#life without SALM

[therogueduchess]

I dreamt of him last night.

It wasn’t life as it was, but as it is. I was in an approximation of our apartment that was somehow still the place but laid out differently, and I walked from a sunny front bedroom into the kitchen just as he entered it from the hallway. He had clearly just come in and had things in his arms that for whatever reason he was dropping off. We stepped into each other’s space, and orbited each other a little; I wanted to hug him but couldn’t, and as he slid past me he bent down and kissed the crown of my head.

It was awful

[qiutls]

TNGDH 005

That bad man.

A man without blood nor tears. A really terrible person. So merciless... I roared into the sawdust, floundering my limbs all around.

― Squeak! [ Give me back my wheel, you punk! ]

I'm not even halfway through the mission!

How can you only look at documents and pretend that you're not interested in this hamster at all then stab me in the back like this, huh? If I knew you were looking, I would have pretended to run moderately.

Indeed, I was stupid to believe that a crazy hamster otaku like him would be indifferent to me for even a minute. I'm the Northern Grand Duke and I'm superior to a running hamster, as if.

Kyle even went on patrol the next day taking the wheel with him. It's absolutely insane. There's no work to do, nor miracles in this cage, and I can't even do other quests.

That enemy-like miracle...

I climbed the slide from the end part to the middle, then let myself slide down, repeating it a few times and then sighing heavily at the end. 

I want to live like a human being until I die. Forget about eating well, or living luxuriously. I just want to live as a human, as defined by the dictionary!

Anyway, time went by against my will.

It was a day filled with playing and eating. Riding down the slide, eating walnuts, taking a nap, eating peanuts, stretching my body at a breathing room, eating sunflower seeds, riding the swing, eating pistachios...

I hear it's a cold neighborhood, are nuts a specialty? It's a great place to build a burum restaurant. It's only difficult to peel the nuts if you try and peel it all at once, but if you put it in a bowl, peel it little by little whenever you think of it...

/burum means assorted nuts, specifically walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts and etc./

...Fuck, what the hell are am I thinking?

I'm already thinking like a hamster.

All of a sudden, I started to fear what if I adapt to the situation casually like this. I'm a human being! I'm an intelligent person!

"Cashew Nut."

Kyle came back long after sunset.

I don't if he came in at a late time since I couldn't see the clock from here, and during winter in Blake's estate, nighttime took up more than half of the day.

He returned to the study to find me, but I pretended to not know. I wasn't in the mood.

Well, isn't this situation pretty.

I crumpled my body into the passageway between the first and second floors of the house that's not easily seen from the outside. He looked around the house for a while before giving up and returning to his bedroom.

He obviously looked disappointed, but....

Well, if you give me back my wheel, maybe I'll meet you face to face for a bit.

The next day, we met with a transparent passage between us. The frustrated Northern Grand Duke visited the study before sunrise.

"I'll be back soon."

He spoke affectionately, with his face close to mine.

"From today on, let's control your diet. Your body seemed to not be able to fit in that passageway."

Wait a minute... What the hell is this guy saying?

I lost my breath for a bit due to the shock of hearing those words.

But Kyle moved quickly, he was already pouring out the contents of my bowl. My bowl full of nuts... No... It's all empty, leaving only three almonds.

"I don't want you to strain your joints. I've still left some, so it'll be fine until the night. I'm busy preparing for the festival, so I think I'll come in late again today."

―…….

"...As expected, is it too little?"

Before I could protest, the man behind him said.

"No, I have heard from the magician that the growth period for the hamster have yet to come, Your Highness. The food is enough."

What are you talking about. What do you mean controlling my diet? Do you not have eyes? It's wrong to eat just one nut for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

It's the first time since school meals, that I'm eating food as someone else had planned. I looked up at Kyle, staring at him ridiculously and kicked the bowl over.

A dirty and cheap life, I can't even eat whatever I want.

I want to eat chicken with beer, salmon with capers, chicken feet, tteokbeokki, pane pasta.... Greasy, spicy, and bad for your health, it's something that only Koreans can eat!

"I guess, I'd better let him exercise a little."

"Yes, Your Highness, it's not good to overdo it, but it's still better than having it gain too much weight."

"Alright."

Kyle nodded his head, and with a grave look, put back the wheel in my house.

Yes! That's right!

I looked up at him, my blue eyes shining. He really looked like an angel today.

Get ready the party will start shortly. I only need to run 800 laps, not a single more and I'm done with this hamster life!

Let's calm down for now, if I ride it as soon as you give it to me, you'll probably take it away again. I pretended to be as calm as possible, and turned my head away from the wheel as if I didn't care that it has finally returned to my arms.

Kyle looked at me for a long time, his eyes were practically saying, "you're so cute, I could die."

Look at him, it seems like he had kissed me a hundred times with just those eyes alone. You've grown a lot, you already know how to control yourself when someone's next to you.

"Do you like that demonic beast that much, Your Highness?"

I heard their conversation as they were about to leave.

"Apparently, it's a northern field mouse type of beast, it's a bit late to give a mana stone for it's heart, so it's physical strength is weak but... It's able to socially interact and above all, it's pretty smart.

"Anyways, it's still young, that's why the size is a bit... It does resemble a hamster, however, if you look closely, it's just golden fur...

"It's just a mouse." /all the dialogue above is from the man accompanying Kyle/

"What do you mean, just a mouse?"

Kyle answered coldly and turned to him. "Are your eyes defective?"

"... Y-your Highness, I-"

"Enough, while I finish the paperwork for the celebrations, fetch me a small needle and some yarn."

"What will you do with it, Your highness?"

"There's no need to know, I'll be using it for important stuff, so only bring high quality ones."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Kyle left the study, while coughing. "This winter is especially cold."

This punk, don't tell me...

You're not going to knit my clothes, are you? Don't be weirdly domestic, Grand Duke, if you don't want to see this fragile hamster grab the back of your neck with just one hand.

The mere imagination of it made my body shiver and I rubbed my limbs quickly. Forget it, let's not think about it.

I quickly climbed onto the wheel. That's right, running on the wheel is best way to empty your mind. Now that I have the hang of it, I'll surely be able to finish 800 laps quickly.

I took a deep breath and began to move my four feet.

With a clatter, the wheel began to move slowly.

Now let's go with the flow, think about something peaceful and pleasant. Pizza, bulgogi, sundae gukbap... I felt my mouth watering and continued to run on the wheel with more force.

[ 0217/1000 ] …… [ 0322/1000 ] …… [ 0445/1000 ]

The numbers went up smoothly.

At this rate, I'm confident that there will be no hamster who can spin a wheel better than me. It's worthwhile to do this and count the number of times, so I think I'm accumulating points.

I just looked at the system window running, the number was between 600 to 700. Look at this, won't I be able to finish it soon.

I was a little hungry, so I was going to take a break and eat, but then I remembered what Kyle and the man discussed earlier.

What? Control my diet? Was I stuck in the passageway with my big body?

No, I won't eat anymore. I'll lose weight, and if I die, then I'll make him regret it.

I turned the wheel frantically with strange enthusiasm, refusing to rest. I was a little bit worried that the screw might fall off at this rate.

So, when I first heard a creaking sound, I thought this enormous wheel have finally met its end.

Huh, but is this really the right sound?

"Does the Grand Duke hide women in the castle?"

"I heard he loves her so much that he'll spend the day cooped up in here."

... A woman?

"You idiot! Why would you hide a woman in the study? You should put her in your bedroom, of course."

"... Really? Well, let's just search here for a bit, then go to the bedroom."

"That's right, by any chance we might get lucky and find some military secret in here."

I stopped turning the wheel and looked down at the men that crawled in through the door, literally.

The approached the desk, in a weird posture, they were wearing black masks. One look and you'd be able to tell, these people were not invited guests.

"Let's catch the woman, or maybe kill her."

"Right, if it's a commoner, then it will be pretty easy."

"Isn't that why he keeps her hidden, because she has no status?"

The masked men, no the thieves exchanged stories amongst themselves and searched the drawers. Documents in the top column, documents in the next, as well as third one. And in the last column-

"What's this?"

One of the men pulled out a bag from the drawer. I sat next to my bowl, eating the almonds as I watched them.

"Macadamia?"

There's one there too? For your information, there's also a bag of those in the small drawer next to the door.

Crunch. Crunch.

The thieves fell silent, and only the sound of me eating nuts could be heard in the study. Only then did they notice my existence and slowly approached me.

"What's this?"

"It looks like a mouse."

"Doesn't it look weird, this fur... it's gold right?"

"... Is it a demonic beast?"

"As expected from the Northern Great Duke."

No, I'm just an ordinary hamster.

I took the last almond and filmed a mukbang. Well? Bring me the macadamias in your hand. Three almonds are not enough for me.

"... Do you think it's expensive?"

The thief moved it's mouth after staring at me for a long time. They exchanged glances and soon began to open the hamster cage. 

You guys really didn't have any plan before coming here huh?

Talked about finding a woman and kidnapping her. But now you're kidnapping a hamster instead?

There's no backbone at all. How could such clumsy people try to steal. It's a miracle they didn't get caught on their way here.

I sighed without looking at the hand coming down from the ceiling of my house. Should I approach slowly? Is now a good time?

At that moment.

Clang! The sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the room.

"W-What's that?"

The three thieves, no, more like meerkats suddenly turned their heads towards the window, like real meerkats. 

"How dare you touch what's mine?"

The voice was like a sharp blade, resembling the wind of the highest highlands of the north. It felt like frost. The cowards, then began to tremble, as if they had already died three times just by hearing the voice.

Ah... I mean, this is karma if you look at it technically. In other words, it's time for the teacher to reprimand you.

[ How dare you kidnap my sweet little hamster! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ ]

I didn't mean it that way. By the way, why are you so excited?

"You won't be able to take another step."

No... Is it really a death penalty for touching a hamster?

Kyle pulled out a knife from his waistband.

... I really didn't think it would turn out this way.

novel ⠀✿⠀ next

[crigil-blog]

GOD SPEAKS TO OUR LIFE (5225)

Daily Devotional:

Give your worries to the Lord

Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; It will not leave the righteous down forever.( Psalm 55:22)

This salm reminds us that God listens to us and also acts in our favor. We often carry burdens that seem unbearable, we worry about problems that are out of our control and the fear of the unknown paralyzes us. But God invites us to give him all these worries.

Giving your worries to the Lord does not mean ignoring life's challenges, but fully trusting that He is in control. When we leave our anxieties in God's hands, we recognize that he is able to take care of us perfectly, better than we could do.

He sustains us through the storms and gives us strength to move forward. We are not alone: the Lord is our constant support, our refuge in times of tribulation. Trust in God, give him all your anxieties and believe that he will not allow you to fall. He is faithful and is always by your side, guiding you every step of the way.

Make an effort and encourage! Do not be afraid or afraid of them, because the Lord, your God, is the one who goes with you; he will not leave you, nor will he forsake you.( Deuteronomy 31:6)

To pray:

Lord, I give you my worries and I trust in your care. Support me with your strength and guide my steps with wisdom. Help me live with faith, without fear, believing that you never abandon me. In the name of Jesus, amen.

[thebookofnehemiah]

"The Sizzler." From the Book of Nehemiah, "the Exploration of the Mysteries of the Lions that Lay," 12: 44-47.

The section on the Levite Priests concludes, hinting that the composition of Israel's Royal Court is made of persons who are experieneced in the military, Shule, and politics or social work. Levites are joiners, meaning they are aspects of the doctor of philosophy that understands how life relates to itself. We know from the moment of birth, a human being needs to follow Maslow's Hierarchy and as expensive and tedious as it is for society to invest in it, without the presence of self-realized persons, civilization has no traction. So all of the disciplines have to be taught and tried out across the lifespan in order for our lives to work. This the Nsh must understand.

Nehemiah calls the products of this understanding "the contributions." These are offered during the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah= 1575, יזעה‎‎, yezia, "sweaty perspiration."

Sweat is mentioned once in the Torah, in Bereshit:

19 By the sweat of your brow    you will eat your food until you return to the ground,    since from it you were taken; for dust you are    and to dust you will return.”

The Number is 14319, idgat, ויגאגט, "know how to understand the Gate."

The Torah says we must follow the Seven Days to Shabbat, which is explained during Day Seven. Except none of the other Days mean a thing without a firm grasp on the Seventh. So the Gate to the beginning is actually the same as the exit, Shabbat. God says we must sweat like a tight t shirt on a sweaty farm hand in order to figure all of this out. This is confirmed in the passage below which says the First fruits are also the last.

=Asaph, a harvest gathering of men. Civilized men, AKA the Jews are the ones God leans on to ensure the Law and the laws are understood and apportioned out. The importance of this and how to do it is transmitted from field to storeroom by the fathers for the sake of the sons who are born, according to Nehemiah and the Torah not as Jews but into a Levite mold. Jews sojourn, they work. Levites, however are free of the need to work:

44 At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.

45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.

46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 44: The Number is 10582, קהחב‎‎‎, kahab, "His power strength and might."

v. 45: The Number is 7241, ז‎בדא‎, zabadar, "the mantle of splendor."

v. 46: The Number is 5501, הןא, he, "is it not..."

v. 47: The Number is 9067, ץסז‎, tzass, "the sizzle?"

"There appear to be at least two verbs צלל (salal): one means to ring like a bell, and the other means to be or become dark. How or whether these two relate isn't clear and ultimately up to anyone's poetic palate.

Noun צלצל (silsal) means a whirring or buzzing. The exact same noun צלצל (silsal) describes a fish-spear or harpoon and the highly similar noun צלצל (selasal) denotes a whirring locust. Plural nouns צלצלים (selselim) and מצלתים (mesiltayim) denote musical percussion instruments such as cymbals. Noun מצלה (mesilla) means bell.

Frequently used noun צל (sel) means shade or shadow and is often employed to describe the transitoriness of life (a mere shadow). Noun צלמות (salmawet) literally means the shadow of death and denotes a distressful and deep darkness.

A possible third identical verb צלל (salal) means to sink or submerge."

There is one way to sizzle and sweat we take for granted. It is verily a great gift of God that we can do this and transition life out of the way of the darkness into the path of the spear or one's favorite tambourine girl.

The Nehemiah Torah states thorough and complete knowledge of this experience marries all the disciplines of life together. We are completely captive to this feeling, it preoccupies all that we do. There is but one secret to its successful integration with life: real men alone must be in charge of its storerooms.

[gingerhotelsindia]

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The palace includes Hindu, Muslim, Gothic, and Rajput styles. Mysore is also home to the Devaraja Market which for centuries has been filled with spices, silk, and Salm wood sand. Tourism and IT is a major industry in Mysore. 

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[callmebliss]

How it started

How it’s going

Egad. SALM and I like to joke that when she sings us the song of her people demanding the foods, that she is claiming to be starveling, that she is a lying liar who lies…but she really was at one point. Starveling, I mean.

She was so skinny when we found each other and she came home. She’s been living outside, she’s had a two-kit litter neither of whom made it and she was barely a year old. Her first formative year must have had an unthinkable amount of food insecurity.

She has constantly available kibble and water, and SALM and I communicate to make sure she has morning and evening wet food without doubling up, because she will and has eaten so much she promptly vomits, which is no fun for anybody. But even with a full stomach she’ll cry for food, just to see if she can get it.

Hopefully some day she will feel the security of her life. I can only hope.

[josefavomjaaga]

Hortense about the Talliens

As I’ve quoted one of the siblings, I can quote the other one as well. So here are the first mentions of the Tallien couple in Hortense’s memoirs:

[This takes place somewhen after Alexandre had hindered Rose-Josephine to get their children to safety, when the prince of Salm-Kyrburg tried to flee the country. He seems to still be with the army though, so probably in spring/summer 1793? Before the fall of Mayence?]

[Hortense’s mother Josephine] lived quite a secluded life, knowing none of those who then governed France. Her excellent heart was soon to bring her out of her retreat. Mme de Moulins, aged eighty, came one day to tell her that her young niece, Mlle de Béthisy, had been arrested and taken to prison. Although she was only nineteen years old, her status as an emigrant gave rise to fears for her life if she was put on trial. Her poor old aunt burst into tears and begged my mother to save her niece from certain death. In vain, my mother replied that she knew no one. Mme de Moulins assured her that nothing could be refused to the wife of a general in the French army. It is so sweet to be persuaded that one can be useful! My mother went to all the authorities, asked for and obtained the freedom of her protégée. Tallien put the most eagerness and grace into assisting her efforts, and these were the first rights he acquired to our gratitude, for, at that time, it meant exposing oneself to serve misfortune.

If this really happens before Alexandre has left the army, it would mean Josephine already had met Tallien even before the latter was sent to Bordeaux.

There is another mention of Tallien after Josephine has been arrested and the children find themselves alone (well, more or less) with both parents imprisoned:

My brother, though young, felt all the energy of a noble heart. He was animated by such a desire to save our parents that he believed he could do it. He runs, alone, to Tallien, and tells him our misfortune. I waited impatiently. My brother's attitude had seemed irresistible to me. But, alas! the one who would have wanted to serve us could no longer do so. Fear had frozen all hearts; they seemed closed to goodness and justice. Innocence, then, had only to perish.

In this context belongs a request the two Beauharnais siblings sent, aided probably by their gouverness, to the convention on 27 Floréal (May 16, 1794):

Innocent children claim from you, citizens representatives, the freedom of their tender mother, their mother who could only be reproached for the misfortune of having entered a class to which she proved that she believed herself to be an outsider, since she has never surrounded herself with anything but the best patriots, the most excellent montagnards. Having asked for her order to pass in order to submit to the law of 26 Germinal, she was arrested in the evening, without being able to penetrate the cause.

Citizens representatives, you will not let innocence, patriotism and virtue be oppressed. Give back life to unfortunate children, their age is not made for pain.

Eugène Beauharnois, aged twelve,

Hortense Beauharnois, aged eleven.

And finally the first meeting with future Theresia Tallien:

The regime of Robespierre had ended and our mother had not been returned to us, when a lady remarkable for her beauty came to see us. It was Mme de Fontenay, later Mme Tallien. She caressed us, reassured us with consoling words and above all with the promise to take an interest in our mother. Indeed, a few days later, she was returned to us. Tallien had taken charge of her release. He had shown a lot of thought, and when, later, he asked my mother, as a grace, to receive the woman he had just married and who, perhaps, at that moment was too much in the spotlight, could she refuse him?

Now, I’m always a bit suspicious about things in Hortense’s memoirs – especially when she uses rhetorical questions. But this at least seems to confirm that Tallien himself was known to the family already before he married Theresa Cabarrus.

[dwellordream]

“…While it is relatively easy to identify links between toy weapons and warrior cultures, other types of play may have conveyed more subtle messages. Strategic board games, for example, may have served to introduce children to the martial ideologies that underpinned Scandinavian social structures. The game hnefatafl stands out as having particularly militaristic connotations in this respect. Hnefatafl is played on a square latticed board between two forces of unequal strength. One force, comprising a king and their retinue, occupies the center of the board. They are outnumbered and surrounded by a larger force that lies on all four sides of the board, potentially reflecting a number of different battlefield scenarios (see Kimball 2013). It is thought that the objective of the game is for the player commanding the king’s force to successfully guide the king piece to the edge of the board without being captured.

Both gaming pieces and boards have been found in a range of occupational contexts ranging from urban settlements to overwintering camps associated with viking armies (Dobat 2017; Hadley and Richards 2016; Wallace 2016). They also feature prominently in high-status burials that contain martial equipment, including graves from Valsgärde and Birka, Sweden, and the mid to late eighth-century Salme II ship burial, Estonia (Arbman 1943; Hall 2016; Peets, Allmäe, and Maldre 2010; Peets et al. 2012). While gaming pieces and boards are predominantly found in male graves prior to the Viking Age, the recovery of these objects from later female burials suggests that these may have become gender neutral over time (Rundkvist and Williams 2008).

…Textual evidence indicates that children would have played strategic games from a young age. For high-status children, mastery of these games was a prerequisite for elite status (Gardeła 2012), as reflected in the Eddic poem Rígsþula (v. 41; Orchard 2011:246), which states that aristocratic children “learnt to play, swimming and board games.” Later, in the twelfth century, a young Norwegian nobleman named Rögnvaldr, who would later become the Earl of Orkney, boasted that tafl was one of nine skills that he had mastered (Jesch 2006). This association between the elite and strategic board games may have reflected martial ideologies and the close links between political leadership and success in warfare. However, there is no reason to believe that individuals from across the social spectrum would not have played these games. While some gaming boards and pieces were status symbols in their own right (see, e.g., the board from Ballinderry, Ireland [O’Neill Hencken 1933] and the decorated glass gaming pieces from grave 644 at Birka [Arbman 1943]; see fig. 4), lower-cost alternatives would have been cheaper and easier to produce, and as such it is unlikely that gaming was a leisure activity associated only with the elite (Dobat 2017).

There is no reason to assume that children would not have had access to these objects, and it is also important to consider that these games might not have required purpose-made equipment at all. It has been argued, for example, that the crudest “graffiti” gaming boards, inexpertly etched into pieces of wood or stone, might have been made by children, possibly in response to having been taught to play games by others (Hall 2014a; McGuire 2016). In these impromptu games, small stones or other objects might have easily sufficed as gaming pieces, the obvious implication of this being that board games could have been played anywhere, at any time. This means that evidence for gaming may be significantly underrepresented in the archaeological record.

For children and adolescents, playing hnefatafl may have conveyed numerous lessons, the most obvious of which concern the game’s strategic elements. The objective of the players, to either capture or facilitate the escape of the surrounded king, and the unequal size of the opposing forces speak to the kind of challenges that might have been faced on the battlefield. As such, playing these games gave individuals the opportunity to show off their tactical skills and ingenuity to opponents (Dobat 2017). However, it is possible that more subtle messages were also being transmitted during play. Despite the numerical imbalance in the size of the opposing forces, it has been suggested that the rules of the game heavily favored the player commanding the king’s forces. If this was the case, then perhaps these games served in some way to reflect social hierarchies and political order, as well as to emphasize elite power (McGuire 2016).

The symbolism of sacrificing the retinue to preserve the life of the king, furthermore, may not have been lost on players, reinforcing not only political structures but also ideological beliefs that championed death in battle. This potential link between board games and martial ideologies of kingship is further illustrated by the gaming pieces found in the Salme II ship burial. Here a “king” piece was placed in or near to the mouth of individual XII, a man accompanied by a double-edged sword with a gilt bronze ring hilt and an antler comb (Peets, Allmäe, and Maldre 2010). The particular placement of this object may have been intended not only to emphasize the higher status of individual XII in relation to the rest of the group but also to symbolize the disastrous consequences of failing to succeed in matters of strategy and warfare (Hall 2016). For children and adolescents who aspired to join warrior groups, the lessons learned when playing strategic board games may have been imbued with a very real significance.

- Ben Raffield, “Playing Vikings: Militarism, Hegemonic Masculinities, and Childhood Enculturation in Viking Age Scandinavia.”

[acrossthewavesoftime]

Today in 1776: From the Diary of Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg

Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg, ca. 1780.

In order to keep my Kurrentschrift reading skills alive, I was looking for a document to practice on and found the diaries of Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg (1711–1787), later known as Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, in the digital collections of the Franckesche Stiftungen.

Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg was a German Lutheran pastor and missionary who had been asked to come to North America by Pennsylvanian colonists. You'll probably have heard of two of his sons, Peter, a Major General in the Continental Army, and Frederick, the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives, who became associated with an urban legend that now bears his name.

Because that's a time I am interested in, I picked his 1776 diary, wanting to read a primary source from the period that has a civilian background. Heinrich's vivid notes about daily life are interspersed with news of the war and recollections of deeply touching events; one can almost feel his sadness as he recounts the burial of a child whose father has joined the war, or his joy at receiving the news he has become a grandfather. Sometimes, his notes are short observations on the weather, or the price paid for a service or ware; at others, he writes lengthy passages about his political views or indeed, as is the case on 7 August 1776, medicine.

I'll first give you my transcription of the original German in all its non-standardised, old-timey glory and add an English translation with brief annotations below.

7 August 1776

The continuation of the Domestic Trifles [title of his diary].

Several visits from inhabitants demanding physic, particularly against dysentery, which is spreading.

My Hallensian [from the town of Halle an der Saale in Germany] physic is however used up, particularly those parts [ingredients] which may aid Nature during illness, and physicians are rare as well, for many of them have joined [the soldiers on] the battlefields. A student of Aesculap, if he be proper or no I know not, has published a recipe in the English newspaper without giving his name that is said to be good: take half a drachm of an eighth of rum or brandy and as much of clean ash from a fire of nut- or oakwood as amounts to three points of a knife full. Mix brandy and ash well and give to the patient the said amount in the morning and evening for several days. The patient however must not eat meat or broth of meat while taking it and should keep to easily digestible food. Water is the best drink, to be taken with a piece of roasted bread put into, or a gleaming coal quenched in it, or mixed with a little spiritus vini. The body is to be wrapped with a flannel or woollen cloth about the navel to keep warm; all other parts of the body should be left as cool as may please the patient.

I translated this recipe into German and transmitted it to those who did not know what else to do. It has been beneficial to some and not to others. Since my family and I felt precursors of it [the illness], we took several doses of pulverised rhubarb mixed with honey and afterwards Go: amaram [Latin name of a plant] from the realm of vegetables, and were spared by God’s luck. At night, God’s grace granted us a gracious rain after a long draught. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good p[salm 107,1].

I tried to straddle the thin line of staying faithful to the original text and how it reads and trying to make the translation as readable and accessible as possible; if any of you have thoughts on that (or know what the mystery plant "Go: Amaram" is!), let me know.

There is apparently a somewhat older printed English translation of Heinrich's diaries, though I don't know how accessible it is. I for one couldn't get my hands on it and have not found any other editions, English or German, readily accessible either.

I don't know if this would be interesting to anybody, but so far I have transcriptions to last well into September, so if you'd be interested in daily/weekly updates on Heinrich's life "on this day in 1776", I think I could do that. Some entries are longer, some shorter; some more, some less interesting. So far, I can promise political rants, carriage accidents, stolen horses and... Heinrich being angry at the cost of a pair of riding breeches.

It's a really vivid and engaging document that I have planned to share for quite a while, and I hope this (first?) foray into this fascinating account of the Revolutionary War from a civilian perspective has been as exciting and interesting to you as transcribing and translating it is to me.

Source:

Diary of Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg (1776), collections of Franckesche Stiftungen, p. 123-124 [accessed 07 August 2021].

Image credit:

Portrait of Reverend Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, in the collection of Preservation Society of Newport County, ca. 1780. Upload by user Concord, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons [accessed 07 August 2021].

[snowbarryiscoming]

The First Time- J-Hope

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO OUR HOBI, OUR SUNSHINE, OUR BABY, OUR JHOOOOOOPE.

For the past few days, I’ve been stuck in my house because of the winter storm that’s been here in Texas, so I haven’t been on the internet for days, and it feels weird but it’s interesting to see how we rely our entertainment on the internet. 

Anyways, as I’ve stated before, my Korean translations come from Google as I do not speak Korean, although now I do want to visit Korea 

And I do apologize if some of these are shorter than the others, since I don’t really know what to do sometimes. But hopefully you guys like it

Thank youuuuuu

You were currently at home, binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, bundled up in your blanket which a bowl of popcorn in front of you. 

Your boyfriend, Jung Hoseok, was at the dance studio learning the dance for the new song. He had texted you before he started and let you know that he might come home late. You already knew that, since always gave his 110% into every dance he learns. 

As you continued your binge watching, your phone rang with your boyfriend’s face popping up on the screen. Pausing the show, you answered it with a smile.

“Hey, jagi. Gogineun eottae?” (hey, baby. how’s it going over there?)

“Aju joh-a. Sonyeondeul-i chum-eul baeudolog dowa. Nan dangsin-i geuliwoyo.” (very good. just helping the boys learn the dance. i miss you)

“nado dangsin-i geuliwoyo. Naneun oneul bam dangsin-eulbogo sip-eo gidalil su eobs-seubnida.” (i miss you too. i can’t wait to see you tonight.)

“Balageondae.” (hopefully)

It was hard for you sometimes, because you knew that for the most part, you didn’t see him until the day after, you were usually asleep by the time he came home. 

“Salang haeyo, aljyo?“ (i love you, you know?)

“Al-a.” (i know)

After a few more minutes talking, you both hung up and you resumed your show as he resumed to his dance. 

Around 4 o’clock, you began to feel hungry, so you decided to make some dinner for the two of you, even though he wasn’t home. 

And then you got an idea. 

If he couldn’t come home to you, then you’d go to him. 

Packing up the dinner, dessert, drinks and everything in between, you headed out the door and texted one of the boys for the address to the studio. You had never been there, but you thought it was time to change things around. 

Once you arrived to the studio, you got out and grabbed everything and headed inside. Jungkook was there waiting, as you told him to help you find Hobi. 

“Hi, Noona.”

“Hey, Kookie.”

He gave you his famous bunny smile as he led you down some halls. 

“Smells good.”

“Naneun jeonyeog-eul mandeul-eossda.” (i made dinner) 

“Moduleul-wihan?” (for everyone?)

You gave him a look with a smile as he gave you a teasing smile while he opened the door. When you walked in, you saw your boyfriend dancing his heart out. He didn’t notice you until he heard Jungkook and glanced into the mirror and saw you. He paused the music and turned to you while trying to catch his breath. 

“Baby.”

He walked over to you and placed a kiss on your lips before glancing at the picnic basket.

“Naneun jeonyeog-eul gajyeowassda.” (i brought dinner)

“Geunyeoneun geugeos-eul mandeul-eossda.” (she made it)

Hobi smiled at you as you set the basket down. He pressed a kiss on your cheek as he placed a hand on your arm.

“Uli jogeum meog-eul su iss-eoyo al gessjiyo? Meonjeo mamulihagessseubnida.” (we can eat in a little bit, okay? let me finish up first)

You nodded and he went back to his dance as you took a seat next to the basket with Jungkook sitting next to you. The music started again and you glanced at Jungkook, who was on his phone. You scooted over to him and rested your head on his shoulder, and it made him glance at you, but he did nothing to stop you. Your eyes were focused on Hobi, only Hobi, and the way he danced. 

You loved to see him dancing, as you thought it was sexy. He was such a good dancer, but you never really told him that. 

Jungkook wasn’t paying attention to your or Hobi at all, but when he felt you slipping he readjusted your position so that you were resting on his thigh. 

“Hoseok.”

He was waving his hands to get the older boy’s attention and Hobi glanced at him through the mirror. He stopped the music and went over to him only to notice you had fallen asleep waiting for him

Again

“Naneun geunyeoleul jib-eulo delyeo galgeoya. Annyeonghi jumuseyo, Jungkook.” (i’m going to take her home now. goodnight, jungkook)

“Annyeonghi jumuseyo.”

Hobi took you home along with the dinner that you made, which had now gotten cold. He felt bad for you, since you made dinner, drove all the way to the studio just to fall asleep. 

You woke up from your sleep in the car ride home, Hobi in the driver’s seat.

“Uli jib-e galgeoya?” (we’re going home?)

“Joesong haeyo. Neon yeogikkaji waseo naleul gidalimyeo jamdeul-eoss eo.” (i’m sorry. you came all this way and you fell asleep waiting for me)

“Dangsin-eun mianhal pil-yoga eobs-seubnida. Neoneun chumchuneun geol joh-ahae. Chumchuneun dong-an segsi hae boyeo.” (you don’t have to be sorry. you love to dance. and you look sexy while you dance)

Hobi smirked. “Segsihan?” (sexy?)

“Maeu segsihada.” (very sexy)

“Uliga jib-e dochaghal ttaekkaji gidalyeo.” (just wait until we get home)

Any slumber that you felt prior was now replaced with excitement. You bit your lip as he placed a hand on your thigh and squeezed. Your eyes met his and you could tell he was excited as much as you were.

Once you got home, he went into the kitchen to set the dinner down and you followed him, wrapping your arms around him. 

“Segseuleulhago sipji anhdamyeon.” (if you don’t want to have sex)

“Naneunhanda. Cheoeum in geon aljiman salanghaneun salamgwa hamkkehago sip-eoyo.” (i do. i know that it would be my first time, but I want to do this with the person I love)

He turned around and gazed into your eyes as he smiled. Pressing his lips to yours, he pulled you close by your waist as your hands went up to cup his cheeks. He tapped the back of your thighs and murmured jump on your lips, and you did so. He carried you to your bedroom and set you on the bed. Without wasting another second, he discarded himself of his clothes and then you of yours. 

He looked to you for confirmation and you nodded, letting him know to continue. Grabbing the condom, he rolled it on and was then pressing his length into you, filling you up to the brim. 

“Hobi.”

His hands found yours and your fingers interlocked with his as he began to thrust into you. He let out a moan, which made you even wetter. Hearing him moan was like music to your ears. 

“Deo ppalli. Deo sege.” (faster. harder)

“Hwagsilhae?” (you sure?)

You nodded and he let go of your hands to flip you over onto your hands and knees. He lined himself up again and you moaned even louder when he filled you up. Your hands gave in and you moaned into the pillow as he thrusted harder, faster, deeper, just like you wanted. Every time he moaned, it made you wetter and each thrust brought you closer to the edge. 

When you hit your climax, it came all at once. You shouted his name, he had you in his arms, your head was tilted back against his shoulder. His climax happened during yours, you felt his warmth filling up the condom as his hips were stilled against your backside. He gently laid you on the bed as he hovered above, placing a kiss to your shoulder as he pulled out, making you gasp.

“Joh-eun?” (good)

“Nollal manhan.” (amazing) 

Once he got everything cleaned up, he got into bed with you and cuddled you while he played with your hair. 

 “Naega neomu neujge chum-eul chuneun geos-i dangsin-eul goelob hinayo?” (does it bother you that i dance so late?)

“Aniyo,hajiman ttaeloneun oelowojibnida.” (no, but it does get lonely sometimes)

Hobi was silent before he glanced at you. “Nawa hamkke chum-eul chuleowassdamyeon?” (what if you came to dance with me?)

“Mwo?”

“Jeon-e chumchuneun geol bwass-eoyo. Igeos-eun uliga hamkke deo manh-eun sigan-eul bonael su issdolog.” (i've seen you dance a little bit before. this would let us spend more time together)

“Dangsin-ui salm-ui ilbuleul nawa hamkke nanugo sipseubnikka?” (you want to share a part of your life with me?)

“I love you.”

You gave him a smile and leaned up to kiss him.

“And I love you.”

And so each time there was a new dance, you were there with him to learn it and help the boys learn it. 

Hobi wanted you in his life and he would share anything he could just to have you there by his side, which you will be

Always

[albertfinch]

Psalm 100:4,5 - "Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations."

 Satan’s plan is to make us somehow accept, either through our upbringing, our experiences or through Church dogma that certain portions of the life of Christ are untrue or not valid in our case.  Every battle we face in life is over the word and whether or not we can build our lives upon the faithfulness and integrity of God.

Hebrews 10:23  - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is FAITHFUL;"

[the-paintrist]

Wolf Huber - Portrait of Jacob Ziegler - ca. 1540

The humanist and theologian Jacob Ziegler (c. 1470/71 — August 1549) of Landau in Bavaria, was an itinerant scholar of geography and cartographer, who lived a wandering life in Europe. He studied at the University of Ingolstadt, then spent some time at the court of Pope Leo X before he converted to Protestantism; subsequently his geographical works were placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.

For a time he taught at Vienna; in his old age, 1545–49, he lived in the house of Wolfgang Salm, Bishop of Passau. His portrait by Wolf Huber (c. 1485-1553), executed about 1540, when he was about seventy years old, is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

His main geographical treatise, Schondia, was published under the title Quae intus continentur Syria, Palestina, Arabia, Aegyptus, Schondia, Holmiae... at Strasbourg in 1532.

The Index Librorum Prohibitorum (List of Prohibited Books) was a list of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Sacred Congregation of the Index (a former Dicastery of the Roman Curia), and Catholics were forbidden to read them without permission.

There were attempts to censor individual books before the sixteenth century, notably the ninth-century Decretum Glasianum, but none of these were either official or widespread. In 1559, Pope Paul IV promulgated the Pauline Index, which Paul F. Grendler believed marked "the turning-point for the freedom of enquiry in the Catholic world". After less than a year, it was replaced by the Tridentine Index which relaxed aspects of the Pauline Index that had been criticized and had prevented its acceptance. The 20th and final edition appeared in 1948, and the Index was formally abolished on 14 June 1966 by Pope Paul VI.

Pope Paul IV established the Index of Prohibited Books which banned thousands of book titles and blacklisted publications, including the works of Europe's intellectual elites. This index condemned religious texts, readings of romance, and graded authors based off their degree of toxicity. The stated aim of the list was to protect the faith and morals of the faithful by preventing the reading of theologically, culturally, or politically disruptive books. Such books included works by astronomers, such as Johannes Kepler's Epitome astronomiae Copernicanae which was on the Index from 1621 to 1835, by philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and editions and translations of the Bible that had not been approved. Editions of the Index also contained the rules of the Church relating to the reading, selling, and pre-emptive censorship of books.

Wolf Huber (c. 1485 – June 3, 1553) was an Austrian painter, printmaker, and architect, a leading member of the Danube School.

[wolfandsheep200]

Chapter 4: A loss of personalized freedom. A Promotion of Rank.

Neopoilitan walked in silence alongside Mercury Black all the way to Salem's Throne Room. Once, at the door which separated them from Her Majesty. Mercury stepped foward. His left hand raised to knock. Before He could however. Neopoilitan reached over and in the briefest of instances squeezed Mercury's right hand. The movement was so slight on her part. That if a body wasn't specifically looking for an interaction between these two. This small jester of solidarity would have gone unnoticed. Mercury's left hand hung suspended in the air before the door for what felt like an impossibility long time. Then as if everything around them started moving again. Mercury completed the knock. The door opened with a vooming hissing sound. As if the fresh air from the hallway was flooding into the vacuumed chamber. Neopoilitan having fulfilled her assignment, turned and begun to make her leave. Neopoilitan made it several steps down the hall before quietly crumbling into a pile of dust. Mercury closed his gray eyes. Wherever the corporal body of Neopoilitan was right now. She was in trouble. Her aura field had just broken. And as a consensus, her after image clone had turned to dust. Instead of shattering the way one of Neopoilitan illusion should have. If an assailant had broken the illusion, through an attack. All Mercury could do now was hope his friend was okay. And that none of those he worked with saw what he had just witnessed. Mercury gathered himself faced foward and stood silently in the doorway. Until Salem finally acknowledged his presence.

"Are you going to stand there forever child? Are our you going to come inside?"

Just awaiting your personal invitation. Your Grace. Mercury replied. Before bowing his head and entering Her Throneroom. Mercury walked in kneeling before Salem. Cinder always kneeled with her left knee to the floor. And Cinder was Mercury's Client. So Mercury imitated his client actions. To a T. Kneeling with his left knee touching the floor.

"There's no need for that, at this moment." Salem announced. "Rise!"

Mercury rose to his feet. His eyes immediately picking a spot on the floor ahead of him and gluing themselves there. Salem had only told him he could stand in her presence. She hadn't issued him any directive stating he could lay his eyes on her royal Visage.

"Do you know why I summoned you before me?" Salem asked.

"I do not presume to know the inner workings of your mind. Your grace. " Mercury answered.

Mercury's Father Marcus Black. Had trained his Son from early childhood on how to respond when dealing with clientele of all sorts.

"For all people from all ways of life have a need to utilized our services. And from time to time you'llbe throwna curveball. A pitch so drastically different from anything you've ever seen before. That you won't know how to cope. That is the reason for learning this Mercury. Because one day.. I won't be there to hold your hand and it will behoove you to understand how to conduct yourself in those intimate circles. That our clients walk in."

And so that Mercury learned this lesson and many more just like it. Marcus ensured that simple things. Such as, Mercury would have no miscommunication, or indirect understanding on how to react. When One was to speaking to Royalty. To ensure this. Marcus had laid Mercury's failures to do so correctly. Bare and in numerous presence across his back. Only now at this moment could Mercury see the need for what his father had been trying to teach him.

"I summoned you before me." Salme began. "Because I believe Cinder has failed to obey Me. Earlier Cinder came before me with concerns that Atlas would get communications between themselves and the rest of the world up and running. She asked if she could take a small contingent and quell this heriecy before it has a chance to begin. I gave her specific instructions to ignore their vain attempt to raise the alarm and under no circumstances was she to leave my Castle. Without my expressed authority. Now I fear Cinder has bluntly disobeyed me. And as a consequence of this action she will have to be punished." Salem paused. Waiting to get a reaction from him. Mercury denied her the satisfaction. He was not Emerald he was not going to be baited. Instead Mercury doubled down focusing all his attention on that spot on the floor. As if it was the most interesting object in the world. Finally seeing that she'd get no rise from the young man before her. Salem asked a question. So I wish for you to presume for me. "What do you think I'm going to do?"

Mercury gathered his thoughts before speaking everthing he was to say had to make some logical scene if he was to help Cinder.

"Frist off." He began. I'd like to say I appreciate your candor. So often an underling is called in to receive punishment for the mistakes of their employer's and those handing down the punishments. Never even have the decency to let those being punished to even know why. All I have is one question.

Salem chuckled amused. Particularly interested to see where this line of thought ended its destination. Right now the young man before her. Was believing she meant to take her displeasure with Cinders behavior out on him.

"And what question would that be?" She asked

Am I just going to be beaten and maimed, or should I be putting my affairs in order?"

Somehow this question stopped Salem. Stopped her dead in her tracks. The young Man had just calmly and nonchalantly implied that Salem should kill him in order to send a message to one of her followers. Who was this young man and where had he come from?

"No nothing like that. Salem said The kind of punishment I've got in mind won't have anyone who serves me spilling unnecessary blood. For today at least. Try again.

Mercury thought about it for a moment. "If the punishment you have in mind isn't going to include violence then. I can only assume you wish to personalize it to Cinder based off information you already know about her. And therefore without having access to that same vein of information. I would be unable to ever properly make an accurate assessment capable of pleasing your grace.

"Your words our wise. Clearly Cinder has vision in her employ. Vision I'd prefer to have in my own. And so I shall." Salem clapped her hands together. Mercury still refused to look up. If he had he would have seen a smug grin pass across her radiant features. "Mercury former disciple of Cinder. I am personally promoting you to the the inner circle. No longer will you apply your trade in Cinders employ. From now on you will only take orders from me and no one else. And in return I shall provide you with the riches of the world. That is a vague promise Mercury though in my world people like myself sing contracts and we don't break them. Without your ink on paper and Cinders ink relinquishing me from my terms of service I cannot enter into a contract with you. So telling me I now work for you is kind of pointless. Yet Mercury said none of this. Infact he said the direct opposite. Seeing an opportunity to save Cinder from any real repercussions.

"I am honored and greatfuly humbled by how you have chosen to place your trust in me. I hope that the promotion of myself a former underlying to Cinder Fall. Will have the intended effect of letting her know anyone can be promoted or demoted at any given time and she will quickly fall back into line.

Salem was somehow less than pleased with this answer. Yet couldn't understand why. And that irrated her to no end.

"Go now." Salem announced. And await my further orders I have big plans for you." Mercury walked outside as soon as the door was closed he kicked the dust pile left behind by Neopoilitan. Until the evidence was throughly scattered.

This has been Chapter 4: A Loss of Personalized Freedom. A promotion of rank. This chapter was written by Wolf and Sheep 200 and is a work of fan fiction. As always please feel free to leave a comment. I look foward to hearing them. And merry Christmas. Peace out for now.

[devilinsheepswool]

Obey Me! MC Character Sheet

Thanks to @kyungi-i for the spred sheet! I've seen others do it and thought why not me?

Name: Alisa Moreno

Nickname: Ally, Lisa, Li-Li, Al, Isa, Moreno

Age: 18

Height: 5'3

Weight: 170

Race: Human

Gender: ♀️

Birthday: April 13

Star Sign: Aries

Hair Color: Brown (pink streaks)

Eye Color: Brown

Skin: Brown/freckled

Demon brother, she is most to least like:

1. Levi

2. Belphie

3. Satan

4. Lucifer

5. Beel

6. Mammon

7. Asmo

Personality: she's pretty cynical and pessimistic, she also seems very aloof but somehow has a way of knowing a little bit of everything that's going on. When she wants to be she can be very observative and dedicated to her work, otherwise, she can come off as lazy, or disinterested just as much as aloof. Her snide personality comes off subtle mostly due to her wallflower and nerdish appearance. And she does have trouble getting to know other people due to her self-consciousness, low self-esteem and social anxiety; all of which she masks under witty remarks, jokes, and sarcasm. She puts up walls and its difficult to get to know her past surface level, despite it all Lisa does have a soft side and softens up around people that have a natural kindness and positivity about them or are straightforward. She has a good sixth sense, which helps her be an extremely good judge of character more often than not she is correct about her intuition regarding others' intentions towards her. Lastly, she has a bad habit of acting out and deliberately going against authority, she doesn't like feeling controlled and being told what to do. She'll usually follow the rules because she can't be bothered with the effort to break them but if she feels like someone's trying to control her or that she's being patronized then she will deliberately go out of her way to break the rules.

Background: Before coming down to Devildom, Lisa, despite only being 18 had already finished all her schooling, including higher education. Back on earth, she was recognized as a child prodigy in her research on historical documents and records, despite her early achievements at such an early age, the pressure of being placed on such a high pedestal career-wise eventually got to her and she fizzled out. Growing up an orphan without a past or family, the academy she worked for and her work was all she had, after she cracked due to the pressure she ran away hoping to live out the youth she felt she had never experienced in childhood. At age 16 she was a runaway and going under a different name. She lived on the streets and squatted in abandoned buildings for a few months before she met some people that offered to help her. During this time she developed an interest in music seeing as the people who helped her were a musical band full of teens just like her.

In order to stay with them, she lied to them about the truth of who she was and why she ran away. She stayed with one of the band members she had become close to during her initial days of having met them. While she stayed with them she learned how to play several instruments and eventually sing as well. She went on to perform with them but after two years of playing with them musical difference surged and a fight broke out, after which Alisa decided to run away again. It was during her second night of squatting in an abandoned house that she woke up in Devildom.

Hobbies: Music; Singing, Electric Guitar, Violin.

Likes: Sweets, Reading, Music, Animals, Writing, Video Games and drawing.

Dislikes: Liars, being lied to, math, meddling (Ironically), cruelty, injustice/unfairness and short tempers. Words that sound one way but are spelled another, or that sound like they mean one thing and then mean something else.

Appearance:

She's fairly average height. She's on the plump side, with a rounded face that makes her look baby-faced. She has freckles but due to her brown skin they're difficult to notice. Her eyes are rounded and large despite the dark circles brought on by years of bad sleeping. Her hair is short in a bob cut and wavy/curly, usually, she has a singular braid running down her left side. She wears glasses to see and prefers to wear loose-fitting clothing except for at performances. She tends to dress on the nerdy side.

Casual Clothing -

• Top: Sky Blue sweater rather loose fitting sweater over a white button up blouse.

• Bottom: plaid moss green skirt. Over the knee length, style is somewhat pencil skirt. Black tights under skirt.

• Shoes: Brown Boots.

• Accessories: star-shaped hair clip, silver necklace with a star pendant, a bunch of woven, or leather, or beaded bracelets. 

• Glasses: Yes. Black plain.

Uniform:

Alterations?

Not many, she wears the uniform properly a skirt version with the same black tights underneath the skirt. And a light blue tie on her uniforms blouse.

• Mother: N/A

• Father: N/A

• Siblings: N/A

• Pets: A black cat she adopted during the first time she ran away, she found her in one of the abandoned buildings fed her and the cat kept following her after that. Her name is Pandora.

• Friends: Prior to joining the band Alisa had none, after joining the band she made 2, Lydia and Florence. The lead singer and drummer of the band, respectively. She stayed with Florence and her grandmother during her time in the band.

• Past Relationships:

She had a mentor/advisor who eventually became a colleague when she finally started working with the academy. She was very close to her and was her only actual relationship. Her relationship with Dr. Aver was the closest she's ever had to a familial relationship. In the early stages of their relationship Aver became endeared with a rather small and young Alisa and tried to offer her the closest thing to a family she could through her and her husband. While they had a solid well-going relationship, they hit an obstacle when Aver was offered a position teaching at a highly prestigious institution abroad. Aver tried to keep connected long distance but it all came to an end when Alisa ran away.

Alisa dated three times during her time in the band the first relationship was bad from the start and ended badly, the second and third one ended with Alisa self-sabotaging herself due to the first bad experience. All occurred relatively back to back during the first year and half of her being in the band.

The first one though was the longest one, which lasted for 9 months. The last two were relatively short-lasting about a month to two each.

Sexuality: Unsure, possibly Pan.

Have they been in love before?

Because of her first toxic relationship and overall young age, at the time Alisa is hesitant to say that she ever was truly in love in any of her past relationships. But she was the most heartbroken with the ending of her 3rd relationship. Prior to her third relationship, the other two were mainly out of curiosity for exploring with dating than actual love.

How easily do they gain crushes?

Not easy, she wasn't aware of her feelings towards her third (future) partner until she was in her second relationship, her feelings for her 3rd future partner had started amidst her 1st relationship when it started going downhill.

Do they believe in love?

She doesn't really have an opinion on it, she's rather cynical and with her negative past experiences you would think she doesn't believe in it anymore if she ever had, but honestly, it's not something she's thought about that much. She's just experiencing life as she goes, maybe someday...

What's their type:

Alisa is the type of person to look for what she's missing in her life in someone else; she's typically drawn to kind, warm-hearted people, more likely than not optimists with positive personalities. You get the sense that she's into the "angelic" type (thus her third ex/first love) with a strong moral compass always set on doing right. Of course, this being her type doesn’t mean it’s what suits her the best. Mixed with her low self-esteem, a relationship with her ideal type may turn out to be hazardous as she might end up over-idealizing the person or self-sabotaging once again due to low self-worth as well.  

Which of the 7 brothers is her favorite?

That's a tough one she likes both Mammon and Levi but couldn't pick a favorite between both. Although Beel is also a strong contender for her favorite.

Why?

Mammon, despite not being honest about what he truly thinks about her is easy to read and has always been there for her when she's truly needed him, he's stepped in to save her multiple times and she knows he clearly worries about her. She's grateful to him despite his antics, and is able to look past the big cool guy/bad boy facade he puts on and appreciate him for being there when she really needs him.

Levi, she actually sees a lot of herself in him. Especially, a lot of her from prior to her first run away. She relates to his hermit-like personality because prior to running away she was like that as well. She can also sympathize and empathize with his obvious insecurities and wants to more than anything be there to reassure him and help become more secure of himself. Despite not being a total weeb like Levi, during her time in the band she did develop some interest in anime and manga, just not as passionate as Levi's.

What do they look for in a partner?

Ideally, she likes kind-hearted, empathetic people but speaking practically she'd prefer an honest straightforward person easy to read that doesn't try to play mind games or control her. Someone patient and that can reassure her when she doubts herself, and most importantly someone that will call her out when she needs to be. She doesn't want someone that will coddle, pamper, or try to spoil her like a little doll and let her get away with things that are prick-ish. She's good at keeping herself in check but she'd like the reassurance that someone will call her out if she slips up without noticing.

General -

Fav. Food: Tamales, but she also loves Cheeseburgers and Milkshakes.

Least Favorite: Meatloaf, Eggnog, Rasin Muffins, Salmon.

Favorite color: blue & green

Least Favorite: White or Neons

Sociable or Recluse? Both, she can be something of an ambivert but prefers to be more reserved due to her majority introvertness.

Favorite Movie Genre: Droll Comedy, or Action Political Thrillers/govt. conspiracy, K-drama's

Reader or not? Very much a reader, liked it and eventually it was what her job required of her in order to conduct her research.

Favorite Animals: She likes cats and dogs, but she also has an ample love for animals of all kinds but especially the ones that can be found in the woods; Owls, Raccoons, Wolves, Crows. Her favorite however has to be the Fox.

Favorite Music Genre: Rock, though she's big on ceremonials and sea shanties as well, and loves testing her vocal range with gregorian chants and Hymns.

Least Favorite: Country

Do they like sweets?

BIG YES.

Do they like spicy food?

👌👌👌👌

Do they like school?

Not so much like but she was good at it, and a majority of her life was dedicated and depended on it, overall she doesn't have bad memories about school perse, so I guess you could say that she does.

Pet Peeves:

Loud food chewing, bad breath, meddling in her business, being patronized, people pointing out her baby face, people trying to manipulate, use or lie to her.

[calliecat93]

Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 6

(Top 5 Dislikes)

Holy Hell, I actually made it. Twelve… err,  eleven posts in one week. I somehow did it! It’d been super fun to go back over Volume 1-6. Some of them I haven’t rewatched all the way through in years. It was a super fun ride, but it’s time to wrap things up. Volume 6 is my favorite volume, and now I get to talk about hey. So let’s conclude this series of Like/Dislikes posts with my Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 6!

#5. Maria Calavera

Back in V5, they had to cut out a plotline where, during his search for Huntsmen to recruit, Qrow met an elderly woman. This character, however, had to be cut out due to timing. But they didn’t throw her out. They just her back into this volume. That character was Maria Calavera, and she is awesome.

Maria brought so much levity into the volume honestly. She’s funny and really charming, but also sharp and intelligent. Her ass towards Yang and Qrow always got a giggle out of me. It also helped when the flashback ended, since she wasn’t feeling crushing hopelessness and was able to get everyone to at least start looking for shelter. We didn’t know anything about her, but with how she chose to stay on the train after it de-railed and her going through Barlaby’s journals, it speaks a lot to her mindset and definitely hint at her experience.

Most everyone figured this out by the time of the reveal, but Maria was a former Silver Eyed Warrior. Which while I wish that they did some more foreshadowing about her legacy before, the flashback with Maria was freakin’ awesome and showed how much of a badass that she was in her prime. She agrees to mentor Ruby, and honestly? Maria is exactly what Ruby needs. She’s experienced and an overall nice person who gan give Ruby proper guidance, but also stern enough to give her a good bonk on the head when necessary.  Which proved valuable for when we got to the end.

Maria came in at exactly the right time, and she was a big part of what made V6 so enjoyable. She was hilarious, like the “Maybe she’s dead!” line still cracks me up. SHe’s wise and can get everyone to focus on what matters. She’s been through the same hopelessness and sense of loss that they are… well okay not the exact same way, but she gets it. She wants to do something to make up for when she gave up and finds it in guiding Ruby. Someone who has the same gift and the same drive as she did in her youth. If Chapter 12 was any indication, Ruby may very well be on her way to being the next Grimm Reaper, and that’s all because of Maria. I love that old woman~

#4. Ozma and Salem Backstory

I have been watching RWBY since V1. I started just as the volume wrapped up, so I have more or less been around since the beginning. I have been following every plotline since 2013. I’ve had so many questions for so many years. One of the big ones was the connection between Oz and Salem, and why they have a conflict to begin with. I had waited since the end of V3 to get an answer. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when we finally got it, I’d say that it had been very well worth the wait.

The Lost Fable was everything that I had been hoping for. We found out about Salem. We found out about Ozma and why he keeps reincarnating the way that he doe. We found out about the Gods. We found out the history of Remnant and what exactly happened to cause the world to be what it is now. We finally found out about why the moon is broken! There were so many answers to so many questions and even stuff that I wasn’t expecting. I had guessed that Oz and Salem were former lovers, but them having actually formed a family? Making themselves God and that being the beginning of their downfall? Damn man…

The backstory was very well done. I feel so bad for these people. Al that Salme wanted was her lover back after he gave her the happiness and love that she never received before. But she was also selfish, trying to turn the Gods against each other and then driving the world to war But the GOds also made her immortal and wiped out humanity, treating them more like objects than anything else. But the biggest victim here is Ozma. He did nothing wrong except die of an illness. He accepted a deal to be with his wife again, but still had to do what was right for the world. He didn’t do that, and by the time that he realized how twisted Salem had become, it was too late. He lost his love. He lost his children. He lost his life and had to start all over again, doomed to never die until he’s united the world. Otherwise, when the Relics unite and the Gods return, everything and everyone will die.

It all makes sense. Why Ozpin acts like he does and why he keeps reincarnated. Why Salem is so Hellbent on destroying all of humanity and making Oz suffer. Sure there are some unanswered questions, like how humanity came back after their demise, but that’ not that big a deal. This was several years in the making, and I can still remember the utter shock that I felt after the first viewing. I was so happy to have this at last, and again, the wait was very much worth it.

#3. The Brunswick Arc

As much as I wished that we had more varied reactions to the Ozpin stuff, we did get a very good arc due to the hopelessness that everyone felt. These two episodes were really great. It had this horror tone, and the snow setting certianly gave it a cold feeling. There were some good bits. Yang’s PTSD still affecting her and Blake trying to comfort her but saying the wrong words. Weiss being afraid to go back to Atlas after just escaping and her terror after finding the corpses. We have RUby’s concern of Qrow drinking if he finds the storeroom of alcohol and her trying to get him to talk to her, but he’s just closed himself off completely. RUby’s trying to be optimistic, but you can just see how much everyone is weighed down.

Then we get to Chapter 6. Things aren’t going well and everyone’s on the verge of just giving up. Yang’s tired. Blake is tired. Weiss is tired. They’re all doubtful of why they’re doing any of this and why they’re going to Atlas. Ruby tries to remind them that they have to… and that’s when we get Yang asking why. We see her blank anime eyes, and we just know that something is very, very wrong. They all try to get Ruby to drop the lamp in the well, and even she begins to say how tired she is. She goes to the well, her hands trembling as she holds the lamp over the well. Her eyes are blank, but she sighs, pulls back… and a pair of red eyes make her drop ti. She refuses to leave without it, so RWBY all go down and while they find the lamp, they also find something much, much worse: The Apathy.

These embodiments of nightmare fuel are Miles’ favorite Grimm. They’re essentially zombies, using their power to weigh you down until all that you feel is apathy. You feel nothing. You don’t care about anything. You just lay there, and you either die from that or the Apathy get to you first. They are horrifying. You can’t just shoot them dead either. The girls barely get away, only being saved by Ruby’s Silver Eyes. It ends with Weiss burning everything tot he ground as they escape. We find out that Bartleby brought the Apathy tot he farm in hopes of using it to ward off enemies since they can’t keep affording a Huntsmen. Instead, the whole horde found their way there, and no one cared. They felt nothing, except for tired. 

This arc is short, but dark. There’s this bleakness all the way through. It feels like you’re the one standing out there in a blizzard with no warmth to push away the bitter cold. They did such a great job of nailing the tone. The Apathy are horrifying, but such a great concept and I can see why these are Miles’ favorite. You feel for all fo the characters and know that they are not acting right and there’s just so much relief when they snap out of it and drive away. On the upside, this gets them to apologize for their words and regain their resolve in getting the lamp to Atlas. It did a lot of good for Ruby, but we’ll get to that later. For now, this was a highlight of the volume, and I enjoyed it immensely.

#2. Bumblebee Storyline

Ho boy, this one has been controversial. And by controversial, I mean this has been hated on for stupid reasons. Like… really stupid. Bt I’m getting ahead of myself.

We all knew that when Blake came back, she and Yang would have things to work out. Which I think that they handled very well. Weiss’ talk with Yang helped her realize why Blake did what she did and let her back in. She still needed time, but she was just happy to have her back. Blake clearly still felt horrible for running away, trying to help Yang with her bag. I don’t think that Yang needed to be more angry towards Blake. Like I said, she had time to cool down and Weiss helped her with that. Blake was genuine in trying to make things right, especially when she saw that Yang was having a PTSD flashback. She talks about Adam’s tactics of making others feel powerless and tries to comfort Yang. But she ways the wrong words and Yang pushes the whole thing back as a result. Still, Yang pulled Blake out of the house after they got away from The Apathy after Blake, in particular, came close to death, so clearly Yang still cared.

But now, we get to the end of the volume, and as such the controversial bit. So int he final arc, Blake goes to take down the city’s radar, but as it turns out Adam stalked her. At this point, he’s lost everything. The White Fang. His power. His standing. At that point, all that mattered to him was making the one that he saw responsible suffer, and that was Blake. She fought back as Adam kept calling her a coward and a traitor. Unfortunately for him, Blake wasn’t alone. Yang entered the fray, and she held her own against him. Adam tried to intimidate her over what happened last time, and it’s enough to make Yang’s arm tremble. But Blake grabbed it, telling Adam that she isn’t protecting Yang. Nor is Yang protecting her. They’re protecting each other.

Adam was an abuser. While seeing his scar certainly leaves an impact, it doesn’t justify all that he had done. He only cared about control and power, and anyone who got in the way of that would earn his spite. He became a monster who emotionally abused Blake and frequently gaslighted her into making her stand at his side. That is until Blake decided that enough was enough, and she left him and the WF behind. Since then, he wanted her to suffer, as well as anyone else that she cared about. It’s why he dismembered Yang. Imo, Blake had no romantic feelings for Yang at that time, but she was still her partner. And because of it, Yang had to suffer at Adam’s hand. Which caused Blake to run, and for Yang to be traumatized and broken. In that moment, Adam made his choice, and there was no redeeming him nor did he want it.

Fortunately, the two girls recovered and got back together. But there was still one obstacle in their way before they could truly move forward, and it was Adam. They gave him the chance to eave. He refused. They fought him. It was either fight back or die. It ended with Yang managing to stop Adam’s Semblance by using her own, getting rid of his sword in the process. Adam lunged at Blake’s broken weapon ut as Blake did, and had he gotten it first then he’d keep trying to kill them. As such when Blake grabbed it and when Yang grabbed the other half, they did the only thing that they could to save themselves: shove the blades forward through Adam. It ended with him falling over the cliff, and to his watery grave.

Adam’s death caused a lot of controversies, but considering that this is a Likes post, you can probably guess where I stand. Adam wasn’t ruined by the CRWBY whatsoever and he led himself to his end and this was the right time to do it. But really? That’s not important. What’s important is what happens after, when Blake breaks down. Yang hugs her and Blake tearfully swears that she’s not going to run again. Yang answers that she knows. These two girls went through so much Hell, and it was together that they were able to set themselves free. This is what finally got me to subscribe to the bumblebee ship. Before. I was indifferent and at times angered by how many people used it to attack the writers. But this was when I saw the value of it. That sense of mutual support that they both needed. How they freed each other. How they can now move forward, and do so together as equals. This showed how great that bond is. How great that their characters are. How far that they have come, and how they can now move on. I loved this arc. It was well written, well-acted by Barbara and Arryn, and was just a super satisfying ride from beginning to end. I loved it.

But alas, there was one thing that I loved even more. Which is a big deal because this was the one thing that I was hoping for above else in this volume. What was that thing? Well...

#1. Ruby Character Arc

In my Volume 5 Dislikes post, I said that Ruby’s lack of development was the thing I hated most. It was the only real thing in the volume that I hated. When V6 was about to start, my one hope was that they would give RUby something. I didn’t care what, as long as it was something that would develop her character and have a payoff, I could live with it. And… well… they did it. They absolutely did it.

This was everything that I had been hoping for. In this volume, Ruby has to take the reigns of leadership. She’s the one who reminds them about the innocents on Argus when the truth about the Relic came out. When Oz tried to make her give the lamp back, she refused and questioned if he lied about protecting humanity. She made her own choices and was the only one aside form Maria to keep her sense and keep moving. At Brunswick, she had every reason to be frustrated and hopeless. But she kept it together and tried to do things like find food or get Qrow to talk to her. This girl was trying her best.

Then we get to Alone in the Woods. I went over this a bit int he Brunswick section, but Ruby here was fantastic. We do see that she can get frustrated and that she can’t always kepe up her optimistic facade. She almost gives in to being tired, but he fights it back, This was what she signed up for. She had a duty, and she was going to carry it out to protect everyone. She managed to fight back against the Apathy’s influence to save Blake, and then with Maria’s help was able to tap into the Silver Eyes enough to blast a huge number of them into dust. And because of it, we finally, finally have Ruby question about the Silver Eyes and ask Maria to teach her to use them.

So much good for Ruby was in here. She has to harden herself a little. It never gets to the point of brooding or angsting, but she and the others are left with no true guidance. The closest thing that she has is Maria, but she’s a new arrival in the conflict. Ruby’s used to Ozpin or Qrow having the answers, but they both have given up. But Ruby hasn’t. And when Qrow refuses ot hear Jaune’d plan out and tells everyone to just give up now, what does Ruby do? She turns to her uncle, her mentor, and tells him that she’s going to hear Jaune out. THat she doesn’t care what Qrow thinks. He may have given up, but it doesn’t mean that she has to. This was where she truly became the leader of not just her team, but the entire group. It took a second talk, but she restored Qrow’s hope. She refused to give up because they can’t. This was what she chose to do, and she was going to do it. With or without anyone to guide her.

It all ends when, after the plan went array, RUby faced Cordo. All that she has is her scythe, but this teenaged girl tells Cordo to either let them through or else. Cordo refuses, so Ruby carries out her threat by gumming up the canon arm to the point of disrepair. But that’s not the end. The Grimm attack, and they all decide to stay. RUby calls the Argus base, telling them that she is a Huntress. This isn’t the same wide-eyed girl who fangirled at Glynda and asked her for an autograph because she was a Huntress. No, this time Ruby is that Huntress. Her resolve is stronger than ever. She’s going to save Argus, and she has the one thing that can do the job: the Silver Eyes.

This was RUby’s trial by fire, and she passed it. It isn’t easy as her happy memories get tainted by the bad ones. But she’s able to use her wits and summon Jinn to buy herself time. Yes, she used the Relic despite not having a question, and she got away with it. It’s enough to let her recollect her happy memories, and ended with the first shot of her mother, Summer Rose. That image is the last thing that RUby needed to, for the first time by her own choice, use the Silver Eyes. while she’s only able to briefly freeze the Leviathan, it’s enough time to let Cordo recover and kill it for good. She lets them through due to this, and RUby not only guaranteed Argus’ safety, but them successfully making it to Atlas.

Ruby is often derided as a flat and under-developed character. I disagree. It’s not easy to move forward. It’s not easy to stay strong when so much is falling apart. Giving up is easy. Hating is easy. But RUby refused to take the easy way. She made a choice, and she has stood by that choice over and over again. She began as a naive girl with a childish dream and major anxiety. She surpassed it. She went from being afraid to make friends to befriending everyone that she meets. She went form charging at a Nevermore to prove herself, to channeling that recklessness into insane but brilliant plans. She went form questioning Oz if he was right to choose her to be leader, to effortlessly leading her team and encouraging others. Her dreams went from a childish fantasy to true dedication and understanding of what she’s fighting for. Bad things happen, and she wants to make people’s lives better as much as possible. She has a stronger understanding of the world and used it to better herself. Now here? She’s taking matters into her own hands and pushing everyone forward along with her. She’s holding on to her hope, and that is what makes her strong. 

Ruby is an amazing character. She is my favorite character. And this volume shows why that is. This corrected all of the mistakes that I felt that V5 made. She actively develops and it’s never dropped. She questions things and starts to learn from them. She learns to use her Silver Eyes. But most of all? All of this got a payoff wth her facing the Leviathan. Yes, she’s still suppressing so much and that’ll come back to haunt her. But for right now, this is what she needed. She needed to take this step, and they executed it wonderfully. As such, ti si is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite thing about RWBY Volume 6.

And with that, we are done! It’s been one Hell of a trip going back down memory lane, but I enjoyed it! Thank you, everyone, who read this as well as the previous posts. I’m not likely going to do any other LikesDislikes for RWBY until V8 starts. But I’m not done reviewing. V7 starts tomorrow, and I plan to do my episode reviews for it. I hope that you all will check those out. V7 is on the horizon my friends, and I am ready for it! I hope that you are to. But for now, thank you again, and I’ll catch you later~!

[callmebliss]

Someone broke my teacup and nobody will confess

I have an illness that the Urgent Care called a “cold” (quotation marks and all) and yet for it they prescribed antibiotics, steroids, and a cough medicine with hydrocodone in it

Finally took all the quilts to the laundromat and one quilt took a half hour longer than everything else to dry

and also the dryer went Out Of Order in the middle of it so I had to spend extra quarters

Got home and discovered that because I had to carry down my giant quilt that SALM uses (the one that refused to dry) and my own quilt and couchmonsterblanket in two separate trips, I actually forgot my own quilt and blanket, so now I am the only one in the house who has to sleep in dirty fucking blankets

Also discovered that someone broke my new-to-me black vintage bone china teacup, snapped the handle right off, and left it on the cutting board without confessing, apologizing, or setting it up to make it look like a knife was slicing through the handle just for LOLs

While wandering JoAnn Fabrics looking for the right epoxy to fix it, my phone blew up from my G+ folks with notices that Google Plus, which has been my go-to internet social place since its first week in operation, where I built friendships and loves and professional network connections, where I rediscovered, rebuilt, and reinvented myself after leaving my ex, which has been an integral part of my daily life for over seven years...is shutting down. I spent untold minutes wandering the affixtive, beading, and yarn aisles, with epoxy still in my hands, crying and looking for something else to spend money on, and found nothing that was right. Then I found what looked like a pack of calligraphy nibs and was delighted until I realized they were only decorative - they all lacked that required split that lets the ink run down to the tip. The poor girl at the register went into the standard patter of “Hi, how are you today? :) :) :)” and all I could do was shake my head and try to not cry on the credit card reader

Got home, started making dinner, went to take the above-mentioned cough medicine which I had been putting off since noon because Driving While Opiated is not a good idea, and discovered that while it was on the table where I left it, and the prednisone, the box of antibiotics had completely. fucking. vanished. Found it in the recycling bin buried in the middle of a bunch of Daughterchild’s old school papers; apparently they must have gotten set down on the table by her or her dad while cleaning and then picked up and carried to the bin.

I am angry and fucking SAD, and all I really want to do is drink, but I can’t even do that because Hydrocodone cough syrup + alcohol = perhaps I will stop breathing forever

and even thought a thirdthoughts part of me knows that the second thoughts part of me is an idiot, that second thoughts part of me is like, “but how bad would that be really”

So I’m listening to my third thoughts but I hate it. I hate everything right now.

Please tell me something good. Please.