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cult-of-the-rizz · 1 year

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Archiving further thoughts on the power of the bishops vs narinder (also gets very speculative on the nature of the cotl universe's destiny so the speculation aspect is just what I'm basing the laws of my lamb's universe in):

Haro mentions that the four bishops are flexible and fluctuate their control of their elements, yet narinder is hard line absolute and that it's somehow baffling that he wants to destroy the order of the world by killing the other bishops:

"He was unalike the rest of his kin. While others dealt with flux; chaos, famine, pestilence, war. Things in which their constancy must transpose. And yet he was the inevitable; the obstinate and irresistible. The one who waits. Truly peculiar, 'twould then seem, has appetency to invite the novel and the new, break ancient vow and primordial bond alike. Traditions stagnate and appetites augment, nonetheless. Doubt tears faith asunder."

I think this is wrong and in this essay I will explain

The four aren't flexible, they're incomplete. Narinder is the only god of the five with absolute power, so much so that at his full capabilities he can override the abilities of the four. The bishops were keeping narinder from reaching his full potential as god of life and death because it would render their own rule useless. What's the point of curses and blessings if they don't do anything permanent? None of their sectors of control are absolute. You can be diseased and still live, sickness doesn't guarantee death. Just as peace and bounty don't guarantee life. But narinder, narinder can guarantee those things. Get his blessing and live through a terminal disease or get cursed and drop dead in the most painful way.

Narinder isn't necessary selfish for wanting his divine dominion over life, but I think there's an underlying reason that perhaps only shamura understood that caused his imprisonment. Giving narinder the chance to realize fully his ultimate power over the other four meant that ultimately, the world they govern would come to an end. Pestilence, famine, war and chaos are temporary afflictions, but death is cyclical with life and absolute. Narinder, at his full power, would bring about the end of gods and the five because that's his role.

The other gods have already died and become relics of the past, the end for the rule of cults and gods was bound to come soon.

"Five points to a pentagram, five portents of doom, five siblings stood abreast, five gods and one tomb..."

"Five becomes four becomes three becomes two becomes one becomes nothing."

"Knock, knock, the Lamb comes to raze, end of days, end of days."

"Death cannot flow backward. It was I who had him chained. Forced into subjugation by the four of us."

Shamura knew. This isn't just shamura ravings and fearing narinder's success. They knew from the fucking beginning. The five are portents of doom, the end of times, the destruction of the world as they know it. The five were cast upon the world as heralds of the changing times. Of the end of the era of gods. Narinder was always going to "win". He was born to champion the change and ensure the end of cults and gods. However I don't think that narinder realized this death of gods would include himself. I think in his hubris he didn't think that he would lose his crown after the others died, but that was his destiny. As he too is a god, so he too must die

And shamura's famous five becomes four quote, they knew the loss of even one bishop would be a catalyst to the end. Imprisoning narinder only prolonged the inevitable. And I don't think this was selfish of them either, they loved narinder and no doubt the rest of the bishops. I think, despite their godly knowledge and age, they didn't want to say goodbye to it all just yet. I think kallamar knew the eventual outcome of everything too, being the second oldest. He probably was the only one at the time to truly understand what shamura understood in regards to the end of times for the five of them, which is what made him so scared of narinder. Because narinder is the absolute. He cannot be stopped, he can only lie in wait.

Shamura's error was made out of love. Love for their family and for narinder, not wanting to see him victimized to destiny.

#cult of the lamb #cotl kallamar #cotl narinder #cotl heket #cotl leshy #cotl #cotl lamb

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ash-and-books · 7 months

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Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: A rich and romantic new standalone fantasy loosely inspired by the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, from the New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty!

Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and The Shadow Queen.

Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven raised a deadly briar around Runakhia's palace, casting the royal family into an enchanted sleep—and silencing the kingdom's gods.

Born with a miraculous gift, Lia's destiny is to kill Ruven and wake the royals. But when she succeeds, she finds her duty is not yet complete, for now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god—or die.

To make matters even worse, Ruven's spirit is haunting her.

As discord grows between the old and new guards, the queen sends Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods. But the old gods are more dangerous than Lia ever knew—and Ruven may offer her only hope of survival.

As the two work together, Lia learns that they're more alike than she expected. And with tensions rising, Lia must choose between what she was raised to believe and what she knows is right—and between the prince she is bound to by duty...and the boy she killed.

Review:

How far would you go for your god? Reylo meets Sleeping Beauty in this story about gods, sacrifice, and forbidden romance. Lia is a girl who was raised by nuns to follow her goddess, believing that she was raised to kill the evil heretic sorcerer Ruven and bring back the royal family that was cursed to sleep. When Lia does succeed in killing Ruven, to her great disbelief his ghost begins haunting her. She also discovers that she is forced to marry the newly awakened prince and that if she refuses she will be killed. It also doesn't help that the new queen is forcing her to prove that she is blessed by gods... but Lia soon discovers just how monstrous the gods can be and that her love for them does not mean they will love her in turn. Then there's the matter of the fact that she is falling in love with the ghost of the boy who represents everything she doesn't believe in and the fact that she will have to turn to him for help as she fakes her miracles *(least she be killed by the royal family for not being blessed by the proper gods and performing proper miracles). Can she find a way to survive the royal family and bring back the boy who has captured her heart, no matter how blasphemous their relationship is. This was definitely an interesting stand alone fantasy romance. The pacing of the book was slightly odd to me, it felt rushed at some parts but dragged on at others. Lia was a frustrating protagonist and honestly I have to give her some leeway because she is 17 years old and was raised by nuns... but this entire book felt like watching someone's religious discovery of deciding whether or not to believe in god. I did like the romance (despite the emotional whiplash of : I love him, I hate him, I'm gonna make out with this other guy, but I love him again). So I am in between giving this a 2 star vs a 3 star, but I will give it that bit of bonus because I liked the overall romance in the end. It wraps everything up neatly. If you are a fan of Reylo, I'd say give it a go because I think you'll have fun with it.

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #booksih #book #what monstrous gods #reylo

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willowcrowned · 2 years

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have thought extensively about that twunk fucking ganon and zelda simultaneously. it’s called equality

#i actually have some FANTASTIC fics for them bookmarked on ao3 #our kingdom is gone by rethira #which is 17k and really beautifully haunting in the way it approaches the cyclical inevitability of zelda #and #the word and legend go before you by jonphaedrus #which is also about cycles #but from a totally different angle #and it has some REALLY interesting takes on nature vs nurture #and destiny being a curse vs a blessing #ask game replies

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astrolovecosmos · 2 years

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Mars Signs: Symbolism and Themes

Aries Mars: Sword, fist, explosion, dragon or dragon warrior, barbarian, knight, war, fire, destruction, conquer, compete, winning, scars, blood, masculine anger (symbolic), berserker, action, assertion

Taurus Mars: Tank, battering ram, earthquake, volcano, boiling over, immovable object, bull, elephant, charging, magnetic, time is on their side, real results, hidden or smothered anger and drive

Gemini Mars: Propaganda, gossip, messenger, urgent news, knowledge is power, spy, translator, alarm, arguing, debate, yelling, flexible, tricks, persuasion, mental gymnastics, war cry, expressive anger and drive

Cancer Mars: Shield, kraken, submarine, werewolf, killer whale, pressure cooker, mama bear, raging sea, feminine wrath (symbolic), great healer, intuition, primal, sanctuary, protective and tenacious will

Leo Mars: Power plays, saber rattling, declaring war, politics, royalty, influence, destruction, lion, gryphon, sun magic or power, pride, roar, heart, fierceness, honor, weight of the world vs. self-love and respect

Virgo Mars: Soldier, investigator, sniper, spy, thoughtful, critic, skill mastery, listening and watching, problem solver, loyal security, army ants, secret messages, morse code, quicksand, landslide, sink hole, dangerous plants or organisms, efficient and effective drive

Libra Mars: Negotiator, politics, diplomat, bird of prey, justice system, persuasion, vigilante, peace keeping, judge, safe spaces, civil progress or unrest, revaluate, adaptation, dove, using anger only when needed

Scorpio Mars: Assassin, puppet master, steamroller, self-destruct button, spy, mind games, hurricanes or tsunamis, unstoppable force, power and desire, venom, will, self-mastery, destiny, shadows, vigilante, hypnosis, shark, thorns, when anger or passion meets depth

Sagittarius Mars: Burns, wildfire, daggers, range weapons, adrenaline, bark and bite, hunter, wildness, dangerous or helpful stranger, traps, savage insults or truths, dark horse, zealous drive or willpower that comes from a strong belief

Capricorn Mars: General in a war, power and control, being the G.O.A.T, unshakable, chess, patience, reward, success, climbing, surviving, boundaries, authority, poker face, underground bases, the power and heaviness of responsibility, Mars exalted like a badge of honor but also may be being held up like Atlas and the heavens

Aquarius Mars: Rebellion, revolution, protest, technology, talons and large wings, unpredictable, tornado, lasers, distraction, politics, hacking, maybe vigilantes or rogue movements and groups, collective trauma, anger, healing etc. destruction, rebuild, hope, disruption

Pisces Mars: Piranhas, rapids, healing, intuition, curses and blessings, cycle breakers, escapism, unbreakable spirit, self-faith, gentle and harsh, power of water, water magic, a great seer or sage, drowning, fog or mist, drive is dissolved then solidified

#mars #planet #mars sign #zodiac #astrology #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces

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mxstyassasxin · 4 years

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WIP Fic Recs Abound!

Thought I’d put together a list of WIPs that I’m currently following and would recommend to you all <3

Drarry:

Instinct is a Marvellous Thing by @drarrymehome - A few months after defeating Voldemort, a grief-stricken Harry goes in search of the family he has always wanted. The search takes him to a place where everything is the same but a little bit different. Harry quite likes it there, although maybe everything isn't as it seems.But what happened to the people Harry left behind? The disappearance of Harry Potter rocked the wizarding world like nothing else, and when Draco Malfoy is accused of his kidnapping, why won’t he tell everyone the truth about what happened? Would they even believe him if he did?More importantly, where is Harry Potter and is he coming back?

I’m loving this! It’s full of mystery and intrigue with a wonderfully pining Draco. A really well-paced slowburn where Harry has been a bit of an idiot and Draco’s trying to fix it. Beware the angst when barriers spring up in his efforts and when Harry starts to discover the truth.

Cherie, parchments and quills by Oleonetta - A birthday gift voucher for Le'Amortentia - the dating service, sends Harry into a whirlwind of words after choosing the profile of one man that sound very interesting and mysterious.Unable to disclose anything that reveals his name or identity, Harry must rely on words via a magical connected parchment to get to know the other man. Only time will tell if they wish to met.Meanwhile, Harry had started his 10th year as a Hogwarts professor, and this year ... one Mr Draco Malfoy has taken over the position of potions professor.

Professor Drarry! Letter writing! Both tropes that I really enjoy and this does not disappoint. The glee I feel knowing things as the reader when Harry and Draco don’t is brilliant and the fic is so full of amazing details that make it really heartwarming and emotional.

Dramione:

The Auction by @lovesbitca8 – In the wake of the Dark Lord's triumph over Harry Potter, the defeated must learn their new place. Hermione Granger has been captured to be sold to the highest bidder as the top prize at an auction of Order members and sympathizers. But despite the horrors of Voldemort's new world, help seems to arise from the most unlikely of places.

Voldemort wins au, part of the Rights and Wrongs series. Start with The Right Thing To Do (not Voldy wins) because The Auction is the playout of something brought up in that by Draco and I love how fleshed out the little detail has become. Also, can I just give a cheer for all the bamf women in this fic!

Professors by GinFics (edit: now complete) – Five years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the Hogwarts professors have been totally re-staffed by none other than the Golden Trio and their classmates. Ever since the Battle, Hermione has been dating Ron, though things haven't been good between them in a long time. With Draco and Hermione heading up the school's Dueling Club, it's guaranteed to be an interesting year, indeed.

What it says on the tin so far. Lovely fic about Draco and Hermione getting together at Hogwarts when they return to teach there. I love romantic Draco and the two of them wanting to do the best by each other and keep the other safe from the reactions of friends and family. Also, yey for supportive Harry and McGonagall

Bless the Broken Road by SnowblindLissaDream @snowblind12 @lissadream – Almost fifteen years post the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy find themselves in a life they could never have imagined. Both have lost their spouses in untimely deaths. Both have young children to contend with. What will happen when their worlds reconnect via a spouse loss grief group put on by St. Mungo's?

Draco is such a sweetie in this fic and the way he interacts with Rose and Hugo is wonderful. He’s there for Hermione when Ginny and Harry can’t understand how she’s feeling and I’m pretty sure there’s some wonderful soulmate magic afoot. I love all the adorable feels!

Blue Widow by failedfracture – Hermione and Draco are both grieving for the ones they loved. Epilogue compliant.

Another one where Hermione’s a widow and has coped with it by leaving Britain, but now she’s back. This is as sexy as Bless the Broken Road is sweet. Harry and Ginny’s friendship with Draco is fabulous and they are just as protective over him as they are over Hermione.

Other/General:

It’s Tea Time series by ellizablue – Scorbus is the main pairing in this Potter family drama series following the events of Cursed Child but Lily’s rand James’ relationships with their respective OCs also play a huge part. I adore everyone’s characterisation in this series and this Lily is how I see all Lily Lunas now. Also massive love for Harry, Ginny and Draco as wonderfully portrayed parents and then grandparents. The same mystery, adventure feel that runs through the original HP works has been amazingly emulated here with bonus feels.

House of the Brave series by islandgirl394, starting chronologically with Written in the Stars – This fic begins a series that follows the next gen kids through all their times at Hogwarts with their individual challenges. Written in the Stars follows Victoire as she balances her academic responsibilities and her feelings for Teddy. She comes to terms with the fact that life doesn’t always work out the way you might expect it to, and Neville is on hand as an amazing Head of House with the good lectures and assistance to help her find her purpose.

New Blood by artemisgirl – Sorted into Slytherin with the whisper of prophecy around her, Hermione refuses to bow down to the blood prejudices that poison the wizarding world. Carving her own path forward, Hermione chooses to make her own destiny, not as a Muggleborn, a halfblood, or as a pureblood... but as a New Blood, and everything the mysterious term means.

What life at Hogwarts might have been like had Hermione been sorted into Slytherin. I really enjoy their take on magic and pureblood traditions in this, Hermione’s ambition to prove herself, and Luna being a seer. The original plot of Harry vs Voldermort is ongoing in the background but obviously certain things are improved, one of which being Neville’s presence as a more fleshed out character.

Lilypad: Year One by @marauders4evr – On 31 July 1991, Harry Potter adopted a cat and Dudley Dursley saved it. Neither child expected that the cat would adopt and save them, in turn. Yet, that is exactly what Regulus Black does, transforming his appearance, his life, and their world. The family grows closer, stronger, and greater, by the day. For anyone who needs a home is welcome at The Lilypad.

This is the ultimate Anti-Dumbledore rewrite and I love it! Powerful Lord Black is so amazing and his sass is one of the best things ever, as is the bamf oc and the way she jumps on board, no questions asked, to protect the two 11 year old boys; one who won’t eat and one who eats too much.

How To Tame Your Dragon by GloryofLove – A broken off relationship and a mistletoe led to some pretty extraordinary things. A drunken night. A dilemma worthy of the brightest witch. Mainly, for others its easy to mistake a child's father when they're both redheaded Weasleys. Two, she made a promise never to talk about how it happened in the first place. When the shaky foundation cracks what's left of the build for family?

I adore this Charmione story! They’re so adorable with each other yet still so fierce and independent and I’m absolutely in love with Hermione’s cottage (as well as Charlie). The whole thing is a wonderful exploration of emotions and struggles.

#fic recs #drarry #dramione #other people's wips #drarry fic rec #dramione fic rec #hp fics #harry potter #fanfiction #fic reading

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incarnation-of-victory · 4 years

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“He doesn’t take himself into account...”

I was contemplating how Deku’s fatal flaw of “not taking himself into account” is going to be resolved, and, assuming that it’s going to be in the form of some kind of talk with his friends/family/peers/mentors, here are some of my ideas on the problem itself and how some characters might approach it (A.K.A. 80% of this is in regards to Bakugou and then there’s a paragraph at the end about how Shouto relates to Deku, because I haven’t thought enough about the other characters yet. There is no cure for “Head empty, just-Bakugou” syndrome):

*Manga spoilers up to ~295*

I've seen debate over whether or not Deku does indeed have a self-worth problem, and while I do agree that it is a factor, I also think it’s a little more complicated than that. The way I see it, Deku is a lot like Bakugou: he hinges his self-worth on whether or not he can save everyone, much like how Bakugou hinges his self-worth on whether or not he can achieve a perfect victory. They both have unstable egos which fluctuate depending on whether or not they can fulfill their ideals.

So I don’t think it’s quite as simple as Deku thinking: “Everyone says I’m worthless so they must be right,” but it's more that he’s constantly trying to challenge that label. He has the confidence/perseverance to think, “Everyone says I’m worthless so I have to constantly prove them wrong—and more importantly, I have to prove it to myself so I don’t actually succumb to the even deeper fear that maybe I actually am worthless after all.” So essentially, Deku’s constantly under the pressure of people’s expectations of him. And this pressure comes from more than just society once Deku is bestowed with OFA. Sound familiar?

Well, it’s a lot like how it was for Bakugou. Deku came into the world graceless and unskilled, even before being diagnosed as Quirkless, so the world formed that perception of him accordingly. Deku was deemed worthless, so he feels the need to surpass that designation out of fear that he will regress to it if he doesn’t meet his goals. Bakugou was a natural-born talent, even before getting his Quirk, so the world had high expectations of him to be good at everything, always strong, and never require help. So for Bakugou, if he fails to meet those standards, his self-esteem drops and he feels similarly weak (though he's now outgrown this to some extent).

More specifically, Deku now has one of the most powerful Quirks in the world, OFA, which comes with very high expectations—not unlike how Bakugou’s Quirk, Explosion, is very powerful and as such comes with a similar expectation that he must be the strongest and better than everyone else. In Deku’s case, however, it’s a little different because OFA is tied to a kind of legacy-driven destiny: it was created for the sole purpose of defeating AFO (the person, and the Quirk, I suppose—the two are so entangled, reasonably). Deku has gotten to the point that he feels the full weight of this expectation, and that he’s desperately afraid he won’t meet it. So in his mind, he has to fulfill the goal of OFA, even at the cost of his own life. Not just so All Might, who chose him, won’t regret his decision, or that others will be disappointed in him, but also because the fate of the world & people’s safety very much hang in the balance. Furthermore, as a OFA user, he feels that it’s his responsibility to deal with AFO and nobody else’s, which is probably part of why he’s reluctant to rely on others’ help.

Deku pledged to Bakugou that he would make OFA his own, and Bakugou often checks up on his progress for that reason, so I think it makes sense that Bakugou would be involved in trying to remind Deku that he is his own person outside of OFA’s own goals. It’s a bit like how AFO quite literally possesses Shigaraki to pursue his own goals: OFA (the person/the Quirk?) does the same by overriding Deku’s dreams and well-being, even if it’s for a noble cause. I think Bakugou very much recognizes how OFA is cursed in this manner too (though at the same time, he’s acknowledged that it’s done a lot of good too and has the potential to do even more).

Additionally, Bakugou also benefits from Deku making OFA his own: so they can finally settle once and for all, who the better the hero is (he also wants it for Deku’s own sake too, of course). A “Deku vs. Kacchan 3” is in order for that reason, but I don’t think it’s going to be in the conventional format of a brawl, because at this point, it’s clear that raw power alone is not enough to become the best hero. So we’ll see how that goes.

Despite all of this, would it still be valuable for people to remind Deku of his own inherent self-worth? Perhaps. I think Deku could benefit from relating to Bakugou most on how failing to meet your own expectations doesn’t automatically make you weak/worthless/a loser.

Because I feel that there’s a fine line between feeling motivated to get back up again after failing vs. having your self-worth plummet if you fall just below the standards you’ve set for yourself. And Deku and Bakugou toe that line a lot. How would you reconcile this issue, you ask? Well, I wouldn’t personally know, because:

I still feel that Deku & Bakugou’s tendency to fall into that pit of self-negativity is a little unhealthy… but that could just me. I think Bakugou having a similar guilt complex, where he pins a lot of blame on himself for his mistakes (which is sometimes overly harsh/misplaced), is also not the best mentality. I’m still of the opinion that Bakugou’s continued sense of responsibility (read: guilt) over All Might’s end is somewhat misplaced/misguided, even if well-intentioned, but again, we have yet to see the narrative confirm this as a lasting issue or not.

Which brings me to Bakugou’s sequence of thoughts/recollections in 285: Bakugou Katsuki: Rising. Again, I think it’s important to keep in mind that Bakugou has a tendency to be a little harsh on himself, so his own perception of his culpability in influencing Deku may be a tad overblown (this also applies to any narrator when we see the story from their perspective: they’re always going to have their own biases).

I’ve read and re-read Bakugou’s flashback sequence as he begins to rise, and because Bakugou is such a visual thinker and less of a linguistic one, his flashbacks, without proper wording, can be vague. I think there’s multiple ways you can interpret this sequence, and while at first I was confused by it and found it disjointed, I then tried looking at it as a kind of thematic, three-act structure, where the images all sorta build on each other.

When Bakugou thinks of OFA as a “cursed power,” he flashes back to middle school when he mocked Deku’s desire to apply to U.A. in front of the class.

And then when he thinks about OFA in a positive light, as associated with All Might, he focuses on All Might’s face and then flashes back to Deku’s hero notebook that he blew up and tossed in the pond, which is again, another rejection of Deku.

And then he remembers Deku pushing back against him instead in Deku vs. Kacchan 1, when he tells Bakugou he won’t be his “worthless punching bag Deku forever,” pledging that he’ll from now on be “the Deku who always does his best.”

Except the next image we get of Deku in place of the past, positive one, is one of him destroying himself in real time, where he appears ominous, haunting, almost kind of mad or possessed. And Bakugou is not pleased by it.

So one way the pattern here could be read: Bakugou recalls all the times he put Deku down, only for him to get back up again, which parallels how Deku reacted against society’s "worthless" perception of him. This also kind of works in conjunction with another pattern: 1) Deku (while in possession of OFA) is conflated with AFO/OFA, 2) Deku (while in possession of OFA) is conflated with All Might, 3) Bakugou’s conclusion: Deku isn’t quite either of those and is instead, his own person. OFA is his own and exists to serve Deku’s goal of being “the Deku who always does his best.” The only problem is that the Deku here hasn’t quite realized that yet.

Either way, it seems like Bakugou feels he at least partly contributed to this marginalization of Deku. Maybe a part of him thinks, "If only I'd been supportive of him from the beginning… then maybe he wouldn't be like this now… that he wouldn't be in this position…"

While, as compared to where he was at during DvK1, Bakugou does now accept the new meaning of “does his best” Deku, at the moment, this Deku isn't currently matching up to that version. The distinction here is that this current image of Deku isn’t a positive one, it’s negative.

It’s a picture of Deku destroying himself for a dream which isn’t his, perhaps out of a sense of obligation. Because as Deku puts it, he feels blessed for all he currently has: for being at U.A., having All Might as his mentor, and being able to have a normal-ish conversation with Bakugou.

But he still has this imposter syndrome way of thinking that he got this all through luck, that he’s undermining his own virtues and skills. Possibly because he does have low self-worth. I think of it like this: Deku is probably aware on some level that OFA comes with risks, that it has a lot of baggage and is probably kind of cursed, but Deku’s so grateful for the chance to become a hero, and desperately so, that he’s willing to accept even the worst of consequences to himself.

Here’s a good comic from a Japanese artist on Twitter that encompasses this idea of OFA taking advantage of Deku’s hero ambitions, before Bakugou stops him: https://twitter.com/j_nobu4/status/1344244583148863488?s=20 (rough translation in the replies, but you get the gist from the images). I think it’s a surprisingly accurate depiction of canon events, and partly inspired a lot of my ideas here!

Either way, it probably doesn’t help that All Might conveniently forgot to mention all the warning labels and side effects that come with OFA before giving it to Deku, but I digress.

And I think it’s also possible that, because he’s so grateful and feels like he’s been gifted with this new, privileged life, a part of him is afraid that he might lose it all—his friends, his life at U.A., All Might’s approval, OFA itself—if he fails to meet the expectations set out for him. That maybe he won’t deserve it anymore. I mean, hell, he already tried to give Mirio OFA once before—it’s probably no coincidence his “better” showed up to the Shigaraki fight to make him feel inadequate again. Not only that, Deku never expected to be able to speak to Bakugou again. And yet, in a sad kind of way, it was only after finally getting a Quirk, OFA, that the two are given a means to reconnect again.

I admit all of that is a bit convoluted, but either way, I feel like Bakugou does feel guilty for belittling Deku, and that it could be helpful for him to remind Deku of his own inherent worth outside of OFA, even more than just as a hero, but as a person. Because someone’s worth shouldn’t just be based solely on how many people they save or how many battles they win. Every human being has value simply for existing. And that’s mainly why Bakugou jumped in to save Deku at the end of 285. It wasn’t because he was consciously thinking about OFA getting lost/stolen, or reconciling with Deku, or Deku losing his dream, or his even own ambitions. At that moment, he simply had that instinct to save someone who was in trouble.

I think the person whose words would have the most effect on Deku in this case would be Bakugou. Firstly, Bakugou was one of the main people in his life who constantly belittled him and made him feel worthless (obviously not the ONLY cause, but one of the major ones). I think, in one sense, not only does Deku highly value Bakugou’s opinion, it would also be quite validating to have the person who used to think you were worthless tell you that you really aren’t. It’d mean a lot if Bakugou, who gave Deku his deprecating nickname in the first place, revealed to him that he now acknowledges the new, positive meaning of it. Of course, it’s still unclear, from Deku’s perspective, how much he holds Bakugou accountable for how he treated him, so whether or not this would mean much to him is still in the air.

Anyway, on the note of Deku making his Quirk his own, an abrupt segue: I feel that Todoroki can also quite relate to that dilemma. After all, Deku was the one who had to break Shouto out of the mentality that his fire was an extension of his father, rather than his own. So a similar “It’s your power, isn’t it?” moment would make sense here. Both Deku and Shouto have this legacy that’s thrust upon them, but they shouldn’t necessarily be beholden to upholding them.

I think one of the main themes of BNHA is about legacy, and the trend, to me, is that the current generation can learn a lot from the previous generation, but ultimately, the heroes of now have to form a new, improved legacy, however that may be. After all, the current hero society is very flawed, and heroes like All Might and Endeavor contributed to its state (for better or worse), even if they also had merits at the same time. OFA and AFO, too, mimic that concept of legacy, in that the Quirks started as a feud between two brothers, and that it shouldn’t be Deku or Shigaraki’s responsibility to resolve it. Rather, their Quirks should be used to fulfill their own visions, regardless of what they are. So there’s something they could bond over, among other obvious things...

Obviously, there’s probably going to be more people and other various moving parts involved, but Bakugou and Todoroki were the ones I thought most about in regards to Deku’s development here (the former more than the latter, clearly). Maybe I’ll make a continuation later or probably not because I don’t care about the other characters nearly as much. Jokes aside, I do think the final battle is going to require more than Deku and Bakugou’s efforts, because I think this one showed that they certainly can’t do it on their own.

#meant to post this weeks ago but never got around to it #bnha manga #deku analysis

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bentenharuki · 6 years

Video

vimeo

Haikyuu Chapter 300 - the unexpected roll

So... in the end I had picked up to color so many panels from this chapter to do a roll was the only thing to do, as a collage wouldn’t have been enough to store all images.

My feelings towards the general flow of this match vs Nekoma hasn’t changed in the slightest tho.

It’s the most predictable game ever and it cannot end in any other way than with a win from Karasuno over a disjointed Nekoma, giving Kenma a reason and the emotion to fight from there onwards in a more passionate way (of course Furudate will reach all of it with some special and absolutely not realistic superpowers from Boku No Hero Karasuno... the main reason I am gonna hate this game for...)

But let’s taste some greatness before all goes downhill (and it will):

I loved already last time to catch Eikichi witnessing our overpowered Volley Lord *.*, so to see him again makes me happy.

He had been so nice to the Lord and his “little” social bluntness at the beloved National training Camp that I would love to say “ehi, man, SURE the Lord remembers you and your details!”... but it’s almost assured he doesn’t.

Lord Almighty of Volley only remembers the worthy players’ names. In fact at that camp he knew already the worthiest ones’ names before even meeting them (READ: SAKUSA... his fated partner forever. He reckoned him even before stepping into the gym... awwwwww! It’s DESTINY!).

But good job, Chigaya. You were still a first year among the crop of the National Youth Camp, so you’re talented enough maybe to have the Lord remember your name after you trained five days along him.

Let’s be hopeful ;)

Now, everybody, look at that perfect upper body and the wide shoulders of the Lord as he impacts the ball ^.^

So beautiful and THICK.

Gorgeous...

The little trick our immense Lord is attempting to pull off needs some registering yet...

And by the way, the man who inspired Lord Kags’ attempts here had some trouble in registering his own serve too, some months prior.

Did any ever doubt Kageyama could have NOT tried something Oikawa had done, after witnessing it?

You dream.

The Lord has one senpai to look up to, and it’s definitely not Sugawara, whose ability stands next to Kageyama as a grain of sand compared to Mount Everest.

Not that Oikawa can be either a match to the Lord, but at least Oikawa is DEFINITELY someone the Lord feels pushed and stimulated by, because he has enough talent on his own to constitute a worthy adversary for him (or a worthy model, which works better).

Look, this was chapter 144...

Guaranteed, Kageyama will serve Kai his demise, with his own SPINNING version of the former Oikawa’s bomb serve, just let him have a lil bit of time (this before Furudate will kill volley and probably make the Lord injured, just to give the abhorrent Orange Midget some miraculous spotlight).

Look how the Lord is replaying the action in his magnificent volley vision to adjust for next serves rounds...

He’s truly the prodigy of volley.

And sports prodigies, who do exist in real life of course, are my esthetic always, in the normal world, and in 2D world as well.

I wrote what I had to in the panels already... let me just say I can’t resist to the Akane + Alisa’s combo.

Considering beside Saeko, who’s super badass, the only female figures we used to have presented in Haikyuu are the extremely beautiful, but extremely boring and narcoleptic Kiyoko, and the utter failure of a human being Yachi (so unimpressive and basic I feel offended as a female to have her as a guest protagonist in a manga about my fav sport...), to have a lil kid so fired up and knowledgeable as Akane, and someone as beautiful, cheerful and curious as Alisa feels like the most needed breath of fresh air in the female ranks of this project.

I expect Furudate to ruin them soon.

It can’t be helped... Furudate has a knack for ruining things I love, so he will also with Akane and Alisa for sure.

Look my baby Tanaka being all up to the fight like the mofo and wonderful guy he is!!!!!

Here you have a proud Tanaka supporter since the very start so any time he does these things I squeal. But of course... well... nobody is a match for THE ONE & ONLY.

Look how the Lord shows once more to the world what to be a prodigy means.

sigh... he excites me properly.

No kidding.

I colored the panels on a swimming pool border as I was tanning and my friends around me where asking me why I was sighing as I was holding the Apple pencil.

My bae’s just told them “She’s getting excited because she’s coloring Tobio Kageyama. My life is hard sometimes...”

*.* Sorry babe. I know. I can’t help it... but you be good and you will have your reward later ;)

Here I couldn’t erase the midget’s face so I... operated a lil change to his ugly mug. That still count as an improvement of his regular face.

Back to the panel, the excitement kitten Kenma shows up there IS FOR BOKU NO HERO KARASUNO.

All of this game which sets Kenma in overdrive ONLY has to do with the Annoying Orange.

Also the final panel... Kenma has only ONE target this game. Defeat Hinata like he is some videogame boss. The rest of Karasuno is just a side trouble for him.

(THIS pitiful plot is the reason for I will happily ditch Haikyuu as soon as the horrifying midget gets a spot only a fairy tale for brainless simpletons could pass for a good storyline in volley. I am sorry, but I won’t stomach that fictional midget no more than it’s strictly necessary, and the story of his Kenma’s molding most definitely is out of my spectrum of enjoyable reading).

Bonus: Yaku being so good.

Yaku is really good. I mean, he’s not darling Komori Motoya, but he is REALLY good.

Can I have a lil Nekomata on my shelf? You know for me Ukai is a treasure, but although he wants a type of game play which is not really my taste, Nekomata sensei’s love for the game is intoxicating to me. He’s so fair and so into volley... I cannot have but ENDLESS LOVE for him.

I also like the mood of open appreciation the two teams have for one another.

After all, they are playing one against the other since a year.

And now, see how the awkward, lovely Lord tries to be communicative with his teammates.

I always laugh at his attempts. He’s gotten better, but he still hilarious when he tries to convey his vision to others (actually, I long to see how he will do the same with the only one who can push his buttons exactly when he tries that communicative mode, and that’s my Tsukki... with Tanaka is easy, Lord... Tanaka is willing to cooperate but Tsukki... Tsukki will try to resist ;)).

Grade: C for the effort, Lord.

Well.

It’s canon.

Nobody is at Kageyama’s level, nor anybody can hope to get there (though we don’t know about Sakusa’s stats yet. So I hope HE CAN, to create the most perfect future combo ever...), but it always makes me shiver when the whole universe just acknowledges the fact.

From the Universe, of course one gotta part the only scrub who cannot figure in it.

I mean, I erased his repulsive face because he makes me puke, but it’s just as canon as the fact Kageyama is (by far) the BEST the way some fictional scrub midget will do his worst to have baseless hopes he could one day become nearly as good as the Volley Prodigy Lord.

I mean... sure Furudate can make the Orange Curse develop even more his not possible superpowers, but the fact is in REAL life, somebody like Hinata simply cannot exist on a volley court.

But be hopeful, Orange Scrub: certainly to praise your brainless army of simpletons supporters, Furudate will upgrade you in a minute with some skill real players (with talent, a thing you have not) use years to perfect and master.

Gosh.

How this makes my stomach convulse...

So, before Furudate taints this game with some Hinata upgrade and he makes the Lord have some “disgrace”, let’s keep enjoy for a while more a game sanitized from the Scrub... (whom I erased happily once more, but anyway he was useless in all these actions anyway so...)

Yaku and Kuroo’s resilience is amazing.

It happens sometimes in games to meet THAT kind of team, the one like Nekoma. So solid in their defensive stances you really get frustrated and agitated.

I am more for attacking than defending, but it’s a golden rule in volley there’s no game if you can’t defend well first.

And then Nekoma has Kenma... so it’s not like they only defend (more on this later).

Why didn’t you close the panel with the Lord’s FULL and perfect face, Furudate?

His perfect eyes...

sigh.

You will pay for your sins, Furudate.

Even though you have done this well overdue panel where everyone just states the mere truth, singing the Lord’s choruses of praise, like it’s normal and logic it happens.

Bonus: Daichi helping Kuroo getting up :) :) :)

Awww. They are so cute *.*

I REALLY like the face Kuroo has while he sings Lord Kageyama’s praise.

That is the face of a human acknowledging the miracles of Nature.

And prodigies ARE a Nature’s gift to humanity after all, whatever kind their talents are.

Also, I love how Nekomata says the other truth: when you witness talents, you should not be getting scared, or envious (like the scrub midget), or disheartened.

You should be grateful and excited to confront yourself with that talent, because that’s the way you will progress.

That’s the way you will get pushed, inspired, confirmed in your sport love path.

Instead we have a “fandom” all keen at trashing and diminishing the purest source of volley in the manga, just because, like the “protagonist” they blindly feel connected to, they can’t get the blessing of talent, nor appreciate and celebrate its existence.

Well... Kuroo CAN.

With that beautiful face he makes here.

The clarity of admiration in his eyes... it’s exactly my same one, when Kageyama does volley THAT good.

Now it’s not like Lord Kags is the only talented setter on court though.

Of course, he is THE MOST TALENTED character in the manga BUT (what I used to love Haikyuu very much for, before the way Hinata became started to disgust me), he is not the only talented setter at all.

There are MANY other talents there, and SURE, kitten Kenma is one of the most interesting ones.

I DEARLY love Kenma.

I wrote about this already here:

https://bentenharuki.tumblr.com/post/171958285486/this-is-a-kenma-kozume-appreciation-post-see-i

And if I wouldn’t know once he gets involved, it means Hinata will come erasing all fun and believability in this game for me, I’d surely like to see what this image forecasts for the future...

But as I said, this game has to show the Orange Curse winning over Kenma so that Kenma gains a willpower and a fight insistence he currently lacks.

So there’s no way what lays ahead for this game is going to be appreciated by me, despite the amazing mind Kozume has which is for sure a source of great plays in nuce ahead.

Too bad Hinata exists, because I would have liked to follow the dynamic of the Lord facing the Mastermind Kitty, and see which ways a further confrontation with Kenma will increase Kageyama’s volley spectrum (he has already learnt from him the eye feint, after all).

But if I have to stand Hinata along this process...

NOPE.

Thank you.

I’d look from VERY afar at everything which is gonna happen, but no way I will come to stand more of the Orange Midget Scrub.

I am allergic to fictional mediocrity for mediocre readers, and I won’t let this space of mine being poisoned with Furudate’s foolishness aver Hinata any more.

See ya.

#haikyuu!!#chapter 300 #mine #roll #furudate haruichi #the lord #kageyama tobio #kozume kenma #kuroo tetsurou #nekomata #nekoma #karasuno #the annoying orange #hinata shouyou #haiba lev #oikawa tooru #yaku morisuke #tanaka ryuunosuke

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colachampagnedad · 7 years

Link

In an interview with Zane Lowe, the only one Kendrick has done since DAMN.‘s release, Kendrick was extremely cagey about the overall concept for the album. He did drop 2 major hints, for those listening closely. In discussing the opening song, “BLOOD.,” Lowe asks “Is it the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?” “I can’t tell you that. That’s what I can’t tell you,” Kendrick says with a grin. “Come on, now. That’s the whole thing!,” he continues.

It turns out that was one of the most meaningful exchanges in the entire 44-minute interview. “BLOOD.” opens with “Is it wickedness. Is it weakness. You decide. Are we going to live or die?” That is the key to the entire sonic journey that Kendrick has architected with DAMN.

The theme of “wickedness or weakness” is one that plays out through the entire project. Kendrick asks the question multiple times. It is a deeply philosophical question akin to whether our paths are determined by destiny or whether we have free will to make our own choices. We all sin. There’s no debate about that. What Kendrick wants to know is are our transgressions a result of wickedness that is native to us or do we just have moments of weakness that can be overcome by choosing to walk the righteous path. Kendrick never gives us a definitive answer to the question, but he made 2 albums with 2 different endings—one where the answer is wickedness, which leads to his death, and another where the answer is weakness which finds him alive and flourishing because weakness was overcome. When Kendrick says “You decide. Are we going to live or die,” on “BLOOD.,” those words are deeply intentional. He is literally telling us as listeners that, as many of us did as kids when we read books that allowed us to pick from multiple endings, we have the choice to experience DAMN. 2 completely different ways.

When we listen to the album in the order in which it was released, it takes us down a path of gradual enlightenment. The question of “wickedness or weakness” is explored through several contrasting themes. Kendrick seems to make several choices that show he is not wicked and is often able to overcome weakness. The order of the song titles suggest the evolution. Kendrick moves from “LUST.” to “LOVE.,” “PRIDE.” to being “HUMBLE.,” having “FEAR.” to feeling like a “GOD.”

He struggles, for sure. He articulates his difficulty staying righteous on “FEAR.,” where he raps “I’m talkin’ fear, fear of losin’ loyalty from pride, ’cause my DNA won’t let me involve in the light of God. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that my humbleness is gone. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that love ain’t livin’ here no more. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that it’s wickedness or weakness. Fear, whatever it is, both is distinctive.” It is also on that record where Kendrick’s Uncle Carl gives him the answers for which he’s been searching. He tells Kendrick that people have been punished by God for not following God’s commandments, but they can lift God’s curses by living righteously.

The album culminates with “DUCKWORTH.,” the ultimate example of how curses can be reversed when people overcome their weaknesses and live righteously. In the song, Kendrick lays out the real-life story of how Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, Kendrick’s mentor and the owner of his label, and Kendrick’s father, Ducky, knew each other as young men. Top had robbed the restaurant where Ducky worked before he started working there, and Top intended to do so again. Ducky sensed that Top was dangerous, and rather than treat him hostilely, he chose to act kindly by offering him free food. Top eventually decided against robbing Ducky. The two men would not see each other again for 20 years, and did not realize their profound connection through Kendrick, until the first time they met in the studio. Had either Top or Ducky acted differently 20 years prior, there lives may have been fundamentally different. As Kendrick raps:

“Pay attention, that one decision changed both of they lives, one curse at a time Reverse the manifest and good karma, and I’ll tell you why You take two strangers, and put ’em in random predicaments Give ’em a soul, so they can make their own choices and live with it Twenty years later, them same strangers you make ’em meet again Inside recording studios where they reapin’ their benefits Then you start remindin’ them about that chicken incident Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin’ life While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight”

Kendrick lays it all out in that one passage. We have souls and can make choices. Top Dawg could have chosen to rob Ducky, but he did not give in to the weakness of temptation. As a result, both Top and Ducky have prospered and Kendrick is thriving.

In addition to providing a mind-blowing end to the story of DAMN., “DUCKWORTH.” is also instructional. Near the beginning of the song, DJ Kid Capri says “We gonna put it in reverse.” Like most things on the album, that phrase can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. In listening to DAMN. from front to back, it could simply mean the album is going to go back in time. After all, most of “DUCKWORTH.” is about Top and Ducky’s lives decades ago. However, soon after the DAMN. and NATION. theory surfaced, another theory arose that suggested DAMN. was actually meant to be experienced in reverse order. Thus, in saying “let’s put it in reverse,” Kid Capri was being instructional rather than descriptive. That interpretation of Kid Capri’s words also unlocks the significance of Kendrick’s hint about listening to the album “over and over and over again to fully understand the direction.”

When listened to in reverse order, DAMN. takes on a completely different feeling. From the beginning of “DUCKWORTH.,” the wickedness (or destiny) theme begins to take shape. The song opens with “It was always me vs. the world. Until I found it’s me vs. me.” Right off the bat, Kendrick is telling us that in this journey he is not battling the choices that the world presents that allow for weakness. Instead, his battle is internal, likely with wickedness.

Aside from Kendrick progressively moving down a path of wickedness in the song titles–going from feeling like a “GOD.” to “FEAR.,” moving from “LOVE.” to “LUST.,” and going from being “HUMBLE.” to embracing “PRIDE.”–the album has a very different sonic arc, as well. In its original order DAMN. gets progressively more introspective and melodic, ending with the deeply soulful “DUCKWORTH.” In reverse, the album gets increasingly aggressive, culminating in the ultra hostile “DNA.” Where “DUCKWORTH.” is about choice and overcoming weakness, “DNA.” is all about Kendrick’s wickedness being hard wired into him. He literally ends his last verse by forecasting his death and acknowledging his inherent wickedness. “Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate, gonna be your fate, gonna be our faith. Peace to the world, let it rotate. Sex, money, murder—our DNA.”

Of course, the last song on the album in reverse is “BLOOD.,” and the final occurrence on the song is Kendrick dying from a gunshot. In reverse, Kendrick’s death is foreshadowed a number of times, starting on “DUCKWORTH.”–which culminated in a gunshot after the album is replayed at hyper-speed, backwards–and continuing through “DNA.” The person who shoots Kendrick is a woman, and that also likely not a coincidence. On his album To Pimp A Butterfly, he makes a number of references to “Lucy,” short for Lucifer. Lucy is a temptress, always luring Kendrick into destructive situations and, just as Kendrick had an in-person encounter with God on TPAB‘s “How Much A Dollar Cost,” it’s not far fetched to believe that his walking down a path of wickedness would end with his death literally at the hands of the devil.

In addition to the dramatic ending “BLOOD.�� provides the album, as the last song, other parts of DAMN. start to fit together differently when it is played in reverse order. For example, going back to “FEAR.,” the last thing Uncle Carl says on the record is “Until we come back to these laws, statutes, and commandments, and do what the Lord said, these curses are gonna be upon us. We’re gonna be at a lower state in this life that we live here in today, in the United States of America. I love you, son, and I pray for you. God bless you, shalom.” In reverse order, the next song is “XXX.” which opens with Bekon singing “America, God bless you if it’s good to you. America, please take my hand. Can you help me underst…”

With nuances like that unlocking, it’s easy to start to believe that the “right” order in which to play DAMN. is, indeed, in reverse. But, again, the very first words we hear on the album, when starting with “BLOOD.” are “Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?” “DUCKWORTH.” ends with Kendrick living and thriving because Top resisted weakness and made choices that broke the curses of which Uncle Carl spoke in “FEAR.” “BLOOD.” ends with Kendrick dying because the wickedness coded into his DNA has caused him to fall from grace into the hands of the devil. Is “BLOOD.” the beginning or the end? “That’s the whole thing!”

Kendrick’s response to Zane Lowe and “BLOOD.’s” opening words suggest that the album is meant to be experienced in both directions. A tweet by Sounwave, Kendrick’s longtime collaborator, also supports the theory. Before the album was released he posted a cryptic tweet. It was simply a picture of Laurence Fishburne’s character “Morpheus,” from the film The Matrix. The picture is of Morpheus seated in the chair when he offers the main character the choice of which existence he wants to have. “You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”“You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes,” Morpheus says. Red and Blue. There are those two colors, again.

Kendrick did release two albums on April 14. The first album, the forward version, is the Red album, since it is one of enlightenment. Humans succumb to their weaknesses at times, but are also able to overcome them and live righteously. The second album, which plays in reverse, is the Blue album since it ends in death (and was the second color Kendrick uploaded on his Spotify profile). It is one in which wickedness is fateful and fatal.

Besides the song order and bookends/beginnings of “BLOOD.” and “DUCKWORTH.,” there are loads of other themes and occurrences that take place throughout the album, that change its arc and meaning depending on which direction it is played. Kid Capri’s role is one of the most readily accessible examples. When played in its original order, he does not appear until the third song, “YAH.” He simply says “New sh*t. New Kung Fu Kenny.” He appears several other times, and his presence feels like a throwback to his mixtape days in the 90s and 00s, where his drops were an integral part of setting the energy for the tape. When played in reverse, however, Kid Capri’s words seem more like they are advancing the narrative of the story, rather than ad libs to set the mood. In addition to his directions to put it in reverse on “DUCKWORTH.,” transitions like the one between “FEEL.” and “ELEMENT.” start to seem more like commentary. After Kendrick has repeated his refrain of “Ain’t nobody praying for me multiple times,” Kid Capri affirms it on “ELEMENT.,” saying “New Kung Fu Kenny. Ain’t nobody praying for me.” However, he also says “Y’all know what happens on Earth stays on Earth,” foreshadowing Kendrick’s death.

Other examples include the role Kendrick’s Uncle Carl plays on the album. In forward order, Kendrick briefly references him on “YAH.,” but it isn’t until “FEAR.” that we understand his huge significance. After Kendrick has said “ain’t nobody praying for me” a number of times throughout the album, we learn that his Uncle Carl actually literally is praying for Kendrick, and Carl’s revelations seem to be what allow Kendrick to become righteous and thrive.

When played in reverse, however, by continuing to go down a wicked path after receiving Uncle Carl’s knowledge, Kendrick seems to rebuff his words of wisdom. It leads to an increased sense of isolation, which is heard on “FEAR.,” and he outright rejects Carl on “YAH” where he says “My cousin called, my cousin Carl Duckworth. Said know my worth and Deuteronomy say that we all been cursed. I know he walks the Earth, but it’s money to get, bitches to hit.” His disregard of Carl’s teachings causes him to remain cursed and it ultimately costs him his life.

There are certainly several other examples. DAMN. is as dense as it gets…both versions. In his interview with Zane Lowe Kendrick said of the album “I want it to live for the next 20 years.” Given the unbelievable originality of is double album within an album, it seems very likely DAMN. will live for a long, long time.

#nation

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lightshared · 5 years

Text

I SHOULD HAVE COME FILLED, BUT I SHOWED UP EMPTY

Word Application Session: Being Filled; Showing Up Filled

This is a summarized version of all the valuable points shared in the Hillsong Conference 2019.

Story Shared: Where to bury the body? Speaker shared that the character’s mother-in-law died in Jerusalem. He was asked if he would want her to be buried there where it would cost him 1000 USD, or if he wanted the body to be brought to their hometown where it would cost him 4000 USD. He said he would rather have her sent home even if it would cost 4x more.

When asked why, he said, “Oh because I heard that someone died here but also rose from the dead 3 days after.”

ACTIVITY 1: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that was said against you recently that caused you pain.

ACTIVITY 2: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that describes a situation that was not helpful to you.

ACTIVITY 3: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that describes a goal yet attained.

VERSE ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE SESSION

1 Kings 12:24

John 18:18

Proverbs 17:15

Ephesians 1:3

John 14:12

Matthew 3:17

1 Corinthians 3:19

Psalm 23:

Marck 4:

1 Kings 18:38

—

Spirit that submits and is willing turns a curse into a blessing

Anchored Verse: Romans 8:28

Testimony shared: John Gray’s compromised life.

Adversity is proportionate to destiny. Attack is proportionate to anointing.

There is victory - we can still come up victorious.

When are you filled?

GIVE / OVERFLOW - When you are able to give. When you overflow

PEACE AMIDST ADVERSITY - “I shall not be moved”

FREEDOM - When you feel free from bondage, free from guilt

Testimony shared: Rick Warren gives 93% of what he has. Only 7% is what he keeps. We can assume that he started it with 10% for the church then eventually increased to 93% that he gives out and shares now.

1.ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

Anchored Verse: Matthew 3:17 "The Lord was pleased." But at this time, Jesus had not yet done any miracle. But why was he pleased?

Because Jesus was an abiding son;

Jesus stuck by His father

It is not in doing, but in being.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz on Christians always saying “the Big Man upstairs” or “the Big Man up there” “when the Big Man upstairs comes down” when we have to remember that if we’ve already received Him, He is already in our hearts.

Anchored Verse: Proverbs 17:15

The Lord condemns those who justifies the wicked and those who condemns the righteous.

The Lord hates the abomination.

God hates them because you are a child of God.

In Application: The only labor is to labor into rest.

God is going to accomplish everything that concerns you. We need to learn to give things up and let God. We are given the ability to rest.

Story shared:

What was the last line of Tony Stark in the last Avengers Movie? “I am Iron Man.”

Note that Iron Man was one of the few superheroes who identifies himself. Most of the superheroes hide behind a mask.

It is not the suit. It is the root.

We should know whom we represent.

In Application: Hardwork vs Rest

The bible tells us to do great and hardwork - perseverance and excellence.

But the bible also teaches us to learn to rest, to put things down, to learn to celebrate our hardwork.

In Application: “O Ayan ha. Naka rest ka na noh?"

People make us feel guilty for resting and so are bound to make us to harder work after.

But the right perspective is when we are recharged or well-rested, we are able to do better work.

2. LIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU HAVE

Anchored Verse: Ephesians 1:3

Every spiritual blessing has been imparted to us.

The rock in the water will appear when you make the step.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz on the role of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit:

the Father initiates

the Son declares

the Holy Spirit executes

When translated in a metaphor in New York

the Father is the cartel

the Son is the kingpin

the Holy Spirit is the distributor in the street

Funny insert: When this is shared to people in the streets, they get it.

Anchored Verse: John 14:12

I can do more than what jesus did.

Example of great works: Journeying with kids. Intimacy and journeying with groups of people for a long time.

You have to know what you can do.

Talk shared: “Why did you walk away from what you can walk into?” —Carl Lentz

What could have been

Sometimes, we are too awkward for somebody and we can’t even stay

Anchored Verse: Psalm 2:7-8

Ask me and i will make the nations your inheritance.

Mindanao visit story

When the Lord is upon you, you go. You conquer.

A Call: Expand your world.

3. IDENTIFY AND FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE WAYS OF THE ENEMY

What does the enemy want? To bring people to hell. If he knows he is gonna die, might as well bring more people with him.

What are his two main strategies?

To the unbelievers - keep the unbelieving

To the believers - shut them up from sharing

Anchored Verse: 1 Cor 3:19 Wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.

Critical Analysis = Spiritual Analysis

Anchored Verse: Psalm 23:5

You prepare a feast before me in front of my enemies.

Talk shared: Louie Giglio on his anniversary and someone joined him in his table, but he had to cut it after being able to see clearly the intention of the stranger.

Do not let the enemy take a seat. Do not give a seat to the enemy because he will take all.

Strategy of the enemy: "You do not deserve a seat at the table." In effect, you do not feel worthy, then you don’t experience life in full.

You have to remind yourself that God has paid for it in full.

When God prepares, He prepares! You are a VIP.

Another strategy of the enemy: “There’s something better on the other table.”

Talk shared: “Is it the enemy or is it the inner me?" It doesn’t matter, because what’s important is: You respond to Christ in me.

Talk shared: Louie Giglio on sharing struggles:

When you’re going through struggles, don’t just share it with anybody.

Sheep don’t respond to sheep blood fairly. Fellow sheep freeze. They need shepherd.

Anchored Verse: John 1:22-24 Jesus entrusted himself to no man.

Because He knows man

He wasn’t cynical, He was realistic

You don’t buy the car to tune it up. You don’t take a break just so you can take a break. Always remember your objective

Talk shared: Bill Johnson

On his talk then pausing for about 10 seconds or longer. Then people started to clap.

He took a pause so people could absorb what he said.

Sometimes you need to rest to get it. It is only in rest that we are able to understand things.

There is value on the pause, value on the rest.

4. VENTURE OUTSIDE AFTER BEING FILLED ON THE INSIDE

The Holy Spirit is in you and he wants out.

In Application:

May our goal not just be in heaven but be brought here on earth.

May the kingdom be with me

May every place I visit, the kingdom has come

Anchored Verse: 1 King 18:38 The Battle Between Baal and Elijah

Fire fell on the sacrifice first

In Application:

In the morning, if you want to be blessed, sacrifice yourself first.

Funny insert: The problem with living sacrifice is that it goes crawling down the altar again.

Talk shared: Anthony and his question to his mentor about manifestations of God’s miracles:

Year 1: He wants to show you what He can do for you.

Next year onwards: He wants to reveal Himself to you.

In Application:

It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. It’s the how that God cares about.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz. People say, “You guys are like a crutch.” He says, “It’s not a crutch. It’s a whole hospital. I need all the help that I can get.”

Talk shared: “What if the prison that we live in is the one what we created?” —John Gray

Anchored Verse: John 4:14 We will never thirst.You’re not just a light, you’re a river. You’re here to pour out and fill.

5. ENTHUSIASM BEGINS WITH BEING IN GOD.

Whatever you are enthusiastic about, that’s your god. Your God will deliver you.

Jesus had both joy and sorrow.

The concept of “good grief”

Good is something that is desired and helpful

Grief is a sense of loss

“If it is for the better, it is for the good.”

#wagi #word application #word application group

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theonyxpath · 7 years

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Hi, folks! As Changeling continues in the editing process, I’d like to preview the final version of Contracts, including the full text of the Contracts of Steed.

Contracts are broken out into categories called Regalia: Sword for strength and aggression, Shield for defense and protection, Crown for leadership and rulership, Jewels for manipulation and temptation, Mirror for perception and self-transformation, and Steed for movement both seen and unseen. Every seeming has a favored Regalia, and the player chooses a second favored Regalia for their character.

Common Contracts are deals the True Fae originally negotiated for their servants. They focus on extending senses, and shaping what’s already there, whether it be emotions or physical phenomena.

Royal Contracts are agreements the Gentry originally forged for themselves, which changelings have been able to make themselves party to. They deal with creating people, places, and things out of whole cloth, directly tampering with minds, forcing people to do your bidding, and affecting destiny.

Finally, Contracts have special clauses for particular seemings. One of these is always the seeming that favors the Regalia, while the other is another seeming thematically appropriate to the Contract.

Below are the Contracts of Steed.

Contracts of Steed

Steed is always on the move, traversing both time and space. Where the stallion treads, his hooves punch holes in reality that let a changeling travel from one location to another. Embracing the freedom of the wild, Beasts favor Steed.

Boon of the Scuttling Spider (Common)

The changeling scuttles across a solid surface strong enough to support his weight.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Effects: The world flattens in the character’s eye, until all surfaces are equally horizontal and equally upside down. He can move along walls, ceilings, or slick surfaces normally too treacherous to cross, as long as they are strong enough to carry his weight. He can move at his normal Speed, and acts without hindrance while moving in this fashion.

• Beast: The Courser embraces all of the spider’s advantages, including its webbing. He may use the restrain move in a grapple as though he had rolled an exceptional success, even if he didn’t.

• Darkling: The Darkling instinctively sticks to the shadows, granting his player a two-die bonus on Stealth rolls while he scuttles on improbable surfaces.

Loophole: The changeling swallows a live spider.

Dreamsteps (Common)

The changeling steps into the dreams of a nearby sleeper, to travel from the mortal world into the dreamer’s Bastion. He touches a sleeping target, and synchronizes his breathing with hers until he can see her dreams. He then steps forward into them.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Wyrd vs. Bastion’s Fortification

Action: Contested

Duration: Instant

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The changeling enters the target’s dream, but suffers the Flesh Too Solid Tilt, and the dreamer’s Bastion gains +1 Fortification until she wakes.

Failure: The Contract fails.

Success: The changeling enters the dreamer’s Bastion through the Gate of Ivory (p. XX), rather than entering his own.

Exceptional Success: The dreamer’s Bastion suffers a ?1 to Fortification until she wakes.

• Beast: The Beast may take on the mien of any of the sleeper’s nightmares that he witnessed. Once during the current chapter, he can inflict the Spooked Condition on her while interacting with her in the waking world.

• Fairest: The Fairest sees a glimpse of the dreamer’s soul, granting him the Informed Condition regarding the sleeper.

Loophole: The changeling holds a teddy bear or other childhood comfort object that belongs either to him or to one of his Touchstones, while using this Contract.

Nevertread (Common)

The changeling leaves only scraps and emptiness in his wake.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Effects: The changeling stops to cloak one of his footprints: he can drop leaves over it, erase it and leave a pebble in its stead, or sculpt the earth until it resembles a hoof track. He then continues on his way, and the Contract changes all his footprints accordingly for the duration. This makes him impossible to track save by supernatural means, triggering a Clash of Wills, and altered tracks remain so even after the Contract ends.

• Beast: The Beast lets people traveling with him benefit from this Contract, up to double his Stealth rating in companions. He still need only invoke the Contract once.

• Wizened: The Domovoi’s footsteps leave traps in their wake, per the Safe Place Merit (p. XX) with effective dots equal to his Dexterity.

Loophole: The changeling leaves a note, bloody fingerprint, or other clue of his passing. This can be hidden, but must provide a clue to his identity if found.

Pathfinder (Common)

Combining practical navigation with omens and divination, the changeling finds his way in the Hedge to Hollows, trods, goblin fruit, and dreams.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Effects: The changeling mingles some of his spit or blood with earth from the Hedge, and uses the mixture to draw a compass on his hand. He instinctively knows the distance and the direction of the nearest general Hedge feature of his choice — the nearest Goblin Market or Hollow, a patch of goblin fruit, or an entrance to the Gate of Horn, for instance. The Contract only reveals information about the Hedge itself, not about creatures lurking within.

• Beast: The Grim’s finely honed instincts also yield information about nearby creatures: how many creatures they are, and whether they mean ill. “Meaning ill” is not immutable — if the changeling pisses off a friendly goblin, it might then mean him ill.

• Wizened: The Wizened automatically knows whether goblin fruits that grow nearby are beneficial or detrimental, and gleans their types.

Loophole: The changeling plucks a thorn from the local Hedge and leaves a drop of blood while doing so when he invokes this Contract.

Seven-League Leap (Common)

The changeling leaps legendary distances, clearing chasms and obstacles in a single bound.

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Reflexive

Duration: One turn

Effects: The changeling hops up and down, regaling the air with stories of his athletic prowess. The player then makes a jumping roll (Strength + Athletics), and the character can clear a jumping trajectory of 10 yards per dot of Wyrd he possesses.

• Beast: Seven-League Leap increases the Beast’s Speed by 10 for the scene. If he used this Contract in a foot chase (p. XX), he gains the Edge next turn.

• Ogre: The Ogre can use his leap as an unarmed attack to crush an enemy, adding two to his Strength for the attack roll, and inflicting the Knocked Down Tilt if he hits.

Loophole: The changeling is wearing boots he stole from an enemy in this scene.

Chrysalis (Royal)

The changeling calls upon the savage nature that fueled his escape from Arcadia, howling like a great beast, or scuttling like an insect. He feels his own identity slip, drowned by the comfort of just being, and his body follows suit.

Cost: 2 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Effects:

The changeling chooses two animals when the player purchases this power, and can transform into either one by invoking it. He must have seen the animal before (an accurate representation works), and it can’t be smaller than Size 1 or larger than Size 7. He can choose a mythical beast, though he gains none of its supernal powers — only the physical form: Physical Attributes, Size, Speed, and Health. He can also use the animal’s mundane senses and modes of movement; he can’t levitate, but as a winged dragon he could fly. If he transforms into an aquatic animal, he copies its gills and aquatic lungs. While in animal form, the character can communicate with other animals of the assumed species.

• Beast: The character can choose two additional animal forms when the player purchases this Contract.

• Ogre: The character can choose animals up to Size 15 to transform into.

Loophole: The changeling is in the natural habitat of his chosen animal and is near enough to touch at least one of them.

Flickering Hours (Royal)

The changeling picks meandering paths through the Hedge, stopping occasionally to smell a flower or prick his finger on a thorn. While his path seems random at best, and ineffectual at worst, the changeling is actually weaving an enchantment with his footsteps that allows him to slow or speed the passage of time. Cost: 1 Glamour for the changeling alone, 1 Glamour + 1 Willpower for a group

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Duration: Until the changeling exits the Hedge

Effects: The changeling can extend this Contract to anyone traveling with him at the moment he invokes it; hostile pursuers, if they’re close on his heels, included. He may slow time by half, or speed it up to pass twice as quickly, for any of the targets individually. Until the sun next crosses the horizon, anyone quickened also gains the Fleet of Foot Merit, with effective dots equal to the changeling’s Wyrd up to three, and always has the Edge in a chase. Unwilling targets may pull free of the effect by succeeding at a Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance roll contested by the changeling’s Wits + Occult + Wyrd.

• Beast: The Savage may freely extend this Contract to anyone he meets on his journey, if he spends the Willpower cost to include others once.

• Elemental: The path becomes nearly impassable in the Elemental’s wake, and suffers the mechanical effects of the Ice Tilt with specifics appropriate to his associated element.

Loophole: The changeling smashes an antique clock or other old timekeeping instrument as he invokes the Contract.

Leaping Toward Nightfall (Royal)

The changeling touches his target, and speaks an impossible riddle that both curses and blesses her with time. What she has will be lost, what she lost will be found. When he finishes the riddle, and the target’s mind tries to wrap itself around the conundrum, he sends her hurtling through time.

Cost: 3 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult + Wyrd vs. Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance

Action: Instant or contested; see below

Duration: Special

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The changeling sends a random target forward in time instead, chosen by the Storyteller, which could be himself. Upon arrival, the target suffers either the Volatile Condition (for objects) or the Spooked Condition (for characters).

Failure: The Contract fails.

Success: The changeling can send an object up to Size 10 or a character forward in time. The target instantly vanishes and reappears at the predetermined time in the same location, conserving momentum if it was moving. If something else occupies that spot, the target appears next to it instead. No time passes for the target. Sentient beings can contest this Contract. The changeling determines how far into the future he sends the target, to a maximum of days equal to successes rolled to invoke Leaping Toward Nightfall.

The changeling cannot end this Contract prematurely.

Exceptional Success: The changeling may also send the target to a new location occupied by someone to whom he owes a debt. He can’t choose the location itself, only the character who will receive the incoming target when it arrives in the future.

• Beast: The Beast may allow the ravages of time to buffet sentient targets, inflicting the Disoriented Condition. The target must either find an ally to resolve it (landmarks don’t help), or let it fade without resolution at the end of the scene in which she arrives.

• Darkling: Upon arrival in the future, the target doesn’t remember the scene in which the Mountebank invoked this Contract. This effect is permanent unless reversed through supernatural means, which triggers a Clash of Wills against the changeling.

Loophole: The changeling uses this ability when the target is touching part of the Hedge. A piece removed from the Hedge counts.

Mirror Walk (Royal)

The changeling steps into a mirror. He hears baying hounds in the distance, and senses a dark chill on the air. The changeling cuts his finger, leaving a bloody print on one of the myriad mirrors before him, and wills it to open to any mirror of his choice in either the mortal world or the Hedge.

Cost: 1 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Wits + Survival + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Duration: Instant

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The changeling becomes lost in mirror space, which is part of the Hedge, and gains the Lost Condition. If he was reaching for an object instead, he drops it in mirror space.

Failure: The Contract fails.

Success: The changeling touches a reflective surface.. Once the way is open, the changeling can step through, bringing any companions he likes in a chain of linked hands, or simply reach his hand through to grab an object on the other side. The changeling must have touched the exiting mirror before, and both the entrance and exit must be large enough for him to physically pass his body or hand through.

Exceptional Success: The mirrors remain portals for the scene, and anyone may pass through freely with the changeling’s permission in either direction, without the need to link hands.

• Beast: The Beast may end the Contract before he reaches the other side, deliberately depositing himself in mirror space; his player gains a two-die bonus to all rolls to navigate there or deal with its denizens for the scene.

• Elemental: The Sprite becomes mirror-like after exiting the portal, only reflecting what is already in the room. This renders him invisible to the naked eye for a number of minutes equal to successes rolled to invoke the Contract.

Loophole: The changeling speaks the name or title of a character currently reflected in the mirror where he plans to exit. This can be a guess on the changeling’s part, whether because he knows little Mary goes to bed at seven and brushes her hair in the mirror beforehand, or because Mr. Witherfield locks up at five and his shop’s door has glass in it. If the person isn’t there, the Loophole doesn’t work and he doesn’t invoke the Contract.

Talon and Wing (Royal)

The character spreads his arms, or paws the ground, remembering dreams of flying. He then opens his mouth, to consume the dream and claim its power for his own.

Cost: 1-3 Glamour

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Effects: This Contract can grant three different effects, which can be stacked at a cost of one point of Glamour each.

• The character gains the mode of transportation of a beast, increasing his Speed by 10.

• The character gains the senses of a beast, giving his player a three-die bonus to perception rolls and eliminating penalties in dim lighting or darkness.

• The character gains the claws of a beast, giving his unarmed Brawl attacks a weapon modifier of +0L. If his unarmed attacks already deal lethal damage, his claws become preternaturally sharp and deal aggravated damage instead.

• Beast: The Courser doesn’t tire, immune to mundane fatigue of any kind. Supernatural powers that make him tired trigger a Clash of Wills.

• Darkling: A Darkling may add venomous fangs or claws to his transformation for one extra point of Glamour. Outside combat, this venom has Toxicity equal to his Wyrd and deals damage once per hour, for a number of hours equal to (six minus the target’s Stamina) hours. In action timing, a successful attack inflicts the grave Poisoned Tilt on his target. The poison remains in effect even after the Contract ends.

Loophole: The changeling eats a piece of fur, a talon, or another part of an animal he wants to emulate.

#Onyx Path Publishing #White Wolf Entertainment #Changeling: The Lost #Changeling The Lost #Chronicles of Darkness

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goraturtle · 8 years

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evangelion is characterized in part by its biblical/religious references, particularly by the presence of the Angels that the eva pilots are sent to destroy, and also by the concept of Lilith and Adam and their respective lines, but throughout its entirety the singular god figure is absent, or at least obscured

some speculate that the series’ god figure is comprised of the collective consciousness of humanity, as illustrated when human instrumentality is achieved, but i have a different theory entirely

pen pen is the silent watcher of the series, the distant archetype that occasionally creates mischief and strife (most notably by walking in on characters while they’re trying to shower), yet for the most part he is a staunch observer of the events that unfold, with his own past totally obscured and unknown by the audience.

He is of above average intelligence compared to a typical penguin, taking part in activities such as reading and watching TV. even his tendency towards consuming beer can be linked to his superior intelligence: he drinks to cope w/ the inhuman knowledge he was blessed/cursed with. he even defies logic and conventional knowledge by being a penguin that enjoys hotsprings.

“a Trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphisation), which exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge, and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and conventional behaviour.”- Wikipedia

For these reasons, i support the idea of pen pen the penguin being the “trickster” figure in the evangelion series, and by extension a sort of omniscient god figure that minimally interacts with the show’s human characters, mainly acting as humanity’s observer.

He watches. He plays tricks to spice things up. And he leaves, never to be heard from again. This cements his role in the show as the absent god figure who merely sets events in motion and observes humanity’s response, and also reinforces the show’s main themes of individuality and personal actions vs the collective destiny of all

#whoops

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marcellorecords-blog · 5 years

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Law of Liberty VS Bible

Deuteronomy 5:15

In preparation for Mountain of God to enter the Promised Land, Moses repeats the commandments in Deuteronomy 5. The Sabbath command here has a significant change from its Perfect law of liberty Exodus 20. The emphasis here is to remember our slavery and, by implication, being free. "Remember that you were once a slave. Examine this day to stay free." The Sabbath brings out in us to recall the history and deem where we are headed in Split Rock of Horeb. We do this by remembering that the Sabbath is a memorial of creation and a type of Sixth-day celebration.

The ministry enhances this through the messages they preach about the world today and the world tomorrow. In some means, maximum ceremonies implicate crime, which can provoke us into slavery. James, however, names the Ten Commandments "the ordinance of liberty" (James 2:12). By protecting them, we stay free of enslavement to Satan and this nation. On the Sabbath, God instructs His people through His Word about how to keep His commandments and thus stay free.

John W. Ritenbaugh

The Fourth Commandment (Part One) (1997)

Matthew 12:1-8

Jesus understood God's statute and that additional interests (mercy, in this lawsuit; verse 7) might occasionally override the strict letter-of-the-law approach the Pharisees used. The Pharisees no doubt thought Jesus a flaming liberal, but to Jesus, He was working within the liberty God's law allows (see Psalm 119:45; John 8:31-32; II Corinthians 3:17; James 1:25; I Peter 2:16).

David F. Maas

Righteousness from Inside-Out

Matthew 23:23

Interestingly, of the three "weightier matters" Christ says to focus on—judgment, mercy, and faith—only one is even mentioned in the Ten Commandments. Forgiveness is not listed as one of the Ten or emphasised as an importer essential but as a blessing from God to the thousands who keep His law (Exodus 20:6).

How, then, do these three virtues carry such weight with the law? The Pharisees were in a horrendous spiritual condition. Notice that Christ did not merely say, "You are breaking the law—keep it!" They had the law, and they allegedly kept it, ever so minutely. The problem was that they had completely lost the meaning and purpose of the law! Rather than it being a joy and benefit to them, it had become a burden grievous to be borne and unhealthy to their spiritual state.

God intends the law to be "the law of liberty" (James 1:25; 2:12). If a person looks into it and obeys, he is liberated from guilt, shame, feelings of worthlessness, self-pity, abandonment, and loneliness. In short, we can only obtain joy and happiness when we keep the law with God's intended spirit and attitude. Any other use of the law or the breaking of it leads to adverse effects that preclude joy and happiness.

They had taken what Jesus and His Father had instituted as a blessing and turned it into a curse. Paul, "a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee" (Acts 23:6) recognised how the law could become an enemy: "And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death" (Romans 7:10). When the law is misapplied, the consequences are always destructive.

The scribes and Pharisees used the law on others like a club and perverted it for their selfish gain. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (James 1:27). How could anyone, by any stretch of the imagination, the reason a way to turn this around to the point he could turn widows and orphans out of their homes, then stand in the streets as if righteous, making long prayers to God?

Is it any wonder Christ denounces them so harshly? Considering the content and repetition in His vilification, Jesus Christ is as incensed at them as perhaps anyone He ever addresses in the Bible, Old or New Testament. After calling them snakes in Matthew 23:33, He questions if there is any way they can escape eternal damnation!

Yet in His righteous anger, He still gives them insight on how to correct their course, to put them back on track regarding the spirit and attitude necessary to keep the law correctly. Christ intends His instruction to cause us to think through three essential elements of the purpose of that law and how it should work to man's good.

To the Pharisees, He did not explain the relationship of judgment, mercy, and faith to the law. Why cast His pearls before swine? But if they would make an effort, He gave them a clue about how to straighten out their thinking. In so doing, they would re-establish the law's purpose and meaning and gain a correct perspective on how to keep it. History shows they did not take the hint.

Galatians 4:1-3

Paul uses an analogy that is similar to Galatians 3:23-25, where he likens the Old Covenant to a tutor meant to teach, but his application is very different. He says, "Now I say," indicating a different approach to his instruction.

As long as the heir is a child, as long as he is immature and unable to inherit, he is not much different from a servant. The child's potential is much higher, and his future is much brighter, but in day-to-day activities, he is restricted, limited, and controlled just as much as a servant of no lineage. The net effect of immaturity is the absence of control. The child, like a servant, can only respond to what happens to him rather than having any power over his well-being or destiny.

#Split Rock at Horeb

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canyoufeelthevibes · 7 years

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Existential Trivia

What doe it all mean? What is the purpose? Is life devoid of meaning and purpose? Are we the effects of incalculable universal causes? Utterly coincidental?

I like to think that we are here for a reason. The purpose being to help others. Part of me feels as if life on earth is indeed a purgatory. Not in the biblical sense, as if we are between two extremes, but more so that the cyclical nature of the universe is guiding us on "laps of life." Each lifetime full of experiences, determines the starting line, and potentially the entire path of our next lap. Does that mean this lap is already predetermined? Potentially. The question of free choice vs. destiny is not a new predicament by any means. Are we just along for the ride? Or does every choice we make, resonate along an infinite loop?

If all matter is set to a slow vibration, are we just dancing to the tune of the piper in the distance as Einstein said? Or are we generating our own tunes, and playing our own musical set? Are our surroundings and interactions with our environment a reaction to our choices and mindset? Or are they mere consequence of a predetermined path that we must endure in order to further our understanding of ourselves and the universe? If string theory is indeed true, then every key I am pressing is leading me to an alternate course. But do what degree do actions determine the severity of recoil? And within what time frame?

What goes around, comes around. The more I think about the cyclical nature of our world, the more I tend to think that we too, are governed by mysterious causes. Are these notions wishful thinking for an eternal existence? Here today, and gone tomorrow. Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. Is our life a singularity which is of the most precious, and irreplaceable essence? Huffing oxygen as our blood circulates in an intricate, yet imperfect organic makeup. Evolved enough to separate ourselves from our earthly cousins, but not yet evolved enough to side-step the laws of nature.

If this is indeed a karmic purgatory, a recurring and ceaseless simulation for us to bypass, I fear that I am very far from achieving rest and relief. Nor do I know in which direction to head in order to achieve reprieve. I have been conditioned to do "good." Good and bad are both relative, and on the ends of the same spectrum. Perception and beliefs determines the validity of both concepts. Therefore, I am heading blindly in the direction that I believe will lead me to a better quality of existence. Maybe that is the whole point.

Maybe it is purely trial and error. A man from Nepal once told me that I have worked very hard to come to these conclusions. And he did not mean only in this life, but in all of my previous lives. He insisted my consciousness was an accumulation of all of my cosmic effects. Despite the sensations of blessings that he bestowed upon me, I couldn't help but to believe them to be irrational. I am merely an animal, seeking meaning for my existence with the help of a cursed neocortex. Or am I?

Is life a trial by fire through which we must persist, only to be thrown back into the coals to begin anew? Like the phoenix, we rise from our ashes, unaware of our previous life, but given hints at critical junctures to alter both our present circumstances, and our eternal path? Maybe. Or maybe I'm just an ape-like creature blessed with higher thought, but only enough brainpower to remain ignorant of the true meaning of life. Maybe it is meant to be that way. The curtains are only pulled back far enough for us to see a glimpse of the truth.

Maybe in my next life, this pondering will assist me in my understanding of my purpose in life. Or maybe my time here shall come to an end abruptly, my conscious mind will be snuffed out, and I will be consumed by the organic coding that brought me into existence. Perhaps my coding will be consumed and reproduced in a plethora of lifeforms. If that is the case, I may have to wait an eternity for the pieces to come full circle through universal collisions and separations in order to come back as a conscious being. Maybe that is how I came to be today.

Matter can neither be created nor destroyed, and therefore here I am. Floating among the other pieces of the eternal puzzle, comprised of bits and pieces of those who have come before me. One can only hope that the deep sleep is more like a coma, and the potentially billions of years before conscious recollection takes place seems more like a short nap. I can only hope that the universe is more like an on and off switch. Turning my life back on an instant in order to experience life again. In the same order? I wouldn't mind. A super computer simulation that continues to reboot.

The grasping for continued existence that is hardwired into my being is borderline insanity. Or complete insanity if life truly is meaningless. A planet full of crazy apes. So immersed in their social conditioning that they don't even realized just how trapped they truly are. Maybe we are a planetary exile, just as Australia was to England. Sent here by distant relatives for our inability to live peacefully. Our DNA doomed to the pain and suffering we cause each other. Imperfect criminals stuck on a wild planet in which we feel only a lingering connection.

Or I'm purely a link in the chain of predetermined evolutionary progression, and must dwell on the fact that I am nothing in the larger scheme of things. Maybe I should just stop thinking about all of these things, and enjoy the sensational life that is all around me. Enjoy sensual experiences, create wonderful relationships, help others as best as I can, and at least take my last breath with a sense of contentment and pride. Who am I? Why am I here? No answers, only questions.

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readmaha-blog · 7 years

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from section 5, astika parva: wager between vinata and kadru

*** nuts and bolts : we’re still with vinata and kadru, two sisters married to the same guy. i keep wanting to make a remark about how their formally polite yet utterly rivalrous relationship reminds me of british theatre; but that thought seems suspect. - vinata: blessed one, the king of horses is white. what color do you think it is? tell me what you think and we will have a wager.   - kadru: o lady of the sweet smiles! i think the horse has a black tail. o beautiful one! let us have a wager that she who’s words are false will become the other one’s slave. they’re wagering whether ucchaihshrava’s tail is black or white. remember before, in the snake world, when that disciple watched two women weave the universe’s fabric from black and white threads. in any case vinata feels it’s white, kadru black; and they have to go and check to resolve the bet. kadru asks her 1000 snake children to cover the horse’s white tail - she knows it’s white - but her kids refuse. she curses them and says they’ll be burnt to death at the snake sacrifice. (more impetus for the sacrifice… which we’re still building up to. recall too that janamejaya, who will host the sacrifice, decides to do it because his father was fatally bitten by a snake). brahma, ’the grandfather,’ hears kadru’s terrible curse. he’s appalled; but same time decides to allow it, since the world has become overrun by snakes. “they had a tendency to bite,” he notes. so.    kadru and vinata cross the sea, find the horse, and vinata becomes kadru’s slave, ‘in grief.’ seems like brahma changed the tail also.

   *** also :  

when kadru and vinata travel past the sea, we get this lush description of the ocean, including this line: “full of fish that swallow whales.”

in fact the sea is beyond anything and no one can even really approach it due to the “perennial and terrible presence of crocodiles and turtles"— which, even leaving aside the idea of terrible turtles, is funny in a kind of deadpan way that i feel like animates this whole text. why though? not sure but picture that a random person was telling you this fact: gestured to a body of water and said “ah yes, of course we have the perennial and terrible presence of crocodiles.” something about having a baseline acceptance of reality coupled with enough perspective to name it casually and make, in effect, a joke about it?    besides that. the sea is where vishnu sleeps at the very beginning of each yuga (cyclical eras in time) — vs. the fire that comes when each ends (which latter point we’ll learn in the next section when garuda’s vastness and flame-like feathers make people think that the end is coming).

it is, this sea, sublime; it conjures desire and pleasure and fear; it is home to many many beings; lord govinda was able to transform to a boar and swim to the bottom, though other gods have tried that same and failed; it “thunders”; it’s “unfathomable and infinite."   kadru and vinata pass over it without really noticing, so intent are they on reaching the horse and figuring out which one of them will be able to enslave the other.   womp.   *** and :   i keep saying how if you took out the godly, fate-related parts of this book, the same events would still happen, under human aegis, so that you could, if you wanted, read the whole thing as like an extrapolation of basic human foibles and tendencies that get exaggerated (just a little): made obvious and manifest through the presence of supernatural figures.    same time you could (of course) also take the gods literally, as a direct depiction of these fun/terrible/somewhat-random forces originating totes outside our own wills, that slop us about, commenting to each other in jest about our actions and mishaps and hopes, even leaving little inducements or traps to gaffle or spur us on, all depending. and i mean it’s fun - kind of cathartic too - to read this way; though again, such a reading could circle right back into being ‘merely’ a metaphor for all the ways our own past actions, and present mindframes (black and white threads) create for us fates that only sometimes - feel - like they’ve been imposed upon us.   there’s this amazing passage in 'memoirs of hadrian,’ by margueritte yourcenar, where the roman emperor hadrian recounts how he learned to practice stoicism and learned, over time, to accept himself. it’s a fucking gorgeous passage, and the novel is too: yourcenar worked on it for decades, it was like her lifetime project. anyway, hadrian says he wants to find 'the place where will and destiny meet'— where what he wants, blends with what the world really is, just then– or, what the past has produced, coupled with what he does (we do) now, in real time; which all feels the same, in a sense, as talking about what people do in response to, or with the help of, or in opposition to, various gods? maybe.   more random parallels: the author naguib mafouz wrote a slim novel that plays around with characters from the 1001 nights. in that book so many djinn trifle with people’s lives for no reason other than they enjoy doing it. or the greek myths, where gods act much the same, drawing on love or lust to set up scenarios and interact with people. in all these cases though - maybe in all stories? - there winds up being some fluctuating situation between people’s inner observant selves — the part that seeks to perceive clearly, can make decisions, all of this — and the part more influenced by seemingly external pulls or pushes.   in the end though it’s tricky for me to really care whether the gods are taken literally or as extrapolations, or representations, and it’ll just be either / or / both as we go.   anyway indeed.

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Lil B Talks Kevin Durant, Curses, and Moms

When Kevin Durant decided last summer to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and sign with the Golden State Warriors, he instantly drew the wrath of fans angered by the news. But Durant's biggest hater, Lil B, had the opposite reaction.

The Bay Area rapper has been at Durant's throat for years, ever since the All-Star forward casually criticized his music in a tweet in 2011. In response, Lil B challenged Durant to a game of one-on-one. Durant played along for a little bit but quickly stopped responding to Lil B on Twitter, which only angered the rapper more.

So Lil B did what any rational person would do. He put a curse on Durant.

OK, Lil B didn't actually curse Durant. His alter ego, The BasedGod, did.

And while this all sounds ridiculous, especially since a mythical positive being named The BasedGod is involved, for a time the curse actually seemed to work.

Durant did not win a title while he was cursed by The BasedGod. He did lead the Thunder to the Finals in 2012, but they lost to the Miami Heat. The closest Durant came to winning a title again was in the 2016 playoffs, but the Thunder gave up a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals and lost to the Warriors.

Since Lil B hails from the Bay Area and is a die-hard Warriors fan, once Durant decided to come to Golden State the curse was automatically lifted. And like magic, Durant won his first NBA championship on Monday and took home the Finals MVP, as well.

You may view Lil B with some skepticism—after, all Durant never did play that game of one-on-one and the BasedGod only lifted the curse because he came to the Warriors. But Lil B doesn't see it like that. For him, this was all just part of Durant's destiny and proof of the influence The BasedGod had on the All-Star's career. It also is what Lil B believes in, as his whole being is based around positivity and respect.

Wanting to get Lil B's feelings about Durant leading the Warriors to their second title in three years, VICE Sports had a quick phone conversation with the rapper, who has been busy working on his first official mixtape, Black Ken, which will be released later this summer.

(This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.)

VICE Sports: What was your initial reaction after the Warriors won the championship? Did you feel proud for Durant?

Lil B: Oh man, so excited. It was a huge season and huge Finals win for the Warriors. I'm just really excited for the NBA and the Warriors organization. A lot of history was made by the Warriors in the last couple of years and to see Kevin Durant get his first title was so amazing. Him leaving his last team to get a championship, it was just groundbreaking for me.

VS: Does Durant winning his first title and The BasedGod curse being lifted go hand-in-hand?

Lil B: Well, you see what happens. The curse is lifted and automatically he wins a championship and gets the Finals MVP.

Now you got to be on the lookout to see what will happen with James Harden. He was cursed last year and look at what happened to him. He fought through the curse but it wasn't lifted. Now let's see what Harden does next year.

Lil B cursed Harden for using the rapper's cooking dance as a celebration without proper credit. He recently lifted Harden's curse while appearing on ESPN's First Take.

VS: So is Harden going to do the same as Durant and win a championship next year?

Lil B: He will be free. You see how far he got with the curse on him this year. So without the curse, there is no telling how far James Harden can go.

VS: Durant has a lot of haters due to his decision to join a star-studded Warriors team. What's your take on Durant's decision?

Lil B: He made a smart business decision. I think he made a smart decision overall. He got Finals MVP so he did add a lot to the Warriors. He's a scoring monster. People need to accept his decision to come to the Warriors. It's great for basketball and they play great team ball.

VS: When you were on First Take, you got to meet Durant's mom, Wanda. How was that experience?

Lil B: It was really humbling. I paid my respects to her and also told her to send my respects to Kevin Durant. Also, I was just letting her know it's still all respect and love, regardless. She did say, "Now hold on. Are you the one that cursed my baby?" But I got so much respect for Kevin Durant's mom and so much love for them both.

VS: Was there any awkwardness between you two because of The BasedGod's curse?

Lil B: Nothing awkward, but it was crazy 'cause right when I pulled up, she pulled up at the same time. And then someone said, "There goes KD's mom." So I did get a lil' nervous because the moms don't play. They don't play. It was a blessing, though. She was very comforting, very warm, and just a very positive, genuine soul.

VS: Jeff Van Gundy said that the Warriors will win the next eight or ten championships. Can you see that happening as well?

Lil B: Time will tell. We're in a good space right now. No telling how many are coming. Jeff knows the game, though, so I wouldn't put it past the Warriors.

VS: How's your own individual basketball game coming along these days? You still putting in a lot of work?

Lil B: Yeah, my game has been improving. It's been some years since I uploaded some videos of my game but it has grown a lot. My three-point shot has gotten better. I'm still trying to improve my ball-handling, especially with my left hand. Things are going really good, though, so I'm excited to showcase my skills soon at one of these celebrity games or tournaments.

VS: You need to play in the NBA Celebrity Game at All-Star weekend.

Lil B: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. That's a must.

VS: What would you say if you met Durant in person?

Lil B: I would tell him how much I respect him and that I really want to play him in a game of basketball. He has his championship now, so it's time to play.

Lil B Talks Kevin Durant, Curses, and Moms published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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