#and seeing children die by the thousands...... it would take 28 years were I to attend one funeral a day for them

[northwest-by-a-train]

.

[antisemitism-eu]

Hey there. I followed you some years ago as i found your posts helpful while i was writing about antisemitism in the media and academic spaces.

That is no longer the case. As a Jew, i am asking you to look more critically at what Israel is doing to the Palestinian people. To civilians. It is not antisemitic to say that Israel is wrong; that the military is committing genocide; any criticism.

It's painful to watch Jews defend the actions of Israel because of a feeling of obligation. I imagine that's what is driving you? It seems to be what drives my father's hatred of Palestinians and his belief that Israelis can do no wrong.

I am named after one of the founders of Israel. A terrorist by definition and action. He bombed facilities and killed civilians to make Israel what it is today; that was evil then and it is evil now.

I turned my back on my faith a long time ago; and it hurts to feel i need to turn my back on my culture as well, but it is becoming a culture of hatred and victimhood. We are a people like any other, we are not infallible, we are only chosen in that we received the torah; nothing more.

I'm sorry to hear that you care about antisemitism only when it fits your preconceived notions

I have always written about all types of antisemitism.  If you care about antisemitism only when it's from the opposite side of the  political aisle, then you don't really care about antisemitism.

You can be critical of Israeli policies and actions.  Almost all Israelis are.

But when you accuse Israel of genocide that is antisemitic.  It's not simply “criticism” but rather believing the claims of the antisemites who murdered and raped Jews.

In the US White supremacists claim that Jews are committing genocide.

Do you:

Demand that American Jews stop the genocide 

Call this antisemitic drivel for what it is

I suppose you'll go for B.

And yet, you believe Hamas.  Every word they say.

If White Supremacists in the US would declare war on Jews, invade a Jewish neighborhood and for hours murder, rape and torture.  Then pull back with hundreds of enslaved Jews in tow.

What would you demand from the US forces?  

Would you really protest against genocide?

Do you remember the genocide of Waco?  How could you stand by and watch it again?  28 children were murdered.

And here we're talking about hundreds of murderers, living in a white supremacist community of thousands of supporters.  Hospitals, churches, schools!

Do you know how many innocent lives will be lost if the US moves against them?  How many women and children will die?

Can you imagine the protests across US campuses if that happens?

I suppose that you would demand that the White Supremacists should continue living their lives as usual, though they threaten to do it again ( and probably will)

Surveys show that 40% of young Americans support Hamas.

Not Palestinians.  Not peace.  

They support the murder, rape and torture of Jews.

That's not “criticism of Israel”.  That's antisemitism.

If you wonder what's driving me, its numbers like these, and the fear that in a decade or two this would be the face of America 

You believe anything Hamas says unreservedly.

You blame Israelis when Gazan rockets hit Palestinians instead of Israelis, because you believe Hamas.  And you don't care when the rockets hit Israelis, because your criticism is aimed only at Israel.

You don't care when Hamas turns hospitals, mosques, schools, and refugee centers into military bases.   You don't even care when Hamas uses hospitals to torture Gazans (see Amnesty report on the topic)

You don't care when they use those places to fire rockets at Israelis

If Hamas says Israel killed innocent doctors or journalists - you trust them. You don't care about pictures of those same innocent Gazans armed in military uniform. 

You don't care when Hamas murders Gazans who try to leave when the Israeli army warns them to do so.

You don't care when Hamas take over human aid and kill Gazans who want food.

You didn't even care a few days ago when they attacked Gazan children who used an Israeli border crossing to leave Gaza and get medical help.

You might think that it's pro-Palestinian, but it's really antisemitism.  

I don't hate Palestinians.  I'm sad for them.  

Because of people like you that encouraged them to develop a toxic antisemitic society - at least two generations have been brainwashed with the aim of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing of Jews.

I am very pessimistic about this changing, because people like you prefer to blame Israel and give the Palestinians hope for Israel's future destruction, instead of encouraging real peace.

Palestinian society today:

Overwhelmingly supports the October 7th massacre and think it's the greatest day of Palestinian history

Overwhelmingly supports Hamas (In case you wondered why the Palestinian Authority hasn't held elections for the past 18 years)

Overwhelmingly supports the destruction of Israel and its Jews (In case you wondered why no Palestinian leader in his right mind would ever accept a peace agreement with Israel that would end hostilities)

Names almost every mosque, school, hospital and square after heroic Jew murderers 

Celebrates and honors the murder of Jews

Teaches children to murder Jews

Gives sermons every Friday about murdering Jews

Broadcasts shows encouraging people to murder Jews

Pays people to attack and murder jews 

This is toxic antisemitism.

You worry that Israel is commiting genocide, but you don't care about the plans to carry out another October 7th.

In the areas of Jenin and Tulkarm especially.  In the past few months - Palestinians shot at Israeli villages, Palestinians set off explosives next to Israeli villages, Palestinians flew a drone into Israel, Palestinians invaded Israel.  And Israeli residents along the border say they can hear digging of tunnels at night.

It's really just a matter of time.

People like you think that if you force Israel to stop attacking Hamas, and if you give Palestinians a state of their own - that in itself would ensure that the toxically antisemitic Palestinian society would magically become a peaceful neighbor of Israel

That is not “criticism”.  That is way past being naive.   

You are risking the lives of millions of Jews.

What would you say when the inevitable happens?  “Sorry”?  

Or that Jews should have  gone to Poland? (I really wish I was making this up.  Since you only care about the right kind of antisemitism, you might not realize or care how many people believe that)

Israel was quite happy to delude itself until now, but got its wake-up call on October 7th.

I hope you will at some point.  Maybe you will, most probably you won't.

In any case, Israel will not wait for you.  My life and that of the millions of other Jews (and non-Jews) in Israel is too important.

And if/when American Jews are attacked, you can be sure your brothers in Israel will defend you.  No matter what the antisemites say, or what “criticism of Israel” they come up with.

(That's actually already the case.) 

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2023 Day 5: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

Summary: . . . Florida Teen Arrested for Putting Humans in Jars at Florida Zoo

Prompt: Jar

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Bing liked humans, they were fun. Some were less fun than others, but on average he liked them.

And in Gainesville he saw all kinds of interesting and fun people. He liked going to school fairs and the schools definitely liked having an actual sentient AI talking to their budding STEM students. He had the names of hundreds and even thousands of budding scientists.

His names.

Bing wanted to see what they would become, what they would do.

One of his names however was causing problems in the city. And Bing only knew that cause this human child, a teenager really, was using something he had given to every name he kept tabs on. A little pin with a minute amount of dead nanites. Unusable, but noticeable.

A little budding eco-terrorist, and a dangerous one. Most of the time, his names resorted to firecrackers or at the most dangerous a pipe bomb.

This one was more dangerous, this one was causing civic engineering damage. They were smart, not just in what they were doing, but in being smart enough not to get caught.

And Google was starting to get interested. He refused to tell Bing why he was so intent on finding this person.

Fourteen hours after he’d called the Egoton branch for help, he got a call.

“Bing, what’s up?” Silver called.

“Finally,” Bing said. “Finished putting out fires?”

There was silence for a bit. “No. We’re fighting Irish and American immigration to get Marvin over here. Fuck Dark, and fuck no one here being able to read aura. What’s the problem? An eco-terrorist?”

“Yeah, one of Gainesville’s brightest is turning to crime to push back against a couple things in the city. And they’re smart enough not to get caught. We’ve been trying to catch this kid for four months.”

“How old is this person supposed to be?” Silver asked.

“Seventeen,” Bing said. “We think. They’re at least in high school.”

“Too young,” Silver said. “Between them and the guy that keeps trying to solve crime over here we might be dealing with a miniature league.”

“Don’t have to, dude,” Bing said.

“What does that mean?” Silver's tone sounded dangerous.

“Google’s interested in them, not Dark, Googs is hella interested.” Bing’s mind was already made up.

“We can’t have children fighting super villains, they’ll die. I’d rather fight against them than have them up against Dark. I lost Iblis, I will not lose anyone else.”

“Iblis wasn’t killed by a villain,” Bing said.

“I’m not arguing this with you. Dark travels down there to talk with some snake kingpin almost monthly. And he can be down there in minutes. I take either nine or three hours depending on where the fuck Egoton is because I sure don’t know where I am right now.”

“I can’t let Google have this kid, I can’t,” Bing said and hung up. Silver tried to call him back but Bing didn’t pick up.

Bing kept ignoring him as he broke apart into nanites and jumped from electrical outlet to outlet until he got to the nearby zoo where the latest situation was.

The eco-terrorist was in the zoo, terrorizing some of the patrons in, what felt like to Bing, the funniest way possible. Three patrons trapped under what looked like giant glass jars, ranting at them.

It was as adorable as it was dangerous. A seventeen-year-old in blue and black biker gear. It was almost enough to make Bing forget about how much damage they’d done.

“How do you like it when something throws things at you?” The teenage future-supervillain told a woman whose jar he was standing on top of. They sounded male-leaning but Bing had been corrected enough times.

“Well,” Bing said as he leaned against one of the jars where a young man was inside of it. Smiling. “Should I make the joke, dude? Or are you going to traumatize these people in a whole new way?”

The teenager almost startled and climbed off it before they could fall off of it. “Bing. You’re early.”

And they landed directly into Bing’s nanites. Nanites surged around them to bind the teen where they stood. Making it look like the top half of a jar.

“Nah, I was going to get you eventually, kid.” Bing said as he took the time to free the civilians and send them off.

Only one of the trapped people tried to beat up the tied and bound teenager.

Bing easily snagged him by the arm and threw him back. “Nah, big guy. You don’t need to pretend to be a man by beating up a tied up teenager.”

And for good measure, Bing audibly and visibly took a picture of his face. That got the guy to run off.

Leaving Bing with the “junior supervillain” on the mostly empty path. “Hey there.”

“I have a right to remain silent and I have a right to a lawyer.” The young villain said.

Bing used his nanites to unclip the kid’s motorcycle helmet. “You sure do.”

“Hey!” The teen said, trying to twist away. But the helmet came off and there was a perfectly normal teenage face.

Bing didn’t even need to start scanning his face. The android knew exactly who this was.

Logan E. Naraj. Honors high school student, and valedictorian at Buchholz High School. He/Him. The most promising of Bing’s names. Perhaps the single smartest student in the entire area, let alone in Gainesville. Maybe in the entire state, even. Not just in grades, Logan was devastatingly intelligent, and his eco-terrorist actions were proving it.

“I knew it had to be you,” Bing said. “You’re one of the only people smart enough to be doing half the stuff you’ve been doing.”

That seemed to disarm Logan a little bit, clearly not expecting a compliment. But he didn’t say anything in kind.

Bing stuck the helmet to Logan’s chest with nanites. Then Bing started taking Logan out of the zoo.

Police met with Bing about halfway towards the entrance. He was placed under arrest, and placed in the back of a cop car. Where Bing followed them closely to the station.

They got Logan into a little holding room, Bing not letting the kid out of his sight. It was only a matter of time before Google tried to sweep in. Bing couldn’t even guess what Google wanted with an actual human, but Logan had yet to actually kill anybody. If Google got involved he would quickly start.

They were waiting for a state lawyer and CPS to come in for Logan. So all they could do, since Logan refused to cooperate, was wait.

One of the investigators came over to Bing.

“Your friend come for him yet?” The officer said.

“No, but that’s probably because the dude knows I’m here,” Bing shrugged.

“Do you know what he wants yet?” The officer was shifting around but Bing didn’t pull up a camera to see it. He just shook his head and they were quiet for a good minute.

Then the officer clearly felt like silence was a bad idea.

“Logan Naraj, glad to finally have a name for what might be a two-year stint in juvie,” the officer said as Logan sat on the couch, Bing refusing to take his eye off him. So the second camera had to come up.

“And not the first Naraj we’ve had in the system, probably won’t be the last time either.” The office was giving Logan a scoffing, dismissive look.

“Why?” Bing asked.

“His older brother is currently serving a five year sentence at Florida Corrections, assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced last year. No parents, no surprise really.”

“Hmm, don’t think you should be making comments like that about a kid smart enough to make death rays.” Bing’s synthetic heart gave out a little bit.

The officer didn’t seem convinced but Bing didn’t care, he only had to convince Silver. And Bing was trying to cover every argument Silver had. He needed to keep this kid out of trouble, eternally bench him, and keep him in school.

He was already sending out a couple of emails as he’d been taking Logan to the station. And as he was looking at Logan and hearing this human bad talk him, he got a response from the only person besides Silver that he needed permission from.

“He’s going to be my apprentice,” Bing said.

“Why?” The investigator said.

“Look, either I take him for the Coalition, and he does community service for us, or Google takes him and he builds weapons for Dark and the League. Choose.”

“You said that just Google was interested in him,” the officer said.

“Yeah, and Google works for Dark, if Googs has anything, Dark has it,” Bing said. “And I don’t know if you know what happens in Egoton but Wilford doesn’t stay in jail, now does he?”

Bing waited to go in when the CPS rep and the lawyer had finally gotten in. He let them go in and talk to Logan before Bing walked in without the cops.

He grabbed a chair and turned it so he could lean his arms on the top of the backrest.

“Hey,” Bing smiled. Before the lawyer could make a noise, Bing kept talking. “You don’t have to say a word. You’re probably going back home after this. I just wanted to cut to the point where we make a deal, not waste your time.”

“He doesn’t have to take any kind of deal,” the lawyer said.

“Oh, I know,” Bing said, still smiling. “In fact, I hope he sleeps on it. Decisions need time to make them wisely, and I know Logan here is a smart kid.”

The lawyer glanced at Logan, and Bing let them remind Logan not to say a thing.

Bing pulled out a little card with the Coalition insignia on it and Bing’s contact information. “I want you to personally become my apprentice with the Coalition.”

“You can’t be serious,” The CPS rep said.

“Oh, buddy, I’m very serious,” Bing said. He looked at Logan. “I know Googs has been contacting you, and I know because he was gloating about it. And I don’t want Google anywhere near you, dude. I don’t want Dark near you because anything Google has, belongs to Dark. Dark doesn’t care about anything but himself, that’s just a fact.”

Logan didn’t say anything, but his standoffishness didn’t seem as cold. Which was good.

“So we’re gonna take you home, you’re gonna think on this, and then if you want you call me. And we can start some balls rolling. Get you some more equipment. Have you not go to jail for almost destroying the bridge? Think of it as cutting around juvie and skipping right to community service?”

Logan stayed quiet but Bing could see the gears turning.

Bing smiled and walked out, leaving Logan with the humans, and a smile on Bing’s face.

The police were pissed, no surprise. They’d caught Logan but were unable to arrest him on the spot.

Bing watched CPS take Logan home, where he basically was by himself, and was given instructions not to contact Bing or Google.

The kid didn’t last the night.

Bing stood on his apartment step, to be polite, and waited as Logan answered the door.

“I’m not saying yes,” Logan said as Bing walked in.

“Well, this sure ain’t a no, dude,” Bing smiled as he looked around and basically placed a tracking marker in the place so he could quickly come and go from the place.

“Hey, you like Wendy’s, kid?” Bing said.

The kid just glared at him. “I’m vegetarian.”

“Neat, cool,” Bing smiled at him. “I’ll order something else.”

“You don’t eat human food,” Logan said.

“I mean, I can, but we’ll be talking about this for a while and you’ve been out all night,” Bing said as he sat backwards on a rickety kitchen chair. Leaving the slightly comfier armchair for Logan.

“I’m just allowed to join the Coalition?” Logan asked.

Bing gave Logan a huge smile. “I’m in charge of the South Branch of the Coalition, only Silver and Jackie have any extra say on stuff. I got Jackie’s approval a couple hours ago, and I can convince Silver. Don’t worry. The only thing you’ve got to worry about, little man, is staying in school, and staying out of trouble.”

“You’ve promised change,” Logan said.

“There are a lot of things wrong in this city, and with the country, Lo, you’re taking on the small fry. Normal people. I want bigger, dude. I want to take on people like Dark, people who are stagnating the city.” Bing said as he tried not to lean forward in the chair and break it.

“If I joined, what would I be doing day-to-day?” Logan asked.

“Investigative work, maybe researching various magical and no-magical artifacts, you’ll be in school a lot of the time, there’s no getting around that.” Bing said.

“Okay, if it’s between you and Dark, I guess I don’t have a choice,” Logan said.

Bing stood up and clapped his hands. “Alrighty, then, dude.”

Out of his arm he pulled out something that looked more like a watch then the rest of the Coalition communicators. “To our newest hero. Welcome to the party, my man.”

“Logic,” Logan said.

“That your name?” Bing asked.

“Yes, if I could pick one it would be: Logic,” Logan said.

“Perfect, my dude,” Bing said.

“Where do you stay, or are you allowed to tell me?” Logan asked.

“Hey, I live anywhere with good bandwidth,” Bing said, shrugging. “You need me anywhere, anytime, and I got you.”

“Noted,” Logan said, trying to act normal but Bing wasn’t fooled. Those facial expressions, that heart rate. He cared a lot, that made Bing very happy.

Bing held out his hand. “I can order that food, and then you can get some sleep. You’ve got school tomorrow, after all and we’ll keep talking about Coalition stuff after school.”

“Alright,” Logan said.

So Bing ordered some late night vegetarian Chinese food. Logan ate and then he went to bed, and Bing went to go and officially tell Google to back off from Logan. That he had it under control and Logan got to be theirs without also being Dark’s.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

BY ANITA SIRCARAUG. 17, 2021 9:28 AM PT

My patient sat at the edge of his bed gasping for air while he tried to tell me his story, pausing to catch his breath after each word. The plastic tubes delivering oxygen through his nose hardly seemed adequate to stop his chest from heaving. He looked exhausted.

He had tested positive for the coronavirus 10 days ago. He was under 50, mildly hypertensive but otherwise in good health. Eight days earlier he started coughing and having severe fatigue. His doctor started him on antibiotics. It did not work.

Fearing his symptoms were worsening, he started taking some hydroxychloroquine he had found on the internet. It did not work.

He was now experiencing shortness of breath while doing routine daily activities such as walking from his bedroom to the bathroom or putting on his shoes. He was a shell of his former self. He eventually made his way to a facility where he could receive monoclonal antibodies, a lab-produced transfusion that substitutes for the body’s own antibodies. It did not work.

He finally ended up in the ER with dangerously low oxygen levels, exceedingly high inflammatory markers and patchy areas of infection all over his lungs. Nothing had helped. He was getting worse. He could not breathe. His wife and two young children were at home, all infected with COVID. He and his wife had decided not to get vaccinated.

Last year, a case like this would have flattened me. I would have wrestled with the sadness and how unfair life was. Battled with the angst of how unlucky he was. This year, I struggled to find sympathy. It was August 2021, not 2020. The vaccine had been widely available for months in the U.S., free to anyone who wanted it, even offered in drugstores and supermarkets. Cutting-edge, revolutionary, mind-blowing, lifesaving vaccines were available where people shopped for groceries, and they still didn’t want them.

Outside his hospital door, I took a deep breath — battening down my anger and frustration — and went in. I had been working the COVID units for 17 months straight, all day, every day. I had cared for hundreds of COVID patients. We all had, without being able to take breaks long enough to help us recover from this unending ordeal. Compassion fatigue was setting in. For those of us who hadn’t left after the hardest year of our professional lives, even hope was now in short supply.

Shouting through my N95 mask and the noise of the HEPA filter, I introduced myself. I calmly asked him why he decided not to get vaccinated.

“Well, I’m not an anti-vaxxer or anything. I was just waiting for the FDA to approve the vaccine first. I didn’t want to take anything experimental. I didn’t want to be the government’s guinea pig, and I don’t trust that it’s safe,” he said.

“Well,” I said, “I can pretty much guarantee we would have never met had you gotten vaccinated because you would have never been hospitalized. All of our COVID units are full and every single patient in them is unvaccinated. Numbers don’t lie. The vaccines work.”

This was a common excuse people gave for not getting vaccinated, fearing the vaccine because the Food and Drug Administration had only granted it emergency-use authorization so far, not permanent approval. Yet the treatments he had turned to, antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies and hydroxychloroquine were considered experimental, with mixed evidence to support their use.

The only proven lifesaver we’ve had in this pandemic is a vaccine that many people don’t want. A vaccine we give away to other countries because supply overwhelms demand in the U.S. A vaccine people in other countries stand in line for hours to receive, if they can get it at all.

“Well,” I said, “I am going to treat you with, remdesivir, which only recently received FDA approval.” I explained that it had been under an EUA for most of last year and had not been studied or administered as widely as COVID-19 vaccines. That more than 353 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the U.S. along with more than 4.7 billion doses worldwide without any overwhelming, catastrophic side effects. “Not nearly as many doses of remdesivir have been given or studied in people and its long-term side effects are still unknown,” I said. “Do you still want me to give it to you?”

“Yes” he responded, “Whatever it takes to save my life.”

It did not work.

My patient died nine days later from a fatal stroke. We, the care team, reconciled this loss by telling ourselves: He made a personal choice not to get vaccinated, not to protect himself or his family. We did everything we could with what we had to save him. This year, this tragedy, this unnecessary, entirely preventable loss, was on him.

The burden of this pandemic now rests on the shoulders of the unvaccinated. On those who are eligible to get vaccinated, but choose not to, a decision they defend by declaring, “vaccination is a deeply personal choice.” But perhaps never in history has anyone’s personal choice impacted the world as a whole as it does right now. When hundreds and thousands of people continue to die, when the most vulnerable members of society, our children, cannot be vaccinated — the luxury of choice ceases to exist.

If you believe the pandemic is almost over and you can ride it out, without getting vaccinated, you could not be more wrong. This virus will find you.

If you believe I’ll just wait until the FDA approves the vaccine first, you may not live to see the day.

If you believe if I get infected I’ll just go to the hospital and get treated, there is no guarantee we can save your life, nor even a promise we’ll have a bed for you.

If you believe I’m pregnant and I don’t want the vaccine to affect me, my baby or my future fertility, it matters little if you’re not alive to see your newborn.

If you believe I won’t get my children vaccinated because I don’t know what the long-term effects will be, it matters little if they don’t live long enough for you to find out.

If you believe I’ll just let everyone else get vaccinated around me so I don’t have to, there are 93 million eligible, unvaccinated people in the “herd” who think the same way you do and are getting in the way of ending this pandemic.

If you believe vaccinated people are getting infected anyway so what’s the point?, the vaccine was built to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from severe illness. Instead of fatal pneumonia, those with breakthrough infections have a short, bad cold, so the vaccine has already proved itself. The vaccinated are not dying from COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has mutated countless times during this pandemic, adapting to survive. Stacked up against a human race that has resisted change every step of the way — including wearing masks, social distancing, quarantining and now refusing lifesaving vaccines — it is easy to see who will win this war if human behavior fails to change quickly.

The most effective thing you can do to protect yourself, your loved ones and the world, is to GET VACCINATED.

And it will work.

Anita Sircar is an infectious disease physician and clinical instructor of health sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine.

[bubblesurveys]

survey 17💛

length: long

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1.) What's better, having high expectations or having low expectations?

2.) Would you rather go without junk food for a year or go without TV for a year?

3.) Describe your perfect man/woman.

4.) Thoughts on school dress codes?

5.) Any strange phobias?

6.) At what job do you see Donald Trump best fit?

7.) Who was your first crush?

8.) Who was your first best friend?

9.) What is one weird thing about you?

10.) Top 5 TV shows you like to watch?

11.) What are your favorite boy names?

12.) What are your favorite girl names?

13.) Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they?

14.) Do you plan on getting (more) tattoos? If so, what do you want to get?

15.) Do you have any piercings? Do you plan on getting more?

16.) Do you like hugs?

17.) Think of ANY person on earth right now. Who did you think of?

18.) Do you have an iPhone?

19.) What is the worst thing that could happen in your life right now?

20.) Do you watch anime?

21.) What brings true happiness?

22.) What is the most expensive thing you’ve ever paid for?

23.) If you could have any job in the world and get paid millions of dollars a year for it, what would you be and why?

24.) Do you want children? If so, how many?

25.) Name and describe someone who you feel most comfortable around.

26.) If you could invent a holiday, what would it be?

27.) Would you rather have summer weather or winter weather all year round?

28.) If you could create an alien race, describe what they would look like.

29.) What was the first thing you learned to cook?

30.) Describe your sense of humor.

31.) What is the key to happiness?

32.) How many phone numbers do you have committed to memory? Whose numbers are they?

33.) Name three songs that make you want to dance.

34.) What job did you want to have as a child?

35.) Do you have any talents or skills?

36.) What was the worst punishment you’ve ever had?

37.) Did you ever do anything weird as a child?

38.) What is your dream car?

39.) Describe something that made you laugh this week.

40.) What genre do most of your dreams fit into?

41.) Do you ever have repetitive dreams? Describe it/them.

42.) Describe the most recent dream you’ve had.

43.) Describe the best dream you’ve ever had.

44.) If God himself gave you a choice of either having unlimited money for the rest of your life or finding your one true love starting tomorrow, which one would you choose (keep in mind, you are still able to make a ton of money if you choose love, and you are still able to meet your soul mate if you choose money)?

45.) If you could do anything (and I mean ANYTHING) right now without consequences, what would you?

46.) Do you have any recipes that you know off the top of your head? What is it/ what are they?

47.) Do you have your license? If so, do you have a car?

48.) Have you ever had a near death experience?

49.) Do you personally know anyone that has been to prison?

50.) Have you ever been in a physical fight?

51.) When you get out of the shower, do you towel dry, blow dry, or air dry your hair?

52.) When you go to the movies, do you take snacks and drinks with you or do you buy them?

53.) Do you like going to the beach? If so, do you like to stay dry or go in the water? If not, why?

54.) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

55.) If you could have a superpower ASIDE from being invisible or being able to fly, what would you choose?

56.) If you were able to live for however long you wanted to (I'm talking thousands of years without aging), when would you choose to die?

57.) What do you think happens after we die?

58.) Do you believe in aliens?

59.) Do you believe in ghosts?

60.) Do you believe in spiritual things like ouija boards, tarot cards, and crystals? Do you believe they are portals for evil entities to enter the mortal world?

61.) If you could make one mythical being real, who/what would you choose?

62.) Do you tan, or do you burn?

63.) Describe your shower routine.

64.) Do you enjoy school? Why or why not?

65.) In your opinion, what is the worst way to die?

66.) Do you get travel sick?

67.) What’s one memory that you wish you could go back to?

68.) What were some of your stuffed animal’s names from when you were a kid?

69.) Do you have any pets?

70.) Describe your daily wardrobe.

71.) Describe what your daily wardrobe would be if you were rich.

72.) Create a character right now. Give them a name, age, height, hair colour, eye colour, pronouns, birthday, and accent.

73.) What was the last thing you bought?

74.) Have you ever bought a CD? What was it?

75.) Describe your perfect ice cream sundae.

76.) If you could make ANYTHING happen right now with no cost, trouble, or obstacles, what would you do?

77.) What are some of your favorite physical activities to do?

78.) What were some of your favorite shows as a child?

79.) Describe how you would survive the zombie apocalypse.

80.)What are some things you shouldn't say at work?

81.) If you were told that if you killed someone, you would save 100 people, would you do it?

82.) How’s the weather right now?

83.) What is the background on your cell phone right now?

84.)Is it better to work at a job that you love or a job that pays well?

85.) What do you have within arms reach of your bed?

86.) Have you ever been fired from a job? If so, why?

87.) Have you ever won a trophy, prize, or medal? If so, for what?

88.) Do you have any posters, pictures, or art hanging on your walls in your room? If so, what are they?

89.) Are you afraid of the dark?

90.)What is something that you've never done but would like to try?

91.) If you could choose three famous people or characters to be friends with, who would you choose and why?

92.) Do you smile at strangers when you pass by them on the street?

93.) Do you have a favorite TV commercial? If so, what is it?

94.) Do you like your handwriting?

95.) Cable TV or Netflix?

96.) What are your favorite smells?

97.) Do you consider yourself physically strong?

98.) Describe a time where you said something really rude or mean, whether intentional or not.

99.) Do you ask strangers if you can pet their dogs?

100.) What do you want done with your body after you die?

101.) Has anyone really close to you ever died? If so, who was it and how did you handle it?

102.) Describe your plan of action if you were home alone and you heard someone break into your house.

103.) If you were to be born again, would you want to be born male or female?

104.) What shampoo do you use?

105.) Guess the meaning of this word: ulotrichous.

106.) Do you let messages (phone, email, text, social media, etc...) build up, or do you have to look at them right away?

107.) How close is the nearest McDonalds to your house?

108.) If you had $1 billion and you had to spend it in exactly one week, what would you spend it on?

109.) What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten?

110.) If you could go on a trip around the world with up to three people, who would you bring? (they can be people you know personally or famous people)

111.) What swear word do you use the most often?

112.) What is your personal definition of success?

113.) How was your day today?

114.) What is the closest big city to you?

115.) Do you like children? Why or why not?

116.) Do you hide anything from your parents?

117.) If you could possess one talent, what would you be able to do?

118.) If you could speak three additional languages, what would they be?

119.) What is the worst thing you’ve ever seen in real life?

120.) Use only 3 words to describe how you want your future to go.

121.) If you could have your own business, what would you do?

122.) If you could make a dream society, describe it in great detail where it would be, who would be in it, and what rules there would be?

123.) If you could make any animal miniature, what would you make and why?

124.) What are your favorite candle scents?

[marshmallowprotection]

Above picture is purely stylistic because the appearance Sapphire has in the above is the appearance she takes on after she dies and decides to go to the Heavenly Plane, and Marie only haunts her when she was alive.

In case you cant read the text:

“A ghost of a young girl”

“She’s been by my side since the day I was born”

“But she refuses to answer my questions about who she is”

“I have my suspicions, however…”

“Perhaps, she is one of my ancestors?”

“Or perhaps she is a demon?”

“Or…maybe she is simply scheming to take over my body, the little brat.”

Well, this is the bio of Guardian of The Heavenly Plane. So, hope you like it uwu

Name: Sapphire Elise Vesper

 Aliases (If Any): Saph (Nickname)

Guardian of The Heavenly Plane (Title/Alias)

Stygian Jewel (Nickname Given To Her By The Heavenly Plane Residents)

 Age: 28 (On Death, Physically)

3,000 (Chronologically)

 Date of Birth/Birthday: ???, 1483 B.T.C. (Aka 1,483 Years Before The Creation of Thedian Calendar, And 3028 Years Before 1545 T.C.) [Died 1455 B.T.C.]

 Zodiac: ???

 Status: Deceased (As Human)

Alive (As Spirit)

 Species: Spirit (Currently)

Humans (Previously)

 Magic: ???

 Height: 5’5 Feet (165 Centimeters/1.65 Meters/64 Inches)

 Ethnicity: Vesperian

 Relatives: Oversimplification Because She Has So Many Fucking Relatives Because House Vesper Is Huge, Elisabet Arabella Vesper, Solace von Mariah, The Hallow Sisters, House Diode, And House Vesper, Are All Her Descendants.

She also had three younger brothers and one younger sister. Her eldest younger brother took her title as heir to the throne upon his birth.

 Birth Place: Vesper Empire, Theda

 Nationality/Current Residence: The Heavenly Plane

 Religion (Which Goddess Do they Worship?): Nymeria (Formerly) 

Atheist 

 Occupation: Former Heir Presumptive of The Vesper Empire (When She Was Alive)

Princess of The Vesper Empire (When She Was Alive)

Guardian of The Heavenly Plane

 Affiliations: Vesper Empire (Formerly)

House Vesper (Formerly)

Heavenly Plane

Personality: Stoic, Calm, Dismissive, Stubborn, Distant, But Really Stupidly Powerful, No Seriously, Sometimes Just Crazy, She Does A Lot of Ridiculous Things Even Though She Knows It’s A Huge Freakin Risk, So Reckless, Hates Bright Lights (Which is Basically The Heavenly Plane In a Nutshell ._.)

 Marital Status: Married (Formerly)

Single

 Sexuality: Pansexual

 Likes: The Cold, Snow, Ice Skating, Reading, Quiet Places

 Dislikes: Bright Lights, Hot Climates, People Disturbing Her, Politics

 Role: Secondary Character

Debut: TBA

 Random Facts:

Sapphire’s current appearance is not the appearance she had when she was alive- it is the appearance of one of her previous reincarnations, Auralia, who was her 29th of 50 reincarnations, and lived about 9,000 years ago before 1545, being born in 7545 B.T.C., before even the First Great Theda Civil War.

Sapphire’s first reincarnation goes all the way back to about 200,000 years before the Thedian Calendar was created, being born around 199,999 B.T.C. (yes, seriously)

Sapphire is the direct ancestor of the Hallow Sisters, and indirect ancestor of Elisabet Arabella Vesper and many of her relatives. 

Sapphire had recessive albinism which is actually the cause of why Cora Hallow has albinism- somehow, the gene remained dormant in her descendants until Evadne Hallow (the Hallow Sisters’ mother) married Gabriel Hallow, who also had recessive albinism, and it ended up being the cause of Cora Hallow’s albinism. It is likely several of her descendants married people who also had recessive albinism unknowingly, but it didn’t present itself dominantly in any of her descendants until Cora Hallow.

If her name didn’t already suggest it, Sapphire had blue hair and eyes when she was alive in her 50th reincarnation.

Sapphire is NOT the first inhabitant of the Heavenly Plane- there were several Guardians of The Heavenly Plane before her, she is actually the 21st as the Heavenly Plane was created upon the world’s creation and the first Guardian of The Heavenly Yard was the first person who did not want to go through reincarnation again. Before that, the Heavenly Plane was just empty.

Sapphire is the youngest of all of the Guardians. The oldest is the Guardian of The Spiritual Plane. This is of course if you only acknowledge her age after she died as Sapphire, and not if you count all the years since her very first reincarnation was born. She’s still the youngest Guardian regardless because the others have lived for at least a billion years.

I know I should have put this in Hina’s bio, but in the Twelfth World time passes a lot faster than it does in Cela’s world, hence why Hina is billions of years old in the Twelfth World, but in Cela’s world, she would technically only be a year old even though she lived on for billions of years in the Twelfth World.

Sapphire and The Guardian of The Spiritual Plane know each other, as to be expected since Sapphire has had so many reincarnations. Sapphire tolerates “Spira” (as Sapphire calls her) since she’s fairly calm, but they’re not really “friends”. 

 Backstory: Sapphire was born the eldest child of the Emperor and Empress of the Vesper Empire in the year 1483 B.T.C. 

The Vesper Empire was in civil war for the third time within that century, and because of that Sapphire lived a life of being sheltered away from the world due to the chaos that raged throughout the entire country. While she never liked the company of people very much, she even admitted she grew lonely with her parents almost never paying much attention to her, unless they were berating her for being born a girl, and instead focused their time on ruling, ending the civil war, and bearing a son.

Sapphire most often than not spent her time reading and studying, and she became almost entirely ignored by her parents when her younger brother was born when she 5, another brother 2 years later, a sister 1 year later, and a final brother another year later. While she was arranged to marry a foreign duke from a whole other continent to marry for an alliance, she didn’t seem to mind, not at all caring for her future husband.

It may be time to mention that Sapphire had been followed around by the ghost of a 10ish-year-old girl, who called herself “Marie”. She refused to tell Sapphire who she was, thought Sapphire had many suspicions, such as the idea that maybe Marie was one of her ancestors due to her very fishy resemblance to one of the previous empresses of the Vesper Empire, Empress Ophelia II, who lived about a thousand years ago and had the exact same hair and eye color as Marie and similar facial features, and so Sapphire began to believe that Marie might be the deceased daughter of Empress Ophelia II, though she couldn’t be sure because most the records of Empress Ophelia II were lost in a fire three centuries ago. She also began to search and find the diaries of some of the previous residents of the palace, aka her ancestors, and found many mentioned a girl following them around, though whether this is Marie or some other girl, Sapphire was unable to tell due to the diaries all being in poor condition.

When Sapphire turned 15, the legal age of maturity at the time, she was married to the foreign duke she had been arranged to marry years earlier. Several years later Sapphire would birth twins at age 28: A daughter and a son she named “Luna” and “Glen”. 

However, she would die several months after their birth due to the civil war that was still raging, being killed in an attack on the palace along with one of her younger brothers, sacrificing herself in order to make sure her twin children escaped with their father, who would flee to his home country until the civil war was over.

During the attack Sapphire finally learned the identity of Marie- she was, indeed, the daughter of Empress Ophelia II, and had remained in the Mortal Plane as a spirit because she wanted revenge against her killers: her own family. Apparently, she had been outcasted by her family due to being born “insane” as her family labeled her- in reality, she suffered from schizophrenia, constantly hallucinating and seeing things that weren’t there, causing people to label her as crazy and become outcasted, which she, unfortunately, ended up developing due to genes on her father’s side causing it to run in his family. Eventually, Empress Ophelia ordered her killing because she was apparently an “Embarrassment to House Vesper, and deserves to die so she doesn’t end up snapping on us all. Better she dies than put my only son in danger due to his own older sister.” And so Marie swore revenge, haunting her mother for the rest of her days, and then customarily began to haunt at least of the current generation of House Vesper’s offspring as “revenge”. 

Sapphire would then be stabbed to death by one of the rebels, her last words being “Traitor! You have betrayed your country! I-” before being stabbed in the head.

Sapphire then returned to the Spirit Plane with all the memories of her past reincarnations, meeting yet again “Spira”, aka Guardian of The Spiritual Plane, and deciding she was done with reincarnating, asking her to allow her to go to the Heavenly Plane. Spira agreed only if Sapphire would become the new Guardian of The Heavenly Plane due to the last one “retiring” (read: killed himself after so long of being “alive”, uh, it happens? It was a one-off thing, totally…totally a one-off thing that hasn’t happened several times because it’s not just the goddesses who eventually go crazy from living for so long…totally…) and Sapphire agreed.

Sapphire went to the Heavenly Plane, and now resides on top of a tall mountain on the outskirts of the (now city) that was built there by the residents of the Heavenly Plane. 

She really hates people coming up to the mountain to bug her, and basically shuts out anyone who does decide to climb the mountain to talk to her for whatever reason. She sometimes leave the mountain to talk to people if she’s been alone for too long but overall prefers being by herself, reading, painting, and listening to nature overall. 

(And thinking about how her children are doing, and what happened to them after the battle which she perished in because she really doesn’t know that she has A LOT of descendants).

— Submission 

Okay, but, I really love the flat colors and posing that you did here. It really addss to the personality and flavor of the character. I can already feel what she’s like just from the way that she holds herself, and the way that she looks directly at the viewer. You can see how withdrawn she must feel from others. It’s a kind of attitude that you can’t miss once you see it, if that makes any sense, haha! 

And I mean, being alone can be the best thing for some people, and for others, it may not be the most idea situation. Well, it was an easy out... or an easy-in, if that’s how you want to see it. She clearly has a lot on her mind but not many people wants to talk it through with. 

[thelittlesttimelord]

The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 28

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 28 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 28/? SUMMARY: Elise Smith is now a teenaged Timelord. In addition to losing the Ponds, the fields of Trenzalore are calling. But first they have to figure out exactly who Clara Oswald is.

“Oh, it's a young man's game, all this dashing about,” the Professor said. He leaned up against the porthole and noticed the look on Clara’s face. “Clara, what is it?”

“I was doing okay, but…Seeing those bodies back there. It's all got very real. Are we going to make it?”

“Yes, of course.”

The metal around them creaked.

“What was that?”

“The Doctor told you, it's just the boat settling. Tell me about yourself. What do you like doing? Clara? Clara?”

Clara was looking around in all directions. She wished Elise would snap out of her comatose state, but it was like the Timelord’s mind had snapped and she was frozen like a statue.

“Stuff. You know, stuff.”

“Stuff. Very enlightening. And the Doctor, what he said. Is it true you're from another time? From our future? Clara?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what happens.”

“I can't.”

“Well, I need to know.”

“I'm not allowed.”

“No, please.”

“I can't!”

“Ultravox, do they split up?”

To the Professor and Clara’s shock, Elise started laughing. They were going to be murdered by an alien from Mars and he was more preoccupied with whether one of his favorite bands was going to split up.

“Funny. You're funny,” Clara told him. Two hands grabbed Clara’s head.

“Clara!” Elise yelled, standing up.

“Let her go!” the Professor yelled, firing shots at Skaldak.

Skaldak let Clara go.

“See? I don't just like Western music.” He twirled his pistol as Skaldak grabbed him.

“No, please don't hurt him. Please!” Clara begged.

The Doctor ran up.

“You attacked me. Martian law decrees that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process. To end this Cold War,” Skaldak said.

“Grand Marshal, there is no need for this. Listen to me,” the Doctor told him.

“My distress call has not been answered. It will never be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge.”

“There is something left for you, Skaldak. Mercy.”

“Mercy?”

The captain came barging in with a shotgun and the rest of the crew. “You must wear that armor for a reason, my friend. Let's see, shall we?”

The Doctor put his hand on the gun and lowered it. “No, Captain, wait!”

“I will do whatever it takes to defend my world, Doctor.”

“Yes, great, fine, good, but we are getting somewhere here. We are negotiating. Jaw-jaw not war-war.”

“Churchill?” the Professor asked.

Elise wanted to pipe up and say they’d met Churchill, but decided that this probably wasn’t the best time. The Doctor promised to visit again when she was older. Maybe she should do that soon.

“Churchill,” the Doctor confirmed.

“Very well, we'll negotiate, but from a position of strength,” the captain said.

“Excellent tactical thinking. My congratulations, Captain,” Skaldak complimented him.

“Thank you.”

“Unfortunately, your position is not, perhaps, as strong as you might hope.”

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asked.

Skaldak’s empty armor entered the corridor and Skaldak dropped back into it after releasing the Professor.

“He summoned the armor,” the Doctor said.

“How did it do that?” Clara asked.

“Sonic tech, Clara. The song of the Ice Warrior.”

One of the soldiers fired his gun at the armor.

“No!” the Doctor yelled.

“My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet. Red with the blood of humanity!”

“Skaldak! Skaldak, wait!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Skaldak headed to the control room and plugged himself into the computer.

“No! Skaldak, wait! Wait, wait,” the Doctor yelled.

“He's arming the warheads,” the captain said, still pointing his gun at Skaldak.

“Where is the honor in condemning billions of innocents to death? Five thousand years ago Mars was the center of a vast empire. The jewel of this solar system. The people of Earth had only just begun to leave their caves. Five thousand years isn't such a long time. They're still just frightened children, still primitive. Who are you to judge them?”

Skaldak unplugged himself. “I am Skaldak! This planet is forfeit under Martian law.”

“Then teach them. Teach them, Grand Marshal. Show them another way. Show them there is honor in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth. Because that's what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a murderer. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes. A world snuffed out like a candle flame! All right. All right, Skaldak, you leave me no choice. I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a thing or two about sonic technology myself.” The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

“A threat? You threaten me, Doctor?”

“No. No, not you, all of us. I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion.”

“You would sacrifice yourself?”

“In a heartbeat.” The Doctor felt a hand wrap around his and he glanced at Elise standing next to him. She give a curt nod, her way of saying ‘If there’s no other way, do it’.

“Mutually assured destruction.”

“Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Come on. Face to face.”

“Well, Doctor.” Skaldak’s helmet retracted back and he stared at the Doctor. “Which of us shall blink first?”

“Why did you hesitate? Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill this man, remember? I begged you not to, and you listened. Why show compassion then, Skaldak, and not now?” Clara asked, gesturing to the Professor.

Elise stepped out of her father’s shadow and approached Skaldak. “If you do this, billions will die. Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters. Remember that last battle, Skaldak? Your daughter. You sang the songs…”

“Of the Red Snows.”

The submarine lurched.

“What's happening?” Clara asked.

“My people live. They have come for me!” Skaldak rejoiced.

“We're rising,” the captain realized.

“Six hundred meters. Five fifty,” the Professor read off.

The submarine broke through the ice.

“We've surfaced. Your people have saved us,” the Doctor told Skaldak.

“Saved me, not you.”

“Just go, Skaldak, please. Please, go in peace.”

Skaldak was teleported away.

“We did it. We did it!” Clara said.

“No. No, no, no, no, no,” the Doctor said, walking over to the weapon’s system, “It's still armed. A single pulse from that ship… I'll destroy us if I have to. I will destroy us if I have to.”

Elise placed a hand on her father’s back, to let him know he wasn’t alone this time.

“Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on. Show mercy.”

“Why are there so many songs about rainbows…” Elise sung under her breath.

The weapon’s system disarmed itself and the Doctor ran a hand down his face. “Now we're safe.”

Clara launched herself into his arms. “Saved the world, then?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“That's what we do.”

“Yeah.”

The two smiled and giggled, causing Elise to roll her eyes until the Doctor threw an arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

They stepped outside and admired the Martian spaceship.

“The TARDIS! Where's the TARDIS? You never explained,” Clara said.

“Oh well, don't worry about that,” the Doctor told her.

“Stop saying that. Where is it?”

“Yeah. Well, I wasn't to know, was I?”

“Know what?”

“I've been tinkering, breaking her in. I'm allowed.”

“What did you do?”

Their bickering made Elise smile. It reminded her of simpler times with the Ponds and River.

The Doctor muttered under his breath. “I reset the HADS.”

“Huh?”

“I reset the HADS.”

“The what?”

“The HADS. The Hostile Action Displacement System. If the TARDIS comes under attack, gunfire, time winds, the sea, it…relocates.”

“Oh, Doctor.”

“Haven't used it in donkey's years. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere.” His sonic screwdriver started going off. “Ooo. Ha, see? Right on cue. Brilliant.”

Clara smiled. “Brilliant.”

“The TARDIS is at the pole.”

“Not far, then.”

“…the South Pole.”

“Ah.”

The Doctor turned to the Captain. “Could we have a lift?”

The Captain and Professor laughed as they went back into the submarine.

The Doctor mocked them until Elise playfully hit him on the arm. The Doctor saluted the Martian spaceship as it flew away. “Earlier, in the control room, you weren’t scared.”

Elise shook her head. “No.”

“Why?”

Elise looked at him. “Because I knew that even if you weren’t able to talk him down, it’d be okay.”

“You have too much faith in me.”

Elise gave him a small smile. “I don’t think you have enough faith in yourself.” Elise placed a hand on his cheek and kissed the other one before going back down into the sub.

[dailyaudiobible]

02/04/2020 DAB Transcript

Exodus 19:16-21:21, Matthew 23:13-39, Psalms 28:1-9, Proverbs 7:1-5

Today is the 4th day of the month of February, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is great to be here with you today as we…as we take the next step forward and reach forward for what comes next. And we’ve been spending our time working through the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, which is what we’ll continue to do. We’re reading from the Voice Translation this week. Exodus chapter 19 verse 16 through 21 verse 21. And just by way of reminder the children of Israel have an appointment with the Almighty God who is coming to speak to them at the mountain of God. Exodus chapter 19.

Commentary:

Okay. So, God has come down upon Mount Sinai in the…in the desert in the wilderness. The people are all around the mountain. They’re not allowed to go upon it. And God has come to speak directly with the people. The people don't want God to speak directly to them. They’re too afraid and so they're essentially telling Moses. “you speak on behalf of God and we will listen to you and do whatever you say.” And, so, in so many ways the people are affirming Moses as a prophet. That is what a prophet does, speak on behalf of God to the people, which shows us the importance of the prophet being genuine. We will learn about false prophets in the Scriptures. We will also see that there are consequences in this new society that God is being built for people who claim to speak in the name of the Lord but aren't at all. But let's notice what's beginning to happen here. People are gathered around the mountain of God. God begins to speak to them. He begins to tell them what they are going to look like as a people. And, so, we encounter famously the 10 Commandments as well as other instructions including like instructions about servants and slaves. And, so, we can scratch our head and read the 21st-century into the ancient Scriptures and go, “well…what's that doing in the Bible”, not understanding that we have to get ourselves the context of what's happening here, what's actually going on and why it matters. The children of Israel have only ever been slaves. So, 400 years have gone by and no one's going to be 400 or more years old at this point, right? So, every single person that came out of Egypt was born a slave and left Egypt as a slave. All they ever knew was how to be a slave. All they ever knew of the culture was whatever had been inherited - part of Egyptian, part Hebrew, mostly all slave. They don't…they don't know how to go into a promised land and establish it and set up the leadership and rule under God and be a nation of priests to the world. What they do know how to be is a slave. And, so, for God to give provisions about slaves and essentially say they are hired laborers for a period of time and this is how it works. This is a gigantic can take step forward in the world at this time. The idea that there are term limits, the idea that there are any rights whatsoever of the slave, even a free person who has been captured in battle and made a slave. So, we have made some pretty significant progress in the world over the last several thousand years. But we are also watching God establish revolutionary ideas and concepts about culture because that is fundamentally what we are in the wilderness for. That is fundamentally what's happening here. The children of Israel know how to be slaves. They don't know how to be anything else. They don't know how to be the chosen people of God. They don't know how to be a nation of priests. They don't know anything but what they have always known. And, so, God has brought them into the wilderness where they have no way out. They have got to depend upon Him for their survival. And that is a fundamental principle that is a baseline truth for this new thing that God is doing among the Hebrew people. And, so, what we are beginning to experience is the giving of the law, the law of God, the law that would govern this people that would inform them into a cohesive people moving in a specific direction for specific purposes. They were the chosen people, and they were chosen to bless the world. So, we have in some ways begun to shift our narrative. Like this is a very dramatic story with the plagues and everything in the Exodus from Egypt and the Red Sea but we’ve begun to shift the narrative now to where the people are hearing what God wants to shape, like how He is going to knit these people together as the family of God and what He expects. And what we’re going to notice is that everything, everything about this law…and some of these things we’re gonna scratch our head and say go, “that is so antiquated I can’t even imagine doing that.” That was thousands of years ago but the essence of what God is knitting together is that everything that they do reminds them of who they are and who God is and where they're going. It's being baked into the new culture that is emerging. And, so, yeah, we’ll go into all kinds of stature…we’re going to read the book of the law and it will read like a law book. But before we even get there understanding this is where it's going. What God is doing is bringing His people into the wilderness where they have to listen, and they have to learn to trust or they will not survive. And then God is beginning to instruct them. What's happening is the world is moving forward. The way people deal with each other is being reimagined. Okay…so…so that’s that…

…and then we turn the page into Matthew, and we see Jesus is just very ticked off, “woe to you, You brood of vipers, you whitewashed tombs.” Like He’s just going off. And who is He going off on? The religious leaders who are responsible for stewarding the law. What had happened is they lost the plot along the way and the law was no longer like this way of living, this way of being, this is way of staying set apart and pure and so everything that you did reminded you you were in covenant with God. Instead, all that was lost in favor of ritual, in favor of following the letter of the law. And that became nothing more than controlling the people. And, so for Jesus to make commentary today like He did so directs, He’s basically saying, “Are you so stupid”, right? “Are you so blind? Are you so ignorant? Can't you see you've lost the plot here?” Of course, power obscures all kinds of things that we know are right and all kinds of things that we know are wrong and they have power and it's a very tenuous power because the Roman Empire is in charge, but they are allowing these Hebrew people to kind of maintain their own subculture, a separatist culture. And, so, these religious leaders are just trying to keep everything moving forward and stay in power and stay in control and Jesus sees right through it. Jesus sees right through everything. Jesus sees the truth in all things. That is having eyes to see and ears to hear. And, so, in some ways, in today's reading, we get a glimpse of the time when the law when instructions are just being first given and then we get to zoom forward a couple of millennia into the first century in the time of Jesus and see what became of things and what God in the flesh, what Jesus has to say about what they're doing and He doesn't like it.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You. We thank You for Your word and we thank You for this…this kind of perspective where we can look sort of like before and after and we don't have all of the story in between but that’s the story of the Bible, that’s what we’re doing every day step-by-step day by day and all of these things will be filled. But we get this glimpse that it's not about what You look like, it's not what You can present, it's not in the way that You can perform in front of people, how pious and holy You are. It's what's inside of us that's true. And we watch You Jesus looking at the truth in everything that You do. And, so, we believe that You are looking at us and You can see the truth. We can't hide it from You. We can’t do a dance and fool You. We can't change the tone of voice that we’re using or put-on makeup or wear a hat or hide in the other way. You see the truth about us. That can be unnerving, or it can be freeing. Finally, finally, in all of the earth there is one who would look upon us and see us as we truly are and still love us enough to die for us. We thank You for that. We want this to compel us and shift us that we might press in and move away from all that is false so that we can find freedom in the truths because the truth sets us free. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good afternoon Daily Audio Bible it's January the 30th and this is Chris Ann calling back in. And I'm just asking for some continued prayer for…for me for decisions that I need to make in my life. As you may have remembered several times that I've called in, I'm separated from my husband, separated for several years and it's just been a very difficult journey. And while I feel like I'm supposed to keep praying through this it's just getting harder and harder. It…I miss my family, I miss my husband, I miss…even though that the situation was that he did what he did and wasn't faithful that I still miss him, and I still care for him very deeply. And I miss my son and just so much that's been going on from last year even into this year that the stress on me has caused me not to feel well. And I have an older dog that I know that while he's in pretty decent health I know that he's…he's got a little heart murmur that's going on and just ask for his body just to be healed and…because he is my comfort that I have right now at home and it's just hard. It's hard. I don't even know how to explain it, but at times it's very lonely and it's hard and I just need some prayer just to get me through this. And thank you all so much. God bless.

Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Renzo from Maryland. I just want to say thank you guys for everything you're doing. It's a blessing. I just caught up. I was behind like 14 days. So, I just thank God that He's just really been blessing me to just catch up and get closer and closer to Him. And I just want to pray for anybody that’s just going through anything hard times, going through anything like depression because I heard that only the line, depression and stuff like that. Just please…just Father God, I just thank You for everything that You do for us God and just please just help people who are struggling with depression God. Just please help them to get closer and closer to You God and the Holy Spirit to guide them and please help them just keep listening to the Bible because the Bible is so relational, and it just gives us a perfect guideline in Jesus name I pray. Amen. Praying for you guys God bless you.

This is Mike in Tampa I've been a long-time listener. I haven't called in a very long time probably several…about four years now but I was especially moved to call in when Desiree got on here and was telling us about her finding out that her mother was a drug addict and how it just left her…left her with a lot of hurt. And Desiree I just want to pray for you sweet sister right now. And thank you for calling in. It was such a blessing to hear from you sweetie. Lord Jesus we…we come to you in prayer for our…or dear sister Desiree. And Lord I just ask You Lord to bring healing to her heart. Help her to know how much You love her oh Lord. Help her to…to experience or great love and healing and acceptance and…and…and how she's very dear and precious to You a Lord. And thank You Lord that…that she called in so we could pray. And just please please please Lord bring healing to this family, bring healing to help her mom to find the healing that she needs as well and the help that she needs and help her to…to be reunited with her daughter and to not blame her in any way for what she's done and…and thank You Lord in Jesus’ name. Amen. Desiree have a…have a good day sweetie and…and just know that a lot of…an awful lot of us are praying for you. Probably as many as thousands are praying for you right now. A lot of 'em won't call in but they're praying for you sweetie. OK. Bye bye.

Hello DAB family this has been an amazing amazing journey these last couple months. My devotional life last year I…I decided to get more focused on…in the word and this last year has been even though with Covid and everything has been a struggle. I've grown a lot. And finding this app through a YouTuber I've been really excited to finally have a daily plan that I've been listening to. So, that has been awesome. The reason why I'm on here now is…and by the way…my name is Andrew. I am from Regina Saskatchewan Canada but the reason I'm phoning is because of this lady that…that sent a message about being hurt by the Christian community and…and her being engaged and her thinking that there's gotta be something bad that's gonna happen and she asked for prayer for peace. So, I just want to pray right now for her. Dear heavenly Father I just thank You so much for Your love and who You are and for the gifts that You give us. And God sometimes in our human nature we under…we don't understand sometimes why You give us good gifts. God, I understand that it…it may not feel real. And I just pray that this lady who didn’t give her name but You know who she is God, that You would just give her that peace, give her that confidence that You are a Father who wants to give us good gifts. And I pray that for the continual healing in her heart for…for being in involved in the Christian community. And I pray that that that would just be a blessing to her and give her peace in those areas and healing and enjoy this engagement that she's that she has. So, I pray You just bless her and give her strength. I pray all these things in Jesus’ name.

Hi good morning this is John Allen from Orlando FL. This is a first-time caller. I want to thank all of you Daily Bible Audio family for all your prayer requests that you have requested. I want to stand in the middle and say a prayer for all of you. Father God I thank You for all my brothers and sisters who have called in seeking You. Lord You've heard their petitions. We come before Your throne of grace Lord praising You, glorifying You. Glory be to Your name Lord. Glory be to You in the highest. Father You see everything, and You know everything. I come before You believing in faith that You will walk on water for everyone who called out to You requesting a prayer. I thank You Jesus for this platform that we can all reach out to one another encouraging one another. I thank You for Brian and his family for creating this this daily prayers and daily readings. Thank You, Jesus for Your grace that never ends. Father God cover every single brother and sister who has called in with Your blood protection Lord from this COVID-19. Father comfort the people that are not able to see that are going through all difficulties on their own Father God. Thank You, Jesus. Come through for us Father God. We seek You we look for You Lord. We put our eyes on You. Glory be to Your name Lord the name that is above all names. Father thank You for what You are doing in this group. Thank You for Your grace that never ends Lord. Thank You for the small victories that You've given us this month Father God. Thank You, Jesus for who You are Lord. Thank You, Lord my God. We honor You we glorify You we put our eyes on You. Thank You Lord. Thank You in Jesus mighty powerful name I pray the covering of Jesus blood over every single brother and sister who called in in Jesus’ name. Amen. Blessings.

Hello everybody this is God's grace for Japan and I just heard…I'm a little behind…and I just heard the January 29th broadcast with a new sister joining us at the end of the broadcast who just got engaged. And first of all, congratulations. I've been married since 2014 and the reason I'm bringing that up is because I wanted you to know that I too came into my engagement from a season of almost a decade of heartbreak and pain in which I…I…I think I just didn't really believe that the good thing could happen. And, so, that plus I also related very much to what you're talking about the inability to connect with a Christian community which I also had experienced some spiritual abuse within Christian communities, and I mean I think more than one of us can attest to that we…our other brothers and sisters do not always love us or care for us or behave towards us as I think that our Messiah would prefer but that aside I hope you find healing here. And also, I want to encourage you as you enter this journey…and yes…I know it's terrifying, it's terrifying to start something good or for something good to come into your life when everything around you is saying, “no but good things don't happen to me.” And I…I had way too many days, years, months of…of wrestling with that almost and anxiety in the early days of my marriage. And I still have all sorts of anxiety about “when's the other shoe gonna drop? When is the terrible thing gonna happen?” And I want to courage you, rest in the good thing that God gives you too. He gives us blessings. Yes, this life id full of trouble and I know nothing lasts forever on this side of heaven but enjoy the blessings He gives you. I will be praying for you sister. And if you have a need just call us up. Love you. Bye.

[michaeljacksoncaptaineo]

Today in History

On January 26, 1984, Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial.

UPI:

JAN. 28, 1984

Michael Jackson hospitalized after fireworks mishap on set of Pepsi commercial

ByJEFF HASEN

LOS ANGELES -- Superstar Michael Jackson, hospitalized with burns from fireworks that ignited his hair during filming of a commercial, was quietly discharged from a hospital Saturday against his doctor's recommendation.

Dr. Steve Hoefflin said he believed it was best for Jackson to stay at Brotman Memorial Hospital, but reluctantly agreed to his release at 12:30 p.m. PST (3:30 p.m. EST). Hours earlier, he had told reporters Jackson would be hospitalized 'for several days.'

'We recommended that Michael stay, but we determined this could be done as well out of the hospital as in the hospital,' Hoefflin said. 'Despite our recommendation, he felt he did want to be treated as an outpatient.

'He was quite happy. He felt better after a good night's sleep. He's in excellent health and was showing very rapid signs of recovery. He's very pleased it was not more of a severe burn.'

Hoefflin said he did not know where Jackson planned to go.

Jackson, 25, was dancing down a stairway at the Shrine Auditorium Friday night in a scene for a multi-million dollar Pepsi commercial when a special effects smoke bomb apparently misfired and set his pomade-slicked hair ablaze.

Nurse Pat Lavalas, the burn unit supervisor, said Jackson was in good spirits Saturday morning and he received many telephone calls, including get-well wishes from singers Teddy Pendergrass and Stephanie Mills.

'He left in good spirits and his condition is good,' she said. 'He didn't speak about the accident to us. He watched 'American Bandstand' this morning and people were getting his autograph.

He sang a Stephanie Mills song in the bathroom. He stayed in bed and opened telegrams, and he got a big kick out of one from a fan that said, 'I know you're hot, but this is ridiculous,'' the nurse said.

Just hours before Jackson's secretive departure, Hoefflin told reporters the singer was in satisfactory condition with second-degree burns and a small third-degree burn on the back of his head.

'He's in moderate pain, he's much more tired than we anticipated. He needs sleep at this time,' Hoefflin told reporters at a hospital news conference.

He said Jackson may require reconstructive surgery.

Jackson, the country's top singer, won seven American Music Awards earlier this month and picked up a record 12 Grammy nominations. Hoefflin said Jackson will be able to attend the Feb. 28 Grammy presentations at the Shrine 'if he feels up to it.'

A spokesman for Jackson said the singer requested that a tape of the accident be made public as soon as the film can be processed.

'Michael wants to make certain that his fans know exactly what happened,' Larry Larson told reporters at the hospital.

Asked if Jackson was contemplating a lawsuit, he said, 'There's no indication at this point.'

Hospital officials said the medical center had been inundated with thousands of phone calls since Jackson arrived and a spokesman pleaded with the public to stop calling, saying emergency calls could not get through.

The singer's 'Thriller' album topped the music charts last year, placing an unprecedented six singles -- including 'Billie Jean' and 'Beat It' -- in the top 10 and spawning several popular videos.

The accident Friday night occurred before a horrified audience of about 3,000 people who won tickets to the taping from a local radio station.

One witness told United Press International that Jackson removed his jacket without breaking stride and tried to put out the fire.

'There was supposed to be an explosion for his big entrance,' Daryoush Maze, 25, an extra in the cast, said. 'As he went off, an explosion went off and there was blue smoke all around his head and neck. There were no flames, just blue smoke from the stuff he had in his hair.

'It seemed like it was part of the show. He was doing it very professionally, still dancing. He's a good trouper.'

About a block from Jackson's boyhood home, nearly 1,000 people clad in their Sunday best jammed into a small, stuffy basketball gym to hear the candidate speak.

After a church choir sang a few hymns, Jackson's mother, wearing a deep blue dress and a 'Jackson in '84' button, triumphantly introduced her son to the throng.

Jackson took the stage and led the audience in his familiar 'I am somebody' chant.

'Our mission is justice at home and peace abroad,' he told the townspeople. 'I've watched the growth of this city and this state and I see the need for more growth.

'We have the need this day to have a spirit of redemption and reconciliation -- to rise above historic divisions that have stunted our growth. This is a period for us to beat our swords into plowshares.'

Jackson spoke of Greenville as once being the textile capital of the world, and noted the slump in the industry today that has put thousands out of work.

He called for an end to the 'dislocation of the textile industry.'

'This generation must realize when a plant closes, it closes without notice. Men cannot feed their families; mothers cannot nourish their children. That kind of reckless economic conduct must challenge us to open a new economic order.'

Jackson also visited a small bar that sponsors a softball team Jackson played on during the 1960s.

The presidential hopeful was the team's starting first baseman.

'He's a long-ball hitter,' said Charles Chiles, a patron of the establishment who remembers Jackson's days on the softball field.

Jackson also climbed onto the fender of a brown Cadillac parked near the bar during the afternoon and urged about 200 onlookers to register to vote.

'You can help me and you can help yourself,' he said. 'If we register to vote our children will not have to grow up as we did. They can get jobs. They can develop and grow.

'We can not only hang around on the corner, we can own the corner.'

Moonwalk book page 235-238:

Later one of the doctors told me that it was a miracle I was alive. One of the firemen had mentioned that in most cases your clothes catch on fire in which case the whole face can be disfigured or you can die. That’s it. I third-degree burns On the back of my head that’s Almost went through to my skull, so we had a lot of the problems with it, But I was very lucky.

What we now know is that the incident created a lot of publicity for the commercial. They sold more Pepsi than ever before. And they came back to me later and offered me the biggest commercial endorsement Fee in history. It was so unprecedented But it went into The Guinness Book of World Records. Pepsi and I worked together on another Commercial called” The Kid”, And I gave them problems by limiting the shots of me because I felt the shots they were asking for didn’t work well. Later, when the commercial was a success, he told me I had been right.

I still remember how scared those Pepsi excuses looked the night of the fire. They thought that my getting burned would leave a bad taste in the mouth every kid in America who drank Pepsi. They knew I could have sued him and I could have. But I was real nice about it. Real nice. They gave me $1,500,000 Which I immediately donated to the Michael Jackson Burn Center. I wanted to do something because I was so moved By the other burn patient I met while I was in the hospital.

“ I have a plan to spend most of 1984 working on some movie ideas we had, But those plans got sidetracked. First, in January, I Was burned On the set of a Pepsi commercial I was shooting with my brothers.

The reason for the fire stupidity, pure and simple. We were shooting tonight and I Wassupposed To come down a staircase yes magnesium flash bombs Going off on either side of me and just behind me. It seemed so simple. I wanted to walk down the stairs and these bombs Would blow up. We did several takes that were wonderfully timed. The lighting effects from the bombs were great. Only later did I find out that these bombs Were only two feet away from either side of my head, which was a total Disregard of the safety regulations. I was supposed to stand in the middle of a magnesium explosion, two feet on either side.

Then Bob Giraldi, the director, Came to me and said, “ Michael, you are going down too early. We want To see you up there, up on the stairs. When the lights come on, we want to reveal that you’re there, so wait”

So I waited, the bombs went off on either side of my head, and the sparks set My hair on fire. I was dancing down the ramp and turning around, spinning not knowing I was on fire. Suddenly I filled my hands reflexively going to my head In an attempt to smother the flames. Are you feeling down and just tried to shake the Flames out. Jermaine Turned around and saw me on the ground, Just after the explosions had gone off, and he thought I was shot be someone In the crowd — ‏because we were shooting In front of a big audience. That what I looked like to him.

Miko Brando , Who works for me, was the first person to reach me. After that, it was clhaos. It was crazy. No for me could probably capture The drama of what went on That night. The crowd was screaming. Someone shouted, “ Get some ice! “ There were fantic running sounds. People were yelling,” Oh no!”. The emergency truck came up And before they Put me in Isow the Pepsi excutives huddled together in a corner, looking terrified. I remember the medical people putting me on a cot And the guys from Pepsi were so scared They couldn’t

even bring themselves to check on me.

Meanwhile, I was kind of detached, despite the terrible pain, I was watching all the drama unfold. Later they told me, I was in shock, but I remember enjoying the ride to the hospital because I never thought I’d ride in an ambulance with the sirens wailing. It was one of those things I had always wanted to do when I was growing up. We got there, They told me there news crews Outside, so I asked for my glove. There’s a famous shot one waving from the stretcher with my glove on. hooting tonight and I Wassupposed To come down a staircase yes magnesium flash bombs Going off on either side of me and just behind me. It seemed so simple. I wanted to walk down the stairs and these bombs Would blow up. We did several takes that were wonderfully timed. The lighting effects from the bombs were great. Only later did I find out that these bombs Were only two feet away from either side of my head, which was a total Disregard of the safety regulations. I was supposed to stand in the middle of a magnesium explosion, two feet on either side.

Then Bob Giraldi, the director, Came to me and said, “ Michael, you are going down too early. We want To see you up there, up on the stairs. When the lights come on, we want to reveal that you’re there, so wait”

So I waited, the bombs went off on either side of my head, and the sparks set My hair on fire. I was dancing down the ramp and turning around, spinning not knowing I was on fire. Suddenly I filled my hands reflexively going to my head In an attempt to smother the flames. Are you feeling down and just tried to shake the Flames out. Jermaine Turned around and saw me on the ground, Just after the explosions had gone off, and he thought I was shot be someone In the crowd — ‏because we were shooting In front of a big audience. That what I looked like to him.

Miko Brando , Who works for me, was the first person to reach me. After that, it was clhaos. It was crazy. No for me could probably capture The drama of what went on That night. The crowd was screaming. Someone shouted, “ Get some ice! “ There were fantic running sounds. People were yelling,” Oh no!”. The emergency truck came up And before they Put me in Isow the Pepsi excutives huddled together in a corner, looking terrified. I remember the medical people putting me on a cot And the guys from Pepsi were so scared They couldn’t

even bring themselves to check on me.

Meanwhile, I was kind of detached, despite the terrible pain, I was watching all the drama unfold. Later they told me, I was in shock, but I remember enjoying the ride to the hospital because I never thought I’d ride in an ambulance with the sirens wailing. It was one of those things I had always wanted to do when I was growing up. We got there, They told me there news crews Outside, so I asked for my glove. There’s a famous shot one waving from the stretcher with my glove on.

https://youtu.be/DkMNn7TA0pg

[winter-soldier-101]

Pure Blood line

This imagine has some missing parts and Viserys got Daenerys pregnant at the age of ten and when all this war goes on the reader is 18 and Daenerys is 28-29

I hope you do enjoy and please do not steal me work.

My name is (Y/N) Targaryen, my mother is Daenerys and my father is Viserys Targaryen, and this is how I came into this world.

"Viserys why did you do this, you can't marry off your sister now that she is with your child what were you thinking?" The man who was helping them asked.

"I was drunk and I wasn't thinking, how will I sell her to Khal Drogo now?" Viserys asked.

                   (Y/N)'S 8th Birthday

"I don't want to be his Queen, I want to go home" Daenerys says to Viserys.

"How do we get home then we need an army and ships to get home" Viserys says.

"What are we going to do about (Y/N)?" Daenerys asks Viserys.

"We will take her,she is your child and soon Khal Drogo will be her father, because I can't stand her crying and whining all day and night" Viserys says pulling Daenerys inside to get her things ready to leave.

"She's still a child Viserys she just wants her father with her sometimes" Daenerys says pulling her arm out of Viserys hand.

"Mommy is that you? What's going on, are we leaving?" (Y/N) ask her mother and her father.

"Are you coming with us to father?"(Y/N) asks Viserys.

Viserys looks down at (Y/N) and slaps her face," don't call me that" he says walking off.

                        The Wedding

(Y/N) sat next to her mother when she was given the dragon eggs as a gift (Y/N) picked one up and held it cole to her and kissed it. She did that to the other two as well.

Khal Drogo was not happy that Daenerys already had a child but he promised that he would love and protect (Y/N) like she was his own child.

"Mother I'm scared I don't want him here with us and I don't want him to hurt you or me anymore." (Y/N) says to Daenerys.

"He will not hurt us anymore, my love Khal Drogo will protect us from him" Daenerys says to (Y/N).

(Y/N) was happy when she found out her mother was going to have another baby, (Y/N) always wanted a baby brother or sister, but sadly she will never know her little brother, before everything went bad her father tried to kill her mother's baby then Khal Drogo kills Viserys, and now the man how (Y/N) wished was her father was now gone her mother had to give life for a life and now her brother and father are gone.

"Why are you going to do this mother" (Y/N) asked.

"I have to. I dreamt that if I put the dragon eggs with his body they will come to life, but I have to walk through the fire and you will join me in the fire my little dragon" Daenerys says to (Y/N) while hugging her.

           The Burning Of Khal Drogo

(Y/N) walked into the fire first and climbed up to her father's body, then her mother soon walked into the fire as well and we waited for the fire to burn out.

(Y/N) woke up with ash all over her body but now a woman and grown she looks just like her mother all three dragons crawled on (Y/N) or so she thought but not three dragons but six, three for her and three for her mother.

(Y/N) named her three dragons Rhaella, Baelor and Rhaego after her baby brother; her mother named her dragons Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal.

(Y/N) was ready to head home with  her mother and their army but they were offered a  gift, the gift was from Sir Jorah Mormont and the gift being Tyrion Lannister and when I first saw him I knew it was him, but why did he want to help us get the Iron Throne back from his family.

                        Going Home

DragonStone looked more like home then any of the other places they've lived, (Y/N) was ready to help her mother in any way her three dragons were all fully grown and ready do protect their mother and other siblings.

"Shall we begin" Daenerys says to (Y/N) and Tyrion.

"Mother what should we do? Do you want to summon Jon Snow?" (Y/N) asks her mother.

"We may need him and his men so yes I'm going to summon Jon Snow" Daenerys says to (Y/N).

DragonStone

(Y/N) landed Baelor in front of Jon Snow and as she makes her way off of him and walked beside Tyrion and the rest of the men and Missandei.

"How is she?" Jon asked Tyrion.

"This is (Y/N) Targaryen Queen Daenerys daughter" Tyrion says to Jon.

"I didn't know she had a daughter" Jon says to Tyrion.

"No one knows she was a secret well kept from everyone" Tyrion says while walking to (Y/N).

" You stand before Daenerys first of her name of House Targaryen,rightful heir of the Iron Throne,The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons" Missandei says to Jon Snow.

"This is Jon Snow, He's King in the North" Ser Davos says.

"Thank you for traveling so far my lord, I hope the seas were not too rough" Daenerys says to Jon.

"The winds were kind, your grace"Jon says to Daenerys.

"For give me your grace but Jon Snow is King so he is not a lord" Ser Davos says to Daenerys.

"Have you come here to bend the knee Jon Snow" Daenerys asks Jon.

"I have not come here to bend the knee your grace" Jon says to Daenerys.

"You've come all this way to break faith with House Targaryen," Daenerys says to Jon.

"Break faith your father burnt my grandfather and uncle alive he would ha-" Jon says but does not finish his sentence.

"My father was an evil man, on behalf of House Targaryen I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family, and I ask you not to judge a daughter by sins of her father, our two houses were allies for centuries and those were the best centuries the seven kingdoms have ever known, centuries of peace and prosperity with a Targaryen sitting on the Iron Throne, and a Stark serving as warden of the North, I am one of the last living Targaryens Jon Snow honour the pledge your ancestor made to mine, bend the knee and I will name you warden of the North, together we will save this country from those who would destroy it" Daenerys says to Jon Snow.

"You're right, you're not guilty of your father's crimes and I'm not beholden to my ancestors' vows" Jon says to Daenerys.

"Then why are you here" Daenerys asks looking angry at Jon.

"Because I need your help and you need mine" Jon says to Daenerys.

"Did you see six full grown dragons flying over head when you arrived" (Y/N) says to Jon.

"I did" Jon says

"And did you see the Dothraki all of whom have sworn to kill for me and my daughter?" Daenerys says to Jon.

"They're hard to miss" Jon says.

"And still I need your help" Daenerys says.

"Not to defeat Cersei you could storm Kings Landing tomorrow and the city will fall, hell we almost took it and we didn't even have dragons" Ser Davos says.

"Almost" Tyrion says.

"But you haven't stormed Kings Landing, why not? The only reason I can see is that you don't want to kill thousands of innocent people. It's the fastest way to win the war but you won't do it which means at the very least you're better than Cersei" Jon says to Daenerys.

"Still that doesn't explain why I need your help" Daenerys says to Jon.

"Because right now you and I and Cersei and everyone else we're children playing at a game screaming that the rules aren't fair" Jon says.

"You told me you liked this man" Daenerys says to Tyrion.

"I do," Tyrion says to Daenerys.

"In the time since he's met me he's refused to call me queen he's refused to bow and now he's calling me a child" Daenerys says to Tyrion.

"I believe he's calling all of us children figure of speech" Tyrion says to Daenerys.

"Your grace everyone you know will die before winter is over if we don't defeat the enemy to the North" Jon says to Daenerys.

"As far as I can see you are the enemy to the North" Daenerys says to Jon.

"I am not your enemy, the dead are the enemy" Jon says.

"The dead is that another figure of speech?" Daenerys asks Jon.

"The army of the dead is on the march" Jon says.

"The army of the dead" Tyrion repeats Jon.

"You don't know me well my lord but do you think I'm a liar or a madman?" Jon asks Tyrion.

"No I don't you're either of those things" Tyrion says to Jon.

"The army of the dead is real, the white walkers are real the knight king is real. I've seen them, if they get past the wall and we're squabbling amongst ourselves we're finished," Jon says to Daenerys and Tyrion.

"I was born on DragonStone not that I can remember it we fled before Robert's assassins could find us, Robert was your father's best friend, now I wonder if your father knew his best friend sent assassins to murder a baby girl in her crib not that it maters now of course, I spent my life in foreign lands so many men have tried to kill me I don't remember all there names, I have been sold like a broodmare Ive been shamed and betrayed, raped and defiled do you know what keept me standing through all those years in exile faith not in any gods not in myths and legends in myself in Daenerys Targaryen the world hadn't seen a dragon in centuries until my children were born, the Dothraki hadn't crossed the sea any sea they did for me, I was bron to rule the Seven Kingdoms and I will" Daenerys says to Jon.

"You'll be ruling over a graveyard if we don't defeat the knight king" Jon says.

"The war against my sister has already begun. You can't expect us to halt hostilities and join you in fighting whatever it is you saw beyond the Wall" Tyrion says to Jon.

"You don't believe him I understand that it sound like nonsense but if destiny has brought Daenerys Targaryen back to our shores it has also made Jon Snow King in the North, you were the first to bring Dothraki to Westeros, he is the first to make allies of wildlings and North men he was named Lord Commander of the Night's watch he was named King of the North not because of his birthright he has no birthright he's a damn bastard all those hard sons of bitchs chose him as their leader because they believe in him all those things you don't believe in he faced those things he fought those things for the good of his people he risked his life for his people he took a knife to the heart for his people he gave his own li-, if we don't put aside enmities and bond together we will die and then it doesn't matter whose skeleton sits on the Iron Throne" Davos says to Daenerys and Tyrion.

"If it doesn't matter then you might as well bend then kneel swear your allegiance to Queen Daenerys to help her to defeat my sister and together our armys will protect the North" Tyrion says to Jon.

"There's no time for that there's no time for any of this while we stand here debating" Jon says.

"It takes no time to bend the knee pledge your sword to her cause" Tyrion says to Jon.

"And why would I do that I mean no offence your grace but I don't know you as far as I can tell your claim to the throne rests entirely on your father's name and my own father fought to overthrow the Mad King, the lords of the North placed their trust in me to lead them and I will continue to do so as well as I can" Jon says to Daenerys.

"That's fair it's also fair to point out that I'm the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms by declaring yourself King of the northernmost kingdom you are in open rebellion" Daenerys says to Jon.

Varys comes into the room and tells Daenerys some news that may not be so good.

"You must forgive my manners, you'll both be tired after your long journey, we'll have baths drawn for you and supper sent to your room's" Daenerys says to Jon and Davos.

                    The Loot Train Attack

"Mother what's going on?" (Y/N) asked her mother.

"The Lannister army just took HighGarden from us" Daenerys says to (Y/N).

"What are we going to do? Are we going to go after them now?" (Y/N) asks her mother.

"Yes, you and I and the Dothraki are going to attack them" Daenerys says to (Y/N).

(Y/N) looked at her mother and then at Baelor as they rode off to HighGarden.

"Dracarys" both (Y/N) and Daenerys yell.

                   

After the loot train attack

"I know what Cersei has told you that I've come to destroy your cities, burn down your homes murder you and orphan your children that's Cersei Lannister not me, I'm not here to murder, and all I want to destroy is the wheel that has rolled over rich and poor to the benifit of no one but the Cersei Lannisters of the world, I offer you a choice- bend the knee and join me. Together we will leave the world a better place then we found it or refuse and die" Daenerys says to the men that lived.

"Step forward my Lord, you will not kneel?" Daenerys asks the man.

"I already have a Queen" The man says.

"Yes Cersei Lannister is your Queen now but she just became your queen is that right?" (Y/N) asks the man.

Daenerys was angry the man would not bend the knee to her and will not follow her rule is she did let him take the black like Tyrion suggested she should do to him but wouldn't except her ruling if she did.

  "Mother perhaps we should make a lesson out of him for the other men to know that if they do not bend the knee now they wont be bending at all" (Y/N) sas to her mother.

"Tie him up let's go home" Daenerys says to her men.

                 Finding A White Walker

Jon Snow and some of his men have gone North of the Wall to find a White Walker to show what is coming for us if we don't defeat them first.

"Your grace a raven from the Wall" one of the men says to (Y/N) and Daenerys.

"We need your help, the dead have us trapped" (Y/N) reads out to her mother.

"We have to go help them now or they will die" (Y/N) says to her mother and Tyrion.

(Y/N) and her mother walked over to there dragons and began to get on them.

"You both can't leave the two most important people and can't go to the most dangerous place now they knew what would happen if they went that far North" Tyrion says to both Daenerys and (Y/N).

"What would you have us do stay and let them die, if we don't go and let them die the North will not trust us or even fight with us against your sister so we are going now! Valahd" (Y/N) says while telling her dragons to fly.

"Dracarys" (Y/N) and Daenerys both yell out to their dragons.

" Viserion" (Y/N) yells getting the dragon's attention.

(Y/N) jumped off of Baelor and landed on Viserions back and flew him out of the way form the spear that was coming at him, Jon told Daenerys to leave and she did (Y/N) made her way back onto Baelor's back and went back for Jon and she brought him back to the Wall but he was so cold almost frozen.

                        KingsLanding

(Y/N) and Daenerys land in the Dragon Pit and Baelor and Drogon both roar at the men standing there.

"We've been here for some time" Cersei says to both (Y/N) and Daenerys.

"My apologies" (Y/N) says to Cersei.

"We are a group of people who do not like one another as this recent diminstation has shown we have suffered at each others hands, we have lost people we've love at each others hands if all we wanted is more of the same there would be no need for this gathering we are entirely capable of waging war against each other without meeting face to face" Tyrion says to Cersei and the rest of the people at the meeting.

"So instead we should settle our differences and live together in harmony for the rest of our days" Cersei says to Tyrion.

"We all know that will never happen" Tyrion says.

"Then why are we here?" Cersei asks Tyrion.

"This isn't about living in harmony it"s just about living the same thing is coming for all of us the general you can't negotiate with an army that doesn't leave corpses behind on the battlefield Lord Tyrion tells me a million people live in this city they're about to become a million more soldiers in the army of the dead" Jon says to Cersei.

"I imagine for most of them it would be an improvement" Cersei says to Jon.

"This is serious I wouldn't be here if it weren't" Jon says to Cersei.

"I don't think it's serious at all. I think it's another bad joke if my brother Jaime has informed me correctly you're asking for a truce?" Cersei asks Jon.

"Yes that's all" (Y/N) sas to Cersei.

"That's all pull back my armys and stand down while you go on your monster hunt or while you solidify and expand your position hard for me to know which it is with my armies pulled back until you return and march on my capital with four times the men" Cersei says to Daenerys.

"Your capital will be safe until the northern threat is dealt with. You have my word" Daenerys says to Cersei.

"The word of a would be usurper" Cersei says to Daenerys.

"There is no conversation that will erase the last 50 years we have something to show you" Tyrion says to Cersei.

Sandor Clegane walks up the steps with a crate on his back, he makes his way to the middle of the Dragon Pit and sets the crate down and unlocks it but nothing comes out then Sandor knocks the crate over and out come the White Walker screaming it jumps up and runs straight to Cersei and tries to grab her, but Sandor pulls it back the Walker gets up and runs straight at Sandor but Sandor pulls his sword and cuts the Walker in half and it still tries to get him while crawling to him.

"We can destroy them by burning them and we can destroy them with dragonglass if we don't win this fight then that is the fate of every person in the world , there is only one war that matters the Great War and it is here" Jon says to Cersei.

"I didn't believe it until we saw them, we saw them all" (Y/N) says.

"How many?" Jaime asks.

"Hundred thousand at least" Daenerys says.

                        Winterfell

Winterell was so beautiful but it was too cold for (Y/N) and the dragons didn't like it.

Jon introduced us to his family and his sister wasn't too happy to see me or my mother.

"Wintefell is yours, your grace" Sansa says to Daenerys.

"I'm not the queen, the queen is my daughter (Y/N)" Daenerys says to Sansa.

"Mother what are you doing, you're the queen not me" (Y/N) says to Daenerys.

"No I'm going back to Meereen after the Great War is over and when the War with Cersei continues I will be right there with and so will your brothers and your children will be there for you to my little dragon" Daenerys says to (Y/N).

"Lady Sansa can we talk alone for a moment" (Y/N) asks Sansa.

"What is it you want to talk about your grace" Sansa says.

"I know you do not like me and you may think I want to take your home over and make you a lady but that is not what I want. I want you to be Queen of the North because I know the North will not kneel to another Targaryen but I do want us to help each other if we ever have a Great War like this ever again." (Y/N) says to Sansa.

Sansa is surprised that (Y/N) even offered her this choice and she was not going to say no Sansa knew that the North will not kneel to (Y/N) after the war is over but they won't have to, Sansa will rule the North like her ancestors did long ago. 

"Your giving my sister the North after the war is over?" Jon asks (Y/N).

"Yes I am I've seen the way the other lords and ladys look at her and I know she will make you and the rest of your family proud by being the first queen of the North and we will be allies and we will fight with each other if a war like this ever happens again" (Y/N) says to Jon

"How do you know this is true?" Daenerys asks Jon.

"Samwell read it in a maester wrote about it and he wed them in a secret ceremony and Bran saw it" Jon says to Daenerys.

"If this is true you are the last male heir of house Targaryen and that makes you the rightful heir to the Iron Throne." Daenerys says to Jon.

"I don't want it, I want to be by your side and I will stay there and I will follow you anywhere." Jon says holding Daenerys. 

"We have to tell (Y/N) this and you must tell her now" Daenerys says to Jon.

"Your grace" Jon says to (Y/N).

"Jon, I've told you that you can just call me by my name but what is it you need." (Y/N) says to Jon

"My name, my real name is Aegon Targaryen my mother was Lyanna Stark and my father was Rhaegar Targaryen" Jon says to (Y/N).

"That means your the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and not me" (Y/N) says to Jon.

"I have already told your mother and I do not want the Iron Throne you will be my queen I bent the knee to you and your mother and I will not break that vow" Jon says to

(Y/N).

"You must tell your sisters they have to know I want them to know so they know that they will not hate me or you for keeping this from them" (Y/N) says to Jon.

The bells rang meaning the dead have arrived and we must fight now.

(Y/N) helped burn the dead and she fought her way through them and killed many of the dead that was her family but most of all after it was over (Y/N) went to go look for her mother and found her on the floor holding Ser Jorah's lifeless body (Y/N) fell to her knees and ran to her mother and cried and she knew that she had to say goodbye to a man that raised her and was like her second father.

(Y/N) and the rest of her men go straight to KingsLanding and she is ready to take back the Iron Throne from the family that killed hers.

"Cersei you swear that you would send your men North but you did not do that why?" (Y/N) asks Cersei.

"I did it because I didn't want to lose any of my men so Icould kill you and the world would be better without you in it that's why I didn't send my men North and before you ask I will not bend the knee to you or anyone else." Cersei says to (Y/N)

"I (Y/N) of House Targaryen sentence you to die, if you have anything to say you may say it" (Y/N) says to Cersei.

Cersei stayed quiet and did not say one word to anyone.

"Dracarys" (Y/N) says to Baelor and Baelor sets Cersei"s body on fire.

(Y/N) say up covered in sweat and looked at her dragons it was just a dream they just defeated the Night King and were heading to DragonStone.

           DragonStone/KingsLanding

The Iron Fleet was there waiting for us to return but we knew they would be there and we burned them alive. They tried to kill my brothers and my children.

(Y/N) was not happy about this but as they made there way to KingsLanding Daenerys burned all the scorpions and they made there way to the RedKeep to take back the six kingdoms and as they got up to the RedKeep there stood Cersi's men and they through their swords down and bent the knee.

(Y/N) found out that Cersei and Jamie had run off to a far away place with the help of Tyrion, (Y/N) was hurt that he would do that but she soon understood why he did he cared for them both and did not want to see them dead.

"I know proclaim (Y/N) of House Targaryen first of her name Queen of the andals and the first men protector of the six Kingdoms long may she reign" Tyrion says while putting the crown on (Y/N)'s head.

(Y/N) was now Queen and her mother was in Meereen with Jon and her three brothers while (Y/N) found love with a Dothraki man she knew her mother would love him and she did and now (Y/N) sits on the Throne with her husband by her side and her child will soon sit on the Throne as well.

THE END

.

If you liked the story let me know and as always enjoy~~~A🖤

[a-dandelion-dreamer]

Word Wanderings Post #1 – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the beginning of a reread. I’ve loved this author for years and The Raven Cycle is a particular favourite of mine. Please note that if you haven’t read this book, this post will definitely contain spoilers!

The Raven Boys is the first book in a quartet and juggles a multitude of characters, including our four main characters (Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Blue) and our plus one (Noah). While it does have some external conflict, it is mainly driven by the characters and their relationships with one another. This book is complex and dense with detail, with a structure that is a little unusual. Most books or series have a driving hook that catches readers right at the beginning and is the selling tagline. For example, in the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, it’s Percy finding out he’s secretly a demigod, which directly turns into monsters attacking him and his mom disappearing. In the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, it’s the existence of a game that forces children to fight to the death and then subsequently Katniss volunteering to take her sister’s place at the Reaping. In Six of Crows, it’s a crew of six misfits embarking upon an impossible heist.

Ostensibly, the hook of this book is that Blue is destined to kill her true love with a kiss. That’s what it says on the back of the book, and it’s certainly an overarching threat present for the rest of the series. Tied in as well is Gansey’s search for Glendower, a sleeping king Gansey believes is buried somewhere on a ley line. This is another whole-series thread. The real heart of the story, however, is the boys and Blue and their friendship and their interactions with the other messy pieces of their lives and their search to find meaning and happiness. This type of storytelling is not for everyone, especially those who might enjoy more action-driven tales, but it’s the kind of storytelling I love.

(And in writing and other personal creative projects, I think it’s important to let what you love drive you forwards).

Here are three points I took away from reading this book:

 Point #1: Keeping readers interested by embedding small mysteries

The trick is to make your readers want to know what happens next. This is something I have trouble with and therefore I’m particularly interested in seeing how other books handle it.

Each chapter in this book is written from a different character’s perspective. I’ll include the first and last lines (which I think are brilliantly done) in the form: (first line/last line). Following that, I’ll describe some mysteries that the chapter raises.

Prologue: Blue (“Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.”/”’You’re Maura’s daughter,’ Neeve said, and before Blue could answer, she added, “this is the year you’ll fall in love.’”) – pg. 1-4

We’re introduced to the idea that Blue will kill her true love if she kisses him

Which immediately raises the question: who is he? And how does she get from being determined not to fall in love to killing someone with a kiss?

We learn about Blue’s psychic family, which I think is super interesting

Blue’s half-aunt Neeve comes to town and really hits us with that: “This is the year you’ll fall in love.” Pay attention, that line says.

Chapter 1: Blue (“It was freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrived.”/“’There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue. Either you’re his true love,’ Neeve said, ‘or you killed him.’”) – pg.  5-16

Blue and Neeve watch for the future dead

Blue, the only non-psychic in her family, sees a spirit for the first time

The guy she’s destined to kill or fall in love with (or both)

His name is Gansey, and now we’re wondering who he is

Chapter 2: Gansey (“’It’s me,’ said Gansey.”/”’That seems obvious,’ he answered. ‘We find out who you were talking to.’”) – pg. 17-28

Brilliant cut to Gansey

This guy is very real and because of the previous scene, we want to know who he is

We learn about his quest, which adds another layer of mystery

Gansey also heard Blue, on his recorder, so now he’s wondering about her

We ask ourselves: how will these two meet?

Also, introduces Gansey’s friends Adam and Ronan

Ronan has a tumultuous relationship with his brother Declan

THEY HAVE A NUMBER FOR A PSYCHIC (guess who belongs to a psychic family)

Chapter 3: Blue (“Mornings at 300 Fox Way were fearful, jumbled things.”/”’Blue,’ Maura said finally. ‘I don’t have to tell you not to kiss anyone, right?’”) – pgs. 29-37

Introduces Blue’s house

Introduces Blue’s relationship with her mother Maura

Neeve scries and learns that something is strange about Henrietta

Again, we wonder how Blue and Gansey will meet. And also, is it possible to save Gansey from his fate?

Chapter 4: Adam (“Adam Parrish had been Gansey’s friend for eighteen months, and he knew that certain things came along with that friendship.”/”’Excelsior’, said Gansey, and shut the door behind them.”) – pg. 38-51

Introduces Monmouth Manufacturing

Delves further into Gansey’s quest (will Gansey find what he’s looking for?)

Adam is suspicious that someone is spying on their search

Develops tension between Ronan and Declan

Chapter 5: Whelk (“Barrington Whelk was feeling less than sprightly as he slouched down the hall of Whitman House, the Aglionby admin building.”/”It was possible that Czerny’s death wasn’t for nothing after all.”) – pg. 52-56

Adam was suspicious in the previous chapter and now here’s Whelk, being suspicious

What is this guy’s deal?

Whelk hears Gansey is researching ley lines and suddenly gets very interested

Who is Czerny and how did he die?

Chapter 6: Blue (“Blue wouldn’t really describe herself as a waitress.”/”Neeve had to be wrong. She’d never fall in love with one of them.”) – pg. 57-64

Blue goes to work at Nino’s, the same place Gansey and his crew are going

Blue’s mother calls: Gansey has scheduled a reading

THEY MEET! This is great. They meet and they both dislike each other. They immediately conflict and neither realizes the other is the person they’re looking for.

The dramatic irony is fantastic

Adam is interested in Blue and Blue is a little bit interested in him

How does Blue end up liking Gansey, who she currently hates?

Truly, a mystery

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE TWO MEET AGAIN AT THE PSYCHIC READING???

I could do this for the whole book, but you get the picture. There’s always something the reader is left wondering, even if it’s something small, or a future interaction they’re looking forwards to.

A note: this is particularly effective when it’s tied to personal agency. You want to see what your characters will do, and this means more if you have dynamic characters who make choices.

 Point #2: Atmosphere and memorable locations

Another big strength of this book is the personality that it imbues its settings with. Take three examples: 300 Fox Way, Monmouth Manufacturing and Cabeswater.

 300 Fox Way – the chaotic, full-to-the-brim house where Blue lives with her mom and her aunt and her mom’s two best friends Persephone and Calla and a multitude of other psychic women, all showcased through background details. I love this house and its aesthetic.

              Quote: “Mornings at 300 Fox Way were fearful, jumbled things. Elbows in sides and lines for the bathroom and people snapping over tea bags placed into cups that already had tea bags in them. There was school for Blue and work for some of the more productive (or less intuitive) aunts. Toast got burned, cereal went soggy the refrigerator door hung open and expectant for minutes at a time. Keys jingled as car pools were hastily decided.” – pg 29

 Monmouth Manufacturing – the abandoned factory that Gansey, Ronan and Noah have made their home. They live on the upper floor and the description of the space really doubles as a character portrait for Gansey. Use settings to reveal and further describe your characters!

              Quote: “The high ceiling soared above them, exposed iron beams holding up the roof. Gansey’s invented apartment was a dreamer’s laboratory. The entire second floor, thousands of square feet, spread out before them. Two of the walls were made up of old windows—dozens of tiny, warped panes, except for a few clear ones Gansey had replaced—and the other two walls were covered with maps: the mountains of Virginia, of Wales, of Europe. Marker lines arced across each of them. Across the floor, a telescope peered at the Western sky; at its feet lay piles of arcane electronics meant to measure magnetic activity.

              And everywhere, everywhere, there were books. Not the tidy stacks of an intellectual attempting to impress, but the slumping piles of a scholar obsessed. Some of the books weren’t in English. Some of the books were dictionaries for the languages that some of the other books were in. Some of the books were actually Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editions.” – pg 41

 Cabeswater — a magical, sentient forest. I love this forest so much. I love the overall portrayal of magic in this series and this forest is my favourite example of that. The trees speak Latin, time is fluid and sometimes the very air manifests your thoughts, so keep a watch on them.

              Quote: “The stream trickled sluggishly out of the woods from between two diamond-barked dogwoods. With Gansey in the lead, they all followed the water into the trees. Immediately, the temperature dropped several degrees. Blue hadn’t realized how much insect noise there was in the field until it was replaced by occasional birdsong under the trees. This was a beautiful, old wood, all massive oak and ash trees finding footing among great slabs of cracked stone. Ferns sprang from rocks and verdant moss grew up the sides of the tree trunks. The air itself was scented with green and growing and water. The light was golden through the leaves. Everything was alive, alive.” – pg 219

 What can I take away from this? Using small, specific details to make a setting unique and memorable can add atmosphere to your novel, showcase characters and make a reader fall in love with a particular place.

 Point #3: Evolving arcs

This story contains a lot of interwoven plot threads. This can be hard to balance (I know from personal experience) but I think this novel pulls it off. It’s very, very good at doing many things at once. The important thing to think about is a beginning, middle and end for different story arcs that you introduce. Here’s one example (of many) from this book.

 Example 1: Noah

Oh Noah. Noah is a brilliant example of an arc in this book and also one of my favourite demonstrations of the fact that sometimes you can hide things right in the open.

First mention (pg. 26). Noah goes out for pizza with the crew, but there is no mention of him going to school or otherwise having a life. This theme will continue: while Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Blue have conflict and fleshed-out internal worlds, Noah is a static character. The first time I read this book, I was like Gansey. I didn’t notice how much Noah was missing until it was explicitly called out.

First line of dialogue: “I’ve been dead for seven years,” Noah said. “That’s as warm as they get.” (pg. 47) (IT’S RIGHT THERE, but yet I didn’t pick up on it. Clever, clever.)

Noah’s room is also described as ‘meticulous’. As in, practically unused.

“Noah, we won’t make you eat,” says Gansey. “Need some more alone time?” says Ronan. More little hints.

The character descriptions are honestly so good, worth a study all in themselves.

Noah doesn’t come to the psychic’s reading or the helicopter trip, which the other boys do

Somehow, he has a canny knack for knowing things and sharing secrets.

“Don’t throw it away.” (pg. 165) (to Gansey)

Gansey calls for Noah but he’s not there (pg. 233)

“Blue permitted Noah to pet the crazy tufts of her hair” (pg. 238). Not particularly arc related but SUPER CUTE.

The gang visits Cabeswater again and finds Noah’s old abandoned car, a red Mustang (not that they realize it yet). In the trunk is a dowsing rod, a sign someone else is looking for ley lines. Noah throws up (from the trauma of his murder).

Blue and Gansey visit the old church and find a body. “The face on the driver’s license was Noah’s.” (pg. 274)

THE BIG SCENE IN WHICH NOAH IS REVEALED AS A GHOST (what a brilliant scene)

“Adam,” he demanded, “what is Noah’s last name?”

“Tell me,” Gansey said, “which classes you share with Noah.”

“When does he eat? Have you ever seen him eat?”

“Does he pay rent? When did he move in? Have you ever questioned it?”

These are all questions Gansey asks his friends, but are also questions we must ask ourselves. We have been fooled in the same way as they have.

“I told you,” Noah said. “I told everyone.” (pg. 278)

“The question is: Who killed you?” (pg. 279)

Noah acts like a real ghost (disappears, reappears, knocks objects off desks)

“Maybe moving it off the ley line had stolen his energy.” (pg. 298) (in regards to Noah’s body)

Noah appears, using Blue’s energy. “I want you to know,” Noah said, “I was…more…when I was alive.” (pg. 305)

“You were the sacrifice, weren’t you Noah? Someone killed you for this.” (pg. 307). It turns out Noah, the friend they didn’t realize was dead, was killed in a ritual similar to the one that is attempted at the end of the novel by their Latin teacher, and is the reason Gansey is alive.

Remember: “Someone else on the ley line is dying when they should not, and so you will live when you should not.” (pg. 271).

It’s all very circular and interwoven and very good plotting.

Noah said, “But you already know.” (pg. 309)  (In regards to who killed him) JUMPCUTS to a scene with Whelk

“I’m going to fix Noah. Somehow.” (pg. 335) (says Gansey)

She allowed him to pet her hair with his icy fingers. “Not so spiky as usual,” he said sadly. (pg. 353)

“Don’t throw it away,” Noah whispered. (pg. 371) To Adam, this time.

Noah warns Gansey that Adam is gone (he is now 100% a spooky ghost boy)

THE MURDERED/REMEMBERED SCENE (breaks my heart). They’re all in Cabeswater again for the climax of the novel and Noah, who doesn’t exist in bodily form, traces words into the dust on his old car

Noah’s funeral: “Please say something to them.” / “Mrs. Czerny, he’s sorry for drinking your birthday schnapps.” (pg. 406-407) (ouch, my heart)

They dig up his bones and rebury them on the ley line

“Can we go home? This place is so creepy.” … ”Noah!” Gansey cried gladly. Blue hurled his arms around his neck. He looked alarmed, and then pleased, and then he pet the tufts of her hair. (pg 408)

 Broadly, the arc looks like this (look how actions lead to consequences which lead to further actions):

The boys have a friend named Noah, who is sometimes there and sometimes not

LOTS OF FORESHADOWING

They find Noah’s dead body

They confront Noah and find out he’s a ghost

The police move his bones so he starts acting like a real ghost

They figure out he was used in an attempted ritual and also that their Latin teacher killed him

The dig up his bones and rebury them on the ley line

Noah comes back

Given what happens later in this series, it’s very important to me that we remember Noah.

 In conclusion

What this book does well:

Keeping readers interested by embedding small mysteries

Atmosphere and memorable locations

Evolving arcs

These are just a few things I noticed on my read-through of The Raven Boys. Stay tuned for further Word Wanderings posts and feel free to give suggestions for books you’d like me to analyze!

Personal Challenge: Pick a book you’re currently reading or an old favorite and try to figure out what keeps you reading, whether it’s little mysteries, character dilemmas or rising tension.

[coneygoil]

The Home We Built Together, part 33

Two young Vikings. An arranged marriage. Hiccup always wanted to win the girl of his dreams, but not like this. Now he and Astrid must learn to live together and maybe one day, learn to love…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9| Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Interlude | Part 32

Writer’s note: Hi everybody! Feels like it’s been forever and a day since I posted a new chapter. 2020 has drained me of inspiration and time. It’s like this whole year is cursed :/ I started this part well over a month ago and had written a good portion of it when I realized I couldn’t use the material to get where I needed to be. I had to cut out a huge portion of it and start all over. BUT, it came out way better and flowed into where I wanted it to go a lot smoother.

I hope everyone is staying safe from the crisis at hand! <3  

Change.

The word echoed in Hiccup’s mind as he stared up at the ceiling. The ripples of change had started with him then flowed to Astrid and now were moving through the rest of the teens.

They were the generation of the “few”. There’d been a sickness spread through the village when Hiccup was four. He’d been placed into quarantine at the early stages of the outbreak, along with those that hadn’t shown symptoms. The rest of the children their age group had been wiped out, and it was a mystery to this day as to how and why the sickness had targeted that particular age most of all. A few of the other children that had survived had been killed in dragon raids, leaving just the small group to mature into teenagehood.

Hiccup had thought that maybe because their age group was so few that they’d all become tight knit. But that wasn’t the case. Astrid was cold and stand-offish. The twins would rather laugh at their own pranks on people than be real friends. Fishlegs was scared to be excluded. Snotlout, the worst of them all and Hiccup’s cousin, was boorish and crude and enjoyed using Hiccup as a punching bag.

But by some miracle, by some act of the gods, all that changed.

Dragon training had shifted in his favor after learning the tricks from Toothless, and with that shift came a new recognition Hiccup had never experienced before with the other teens. They began treating him like he was one of them; like he’d never been the useless outcast of the village.

There were moments the last two days that Hiccup wondered if he’d dreamed up the whole thing. He never assumed in a millennium that the others would have had any interest training dragons instead of killing them. That was what they were bred to do from birth – to become warriors of their tribe and die in a blaze of glory as they entered Valhalla. And yet, here they were, excited to train and ride dragons.

“Snotlout, you’re first.”

Snotlout stepped back, raising his hands up in defense. “Whoa, whoa…is this some elaborate plan to get me killed?”

Hiccup nodded with great exaggeration. “Yep. Been planning your demise for months. Now, c’mon.” He grabbed his cousin’s wrist, and Snotlout hesitantly let himself be pulled along.

Snotlout’s eyes snapped open wide at the dragon he was being led to.  “Hiccup, if this thing roasts me, I swear I will haunt you forever.”

“That’s fair.” Hiccup wasn’t about to let Snotlout chicken out. He’d take the risk of having his cousin bug him from the afterlife.  

Hiccup spread his palm over the back of his cousin’s hand. The Monstrous Nightmare’s hot breath clouded around them as it watched with sharp, curious eyes. A whimper escaped Snotlout as Hiccup offered his cousin’s outstretched palm to the Nightmare. When the dragon closed its eyes and pressed its nose to Snotlout’s palm, a small smile crossed Hiccup’s features and he stepped back.

It was an odd thing, seeing his cousin grin with such pure joy. Snotlout glanced back at Hiccup, his face dropping as Hiccup walked off. “Where’re you going? Don’t leave me!”

“You’ll be fine, Snotlout!” Hiccup called back, giving him a thumbs up.

He introduced Tuffnut and Ruffnut to the Zippleback, who’s two heads immediately headbutted the twins. Fishlegs was a mix of nervous excitement, appearing as if he wanted to throw up as he was introduced to the Gronckle. After the Gronckle licked his face with a swipe of its wide tongue, the jittery noises evaporated from the boy and Fishlegs’ heart visibly melted.

The first meeting had gone well. The dragons and their future riders seemed to bond instantly. It was like neither side had ever raised a weapon or a claw against each other. Bringing peace to Berk and the dragons wasn’t just a pipe dream. It could be reality. A future unseen before.

A hitch in breath brought Hiccup’s attention to the girl beside him. Astrid was facing him. Her clinched fist peeked from the edge of the furs at her neck. Her features twitched uneasily. She drew in another sharp breath. Her eyes screwed shut tighter.

Hiccup had witnessed this restlessness with his wife before. After the near-death experience in the dragons nest, Astrid’s sleep had been interrupted with bouts of night terrors. She’d curl in on herself, features pinched with anxiety, pained whimpering escaping her. Sometimes her body would suddenly jerk and the action would leave Hiccup with a fresh bruise on his leg.

They never spoke about it, but he knew what terrors haunted her dreams. He shared those terrors in the twilight hours, though he knew his weren’t as bad as hers. She experienced falling from Toothless, the momentary panic of knowing she was plummeting to her death. The scorching breath of the Queen blasting on her skin. The reverberation of the chomping of its jaws as they shot out of the volcano. She’d lived through far worse than him. The dragon raids had never reduced her to a sobbing mess.

Hiccup couldn’t bear for her to be trapped in the nightmare. He rolled onto his side, leaning closer and called softly to her. When she didn’t respond, Hiccup swallowed and cautiously reached out to comb her fallen bangs from her face. Astrid jerked to life, swinging at his arm with such force that Hiccup shrank back with a yelp.

Several ragged breaths raked through her. She clung to her pillow, pushing her face into it. Hiccup watched her, wide-eyed and concerned. He didn’t know what to do next. Was she awake or still trapped in the nightmare? Should he risk trying to rouse her again?

Finally, Astrid inclined her face to him. Her voice small and graveled, “Hiccup?”

“Hey,” he replied, just as small, “are you okay?” Stretching his hand out, he tentatively touched her back. He could feel the trembles of her body through the furs.

For a long beat, there was silence as she stared through him. Hiccup assumed she didn’t want to talk. His hand found its way under the furs to graze fingertips gently along the length of her spine.

“All our lives,” Astrid finally began, her voice stronger, “we’ve lived with thousands of dragons attacking our village. We’ve watched our homes burn to ash. We’ve seen people killed.” Her eyes squeezed shut as she visited silence again then suddenly popped back open as if something frightened her behind her eyelids. “All of that violence and yet, none of it has affected me like this.” She clutched a clump of her bangs, pulling on it in frustration. “I feel so weak…so helpless by how terrified I was.”

“Astrid—” Hiccup unfurled her fingers from her hair. He drew the back of her palm to him, pressing it across his lips and cheek. Now he was trembling. “Besides my dad, you are the strongest person I know.”

Her hair rustled against the pillow in disagreement. “You didn’t blink an eye when Toothless flew us into the dragons nest. That dragon could have easily consumed you with fire or swallowed you whole. But you and Toothless attacked that dragon. Picked a fight with something as big as a mountain. Just to save me.” She tapped his chest with the heel of her hand. “Hiccup, you’re the strong one.”

“C’mere.” Hiccup pulled her to his side, her head resting against his cheek and shoulder. Astrid curled around him, clinging to him like her only pillar of hope. Hiccup was honored that she felt safe sharing her deepest fears and faults with him. He knew how difficult that was for her being a stoic warrior in training for basically her entire life. “You would have done the same for me. I know you would have.”

Astrid nuzzled into his shoulder. “We need to kill the Queen.”

“I know.” And I will.

***

The chill of the air clung to Hiccup as Toothless glided along the sea surface of the early morning hour. He’d left Astrid a note and a feather-lite kiss in her hair before leaving out. She’d be upset with him later, but this was something he had to do.

Toothless had understood exactly where Hiccup had requested they go. He had no desire to return to the place that haunted him – and neither did Toothless, it seemed. The dragon had warbled in concern at the mention of the Nest.

Hiccup continued to ponder why Toothless had brought him there in the first place. Toothless had introduced him to the band of dragons led by the Monstrous Nightmare. By the way Toothless acted, Hiccup suspected he’d informed the Nightmare that these humans were friends. Maybe he wanted the other dragons to see that humans and dragons could live in peace.

But then, they’d been introduced to the Queen. Hiccup wasn’t sure if Toothless had intended on revealing the Queen to them that day. After getting caught up in the dragons hauling in their kill, Hiccup suspected Toothless had taken the opportunity, knowing the Queen would show herself during feeding time. After seeing how the dragons did the Queen’s bidding, feeding her or being eaten themselves, it all made more sense. Maybe the band of dragons they’d met were setting up for a rebellion. Maybe Toothless thought Hiccup and Astrid could help them.

As terrifying as it could be, both boy and dragon understood what had to be done to achieve peace. The Queen had to go.

They didn’t know exactly how massive this dragon was. It’s head alone was at least the size of 20+ Nightmares. They didn’t even know if it had wings. It could probably cause tidal waves just stepping into the sea. What if the dragons stopped feeding her, would the Queen rise up and consume whatever it found? Just the idea that she could possibly make her way to Berk sent a cold shiver down Hiccup’s spine.

Though he and Astrid had brainstormed how they could takedown the Queen, none of their ideas had come to fruition. There was one idea Hiccup was holding out on her. It was just as risky and dangerous as all the rest they had proposed, and it’d put him and Toothless in the greatest danger of all. Astrid would never go for it. She’d want to be right up there beside him in the midst of the battle. But what Hiccup had in mind was something only he and Toothless could accomplish themselves…with some help.

As they approached the volcano island, the eeriness struck Hiccup all over again and a pit settled heavily in his stomach. This was a place of fear and death, and the atmosphere proclaimed it. Toothless touched down lightly on the rocky shore. His ears flattened and his scales shivered. Hiccup patted him, comfortingly.

“I know, bud. I don’t want to be here either.”

Hiccup remained atop Toothless, waiting to be spotted or sensed by the Nightmare leader’s welcome party. It didn’t take long before the band of dragons flew in formation down to them from an opening in the volcano’s side, the Nightmare in the lead.

The band landed in front of them, the members looking wary and alert. The Nightmare cut them with his glowing orange eyes. Hiccup hopped off Toothless and stared for a long beat, frozen in the Nightmare’s gaze. The volcanic mountain rumbled lowly. The Nightmare finally lowered its snout, permitted Hiccup to approach.

Hiccup took a cautious step forward. “Do you want to get rid of the Queen?” he asked in the strongest voice he could muster. He hoped the dragon understood.

Toothless warbled behind him, and the Nightmare’s interest was piqued. The Nightmare blew a huff of smoke from its nostrils.

Hiccup took another step forward. “You want to be free of her, don’t you?” The Nightmare gargled in reply. Hiccup glanced back at Toothless, who nodded his head. “Okay. Now that we’re clear on that.”

He licked his dry, chapping lips as a strange flutter of relief welled up in him. He felt stronger. This was exactly the confirmation he needed to move forward. “I have a plan to take down the Queen, but I’m going to need your help.”

Tags (if yall still wanna read it :)  @martabm90​ @chiefhiccstrid @drchee5e @celtictreemuffin @hey-its-laura-again 

[dalyunministry]

Min. Rutendo Zimbabwe

💗

Good evening brethren. 

As we start let's have our opening prayer:

Father we thank you for this be beautiful day that you have granted unto us ,we thank you for this platform which enables us to share your love and for the word that touches our heart each day anew .As we share more about your love and mercy helps us to grow more spiritually in Jesus name amen.

So my Topic  is "Guard the power that you where given by God jealously ".

Apostle Olusola has taught us to be in one accord as christians sharing as Christ has loved us and needs us stay in unity. So as we stay in united as children of God we need to use the gifts that we where given to expand more in His ministry. As we use the power that was envasted in us by Christ the church grows ,and everyday we win a new soul to Christ. As apostle Olusola have said the the problem comes when we limit God to use us as His instruments and the more we limit God the more the power given to you vanishes and you are left empty. Now how can you survive when the Holy Spirit which is the author of all things is no longer in you.

Listen Child of God you need the Holy Spirit more than anything in life. Sin no more. Leave the dirty works and start a new life in 

Christ. Yes you are a pastor and you believe you are doing the will of God but be wise the moment you think you are clever and start misuse the althourity and power given to you by God the Holy Spirit will no longer be with you.

• Deny the devil and flee away from him. You have been annointed to draw souls to the kingdom sin no more or the Holy Spirit will go away and leave you empty.

Lets look at Genesis 25 :19-34.

Lets see how Esau lost his birthright.

• Esau was annointed by God whilist he was stl in the womb. As the mother bore the children we see the annointing was still with Him. Esau wasn't elevated to see the importance of his birthright he went on to exchange the  birthright with a pot of pottage. As we go on through this Chapter we see Isaac blessing Jacob thinking that he was Esau. Brethren when you exchange your gift win sin the Holy Spirit leaves you empty and what you do next will be nothing in the presence of the Lord.

With sin We see Jacob going away with the annointing ...ask yourself are you not selling the annointing that God gave you in exchange of eathly deadly things. You know yourselves what you doing that the Lord dislikes

Flee away from evil. 

• Let's look at king Saul

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

Now you see when the Spirit of God leaves you, an evil spirit enters. Now when that happens you need to surround yourself with those people who are filled with the Spirit of God, you need a revival.

• Let's focus at verse 3,9,11

Pastors , Evangelists ,Prophets beware! Follow the commandments! Listen to Lord! Do His Will and Not your Will! Beware brethren! SEE what happened to King Saul because he did not Follow what God has said. Listen and be wise. Follow instructions. That way the annointing grows and we will have the fullness of Christ in you. Guard the power given to you by God jealously. Don't let the devil ruin you. You have work to do ,move ,move ,move expand in the ministry. The harvest is plenty. Win more souls to Christ. It's not yet done expand don't limit God's annointing in you.

• Let's look at Samson: Judges 16:28-31 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged upon the Philistines for one of my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and he leaned his weight upon them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain during his life. Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Esh′ta-ol in the tomb of Mano′ah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Samson was to remain a Nazarite. The Lord has told him mother that she was going to bear a son and that son was to remain a Nazarite ,he wasn't allowed to shave off his hair. Now Samson is fooled be Delilah and he tells her the secret of his annointing. Brethren don't be fooled by the devil. Now Delilah tells the philistines the secret of Samson power and he loses all when he was shaved. Guard your annointing jealously dear brethren. Don't let the devil take away your annointing. Don't be fooled. Be wise. Guard the power given to you by God jealously.

As l conclude l pray that the Lord will use us without any limit in His ministry ,may He forgive us where we sold our gifts unwilling ,may His mercy and unbundant grace be with us now and forever Amen.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sun., Aug

Commemorated on August 10

The Martyr ArchDeacon Lawrence (258)

     The Martyrs ArchDeacon Lawrence, Pope Sixtus, Deacons Felicissimus and Agapitus, the Soldier Romanus, – Romans, suffered in the year 258 under the emperor Valerian. Holy Pope Sixtus, born at Athens, received a fine education, preached in Spain and was made bishop in Rome following the martyr's death of Holy Pope Stephen (253‑257, Comm. 2 August). these were times when a pope occupying the Roman throne, was known to choose death for the faith. In a short while Saint Sixtus also was arrested and put in prison together with his deacons Felicissimus and Agapitus. When the holy archdeacon Lawrence visited Pope Sixtus, whom they held in prison, he cried out with tears: "Whither art thou gone, father? Why hast thou forsaken thine archdeacon, with whom always thou hast offered the Bloodless Sacrifice? Take thy son with thee, that I may be thy companion in having blood shed for Christ!" Saint Sixtus answered him: "I have not forsaken thee, my son. I am old and go to an easy death, but yet greater sufferings await thee. Know, that after three days upon our death thou shalt follow after me. And now go, take the church treasury and distribute it to the poor and needy Christians". Saint Lawrence zealously did the bidding of the sainted-hierarch.      Having heard, that Pope Sixtus had been taken to trial with the deacons, Saint Lawrence went there so as to witness their deed, and he said to the sainted-bishop: "Father, I have already fulfilled thy command, and distributed by hand thine treasury; forsake me not!" Hearing something about treasure, soldiers put him under guard, and the other martyrs were beheaded (+ 6 August 258). The emperor locked up Saint Lawrence in prison and ordered the chief jailer Hyppolitus to keep watch over him. In prison Saint Lawrence with prayer healed the sick gathered together with him and he baptised many. Astonished by this, Hyppolitus himself believed and accepted Baptism from Saint Lawrence together with all his household. Soon the archdeacon Lawrence was again brought to the emperor and commanded to produce the hidden treasure. Saint Lawrence answered: "Give me a period of three days, and I shalt show thee this treasure". During this time the saint gathered up a crowd of the poor and the sick, who ate only because of the charity of the Church, and bringing them he explained: "Here are the vessels in which is contained the treasure. And everyone, who puts their treasure in these vessels, will receive them in abundance in the Heavenly Kingdom".      After this they gave Saint Lawrence over to fierce tortures, urging him to worship idols. The martyr was scourged (with a fine iron flail with sharp needles), they burned his wounds with fire, and struck at him with metal switches. At the time of the martyr's suffering, the soldier Romanus suddenly cried out: "Saint Lawrence, I behold a bright youth, who standeth about thee healing thy wounds. Beseech thy Lord Christ not to forsake me!" After this they stretched Saint Lawrence on a rack and returned him to prison to Hyppolitus. Romanus brought there a waterpot with water and besought the martyr to baptise him. And immediately after the Baptism of the soldier, he was beheaded (+ 9 August). When they took Saint Lawrence to his final torture, Saint Hyppolitus wanted to declare himself a Christian and die together with him, but the confessor said: "Conceal for now thy confession in thy heart. After some length of time I shall summon thee, and thou shalt hear and come unto me. Weep not for me, but rather rejoice, for I go to receive a glorious crown of martyrdom". They placed him in an iron cage, under which they set an intense fire, and the flames of the bon-fire flicked towards the body of the martyr. Saint Lawrence, glancing at the governor, said: "Here now, ye do burn only but one side of my body, turn over the other and do my whole body". Dying, he uttered: "I thank Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast accounted me worthy to enter into Thy gates", – and with these words he gave up the spirit.      Saint Hyppolitus took the body of the martyr by night, he wrapped it in a shroud with ointments and gave it over to the priest Justin. Over the relics of the martyr in the home of the widow Kyriakia they made an all-night vigil and Divine Liturgy. All the Christians present partook of the Holy Mysteries and with honour they buried the body of the holy martyr Archdeacon Lawrence in a cave on 10 August 258. Saint Hyppolitus and other Christians suffered three days after the death of Saint Lawrence (13 August), as he had foretold them of this.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.

John 21:15-25 

15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."16He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"22Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Matthew 18:23-35 

23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.25But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.26The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'27Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.28But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'29So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'30And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.31So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved,and came and told their master all that had been done.32Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.33Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'34And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.35So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.

[dailyofficereadings]

Daily Office Readings August 13, 2020

Psalm 105

Psalm 105

God’s Faithfulness to Israel

1 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works. 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. 5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered, 6 O offspring of his servant Abraham,[a] children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”

12 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it, 13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 15 saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread, 17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord kept testing him. 20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free. 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, 22 to instruct[b] his officials at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. 24 And the Lord made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes, 25 whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.

26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They performed his signs among them, and miracles in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they rebelled[c] against his words. 29 He turned their waters into blood, and caused their fish to die. 30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. 31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. 32 He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land. 33 He struck their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. 34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and young locusts without number; 35 they devoured all the vegetation in their land, and ate up the fruit of their ground. 36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first issue of all their strength.

37 Then he brought Israel[d] out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. 40 They asked, and he brought quails, and gave them food from heaven in abundance. 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. 44 He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples, 45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord!

Footnotes:

Psalm 105:6 Another reading is Israel (compare 1 Chr 16.13)

Psalm 105:22 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb to bind

Psalm 105:28 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb they did not rebel

Psalm 105:37 Heb them

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 14:1-19

Samson’s Marriage

14 Once Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw a Philistine woman. 2 Then he came up, and told his father and mother, “I saw a Philistine woman at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among your kin, or among all our[a] people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she pleases me.” 4 His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord; for he was seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. When he came to the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion roared at him. 6 The spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and he tore the lion apart barehanded as one might tear apart a kid. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson. 8 After a while he returned to marry her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there as the young men were accustomed to do. 11 When the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments.” So they said to him, “Ask your riddle; let us hear it.” 14 He said to them,

“Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.”

But for three days they could not explain the riddle.

15 On the fourth[b] day they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?” 16 So Samson’s wife wept before him, saying, “You hate me; you do not really love me. You have asked a riddle of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” He said to her, “Look, I have not told my father or my mother. Why should I tell you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted; and because she nagged him, on the seventh day he told her. Then she explained the riddle to her people. 18 The men of the town said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”

And he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”

19 Then the spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty men of the town, took their spoil, and gave the festal garments to those who had explained the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.

Footnotes:

Judges 14:3 Cn: Heb my

Judges 14:15 Gk Syr: Heb seventh

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Acts 6:15-7:16

15 And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Speech to the Council

7 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen replied:

“Brothers[a] and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. 5 He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. 6 And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham[b] became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. 13 On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; 15 so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, 16 and their bodies[c] were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

Footnotes:

Acts 7:2 Gk Men, brothers

Acts 7:8 Gk he

Acts 7:16 Gk they

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

John 4:27-42

27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,[a] can he?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving[b] wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Footnotes:

John 4:29 Or the Christ

John 4:36 Or 35 . . . the fields are already ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is receiving

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[cherrystreet]

Louis doesn’t remember ever being taught the rules. It feels like he was born with the knowledge and understanding, although his mom swears she sat down with him when he was much younger and told him what he should expect, answered all of his questions carefully and honestly. If he thinks back hard enough, he vaguely recalls her smiling, eyes not meeting his gaze, and muttering, “Maybe I’m not the best example to go by.” That conversation has always felt like a dream, though, and he has no intention of ever bringing it up to her to confirm whether or not it actually happened. That look on her face makes his stomach turn, even still, years later.

It was around Louis’ thirteenth birthday that he began to really see how imperative it was to follow the rules. His mom had just given birth to his twin sisters, making him a big brother now four times over, and instead of being overjoyed to bring home two healthy girls, Jay sat on the hospital bed with blotchy cheeks and eyes filled with tears. Louis chalked it up to hormones; this wasn’t the first time he’d seen his mom go through the recovery process.

Not quite hormones, this.

Jay reached into her bag, coming up with a photo of herself and Louis when he was just hours old. He’s seen it a thousand times - it’s always in her wallet - and he doesn’t know why she’s showing it to him now.

He stared for a moment. “There we are.”

“No. Louis.” She held it up to her face, providing a side by side. “Look at me.”

“You look great,” he said, shrugging, eyes darting back and forth between her and the photo.

“Look at me. Look at how I’ve aged.”

“Mom, what are you talking about, it’s like you haven’t aged at a--”

Oh.

Louis felt his neck go hot, and when he managed to look her in the face once more, he could almost feel the sheer panic radiating off of her every breath.

Jay fought with the girls’ dad a lot after that. Louis did his best not to listen, the topic always too heavy and emotionally charged, but the walls were thin and it seemed to happen more often than not. The years keep passing and I’m not getting any older. It’s finally obvious. My son shouldn’t be this close in age to me. He’s aging and I’m. I’m not. You’re not. We’re not supposed to… We’re not supposed to be together.

They split shortly after that, Jay and her children moving to a new town in northern Ohio to start over, to start fresh. Louis began dreading December, afraid that another birthday gone meant he was one year closer to catching up to his mom.

“It doesn’t work that way, right,” he asked one night, cautiously. “It goes against the rules to not find your soulmate.”

“Right,” Jay replied, but her voice sounded uneasy.

“You won’t stay 18 forever.”

“That’s correct.”

“What if, I, like.” Louis dragged his hands up and down his thighs. He couldn’t spit the words out, couldn’t fathom meeting his soulmate before his mother met hers, and then growing old before she got the chance to do so herself. She understood his unasked question, anyway.

“You won’t.”

“Has that ever happened before? Kids passing their parents in age?”

Jay sucked in her cheeks, closing her eyes. “Probably. Don’t think about that. Just. Lou, you just have to trust the process. You have to. These are the rules for a reason.”

He didn’t know how to answer that. Trusting the process felt phony, like everyone was on a conveyor belt to nowhere. He didn’t like not being in control. He didn’t like waiting for the fire everyone told him he would feel. He didn’t like having so many questions that no one could give him concrete answers to.

Jay felt it less than a year later. His name was Dan, he had no children of his own, and when Louis asked if she was sure this was it, she smiled. It wasn’t like the smile Louis remembered from his dream.

“I know. And you will, too.”

Birthdays came and went. Jay celebrated her first forehead wrinkles, and laughed when her roots faded from their natural chestnut brown to a more muted color, almost like it was preparing to turn gray one day. Louis felt a wave of relief when this happened, like the universe was back in order.

And so he waited for his own fire to happen.

Lottie, though several years younger than Louis, found hers first. She had just turned 18 when she met him - a tourist from out of town - and knew immediately that he was who she was waiting for. When she announced she was leaving Ohio to move to Berlin with him less than six months after meeting, no one was surprised. They gave their weepy goodbyes and promised to visit within the year. Whenever Jay was particularly sulky about missing her baby, Louis teased, “Hey, it’s the rules.”

Life got hectic. Louis dated on and off the first year that Lottie was gone, simultaneously landing a huge promotion at work. He was busier than ever - both professionally and in his social life - when he met Jesse. He worked on the same floor as Louis, was 28 but looked 18, and had Louis enamored from the start. He was tall and lean and had green eyes that positively floor him. He told his best friends Harry and Liam about Jesse that same night, snorting when Harry reacted with a, “Jeesh, if you wanted to date me, you should have just said something.”

“He may look like you but the similarities end there,” Louis countered. “He’s actually nice to me.”

“Give it time, it’s been a day. He hasn’t learned what a massive pain in the ass you are yet.”

Louis did give it time. Four years, to be exact. Four years of loving this boy harder than he’d ever loved another soul, couldn’t imagine a life without him. They moved in together, talked about marriage, dreamed of adopting both fur babies and real babies. It felt like relief, knowing he had it together by the time he was in his twenties, knowing Jesse was his and that was that.

He tried to explain the concept to Harry when he asked, but words felt lost. “I don’t know. You were there, you saw how happy I was. I don’t really know how to describe it otherwise.”

“Yeah, but how were you so sure that he was, ya know, what everyone told you to wait for.”

Louis shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. “He was cute, he was funny, it felt right. I don’t know how to describe it beyond that.”

“That’s how I feel with 80% of the people I date,” he replied flatly.

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

Harry laughed, but Louis could tell he was still bothered. He went on to further explain, words stuck, but Liam chimed in first. “When I met Lex, it was like I forgot about the parts of my past that didn’t involve her. Logically, I know they happened, but I have to really actively force myself to remember what life was like before I knew her. It was a really strange feeling. One I hadn’t felt before. I could’ve told her I loved her that first night and I wouldn’t have felt weird about it.”

“You told her on night three…” Louis said, rolling his eyes. “You should have felt weird about it.”

“Bite me. Anyway. That’s what the fire is. All consuming, I don’t know how I lived without you for this long kind of mentality.”

Harry’s brows were furrowed, pensive, as if he was taking mental notes. He looked ridiculous. “And you, Lou? Same thing?”

No, it wasn’t the same thing, but Louis didn’t feel like trying to sort through this web anymore. It made him feel crazy. He waved at their waiter from across the room to signal he was ready for the check. “I think it’s different for everyone.”

“But--”

“You’ll know when you know,” Louis said, cutting him off. “Lottie’s coming home next weekend. It’s been two years. You gonna come by?”

Harry’s frown lessened. “Yeah. I’ll be by.”

It wasn’t until after Lottie’s return - that same night - that Louis found himself sitting on the floor of the shower, breathing in, breathing out. He craved a cigarette. He hadn’t had one in years.

They’d taken a group photo: his mom, Dan, all siblings, Lottie’s husband, Jesse, and of course, Harry, whom Jay lovingly referred to as her “third son.” Jay posted it to social media immediately, so happy to show off the fact that all her babies were together again under one roof, captioning it with, It’s like nothing has changed.

The thing is, that was the problem. Louis studied the photo for a beat too long, just long enough to notice the subtle differences between Lottie and himself. The scrolled back on his mom’s page to look at their last family photo, and his heart nearly broke.

Separately, it wasn’t obvious, or noticeable at all, really. Side by side, though, upon further inspection, Louis could clearly see that Lottie could pass as his older sister. Long gone was her baby fat, her awkward makeup years, and instead, a young woman with confidence and smile lines by her eyes replaced the young Lottie that Louis so firmly believed was still there.

He sat under the stream of the water long enough for it to turn cold, for his fingerprints to shrivel, making sure Jesse was asleep before he got out. Louis couldn’t look him in the eye and tell him what he’d realized, couldn’t ask if Jesse had already figured it out himself.

How was it possible to love someone so deeply and have it mean nothing in the end?

His mom knew; that much he was sure of. He could have called her and said, Mom, my best friend and I aren’t meant to be together. I could stay with him, but then everyone I know and love will die without me. What the fuck do I do now. And she would have reasoned with him, been honest, been loving. She wouldn’t have said the words bouncing around in his own brain, I told you that you would know. You didn’t listen to the rules.

He didn’t call her.

Instead, he tiptoed out of the house, slid behind the steering wheel of his car, and found himself at Harry’s front step before he had any idea of what to tell him. The look on his face must have been telling, though, because for once, the boy with all the questions said nothing, just let Louis inside without a word.