#i have like 500 posts in my q as well rip

[ev-moved]

same url @ev

ive had this blog since 2016 and its been stressing me out lately so im making a new one. NOT an aesthetic blog anymore im just gonna post w/e the hell i want so dont feel pressured to follow it.

[fencer-x]

Fencer’s Big Eva Review

Just got done watching the Eva finale, so it’s time to get out thoughts while they’re fresh! Caveat: Eva is difficult to understand for native speakers, and I’m definitely not a native speaker XD I feel like I got maybe half, and got the rough gist of like 10% of the rest, and the remaining was just no friggin’ clue. Would’ve gone better if there’d at least been JP subs, but you’ll have to deal with what I’ve got for now!

It should be obvious, but there’ll be HELLA MAJOR SPOILERS for the final Evangelion movie. Ready? Let’s go.

The movie very helpfully starts off with a ~2 min recap of the movies thus far. This was great because I didn’t have time to rewatch the previous three before going, and while I’ve seen them a few times, it took me a second the recall what had happened at the very end of Q, so I was glad to get a very brief recap.

The actual movie itself opens on...Paris! Or Paris post-Near-Third-Impact (Third Impact?), which is a red and black wasteland. It seems that Wille has been developing these things that look like Entry Plugs that they shove into the ground and restore everything to pre-all-impacts (so like, blue water and everything); couldn’t get HOW it managed that, but they had them and were attempting to restore Paris.

Would have been a walk in the park except for weird Eva-Angel-Machine hybrids that were trying to prevent them from activating the plugs. Lots of fighting happens, with Mari piloting her Eva to give them cover while the Wille staff set everything up. Eventually they manage it, and Euro Nerv is restored.

Then we switch over to right where Q left off: Asuka, Clone!Rei, and a catatonic Shinji wandering around trying to go who knows where. They eventually get picked up by...Touji! Yes, an older Touji now who lives in a commune of survivors, scraping out a semblance of a life in one of the areas protected by the aforementioned plugs (they had another name but I couldn’t get it).

In this community, Touji is the local doctor--and he’s married with a kid! He married Hikari, and they have an infant daughter named Tsubame. 

Now, let’s check in how our main three do when introduced to this relatively normal life they get to enjoy for a few weeks:

Asuka: Still in ‘fight mode’, ready to go at a moment’s notice. How she thinks she’s gonna fight when she has no Eva idk, but for this entire little bit, she’s either naked or in her plugsuit. She stays with Aida Kensuke, who’s kind of the handyman, and is generally just rude af.

Shinji: For 90% of this bit, he’s totally shut off. He’s incredibly fucked up from having JUST watched Kaworu die, essentially because of him, and Asuka has on a DSS choker, and every time he sees it, he collapses and begins vomiting violently. He stays with the Suzuharas at first but is quickly sent to stay with Asuka and Kensuke because they don’t really know how to deal with him. Kensuke manages to get him to open up a little bit, but eventually it’s Rei who gets him started on the path back to being himself. At one point he runs away and ‘lives’ alone for a while in what I think was either the building where he first met Kaworu playing the piano or one that looked a lot like it. He goes out to do odd jobs with Kensuke a lot, and on one occasion he’s taken to an ‘outdoor lab’ where some workers are experimenting with new gardening techniques. It’s here he’s meets...Kaji Ryouji. No, not that Kaji Ryouji. That Kaji DIED. This is the son he had with Misato (named after him).

Rei: Now, let me say I’ve never been super interested in Rei. I didn’t dislike her, like I did Asuka, but I wasn’t really interested in her either. She was just there. Guys.....I LOVED REI IN THIS MOVIE. I would have watched 2.5 hours of the Rei Learns To Be A Human show and been happy for the $20 I paid. Rei spends her time in the commune learning to be an individual. She stays with the Suzuharas and learns what different words mean, like “Good morning” and “Good night” and “Thank you” and “Goodbye”, she gets super close with a bunch of old ladies who essentially adopt her and teach her how to plant turnips and what a bath is, and she becomes her own person. When she first arrives, the Suzuharas think she’s “Ayanami Rei”, but she explains that she isn’t, so they call her “Sokkuri-san” instead (”Miss Spitting Image” essentially), and the old ladies find it amusing at first but then encourage her to choose her own name, and when she can’t think of one, they tell her to have someone choose one for her, so she asks the Uber-Depressed Shinji to choose one. These interactions are what eventually pull him back to himself, but ultimately he’s unable to come up with one, because “Ayanami is Ayanami”. She thanks him for trying anyway, returns his SD player to him..............................and then dissolves into a pile of LCL fluid, as apparently all clones eventually return to LCL. Fantastic, because Shinji didn’t need EVEN MORE TRAUMA.

Somehow, the above doesn’t break Shinji, and he resolves to go back to Wille and face his father I guess?? I’m not entirely clear on why (gotta go read some reports of my own I guess lol). Back on the ship with Misato et al., Shinji isn’t forced to wear a choker but he’s put in a cell with like explosives in it I guess. He starts having visions of Kaworu helping him accept things.

At this point it’s getting close to the climax, and Wille are going after Nerv/Gendo once and for all. During the final fight, Asuka tried to take out Unit 13′s core, and then she’s not managing it, she rips off her eyepatch, and we see that the patch was keeping the 9th angel bound within her eye, so she decides to throw away her humanity and let it take over to destroy Unit 13. Unfortunately, she’s killed in the end--how? She’s approached by a vision of her ‘original’. Yup, Asuka was a clone herself, like Rei, and she turns back into LCL and she and unit 02 are absorbed by Unit 13.

Eventually the fight comes down to Shinji vs. Gendo, who has thrown away his own humanity and bonded with Unit 13 in the hopes of completing the Human Instrumentality Project. He and Shinji go head to head as Shinji summons (???) Unit 01 from inside Unit 13, and there’s a really REALLY WEIRD final fight between the two that involves some weird animation choices. Lots of storyboards and overly CGI’d CGI, and some bits that seem to take them through the different incarnations of the Eva series.

We also get Gendo backstory by the boatload as he and Shinji have an actual goddamn conversation for once. Mari features prominently in Gendo’s flashbacks so she was definitely one of his classmates it seems, who introduced him to Fuyutsuki. I’m still not entirely clear on who she is/was.

However, through this conversation, Shinji gives the people he’s interacted with most closely/been closest with closure I guess? Gendo, Asuka...Kaworu.

So about Kaworu. Their conversation was VERY VERY WEIRD; it’s made clear that Shinji is also now aware of all the different iterations of their meeting. When they talk, it’s set at the beach where they first met in the TV series, and Shinji says he remembers all the times they’ve met before. Shinji mentions that Kaworu reminds him a lot of his father, and then there are some very strange flashbacks (????) of Kaworu’s that I feel like imply he’s to Gendo as Rei is to Yui. At one point, he’s seen talking to Fuyutsuki, trying to decide on a name for himself and settling on ‘Nagisa’ as it means ‘beach’, where the ocean meets the land. Fuyutsuki later addresses Kaworu, who’s sitting in Gendo’s desk, as “Commander Nagisa”. Kaworu reflects to Shinji that he failed so many times to make Shinji happy, but he’s realized now that that’s because he doesn’t know what would make Shinji happy and it was arrogant to think he knew better. He was looking for his own happiness all along.

In the end, after all these goodbyes, Shinji is left with the decision of what to do with, well, reality. He decides, in a conversation with Rei, that he’ll reset everything--create a ‘neon genesis’--to a world without Eva or Angels.

Our last shot is an older Shinji meeting his (presumed??) girlfriend Mari on a train platform. On the opposite platform waiting for their own train are Kaworu, Asuka, and Rei. Shinji and Mari hold hands and run, laughing, from the train station.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION GOT A HAPPY ENDING. 2021 REALLY BE OUT HERE WILDING.

My final thoughts:

Okay I’ll say it: the fuck with Shinji/Mari endgame? Believe me, it was completely out of left field even in this movie. They just happened to be the only final survivors. Mari flirted a hell of a lot more with ASUKA and was distraught at her death than she did with Shinji. They were a kind of cute couple in the end, but very ????? 

I’m disappointed Shinji wasn’t the one to give Kaworu his happiness in the end, after Kaworu spent so long and so many lives and realities trying to make him happy and failing. I’m choosing to believe, since these multiple realities/resets are canon now, that he did it in one of them. They all deserve the happiness of their choosing, not just Shinji’s, and Kaworu showed us time and time again that his happiness definitively involves being with Shinji.

I’m sure I missed a lot, because yanno, Eva, and it was long enough as is, but gosh I wish I could’ve understood more of everything that was going on, cause there was SO MUCH WEIRD SHIT.

If I watch this movie again, I will 500% just be watching those “Rei learns to be human with the help of a bunch of old cackling biddies” bits :> Those were THE BEST PARTS OF THE MOVIE.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Translation Plans

Well... my break was pretty good. was finally able to download the clean fresh live version of the cxm secret mission that i had my eye on since i ranked up, saw the 1984 wonder woman movie (it was okay and I could write an essay on what didn’t sit well with me as a fan of the comics [im kinda of a comic book purist when it comes to the way characters think and their behaviour] but I really liked Lynda Carter’s cameo).... made a lot of progress on one of the hakumyu piano arrangements i’m working on (have now probably listened to certain parts of that song over a hundred times now), watched a bunch of the original hakuoki musicals in hd.... and I finally got my dad to play Batman: Arkham Asylum. My bro and I have been trying to get that to happen for years lol... especially since it has Conroy and Hamill doing the Batman and Joker voices (the animated series is the best!). super steep learning curve tho since it’s being played on the ps3 and the last console he used was the Nintendo Gamecube.    

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stock up on translations as much as I would have liked to during this time on account of my hardware seriously acting up... to the point that I needed to send my laptop in for repairs and get a new one. Aside from how unresponsive my keyboard was and how hot it got, the laptop itself had become quite slow... though that might have been because my passport [external storage drive] took a bad fall which made a lot of my files harder to access since it was barely able to handle files being accessed/copied/moved off of it (this is after diagnosing it and repairing it via command prompt chkdsk x: / r), with the latter being what I spent most of my break waiting for as i avoided using my laptop since the majority of my drama rips and game capture videos were on it... To give you an idea of how long this took (and how long it is still taking), I went from being able to transfer my 50mb of files in a few seconds... to sometimes taking more than a day (tho other times i’d be able to get 4gb moved in >24 hours, making the timing super inconsistent. also i don’t have access to a cd drive now so i can’t just re-rip things)... which is why I haven’t been able to work on any videos since my last post (I have more than 1.3TB of stuff to move, so my new laptop isn’t exactly at its best right now and won’t be for a long while since I’m not going to be using a recovery service as waiting out the transfers for everything out will definitely be cheaper... the ballpark estimate I got was being anywhere from $500-2000, which is money that i am not exactly eager to part from just for the sake of saving time)... meaning I also probably won’t get to videos for a while since subtitling requires accurate timing and im not fond of things freezing on me while working on videos... ugh. i still have to do an insane amount of grinding later in warframe once my current batch of files finishes transferring... 

Anyway, below is a list of what I’ve mostly managed to schedule (anything with a “?” is something that I haven’t committed to) and a list of what I’d like to get done this year (can’t make any guarantees... however, im probably going to try and translate some things with souma this year cuz of hakumyu), while the stuff in bold text is on my shortlist of things I intend to prioritize (Saito’s Ginsei no Shou chapters and Shinsengumi Oni-tan are still being worked on though not as actively since they’re a lot longer...). 

Also, aside from December, the month that CNY falls on (February this year) and March (bday) will be the only foreseeable times when I put out less translations tho I’ll probably be playing video catch-up during that time this year since i’m not sure what i’ll be able to get done as i wait for my files to get moved.

oh well. I’m still aiming towards posting stuff on a weekly basis for the rest of the year... here’s hoping that it’s less volatile.... tho i unfortunately have non-existent expectations given what made the news yesterday. just glad i don’t live there.

YAISA!

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

January

Yuugiroku 3 Saito Fall story today!

Chapter 7 of Saito’s route from Ginsei no Shou + 4-koma

Hakuoki Kyoka-Roku Kazama CG Character Perspective [no vid. havent beaten this game and im not sure when i’ll feel like speed running through it]

Hakuo Gakuen Q & A

February 

Stellaworth Hana no Shou After Story - Harada

Chapter 1 of Saito’s route from Ginsei no Shou

Web drama 8

March

Yuugiroku 3 - Short Episode #8 (Kazama/Amagiri/Shiranui) [still need to get video and screenshots] 

Yuugiroku Drama CD Thumb Sized Samurai Track 1-4 (4 is WIP)?

Char monologue?

April

2017 Otomate Hakuoki SSL April Fool’s Day

薄桜鬼 遊戯録 隊士達の大宴会 店铺特典「教えてください山崎さん！」 (completed yesterday)

Yuugiroku 3 - Short Episode #6 “Yukimura the page’s secret”?

char perspective?

Other

Hijikata Biyori (cuz these are short) 

Yuugiroku 3 Short Episodes (these are longer than the ssl cross and daily stories)

Kyoka Roku Conversation in the Rain - Okita/Toudou/Kazama

Kyoka-Roku CG perspectives

2013 Otomate Party Hakuoki drama “Ideal place for a disagreement”

Saito Ginsei no Shou Chapters

Shinsengumi Oni-tan

Stellaworth Hana no Shou After Stories - Souji, Heisuke (THIS YEAR FOR SURE DAMMIT!)

2011 Hakuoki Reimeiroku Otomate Party drama

Stellaworth Nightshade Kuroyuki CD

薄桜鬼 遊戯録弐 祭囃子と隊士達 A店特典「あなた好みの想いの形」

薄桜鬼 真改 ~風華大全~ 特典「稽古の痛み」

2016 Otomate Party Code:Realize drama* (this is almost 30 min so i will probably translate less that month if i get to it)

2019 ????????????? Halloween SS?*

????????????? Stellaworth Vocal CD (8 tracks)*

*have to check these 3 since I don’t actively follow these fandoms/tags tho im pretty sure no one has translated anything from the fandom for the last 2 items.

also, re:patreon goal - i am currently not able to access the files for the drama i am looking to get a translation commissioned for as it is in the process of being moved off of my damaged passport. 29gb  remains as part of that transfer, which is the result of me trying to move all 865 files from where i keep the majority of the hakuoki dramas i’ve saved all at once... ended up doing that because every time I access that hard drive, each time i open up a folder, and every time I highlight a file to move, the file explorer goes “not responding” for an uncertain amount of time, and have instead opted in doing something that would hopefully reduce the likelihood of something crashing.

[heath-ur]

00Q Kinktober - Day 7

Prompt List ; Ao3  Pairing: Bond x Q  Prompt: Sixty-Nine  Warnings: Smut, No Beta

Me: I need to get faster at these. Only 100-300 words of lead-up & 500-600 words of smut. No more auxiliary characters. Go. 

Also Me: So let’s do nearly 700 words of unnecessary plot and make R lesbian.

Brain, why?   

The next afternoon, Q is still doing his best not to show his subordinates just how sore his ass is. He’s not sure how successful he’s been able to hide it from R or Moneypenny; going by their smug looks, not much, so he just eyes them smugly right back. ‘Yes, my arse is sore,’ he hopes his looks covey, ‘but it was so worth it.’ Going by their eye-rolls, he thinks they get it. 

Despite the distraction, he is able to complete 3 projects and assists 002 with breaching the security of her weapons-dealing mark. They gather enough intel that she’ll be returning to London in the next 48 hours. All-in-all, he thinks he deserves to be a little smug. 

So of course that’s when Bond walks into Q branch. Damn. Q knew he was forgetting something. 

He knows - he knows - that neither Bond or Alec consider these little liaisons as going steady. There has been no talk about exclusivity, they both still fuck during missions with or without honeypots. And that’s fine. Q isn’t one to be jealous - it’s a waste of productivity and energy. And he’s used to having multiple and infrequent partners. That’s what happens when you work with a governmental spy agency. 

However, he also knows that the two blonds are quite good friends. And also know how to kill with their thumbs. When he started this he didn't know that they would keep coming back for this long; he hadn’t realized that he would need to tell them about each other. Honestly, he’d thought that after the first successful mission each, the agents would lose interest. But of course they can’t even follow their own usual patterns. 

So this leaves Q standing at his platform station, hands planted on his sit-stand desk, as he faces a post-mission-high double-oh that wants a booty call while Q’s booty is off-the-table this time around. Q nods in Bond’s direction and cuts his eyes to the office-space he rarely uses since he prefers to stand among his subordinates. 

Bond nods back and wanders into the small, separated space. R gives Q a glance over her tablet as she swings by his desk with a new cup of tea. Q signs and takes a sip of the tea. His voice is as dry as the desert when he speaks up, “Alert security if I’m not back out in 5?”

R snorts and rolls her eyes, “And have them walk in to you being buggered? No thanks, boss. You’ve got about 30 minutes until that meeting with HR.” 

Oh, big buggering fuck. He forgot about that, too. Alec must have shorted out his brain last night. He hums and takes a bigger swing of his tea. “I suppose that’s another option.”

R sighs. Q isn’t sure how she makes it both exasperated and wistful. “If 002 ever fancies me back, you best be as understanding as I’m being right now.” 

Q nods, “If you find yourself a lady worthy of your brilliance, you can always borrow my office.” He turns and winks at her before making his way to the office. 

Inside, Bond is sitting on the futon that takes up a good third of the room while he looks at the lone Home Bargains art print on the opposing wall. He looks up and smirks as Q walks in and locks the door. “You know, not that I’m opposed to office sex, but I was planning on offering you dinner again.”

Q shrugs and crosses his arms, “I’ve 4 more hours, at least. No sense in you waiting. However, full disclosure, I’ve only 30 minutes and my arse isn’t an option at this time. I’m too sore.” 

Bond’s eyebrows slowly rise higher on his face as Q speaks, but his smile never waivers. “Oh? Well, I hope it was at least worth it. Anyone I know?” He waggles said eyebrows, gesturing with his hand for Q to step closer. 

Q steps until he’s only an arms reach away, humming. “Well, I have a type, you see. Something about blonds and muscles and men with licenses to kill.” He shrugs nonchalantly and loses the last of his nervous energy as Bond’s grin widens.

Bond lunges forward to wrap his palms gently at Q’s hips to drag him forward. “So, you’re Alec’s little kitten, hmm? He was singing your praises this morning.” 

Q slides one of his knees between Bond’s thighs to rest it on the futon’s edge, draping his arms loosely on Bond’s shoulders. “Do you two always gossip about your conquests?” 

Bond laughs and rubs his palms soothingly up Q’s back. “Only the good ones. And never enough to breach the virtues of their privacy. But, oh, the things we’re going to be talking about after this.” He suddenly reaches a hand up and grips Q’s curls in a tight grip, tugging him down enough for a kiss. 

Q can’t help his startled moan as he opens up his mouth for the kiss, letting Bond control the depth as he keeps gripping and twisting at the strands in his hand. When he’s let up, he knows his eyes must be dazed and he can feel the flush in his cheeks and down his neck. “So, no concerns, then?”

Bond confirms with another kiss, this one lasting only long enough to make Q whine as Bond pulls back and angles Q’s head to kiss down his jaw and throat to bite against the fabric of Q’s shirt. “30 minutes?” 

Q nods.

“Well, best make it worth it,” Bond winks and starks working on Q’s trouser buttons. Q gets with the program and begins to reciprocate, fighting with Bond’s buckle until it’s bested. 

Cocks freed, Bond pulls two condoms from his suit jacket pocket and rips one open to put onto his own cock. At the same time, he shifts and settles until he’s laying sideways on the futon, pants sliding off and down his legs. Q begins following him but gets stopped by a palm on his hip. “Turn around, Q, let me see Alec’s hard work.” 

Q blushes and his cock jumps as he fumbles putting the condom on. He lets his pants fall full to the ground, tripping out of his shoes to scramble onto the futon and swinging one leg to straddle Bond’s thighs, facing Bond’s feet. The man wears sock garters, the functional (non-functional) part of his brain thought as Bond’s previous words scrolled through the other half of his brain. 

Bond puts his hands back to Q’s hips and arranges the man as he sees fit, to get a better look. He hums and draws one finger around a still- tender mark of Alec’s index on the back of Q’s thigh. “Oh, these will be beautiful bruises. It really is too bad that he didn’t take pictures like he had wanted to.” 

Q’s traitorous cock jumps  again. He had to curl into himself and let his hands drop to either side of Bond’s knees. “20 minutes.” Q fails at trying to sound unaffected. 

Bond lets out an affected sad sigh. “We both best get to it, then.” And then in one motion he pulls Q’s hips closer to his head as he slides further down the futon to take Q’s cock in his mouth. It’s heat and the flutter of Bond’s tongue and the tapered rumble of his trapped laugh.

Q curses and takes a breath before he returns the favor and presses his mouth around Bond’s cock, sucking and working his tongue, trying to get his self-possession back by proving his skill. If Bond’s approving hum is any indication, he’s succeeding. Of course, that hum is accompanied by a controlled roll of Bond’s hip, making Q take more until Bond’s cock is being swallowed in the preservation of Q’s gag-reflex. 

Q sucks and rolls his own hips, smacking at Bond’s thigh in reprimand as the older man presses a thumb into one of Q’s forming bruises just to make him jump. He can’t help but squirm, even with his dick held in Bond’s mouth. The other hand gripping and fondling his bullocks doesn't help. Q would try working on Bond’s, but to be honest he needs both wobbling arms to hold himself up. 

Instead, he rises off until only Bond’s tip is still inside his mouth, takes a deep breath, and goes back down in three quick bobs, holding at the tip against just to repeat the pattern. The noises are slick and sound loud in the room. Q has a moment of concern about sound-proofing or lack thereof, but quickly forgets the concern as Bond does something with his tongue. Oh, maybe he could learn that.

The whole experience is a race to the finish-line and both parties cross nearly at the same time with matching thrusts and hot suction, faces messy and breathless. Q pulls back onto his knees and checks his watch. 

4 minutes. “Fuck.”

[onestowatch]

Aidan Alexander Walks Us Through His Birth Chart, Favorite Vines, & Friendship With Billie Eilish [Q&A]

Aidan Alexander’s impressive talents extend far beyond any singular medium. From acting, amassing an avid following on every social media platform that’s worth using, to now, music, the 20-year-old is the reason why the term crossover success was invented in the first place. However, upon hearing Alexander’s music for the first time, it is difficult to see him as anything but a genuine musical talent. With only three singles to his name to date, “I Don’t Love You,” “Yours,” and “melancholia,” Alexander poignantly touches on themes surrounding love with delicately painted brushstrokes of lush atmospheric pop. 

Currently working towards his highly-anticipated debut EP, we had the chance to sit down with Alexander to discuss his transition to music, but it was in our moments of spirited digression that I came to discover a new side of the rising talent. It is a side defined by a delightfully sarcastic demeanor, love for his Aquarian nature, an abnormally-started friendship with Billie Eilish, a desire to use his social media platform the greater good, and so much more.

OTW: It’s been a few years since you moved, but how has the transition been from Idaho to Los Angeles?

Aidan: It was a culture shock. My mom used to live in New York for a long time. So, growing up, I used to spend a lot of time in New York as well. Luckily, I got to experience more prior to going to LA. You know? I had a little bit of a cushioning. But I loved it. I loved the commotion. I love the chaos. There’s a lot of inspiration all around me. There’s a lot in Idaho, as well, but it’s a different kind.

OTW: So what made you choose LA over New York?

Aidan: I came to LA for acting. LA, I think is a little bit better for acting than New York. Also, I need space and I don’t know if I could do a 500 square foot apartment for like $4500. Maybe one day. I was telling my friends I would love to spend a year in New York. And then I have dual citizenship in Europe so then maybe after that I would just jet away. Out of here. Always just going east.

OTW: In a past interview, you said you were either too busy or too scared to pursue music. What is it about now that made you finally pursue it?

Aidan: I don’t think I was ever too busy. I think I was just being a little bitch about it. I think I’m just a perfectionist. You know, it’s my nature. I’m just very, very meticulous with details. So I really wanted it to be perfect. And that’s probably why I would say it took a little bit. But now that I kind of ripped the band-aid off, I’m like, “Let’s get it.” You know?

OTW: What was the immediate feeling like after releasing “I Don’t Love You?”

Aidan: I was just very happy. It’s cool to have people finally hear what I've been listening for months. It's cool to have them finally get it. You know? There’s more to reference. I can finally be, like, “This was really cool when I was in the studio working on this.” It’s another thing to talk about.

OTW: So speaking on being meticulous, does that have to do with your Aquarius nature?  Aidan: I don’t know if being meticulous about detail is an Aquarius thing. I just know that “I Don’t Love You” is an Aquarius thing. The first single. That’s very much my Aquarian nature. Yeah, I don’t know if that’s my zodiac sign coming into play or not. It might be. It probably is. Either that or just my flat personality. One of the two.

OTW: On the topic of stars, do you know your whole chart? 

Aidan: I know that my sun is a Gemini, which is really spooky. I’m a crazy person. I think my mars is a Leo. That’s all I know.

OTW: You don’t know your moon?

Aidan: I don’t know my moon. Let me check. I have it on my phone. It’s gonna bother me really bad. Let me pull up my chart.

OTW: Yeah, I’m a Gemini moon, so…

Aidan: Gemini moon, huh? What is moon? Is moon your emotion?

OTW: Believe moon is your emotion, which I hear it isn’t too great to be a Gemini.

Aidan: My sun is how I’m perceived which is a Gemini. I’m like, that sucks [still looking for his moon sign]. Sorry, just give me one second. It’s gonna bother me so bad. Ooh! There we go! I found her! I got her. Oh, hold on. I spoke too soon. Oh actually, I might have just gotten it. Okay. That’s pretty lit.

OTW: Whoomp, there it is.

Aidan: Okay, so, my Moon is in Leo. My Mercury is in Pisces. My Venus is Capricorn. My Mars is in Aries. Jupiter and Saturn are in Taurus. Uranus and Neptune are in Aquarius. Pluto and Lilith...I don’t even know, these just sound made up now...are Sagittarius. Sun is Gemini. So yeah, we didn’t learn too much.

OTW: We got your full birth chart though. That’s what really matters.

Aidan: I can’t wait to be picked apart by everyone who now has my natal chart.

OTW: So, both “Yours” and “I Don’t Love You” tackle love in very different ways. So is love a major part of your songwriting process right now? Or does it just happen to be present in the first few singles?

Aidan: No, love is just a major part of my life. I love love. Not even so much, like, romantic love. Whether it’s platonic love or self-love or kind of just like emanating love outward, you know? I’m a big believer in love. I think it’s romantic and it’s pretty. So, there’s a lot of things you can write that pertain to love and they can be totally different. But, you know. It’s all like one wheelhouse. Having said that, my love life is a joke [laughs]. So, I write about that a lot. Just because it’s something that matters to me. So it’s something I write about. I also write a lot about stuff that doesn’t necessarily pertain to love. A lot of it is going to be on the new EP. But no, I think that love is a big part of everything.

OTW: Is there anything you can tell us about the forthcoming EP?

Aidan: The single “Melancholia,” which is a poem I wrote when I was younger. I just thought it was really pretty and I wrote it. I kind of transplanted it into musical form. That is going to be on the EP as well as what’s already out and a few new records which I think are really cool. There’s a lot of different sounds, you know. I try to pull inspiration from a lot of different kinds of music that I liked. I’m not a big fan of when every track on a record is the exact same or sounds similar. I kind of like having a wide array. So that was something I wanted to focus on. OTW: So speaking on your vast influences that range the gamut of Robyn, Fleetwood Mac, and Billie Holiday, was that something you grew up with in your household or something that you sought out later on?

Aidan: Yeah, I remember my mom used to always sing “Blue Moon” around the house and “Good Morning Heartache” by Billie Holiday. And I used to love jazz growing up. I thought it was really pretty, so I would always sing “All of Me” by Frank Sinatra. I performed at a cafe once when I was really young. I loved the lyricism to it. I loved how poetic it was. Just cause back then you had to stand out more to be popular. There weren’t all the gimmicks that we have now. A big part of my creative process is making sure there’s a lot of focus on the lyrics. When I say that my inspirations were, like, Fleetwood Mac, people would say, “Okay, well you’re not singing folk music on a guitar.” But it’s very much like...you can draw inspiration apart from just the sound, you know? There’s the thematic content.

OTW: Has your social media popularity affected how you document your day to day life?

Aidan: You know, when I first started doing social media, I was the textbook definition of that little child running around a mall with his Snapchat out. Just cause that’s what I saw online. That’s everything that was out there. Everyone has that phase when you’re young, when you're just the absolute worst to yourself. I might still be in that phase. I’m not really sure [laughs]. I really just stray away from all that now. It’s so not me. And I’ve already done it, so I know that it isn't me. It’s really only affected me in the sense that I will post a song I’m listening to and be like “Oh, actually, maybe someone will listen to this.” If I had 200 followers, I would probably never post a screenshot of music I was listening to. I know that’s a weird example but that’s something that I think about a lot.

I think I use Instagram like a normal college student, which is not good. I should probably be more professional on my Instagram. It definitely gives me a level of responsibility, you know? Cause you have a platform. You have a voice. And you have certain responsibilities. Apart from that, I think that if anything, it just gives me more people to talk to.

OTW: On the subject of using your platform, you recently did a PSA tackling the “arming teachers” argument.  

Aidan: Oh! Yes, I did! Oh, I haven’t even talked about that yet. It was a really really cool PSA. My manager sent me the script, and I felt really passionate about it. I’m from Idaho where guns are very easily accessible. And I hate guns. I think guns are so scary. I’m very squeamish around guns. It was so comical, the whole “arming the teachers” thing. It was like, we’re doing everything except actually tackling the problem. I just thought it was so ridiculous. I saw the short as just a way to bring more attention to it in a way that wasn't too dark but still was very serious.

OTW: As an artist with a platform, is being politically and socially outspoken personally important to you?

Aidan: Personally, yeah. I just think I owe it to the greater good. Maybe that’s my Aquarian nature. I just think it's kind of a waste if you have people listening. I feel like you should be saying something that’s worthy to be listened to. I think it's like in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” You have such a chance to shed light on things that the average person doesn’t necessarily have the platform to speak on. So I think that it’s a bit of a waste of an opportunity if you don’t. 

OTW: You mentioned posting songs that you listen to. I heard that the recent Billie Eilish song made you cry.

Aidan: Whew! Yeah. I Snapchatted her last night. I was like videoing on Snapchat and it keeps going and it was like literally recording for like 10 minutes. And it was me. It was like a 45-minute long video of me just sobbing to “when the party’s over.” I sent it to her and I got a notification this morning that she screen recorded the entire thing. Yeah, so I don’t even know if that was the answer to your question.

OTW: No, that was great. So how did you two first become acquainted? 

Aidan: It’s funny because I think that she DM’d me something like, “Let’s be friends!” or something and I was like, “Oh my god you’re kidding. Of course!” And this was when “bellyache” was pretty much all she had out. I remember I sent her a photo of someone covered in beans. I don’t know why. It was super weird. And then I went to one of her concerts and then we just started hanging out. I can’t remember all the specifics. But I know that it was a very odd beginning

OTW: Just something involving beans.

Aidan: I know! I think she sent me the beans photo. So I sent it back, I think is what happened, if I recall correctly.

OTW: You’ve done acting, you’re killing the social media game, and are now venturing into music. Are there any other artistic ventures you hope to pursue in the future?

Aidan: You know, I love writing. I write screenplays and songs, so writing is very present in my acting and my music. I write essays a lot. Not essays that are argumentative school essays or something. Sometimes I feel like I’m not poetic enough to say what I’m really trying to say in a stanza of six lines. I just feel like I'm not good enough. So essays give me a big platform to spew and by the end, I think you’d somewhat know what I’m trying to say. I’d love to do an essay book or something. I already have a ton. I also wrote an entire poetry book and I was hesitant about releasing it, but maybe one day I’ll put that out. Who knows? And I love to direct as well. I’m a terrible dancer but at my gym, there are dance classes and me and my friends do that every Monday. So maybe in the near future, I will also be a talented dancer.

OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch? 

Aidan: Ooh, okay. I just found a girl on Spotify today, GIRLI. She’s so So badass. I like her song “Young” and “Day Month Second.” I also love bülow right now. She has a really good song called “You and Jennifer.” Obviously, I’m always watching Lorde. Always. Always. I think that’s it. Those are the ones I’m watching right now. Oh and also La Femme. It’s like a little French electro band.

OTW: Before you leave, describe yourself with one Vine.

Aidan: Oh, mother of God. Let me think. I have to make this good. I'm going back and forth between two. Because I act tough but I’m really a baby, I think it would be the one where the girl goes “It’s the fourth of July. Imma pop these firecrackers don’t pop em on me. Where the police at?” and the mom goes “There’s a police right there” and she gasps. That’s my favorite one. 

Or the one where he looks at a crayon or something and the sister goes “Is that a weed?” and then she calls 911. That’s funny. Ooh, or the one of the guy dancing to uh...you remember in American Horror Story where he’s like “You’re all I want! You’re all I need!” and he’s like screaming? 

There’s a video where a boy is dancing and he dubs that over to him dancing so it’s him dancing to screams and it’s pretty good. That’s probably me too. That’s my internal struggle. Just link all of those.

[jam-esc]

About two weeks ago, I came across this post on Twitter:

pervadere #FunkyAF #SummerFilmParty [Sprocket Rocket, Cinestill 50D] pic.twitter.com/ye68ObcRRD

— kim (@kimmiechem2) June 20, 2017

I liked the photo and left a  comment, and Kim replied:

Definitely recommend the Sprocket Rocket to panos lovers. Cheap & cheerful. Definitely is a light hog, however. 🙃

— kim (@kimmiechem2) June 22, 2017

About an hour of research, an hour of hunting for a good price, a debit card number, and 4 days later, I was unboxing yet another toy…

The day before the Sprocket Rocket arrived, Hamish Gill posted an interesting article about his Hasselblad X-pan and why he sold it after only 5 rolls (well, 5 rolls and 18 months).

He bought the X-pan because he thought “…it had the potential to provide me with a unique perspective, that it might challenge my framing, enable me to shoot frames that felt cinematic, and even give me a sense of medium format photography…” but then never shot with it. At $75, my investment in the Sprocket Rocket is not so high, and if I don’t end up using it much, I’m not out much. Plus, while I think the Sprocket Rocket has the potential to provide a unique perspective, challenge my framing, and encourage cinematic feel in my images, I bought it for the fun as much as anything, so I’m not sure I can lose, or, not in the same way as Hamish did with his X-pan.

I was particularly interested in Gill’s general comments around panoramic photography—in particular the “landscape trap”—and I tried (and will try) to keep it in mind when playing with the Sprocket Rocket. 

And with that, the mail carrier arrived, and I got to unboxing…

Now, I really don’t need another camera, but the Sprocket Rocket is one of the most interesting-looking and different cameras I’ve seen in awhile.

Lomography took inspiration from (or ripped off) an old bakelite camera from the late 1930s and early 1940s, made in Chicago, and marketed under about 20 different names, and this gave the camera a fun and funky sort of Art Deco feel that I really love.

With a groovy design in hand, Lomography modified the insides in several ways ways. Where those old cameras had a 50mm fixed lens and produced 4x3cm negatives on 127 film, the Sprocket Rocket has a 30mm lens and captures 36 x 72mm (or 24x72mm) panoramic negatives on 35mm film.

Now, I’ve seen and been intrigued by the cameras like the Hasselblad XPan and Fuji TX-1 and TX-2, and medium format 6x17cm cameras like the the Fuji GX617, Linhof Technorama 617, and other, less famous (and less expensive) panoramic cameras, but couldn’t ever see needing that format, especially for the price.

But at $75, I couldn’t really resist the Sprocket Rocket.

Now, comparing the Sprocket Rocket, another hunk of plastic from Lomography, with precision engineered marvels like the Fuji cameras that I’ve never used may sound silly, but bear with me…

A 90mm lens on a 617 format camera produces negatives that cover about a 90° area of view. The 30mm lens for the Hasselblads and Fujis  cover 94°. But the Sprocket Rocket gives 103° of coverage, and produces negatives 8mm wider (and 10mm taller) than the fancy ‘blads and Fujis.

Sure, it’s all plastic and only has one shutter speed (or two, if you count Bulb) and 2 rather limited apertures, but still.

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Speaking of apertures, Lomography claims the cloudy setting is f/10.8 and the sunny setting is f/16, but virtually eveyone (including Kim, above) claims the camera is light hungry, and the User Manual is explicit. From the section titled “How to Achieve Correct Settings:”

These settings have been designed for using 400 ISO film speed.

Also, under “Trouble Shooting:”

Q: I only got a few images on my roll, and most of them are very dark. A: Most probably you have been underexposing your images or even using slow speed 100 ISO film. Try out a 800 ISO film which is more light sensitive and be sure to use the B shutter in shade and indoor to get more light on the film. A flash will also brighten up any pictures (sic.), day or night!

Now, with a fixed shutter speed of 1/100th and an aperture of f/16, the Sunny 16 rule would indicate proper exposure with ISO 100 film. If you need 400 speed film in bright daylight, then the shutter speed must be faster than 1/100th, or the aperture smaller than f/16, or I don’t understand the Sunny 16 rule.

Jamie Zucek ran some tests on Provia 400: Sprocket Rocket vs. Nikon F100 with 20mm lens. He guessed the apertures to be more like f/16 and f/22.

Not wanting to “waste” any film, I threw caution (and manufacturer suggestions) to the wind and bulk loaded a couple of rolls of Konica Pro 160. I figured late June in North Texas would give plenty of bright, sunny days, and even f/22 at 1/100th should be decent enough on ISO 160 film.

And I was right, mostly.

I started out shooting sprockets, as the camera was designed for. I shot in bulb mode a good bit, trying to err on the side of overexposure, rather than under, and it almost worked.

A selfy, handheld for 10 seconds on the Cloudy setting, turned out surprisingly well.

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But, in general, the Sprocket Rocket really is surprisingly light hungry. Here, for example, are two shots, taken back to back about 1 in the after noon on a very bright day, the first on cloudy, the second on sunny. There are clouds visible, but the sun was out and almost directly overhead. It was bright out, and hot.

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You can see a bit of flare in the center of the frame. The sun was well out of frame, but still high above. I guess flare is to be expected from a plastic lens, but it’s a pleasant-enough flare, and only popped up in these two frames. (The wild colors in the cloudy shot probably came from bulk loading: the first frames on almost every bulk roll I load are fogged, I think because I’m rolling into old canisters, maybe they’re no longer light tight, or maybe the loading does something to the felt? No idea, but it happens on every roll: I lose about 10″ of film to red fog.)

Even with these, though, underexposure continued unabated… These two, for example, were shot in what I considered broad daylight on, but were somewhat underexposed. Sure, I was in shade, but the sun was blasting the scene. The first was shot about 2pm, and the sun wasn’t overhead, but hadn’t disappeared behind nearby skyscrapers yet; the second was later in the day, maybe 3:30 or 4, and partially blocked by my neighbor’s house, but why is the sky a stop or two under?

This one, shot under evening window light, was way underexposed at 2 seconds on the cloudy setting. I still like it, but it’s really a shame: my darling, adorable wife had some great henna tattoos on her darling, adorable hands for Eid, and I didn’t get this roll developed in time to realize how far off it was.

(The red line and creases in the above two came from some issues I had with humidity in the dark bag while loading: I think they add some interest that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

With a little massage after scanning, I did get some acceptable shots, all on the cloudy setting, if my notes can be believed. They’re still off, but closer.

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I was pleasantly surprised by the long exposure I took to finish off the roll on my drive into work one morning. I think this was handheld for about 15 seconds.

I really wish I could hold cameras steady in the car at 75mph… Alas.

After that first roll, I inserted the mask, and shot another roll sprocket-less. I won’t bore you with too many of the details, but I like the sprocket-less shots. Pure pano, with no distraction or hipster stuff. I like the extra height from the sprockets, though, and it might be worth trying some unperforated film, if I can find some in 400 speed.

I had some underexposure issues with these too, and learned my lesson about “slow” film in the Sprocket Rocket. (I shot a roll Labeauratoire [kromiəm] 500 at the 4th of July parade that came out a bit better, and God willing I’ll share some shots from that next week.)

So, the Sprocket Rocket.

For $75, it makes a great gateway to the world of Panoramic photography. The plastic lens is surprisingly sharp, for a plastic lens, and the camera is, indeed, cheap and cheerful. I had loads of fun with it, and look forward to putting many more rolls through it.

There is some bad to the camera, as fun as it is. It distorts horribly, but if you know how to work it, you can manage. I haven’t gotten there yet, but I can imagine ways to work with it. It’s imperative to keep the camera level, though, or to keep any horizontal or vertical lines near the middle of the frame.

In the same vein, vertical panoramas are really hard to pull off. They’re just too tall, and the distortion is, again, atrocious.

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Portraits could be interesting, and I can imagine some interesting results with some slow, fine grained film (and high-powered, wide angle strobes). Maybe something like Robert Longo’s Men in the Cities series… I need to write that down.

And one last issue that I haven’t run into yet comes from the frame counter thing.

  On the left side, looking down from the top, between the rewind knob and the flash shoe, there are two circular depressions with little holes in. The one nearest the flash shoe displays the frame numbers; the one near the rewind knob shows a little white dot when you’ve wound far enough for a new frame. This dot is tiny and goes by really quickly, so you must pay close attention when winding.

But those are all just minor complaints: for what it is, primarily a means to shoot sprockets and super-wide angle panoramas, the Sprocket Rocket is great, and it’s cheap enough and as well built as a plastic camera can be. It’s also surprisingly fun and easy to use.

[yasr_multiset setid=2]

Overall, I give the Sprocket Rocket a solid 4

[yasr_overall_rating]

You can pick up brand new ones in a variety of fun colors for $90 direct from Lomography, or brave the wilds of eBay and the internets for used or grey market versions. Lomo was out of stock of the black one when I was shopping, but a nice Chinese firm shipped me one for $75, and if you’re patient, you can probably find one cheaper.

If you want to try out panoramic photography or shoot sprockets, there’s really not a better way, imo… There may be sharper or more optically well-corrected options, but none go as wide, as cheaply as the Sprocket Rocket.

Enter the Sprocket Rocket About two weeks ago, I came across this post on Twitter: pervadere #FunkyAF #SummerFilmParty pic.twitter.com/ye68ObcRRD — kim (@kimmiechem2) …

[irenenorth]

New Post has been published on Irene North

New Post has been published on http://www.irenenorth.com/writings/2017/09/there-are-no-signs-of-the-times-and-the-world-is-not-ending/

There are no "signs of the times" and the world is not ending

Far too many people are caught up in speculation about the end of the world. While we are doing a good job at ignoring actual climate change, the hurricanes currently ravaging parts of Earth are not the end of the world, nor do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, the book of Revelation, or any other such nonsense. Yet, in a letter to the editor to the Star-Herald, a reader thinks that is exactly what is happening.

We have heard the term, “Sign of the Times are everywhere.” We also know that Jesus said we cannot know the day of his return.

Well, right there you should stop writing, because you’re also going to start telling us what those signs were. You don’t even see that the bible says there are going to be signs everywhere, but you won’t know when he’s returning. Why does that statement not make your head hurt?

He also said in Matthew 16:3: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky. But you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Matthew 25 encourages us to be ready, not like the unwise five virgins who had no oil in their lamp when the bridegroom arrives. God has always warned His people of judgment to come.

Did you also know Matthew 16: 2b-3 does not appear in many early manuscripts? When you look at contextual and grammatical similarities and differences between the passage and Luke 12:54-56, they seem similar in English. But we all know the bible wasn’t written in English. Some scholars, such as Bernard Weiss, professor emeritus of languages and literature at the University of Utah, argue the Matthew passage is older than the Luke passage and came from an earlier source.

In “Q: A Reconstruction And Commentary,” Harry Fleddermann argued, “In addition the form πυρραζει appears only in Byzantine writers, a further sign that the passage is a late interpolation into Matthew’s text.” (Pg. 652)

You can’t quote from something that shouldn’t be in your holy book. However, both this passage and the quote from Matthew 25 are dealing with the end of the world. Matthew 25 is telling you to be prepared for the day of judgment, which you don’t know when it will occur.

It’s supposed to be a lesson about being good every day. By not knowing when this judgment is coming, you’ll be good all the time.

Are you aware that some Jewish Rabbis and others who have spent their lives studying the Word of God, believe that a total eclipse is a sign, a warning of judgment to a nation?

It’s not just Jewish Rabbis who spend their lives studying. Many ultra orthodox Jewish men do this while their wives do all the work, in and outside the home. It’s a bit controversial. Also, they are studying the Torah, not the Christian bible, so Old Testament only.

Is it supposed to make a difference that two religions misinterpret the same information? Have you researched every single eclipse in history and what happened after to a nation which had experienced such a scientific phenomenon? If you have, you wouldn’t says it’s a, “sign, a warning of judgment to a nation” because you would know that’s wrong.

His protection may no longer be present for a nation who chooses to take him out of their schools, kill unborn babies, disobey his law regarding marriage, live lives of immoral behavior and lawlessness. We reap what we sow.

Here we go with this bullshit again. God was not taken out of schools. Anyone in a school is allowed to pray to their god. What is not allowed is for faculty or staff to preach to children in the school. It’s a form of proselytizing and is illegal. As long as my tax dollars are going toward public schools – about 70 percent in Scotts Bluff County – you’re not preaching any religion within a public school.

We shouldn’t kill unborn babies? Tell that to your god. There are many examples of the bible being pro-abortion. And don’t give me that bullshit excuse “it’s in the Old Testament” because you follow the entire bible. You don’t get to pick the nice bits out or the bits that adhere to your personal beliefs. You take the whole thing.

Hosea 13:16: The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.

II Kings 15: 16: At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Numbers 5:11-21 describes how to induce an abortion. In Numbers 31:17, Moses is commanded by God to kill women that might be pregnant. Hosea prays for God’s intervention in Hosea 9:11-16. God responds by making all the women who are pregnant miscarry.

God has also clearly laid out what biblical marriage is, yet Christians get upset at same-sex marriage. I’m more horrified by biblical marriage. If we are bad people because we “disobey his law regarding marriage” then I’m a terrible person because I don’t want any part of it.

Within a few days after the eclipse, I was not surprised to hear words like “unprecedented,” in describing the flooding.

Yeah, people always say this when catastrophic things happen. Also, please go read some books about climate change. This has nothing to do with total solar eclipses or a god, or anything else “end timers” people want to grasp onto.

Are you aware that after the last total eclipse in 1918 approximately 670,000 people lost their lives from a pandemic flu?

There are total solar eclipses every few years. You don’t see most of them because they occur over the ocean and/or are difficult to get to. The last total solar eclipse in the United States was February 26, 1979.

“After the last total solar eclipse in 1918” is an inaccurate statement. Here’s a list of other total solar eclipses that touched some part of the United States:

June 24, 1778 October 27, 1780 July 18, 1860 August 7, 1869 July 29, 1878 Jan 24, 1925 Aug 31, 1932 July 20, 1963 March 7, 1970 February 26, 1979 July 11, 1991 August 21, 2017

Do you notice something missing there? Oh yeah, there’s nothing around the time of the Spanish Flu in the United States. So let’s look at the entire world. Looking at NASA’s website on May 29, 1919, we have a total solar eclipse passing through South America and Africa. It also touched a teeny bit into Central America. It was during this eclipse that Einstein tested his theory of relativity.

Okay, we have a date, but the author of the letter to the editor is claiming “670,000 people lost their lives from a pandemic flu” after a total solar eclipse in 1918. I’ve already shown there was no total solar eclipse in 1918. It was in 1919. So let’s look at the claim.

The Spanish Flu pandemic lasted from January 1918 to December 1920. It infected 500 million people worldwide and killed 50-100 million people, or 3-5 percent of the world’s population at that time. The letter’s claim of 670,000 is not accurate. According to a page that no longer exists for the U.S. Government, “An estimated 675,000 Americans were among the dead.” Stanford University concurs with this number.

This claim still isn’t completely accurate, because the letter to the editor claims these deaths happened after the eclipse, which I, scientists, and people who were there, established as happening in 1919. Researching before writing the letter to the editor would have helped clear up this erroneous information.

There never has been any correlation between a solar eclipse and deaths of any kind, flu or otherwise. It’s delusional to think this is true.

The only place you’re going to find any connection between the 1919 total solar eclipse and the Spanish Flu is on websites filled with fear about “the end times.” You won’t find it anywhere logical, thinking human beings go.

How I feel right now. (Photo: http://cdn.iwastesomuchtime.com/October-18-2011-20-12-49-DoubleFacePalm.jpg)

I read an article recently by Anne Graham Lot. I quote in part: “A few years ago I was teaching through the book of Joel when the ancient words of his prophesy came up off the page. Joel 2: 31: ‘The sun will be turned to darkness … before the coming of the great dreadful day of the Lord.’”

So what? Do you realize how many eclipses – lunar, solar, and hybrid – have occurred over the centuries? Which one was supposed to be this dreadful day? Are we supposed to cower in fear each time an eclipse happens?

Most of us are not knowledgeable of the relevance of the Jewish feasts and God’s appointed times.

Then why bring it up? Are you just taking someone’s word for it instead of doing your own research? I’m sorry you like to be ignorant of these things.

We are not aware of the signs in the heavens that speak of his program. (Not the astrology that is commonplace.) The wise men of the Christmas story used their knowledge of the star that led them to the Christ child.

What the hell do these two sentences have to do with each other or the overall point? Seriously. You’re just writing word salad at this point.

The year 2017 is the year of Jubilee of Israel’s being back in their homeland as a nation. (1967)

No. This is not happening. You’re misinterpreting the 49th and 50th year listed in the bible and assuming it’s going to happen. According to biblical law, the year of Jubilee cannot happen because the 12 tribes of Israel are not united. It doesn’t matter that some people think it can happen when some of the tribes are united.

The Revelation 12 woman is seen in the constellation for the first time since the approximate time of Adam and Eve.

Again, this is more “end times” bullshit. The book of Revelation doesn’t have anything to do with the end times.

If you want to get a grasp on the book of Revelation, you should read “Revelations” by Elaine Pagels. This partial review in Salon will give you an idea of what Pagel’s book is about.

The Revelation of John of Patmos, however, did make it into the official Bible, and in “Revelations” Pagels explains why. It qualified not because it was written by John of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ apostles, as the text’s great champion, Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, claimed. It wasn’t. In fact, the author of the Book of Revelation “belonged to the second generation of Jesus’ followers,” part of a cohort struggling to come to terms with the fact that Jesus’ promise — that Judgment Day and the Kingdom of God would arrive within the lifetimes of some of his disciples — had not come to pass.

He was also not a Christian as we currently understand the term. Pagels makes a persuasive case, using what should be obvious to any careful reader of Revelation, that John regards himself as a Jew who has recognized Jesus as the messiah. That’s why he’s so exercised about “them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” Pagels believes that these “false” Jews were, like John, members of the radical sect founded by Jesus. John regarded them as dangerously corrupt and idolatrous because they did not observe traditional Jewish strictures surrounding food and sex. Many of them, she suspects, were Gentiles converted by the faction of Jesus’ followers led by Paul, the religion’s first great evangelist.

The Book of Revelation was written at a time when the significance of Jesus’ legacy was furiously contested, and that’s one reason why it gets hauled out so readily at times of similar discord. Presented as a divinely bestowed vision, filled with rains of fire, burning mountains, seas turned to blood and angels with swords flying from their mouths, as well as costarring the ever-popular Four Horsemen, the Whore of Babylon and, of course, the Beast, the text is essentially an over-the-top cry of “You’re doing it wrong.” John of Patmos felt that his religion was being threatened by purported faithful who had assimilated into the dominant culture of the Roman Empire (eating meat from pagan temple sacrifices was a big issue for him), and he wanted to remind them of the hideous fate awaiting that evil empire and anyone who had gotten too cozy with it.

Because the prophetic imagery of the Book of Revelation — much of it derived from the Hebrew Bible and legends — is so figurative and surreal, it has proven remarkably adaptive. John had to cloak his meaning in bizarre symbols because his text was, as Pagels puts it, “anti-Roman propaganda,” of the sort that had probably gotten him exiled to begin with. In the following 400 years or so, John’s Revelation continued to be interpreted in this way, as Roman authorities smashed Jewish rebellions and persecuted Christians who refused to participate in the obligatory civic tributes to Rome’s gods.

Then Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 and gave the religion a favored place in his empire. The Book of Revelation was refitted by leaders like Athanasius for use as a hammer against Christians who did not bow to Church hierarchy. Ironically, a prophecy intended to demonize Rome (in the figure of the Whore of Babylon, that ancient oppressor of the Israelites) was used by those who, with Constantine’s approval, “adopted the Roman army’s system of rank, command and promotion to create effective control over a wide network of congregations,” a network that become the Catholic (“universal”) Church. Then, in a doubled irony, the same old Whore was, centuries later, said to symbolize the Catholic Church by Protestants who viewed Roman Catholicism as depraved and despotic.

Pagels’ sympathies clearly lie with the small religious communities that had sprung up throughout the region (though particularly in Egypt) in Athanasius’ time. These are the inward-looking, simple-living mystics who incorporated into their Christian worship spiritual ideas and practices from all over the ancient world and who preserved the gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi. Some of those texts are as weird and visionary as the Book of Revelation, and some are far more beautiful, egalitarian and inspiring to many modern eyes. But they were not politically useful, and the Book of Revelation was. So it ended up in the New Testament and they did not.

The book of Revelation is merely a political tool to keep you in line. It has nothing to do with an eclipse or any “end times” garbage.

I’m watching with interest the Jubilee Feast of Trumpets this September.

Your “Feast of the Trumpets” is more commonly known as Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), is the Jewish New Year. Its biblical name is Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎), literally, a day of shouting. It is the first of the Jewish high holy days, described in Leviticus 23:23-32. It is a celebration which takes place over two days and marks the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

The celebrations include a ram’s horn, or shofar, festive meals, symbolic food and lots of noise. The Mishnah, the first major written redaction of Jewish oral tradition and first major work of Rabbinic literature has the second known reference to Rosh Hashanah. In the Mishnah, it is known as the “day of judgement.”

So, Rosh Hashanah is the new year, but it is also Yom Hadim (sometimes seen as Yom HaDin), judgment day. On Yom Hadim, three books are opened – the book of life, the book of death, and a book for those living in doubt with non-evil sins.

During this time, God balances a person’s good deeds against their wrongdoings for the past year. Rosh Hashanah is a time of reflection, penance, and to ask God for forgiveness. (As a side note, I miss this time of year in New York. There is fresh Challah bread everywhere.)

Rosh Hashanah gets even more complicated when you learn about Yom Kippur and Sukkot and how they all relate to one another. I don’t know why the author of this letter to the editor is “watching with interest.” If they think it’s a day of judgment like in Revelation or the “end times,” that is wrong. Rosh Hashanah happens every year.

God is in control and He is faithful. I’m listening, watching and want oil in my lamp.

Then go fill your lamp. Did you not read the passage? You’re supposed to be prepared with your own oil, not waiting on other people to fill it for you.

“Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

He’s not coming. He doesn’t exist. Stop wishing on a fantasy and live in the here and now and make a difference in the world today.

This nearly 3,000 word refutation is far longer than I intended it to be. When I read this letter to the editor, I knew instantly all the inaccurate claims. I couldn’t let it pass without refuting it.

I’m just going to say, don’t believe what you are told. Take the time to find the truth. Then, you won’t share lies and misinformation and I won’t have to spend five hours refuting you.

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: School Festival Day 1 of 2

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN PERSONA 5 ROYAL SPOILERS. PLUS, THE CHARACTERS MAY OR MAY NOT ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GAME. ALSO IT CAN GET A BIT LONG.

>October 26

(please ignore the timestamp)

Furuhonya: ... WHAT!? I came home early from an expedition to recover some lost scrolls in India so I can finally attend a School Culture Festival only to end up at the WRONG SCHOOL!?

>He notices several people watching him. So, Furuhonya calms himself.

Furuhonya: Right, I came back to attend a School Festival and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Even if this isn’t Joutou Business High School. Alright, get ready...

>He checks the plaque.

Furuhonya: (puzzled) Shujin Academy? Why does that name sound so familiar? ... Well, never mind. Here I come!

>With that, Furuhonya goes inside. The moment he enters the front doors...

Welcome to the Shujin Academy School Culture Festival!

Furuhonya: (surprised) A- Akechi!?

Furuhonya san!?

Furuhonya: (realizing now) Oh, now I remember! Your friends go to this school.

Crow: That’s right. What brings you here?

Furuhonya: I came back early to attend Yushi’s School Festival. But I guess I went to the wrong one. But I’ve decided, this will have to do.

Oracle: That’s good... I guess.

Furuhonya: By the way, why are you, Yusuke kun and Makoto chan doing here? Don’t you go to Kosei and you graduated?

Fox: Our Culture Festival is in joint with Shujin this year.

Queen: And me, Akechi, and Haru are volunteering to help. And who better to help at the Shujin Festival than the former student council president?

Furuhonya: Very well. Can’t wait to see what’s in store here.

>Furuhonya walks forward... Only to be stopped by Oracle.

Not dressed like that.

Furuhonya: (disappointed) But Antiquary sold it to me. It looks good on, doesn’t it?

Joker: It does. But...

It also makes you look like a demented pervert.

Furuhonya: (sighs in defeat) Fine. I brought my regular clothes, so I’ll go back to the station and change in the bathrooms.

>One quick change later.

Welp, it was fun while it lasted.

Crow: Maybe tomorrow. We have a cosplay contest.

Furuhonya: (happily) Yes. So, what do we have here? Got any recommendations?

Joker: Right now, I guess we can have you go to 2-D’s maid takoyaki booth.

Furuhonya: That sounds great. I wonder what it will be like.

>Class 2-D’s maid takoyaki booth.

Welcome to Maid Takoyaki. How may I be of service?

Obnoxious Male Student: Wow, Takamaki really is smoking hot in that maid outfit.

Rude Male Student: Yeah. Hey now that Kamoshida isn’t around, think you can hang out with us before you go home for the day? I know I nice little club in Shinjuku we can go to.

Jealous Female Student: Excuse me, I’m your girlfriend and I’m standing right here!

You know, if you’re not going to order anything: LEAVE!

Obnoxious Male Student: Okay, okay, we were just kidding. I’ll have some kimichi.

Jealous Female Student: And we’ll have curry and cheese.

Panther: ...

That’ll be ¥500 each.

Rude Male Student: That’s a rip... (in defeat) Fine.

>With that, the students take their seats. Then, we arrive.

Joker: Hey, Ann.

Panther: Hey, Ren. You guys. Wow, even Bookstore?

Furuhonya: I usually go by Furuhonya, but I guess that makes sense. Hey, where are the others?

Panther: Mona (which we will be calling him even in his human form since Persona 5 Royal) and Mishima are helping at the crafting booth, Haru is helping the gardening club, and Ryuji’s doing something with some other students for an event tomorrow.

Furuhonya: And Ka- I mean, Sumire?

Queen: She’s helping her father so she’ll be running late.

Furuhonya: I see.

Panther: Anyway, what would you like to try?

Heed my advice, don’t eat the Russian Takoyaki.

Furuhonya: Alright. Do you have long green onion?

Panther: We’re all out.

Furuhonya: Tanuki?

Panther: We’ll see. Take a seat.

>With that, Panther goes to get the takoyaki while we take Furuhonya to a table. We spot Makoto, Adi, Chloe, Bruno, Princess Crystal of the Inhumans, and Kei Kawade (aka Kid Kaiju).

Hey, guys! We’re over here!

>We go over to them.

Makoto: Taking a break?

Joker: For now. We have to return to the entrance to greet the people coming in.

Oracle: And I’ve gotta say, it’s way harder than it looks.

I guess it would be painful to smile all the time.

>With that, we return to our posts.

You’re the bookworm who lives in the same apartments as Akechi, aren’t you?

Furuhonya: I usually go by Furuhonya, but yes.

I’m also told that you go around the world collecting old, rare, ... unique books and scriptures.

Furuhonya: You could say that. I came back early after recovering some old scrolls that may have been in the possession of the great monk Sanzo during his pilgrimage to India.

Adi: (a bit worried) You didn’t bring them here, did you?

Furuhonya: No, I dropped them off at the apartments for now. Right now, I’m just glad to be here to attend a School Festival. The last two times didn’t work out so well.

So you’re hoping third time’s a charm.

Furuhonya: There’s no guarantee for that. It’s much easier to make your own luck.

Bruno: I agree. Nothing’s accomplished by chance. You have to take things into your own hands to get what you want in this world.

Furuhonya: Speaking of worlds, what bring Her Highness from the moon back to Earth?

I’m actually here on official royal business. I was invited to be the guest speaker here at Shujin. Since Inhumans have been reappearing in Japan, and made it especially known at the Dream Festival, I thought I would also offer them a place with us in Atyran. Of course, it has to be of their own choice.

Makoto: Glad you remember that.

Kei: What about me? In case you’ve forgot, I’m also an Inhuman.

Princess Crystal: Well, we were going to ask you, but it looked like you really enjoyed being on Mu Island with all your kaiju.

Makoto: I wish I could go to Mu... But the bugs make it a little... Difficult. (shudders)

Kei: (smiling) They’re not so bad once you get to know them. Besides, I would have thought a Future Avenger as brave as you would handle a few insects.

Makoto: (also smiling a bit) I guess... I guess I can come over... Especially if you’re there.

>Both boys smiled passionately at each other.

Male Student in Spectacles: Hey, are Hurricane and Kid Kaiju actually looking at each other like that?

Student in Maid Uniform: I wonder if this means they’re a thing now.

If they are, it’s not really any of your business.

Makoto: ... I actually doesn’t matter. I like a lot of people... I guess I just like Kei a little more... Maybe more than like.

Kei: Yeah, I feel the same way... At least in this universe. Sorry, Bruno.

Bruno: It’s alright. I know that me and Makoto will always be brothers.

Makoto: (smiling) You bet.

>The two brothers do a fist bump. Then, Panther gives them the takoyaki.

Panther: You’re in luck, this is the last batch of tanuki. I also brought some Italian special.

Adi: Thank you.

Furuhonya: Yes, thank you.

Panther: Actually, speaking of Inhumans, I thought Kamala would be here.

Chloe: She’s helping her pen pal with her own School Festival. But she said he will join us tomorrow.

Panther: I see.

Kei: Right, that reminds me. I’m also here on business. Since Makoto and the others were already coming, I tagged along.

Panther: What kind of business?

Kei: Well... With you and your friends. I’ll explain more after you get off. We’ll be waiting at the karaoke place in Shibuya.

Panther: Really? Actually...

We were going there for business already. I guess we can try and make it there.

Kei: That’s good to hear. Thanks.

Student in Maid Uniform: Hey, Takamaki chan, we’ve got a table waiting!

Panther: I’m coming! Well, see you guys soon.

Makoto: You bet.

>Back at the entrance, me, Fox, Queen, Oracle, and Crow were greeting people coming in when we spot Violet and her father coming in.

Here we are.

Yes, it really looks quite the sight, Sumire.

Joker: Welcome to the Shujin Festival, Mr. Yoshizawa.

Mr. Yoshizawa: Thank you, Ren san. I can’t wait to see what they have in store here. And what Sumire’s class is doing.

Violet: (a little disappointed) A rest area.

Mr. Yoshizawa: (apologetic) Sorry.

Violet: Though, I hear some of the sports clubs are doing a Q&A about what it would be like to be part of the upcoming 2020 Olympics. Especially do to the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Mr. Yoshizawa: I guess we can do that. You know, your old man here could have been in the Olympics. Especially in rugby sevens.

Violet: (laughing a bit) I bet.

Oracle: But if that doesn’t interest you, my class is doing a live performance of an episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman.

Fox: Actually students from my school and Todai are also doing the same things with Kamen Rider Zi-O.

Queen: They’re doing it in honor of the airing of Kamen Rider Zero-One.

Not sure why you want to watch that. Everyone knows Kamen Riders is just a ripoff.

Just give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as Featherman.

Oracle: (not convinced) We’ll see.

>An unused room in the Practice Building. Skull and some of his fellow students were practicing for the dance party tomorrow.

Leader Student: Okay, that’s it for today. Get ready, tomorrow’s the big day.

Students: Yes, senpai!

Tired Male Student: With Sakamoto here, tomorrow’s gonna be killer. How often does an idol get to perform here.

C’mon, it ain’t nothin’ to be too excited about. Just doin’ my part for my school.

>Later, after getting changed, Skull is met by a familiar face.

I see celebrity life is treating you better than over.

Well, it’s partly thanks to you. I never would have made it if it weren’t for you and the others.

Harry: (smiling) Glad to hear it. (stops smiling) But let’s be serious, you know why I’ve come here.

Skull: (also being serious) I know...

But you don’t know if you might actually do it. You care about Pete too much to do anything bad to him.

Harry: I know. But what if you’re wrong? I thought I was finally over my fath- Norman’s influence, but I’m still not sure.

Skull: I doubt it. Me and Akechi were there.

>Flashback.

>August 31. Oscorp Tower. In his brand new office, Harry was looking at a picture of his father, Norman Osborn. Then, someone calls on the speaker phone.

Caller: Mr. Osborn? Sir? ... Sir!?

Harry: (surprised) Huh!? Oh, I’m sorry. I, uh- I still think of Norman when I hear that. Call me Harry.

Caller: You have some visitors to see you.

Harry: Is one wearing a hoodie, the second with dyed blonde hair, and the third wearing a tie?

Caller: Yes?

Harry: Send them in.

>Then, Peter, Skull, and Crow come in.

Hey, Harry. I brought, some coffee and muffins from Joe’s.

Harry: (happy to see them) Thanks. And I’m also glad to see you guys before you have to go home.

C’mon, man, you know we’d never leave without sayn’ “See ya.”

And to wish you luck on your first day as CEO.

Harry: Again, thanks... (starts to look down)

Peter: I something wrong?

Harry: I’m just... I’m just still getting used to all of this. I know I’ve been studying enough to get ready and yet... And yet it just hasn’t occurred to me yet.

Crow: You’re just nervous. Give it time.

Harry: I wish it was just nerves. But it feels more than that.

Skull: Harry, it’s okay, you can tell us anythin’.

Harry: It’s just, with everything that’s happening now. I’m just still not sure I can do this. It’s just so overwhelming. I know I’m over 18, but I’m still just a kid at heart... I’m scared, you guys. And I... And I...

Peter: (reassuring) It’s alright, Harry... Say it..

Harry: ... I... I miss my father. I know that he lost the right to be called that, still I miss him. I miss him so much, and yet in some ways, I feel like I never even knew him. And now I’m expected to take over his position. It’s enough to make a person’s head spin.

>Both Skull and Crow were at a lost for word... But Peter clearly wasn’t.

Peter: Well, speaking scientifically, the best way to fight dizziness... is to focus on the thing in front of you. I know you can do this, Harry. You’re one of the smartest and most bravest people I know.

Skull: We all think so. No, we all know so. Especially me, are minds are linked after all.

Crow: And if you ever feel like falling from that dizziness, you can always count on your friends to catch you.

Peter: He’s right. We’ll always be here for you, Harry... I will always be here for you.

>Harry was silent for a bit... Then smiles.

Harry: More than a friend. For being the best thing that has ever happened in my life... I love you, Peter Parker.

Peter: And I love you, Harry.

>The two young men share a passionate kiss.

Crow: (happy) It’s so nice to see those two expressing how they truly feel about each other.

Skull: (also happy) It sure is... Hey, I just realized somethin’.

Crow: What is it?

Skull: Well, if those two are boyfriends, and our minds are linked to ours...

Would that mean you and I will be... that with each other?

Crow: I don’t know...

Would you like us to be?

Skull: ...

Let’s wait until we get there and see what happens...

Still, I’m happy that we’re on the same team. And you’re a really good friend. A great friend.

I’m happy, too. Thank you.

>Then, something spoke in their minds.

Yes, just as your minds are one... Your hearts are one.

One with the light that shines justice in this world...

One with the dark that hides many secrets...

>Then, Robin Hood and Loki come together in a burst of light...

One with the dawn and twilight that guide the world to its future.

>Both Skull and Crow smile happily knowing that... They are in the future and it’s bright.

>Then, a message comes on Crow’s phone.

Crow: That would be our Uber to take us to the airport.

Peter: And I should be at F.E.A.S.T. to help Aunt May. See you around?

Harry: (winks) You bet.

>With that, they leave and Harry sits himself at his desk. Then, something come up on the speaker phone. Harry plays the message... and is shocked.

Familiar voice: Congratulations, Harry.

Harry: (shocked) What!?

Norman’s voice: You’re finally in a position of power. You won’t be in my shadow anymore, son. I know you’ll do great things with the Osborn name.

>Suddenly, a nearby painting opens to show a vault. Harry goes to it... It opens.

>Back in the present...

Skull: Harry?

Harry: (snapping out of his daze) Huh? Sorry. I guess... I guess I’m just tired. I’ve been working non-stop while Doctor Octopus was in Pete’s body. Being both a CEO and a superhero.

Skull: I see that.

Harry: Still, I just have this bad feeling. That’s why I’ve come here. In case something happens and I might do something bad to Pete... I think only you, Akechi, Ren, and the other Phantom Thieves can stop me.

Don’t be like that! You know you won’t betray Peter.

Harry: I know. But promise me that you guys will stop me if that does happen. Promise. Just prome. (begins tearing up)

Skull: ... Alright.

For you, we’ll see what we can.

Harry: (relieved) Thank you. I promise, we will have our happily ever after.

Just promise you guys will be here for the Fight Before Christmas and we’ll call it even.

Just promise you guys will be here for the Fight Before Christmas and we’ll call it even.

Harry: Don’t worry. We’ll be there.

>Skull and Harry make their way to the courtyard. Harry then removes his suit.

Your Hobgoblin Suit?

Harry: (smiling a bit) Like I said, there are a lot of expectations in being the head of a corporation. But I haven’t fully given up on Stealth Spider. I’ll take up that suit and use my spider powers again someday. Maybe even soon. Actually, I made one for you, too. I would have given this to you for your birthday or Dream FES, but I got a little preoccupied working on my own.

>Harry give Skull a Hobgoblin 2.0 Suit Costume.

Skull: Thanks.

Harry: I really do appreciate you doing this for me. Consider this my payment for what you and the others have to do.

Skull: And if not, I’m sure Peter can help. You’re clearly not a bad guy who will end up like all those others he had to face.

>Harry chuckles and smiles.

Harry: That, Ryuji, is why Peter is someone I really care about. He never gives up on me. I’m not an Osborn to him, or a Lyman, or a hero, or anything else... To him, I’m just “Harry”.

>Both of them smile as Harry gets on his glider.

Harry: By the way... Your Japanese really is questionable at best.

Yeah, and so is your English.

>With that, Harry gives a thumbs up and takes off on his glider. Some students noticed this and started talking.

Cap-wearing Male Student: Was that Harry Osborn? As the Hobgoblin again? Here at Shujin?

Student in Pigtails: Yeah, he’s friends with Sakamoto. They even went to Osborn Academy together.

Female Student in School Jersey: Speaking of goblins, I read online that some cult is raising in New York called the Goblin Nation.

Male Student in School Jersey: Now that Osborn’s Hobgoblin again, you think he might join?

Student in Pigtails: (scared) What if he already did? What if he’s already one of them?

Of course he’s NOT! Why would ya think that!?

Cap-wearing Male Student: (surprised) Sorry, Sakamoto, we didn’t really mean any harm.

Male Student in School Jersey: Yeah. C’mon, let’s go. If we hurry, we can catching ending of the movie they’re showing at the AV Club.

>With that, they leave.

Skull: (thinking to himself) Those guys don’t know anythin' about him. All they see is what they wanna to see. Harry is a good guy. And I’ll always believe in him.

>Then, a message comes on Skull’s phone. He checks it.

Hey Ryuji, we’re done for today. We’re all going to be meeting at the karaoke place in Shibuya. Makoto, Kei, Bruno, Adi, and Chloe will be joining us.

Right. I’ll be there soon. There’s somethin’ I should tell you all.

Okay. See you.

>With that, Skull leaves to meet us.

>Central Street, Shibuya at night. We arrive in front of Paradise Resort Karaoke. (Sorry if we got the name wrong.) Makoto and the others were with us.

Excuse me, we’re looking for...

Black n’ Blue Birdie?

Receptionist: (snickers a bit) That would be Room 7.

Adi: (puzzled) What kind of name is that?

I guess we’ll soon find out. Though, I have an idea.

>We go over to Room 7. When we open the door... We’re met with a blast of music.

Baby, take me on a journey, I've been thinkin' lately I could use a little time alone with you

You guys?

Hey guy, long time no see!

Garfield, Dick, Barbara, and Kaldur? And some new guys?

I am known as Wyynde. Like Kaldur, I am from Atlantis.

And I’m Victor Stone. Call me Cyborg.

(ceasing his singing) Glad you guys can come. I know you’re all busy with your school’s Culture Festival.

Makoto: (surprised) You guys are from the Team, aren’t you? Young Justice?

I’m honored to hear that the Future Avengers know about us.

Chloe: Normally, we deal with Marvel heroes, but DC isn’t unknown to us.

Adi: But that doesn’t explain how you know these guys.

Queen: We helped Nightwing with a heist two years ago.

Garfield: And three years ago, we helped save a game show.

Adi: I see.

Joker: By the way, how is the Kryptonite Dagger?

Dick: Still under lock and key... But we might give it back to you if you consider my offer.

Sorry, our answer remains unchanged.

What offer?

Queen: Dick san, or rather, Nightwing , offered us a place on the Team. Of course, we turned him down.

Violet: I see.

But that is not why we’re here now.

Fox: What is the problem?

Dick: I know it’s going to sound strange, but...Kaldur and Wyynde been having these weird...

Dreams?

Dick: (surprised) How did you know?

Crow: We’ve had experience with Peter Parker and Harry Osborn.

Barbara: I see. Actually... Wyynde’s been dreaming about Peter Parker, as well as of you.

Of me?

Wyynde: I have actually also been having dreams of a flamboyant robot, a pair of twins, and a blond gunman. I think I have also had one of some false singer and Tuxedo Mask.

Crow: Along with a snake boy and a scarred faced man?

Wyynde: (nodding) And then, around the same time as you fell into your coma and Spider-Man started acting strange, I started feeling weak. Like... Something in my heart did not feel right.

Crow: I felt the same way when I fell.

Garfield: (a little worried) Wait up! You’re saying that there was a chance Wyynde could have gone into coma, too!?

Dick: (reassuring) I’m sure that won’t happen anytime soon.

Queen: And what about you, Kaldur san? You also have dreams of being another, don’t you?

Kaldur: Yes. Two of them, I already know well.

Cyborg: They’re actually a couple of versions of me.

Oracle: You mean two versions of the Teen Titans?

Kaldur: The same. There was also a mandrill, a wizard with a tattooed face, a four-armed alien, a robotic dinosaur, a man who can change his face, even, who I can only guess looks like Killer Croc. But the one that sticks out the most is... A young man with dreadlocks, wearing a headband, and...

Kei: Wielding blades made of plasma energy.

Kaldur: (a bit surprised) Y- Yes. How did you know?

Makoto: Are you also having dreams, Kei?

Kei: Well, I do have the occasional Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir dreams. Also had some of a half-demon boy with a sword, a young Chinese man, another young man who lives around here, mostly Ikebukuro, another young man who was trapped in a video game, a strong blonde boy, a young man who can change into a giant, a cat thief, another demon, a red-haired young man, one of the teachers at Shujin, a young man with different colored hair, a boy who can turn into a robot, and, most weird of all... A silver hedgehog. But none of them have ever been a problem and are unrelated to Kaldur’s dream... But I do know someone here in Japan who has dreams that might be related.

Kaldur: Really? Who?

>Suddenly, the phone on the wall rings.

Kei: I guess you’ll find out. (answers phone) Hello? ... Does he have some big guy in a black coat? ... Yup, that’s him. Send him in. Thanks. (hangs up) During the many times I had to move because of my kaiju, I met someone here in Japan. He’s actually the leader of the one the superhero teams here.

Makoto: (a bit excited) Which one?

>Then, there was a knock on the door. Kei goes up and answers it... Two people come in.

Kei: Glad you can make it.

Sorry I took so long. My hands were tied with the Culture Festival.

...

Makoto: (shocked) These guys are superheroes?

Boy in Glasses: (smiling a bit) Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’m Hiro. Hiro Takachiho. And this is my associate, Baymax.

Baymax: ... Hi.

Kei: Hiro has been having dreams that sound similar to Kaldur’s.

Kaldur: You know something?

Hiro: The man that you’ve been dreaming about... He’s called Wasabi. That’s not his real name, though. They call him that because he spilled wasabi on his shirt one time.

Kei: I wanted to tell you guys because Hiro is uncomfortable with that dream.

Joker: How so?

Hiro: Well for starters... The guy I am in the dream is also named Hiro. Hiro Hamada.

Kaldur: Hiro Hamada?

Hiro: (irritated) I know. That’s the stupidest last name I’ve ever heard. And here they say my last name isn’t realistic.

Barbara: But I’m guessing that’s not what disturbs you about the dream.

Hiro: (groaning) It just makes me sick that that hero is such a goodie goodie. I may be a hero, but even I am not above doing things that may not seem right. No matter what.

Makoto: Are you serious?

Bruno: It’s the hardest thing any hero can do. Doing something wrong for the right reasons. No matter what it takes. I know this. (begins looking down)

Makoto: (puts a reassuring hand on Bruno’s shoulder) But now, things are different.

Bruno: (smiles in relief) I know.

Joker: But, why would you think to come to us for this? What do you want us to do about it?

Kaldur: Well, this Wasabi and that Hiro... I think they are in trouble.

What kind of trouble?

Kaldur: I... I do not know.

Hiro: But I think I do.

Kaldur: Then tell us.

Hiro: Well, in their hometown, San Fransokyo, there’s this police chief, Diego Cruz, who’s giving that world’s Big Hero 6 a hard time. Especially since a villain called “Hardlight” is loose in the city.

Skull: So this chief doesn’t like superheroes?

Great, Spider-Man has J. Jonah Jameson, Ben Tennyson has Will Harangue, Young Justice has G. Gordon Godfrey, now Big Hero 6 has this Diego Cruz.

Noir: But at least Chief Cruz has no power in the media. So he can’t fully turn everyone against them.

Kaldur: But it is only a matter of time before he does. I can see that Big Hero 6 has a lot to contribute to their city. They have already done so much and this man seeks to undo it.

Joker: What do you want us to do about it?

Hiro: Well... You’re the Phantom Thieves. Just do what you do best.

You know who we are?

Hiro: Well, considering that I’m in the company of a guy who was put on probation for a crime he didn’t commit, an athlete who lost everything because of an idiot PE teacher, a girl who was being chased by the same teacher, the former apprentice of a disgraced artist, the younger sister of a prosecutor involved in the Phantom Thieves case along with the Detective Prince, the daughter of a scientist involved in the research of psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns in which the Phantom Thieves were accused of, the daughter of a CEO who died from a mental shutdown, and a mysterious guy with no last name and just one that sounds like woman’s name, it’s not exactly hard to put it all together.

Makoto: (worried) Are you going to tell on them?

Hiro: No way, I’m part of the Phandom. I support them.

Baymax: If Master Hiro supports them, so do I.

Adi: Well, that’s good to hear.

Hiro: Besides, I think I might need your help, too.

Adi: What do you mean?

Hiro: Our own Wasabi No-Ginger is having dreams of that Wasabi, too. If something happens, even I don’t know what will happen to us.

Crow: So you’re asking us to steal Chief Cruz’s heart so he can leave Big Hero 6 be?

Kaldur: If you can, yes.

Garfield: We’ll even reward you for it.

Joker: With what?

Dick: Well, for starters, we won’t bust you for that poll you brought up in September.

Oracle: You’ll have to speak to Nishima for that.

Dick: But also, we might be able to help to make sure that what happened to Akechi won’t happen to him or anyone else with a connection again. Without anyone losing their memories.

Violet: How did you know about that?

Dick: (smirking) The nurses know everything.

Violet: (shocked) Yikes! ... I wonder if I should be a nurse, too.

Dick: Don’t give up your dream of gymnastics just yet.

Joker: Even if what you say is true, how do you intend to make it so?

Barbara: It’s still a working progress. But we should be able to have it done before spring.

Crow: I hope so. I get this bad feeling that something bad is going to happen when spring comes. Almost... Venomous.

Barbara: Don’t worry, we will.

Dick: So, will you do it? For us?

>I’m silent for a moment. Then, I give my answer...

We’ll think about it. Right now, we already have quite the number of requests to handle.

Dick: Alright, we’ll wait. The offer will stand... Along with joining the Team. In the meantime, there’s still some time for one more song.

Cyborg: I already picked it. I think you’ll all love it.

Joker: I’m afraid we have to leave, we have to get ready for the last day of the festival tomorrow.

Makoto: And we have to be heading back to the Wilton to meet with Tony.

Cyborg: Your funeral. (getting excited) Here it is! My favorite song of all time.

Garfield: (unhappy) Seriously!? I knew I should have picked the last song... Fade Away is way better.

Kaldur: Actually... I kind of like this song... I love it, actually.

Cyborg: (happy) See? I knew you had a bit of myself in you!

>The Team laughs as Cyborg and Kaldur sing and the rest of us leave.

>My room in Leblanc. Me and Mona (now returned to cat form out of respect for me) were just about to lie down for the night when I get a message on my phone.

Who’s contacting us at this time?

>I check.

Ren san, you have to check the school’s channel.

What’s wrong?

You’ll see. Just check it.

>So, I checked the school website. A dark image was streaming live.

????: Attention students of Shujin Academy. As most of you do no know, I am your principal. I have been hidden for a while, but now the time has come to reveal myself. I was called in to fill in this position after my predecessor, Keiji Kobayakawa, died. However, I would only have the position for a year since I come from overseas. It was to be a trial to see if someone from another country can safely run a Japanese school. Now, the time has come to see the result.

>Then, the lights turn on to show the principal’s face.

I hope that for the remainder of this school year, we would know each other quite well. I also have another announcement... But I shall wait until the end of this year’s Culture Festival to say it. Until then, pleasant dreams.

>The broadcast ends and I return to the chat.

That was Owen Burnett, he used to be the personal assistant to David Xanatos of Xanatos Enterprises before announcing his retirement last year and passing the company to his son.

He’s our principal? What’s going on here?

I’ve already spoken with the current student council president. He said we will speak to him soon enough to grasp the situation. For now, we should get some rest. We’ll tell the others in the morning. Good night.

Good night.

>We end the chat.

Mona: Let’s got some sleep. We should have our answers soon.

Joker: Right. Good night.

>With that, we go to bed.

>To be continued on the last day.