#ason grace

[pthalomars]

I never post my writing but I'd like to share a snippet of a drabble I wrote for an au that me and @jankwritten are working on

[Context: a year after blood of olympus, leo wakes up under Thalia's tree comes back to find his best friends in shambles. It's not the warm welcome he was expecting..]

[fan-art-ic]

Dislike the frequent fic characterization of json grace not being bitter ever or him just being the well meaning doof who has some power but not anything that what make him feel some way about it like he just is irresponsible 🙄 literally maybe it's the fact I read tlh like 30x on my nook as a kid and not once in 10 years but. j ason is cool and fun and has a lot of feeling in him. and I don't even give that much if a shit about him I am a per cy stan till death

[catolinewsdailyreadings]

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Reading 1

HEB 12:4-7, 11-15

Brothers and sisters: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:

My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.

Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as his sons. For what Ason" is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18A

R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him, For he knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear him, And his justice toward children's children among those who keep his covenant. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Gospel

MK 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.  When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.  They said, "Where did this man get all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?"  And they took offense at him.  Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."  So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

His Blood Runs Gold V

Percy is a God: Part V

Here’s my masterlist for the next part and my other stuff

---------------------------------------------------------

it’s a quality of the gods

to see a creature with its back broken

and be unmoved.

-It’s a Quality of the Gods, Suniti Namjoshi

They raced through the ocean, stopping only briefly when the call of the sea forced Percy to pause, to listen, to aid. Jason would stand back and watch as his friend– his friend– became somehow more powerful and more human.

“Okay, I think that’s the last of the turtles.” He smiled, turning to face the demigod who was already staring.

“You ready to go?”

“Lead the way Jackson.”

A few thousand miles, passed by in a blur of blue and sand, saw them to their destination.

“This is it, 0°00'0.00" N -77°59'18.59" W. The equator.”

Night had fallen but that made no difference this far underwater. Percy drew Riptide, using the glow of the sword to illuminate the space.

“Are you sure?”

The god just gave him a look.

“Sorry, the sea makes me jumpy. I want to get out of here as soon as possible and searching in the wrong place is just going to delay us.”

“Well instead of jabbering let’s get on with it.”

With a nod, Jason drew his own gold sword and started swimming.

“We’re looking for the Arrow of Hate right?”

“Yes prophecy says, ‘Retrieve the arrow of foe but gain a scar’” The demigod recited.

“I seem to remember Annabeth telling me Eros has two arrows, one of lead and one of gold.” He mused.

“So we’re looking for something the colour of charcoal?” Jason mumbled, “Any idea how big?”

“No but I suspect it gives off some real bad vibes if it confers hate.”

“Don’t all godly weapons give off bad vibes?” Blue eyes rolled in exasperation.

Percy just snorted, and turned to a cluster of coral trees, carefully pulling the branches apart to peer in-between.

“You really think it’s gonna be this easy?” He called, using the currents to carry his voice.

“I’m just ignoring the fact that we’ve been here for a full five minutes and nothing has tried to kill us.”

He huffed a laugh, “Let’s hurry this up and keep it that way.”

“Right with you on–“

“Grace?”

“I think I found it!”

Within moments he was by the blonde’s side. Jason pointed to a glinting sliver behind a cluster of rocks.

“Well that looks like a divine object if I ever saw one.” Percy shrugged

Together they swam towards it. Jason wrapped his fingers around a jagged edge and with his other hand reached for the arrow.

An enormous, swamp green eye opened. And then a second, and third, and fourth, fifth, sixth. Too many to count. Eye after horrid, vile eye opened until there were too many to count.

“We really are foolish, aren’t we?” He whispered, letting go of the cold, smooth arrow-shaft, and releasing his grip on the rock. Not a rock. The rugged hide of whatever this thing was.

“Hope really is a fool’s choice.” Percy echoed the sentiment, staring in horror at the beast before them.

“You think we can take it?”

“I don’t think we have a choice, Grace.”

Indeed, they did not, for rising higher, higher, higher than mountains was the monster from a grown man’s nightmares.

“I have not smelt the blood of a god in many moons,” It hissed, “But I still remember the taste.”

“Listen buddy, my mom says I’m sweet and all, but I don’t actually taste like that.” Percy piped up.

“The prodigy of Poseidon. Even down here the currents have whispered your name.” Its voice sounded like the darkest parts of winter. Like the coldest parts of night.

“Truly I’m honoured mister, but I’m just helping my friend. Would you mind if we grab that little arrow from you and then we’ll be on our way?”

All the eyes turned to him, unblinking, curious, hungry.

“I do not see why,” A gaping, rotted mouth curled up, “I should give away a treasure and not get one in return.”

“That arrow does not belong to you,” Jason said.

“Nothing belongs to anyone Son of Jupiter. That is the first thing Lupa should have taught you.”

“How do you–“

“I have been around a very long-time half-blood. I see many things.”

“Don’t think you have much of a choice,” Percy mumbled.

The monster cackled, “I see why the beings of Tartarus do not like you Olympian. You are much too quick in wits for their puny brains to keep up.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying. Thank you!” Percy flung up his arms, “At least someone gets me. Jason, I like this one can we keep it?”

“You can do whatever you want, I just need the arrow.”

“What is your name?” The demigod asked.

Ah so they were going with the distraction tactic.

“I am older than language itself half-blood. You could not pronounce my birthright.” Its glee was the edge of a serrated sword.

Percy inched around, slowly, steadily, and hoped the monster kept all its eyes firmly on Jason.

“You old monsters always tell me that but in the end you all bleed the same.”

With a lunge, as quick and vicious as a snake, the god grabbed the arrow and yanked. In his hands the metal glowed, radiating power– horrible, ancient power.

“Jason I got it, let’s go!”

But when Percy turned to his friend once more, the breath tore from his lungs.

“Let him go.”  That voice was ice, it was death, it was destruction, it was God.

“Or what Son of Poseidon?” The creature sneered, squeezing the demigod just a little tighter between its short, ragged limbs.

Jason gasped, writhing and squirming to get loose. His sword lay far below, a gold speck of light.

“Did you really think your meek attempt at distraction would work? My eyes miss nothing.”

Percy didn’t deign to give it a reply, instead summoning everything within him.

“Let. Him. Go.” It was a final caution, a last chance for surrender.

The creature grinned. Percy erupted.

He slammed ropes of water into the body of the monster, whips that should have blinded those disgusting eyes. The water bounced off, recoiled from the gleam in all those pupils.

The God growled and cleaved a hole in the ocean. Suddenly they were surrounded by nothing. A dome of water hovered over them but not a drop touched their skin.

The monster laughed, “That little trick may have worked on my weak cousin, stupid Ketos, but it will not work on me Percy Jackson. I have survived all manner of life. The oceans were not always so deep.”

“What are you?” He breathed, slamming the sea back together. His anger froze the world around him.

“You are very powerful,” It said, staring at the ice that surrounded them.

“What are you?” The god repeated, and it was savagery that glittered in his ocean eyes.

“I am your worst nightmare.” That sickening smile again.

Jason had stopped moving. They noticed at the same time, turning to look at the demigod. He was limp, golden skin leeched of colour, electric blue eyes closed, closed, closed.

“The poison must have worked.”

Percy looked up, looked straight into the monster, “The what?”

“Oh, you did not know?” It taunted, “My skin is poison, blessed by the goddess of misery herself. It protects my eyes. It has been very useful these long years.”

He had tasted fear like a metallic tinge coating his tongue. He had felt anger like lava under his skin. He had even experienced true sadness like a greyed canvas of life. But never, never had he felt the complete lack of emotions. The world was so quiet. So dull, muted. There was nothing. There was no-one.

“Do not worry Son of Poseidon, your friend has lived a good life.”

He smiled. The monster did not smile back.

“You keep calling me that,” The God said, “But you do not remember who Poseidon is, what he can do.”

A thousand eyes blinked. Widened at the gleam in his own sea-green eyes. Percy Jackson slammed his hands onto the rock-made skin and laughed.

For a split second there was a complete absence of sound, and then… BOOM. The Son of Poseidon started an earthquake.

The monster screamed; its body split, cracked, exploded. The roar of pain and despair was music to the god’s ears. He grinned, wicked and wild as pieces of shrapnel ripped off it, as they pierced everything, drawing foul black blood.

And when all that was left of the creature was dust and debris, Percy willed the ocean to scatter the remains.

Everything came back into sharp focus all at once. Jason. A broken noise escaped him as he dove for the unmoving body on the ocean floor.

It didn’t matter.

Jason Grace was dead.

The roar the god let loose, could be heard from the heavens.

It was not grief. It was a warning.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please don’t hate me?!?!?!?!?!??!?

Tags (if you want to be added to/ taken off the tag list just let me know, all my channels of communication are open):

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@lesbian-peanuts

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[helpimstuckinafandom]

Jason Grace is alive and well - it was a prank all along! The camera’s right there!

[el-dritchknight]

so apparently ive got a thing for people with lightning/electricity powers...

[noteworthy1]

Just something I put together using Aviary and Pic Collage for my group. I hope you guys are as excited about my next piece as I am! I will be posting my latest tonight. Also I will be getting ready to start merchandising my poetry so get ready to see your favorite poem and artwork on a t-shirt or hoodie! As always follow me @noteworthy1 to keep up to date with my latest poetry and creative works. If you have any recommendations or requests feel free to put it in the comments or dm me! Much love! ❤️ -Noteworthy1 #poetry #art #piccollage #avairy #7mgen #bros #asone #businessstartup #idea #creative #clan #unitedwestand #sportscars #battlefield #houston #honor #powertotheyouth #music #takeyourmountain #leaders #borntolead #grace #faith #iknowthesearerandomhashtags #discoveryourcalling #millinials #wearethefuture #proudtobe #warrior #aintnomountainhighenough

[thegreenerartist]

I did the thing where you list down character names from different book series and have someone pick 2 numbers and make a pairing and stuff i.e. Ship it or Rip it.

Multifandom

(PJO, Leah on the Offbeat, MCGA, KC, AFTG, Aru Shah, RWRB, Carry On/Wayward Son, TSOA, HP, They Both Die At The End)

Jason Grace x Achilles

Lesja? Jach? Ason? Gilles?

Ason could work maybe? Since they were both in positions of power, are blond and they both are dead. Ship it.

Abby Suso x Alex Fierro

SLEX

SLEX probably wouldn’t work. Alex is dead yet immortal while Abby is,,, you know,,, gonna die. Certainly earlier than Alex. Also those visits to Midgard would be tedious. Rip it.

Sadie Kane x Hermione Granger

Diemione? Herka? Saher? Sanger?

Diemione,,, idk. Maybe it could work since opposites attract? Sadie is reckless while Hermione is calculating. They might work well too since they both work with magic. Ship it.

Matt Boyd x Penelope Bunce

Dett? Melope? Bonce?

Melope probably won’t work. Matt is in a commited relationship with Neil Dan in America while Penelope is in Europe. Long distance doesn’t seem to jive well with her either. Rip it.

Aru Shah x Baz Grimm-Pitch

Baru? Shapi? Az? Grish?

OBVIOUS REASON. Aru Shah is like, 12-13 and Baz is turning like,,, 17-18,,, just no. Absolutely not. No. N o. RIP THIS RIP IT. I honest to god had a mini aneurysm over this.

Alex Clairemont Diaz x Rufus

RULEX

RULEX,,, hmm. Alex is very biting in his remarks and Rufus probably doesn’t need that on his last day on Earth. Also Alex being in the government and Rufus being a mini-criminal might not mingle well with the press,,, Rip this.

[nicotinemaiden]

Lucky

[Infinite Songs for her Smile - Ch.12]

Read on AO3 →

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again.

Lucky we're in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, lucky to be coming home someday.

[Jason Mraz]

It wasn’t her first ball and she was fairly sure it wasn’t gonna be her last, but that didn’t change the fact that these kind of events were never the right utensil for her plate. She could work with it but it wasn’t… ideal. She sat on a chair near the left wall of the room, a glass in the table to her side, her eyes fixed in the centre of the ballroom, her feet grateful to their owner for the little break. She wasn’t exactly alone, she never was, not since she left her home in Tanbarun, but at the moment her permanent companion laughed some meters away, little Ryuu fighting back his own laugh while trying to follow Obi’s steps in the dance floor. It wasn’t common for two men to dance together in this day and age, even less in a royal ball. But, being honest to herself, they weren’t the type to follow traditions just for the sake of them.

It was even weirder the fact that Ryuu, her Ryuu, the little shy boy that was her master, has indulged her crazy best friend idea of dancing together. In reality, it wasn’t a typical dance, nothing of the classic waltz the other couples in the room were performing. It reminded her of the first time they attended a ball together, how they forgot their manners and her utterly impossible ability to dance and just got to have a good time. The thought brought a smile to her face as she continued looking at them.

Her eyes drifted to her knight, her assigned bodyguard -if she could call him that anymore- who, as if sensing them, looked straight at her. He seemed surprised for a brief moment before flashing a bright smile at her. She sensed her heart race, wanting to join him there, to hold those golden eyes on her a bit longer, and her smile grew wider. He turned to his partner again to something he said, laughing softly, maintaining a subtle grin, as if whatever Ryuu said was a secret just between the two of them.

She found herself mesmerized, unable to look away, studying the way his hair has grown a bit longer than normal and the ends of it curled near his nape. She knew it wouldn’t be that way for long, Obi always talked about how it was easier to maintain it shorter, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. It suited him. The same way the black and gold suit did. 

She almost didn’t hear the man sitting at the other side of her table looking at her until he spoke.

“You know, there was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking of me.” The voice startled her less than the words per se did. She blinked and looked at her side, finding Raji looking at her with a mix of sadness and… something more. Something that seemed to tell her that he knew more about those words that he was saying. Confused, she tried to get a little more information. “Excuse me?” The prince laughed a bit, leaving her even more confused. “Turns out I was jealous of the wrong person, even as my sister tried to tell me.” She cocked her head, watching him shake his. The music stopped and people moved around them. “You can be straightforward with me, Raji. It’s always better that way.”

She sighed, wondering what was wrong with him. She wasn’t looking at Obi in any specific manner, she was just… hypnotized in his smile. It was always that way, nothing different. Why did she felt there was something she was missing? Something in this conversation she didn’t understand. As she was looking at her drink, her expression one of someone trying to complete a puzzle, she heard his voice again, noting he was standing up. “I shall leave you to your real prince, Shirayuki. I just hope there’s one more dance for me tonight.” She looked up at him and smiled, his little bow lifting her spirit once again. “Of course. I can’t turn down a royal friend, can I?”

She was ready to replay his words in her head, seeing as he wasn’t likely to tell her more, when her gaze fell upon a golden one, closer than she expected. He smiled down at her, mouthing a little “Miss” as greeting. They were apart only for a couple of songs now, but she felt she hadn’t seen him in the entire evening. She smiled back, feeling a weight lifting in her heart as she looked at him. “Where did you left Ryuu?” He grinned mischievously, glancing back at the dance floor, guiding her eyes. Ryuu played with his hands while trying to talk to a brunette not so far away, possibly wanting to dance with her. 

She gasped, covering her mouth with her left hand and changing her attention between Obi and her master rapidly. In the end, she stopped in those eyes in front of her and laughed. A real laugh, not like the ones she was making the rest of the evening with all the nobles that came to talk to her. “I admit, I didn’t expect that but I should have. Little handsome boy he is now.” She smiled tenderly. It has been only a couple of years but they had seen him grow after all. “You’re right Miss, I should be careful or there won’t be a lady in Clarines not infatuated by him.” She smiled playfully, tensing a bit in her chair. “Oh, afraid there won’t be any left for you Mister Obi?” She understood the feeling she had while saying those words, the fear that suddenly consumed her, but she wasn’t ready to name it. Maybe if she left it at that it would be better, simpler.

But he grinned back, looking at her eyes with that same look that was only for her, and said: “Don’t challenge me, little miss, or I’ll have to go maintain my reputation even if I don’t want to.” She backed down, surrendering with her hands in the air in front of her. “It wouldn’t be me who’ll doubt the reputation of the great Obi.” He closed his eyes, laughing loudly before stopping for breath. “I don’t really care about it, but I have better things to do right now if you let me.” He stretched his arm to her, offering his hand with a little bow that, somehow, seemed more elegant than the one Raji has graced her with.

Raji. Was Obi who he was talking about? ‘Your real prince’ he said. She blushed without thinking, remembering his words, and looking still at his hand until he spoke again. “May I have this dance?” The music was starting again, his gaze drilling through her as if his life depended on her answer. She joined her hand in his, letting him pull her against his chest with a swift movement that almost made her fall, his other hand now placed in her waist with so much care it resembled a lover’s caress. Her hand searched for steadiness in his chest, feeling his heart. They looked at each other and something hit her like a carriage fleeing a threat, all four horses at the same pace. All of Raji’s word, the fear, the smiles, the looks, his touch, his voice. All clicked in the puzzle. Yes, she’d been wrong. She thought she knew what love felt like before and that this, this was some other thing. Something she forgot the name for. No, she was terribly wrong but, at the same time, she was right. 

This was so much more than just love.

[zanytyranttimemachine-blog]

o transcendance morning after proven organic invisible sculptures of tribe in the night... the spider web glinting, spanned between the branches that unfurl their maze towards the skies, o like our metaphors here spoken again! the sky grace that listens to, dances to, poetry, the chaos into confluence, the organic puruvian coffee from the local organic supermarket extra silky like mushroom phones spanned between cultures that needs true earth to live, to wake and send out the messages spanning, capturing light from star and all that laying around on the ground and forming our seed trampolines to star jump another flower, another spirit bird taken by the thermals of our whistles and beat boxes and child shouts and songs of harmonic now now now today today today, the wave in the way, the sigh of the sea, you after you after you, me after me after me, tree after tree, o bless thee and this the healing of festivals, the waging of peace on earth... #festivevibes #confest #downtoearth #lightislove #wagingpeaceonearth #collectiveconsciousness #peacezenlove#poetryofig❤ #poemofpeace #poemoftheheart #poempm #poetryislove #herenow #spontaneouspoetry #poweroflove #notloveofpower #together #asone #poem #loveintentionally #poetryramble #poetrgasm #poemsofinsta #poetryislife #poemsoftheheart #pagandreaming #spiritplace #poemsofconnection #melbournepoetry #melbspokenword (at Ferntree Gully, Victoria) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPM637jtmcf/?utm_medium=tumblr

[dsoccermaster]

ason FA Cup replays will be scrapped for the 2020/21 season as authorities look to ease fixture congestion. Meanwhile, the Premier League clubs who are still involved in European competitions could be handed a 30-day grace period after their final game of the 2019/20 campaign. One of the major issues that has arisen during the coronavirus pandemic has the rescheduling and managing of fixtures. It was confirmed this week that the 2020/21 Premier League season would get underway again on 12... Via All the latest breaking football news, transfer rumours, analysis, and match reports - 90min http://www.90min.com/

[catolinewsdailyreadings]

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Readings of Wednesday 3 February, 2021

Reading 1

HEB 12:4-7, 11-15

Brothers and sisters: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:

My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.

Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as his sons. For what Ason" is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18A

R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him, For he knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear him, And his justice toward children's children among those who keep his covenant. R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Gospel

MK 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.  When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.  They said, "Where did this man get all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?"  And they took offense at him.  Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."  So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

[starketony]

favorite characters aesthetic — jason grace (heroes of olympus)

"I'm the son of Jupiter, I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion. I slew the Trojan sea monster, I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed Titan Krios with my own hand. And now I'm going to destroy you Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."

[sheilacwall]

The Return Of The Purple Tape: Raekwon’s Classic Sequel Turns Ten

“Got me behind the pot again”

The odds were stacked against him.

His prior two albums had been decent, but both had paled in comparison to his debut.

His crew, the likes of which had never been seen before, was more than a decade removed from its astronomical height.

The music — the culture — was in the midst of a seismic shift to a new look and sound.

Sequels to rap albums very rarely live up to their name — or hype — and the expectations for this one had been building for more than ten years.

Thus, when Raekwon announced that he would be releasing the long-awaited continuation to his stellar debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, everything was set up for disappointment.

“Tell a friend, it’s that symbol again, that W”

By 2009, the Wu-Tang Clan was no longer seen as invincible.

After storming onto the scene with their kung fu sound effects, chess imagery, and street tales on 1993’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the group had a half-decade run of dominance of five solo albums that ranged from excellent to great, ultimately culminating in the grandiose double album Wu-Tang Forever.

One of those solo albums was Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, Raekwon’s solo effort that featured partner-in-rhyme Ghostface Killah as a guest star as the two embark one final score before leaving the streets behind. With its mafia-infused cinematic rhymes — and aliases — over RZA’s layered soundscapes, it influenced albums by other greats of that era, specifically It Was Written, Reasonable Doubt, and Life After Death, and was the greatest album in a year that boasted several classics.

Following the completion of what the Clan’s de facto leader, RZA, had designed as a five-year plan, which had taken the group from the slums of Shaolin to the top of the Billboard chart in the summer of 1997, the group began to drift, both from each other and from its place atop hip-hop.

RZA no longer held dominion over everyone and everything, and the members’ newfound freedom led to every Clansman aside from Masta Killa dropping a solo album between 1998 and 2000. The results were, at best, mixed and the Wu logo lost a bit of its luster, both as a group and from a personal perspective.

By the end of the first decade of the new millennium, Staten Island’s swordsmen were in the limbo — they were no longer at the forefront of the culture but they had not yet transitioned into their legendary elder statesmen status that leans on nostalgia in a Showtime documentary, a scripted Hulu series, and anniversary concerts.

For Raekwon, one of the Clan’s sharpest swords, his experience matched that of the group as a whole with two uneven projects — 1999’s Immobilarity and 2003’s The Lex Diamond Story — that featured only two Ghostface appearances and zero RZA and were considered to be letdowns by most.

While anticipation for a second Cuban Linx… disc was high, expectations were guarded.

“Cuban Link Dynasty has emerged”

It had been anticipated — and promised — for years.

The Chef began talking about it in 2005, a full decade from when the original had been released. Immediately, speculation began to swirl about who would — and would not — be involved.

It’s going to come out on Aftermath with plenty of Dr. Dre beats and be executive produced by Busta Rhymes!

It’s going to be completely produced by RZA!

Instead of Ghostface, Inspectah Deck and GZA are going to be the co-stars!

And on and on.

Such rumors remained rampant as the years crept by, promised release dates came and went, and Raekwon continued to fine-tune the album while skeptics pointed to the delay as proof that it was an impossible task. From time to time, Rae would give an interview vowing the project was nearly complete, but interest in the mythical album would truly spike only when music was heard like in 2007, the RZA-produced “State of Grace” and the J. Dilla-backed “Baggage Handlers” leaked online. Both tracks, which featured audio from Scarface, not only sounded but felt, like Cuban Linx cuts. Finally, there was proof and, for the first time, it felt like fiction may finally become fact.

It would take another two years, during which time most fans went from a feeling of optimism to one of resigned disappointment that it would never see the light of day.

Finally, on September 8, 2009, fourteen years, one month, and one week after its predecessor had hit the streets and changed the game, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II was unleashed. It was more than worth the wait as the incredibly high expectations were not only met but exceeded.

The original reached legendary status not only because of the music but also due to the cassette’s unique purple tinting. Raekwon said he “wanted his album to stand out against the typical pile of tapes that collected on the floors of people’s cars,” and making it purple would differentiate it.

Of course, cassettes were no longer standard in 2009, but Rae was still able to reference his classic choice by making the artwork on the actual disc a purple tape — with the hole in the CD serving as one of the cassette’s holes.

Whereas the first purple tape was a “loose narrative about rising through the urban criminal ranks,” part two is “a loose narrative about a now-middle-aged drug dealer struggling with, but ultimately celebrating, his hard-bitten survival.”

Picking up exactly where the first one ended, Pt. II even utilizes the end of the final song on the original (“North Star [Jewels]”) as the start of the sequel (“Return of the North Star”).

From there, it kicks off with a bang in the form of “House of Flying Daggers,” which finds Deck, Ghostface, and Method Man spitting over a relentless marching synth that immediately took its place among the greatest Wu posse cuts ever.

“Pyrex Vision” finds the Chef back in the kitchen again and though it is under a minute long, it still resonates. “Black Mozart” brilliantly — and appropriately — interpolates The Godfather soundtrack; Rae delivers a compassionate tribute to his late comrade Ol’ Dirty Bastard on “Ason Jones”; “10 Bricks,” featuring Ghostface and Cappadonna, feels like it was recorded in ’95; and “New Wu,” along with the dual closer of “Mean Streets” and “Kiss the Ring” are all vintage cinematic Cuban Linx tracks but delivered in the relaxed manner that comes with age and maturity.

It is very much a family affair as every living Clansman aside from U-God appears at least once, but whereas Nas was the only emcee outside of the group invited to the original, Rae opened up the second journey to several more non-Wu members, each of whom bring their own brand of potency. There’s Beanie Sigel’s introspective verse about being locked up on “Have Mercy” to Jadakiss and Styles P. bringing their asphalt aesthetics to “Broken Safety” to Busta Rhymes and the legend Slick Rick being their serious yet playful selves on “About Me” and “We Will Rob You,” respectively.

The combination of featured guests shows how Rae was attempting to look both backward and forward at the same time, revisiting the first one while also appreciating the growth that had transpired over the years:

“The whole main purpose of the album is to make you reminisce. But at the same token, you still gotta show some kind of growth, and we did that, too. My mind is thinkin’ in both directions at the same time — on makin’ a classic album and still managin’ to make it sound like how we was feelin’ when we made music way back when.”

Even more than through the rhyme spitters, this duality was achieved through the lush, atmospheric backdrops that came from the roster of producers that ranged from excellent (Scram Jones) to legendary (J Dilla, Pete Rock), from Shaolin veterans (RZA, Mathematics, True Master) to those new to the Wu sound (Marley Marl, Dr. Dre).

Each one kept not only the same sound, but also the same vibe and feel of the original, channeling vintage RZA without biting him or compromising their own approach: “The myriad of producers didn’t work together, but somehow they all managed to end up on the same page.”

All of it — rhymes, beats, imagery, even the cover art — came together to create another perfect mixture:

“Everything about Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II demands worship and solidifies Raekwon as one of history’s best with a continuation that exceeds his original debut in every way imaginable.”

“When I step inside, kiss the ring”

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 — and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart — both matching the highest chart placements of the original. Moreover, it was the number one downloaded album on iTunes for the first three days following its release, a significant accomplishment, particularly when considering it had been six years since Rae had released an LP and that one had not even cracked the top 100 of the chart, not to mention where the Clan stood in the minds of most casual rap fans.

The album was included in dozes of best-of-year lists. Both The Source and Hip Hop DX crowned it the album of the year and Complex ranked it as the fifth-best album of 2009. Accolades came from outside hip-hop as well, with Pitchfork also choosing it as the fifth-best album of 2009, PopMatters slotting it seventh, and Slant placing it eighth. It was even praised by the likes of Time (seventh-best album of the year) and The New York Times (eighth).

In total, it was the sixth-highest rated album of the year across all genres and the top hip-hop entry on the list by a wide margin.

By returning to his greatest accomplishment, Raekwon also reclaimed his spot among hip-hop’s best lyricists, even being crowned emcee of the year by HipHopDX and lauded by Time: “Raekwon is a poet of grime, a storyteller who understands that rap is less about an easy hook than the collision of carefully chosen words.”

It was rap’s equivalent of The Godfather Part II — a sequel that not only lives up to the original while also standing on its own merits but, when experienced together as part of a duology, brings even more impact to the original.

After a decade-and-a-half of anticipation, promises, false starts, and disappointments, Raekwon ultimately defied the odds and created a classic that is also the greatest rap sequel of all time:

“With a heavy dose of Ghostface, flawless sequencing, tremendous cohesion despite the range of producers, and age-defying lyrical performances from Raekwon himself, Pt. II matches the magic of its originator without trying to recreate it.”

Republished from THE PASSION OF CHRISTOPHER PIERZNIK

Christopher Pierznik is the author of nine books, including The Hip Hop 10 and Hip Hop Scholar, all of which are available in paperback and Kindle. In addition to his own site, his work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, and many more. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

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Regrann from @the_children_of_africa - Japan as well😡, China as well😡, The Middle East as well, India as well... The list goes on. How many countries of people are out there siding with the "Whites" against the "Blacks" just to get in the good graces of these Beasts?🤔 How many? Let's get a FULL count of ALL the enemies of "THE BLACK RACE". #sonsofafrica #daughtersofafrica #wakeup #wakeupnow #blackpeoplerise #standup #standtogether #fightback #freeyourmind #loveeachother #loveyourself #kings #queens #allwegotisus #blackman #blackwoman #ebonymen #ebonywomen #blackisbeautiful #melanin #crips #bloods #all #gangs #gangsters #unite #africa #asone #unitedwestand #dividedwefall

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QUIZ ON CHILDREN’S LITERATURE (STORIES)

1)    Name 10 typical story character-types (not names of characters!)

Confidante - Someone in whom the central character confides, thus revealing the main character's personality, thoughts, and intentions. The confidante does not need to be a person.

Dynamic Character A character who changes during the course of a story or novel. The change in outlook or character is permanent. Sometimes a dynamic character is called a developing character.

Flat Character A character who reveals only one, maybe two, personality traits in a story or novel, and the trait(s) do not change.

Foil Character A character that is used to enhance another character through contrast. Cinderella's grace and beauty as opposed to her nasty, self-centered stepsisters is one clear illustration of a foil many may recall from childhood.

Round Character A well developed character who demonstrates varied and sometimes contradictory traits. Round characters are usually dynamic (change in some way over the course of a story).

Static Character A character that remains primarily the same throughout a story or novel. Events in the story do not alter a static character's outlook, personality, motivation, perception, habits, etc.

Stock Character A special kind of flat character who is instantly recognizable to most readers. Possible examples include the "geek with the pen protector," "silly blond," or "book worm." These characters definitely fit the mold of a stereotypical character. They are not the focus nor developed in the story.

Protagonist The good character in the story...often times the victim or the nice guy/girl/animal/character.

Antagonist A character who antagonizes the other characters..he/she is not nice at all.

A Threshold Guardian: Someone who likes things the way they are and opposes the protag when she wants to change that.

2)    Name 5-10 typical objects and 5-10 scenes you would encounter in a children’s story

·       Excalibur

·       The Wicked Witch of the West’s Broom

·       Golden hair

·       Ringing peach

·       haversack

·       silver handkerchief

·       Youngest son won in the end

·       Enchanted Prince or Princess

·       three wishes from a magical creatures

·        

3)    Name as many story types (i.e. genres) as you can

·       ballad

·       Bibliograpy

·       Conteporary realistic fiction

·       pattern book

·       tall tales

·         fable

·         fairy tale

·         fantasy

·         fiction

·         folk tale

·         legend

·         myth

·         picture book

·         pop-up book

4)    Name 5-10 well-known classical children’s stories (tales)

Ugly duckling

Cinderella

Snow White

Little Mermaid

Beauty And the Beast

Little Red Ridinghood

Three Little Pigs

The Little MArch Girl

Three Blind Mice

Sleeping Beauty

The Jugle Book

5)    Name some characteristic features that (most) stories have in common

Good/Bad Fairy

Princess, Prince

Queen, King

Poor boy

6)    Do you know any modern or special variations of any children’s stories ? Give an example. What makes it a variation? Why is it special?

A cinderella story – This is a modern version of the original Cinderella story.

Movie Plot:

Samantha or "Sam", has a rough childhood with her father dying in an earthquake and a new stepmother with two awful stepdaughters. But on the bright side, Sam has an awesome best friend named Carter and an email relationship with a guy named Nomad. One day, Sam gets an email from her Nomad saying that he wants to meet her in the middle of the dance floor at their high school Halloween dance. She accepts the invitation and glides into the room wearing the best outfit ever! Her Nomad takes her outside where they share a romantic dance together and Sam realizes that her email friend is the most popular guy in school, Austin Ames. She runs back to her stepmother's diner before she knows she went to the dance and drops her phone on the way. Austin finds it and starts a search for his Cinderella.

7)    Name 5-10 picture books for young learners

Hippo has a hat

Monkey and me

The Odd Egg

Where the wild things are

Goodnight mood

The Giving tree

Blueberris for Sal

The Snowy Day

8)    Name 5-10 ChL terminology words (NOT prince, cottage, etc. but some special technical words such as: plot or multilayered. Define them in English.

illustration: something that illustrates, as a picture in a book or magazine.

verse:a succession of metrical feet written, printed, or orally composed asone line; one of the lines of a poem

drama: composition for performance ont he stage

fiction: prose writing that tells about imaginery characters and events

narration: writing that tells a story

onomatopoeia: the use of words that imitate sounds

poetry: one of the three major types of literature, the others are pose and drama

rhyme: the repetition of sounds at the end of words, rhymed words have the same vowel sounds in their accented syllables

9)    Name 5-10 ’modern’ children’s stories or storybooks that have not been mentioned yet.

Hodja The King

Milk for Mullah

The Lost Tree

The Coconut tree

Tikku and the rats

10)                   Brainstorm some typical phrases that you would expect to hear in a children’s story (e.g. at the beginning of the story etc...)

·       Once upon a time

·         Before the beginning of time, before the beginning of everything, before

·         Far beyond the edge of the world there lived.

·         if they are not dead then they are still living

·         Lived happily ever after

·         there was a beginning...