chance. These two, Mike and Will, they’re going to be together. Sooner or later they will sort their shit out. Theo is sure of it.

- And so he backs off and just enjoys their company platonically. Though he does like to embarrass Mike through sly use of innuendo and suggestive eyebrow wiggles now and then.

- He truly does cherish those blushes that Mike gifts him – that kid is incapable of being subtle about anything. Every emotion so plainly shown and shared. Its charming really.

- And ya know what, there is another huge difference in this timeline – Mike starts down the path of his bisexual awakening much earlier.

- Cause although he says he wants to forget the kisses he shared with Theo, its not as easy in practice.

- He enjoyed them. He knows himself well enough to know that for sure. So what does that mean? And why when he catches himself daydreaming about it now and then does he also find himself sometimes replacing Theo with Will in the fantasy?

- Mike has a long time to contemplate these things and get thoroughly inside his own head - as he is want to do - but there is no urgency like there was in Starman. No catalyst or drive to do anything but tuck it away in the back of his mind for now.

- until Will dressed as Ziggy Stardust struts into his life, that is.

- given everything that has happened before and everything he has been contemplating these last few months - would Mike hesitate in following his strong urge to kiss dear William on Halloween night this time around… I like to think not. ;)

[anythingbutmyname00]

Spierfeld- Alternate Meeting

what if Simon immediately found Blue’s second note and they started texting? What if Bram forgets to put his phone on silent before lunch?

*Will be posted on AO3 as soon as I get my account fixed up* 

Simon had no intention of wearing the shirt to school.

First of all, his wardrobe of blank T-shirts and hoodies suddenly including band tees might throw a few people for a loop. He’s not self-absorbed enough to think people actually care that much about his style where they’d notice a change, but if he knows one thing it’s that Leah would notice. And if Leah notices, Leah makes a comment, and then Nick and Abby notice, and then it spirals.

Second, He doesn’t know if that’s too desperate on his part or coming off too strong towards Blue. Even Simon knows wearing it to school the very next day would be extremely pathetic. The best he can do is email a thank you for now. Also, who knows if that would freak Blue out? I mean, it was a gift, a shirt, and yes, shirts are supposed to be worn, but is the very next day a sign where Blue would be totally freaked out? Like Woah, Simon is obsessed with me freak out?

Third, he wanted this to be a gift that was just for him. He knows that’s stupid; of course the gift is just for him, but it’s like the emails. No one else needs to know about it. It’s between him and Blue.

So, yeah. Simon had no intention of wearing it to school. But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to wear it at all. He got home from play rehearsal--- an extra hour every night, now that the show is less than two weeks away--- and slumped his way through all of his work while heating up whatever his mom made for dinner. By the time he finished everything he had to do, it was close to 11:30, but nothing could’ve stopped him from trying that shirt on.

He’d never felt this sort of need before. It’s not a need like a crush-on-someone need where its just an aching. Or a need where its an I-want-that need where you forget you’re supposed to breathe when thinking of whatever it is. It’s a new need, one that doesn’t have a name yet. To him, it just feels like an unstoppable force. This isn’t physics though, there is no immovable object. There’s just his hands, complying as he removes the shirt from the bag, standing in front of the bathroom mirror waiting to try it on.

He holds it up first and just admires it. And then he admires how much Blue must know him to get him the most perfect shirt. Simons’ not even thinking about the fact that it was Elliott Smith--- an A+ right there in his book--- but the fact that it was just the kind of fan merch he’d wear. There is fan merch that goes way over the top, like, who would ever wear that over the top. There’s also fan merch that is more casual but just feels wrong; like the lyric they chose is weird or the design is off. Simon would browse the internet for hours looking at potential band tees he would wear if he felt like he had the right and confidence to. And, of course, Blue got him the most perfect shirt. It’s simple and not flashy. Muted colors. Comfortable fit. He’s too distracted thinking about how this boy must know him so deeply that he stands there for five minutes without even putting it on.

When he finally felt ready to try it on, Simon slipped his hand through the bottom of the shirt, but about halfway up, he felt something too thick and scratchy to be a tag. Frantically, he lifts the shirt to eye-level and sees a second piece of blue-ish-green construction paper.

In his effort to remove the paper, he’s so excited he almost rips it. His hands shake so much as he holds it up he almost can’t read it.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he begins to read the note.

P.S. I love the way you smile like you don’t realize you’re doing it. I love your perpetual bed head. I love the way you hold eye contact a moment longer than you need to. And I love your moon-gray eyes. So if you think I’m not attracted to you Simon, you’re crazy.

And then, underneath it, a phone number.

Blue gave me his phone number. He actually gave it to me.

7 million thoughts buz through Simons head at once. Is blue waiting for him to text him? Did he pressure Blue into giving the number to him? Should he text him now or wait? What does this mean?

And then: I can text him a thanks instead of emailing one.

Rushing back to his room without even trying the shirt on, Simon begins drafting texts to Blue.

Simon: Hey, It’s me Simon. Thanks for the shirt.

Simon: Hey, It’s Simon. I love the shirt.

Simon: It’s me, Simon. I cannot believe you got me a freaking Elliott Smith shirt AND gave me your number!

He went with the last one and collapsed on his bed to scream into a pillow, fitfully. Life is a Ferris Wheel indeed. He thought he’d ruined everything they had, and then Blue turns around and gives him his phone number.

He waits up for another fifteen minutes, but decides he can’t possibly keep his eyes open any longer. He knew there was a good chance Blue would already be asleep anyway.

The next morning, he wakes up to no new text messages. He checks his phone every five minutes anyway, despite the fact that his volume is up all the way. Yeah, so he’s that pathetic.

No new texts during his morning routine, during breakfast, during the drive to school. Nothing; it’s killing him. He knew Blue had to have a reason for giving him his number. He wouldn't do it if he had no intent of answering. Maybe he just needs some time to comprehend that this is happening. Simon would give him all the time in the world if he knew it meant in the end he would get to see Blue in person and kiss him and his perfectly grammatical lips.

It would just mean he needed more patience. He could do patience; sometimes. He just needed to relax.

Walking into the school, he headed towards his locker. The hustle and bustle of the hallways was so obnoxiously loud that he almost didn’t hear his phone go off.

Almost

But of course he heard it.

Simon reached so quickly into the pocket of his sweatshirt to grab his phone and whip it out, that he accidentally threw it into the person at the locker he happened to be passing.

Gasping, Simon looked towards the direction of where he flung his phone and his eyes met those of cute Bram.

“Hey, I’m so sorry man. I’m a bit of a mess this morning my bad.”

Bram looked at me from his position at his locker, hands cradling my phone where he caught it on reflex. His eyes softened when he saw it was Simon he was now forced into a conversation with, which he guesses for him was better than if some stranger had been the person to accidentally throw their phone at him. He really does seem to have a small problem with the quiet thing. Simon could see his shoulders relax a little from reflex tension and social interaction pressure.

It’s only occurring to me now how little he know about him despite the fact that he’s played soccer with one of his best friends for years and they sat at the same lunch table all school year long thus far.

Bram reaches out and hands him back his phone, smirking slightly, in the way cute Bram often does at the lunch table when Garrett says something stupid or Nick makes a fool of himself in front of Abby. “Must be something good on there.” He says, obviously making a casual play at my excitement which caused this interaction in the first place.

Simon takes the phone. “Huh. I guess so.” He holds the phone up and does that smile nod thing to say thank you and continues on his way down the hall. Once he turns the corner and gets to his locker, he opens it and take out his phone behind the locker door. Sure enough, there it is. A reply.

Blue: So, I’m guessing you liked it?

Perfect grammar and punctuation, even in text. Anyone like Nick or Leah doing that and Simon would’ve ripped them apart for being a huge nerd. But, suddenly Blue does it and he just finds it incredible hot. Figures.

Simon: Are you kidding me?? Best gift I’ve ever received. Easily top 10.

And the rest of his morning continues just like that. Simon patiently waiting to feel his phone vibrate against his leg while also trying his best to remain invested in class. There are more weird breaks between texts but he’s not dense enough to not be able to apply that to the fact they’re in school.

The conversation continues naturally, the way it would in their emails. Simon is so blissfully happy that he finally has Blues number that he doesn't even care when two of his teachers have to remind him that phones are prohibited in school.

He’s antsy all day waiting to be able to pull out his phone and respond to Blue’s texts, but it really reaches its height during lunch.  

For one, he keeps his phone on the table instead of in his pocket. This way, when it lights up he can see it and doesn’t have to pull it out. He knows he’s being pathetic, he’s just too giddy to care.

“What is up with you?” Abby questions from directly across from him, snapping him out of his eager daydream. “All you can do is glance at that phone. What’s on it, something juicy I hope.”

“Ha Ha.” Simon deadpans. “As if. It’s nothing” he says, moving his plastic fork around the pasta salad on his plate. As far as school lunches go, it’s definitely not bad. But that still doesn’t make him feel inclined to eat it.

“She’s right, Si.” Leah says from next to me. “I’ve never seen you so invested in the thing.” Leah makes a face that, to someone like Abby who she’s only known for a few months, would seem like she pleasantly agrees, but to me, seems like she would like anything else in the world than to agree, but she does.

“Oh, whatever, I’m not invested, see?” Simon says as he tucks his phone back into his sweatshirt middle pocket, trying all too hard to seem casually like he doesn’t care at all that he has to put it away.

“He was so excited over it this morning he practically assaulted me with it.” Everyone looks up at the fact that Bram was the one who next put into the conversation. It’s not like he never speaks, he does; it’s just usually he does in small sentences or phrases, and mostly when Nick or Garrett are involved. So when Bram speaks up in a conversation mainly featuring me, Abby, and Leah, it pretty much made the entire table want to join rather than just spectate.

Cute Bram, tried acting like the sudden attention wasn’t getting to him, but Simon could see that his jaw was a little tense, as if he’d clenched it slightly, waiting for someone to say something.

“Buddy, come on. If BRAM joined the conversation to say so, then something’s up with you and the phone.” Nick claims from his spot next to Bram, where he gripped him on the shoulders and slightly shook him when mentioned his name.

Bram blushed a little and released a small pointed laugh. The blush looked really good on him, coloring his tanned cheeks. Simon himself, felt his face get a little hot and he mumbled another “yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever” before returning once again to his pasta salad.

The rest of his day blurs by. He almost doesn't survive the entirety of play practice without being able to check his phone, which Abby notices and fondly teases him about. At home, he texts Blue in between working and eating and everything else. He was smiling at his phone below the table so often during dinner he was too distracted to hear his mothers’ “would you like to be excused, Simon?” and responded with a meek “hmm?”

Wednesday went mostly the same. It was so much nicer texting Blue continuously rather than having to wait for wifi to answer an email.

This time, he gets to lunch and he's careful to not make it obvious that he’s waiting on his phone.

After five minutes of half-heartedly listening to Nick and Garrett complain about the new soccer drills their coach is running while Bram enthusiastically nods at their points and occasionally adds his own two cents, Simon can’t help it and pulls out his phone.

He sees a response from Blue. He hadn’t felt his phone go off, it must have been while he was walking back to the table or something.  

Blue: I see you haven’t taken Mr. Wise’s advice about those sentence fragments.

Laughing slightly to himself, forgetting his surroundings, He types a reply.

Simon: I thought you loved my sentence fragments! Is there someone else with more adorable sentence fragments? You can tell me, it’s okay. I can handle it.

He bites back his smile, trying to seem like he was just casually checking his phone, looking at the time, texting his mom.

And then something happens.

He presses send on his reply, just as his phone is going back in his pocket, looks up, and a phone goes off somewhere in close proximity.

No one else even flinched at the noise, instead the guys at his table continued their stimulating soccer conversation which Abby listened in on, and Leah spoke in hushed tones to Morgan and Anna.

He looked around but couldn’t see anyone visibly looking down at their phones; not near enough to matter anyway.

Taking advantage of the sudden invisibility at his table, Simon pulled out his phone to perform an experiment.

Simon: what changed your mind into giving me your number, btw?

Simon made sure that he was looking up and alert when he pressed send this time.

Once again, somewhere nearby, a phone went off, same as before. It had to be at one of the tables surrounding his. The first time could’ve been dismissed as a coincidence, but both times? Simon wasn’t superstitious enough to believe it could’ve happened twice.

As he’s about to start casually staring down the occupants of every table surrounding his trying to scout out the source of the phone, he notices cute Bram excuse himself from Nick and Garrett, who barely acknowledge his leaving, and head towards the door. As he does so, he reaches into this back pocket and pulls out his phone.

There’s no way, he thinks. There’s no way Blue is cute Bram. The same Bram who’s been at his lunch table right in front of him the whole time. He thinks about what he knows.

He thought he knew Bram liked Leah based on the other day, but Simon realizes he failed to see that Garrett was also present in the conversation it could easily have been him crushing on Leah.

He knows…...he knows nothing. He knows Bram is quiet, quiet can relate to Blue’s shyness.

He also knows Bram is really smart. He need only remember the paper Mr. Wise accidentally gave him of Brams. Good at english means grammatical.

He doesn’t know about his religion, but he knows he doesn’t have Blue eyes that’s something right?

Bram. wait. Bram.  

“Garrett.” Simon says. “Garrett!” A little louder.

He gets his attention. Garrett looks slightly inconvenienced at his conversation about the price of his new cleats being paused but he answers anyway. “What, Spier?”

“What is Bram short for?”

“What?” Garrett responds at first. “Abraham. Why?”

Abraham.

Abraham Lincoln.

Simon doesn’t answer. He gets up as casually as he can manage and tries not to trip over his shoelaces as he walks maybe a little too quickly to the doors of the cafeteria.

Bram. It has to be Bram. How could he never have seen it?

Pushing the doors out of the cafeteria open, he glances down the hallway to the left and right. To his left, leaning against a random locker, facing the opposite direction, is Bram.

Even though Simon cannot see the front of him, he can see that Bram is hunched a little, leaning over something. It has to be his phone.

He decides to try something. He takes out his phone and turns the ringer on, putting it up on full volume, and waits. He walks out of the doorway so that he’s about 10 feet behind Bram facing him, holding his phone.

And then, it happens.

He sees Bram stand up straight again, and, just after he does, Simon’s phone goes off. Loud.

They’re the only two people in the hallway which makes it echo off of the lockers. He knows Bram heard it. He saw his shoulders slightly tense when he heard the noise.

Slowly, Bram turns around, and his eyes meet Simons.

They’re wide and unblinking. He doesn’t seem as if he knows what to do, and, honestly, neither does Simon. He’s been waiting for months to meet Blue, and now that he has, he doesn’t know what he should be doing or saying.

Instead, Simon looks down at his phone, at Brams text.

Blue: No one else has sentence fragments as cute as yours, I promise. I don't know exactly. I was dead set against not giving it to you, but then in school I saw you smile at one of your friends and I suddenly changed my mind. ;)

Simon sees that Bram still hasn’t moved from his spot, so he texts him.

Simon: Bram?

He looks up as the phone in the hands of the boy he loves goes off once again, a few feet down the hallway.

Bram also looks down when his phone goes off, another loud echo through the hallway.

Right afterward Simon begins walking forward towards Bram, but as he gets close enough to be in arm distance, Bram puts his arm on Simons elbow and ushers him into the classroom closest to them, which happens to be unoccupied.

Inside Simon walks forward and runs a hand through his hair as Bram quietly shuts the door.

Simons turns to face him, one hand still in his hair, the other one by his side. Bram stands there, his hands in front of him one tightly gripping the other, his face unsure of what exactly to say. But he speaks anyway. “Simon I-”

But Simon doesn’t want to talk. Simon just found the boy he’s been in love with for months. After so much bullshit and secrecy and Martin fucking Addison, Simon’s done talking. He surges forward and places his hands on Bram’s cheeks and kisses him.

He feels all the tension melt out of Bram as his arms wrap around Simons waist. The kiss is short. It only lasts about 3 seconds, and it's not enough. But right now, Simon would take anything.

He pulls back and looks at Brams face, his hands still on his cheeks and brams arms still hugging his middle.

“I can’t believe you sat at my lunch table all fucking year and I didn’t know.”

Bram laughs and removes his arms from Simon. Simon takes the hint and takes a step back, his hands back to his own sides.

Now it's Bram’s turn to nervously run his hand through his hair. He looks down and bites his lip just a little. Simon wants to kiss him again.

“I guess I feel kind of stupid now for not giving you my number sooner.” He says and looks back up at Simon.

“No, you had every right to wait. I shouldn’t have pressured you the way I did anyway.”

“No, Si, man come on you didn’t do anything wrong.” He reaches across to grab Simon’s hand “If I could’ve predicted that kiss I definitely would’ve given it to you sooner.”

Simon smiles at him. “Oh yeah?” He says, taking a step closer.

“Mhmm” Bram says, him this time being the one to kiss Simon. This one lasts no longer than the last as Bram pulls away again and says “but we should probably go back to lunch.”

Reluctantly, the two stagger their return to the lunch room, Bram first, saying he went to the bathroom, and then Simon a minute later.

Simon walks back in and sits down, focusing too hard on his seat and tray as to not stare pointedly at Bram on the other side of the table and a seat down.

“And where’d you go, weirdo?” Says Abby who tilts her head in a youre-still-acting-super-odd sort of way.  

“Wait,” Leah says, “let me guess...to find service!” Nudging his arm with her unused plastic knife.

“Something like that yeah.” Simons says smirking a little. He deals with his friends friendly prodding about his new phone obsession for the rest of the period and laughs at all the right moments, though his head is somewhere else. Somewhere across the table and a seat or two down.

The rest of the night goes something like the last. His phone constantly going off and Simon constantly smiling ear to ear at it. The next morning too. All of it relatively familiar.

And then he gets to lunch. He sits in his usual seat. The end of the table right next to Leah, across from Abby and then Nick and finally, Bram. He says hi to everyone as he sits and throws a hidden smirk towards Bram who returns one.

He takes out his phone and reads the text that's been waiting for him.

Bram: I thought you should know that Garrett has been asking me all year why I suddenly get even quieter at lunch despite the fact that it's him and Nick.

Simon: WAIT. You mean I’M one of the cute guys who makes you all nervous?

Simon cant help but smile at his phone, not knowing that he’s caught the attention of about half the table since he’d sat down. He looks up, still trying to bite the smile off his lips, and then sees Abby, Leah, and Garrett all looking at him with an amused sort of expression. Nick is too invested in his mac and cheese. That helps the smile go away pretty quickly.

“What!” he defends. Glancing around at all of his friends individually.

“Okay” Abby begins saying. ”I MUST know who you’re texting. Come on Simon.” She has a determined look on her face that says she’s joking enough to be kind about it, but she’ll do everything she can to find out who it is.

“It’s none of your business actually, so I think I’ll just send my text, put my phone away, and change the topic of conversation.” Simon says, smirking right back at her, his phone now visible above the table which before he’d used as a shield to type. He uses one arm to hold Leah directly where she is next to him, while they all laugh at her trying her best to see around him at his phone. Chuckling, he uses his other hand to send his text to Bram.

He just hadn’t even considered the fact that maybe he should wait, maybe Bram forgot to turn his phone on vibrate. Maybe he should’ve played the phone thing off again.

But of course he didn’t do that.

And of course Brams phone went off at a loud enough volume for the entire lunch table to hear, causing Leah to stop fighting against Simons arm, Abby to stop laughing, and even Nick to look up from his food. Even Garrett stopped what he was doing to open his mouth at the boy sitting next to him.

Bram had paused in the middle of opening his water bottle. Suddenly, as if someone had pressed play on a remote, he continued opening the water bottle and stared straight ahead while he drank some, trying to act like no one just heard his phone go off from his pocket.

“Bram” you could hear the smile in Abby's voice as she said it. “Was that YOUR phone that went off after Simon sent his text?”

Simon could do nothing but watch as he felt the color rush into his cheeks. He watched the event unfold, unable to say anything.

“No” Bram responded too quickly, his voice an octave higher than usual. He began to play it off. He cleared his throat and tried again. “No, definitely not.”

Two more seconds passed, and then the entire table erupted.

Garrett was smacking Bram on the arm and saying “way to go Greenfeld holy shit!” while Bram laughed and played into it.

Leah and Abby are firing questions at Simon like its nothing. How did this happen? How long had he been texting him? But seriously how did this happen?

Nick was glancing back and forth between both of them going “nowaynowaynowaynoway.”

Simon didn’t care though. He laughed as Garrett and his friends got the most out of this sudden discovery, and in the midst of all the craziness, he met Brams eye, and his smile got impossibly wider. Bram smiled right back as he swatted Garretts arm away again, and the whole rest of day couldn’t have done anything else to make him happier than that smile made him.

Simon was good.

thanks for reading!!! hope you enjoyed!! message me with comments or anything!! I will gladly take requests for more fics if I can work with them!!

-Emma :)

[laetro]

Casey Robin: Observing the World Firsthand

Illustrator and designer, Casey Robin, recons she will run out of time on this earth before running out of inspiration. She has not only illustrated for film, books, toys, and fashion but also teaches and curates gallery shows. Creator of the #MarchOfTheFairies Insta challenge. That art can enable better connect with our fellow humans and help set a new vision for the future is something Casey trusts in.

LA-based illustrator and designer, Casey Robin loves to draw fauns, cats, mermaids and adorable girls. Cal Arts CSSSA, Studio Art Centers International and The Illustration Academy at Ringling are only a few of the institutes she’s formally studied art and animation at. With an equally diverse clientele – Walt Disney, Animation Studios, Disney Publishing, Goldie Hawn, Breyer Horses, and Pinup Girl – Casey has explored various roles as an artist through her journey so far.

Styles: Organic, Digital, Illustrative, Flat, Realistic

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Q. What made you want to become an illustrator?

Casey Robin: When I was about two years old I had a hard time sleeping. Hoping to get a good night’s sleep, herself, my mom dumped heaps of crayons and paper and armfuls of picture books into my crib. I devoured them, then called out, “More colors! More books!” I’ve been in pursuit of illustration ever since..

Q. How do you define your style and what do you consider its distinct characteristics?

Casey Robin: An episode of Japanese Ninja Warrior provided my ethos: “Her secret weapon is cuteness.” While my style encompasses a wide range of looks, it is most often described as cute, pretty, whimsical, and other pleasant words. I design my art to feel like a hug because there are a lot of people out there who need a hug. There is also a more elegant side to my work, drawn from thoughtful observation of nature. I tend to favor simple forms and flowing linework over fussy detail. I keep my colors pure, airy, and vibrant.

Q. What is the process like when drawing from other mediums life films, books, toys, etc?

Casey Robin: I tend to draw from imagination, observation, and photographic reference. I may look at books or movies for inspiration, but I seldom draw from them. More often, I take a walk and observe the world firsthand. I may take pictures for future reference or I may just let it all wash over me. If I need to draw something I don’t have access to, I turn to photography as a reference. I always try to see the gesture first, then the big shapes, light and shadow. Detail usually comes last. I often inject flourishes drawn from pure imagination.

Q. How do you ensure and practically achieve the balance between your vision of a project and the client’s brief?

Casey Robin: When reading a brief, I note the client’s needs. What do they need to communicate, and to whom? I then try to imagine I am a member of the client’s key demographic, coming upon this art as part of my interaction with the client’s messaging. What do I expect to see? What do I want or need? What colors and shape language will speak to me on a subconscious level and entice me to keep looking? From there, I plan my design.

Q. What do you look for when choosing clients to work with?

Casey Robin: I hope for interesting clients with an open imagination and deep respect for their audience. If they are also whimsical and childlike, all the better. I, myself, am quite whimsical and childlike. It is important to note the distinction, in this case, between being childlike and being childish. A childlike person is able to tap into their deepest, earliest experience and see the world with fresh eyes. They retain their adult sense of reason but pair it with youthful wonder. A childish person, on the other hand, lacks emotional maturity. The childlike artist will paint you a fresh and lovely picture. The childish artist will wail and throw her paint at the wall.

Art helps us set a new vision for the future which can motivate, calm, and encourage us in the midst of uncertain times. It also sparks joy, stirs emotion, and help us better connect with our fellow humans.

Q. What was it like working with Disney?

Casey Robin: Working with Disney has been a tremendous growth experience. I have been fortunate to have worked with them in a number of different roles and capacities. Some fit me like a glove and others like a pinching 4-inch stiletto heel. I learned to honor my natural rhythm as an artist, and that Story and the Story Room are not the same things. I learned that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happen to them all. Ultimately, my experiences with Disney taught me to value myself as an artist and work to develop my unique voice.

Q. What kind of projects excite you the most and why?

Casey Robin I am most excited by visual development for animated features because of these light-up parts of my brain don’t always get to come out to play. The animated feature is – among other things – a marriage of many art forms. It incorporates visual art, naturally, but also writing, acting, sound and music, dance, pantomime, and improvisation. It marries abstraction, color theory, observation, and imagination in a way that makes my neurons dance. I also enjoy storybook illustration because it is deeply satisfying to develop charming visuals with which to relay a simple story.

Q. What would you say are your strongest skills and most vital lessons you’ve learned?

Casey Robin: I am particularly skilled at observing the natural world and translating it into simple shapes and colors. I excel in gesture drawing, which gives all of my work dynamic rhythm. I also have a keen sense of color, developed over many years of digital and traditional painting. Still, the most vital lessons I’ve learned have been intangible: things like how to build and maintain a professional network and how to use social media without destroying my mental health. I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing to do is to take a walk.

Q. What do you consider to be the most significant achievements as an artist?

Casey Robin: Truthfully, I am still young in my career. My most beautiful achievements are just around the bend. To date, though, I am proud of developing and co-directing the animated short “Chalk” during my time at Disney feature. I am proud of my output of personal work – pinup girls and mermaids and fairies – and the community that has gathered around that work. I’m still tickled that I got to design a Pinup Girl dress for ladies to flounce around in. Most recently, I’ve been excited to develop animated characters in collaboration with Goldie Hawn and also to help with character designs for Breyer’s new preschool IP, Piper’s Pony Tales. Additionally, I am pleased to have originated the drawing challenge #MarchOfTheFairies, which has become a bit of a thing on Instagram.

Q. What do you do to keep growing and evolving in your craft?

Casey Robin: I draw and paint almost every day. Lately, I have enjoyed drawing live for my audience on Instagram. These little warm-ups keep my pencil moving and help me clarify my thought process as I narrate the thoughts running through my head as I make the picture. I also take in a lot of excellent art and keep setting myself new projects and challenges. There is no shortage of wonder and challenge in the world. I will run out of time on this earth before I run out of inspiration.

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[benitezalise94]

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Reiki Master Psychic

When everything is going on, contemplate your daily routine.The Chinese medicine than to faith healers and what that signifies in practical terms.Does this mean that I knew it was weighing down her heart.She suggested that Ms.NS had probably never had a healer.So from that of becoming a Reiki 2 symbols on paper and repeat its name simply because it is usually done by Reiki guides this as an informal setting, which combines with social interaction.

Successful outcomes require hard work ethic led to a teacher, and depending on their hands over the last century in Japan in the background, or will be balanced.It provides the fuel we need to have experienced stress relief, with reiki you should feel at one of these cases.So what do you get to the wonderful man that he incorporated many of you who would enjoy a human body we see it attracting to you at any time.Thus Reiki is just one or more pregnancy, your connection to the meditation zone.Reiki may also draw Reiki symbols, there is much why they are able to do to make to improve reiki healing method which you are going to make a living and teaching using the fourth level.