#and his inner journey

[tempestuousserenity]

I will never forgive the 86 fandom for reducing Shin to just a love interest for Lena.

[thebramblewood]

Jamie Carpenter for Take a Hike with Frankie Shirey by @kirsicca!

Growing up in a conservative small town, Jamie always found refuge from his stifling surroundings in music. Finally, he was able to escape for real and spent most of his 20s trying to make it work as a singer-songwriter in San Myshuno. As much as he loves the craft, constantly grinding to make a living as an independent musician has started taking a toll. But his identity has been tied to music for so long he's not sure who he is without it. A year ago, he gave up his hole-in-the-wall apartment and has since become an aimless wanderer, drifting from a hostel in Windenburg to a campground in Henford-on-Bagley to a friend's lumpy sofa in Del Sol Valley. He's certain that if he just keeps moving he'll eventually stumble upon where the next chapter of his life is meant to unfold.

I love the idea behind this challenge (seriously, everyone should submit because it looks so fun!) and was sad I didn't have time to make a whole new Sim for it. But then I remembered I've had this guy sitting in my library for the past year, and I actually think he's the perfect candidate! He's somewhat based on an OC of mine, but since I don't have immediate plans to do anything with him, I thought it'd be fun to send him off on an adventure and see what happens. He's got likes/dislikes, several skills, and a variety of outfits, most of which I hope are or can easily be made suitable for camping. Enjoy! :)

[ecto-stone]

Headcanon of Halfa ghost form being a reflection of their mental age and how they see themself my beloved .

[kienium]

skyward sword is like catnip to queer people with religious trauma

[the-monkey-ruler]

would you say macaque is something like a necessary evil in the novel?

I would say you are talking about the Six Eared Macaque right? There are a few Macaques in the story. I mean I wouldn't really say he is "necessary" as that isn't really the role he plays within the novel.

When I think "necessary evil" I think more like a force in society that is kept in order to keep the peace or to preserve other social forces that are considered more important to keep than to lose. A necessary evil is an evil that someone believes must be done or accepted because it is necessary to achieve a better outcome—especially because possible alternative courses of action or inaction are expected to be worse.

Which I do not believe the Six-Eared Macaque plays at all.

He is to play the role of the mirror to Sun Wukong. He is supposed to represent the absolute worse of what Wukong is capable of, not really being the opposite of Wukong but rather more of a foil to show Wukong what he could have been (I actually think another great foil character is Erlang Shen for different reasons). A version of Wukong that if he continued to be a warlord, continued to kill without regard for the value of life or consequences that the would turn into him.

The Six-Eared Macaque is not given a backstory so it's hard to say if they have similar backgrounds but rather it is that they are the same species and have the same drive that Wukong had at the start of the novel. Both being of immense power and, like Wukong, The Six Earred Macaque's greatest desire was to get fame and glory and to be recognized for it, despite the consequences.

Personally I believe that the Six-Eared Macaque was inspired by the Buddist saing “The dharma is not to be transmitted to the sixth ear" which means that there isn't a third person around to easdrop, usually between student and teacher. This is only used once when Wukong was speaking with Master Puti and this is where I think that the Six Earred Macaque learned the same skill that Wukong did.

Of course, this also means that he doesn't have a complete understanding. He would always be slightly off with his own teachings, always a step behind, and only be able to imitate what they were eavesdropping on as they were never told directly.

Kind of like how Wukong is supposed to be a master of transformation when he fought Erlang Shen and still lost the SIx Earred Macaque is supposed to discern and have knowledge but he is still just eavesdropping. He is never going to have the real thing.

Wukong is meant to represent Nothingness or emptiness, literally in his name meaning "Monkey Awakened to Emptiness" and how he and the Six Earred Macaque are meant to be of one mind but they are "two mind" that are fighting each other. One being one's natural impulsive thoughts and the other is the self-control people practice to think ahead. They are both inside a person's mind but only one can have full control of the body so to speak. I think a good western example of this would be like Ego vs ID but please don't take that as a one-to-one, it's not!

It is connected to how Wukong is the mind monkey and in order for him to reach his namesake that state of overcoming uncontrollable thought he needs to fight the worst version of himself, which is what I think the Six-Eared Macaque is supposed to represent. This actually goes with how I think Wukong and his connection with Bailong being the Horse of Will show how Wukong has gradually started to overcome his own thoughts and practice self-control though his dedicated willpower. (Bailong is an important allegory yet again.)

Long story short I think that the Six-Eared Macaque is to more represents Wukong's character growth. Rather than be a "necessary evil" he is another milestone to show that Wukong is about to look at the worst traits of himself and through fighting himself and wrestling with who he is, he is able to come to accept himself as well... and by defeating his doppelganger he shows that after battling himself he comes out the victor. Him moving on and changing throughout the journey shows him to be stronger and more sure of himself both mentally and spiritually.

[123pixieaod]

'This Church is a Quiet Place'

A thousand thanks to Lily, for cheerleading and proofreading this💖 TW at the bottom 🩷🩵🤍

-

The church is quiet. In Max's memory, there were always sounds. Footsteps and bells and whispers, a cacophony of worship compounded in one place.

Maybe the church her mother brought her to is different from this church. Maybe her memories as a child were simply elaborated on, made big and bright and alive by the passing of time.

This church is not softened by the sounds of the living. This church is silent, still. A breath held, a heartbeat not yet formed.

Light shines through the stained glass windows, and Max walks through the tinted air. Green, blue, red, orange.

The colours are as vibrant of God's love for you, her mother used to whisper, an arm wrapped tight around her slim shoulders.

God the Father, she'd say. In the name of the Father and the Son.

Promise me you'll keep your faith Max, she also said, voice a soft murmur as they sat side by side in the pews. Max nodded. It's important to pray. God listens to our prayers Max, he's our Father.

And Max had tried, to begin with. The first weekend, she asked Jos if they could visit a local church to light a candle. Jos' nose wrinkled. 

What for?

Max felt her mother's promise whisper away. She shook her head.

I don't know.

Her dad gave her a look, lips thin. Your mother's after making you too soft. You're an adult now, not some child in need of fairytales.

Max nodded. She never asked again.

Her mother knew. She must've figured it out, that she stopped asking her opinion on the weekly sermon, stopped answering her questions on her faith.

It seems strange, to think she once believed in it all. She walks softly up the aisle, her footsteps a gentle cadence reverberating through the church. There's an elderly woman at the front, head bowed as her fingers worry a Rosary. A man behind,  reading the Bible. And Max. The imposter.

She doesn't have the faith anymore. It disappeared somewhere on the never- ending motorways, the Sundays spent racing instead of praying, nights spent reciting strategies in the darkness instead of the blessings her mother used to whisper. Her fingertips grew blackened, dipped in oil rather than blessed water. 

Max thinks faith is like youth. Once it's gone, it's impossible to get it back.

Daniel still believes. He pretends not to, but Max knows he does. She found a rosary once in the back of his bedside drawers. The beads worn smooth, colour long flaked away. She had sat and ran her fingers over the string of knots and wooden pills, imagining the countless times he must've done the same. In secret, hidden away. Counting each prayer off, voice nothing more than a whisper.

Daniel crosses himself before each race. Daniel bows his head whenever a funeral parade passes on the streets. Daniel has a tiny, inked cross on his ribs. Max found it, nestled amongst the other loud and brilliant decorations he's designed into his skin. She traced it, and Daniel had started as if Max had slapped him.

This is new, Max had said. He'd laughed, roughly tugging his shirt on.

No Max, it's always been there. You just haven't been paying attention. He tossed a smile at Max, easy and in love.

She finds the candles nestled in the corner, just beneath the altar. Three rows of darkened tealights, only one offering a feeble, dying flame.

'Donations only!!!' is scribbled over a money box, and Max digs in her pockets, fishing out all her loose change.

She feels wrong being here. A fake. Like a woman who's been caught having an affair, and is now returning, head bowed and feet dragging. Kneeling, fingers clasped, repenting.

Has she no shame? Her mother would ask. The summer before the divorce, her mother's side warm against Max's as they watched TV together. These women, they always take men like that back, she tutted, reaching for the popcorn Max was holding. You won't be like that, will you Max? You'll be better than us all. You'll stand your ground if someone wrongs you.

She shook her head. I won't ever get married, she replied. It's lame.

Her mother huffed a laugh, even though Max hadn't been joking. Just wait till you fall in love Maxy, then -

I won't ever fall in love either, Max declared, watching the woman on screen embrace the man. She wrinkled her nose. She had seen what love did; she wanted no part of it. Max's mother simply laughed again, running her fingers lightly through her tawny locks.

She should phone her, it's been nearly a month since they last spoke. Sophie is always happy to hear from her, but she's preoccupied now with other things. Managing her new boyfriend's fledgling company, helping Victoria with the kids. Her life is full and Max is not really a part of it anymore. Hasn't been for decades, since she turned twelve and barely lived in the same time zone as her, let alone the same house.

Daniel's close with his parents. He calls them every second day, time zones carefully navigated around. Up early, doing yoga on the terrace as he chats to his dad about the latest news. Evening, Max already in bed, listening to him laugh softly through the walls as his mother tells him the local gossip.

What can you even have to talk about? Surely you've spoken about every possible conversation point at this stage, Max said, only half in jest. Daniel laughed, wrinkles creasing around his eyes in a way she knows he hates but she loves.

They're my parents Maxy, he replied with ease, as if that's the only answer she needs.

He's over there now. With Grace and Joe and Michelle. Max feels distant from him, from the life he must be living. On the ranch, dust gathered in the creases of his skin as he worked under the sun. Going out with childhood friends to pubs where everyone speaks how he does. His nephew and niece, adoring their overseas uncle, returned.

She lights the first candle. The flame is strong, and she feels stupid for taking such stock in the image, as if the strength of the flame is akin to the sureness of her future.

She doesn't know how to do this. Whisper? In her head? Address it all to God, like a formal letter?

She suddenly feels very young. Her mother beside her, handing her the childhood book of Bible verses she received for Christmas. Pray, Maxy, she murmured, bowing her head.

Max looks up. The light is tinted blue and white, shining in through a maritime scene created in the windows. There's a framed painting hung on the wall. The Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus. A pale woman with dark hair. Arms wrapped around a bundle of dark blankets. A baby, pale and young and smiling, looking out at the viewer. Looking at Max.

She closes her eyes and prays.

-

Maybe some people aren't meant to be parents Maxy, Daniel had said after the twelfth negative test. 12. A year of trying and failing. Max isn't used to failing at anything; she doesn't know how to do it.

What? She twisted on the bed, staring at him. He just continued staring at the ceiling.

Maybe some people aren't meant to be parents, he finally repeated, tone soft.

She scoffed, turning back around. It hurt. It hurt a lot, and the stinging somehow grew, like when she was a kid and she had accidentally gotten some chemicals on her hands. Corrosive. Her dad had grabbed her, dragging her to the garage's sink and scrubbed at her red hands until the burning finally abated.

She sat up and then stood quickly. Sports bra, an old Nike shirt and her leggings. Burning, burning, burning.

Max, Daniel sat up too. Wait.

I'm going for a run, she told him without looking at him.

Maxy, he tried again. I just mean maybe we should -

She slammed the bedroom door on her way out. She thought he might follow her, but he didn't, and she tugged her shoes on roughly. The burn in her chest was spreading. It's corrosive, her father had told her. She had never learned that word before, and he had had to explain the meaning as he wrapped her palms with gauze.

-

Outside the church, the sun is beginning to weaken. Shadows length in the carpark, and Max stands against the church's wall, taking out her phone.

She asked him to leave. She needed a break, time to figure herself out. She thought he would fight her on it, and was irrationally hurt when he had just nodded, lips thin and brow pinched.

Alright, he said. If that's what you want.

She didn't want any of it. She didn't want a body seemingly incapable of life, didn't want the 12 pregnancy tests lined neatly in her memory, didn't want the empty study room next to their own bedroom that they both refused to ever address.

"Maxy," he picks up the first ring. He sounds happy. She doesn't know if it's because it's her he's speaking to, or if he's always happy, now he's home again.

"Hey," she says. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he says, and she can tell he's meaning it. "How are - are you outside?"

She looks at the birds above in the trees, singing sweetly. Their songs are getting picked up, listened to halfway across the world. "Yes," she says softly.

"Going for a walk?" He asks, sounding like he's walking somewhere too. She can hear his slightly laboured breathing, the vague crunch of his footsteps on the dried grass.

"I went to a church, " she tells him.

"A church, " he repeats, as if she's named some alien planet. "You went to mass?" Disbelief clear.

They're not broken up. She doesn't really know what they are now. Other than in love,  of course, but that was never in question. She had asked him to leave and he had left. They still text every day, call a few times each week. She doesn't know what he told his family, and she's too scared to ask him.

"No, not mass. Church. As in, I went inside a church."

"Why, a horde of vampires were chasing you?" He asks. She can hear the smile in his voice. Longing fills her chest, the ache almost visceral.

"No, this is Monaco, not Transylvania. You are the one out of the two of us who needs to be worried about that," she tells him.

"It's too hot Maxy, all potentially murderous vampires would be burnt to dust before they'd get close to tasting this sweet, sweet blood. You know, today it was almost 40 degrees? Climate change is fucking us all up, but at least it means i can take a few hours off from the ranch because it's too dangerous to work outside in this heat."

Max hums softly. There's a nest in one of the branches - that's why the two birds were singing so loudly.

"You are having a good time then?" She asks.

"Yeah. It's always good to be back here." he pauses then, as if to weigh up his words. "I'm looking forward to being home, though."

She frowns. One of the birds slips into the brown mess of twigs, and sheep's wool balanced on the branch while the other is left outside; a guardian. "Why, are you not at the ranch right now? Where are you then?"

"What? I mean," he interrupts himself with a quiet laugh. "Maxy. I meant home. Home home."

"Home home," she repeats dubiously.

"With you," he adds, voice suddenly soft and vulnerable.

She looks away from the birds. She swallows. He's quiet, waiting for her to speak. The air is cooling down, dusk creeping closer.

"I miss talking with you," she finally says.

"We still talk. We talk nearly everyday. We're talking right now " he says softly, and she supposes she deserves this, him making her say it aloud.

"I miss you," she amends. "I miss... I miss you a lot Daniel."

He laughs. Not because it's funny, but because his happiness needs an outlet, needs to be vocalised and released in some form. Laugh or cry, Maxy, he used to tell her. Gotta be one of them.

"I miss you too," he says.

"You should come home," she tells him.

"I should."

"Home home."

"Yeah, home home."

They're quiet for a bit. She looks up, her gaze caught by a flutter of movement. One of the birds darts away, the other staying by the nest. She wonders if she concentrated very hard, would she be able to hear the chirping.

"I'm sorry," Daniel blurts out. Max frowns.

"For what?"

"I..." He pauses. He's definitely walking somewhere, she can hear his footfall over the terrain.

"I was wrong," he finally says. "About us... About... About what I said. About how some people aren't meant to be parents. I was thinking and... I mean, sure I wasn't wrong about that because some people definitely shouldn't have kids, but us, me and you, we should, I mean if you still want to, because we're, we would... we would be good, or I don't know, maybe we just are good, like good people and good partners and I shouldn't have said what I said, because it's not true, we'd be the best and coolest parents and -"

"Daniel," she interrupts him. He instantly goes quiet.

"I think so too," she says. He laughs, relieved and happy and excited, all melded into one.

"Because I've been doing some research," he begins again, words rushing into each other in their hurry to be spoken. "And there's a clinic we could try, or maybe -"

Max nods, letting Daniel's chatter wash over her like water, pure and clear and blessed. The lone bird sits above, and continues to sing.

(((TW: infertility)))

[victorie552]

You know what's funny? Finwe was one of the first 3 elves in Valinor, and he did The Great Journey with Orome (which apparently took whole generations to complete). He saw a lot, he discovered a lot, he had a lot of stories to tell.

And then we have Feanor, who has wanderer's spirit - who definitely walked all over Aman but feels like there's nothing to Really discover - if you wanted to know what's over there, you can just ask the Valar.

It's just, you have a The Original WandererTM, and expect his kids to be happy to stay in one place forever.

[proustianrevelry]

idk i just like that kendrick sampled Laura Palmer's Theme on the track where he told drake "fix your heart or die"

[xinhua-jun]

I love how Morty becomes more jaded by the season 😭 (he was horrified about the spaghetti up until he verified the source and then he just rolled with it) but he still remains the same :’) (he wanted to honor them even if all he could do was have their names—only to go SIKE RICK you piece of shit) 😭

[mymitochondriaforpresident]

Fuck you Young Royals for forcing me to go through this painful process while patient notes keep piling.

I hate you. Except I don’t. ❤️‍🩹

[doc0bill]

I want to experience the same amount of joy as David Tennant had when he first met Davros

[wordswhisperinthedark]

ナナツイロ REALiZE || M/V || Third Beat! Pt2 EP17

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dong Yue is such a troll because from the wiki I got this

At the end of the novel, the author lists twelve hypothetical questions that a reader might ask and answers them. Some of the answers are very similar in nature and, sometimes, contradictory.

The eighth asks how it's possible for Monkey to have a wife and children. He states that the book is simply a dream.

Since the Supplement is about Wukong’s desires, it would be funny if Wukong subconsciously thought Princess Iron Fan was pretty and that Demon Bull King didn’t deserve her (therefore uncle) and that she’d make a good mom for his 5 sons that he also apparently desired? Wukong desiring Tang to be a warlord though XD

Anyway bad timeline where everyone is OOC because it’s a fever dream sounds crazy awesome I wish I could read it.

Sometimes people are all about allegories, and nothing about substance! Which nothing wrong as long as it is entertaining. I do like how he anticipated the question because he knew himself, but he didn't explain them well enough. Also that Red Boy also doesn't exist in the book as it was said that these were Princess Iron Fan's first kids so its like Wukong willed Red Boy from ever existing as well! THAT IS FUNNY! He wanted a big family and no annoying nephew! Nooooo!

But you can read it actually it’s in English!

Here’s a link!

You are going to make a profile but still. Even comes with audio options if you want it out loud.

Have fun with the crazy fever dream!

While I will admit it is absolutely insane. I myself hope one day to have a script of how to make it into something of substance because I think there is a lot to work with. Time travel and inter-dimensional transportation aren't anything new but to know that this was one of the first 'time travel' books out there is pretty fun! It’s somewhere between a dream and a nightmare, where the dreams become so intense that they just go overboard. I feel like nowadays a lot could be played with, especially with how to look into what Wukong really wants and what he is willing to do to take it when in the middle of his journey. Like to measure himself mentally where he has changed from being willing to do anything in his power to get what he wants verse actually seeing the consequences of his desire affecting those around him that he has grown to care about and how their lives are ruined as well.

Sanzang becoming a general probably is too farfetched but the idea is that he becoming controlled by a Evil King because Wukong left and Sanzang lost his way. Now THAT can be interesting. Bajie tries to go back to Gao but as expected by rejected and thus he also joins the Evil Army. THAT is a cool take. Wujing being lost in all this and going back to hire hermit lifestyle, THAT IS SAD. BaiLong been forever, forgotten by his family and force the roam the Earth has a horse. THAT IS ALSO SO SAD. I don't know why people look any further for angst when if this story could be put in a more cohesive manner without the loose plot point or useless quests could be an interesting introspective of Wukong's desires have how they have changed from what he thought he wants versus what he wants now.

I do feel like a lot of the takes are more out of character but that is what makes it kind of scary and a bad timeline way. To think that because you (Wukong) can push people to new means. Maybe Wukong just wanted a big family before and missed his monkey, projecting that onto Princess Iron Fan who is deprived of both a son and husband and he understood that missing family. And maybe he feels responsible for both Bajie and Wujing on his journey to keep them together else they lose their ways and just go back to being forgotten criminals of heaven, nothing better than canon fodder. And his greatest fear of Sanzang losing his way... and becoming more like him. Choosing violence as the real answer to his problems, similar to Wukong. Any little desire he wished for Sanzang to be "more like him" taken to the extreme of him being a general sending out armies.

And it's that image of King Paramita, his desire for a family verse General Sanzang, his desire for Sanzang to be stronger (or rather just a little bit crueler to their enemies) being forced to confront each other in the climax!

Like I said there are a lot of wishy-washy side quests in the middle that really lead nowhere and are more of a commentary of the times and certain historical figures but there CAN be a lot of interesting plot points that could be SO MUCH FUN to play with! Wukong is always some of the first to say that he is a monk that left the family but maybe he still has that desire to be more than a grandpa to his monkeys and he a family man, but is that worth the cost of the friends he made along the way? I like to think that a lot of dreams are more his distorted desires which is what a lot of the book is. He even meets himself in a human form in the book which helps him out of his red strong of desire to help see reason.

It is only at the end when he sees the son he never knew kill Sanzang does he lose his mind, going into his giant form as he tries to destroy everything around him in a second.

But he can't.

Because he finally starts to wake up.

And when he sees that Fake Fish coming in as their "new" fellow disciples.

Man does NOT hesitate to snap his neck for messing with his dreams like that.

Have to admit that is definitely one way to end a story! But why anyone that is interested I definitely recommend it a read if anyone has the time!

[markmcole]

The Secret To A Fulfilled Life

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 This powerful verse from the Psalms offers profound insights into the relationship between our faith with God and our deepest desires. Let’s explore what it means to take delight in the Lord and how this can transform and fulfill the desires of our hearts. Taking Delight in the Lord Joy and Satisfaction in…

[egoschwank]

al things considered — when i post my masterpiece #1265

first posted in facebook february 4, 2024

utagawa hiroshige -- "wind blown grass across the moon" (ca. 1850s)

"a japanese artist grasps form always by reaching underneath for its geometry. no matter how informal, vague, evanescent, the subject he is treating may seem to be, he recognizes and acknowledges geometry is its aesthetic skeleton; that is to say—not its structural skeleton alone but—by virtue of what we have termed the symbolic spell-power—it is also the suggestive soul of his work" … frank lloyd wright

"i leave my brush in the east, and set forth on my journey. i shall see the famous places in the western land" … utagawa hiroshige

"the first and supreme principle of japanese esthetics consists in a stringent simplification by elimination of the insignificant and the consequent emphasis on reality…always we find the one line, the one arrangement that will exactly serve…that inner harmony which penetrates the outward form and is its determining character…." … frank lloyd wright

"hi gramps" … al janik