#milo if/when you see know that YOU are the one responsible for the creation of this

[occasionally-drawn-sprites]

[seriousbusinessforhumans]

Feb 2018

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) counted over 100 people killed or injured by alleged perpetrators influenced by the so-called "alt-right" — a movement that continues to access the mainstream and reach young recruits.

On December 7, 2017, a 21-year-old white male posing as a student entered Aztec High School in rural New Mexico and began firing a handgun, killing two students before taking his own life. At the time, the news of the shooting went largely ignored, but the online activity of the alleged killer, William Edward Atchison, bore all the hallmarks of the “alt-right”—the now infamous subculture and political movement consisting of vicious trolls, racist activists, and bitter misogynists.

But Atchison wasn’t the first to fit the profile of alt-right killer—that morbid milestone belongs to Elliot Rodger, the 22-year-old who in 2014 killed seven in Isla Vista, California, after uploading a sprawling manifesto filled with hatred of young women and interracial couples (Atchison went by “Elliot Rodger” in one of his many online personas and lauded the “supreme gentleman,” a title Rodger gave himself and has since become a meme on the alt-right).

Including Rodger’s murderous rampage there have been at least 13 alt-right related fatal episodes, leaving 43 dead and more than 60 injured (see list). Nine of the 12 incidents counted here occurred in 2017 alone, making last year the most violent year for the movement.

Like Atchison and Rodger, these perpetrators were all male and, with the exception of three men, all under the age of 30 at the time they are alleged to have killed. The average age of the alt-right killers is 26. The youngest was 17. One, Alexandre Bissonnette, is Canadian, but the rest are American. 

The “alternative right” was coined in part by white nationalist leader Richard Bertrand Spencer in 2008, but the movement as it’s known today can largely be traced back to 2012 and 2013 when two major events occurred: the killing of the black teenager Trayvon Martin and the so-called Gamergate controversy where female game developers and journalists were systematically threatened with rape and death. Both were formative moments for a young generation of far-right activists raised on the internet and who found community on chaotic forums like 4chan and Reddit where the classic tenets of white nationalism — most notably the belief that white identity is under attack by multiculturalism and political correctness — flourish under dizzying layers of toxic irony.

The Killings Started in California

The timeline for alt-right killers began on May 23, 2014.

On that day, college sophomore Elliot Rodger stabbed his three roommates to death before driving to a sorority house at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and shooting several women. He then killed or injured several pedestrians with both gunfire and his vehicle before exchanging fire with police and eventually taking his own life. He ultimately killed seven and wounded 14.

Rodger left behind a sprawling 107,000-word manifesto titled, “My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger,” which contained passages lamenting his inability to find a girlfriend, expressing extreme misogyny and various racist positions including disgust for interracial couples (despite the fact that he was multi-racial himself (half-Chinese)).

“How could an inferior, ugly black boy be able to get a white girl and not me? I am beautiful, and I am half white myself,” Rodger wrote. “I am descended from British aristocracy. He is descended from slaves.”

Rodger frequented PUAhate, a deeply misogynistic forum populated by failed “pick up artists” dedicated to revealing, “the scams, deception, and misleading marketing techniques used by dating gurus and the seduction community to deceive men and profit from them.” Discussions about women on the forum are at best objectifying and at worst, violent.

The term, “white sharia,” allegedly coined by Sacco Vandal of the popular alt-right site Vandal Void, is a radical response to Patrick Buchanan’s argument in Death of the West: that the increase in immigration and decline of white birthrates is leading to the end of Western civilization. Rodger’s celebration at the 504um, one of the premier alt-right forums, is the rule rather than the exception, and locates misogyny at the core of the alt-right.

Andrew Anglin, the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer’s founder and chief propagandist, has his own troubling history of vicious misogyny, tracking all the way back to high school.

In the aftermath of Rodger’s killing spree, a user at 4chan/b/ posted a photo from Rodger’s Facebook page with the note, “Elliot Rodger, the supreme gentleman, was part of /b/. Discuss.” This sentiment was echoed by other /b/ users who found similarities between his lexicon and that of the noxious board, including the term “beta,” used by men online to describe themselves as lacking the physicality, charisma and confidence associated with alpha males.... The term resurfaced on 4chan/r9k/ in the wake of a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, by Chris Harper-Mercer, who killed nine and wounded at least seven others at the college on October 1, 2015. “This is only the beginning. The Beta Rebellion has begun,” one anonymous user wrote. “Soon, more of our brothers will take up arms to become martyrs to this revolution.”

Although never proven, it is widely speculated that Harper-Mercer was a user on the board as warnings against attending school the following day that circulated on the eve of the shooting. Authorities believe Harper-Mercer, who like Rodger was multi-racial, was also motivated by white supremacist ideas. The Government Accountability Office categorized the Roseburg killings as “white supremacist” in an April 2017 report.

2017: A Year of Alt-Right Violence

The first killing in 2017 that can be tied to the alt-right occurred on January 29 in Canada. A 27-year-old university student named Alexandre Bissonnette allegedly brought a semiautomatic rifle into the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City and shot and killed six worshippers while injuring 19—two critically.

On May 20, 2017, Sean Urbanski, a 22-year-old University of Maryland student, allegedly stabbed and killed newly commissioned Lt. Richard Collins, III. Authorities described the attack as “totally unprovoked.” Urbanski approached Collins, who was black, and two friends at 3 a.m., seemingly intoxicated, and said, “Step left, step left if you know what’s best for you.” When Collins refused, Urbanski stabbed him. Urbanski, however, was a member of a Facebook group called “Alt Reich: Nation”.

Less than a week later, Jeremy Christian, a 35-year-old Portland resident, allegedly stabbed and killed two people and severely wounded another passenger on a train while they were defending two young women from his anti-Muslim and racist remarks. Christian, who identified as a white nationalist and had a history of violence and mental illness, had a Facebook page filled with racist and bizarre political content. Witnesses at an alt-right free speech rally in the month preceding the stabbing saw Christian wearing an American flag cape, yelling racial slurs and making Nazi salutes. 

Two months later, on July 14, 2017, Lane Maurice Davis, 33, allegedly stabbed his father, Charles Davis, to death at the family home in Skagit County, Washington, after accusing his father of pedophilia. Davis, a conspiracy theory obsessive who went by the name ‘Seattle4Truth’ online and accused his father, not based on his own experience, but instead on his belief that liberals around the world are participating in secret pedophilia rings. Davis was reportedly a researcher for Milo Yiannopoulos and claimed to have ghost written pieces on Breitbart News for the former tech editor. 

In the months leading up to Unite the Right, members of the alt-right colonized and organized themselves on the gaming chat platform Discord. This includes Auernheimer who was a frequent participant in the Daily Stormer’s server, “Thunderdome,” where he regularly interacted with site readers and put out calls for action.

Young, White, Angry, Male

According to Dr. Eric Madfis, author of a 2014 paper on the intersectional identities of American Mass Murderers, young, white, middle class, heterosexual males commit mass murder at a disproportionately high rate relative to their population size in the United States.

The rate of mass murders spiked in the 1970s and 1990s. Between 1966 and 1999, there were 95 cases of mass public shootings. Between 1976 and 2008, mass murders occurred roughly twice per month, claiming an average of 125 deaths each month. A more recent study published by Mother Jones identifies 95 mass shootings in the United States since 1982. Of those, 55 (59%) were committed by white men.

FBI crime data suggests that ages 16 to 24 are peak time for violent crime. According to Dr. Pete Simi, Director of the Earl Babbie Research Center at Chapman University, "This is a period of substantial transition in an individual's life, when they're less likely to have significant attachments in their life that deter them from criminal violence."

Madfis’s 2014 paper from the University of Washington investigates the role of intersectional identities in mass murder incidents and argues that young, white males' unique downward social mobility, relative to his expectations, accounts for their overrepresentation as perpetrators of mass murder.

Only one in five mass murderers are “likely psychotic or delusional,” however, according to Dr. Michael Stone, a forensic psychiatrist at Columbia University.

A 2001 study conducted by Meloy examining 34 adolescent perpetrators of mass murder found that 59% were the direct result of a triggering event. That rate jumped to 90% among adult mass murders. 

Dr. Elliott Leyton, an expert on serial homicide, argues that contemporary mass murderers often target the perceived source of lost financial stability or class prestige. The alt-right, which couches its mission in terms of surviving literal extinction, routinely laments so-called reverse racism and affirmative action as well as immigration in all its forms.

The grievances collected by those motivated by the white nationalist ideology at the heart of the alt-right often do not begin with racist propaganda, but rather in the toxic communities of the men's rights movement... The age-old racist argument - that black men are 'taking our women' — is made regularly. Racist slurs are chucked around casually. There seems to be a significant overlap with organised white supremacy." 

Andrew Anglin once wrote “[o]ur target audience [for the neo-nazi website Daily Stormer] is white males between the ages of 10 and 30.”

Wiring Young Neurons

“Our target audience is white males between the ages of 10 and 30,” Anglin wrote in his “PSA: When the Alt-Right Hits the Street, You Wanna be Ready.” “I include children as young a ten, because an element of this is that we want to look like superheroes. We want to be something that boys fantasize about being a part of. That is a core element to this. I don’t include men over the age of 30, because after that point, you are largely fixed in your thinking. We will certainly reach some older men, but they should not be a focus.”

[Richard] Spencer told Mother Jones in December of 2016 before a contentious speaking engagement at Texas A&M University. “I think you do need to get them while they are young. I think rewiring the neurons of someone over 50 is effectively impossible.”

Undeniably, their efforts have had success. Mainstay racist conferences, like the annual gatherings of American Renaissance and the National Policy Institute, are attracting larger audiences, no longer dominated by their once singular demographic of middle-aged white men.

On a panel at Harvard University in October, Derek Black, son of longtime white supremacist Don Black, who once represented the future of the movement until he renounced racism during college, described his surprise at seeing so many young participants in Charlottesville:

I can say for sure my entire life in white nationalism I went to conferences many times a year. I spoke at them. I tried to organize them. I organized online through my dad's site [Stormfront] through organizations whether Jared [Taylor]'s AmRen or David [Duke]'s EURO or Council of Conservative Citizens … Everybody at these things is gray-haired. Me and two other people would be under 40. That was it. Which is partly why I took this impression that this is not gonna last. And a lot of that is because young people have a lot to lose … Young people who show up to a rally like that are going to get their identities exposed online and then it's gonna be hard for them to get jobs … I cannot actually explain what changed. The one striking thing about Charlottesville…was there's a ton of young kids like college-age or actual college students who got on buses and went to this who I don't think had been to an event like that before. 

Alt-right groups such as Identity Evropa and Vanguard America are marketing themselves exclusively to college and high school-aged individuals.

Then, on October 19, barely two months after the chaos of Charlottesville, the University of Florida was forced to host a Spencer speaking engagement under threat of a lawsuit........................ Hours later, three of his supporters were arrested for attempted murder after an alleged confrontation with protestors in which Spencer’s supporters threw stiff-armed salutes and one fired a shot at the urging of his accomplices. 

Not Even 21

James Alex Fields was only 20 years-old when he drove his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of attendees and protestors during August’s Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, injuring 19 and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Fields stood with members of Vanguard America during the rally and carried a shield with the militaristic, alt-right group’s insignia on it.

According to police records, Fields also had a troubling history of childhood domestic violence — which experts see in about 1 in 6 mass killers. In 2010, Field’s mother called 911 after he attacked her for telling him to stop playing a video game. Other records reveal that he brandished a 12-inch knife at her on a separate occasion. His disabled mother uses a wheelchair.

Just three months prior to Unite the Right, another young, white man with a history in the alt-right, 18-year-old Devon Arthurs, allegedly killed two of his roommates... in Florida. Arthurs, who was taken into custody by authorities after holding employees of a tobacco shop hostage, had converted to Salafism, an ultraconservative form of Sunni Islam, and begun defending ISIS online a year prior. He was previously a leader of a National Socialist group known as the Atomwaffen (“Atomic Weapon”) Division which formed on the fascist forum Iron March. 

In the year leading up to the shooting, Arthurs appeared to be blending his alt-right beliefs with his newfound adherence to extremist forms of Islam. His username changed from Weissewolfe to Kekman Al-Amriki, a combination of the trollish god of “meme magic” common to 4chan and the name of an American member of al-Shabab, an Islamic militant organization. According to VICE, Arthurs also spoke of “white sharia,” a concept exemplifying the brutal, misogynistic core attitudes of the alt-right and those it has inspired to violence.

Leaderless Resistance

In 2014, after longtime Klansman Frazier Glenn Miller Jr. killed three at a Jewish community center and a retirement home in Overland Park, Kansas, Brad Griffin of Occidental Dissent published an article on the topic of “self detonating lone wolf vanguardists.” According to Griffin, “a ‘self detonating lone wolf vanguardist’ is someone who is radically alienated from society and who has given up on persuasion, a fanatacist who is inclined toward violent methods of bringing about eschatological political change, who usually acts alone or with an accomplice in the name of a movement without the support of assistance of any group, and who typically explodes, lashes out, or ‘self detonates’ without warning in rampage shootings, murder-suicides, and bombing campaigns.”

In its just over four years of operation, the Daily Stormer’s audience included at least three readers who were either convicted or indicted for murder. 

"An Age of Ultraviolence"

On June 17, 2015, Dylann Storm Roof killed nine African-American worshipers and wounded one while attending a Bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof, then 21, told his victims, including Reverend and State Senator Clementa Pickney, that, “I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country, and you have to go.”

In a manifesto posted to his website, lastrhodesian.com, Roof cited the Trayvon Martin case as his inspiration for searching on Google for “black on White crime.” According to Roof, “I have never been the same since that day. The first website I came to was the Council of Conservative Citizens. There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on White murders. I was in disbelief.”

On March 22, 2017, another Daily Stormer reader, James Harris Jackson, was arrested after stabbing 66-year-old black man Timothy Caughman with a sword in Manhattan. Jackson, an army veteran, was 28 at the time of the alleged stabbing. He travelled to New York from Baltimore, Maryland, to conduct a “practice run” for what was intended to deter white women from race-mixing. He told a media source after his arrest that, “the white race is being eroded.” 

On Friday, December 27, a 17-year-old white male, reported to be Nicholas Giampa, allegedly shot and killed the parents of his ex-girlfriend in Reston, Virginia, before turning the gun on himself. According to reports, the parents had facilitated the break-up after learning that Giampa held neo-Nazi beliefs.

Giampa’s account also attempted to engage with those of alt-right leaders and organizations like Mike Peinovich, VDARE, the Traditionalist Worker Party, Identity Evropa, as well as Vanguard America, the neo-Nazi group that James Fields was photographed with in Charlottesville. One of Giampa’s main obsessions, however, was the hardcore neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen.

2018 is already off to a disturbing start. On January 2, Blaze Bernstein, a college student who was gay and Jewish went missing and was later found murdered. Friends of the accused murderer, Samuel Woodward, told ProPublica that Woodward was a committed neo-Nazi and member of Atomwaffen which may have as chapters in as many as eight states.

This former Atomwaffen member also said that the events in Charlottesville had a major impact on the group. Its membership doubled.  

(selected sections of article)

[fullsunalicia]

hiii! i just found your account and i’m so in love with everything you’ve written!!! can i request a johnny demigod au?

piece by piece — SYH

johnny would rather die than admit he’s not able to fix something. no matter what it is, he’s absolutely certain he can find a way to make it right. correct the clock’s tick. make the light bulb shine again. puzzle the pieces of your heart together. who else would, if not him?

son of hephaestus!johnny x daughter of dionysus!reader

of course you can! thank you for request love, i hope you enjoy! <3

Some people are born with a silver-spoon in their mouth. Johnny entered the world with mechanical tools and screwdrivers in his little hands. At least that’s what he keeps on telling others when they watch him build something.

He’s always had a knack for stuff like that. During experiments, it was always Johnny who got the thing up and working. He loves to create. There’s no better feeling than getting something to work again, like a broken clock, or a flickering light.

There’s only one exception. Johnny’s never tried to fix a heart before, but he’s willing to try.

A loud yelp escapes you as Johnny takes away the wine bottle you were clinging to. Is this your second or third one? Honestly, he doesn’t remember. He hasn’t been paying attention. The only thing that matters right now is getting you away from all the alcohol, and into a bed to sleep your rush off. Your eyes are stained red, rivalling those of a stoner. Your fix is free; it’s called ‘tears’. Truth be told, you’re an emotional mess, and everything spills over the second alcohol enters your bloodstream and chases away the deep-rooted pain inside your chest.

“You give that back right now, Seo.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he deadpans. The frat house is way too loud, overcrowded with people he’s never seen before, but you’re gonna have to deal with that if you’re going to sleep over tonight. Strong arms slide beneath your back and into the hollows of your knees, lifting you up as if you‘re the pound of feathers and not the pound of iron you feel like. It’s a familiar feeling, because Johnny always carries you to bed. It’s a tradition that’s slipped into your drunk habits aswell, since you tend to pass out in your intoxicated bliss instead of helping yourself to an appropiate sleeping place.

Johnny sets you down on a soft mattress, one you recognize too easily. His blankets are freshly washed, and you ignore the laughter falling from Johnny’s lips as you snuggle into them. You look like a toddler. “Aren’t you going to change, (y/n)?” he mumbles, fingertips brushing over your cheekbones. You’re like a sculpture - flawless marble, the perfect depiction of a Greek beauty. Venus de Milo is literally sprawled over his bed. Not many guys can say that. “That croptop must be kinda tight. Here, let me help you.”

“You think you’re funny?” you drawl out. Alcohol makes your tongue heavy, speaking is an effort. He’d never admit it out loud, but you’re rather adorable whenever you’ve had a sip too much. Johnny tucks you in, the soft, plushy blankets covering your entire body. Your eyes are already screwed shut. You’ve got a sharp tongue, but everybody knows how much you trust Johnny. More than anyone else in your life. He’s the one who looks past the drunk facade and sees the sorrow beneath it, the very same your father must have felt when Ariadne left him for eternity. Like an illness, your heart is rotting from an invisible wound, inflicted by someone who didn’t know how to treat you right.

Johnny would. He knows you deserve to be treated like a princess, not some prize. That’s why he broke that guy’s jaw with pure pleasure. The busted knuckles after that were beyond worth it, and the kiss you had left on them was just the cherry on top.

There’s nothing Johnny wouldn’t do for you. His head is filled with thoughts about you and you only, his entire existence revolves around protecting his tiny best friend. You’re his world, and Johnny’s the moon circling it. You just don’t know it yet. Maybe you don’t want him, reject him like Aphrodite did to his father. It doesn’t sound so bad when it means he can still baby you like this, fingers carding through your hair, listening to the appreciative hums you let out at that. When he lowers his head to sneak a kiss on your cheek, cheeky and daring, you don’t fulfill your threats to snap his neck. Drowsily, since you’re already slipping into slumber, you catch Johnny around the neck and pull him down to leave your own peck on his temple.

Whoever in Olymp is responsible for your behavior, whatever Fate had meddled with your creation - he’d sincerely like to thank them from the bottom of his heart for making you a clingy drunk.

Since the first day of college, Johnny has been taking care of you. He had helped you renovate your dorms since you are literally helpless when it comes to building cupboards and setting up some baseboards. Whenever you miss a lecture, you copy off his carefully written notes. And you can bet your sweet ass you’re the first one to take a sip of Johnny’s freshly brewed coffee. It’s not like he has it in himself to stop you - he’s the one who offers you the mug and scolds you for not taking care of yourself. He’s the one who wants to ease off some stress from your shoulders by helping you with your living quarters. He wants to make sure you get the correct notes so you don’t fail during an exam.

It’s only right he’s the one to solve the jigsaw puzzle that represents your heart.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Raise your hand if you think (y/n)’s an alcoholic.”

“Nakamoto, if you don’t shut up, I’ll seriously consider stuffing your mouth with a croissant.” Over the breakfast table, you throw an not-so-evil glare Yuta’s way, but the man only laughs and starts eating his cereal. You don’t really look threatening in your blanket cocoon; you had refused to part from them when Johnny had woken you up and dragged you out of his room. “Seo, put that hand down right now.”

“Lying is a sin, (y/n).” He catches the hand that tried to hit his chest, and you yelp loudly when he tugs you out of your safe space inside the blankets so you can sit on his lap. His frat brothers are staring, all of them aware about the feelings blossoming in Johnny’s chest for the alcoholic he managed to befriend. He doesn’t care, though. He’s too busy adoring the embarrassed blush on your cheeks, so distracted by the sight that he forgets you’re in attack mode. The flick to his forehead actually hurts. “Don’t make me throw you across the table, (y/n). You know I can do it.”

“I’m not an alcoholic,” you shoot back. Stubborn as always.

Johnny’s arm around your waist doesn’t seem to bother you. You actually continue your breakfast while he rests his head on your shoulder, lost in your natural fragrance. Of course you smell like grapes. The stench of alcohol. But he also picks up roses, the underlying notes of the perfume you had put on last night. According to you, he smells like burnt wood and oil. That doesn’t sound as pleasant as you do, but he’ll take what he can.

The gears are already set in motion. Without you knowing, Johnny plans to cure your broken heart. So when you set down the knife you used to cut open your croissant, Johnny asks you: “(y/n), wanna go on a date?”

You freeze on his lap. Your heartbeat thunders below his touch, like a clock ticking away. Hearts are nothing but clockwork, racing towards your death. The last hour of your life. Until your battery finally runs out. Johnny has a lot of mechanic jokes. “Excuse me? Are you still drunk?”

“You of all people are not allowed to ask me if I’m drunk.”

“Fair,” you mumble, almost offended. But the shock still lingers in your veins, painted on his friend’s face aswell. You turn in his hold to look Johnny in the eyes, the disbelief in yours driving a knife through his heart. “Is this a joke, Seo Youngho? I don’t particularly like to joke about this and you know that better than anyone else.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking.” Johnny’s fingers tug at your shirt, desperate to feel what’s below. Is your skin as soft as it looks like? If he touches you here and there, what can he coax out of you? His thoughts run wild about you always; sometimes innocently, sometimes anything but. “I’m sick of watching you drink your problems away, (y/n). We all know you’ve gotten over him, you’re just afraid of facing the consequences of what he’s done to you. Let me help you. I can fix this.”

Your eyes are hypnotizing. Maybe this is what it looks like when maenads possess their victims, luring them in with the promise of a good time and better alcohol. You don’t offer him intoxication - you offer Johnny the entire galaxy, every solar system locked into your gaze, a kaleidoscope of human memories, desire, love. One look would make any man lightheaded.

Children of Hephaestus are fireproof. They’re supposed to be blacksmiths, working at any temperature. Only you manage to leave scorch markings where your fingertips meet his face, uncomfortably hot, and still irresistible. Second degree burns don’t sound so bad when you’re the one inflicting them.

“You can’t fix everything, Johnny,” you tell him. The sadness clinging to your voice is centuries old, older than time itself, the common tale of a heart broken that’s never going to be whole again. “No matter how hard you try.”

Johnny clings to you like a drowning man would to his life ring. “You wouldn’t know. You never let me try.”

❀ ❀ ❀

Johnny doesn’t know where you start and he ends. Your relationship is blurred lines, interwoven red strings. There are pieces you’ve been given by him to make you complete, and parts you’ve given away to fulfill him. You give and give and give, never once thinking if it’s going to break you.

That’s why it’s so easy to love Johnny. A very long time ago, you’d already promised him your heart, long before it had been darkened by strangers who never learnt how to treat it. It’s his, in every sense of the word. Over the years, it has been fed with happy things. Johnny’s smile. The pride you feel whenever he wins an award for his experiments and ideas. The giddy feeling he sets off inside you when he lifts you off the ground to twirl you around like a princess. The many nights you used to stay up to listen to him and count the stars, naming them after you while you fell asleep to the sound of Johnny’s pulse. How could your heart belong to someone else, when it’s never known anyone besides him?

As long as there’s a beat inside your heart, there will be love, too. In the many thousand shards that pierce through your lungs and are barely hidden beneath your skin, affection will always pool beneath the blood they draw. You were so suspicious of Johnny’s attempts, yet it comes so easy.

He takes you out to see the city, even though you know every corner of it. Johnny forces you to see it with new eyes, to chase away the bad experiences you connect them with. The park where you had been broken up with turns into the place where Johnny teaches you to skate, arms tight around your waist, the promise of no harm ever coming to you if he can prevent it luring you to try. The many restaurants you had started to avoid because of the couples dining there had turned into date nights where Johnny orders for you and you in turn for him, laughing at the grimace the other pulls when it doesn’t taste as expected. He takes your memories and flips them, good side up.

Your lungs had been poisoned with toxins for a very long time. Johnny was the clean air that helped you breathe. What had once been pain turned into newfound happiness, the flutter of butterflies inside your stomach. The exploding fireworks Johnny sets off when his lips meet your skin.

Where alcohol had once mended was now pure fire. Johnny’s fire, burning you from the inside out, setting you free like a phoenix out of his ashes.

You should’ve known better than to trust this good feeling. A year’s worth of pain is not erased so easily. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Doubt eats away at your heart, casting long shadows of the healing pieces.

❀ ❀ ❀

Johnny hates the theoretical part of his studies. His hands itch to work, to forge, to create. They can’t sit still, and that’s why it takes him hours to finish his assignments. If there’s not the impending doom of an exam lingering inside his mind, there’s no reason for him to sit unmoving on a chair for several hours to concentrate on the task at hand.

But time is running out, and he has to finish this now. He had already slept for the entire day, having eaten breakfast at 3pm since another frat party had kept him awake yesterday. Yeah, he should’ve laid off the alcohol, but you go ahead and try to tell Sicheng no when he begs you to come play beer pong.

That’s physically impossible. There’s not a single soul on this planet that’s able to resist Sicheng’s puppy dog eyes, and he knows. Monster.

That’s why Johnny sits here now. He has to force his short attention span to cling to the paper he’s supposed to be writing on, since he knows damn well he’d grasp at any chance to procrastinate. His thoughts wander to you, like always. His sweet (y/n). The raging alcoholic.

Or, how he likes to call you, his princess.

The petname colors your cheeks red and makes you lower your pretty eyes. His imagination is too vivid - Johnny groans loudly as you conquer his mind again, determined to stay there forever. Daydreams are always conjured by the wish of seeing you. Johnny is so unbelievably whipped.

He’s already decided. The next time he sees you, he’s going to ask you to be his girlfriend. To be his for as long as he exists, and in turn being yours forever. In a room full of people, Johnny’s eyes would still search for you. Who else would he love for the rest of his life if not you?

Maybe he’ll never get to.

The door to his room is thrown open rather loudly. Yuta tumbles in, yawn leaving his lips, before the man freezes in his movements and stares at Johnny. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“This is my room, you know.”

“I know this is your room, you giant idiot,” Yuta hisses. Johnny furrows his eyebrows; had he done something wrong...? What’s gotten the man so worked up? “I’m asking you why you’re here instead of the date you promised your almost-girlfriend who you’ve been in love with your entire life!”

Johnny’s heart drops. It falls and falls into that pit of dread inside his stomach, just like pencil and ruler as he throws it onto the table and grabs his jacket. He almost tumbles down the stairs and breaks his neck, but that’d be worth it if it meant reaching you faster. Taeil yells at him to be more careful, though his words only meet deaf ears. Johnny’s already long gone, bursting through the door as he starts running and prays it’s enough to reach you in time.

You’re not there.

He wonders how he can call himself a son of Hephaestus when he cannot even stop his own heart from shattering at the realization that he may have lost you forever. It would’ve been your anniversary with your ex boyfriend today, and Johnny realizes only now.

If only his father could see him like this. He’d cast him off Olympus, a perfect mimic of what Hera had done thousands of years ago. It’s what Johnny would have deserved.

❀ ❀ ❀

The many messages he leaves on your voicemail remain unanswered. He knocks at your dorm often, but you never open, not a rustle is heard inside. Like a graveyard, there’s only the sound of the wind breezing through your apartment, no sign of life. Your phone doesn’t ring when he calls you from outside the dorm, as if you’re not there. Not home.

Nowhere near him.

Back to square one, Johnny loves you from a distance. His tears soak the blankets you used to lull yourself in, and he spends hours locked inside his room listening to the playlist you created.

In a morbid sense of longing, he even bought that type of vodka you like so much. The one that tastes like peppermint and makes him want to retch, even though you’re able to swallow it up like water. He’s always known you were an alcoholic. For once, Johnny wishes you were here, getting drunk alongside him.

No matter how much the liquor numbs his senses, it doesn’t stop him from thinking about you. Like a broken record, Johnny always ends up wondering how you are. If you feel a little better, even though Johnny stood you up.

Every night, he asks the stars for you. They never respond.

❀ ❀ ❀

Johnny doesn’t know what he’s doing here. There’s no sense to knocking at your door - you’d die before opening it willingly. After all, you had opened your heart to him, and look where that had gotten you.

He almost passes out in relief when your face appears in the doorway, tear tracks staining your face. “Have you come to torture me more?” you whisper, too afraid of your voice breaking. If you can’t even stop your heart from doing it, you’d like to atleast beware your voice. “Go ahead. Let’s see what kills me first, my broken heart or alcohol.”

“(y/n),” he breathes out, and the pain in his voice makes you flinch. It matches the one sitting in your chest, an exact replica. Distance wounded you both. “(y/n), I am the stupidest man alive and I am so sorry I left you standing in the rain back then. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”

“I’d like to know that, too,” you mumble. Your voice is bitter, but your hands reach to hold his. Is he imagining things, or are you actually tugging him inside right now? Is it wishful thinking? Is that it?

Your apartment looks like a mess, as always. A perfect mirror to your mind. Johnny used to tease you about it. Now, it just makes him feel worse, because he did that to you. “I need to say it,” he suddenly says. “I need you to know.”

“To know what?”

“I love you.”

The three magic words. Instant remedy to any kind of wound, no matter how old, no matter how deadly. You confuse Johnny by laughing, fresh tears running over the old traces on your cheeks.

“I know.” You tug at his shirt and force him down; your scent floods Johnny’s senses when you press your face against the column of his neck. Now you’re home. Right where you’re supposed to be. “Who the else would be patient enough to fix me? I’m a big, fat mess. I should’ve waited for you that day...”

“You should have beat my fucking ass,” Johnny curses, and then he finally kisses you. Like fire, his kiss devours, rampant heat frying your senses and jumpstarting your tired heart. The kiss is way too messy, teeth knocking against each other in a frenzy. This is what you needed - the undying, pure love Johnny provides you with. It’s what you’ve been longing for since the first time you set eyes on him, the very first time his puzzle pieces clicked into place inside you.

Johnny’s never tried to fix a heart before, but he’s also the one who knows yours inside out. It’s only right that he’s the one who puts it together piece by piece.

[topbtcgame2067qo-blog]

Outbreak in Wuhan, The far east | What is the chain group currency circle carrying out? The WeChat community becomes a ``face mask smuggling team'', and main mining device factories turn off because of shutdown

China is currently experiencing the coronavirus pandemic. Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, gifts a scene of a dead city, without people for the streets, closed factory gates, and suspension of currency markets dealings. As this global emergency gets hotter, many People are beginning to be concerned that this may have a negative impact on the cryptocurrency marketplace. However, the price tag on cryptocurrency keeps rising. What have these people in the foreign currency circle completed in this catastrophe? Wuhan pneumonia started to spread in Dec last year, and it also began to intensify in The month of january this year. As the epidemic ongoing to spread, metropolitan areas including Wuhan and Hangzhou have already been closed down in order to control the situation; the Chinese govt has also recently admitted to insufficient supplies and The outside world is requesting help. While main companies donate components, what's the currency group doing? Business Ideas Program Online in the foreign currency circle is changed right into a ��mask smuggling group��. The Decrypt information pointed out that numerous cryptocurrency-related WeChat groups, in addition to posting various busting news, currency company statements, etc., may also charge The field of customer service, and then to transaction articles, project start, cryptocurrency knowledge, etc., supply one-stop information needed by group members. However, because the outbreak of the Wuhan malware outbreak, numerous WeChat groups possess begun to talk about another issue which has never been stated but is more practical in today's situation: "How exactly to smuggle masks and other medical tools?" Related topics: Legendary Investor | Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Fund: A preliminary analysis from the impact of the Wuhan Coronavirus for the global economy Related topic: Are you currently nevertheless in Bitcoin? Right now China has recently changed its trend for shoe-frying - five minutes to comprehend the trend for shoe-frying that developed from the "ICO model" Why smuggle? Judging from the fact that Wuhan and Hangzhou have been closed down one after another, this not merely restricts the access of the populace, but also helps prevent the entrance of daily equipment, including medical products. Because front-line healthcare personnel need to be subjected to high-risk environments for a long time, masks, healthcare caps, surgical dresses and other devices must pass tight inspections of nationwide standards. Although this guarantees the safety of frontline employees, it also can make many resources extremely hard Quickly donate to disaster-stricken families in need through official channels. Therefore, to be able to send out the masks to Wuhan, WeChat grew to become the key. It is documented that a foreign currency investor in Thailand occurred ahead into contact with another mask seller in Thailand, so he was inquired to smuggle the masks from Bangkok to Tokyo and Hangzhou, and then send them all the best way to a medical center in Wuhan. . And all these smuggling processes are usually with the "friends of buddies" in the encrypted currency WeChat group. What's amazing will be that this conduct is like the appearance of the WeChat group that has been a decentralized autonomous organization. The internal people interact for the same goal to create their own efforts; of course, Traders within the cryptocurrency circle nevertheless account for most, but it is actually rare to see such a harmonious scene. Related subjects: Will the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic affect the market? Professional: China is vital towards the cryptocurrency industry, but Bitcoin will be too special Related subjects: Sino-US business war? Or Chinese language New 12 months? The reasoning behind "USDT's continued negative high quality" Along with donations, what else can cryptocurrency businesses do? When SARS broke out in 2003, once the last large-scale epidemic broke out, most families didn't even have broadband Internet access. Smart mobile phones were only just coming out, and there is still quite a distance to go before popularization. On the other hand, the current era of one mobile phone , It also allows us to witness record-breaking online donations through WeChat Spend, Alipay, and remittance, which of course also contains cryptocurrency. As of today, more than 30 blockchain and cryptocurrency companies have launched help programs, like the world's most famous cryptocurrency exchanges Binance, Huobi, Okex, etc. Many companies Choose to contribute in fiat currencies that are familiar to the public, but many companies also increase donations by issuing tokens. And this brings out a long-standing shortcoming of donations-how to monitor the flow of money. Related topics: Milo's stage of watch�UHow to use "blockchain" to resolve the problem of mask supply during the epidemic prevention period? The Red Cross dispute, can the donations and items be delivered to the victims? I believe that the people who are just a little concerned know that the scandals in the charity industry aren't new. In 2011, the Chinese language Red Cross broke out that it had misappropriated donations of kindness to fund Internet celebrities to enjoy a luxurious living; and in this Wuhan pneumonia During the epidemic, a lot of chaos occurred within the donation situation, so the Red Cross, the primary rescue team, has been widely supervised and questioned by the public in this rescue operation. However, for cryptocurrency companies with blockchain traceability technologies, maintaining transparency will be a fairly reasonable requirement. Unfortunately, the distributed ledger technologies (DLT) from the blockchain happens to be difficult to transfer to nongovernmental agencies responsible for disaster relief jobs through basic docking, because many of them do not hold any blockchain system and have not discovered The benefits of blockchain; furthermore, the Chinese govt plays a significant role in materials distribution, but they have not provided substantial support to blockchain donations. With regards to disaster comfort donations, we nevertheless have quite a distance to look, as Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said on Tweets: "Logistics may be the limitation of the physical globe" Doing our small part. Delivery pickup truck for #Wuhan sponsored by @BinanceBCF. With Chinese Web giants donating within the 100m to 1b range, the lack isn't money, but logistics and products. Physical world restrictions. pic.tweets.com/dBeBQ2SNwG - CZ Binance (@cz_binance) The month of january 30, 2020 There is absolutely no doubt the major mining machinery manufacturers affected by the shutdown haven't any doubt that China's economic situation is being strike from the epidemic. Many little and medium-sized corporations have already suffered bankruptcy due to the shutdown of creation lines; in fact, even Apple ( Large multinational companies such as for example Apple are all facing the issue of insufficient output and struggling to execute functions in China because the doors of these factories in Tiongkok are closed. However, these manpower shortages usually do not appear to be a big problem for cryptocurrency miners. Having said that, there is still news that mining machine manufacturers including MicroBT, Bitmain, and Innosilicon possess issued consumer notices stating that they can respond to local governments in Cina. The pandemic turmoil postponed the New Year's holiday and postponed the delivery of mining machine chips; according to miners' speculation, this might cause some minimal problems in equipment maintenance, otherwise the herpes virus would not have the ability to stop mining operations. This might bode well for the competitive financial marketplace, because as long as the miners are usually secure, the cryptocurrency ecosystem will continue to operate. Related subjects: Is definitely China's mining sector, which accounts for 70% of the world, affected by the "Wuhan epidemic"? Miner: The device will not get pneumonia Related subjects: Miners discussion: Will Bitcoin crash following the prize halving or will the price double? Show off? The outbreak from the Wuhan epidemic provides deeply regretted and feared everyone, but this may be a driving force for innovation. When the SARS pathogen broke out in 2003, the web was a fresh tool for many people. At that time, the stations for obtaining information were primarily through TV, telephone, etc. Additionally you had a need to expose yourself to a high-risk environment when buying every day necessities. ; However, it had been someone who saw the huge possible of the Internet at the moment, and this person was the founder of Alibaba Group-Jack Ma. Alibaba was still a software business in the past, and the mark customer group has been also for enterprises; the spread of the SARS epidemic produced Jack Ma realize the need to shop in the home, so he set up the largest e-commerce internet site in China today, Dibao, and afterwards developed Alipay, which played an important part in this particular Wuhan pneumonia, advertised Alibaba internationally and grew to become a model of China's top businesses. Jack Ma furthermore set an "Ali Day time" to commend employees who worked around the clock that year. ?

[girlactionfigure]

He was drafted into the Army in 1943. His fellow recruits remembered him as "simple, bland, unassuming." He described himself as a "nothing, a nobody." No one, including the young man, knew what life had in store for him.

In the Army, he served as a staff sergeant in the 20th Armored Division. Elements of his division participated in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp - Although his unit was near, they did not actually enter the camp.

Although he was proud of his service, he remembered that time as very painful for him - he not only witnessed the horrors of war, but it was also the same time his mother passed away.

His father, a barber, was born in Germany, and his mother was of Norwegian heritage.

He was born on this day, November 26, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Being the only child, he was very shy. His uncle gave him the nickname, "Sparky" after the horse "Spark Plug" from the Barney Google comic strip.

His mother was bedridden during his high school years, and the young man often heard her cries of pain. Her illness was identified as cancer in November 1942, the same month he was drafted. On February 28, 1943, he used a day pass to visit his mother one last time. He got to say goodbye to her that day, but he said, "I'll never get over that scene as long as I live."

He would also regret the fact that his mother would never see what he would become.

After returning from the war in the fall of 1945, he sold his first cartoons to his local newspaper.

"The first Peanuts strip appeared on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers nationwide. Although being a professional cartoonist was [Charles] Schulz’s life-long dream, at 27-years old, he never could have foreseen the longevity and global impact of his seemingly-simple four-panel creation," according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

In the summer of 1968, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and after corresponding with teacher Harriet Glickman, Schulz made a bold decision, introducing a character named "Franklin" to his Peanuts comic strip. As told in the July post on the Peace Page celebrating Franklin's 50th birthday, Schulz by that time was already a very popular comic strip artist and did not have to acknowledge the school teacher's request to introduce a black character in order to bring the country together and show people of color that they are not excluded from American society.

Schulz carefully thought about it, knowing that his career could be in jeopardy, as other cartoonists had politely declined Glickman's request. But, he corresponded with Glickman's black friends to ensure that he would present Franklin in the best light, smart as Linus and not condescending, even to the point where some would joke that Franklin was too boring and "normal" compared to the other Peanuts characters.

He also received backlash as some newspapers threatened to cut his strip if he showed Franklin in the same classroom as other Peanut characters. He courageously ignored the threats, sitting Franklin in front of Peppermint Patty at school and playing center field on her baseball team. He even told the president of the comic's distribution company that "Either you print it just the way I draw it or I quit."

According to The New Yorker, Schulz always worried about the portrayl of Franklin. "He needn’t have worried, though, because Franklin felt real — or at least felt respected — as a kind kid on the beach with whom Charlie Brown plays in the sand. (“Whites Only” pools were not uncommon in 1968.) Though Schulz may have lived a quiet, remote life in his California studio, he was woke enough to realize that all one had to do was care enough about a character for he or she to 'work,' even if the shell of the character wasn’t his own."

Schulz later introduced another black character, Milo, as well as semi-Latino Jose Peterson, one of the first characters of Hispanic descent in U.S. comics. He also gave voice to women in sports in the strip after he became friends with tennis star Billie Jean King, leading to a lifelong interest in the fair treatment of women athletes and a seat on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation that King founded.

Today, the work of Charles Schulz is still very popular, even though recently the Peanuts' animated Thanksgiving special is embroiled in some undeserved social media controversy designed to divide fans who may not be aware of how Franklin was originally introduced.

In an article in Snopes, Nat Gertler, author of a book about Peanuts, wrote:

That even though the animated cartoon was in a completely different media than Schulz' newspapers, there is an "assumption that Charles Schulz himself planned the admittedly awkward shot being referenced [of Franklin sitting alone on one side of the picnic table]. While Schulz definitely kept a hand in the animated work, by 1973 when the Thanksgiving special aired, the Peanuts characters were starring in not only a steady stream of TV specials, but also a series of animated feature films. Schulz certainly wasn’t laying out every shot himself — he had a day job to take care of, writing and drawing the most popular comic strip going, as well as creating original books, handling licensing materials, and so on. A talented team of animation folks were doing their job on this."

Schulz critics also like to ask why Franklin was drawn to look "dirty" in the first early panels, not realizing that back then every newspaper comic strip was printed in black and white with no option for shading other than drawing lines to depict shades.

Gertler would conclude, "Schulz stuck his neck out introducing Franklin." Others have pointed out that the network which produced the original Peanuts Thanksgiving special is also responsible for cancelling The Smothers Brothers show for being critical of the Vietnam War and the political mainstream. It should also be noted that it was only recently in 2015 that the television academy recognized a black woman, Viola Davis, for best actress in a drama, the first time that award has gone to a black woman in nearly 70 years of award-giving, shedding some light on how ground-breaking the introduction of Franklin was in 1968.

"Despite the over-all racial imbalance of the “Peanuts” cast, this caring is really the secret, mysterious power of Schulz’s entire strip. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Schroeder, Franklin, and everyone else came alive on that page because of Charles Schulz’s ability to make you care about and feel for — and, in Charlie Brown’s case, at least, feel through — nearly every one of them," according to The New Yorker.

Schulz died on February 12, 2000. By the time he retired in "December 1999, the Peanuts comic strip was syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers worldwide, with book collections translated in over 25 languages," according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

The Museum also says of Schulz, "The continuing popular appeal of Peanuts stems, in large part, from Schulz’s ability to portray his observations and connect to his audience in ways that many other strips cannot."

"The thoughtful pacing in 'Peanuts' is reminiscent of that of 'Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.' The two also share a rejection of the violence and manic energy that characterize other children’s media of the time", according to the New Yorker.

“Schulz wasn’t an artist because he suffered. He suffered because he was an artist," said writer Jonathan Franzen in the Press Democrat. "To keep choosing art over the comforts of life — to grind out a strip every day for 50 years, to pay the very deep psychic price for this — is the opposite of damaged. It’s sort of choice only a tower and strength and sanity can make.”

Bruce Handy in The Atlantic wrote:

"So if I were asked to pick the character most likely to find happiness if he or she ever grew up . . . I wouldn’t hesitate to pick Charlie Brown. Maybe he does find a form of redemption in his suffering? He feels his failures deeply, he suffers profoundly, and yet he remains ever willing to take another run at kicking the football or trying to get his kite aloft or pitching the next game or hoping this year, finally, to receive a valentine. If he is a blockhead, it is in part because he cares so much; diffidence doesn’t merit the insult. Like his creator, he has passion and persistence. If he were real, I like to tell myself, Charlie Brown would be fine."

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

[romeorussia]

Hi! Your blog is awesome. May I have your opinion on something? I'm a fic blog and a multi stan, so I'm working on an AU for ROMEO and adding Milo (I'm still here for OT7), but I'm scared of readers who come across it might think. The situation with him happened two years ago. Yes, I was hurt too, but personally, I've forgiven Milo, and it's just stupid to me that one would leave a fandom for one members' mistake. Any thoughts?

Hello! Oh thank you, and nice to meet you~

While reading you message, I stumbled across your words “I’m scared”, and that’s something I’d like to discuss before answering your question. I think nowadays we all are getting more and more scared of making anyone feel offended, hurt or even uncomfortable, of receiving backlash from them that will hurt us. I believe that fear to be desctructive as it makes you change your wording, your message and eventually your thoughts in an attempt to please everyone. That fear changes you and gets you far from your true self. Please, don’t give in to it! Be polite, have your point of view and stand by it.

Now let’s move on to your question. As you asked, I will present my take and will go hard, but I’ll try to understand all sides and have no intention of offending Korean fans, Korean culture or any side in this situation.

What was Minhak’s mistake? He got close with a Japanese girl, which hurt feelings of some of Korean fans. He wrote cheeky messages to her, which hurt feelings of fans who were possessive over Minhak. The messages were provocative enough to hurt feelings of people who believed that to be indecent for an idol. Finally, subtle suspicion that the girl might be underaged was enough for the bomb to explode. Every person decided whether they belonged to any of the groups above and whether those arguments were strong enough for them to leave the fandom. I didn’t see anything bad in the situation itself, and I must say that I did way “worse” things when I was in that age and hell knows what things I wrote to people I flirted with.

Being an idol, Minhak should definitely have been more cautious, but let’s try to look at it from his perspective. For many years, instead of hanging out with friends, you go to the agency and practice till your body hurts. You’re mostly locked in a small world, and there are times when you feel lonely. Proper communication with girls isn’t possible, and in search for warmth and affection you get close with a girl from another country. Minhak is a very responsible guy, and, coming from a less wealthy household than the other members, he knew how much was at stake. Still, his loneliness pushed him into a relationship that lead to a scandal. He is partly responsible for what happened, but I think he’s got punished way more than he deserved.

Who got away in that situation is the agency, that had no guts to defend their idol and failed in educating him how to prevent such cases from happening. You can’t control your artists’ phones and personal lives, but you can explain again and again that there are idol hunters, they will be persistent, they will try to use their contact and provide perfect screenshots for a sensation. CThunus failed in preparing their idols for possible risks and in handling the situation with Minhak. It was the worst scenario possible, and now we all have lost an amazing dancer and Romeo’s vitamin.

However, let’s think why the agency decided it would better cut Minhak off than handle reputation damage. Who were they scared of? They thought fans would be so aggressive that they would destroy the group like it was with their former group Block B. We, fans, tend to be possessive over our idols, we sexualize them, we write fiction, but we dare judge them for any step we see as wrong. That’s most hypocritical of us, and we are also to blaim in this situation. What makes us think that idols mustn’t have personal life and belong to their fans? How selfish is that! As long as fans behave like that, agencies will be getting rid of problematic artists. I’m not blaiming anyone, I’m just trying to bring awareness to the reasons why we get what we get.

Anyway, Minhak is eliminated, and there’s nothing we can do about that. Fans who left the fandom aren’t going back. We all have made up our minds, and the division has happened.

In conclusion, I’d like to encourage you to write what you like and present it in the way you see it. If you have forgiven Minhak, go ahead and show it. It’s your point of view, don’t let fear distort your creation. And please, be an angel, send me a link when you finish, I’ll be more than happy to read what you come up with~

[themurphyzone]

Absolutely Disastrous Ch 16

Ch 16: Rematch on the Beach! Kirlia Makes His Decision! 

“Daylight! I missed you so much! And you too, beach! And I missed you, promotional poster of Stumbleberry Swoobat!” Zack hollered the moment he was free of the oppressive darkness that permeated Granite Cave. 

Orton had declined their offer to use Aron’s tunnel to escape Granite Cave. He wanted to study the painting further, and he had to rely on hand-written notes because flash photography would’ve ruined the quality. 

Aron and Kirlia had taken to ignoring each other. Kirlia still wasn’t happy about being captured, but Aron had taken to Melissa like a Magikarp to water. 

Diogee did his best to prove that Milo was trustworthy, mostly by acting cute enough to get a snack, but Kirlia wasn’t having any of it. 

“Kirlia, would it be alright if I used you in a practice match against Zack?” Milo asked. “He needs to train his Pokémon for his next Contest.”

Kirlia glanced over to Zack, who was now instructing Whismur to create several orange rings of increasing size with Echoed Voice. Since the move increased in power with repeated use, Zack was hoping to use that to his advantage in an appeal. 

“To be honest, I’d like to use you in my gym battle,” Milo admitted. “If that’s alright with you. I think it’s really sweet that you want to make sure Aron’s fine, even if you don’t like being captured yourself.” 

Kirlia kicked the sand, his legs trembling rapidly until he used Confusion to force them to go still. 

Aron glanced at Kirlia in worry before remembering that she was supposed to be ignoring him, returning to her half-eaten Chesto Berry. 

“Hey, Milo! You ready?” Zack called. Whismur’s ears flapped in excitement. 

Kirlia folded his arms and gracefully hopped in front of Milo, coolly observing Zack and Whismur. 

“You don’t have to battle. I can use someone else,” Milo said. Kirlia folded his arms and stubbornly fixed Milo with a stern glare. Milo held up his hands placatingly.  “Alright then. Let’s get started, Zack!”

“I’m gonna be over here,” Melissa said, heading over to a secluded spot by Granite Cave. “Worldbuilding with ancient legends is definitely a surefire hook for readers.” 

She opened a notebook and started writing. 

Milo and Zack gave her enough space to focus on her own activities but still allow her to watch their practice match. 

“Let’s start with Astonish!” Zack exclaimed. 

“Counter with Magical Leaf!” Milo yelled. 

Whismur’s ears waggled cutely as he charged at Kirlia, not even remotely threatening. Kirlia raised his arm and stopped Whismur in his tracks with Confusion, encasing the Whisper Pokémon in blue light before tossing him aside with a disinterested flick. 

“Er, looks like we both have things to work on,” Zack admitted. “You alright, Whismur?”��

Whismur’s mouth quivered, but he unleashed an Echoed Voice anyway. Kirlia teleported away from the attack, reappearing behind Whismur and striking him with Magical Leaf.

Milo quickly found that Kirlia didn’t follow instructions. If he called for Magical Leaf, Kirlia would use Confusion. If he asked Kirlia to dodge with Teleport, Kirlia would stand his ground instead. 

“Shock Wave!” Milo called, realizing Kirlia hadn’t used this move yet. Kirlia had no issue hurling Magical Leaf or Confusion, nor evading with Teleport. It seemed odd that Kirlia held back on using the last move in his arsenal. 

Instead of attacking with Shock Wave, Kirlia paused to glare at Milo, his red eyes blazing furiously. While his guard was down, Whismur managed to land a Stomp and Astonish combo. 

“Sorry, Kirlia,” Milo said. “You don’t have to do Shock Wave if you don’t want to.”

Kirlia stared down at the sand, then released a weak jolt of electricity that fizzled out ten feet away. 

Shock Wave was a mid-level Electric attack, stronger than Thundershock but not nearly as powerful as Wild Charge. Heck, some people would barely consider that weak jolt a Thundershock. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll work on it some other time,” Milo said. 

Kirlia huffed as if he didn’t believe there would be ‘some other time.’ But the tension visibly melted out of his shoulders. 

Aron called out to Kirlia from the sideline but hastily looked away when Kirlia glanced at her. 

“Echoed Stomp!” Zack shouted. 

“That’s not a real-” Milo started to say, but his mouth dropped open in surprise when Whismur skillfully stomped on Kirlia’s head while wailing loudly enough to create several orange sound waves of increasing size. 

“Use Confusion and stop those sound waves!” Milo yelled hastily. 

To his amazement, Kirlia recovered quickly and thrust his arm out just as the sound waves were about to pummel him, freezing the orange rings in place. 

“Alright, we found our mojo!” Milo cheered. “Now throw them back!” 

Whismur weaved to the side to avoid the oncoming Echoed Voice, but Kirlia trapped him between two of the rings and flicked the smallest one into his body, which dissipated with a loud shriek. 

Unfortunately, Zack was caught in the blast zone. 

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Zack shouted to Whismur, who just looked confused.

“Soundproof ability!” Melissa yelled. “The Whismur family is immune to all sound-based attacks!” 

“WHAT?” Zack shouted back, his volume control sorely lacking. 

“Okay, I think we’re good,” Milo said. “I’m calling it off until Zack gets his hearing back. Again.” 

Kirlia released another weak Shock Wave, sighing when the ocean barely conducted it. 

“You’re really strong, Kirlia,” Milo said. “I’m sure you’ll get Shock Wave with enough practice.” 

Kirlia turned away. 

“Hey, Diogee’s still banned from battling for another nineteen hours-oh, don’t give me the Lillipup eyes, Diogee, you know it’s true-but anyway, I think you’d be great to have on my side when I rematch Veronica. Again, I’m not gonna force you to battle if you don’t want to. And I promise I’ll release you if you prefer living in Granite Cave. Melissa won’t hang onto Aron either, I trust her. Just think about it, okay?”

Kirlia teleported onto a flat rock and stared off into the horizon. Assuming Kirlia just wanted to think for a little while, Milo left him alone for now.

“Sir, we’ve delivered the letter,” Melissa reported, putting her PokéNav on speakerphone so Milo and Zack could listen in too. “Though I do have some concerns about you apparently believing we’re a free delivery service. And some warning about the visibility in Granite Cave would have been nice to know.” 

Orville chuckled. “Of course. I apologize for that. I haven’t received word from Amanda and Lydia yet, but I assume that’s because Slateport has plenty of tourist attractions and has probably distracted them with other pursuits.” 

“Your son is even cooler in person!” Milo exclaimed. “He sure knows a lot about ancient legends!” 

“Speaking as a father, you don’t know how much it prides me to hear that, Milo,” Orville replied. Someone else spoke in the background. “Yes, of course, Clara. I’ll be right down. Ah, if you’ll excuse me, I have another matter to attend to. There was another incident with the MULCHGT machine, and I have no choice but to fire the scientist responsible. Plus we may need to bring in some Pokémon to trim Dylan’s new Tangrowth vines to a manageable length. And by manageable length, I mean make some other parts of his body visible besides his eyes.” 

The PokéNav clicked, signaling the end of the call. 

“We should really get Bradley’s phone number,” Zack said. “He’ll be happy to hear that, I think. Or Bradley happy, which is probably just a notch higher than grumpy.” 

“Next time we get used as a delivery service, I’m charging for labor costs,” Melissa muttered. 

“I can’t wait to see how Orton’s gonna use that painting in Dr. Magnezone,” Milo said. 

“Hey, Zack. Something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Melissa said as she flicked through her phone. “Orton mentioned a legend from Ilex Forest. Since you’re from Johto, I was just wondering if you’d heard anything like that.” 

Zack shook his head. “Must be a local legend. Johto has tons of folktales that are specific to the area. I’m from Olivine City, on the opposite side of the region from Ilex Forest. I grew up with tales of the Beast of the Sea, not the Voice of the Forest. First time I’ve heard that one, actually.” 

“Spill, I wanna hear all about this Beast of the Sea,” Melissa said. 

“Well, there’s an archipelago called the Whirl Islands just outside Olivine,” Zack said. “It’s really dangerous for ships because of the constant whirlpools that surround the caves there. Sailors say the whirlpools were created from the Beast of the Sea’s power to protect itself from humans. Supposedly it sleeps in the deepest ocean trench.” 

“So did your Beast of the Sea create Johto’s oceans?” Milo asked. 

“No, it just guards them. Ocean creation seems to be a Hoenn specialty,” Zack replied. 

“I don’t want to be reminded of Team Aqua right now,” Melissa sighed. “Two encounters with that John guy is enough.” 

Melissa was spared the pain of reflecting on their chance meetings with Team Aqua due to a sandy cloud billowing in their direction. Milo tossed Melissa and Zack goggles and an oxygen mask just in case, but the sandy cloud subsided to reveal Veronica in her pizza delivery outfit, which heavily resembled medieval armor. Her Dodrio’s three heads pecked at a pouch on her hip, but Veronica simply moved the flap out of their way and let them eat. 

Her steel gauntlet blocked the heads from accidentally pecking her arm as they squabbled among themselves for food. 

“Yo! I’m all done with my shift!” Veronica exclaimed. “Ready for the rematch?” 

Somehow Milo had lost track of time. The sunset bathed the ocean in a brilliant shade of orange, the low tide pulling water further away from the beach. 

“Maybe tomorrow?” Milo asked. “My Pokémon aren’t ready tonight.” 

Veronica nodded. “Sure, no prob! Meditite likes to spend evenings training alone anyway. See ya tomorrow!”

She hopped on Dodrio and sped back to town. 

“We should get back to the Pokémon Center and rest up,” Melissa yawned. 

While Zack helped Melissa pick up her things, Milo checked up on Kirlia. The Emotion Pokémon stood up, brushing sand off his skirt-like ruffles. Then he nodded to Milo. 

“So you want to battle tomorrow then?” Milo asked. 

Kirlia crossed his arms. 

“Just making sure,” Milo said. “Let’s do our best, okay?” 

The corner of Kirlia’s mouth quirked, though it disappeared faster than Milo could blink. 

They met Veronica on the beach after breakfast. The Pokémon Center had great beds, and Milo was well-rested for his rematch. 

Diogee still had a few hours left before his battling ban was lifted, so he had to stay sidelined. He wasn’t happy, but Milo promised to use him in his next gym battle. 

Only the first bed had collapsed while he was on it, so he considered it a good night. 

“This is a rematch between the Dewford Gym Leader Veronica and the challenger Milo Murphy!” Melissa declared. “Single battle rules, two Pokémon allowed per side! When you’re ready, release your Pokémon!” 

“Sorry, Milo! Still don’t plan on losing! Fighting spirit, Riolu!” Veronica yelled, tossing her Poké Ball high into the air. 

Riolu adopted a battle pose that might’ve been intimidating if he was larger, but came off as rather adorable instead. 

“Let’s go, Marshtomp!” Milo shouted. 

Marshtomp’s Poké Ball hit a beach umbrella, snapping it shut just as Marshtomp popped out. Only his legs and tail were visible, and the battle was put on hold so Milo could extract Marshtomp. 

Milo used a pair of scissors to cut through the giant Psyducky Momo emblazoned across the umbrella. Thankfully, Marshtomp forgave him once he was freed and they turned back to Veronica and Riolu. 

“Quick Attack!” Veronica shouted. 

“Block with Mud Bomb!” 

Marshtomp created a giant ball of mud and held it above his head, eyes scanning the beach wildly for Riolu. But the Fighting-type didn’t stay still, disappearing just as Marshtomp seemed to figure out where to aim.

Just as Marshtomp closed his eyes and cried out in frustration, Riolu kicked him in the chest, jumping away when Marshtomp lost his grip on the Mud Bomb and splattered himself. 

The damage was minimal, and mud didn’t bother Marshtomp. Though the grains of sand clinging to his body probably chafed. 

“Force Palm!” 

“Use Dig to avoid it!” 

Marshtomp burrowed under the sand, barely evading Force Palm. The sand shifted around Riolu’s feet, knocking him off-balance. Marshtomp’s hand shot out from the sand, clamping down on Riolu’s tail and holding him in place as he was doused with a point-blank Water Pulse. 

Coughing, Riolu pulled away and jumped back several feet to recover. 

“Mud Bomb again!” Milo shouted. 

As another ball of mud formed in Marshtomp’s arms, Veronica thrust out her hand. “Use Copycat and keep throwing!” 

Riolu dodged Mud Bomb, brown waves of light rippling off his body. Then the light solidified into a muddy ball, and Riolu threw it at Marshtomp, then prepared to hurl a second one. 

Marshtomp evaded the first Mud Bomb, which sailed over his head and hit a sand dune. Riolu’s Mud Bombs weren’t as large as Marshtomp’s, but Riolu flung them so frequently that the globs blocked any of Marshtomp’s Water Pulses and Mud Bombs. 

Using a close-range attack was impossible. Riolu was much faster than Marshtomp and would see him coming from a mile away. 

“Use Water Pulse and make it extra-large this time!” Milo shouted. 

“Deflect it with Force Palm!” Veronica yelled. 

Marshtomp hurled an enormous ball of water at Riolu, who thrust out his arm in one quick jab before the Water Pulse hit him. The shock wave repelled the Water Pulse and sent it flying back at Marshtomp, though it only soaked the sand under his feet. 

Now that Copycat had worn off, Milo figured it was safe to use a close-range move. 

“Rock Tomb!” Milo ordered. 

Marshtomp cried out, a giant rock materializing in his arms, only to fall flat on his face when his legs sunk into the sand as he lunged at Riolu. Rock Tomb broke apart, the shards landing on Marshtomp’s head. The more he struggled, the deeper he sunk. 

Quicksand trap. 

Milo had been caught in quicksand before, and he knew the important thing was that struggling only pulled the unlucky person under the surface. 

“Relax and don’t panic!” Milo called as Riolu bombarded Marshtomp with back-to-back Force Palms. Riolu teetered on the edge of the quicksand and safe area, taking time to charge up pressure behind his Force Palms before unleashing them on a weary Marshtomp. 

Marshtomp’s arms jerked slightly as the paralysis from a Force Palm kicked in. The quicksand was at his waist level now.  

“Alright, we’ve got him trapped and immobilized, Riolu!” Veronica shouted. “Let’s do one huge Force Palm for the final blow!” 

Riolu put his paws together, pressure building for one last strike. 

Marshtomp screeched harshly, a light blue aura surrounding his body. With a single sweep of his arms, several large Mud Bombs shot out and blasted the quicksand away. 

Startled, Riolu lost his concentration and the mud absorbed the pressure behind his Force Palm, the attack dissipating into thin air. 

“Awesome job, Marshtomp!” Milo grinned. He’d seen this power before when Sara challenged one of her Dr. Magnezone friends to a battle. Her opponent’s Dewott had defeated Nyx with two Razor Shells powered up by the Torrent ability. 

“Use Water Pulse and don’t hold back!” Milo shouted. 

Marshtomp gave Riolu no time to avoid Water Pulse, and the attack sent the Fighting-type skidding several feet until he came to a stop at the base of a large rock. The sandy field was doused completely, and Milo paused to empty out his shoe, which was almost filled to the brim with wet sand. 

A soaked Riolu used the rock for support as he faced down Marshtomp, then he lost his grip completely and fainted. 

Torrent’s blue aura faded, and Marshtomp collapsed too. 

Melissa waited for either Pokémon to stand up, but a full minute passed and neither one stirred. “Double knockout! Marshtomp and Riolu are unable to battle!” she announced. “You each have one Pokémon left!” 

Milo and Veronica recalled their Pokémon. “I didn’t know you had a Riolu,” Milo called to his former babysitter. “He’s really cute!” 

“Thanks, but flattery gets you nowhere,” Veronica teased. “I took a trip to Iron Island three months ago. Great training grounds for Fighting-types. Anyway, there’s a guy who’ll give trainers a Riolu egg if you can make it to a hard-to-reach location. And I managed it with flying colors! So yeah, Riolu’s my most recent addition.”

Milo grinned. “Well, since you’re kind enough to show me your new Pokémon, I think it’s only fair that I return the favor. Meet Kirlia!” 

He released Kirlia from his Poké Ball, deciding against a dramatic throw this time. 

“Very graceful,” Veronica smiled as Kirlia quivered in place. “You didn’t have Kirlia when we battled last time, right?” 

“We befriended him in Granite Cave,” Melissa said. “My Aron is Kirlia’s best friend.” 

At the mention of Aron, Kirlia crossed his arms. 

“We should really have them make up,” Zack said. “They had a disagreement over staying in the cave and coming with us and now they won’t talk to each other.” 

“You know Kirlia don’t naturally live in Granite Cave, right?” Veronica asked. “They prefer grassy areas. And Kirlia and its evolved forms don’t typically live in the wild. They thrive on human companionship.” 

Kirlia scoffed and turned his back to her. 

“Sorry,” Veronica said sheepishly. “We should really continue this battle. Fighting spirit, Meditite!” 

Meditite hovered in a meditation pose for just a moment before touching down on the beach. 

“Alright, last Pokémon inspirational words! Power comes from the heart and strong will stems from the spirit! With heart and spirit combined, we won’t ever admit defeat!” Veronica exclaimed. 

“Are you finished?” Melissa asked. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of making it shorter. It’s a work in progress,” Veronica shrugged. 

“I liked it,” Milo said, inspiration striking him. “Yeah, but Kirlia and I have stuff that you’ll never have! Like sweater vests, and backpacks, and...um, Zack!” 

“Please don’t drag me into another one-liner,” Zack sighed. 

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Guys, just start the battle. I’ve seen Dragonite Ball Z fight scenes move faster than you two.” 

“Magical Leaf!” Milo yelled.

“Send those leaves back with Confusion!” Veronica shouted. 

Magical Leaf flew back and forth between Kirlia and Meditite as if they were flinging many photosynthesizing ping pong balls at each other. Kirlia held his arm at the ready, while Meditite jabbed the air as she sent Magical Leaf in the opposite direction. 

Finally, Meditite divided the leaves into two groups and hurled the first one at Kirlia, who teleported out of the path of the first group and directly in front of the second. 

“Detect, then Meditate!” Veronica ordered. 

Meditite avoided another Magical Leaf with Detect, which put her behind a sand dune. 

“Teleport over there and use Magical Leaf again!” Milo shouted. 

Kirlia vanished and reappeared on top of Meditite’s sand dune, striking her with another Magical Leaf as she meditated. Meditite barely reacted, her eyes closed in concentration. 

“Force Palm!” Veronica shouted. 

Meditite flung out her palm, blasting Kirlia away with a Force Palm. Kirlia tumbled against the sand for a moment before lightly springing to his feet.

“Use Confusion on the water and fling it at Meditite!” Milo yelled.

Kirlia pointed to the ocean, raising an entire ball of seawater into the air. With his other arm, he separated a confused Magikarp from the ball and flicked it away. Zack screamed as the Magikarp landed next to him, and Diogee bit the Magikarp on its tail and dragged it back to the ocean.

“Sorry!” Milo called to Zack. 

“Nothing should have that many fins...” Zack shivered, huddling behind Diogee. 

Meditite grabbed hold of the water ball with her own Confusion, and Kirlia gritted his teeth as he grappled for control over it. The water ball hovered precariously between them, sometimes jerking to one side or the other but never making significant progress to either party. After several tense seconds, the ball finally inched closer to Kirlia’s side. 

“Break Confusion and switch to Magical Leaf!” Milo shouted. 

Kirlia’s eyes returned to normal, and the shock of her opponent cutting off an attack caused Meditite to pull her arms in to prepare another Force Palm. The water ball instantly hurtled in her direction, smashing into Meditite and her own Confusion attack stopped as she sputtered and coughed. 

Kirlia scored two Magical Leaf attacks on Meditite before she recovered from the seawater’s saltiness. 

“Detect!” Veronica shouted as Kirlia hurled a third Magical Leaf attack at Meditite, who vanished instantly. 

Milo pointed to a cluster of sand dunes. “Confusion on those dunes! Don’t let her Meditate again!” 

Kirlia leveled the sand dunes, but Meditite wasn’t behind them. Then Meditite appeared behind Kirlia, jabbing her palm into Kirlia’s side. Kirlia cried out, dropping to his knees as a shock wave passed through his body. A second Force Palm sent Kirlia flying into the water. The waves knocked him down as he struggled to stand. 

“Teleport back to the land!” Milo shouted. But Kirlia’s limbs didn’t obey, jerking uncontrollably as he tried to bring his hands together. 

“Alright, let’s end this! Use-Meditite, what’s wrong?” Veronica gasped, her command cut short as Meditite dropped to her knees too. 

Yellow sparks flew off both Pokémon’s bodies. 

“Milo, I read about this once!” Zack shouted. “Kirlia must have the Synchronize ability! If the opponent burns, poisons, or paralyzes him, they’ll get the same status condition!” 

“Never took you for a bookworm type,” Melissa said. 

Zack shrugged. “I had this whole phase where I wanted to be an Umbreon and I learned as much as I could about them. Don’t ask why. I was a weird kid.” 

Meditite stumbled towards Kirlia, each step slow and deliberate. She drew her arm back as she stood over Kirlia, who kneeled in the surf and glared at Meditite obstinately. Then Kirlia’s arms shot forward, grasping Meditite’s feet, which were half-hidden under the flowing waves. 

Meditite jerked back, pressure building against her palm. Then sparks flowed up her legs, suddenly turning into full-blown electricity that coursed into the rest of her body. 

Neither Veronica or Milo expected that. 

Milo had avoided Shock Wave throughout the entire battle, figuring that Kirlia wanted to practice it more before feeling comfortable enough to use it on an opponent. 

Water conducted electricity, and Kirlia had used that principle without hesitation. Even a weak Electric move could be amplified with a proper conduction source. 

Meditite fainted, her body half-lying on the beach, limbs still twitching. 

Melissa’s eyes were wide as she stared at the still-paralyzed Kirlia. “Meditite is unable to battle. Kirlia is the winner. The challenger wins the match,” she recited.

Milo pulled Kirlia onto the sand, then quickly popped a Cheri Berry into the Emotion Pokémon’s mouth, tossing one to Veronica so she could help Meditite as well. 

Now that his paralysis was gone, Kirlia sat up with no trouble. His eyes glowed blue for a moment, and Milo was shoved away from Kirlia. 

“Sorry,” Milo said. “I’ll give you some space.” 

“Well, that was something,” Veronica said once Meditite recovered from paralysis. “Surprising people as always. It’s a good family trait. You’ve really grown since I last saw you, and I don’t just mean that literally.” 

“I didn’t tell Kirlia to use Shock Wave like that,” Milo admitted. “I mean, it’s kinda underhanded.” 

Kirlia crossed his arms. 

Veronica grinned. “You call it underhanded, I call it a brilliant use of the environment. Pokémon can think for themselves too, you know. I mean, what’s the fun in battling if we just call out what we’re doing all the time? I always welcome surprises in my fights.” 

Meditite bowed to Kirlia. 

“See, Meditite thinks you won fairly too,” Veronica said. “And that means I can present you with the Knuckle Badge.” 

Milo took the boxing glove-shaped badge from Veronica and held it up to the sun to admire its sheen. Diogee placed his paws on Milo’s shoulders, rising to his hind legs to get a good look at the badge too. 

“Looks like you’re a fourth of the way there,” Melissa said. “That’s progress.” 

Aron popped out of her Poké Ball and rammed into Kirlia, burying into his side for a hug. Kirlia froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around Aron’s steel hide as well. 

“Thanks, Veronica,” Milo said. “I’ll keep doing my best!” 

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from a Murphy,” Veronica smiled. 

Milo and Veronica waited in the Pokémon Center lobby, allowing Nurse Joy to take charge of their exhausted Pokémon. Aron’s steel-coated head rested in Melissa’s lap, occasionally glancing to the door in case Kirlia came out. 

“Alright, here’s my contact number,” Veronica said, handing over Melissa’s PokéNav. “Just give me a call if you wanna chat or need some good old gym leader advice!” 

“I’m just glad you fought a gym leader who doesn’t live underground and smells like sewers,” Zack whispered to Milo. 

“So where are you guys heading next?” Veronica asked. 

“Slateport City,” Melissa replied. “They have all sorts of cool stuff in their seaside market.” 

“And a Contest Hall for Zack,” Milo added. 

“I think I’m a lot more prepared this time,” Zack said. 

“Well, I assume you’ll be stopping in Mauville City for your next gym battle,” Veronica said as she leaned against the wall. “Just so you know, I heard Clyde is retiring. So you might be facing someone totally new.” 

“Clyde retiring? Are you sure?” Milo gasped, sharing an alarmed glance with Melissa. 

Veronica nodded. “Yeah, he’s an odd guy. He always struck me as the type of old guy who likes to keep working.” 

“So you know this Clyde?” Zack asked. 

“Every kid in the region knows Clyde!” Melissa exclaimed. “If you ever have a broken toy, he’s the guy to fix it. Doesn’t matter if it’s electronic or a doll either. Milo and I brought so much stuff over for him to fix when we were kids. Though between you and me, he’s terrible with money.” 

“He specializes in Electric-types,” Milo added. “And his inventions really spruced up Mauville City.” 

“Last I heard, he was entering a partnership with some tech corporation,” Veronica said. “Maybe the plans fell through or something. I should really keep in contact more.” 

Milo and Veronica’s Pokémon swarmed them as soon as they were released, and the conversation was dropped. Diogee and Marshtomp climbed all over Milo, the former happy that his battling ban was finally lifted. Riolu hugged Veronica while Meditite bowed in greeting. 

Aron nudged Kirlia’s leg, gently herding him to Milo. Diogee and Marshtomp let Milo stand up. 

“We’re gonna be leaving Dewford soon,” Milo said. “You wanna join us?” 

He placed Kirlia’s Poké Ball on the bench and waited. 

Aron stomped her stubby leg, and Kirlia rolled his eyes. Then he pushed the button on his Poké Ball, disappearing in a flash of red light. Diogee, Marshtomp, and Aron cheered as Milo pocketed Kirlia’s Poké Ball. 

“Guess you’re stuck with us,” Melissa said to Aron. “Welcome to the club.” 

“Bye, Veronica!” Milo waved as the S.S Plunge pulled away from the docks of Dewford Town. “Keep in touch, okay?” 

“You bet!” Veronica shouted back. “See ya later!” 

Within minutes, Dewford Town was just a speck on the horizon. 

Melissa’s PokéNav buzzed, but she was too slow to pick up and the call went to voicemail. 

“Melissa, are you guys coming?” Lydia’s voice sounded strained. “We have a situation and I need you guys pronto!” 

And that concludes Dewford Town! I have been looking forward to writing Slateport City for so long! I have some fun stuff planned for that city!

[aroworlds]

Hey super big question , I feel like we’re about to be slaughtered this December because Grindlewald is Aro Gay And I’m worried that jk is going to completely dehumanize him with Jonny Depp and that she chose Jonny because of his ability to play dehumanizing characters and the writing and his portrayal combined is going to be horrific for us and I can’t stop stressing about it , and asshole allos had to bring up Grindlewald is Nazi metaphor and then I just read the wiki on Hitler, he was ace fml

I said on the weekend that we should be allowed to connect to characters who are not good representation and express that connection, and that’s absolutely true. This said, it is also true that our connection does not mean other people cannot discuss the problems with that character and story. I can express a connection with Clariel; other people have the right to discuss how her position as series antagonist situates her as another loveless villain and her message is, consequently, damaging. Both approaches are important.

To deny people space to talk about the problems, parallels and metaphors in a work or character because of our connection is as silencing as their denying us space to speak of our connection. There are specific spaces where it isn’t appropriate to discuss some feelings in that space (a fanblog where folks gush about Clariel isn’t the best space to argue that she’s dreadful aro-ace rep) and this should be respected. On your own blog, you can certainly put up boundaries on the conversations you prefer not to see. But in broader, general community spaces, the risk is that people will have differing viewpoints and that many of these viewpoints can be hard for us to take, especially if our connection to a character or work is deep and intense.

As an autistic, it can be difficult to see people have a differing opinion about a special interest. It bothers me if they don’t like something I like; it bothers me even more if they like something I consider terrible! It feels like a personal judgement, and it’s hard not to get extremely defensive in response. When it’s tangled up in questions of representation, erasure, marginalisation and identity, it becomes even more complicated, and my connection to my special interest is such that seeing differing attitudes and evaluations of it that hurt me provoke depression, defiance or anger. Those feelings don’t make for easy conversation about it with other people.

One thing I’ve found as an answer, at least in the realm of a work I connect to being dismissed, is analyzing works myself. Yes, I like it, but what does it mean? What’s the context of this character? What are the themes and how do they relate to real life? How might these themes cause harm to others? What does the context of this character say about identity? What lead them to develop this viewpoint? Is it one I should keep? This allows me to continue to engage with a special interest topic while having desensitised myself to viewpoints that aren’t mine, because part of how I now connect to it is thinking about it from lots of different angles. But this took me years to develop and you may not be yet in a position to approach things this way. It also doesn’t work for attitudes and evaluations of a work based in out-and-out hatred or bigotry; you need to be prepared to dismiss them without being overwhelmed by them, and that’s also an ability that takes time and self-awareness to gain.

I do recommend exploring the idea that a special interest doesn’t need to be perfect to have value to meand that a special interest doesn’t need to be perceived the same way by others to have value to me. Your connection to a work is about you and you alone. That connection is not diminished or erased by someone else’s opinion, someone else’s actions or someone else’s response. This applies for disagreement about character arc or idealised representation, and it applies to erasure and antagonism.

I know nothing about Hitler being ace, but so what if he is? Seriously, so what? There’s plenty of lesbian TERFs. There’s heaps of binary trans truscum causing harm to non-binary people. What of Milo Yiannopoulos? Does that mean all lesbians, all binary trans people and all gay men are irredeemable? Of course not! Being of a marginalised identity does not preclude one from being harmful, dangerous, cruel, malicious or damaging. There are aromantic people out there who are dangerous to me. That doesn’t make them less aromantic or less dangerous. It just means all kinds of people can be aromantic, including those I think morally reprehensible.

Anyone who declares all gay men dangerous because of Milo Yiannopoulosis a heterosexist bigot, and the same applies here. You cannot spend your life worrying that an awful person is gay/ace/aro/trans/autistic (etc) and what that means or if people will use that against you. If you do, you’ll never be able to breathe. The only person you’re harming with this worry is you, and you deserve better than that.

If other people use someone’s existence to dismiss your community, as has happened so many times in antagonistic conversations over the last couple of years, handle it like you handle anyone else hateful. Block them. Report vile hate speech to Tumblr. Move on to more constructive creations and conversations.

The majority of fictional and creative media is at least unthinkingly amatonormative, ableist and cissexist. I rarely get to pick up a book that respects me as a trans, autistic aro, and I have to acknowledge this risk of being hurt every time I start something new. This isn’t right or fair, but it is our reality. This movie is going to be no different on that regard, no different to the rest of the media that hurts us. The difference here is that I think this is a property you care about, one that you deeply connect to--and that’s perfectly right and normal! But that connection makes it harder to see that this is the same thing the a-spec community has been enduring for years and years. We’ve weathered everything that’s come before and we’ll weather this, too. You’ll weather this, just as you weathered every other instance of erasure and antagonism in a fictional work.

You can’t change what track the film takes or how people respond to it. You can’t control other people’s coding. You can’t control other people’s hatred, dismissal and erasure. Worrying does nothing to change the situation; it only causes you unneeded distress. Rowling has supported Depp’s casting despite wide condemnation, so what else can you do? You either see the film anyway, knowing the risks, or you don’t--and not seeing it is a valid and reasonable option, one absolutely worth considering.

Under the cut, I talk about therapy and self-care for handling anxiety:

Given your distress, I do feel it a requirement to say that I think you should look into psychology and therapy services for your anxiety. This ask goes a little beyond the scope of what I can reasonably and ethically offer in validation and support. As someone with severe anxiety myself, I swear to you that worrying about something like this, a situation you cannot change yourself, is a problem that is causing you unneeded distress and harm. I don’t know where you live or what your options are, but there are blogs that detail support options. I genuinely believe that you need professional support here and encourage you to consider this in whatever options available to you.

(If you are already in therapy or treatment, I take this post as an indication that your current approaches are not best supporting you and it may be worthwhile to discuss this with your care providers.)

I’ll finish by saying that you can handle the situation, if you feel that you cannot bear the finished film and conversations about it at all. Blacklist tags relating to content you don’t wish to see. Unfollow people who post content you don’t wish to see, especially if it’s most of their content or they don’t tag. Don’t go searching tags. Follow blogs you trust. Quietly block anyone who annoys you. You don’t need to engage in arguments on something you disagree with; you can block users and, if you really need to get something off your chest, make new posts about it on your own blog, in your own space. Turn off anon asks if you think you might be harassed for your opinions; restrict private messages to only blogs you follow.

I’d strongly advise not engaging in discourse and arguments with people who disagree with you. Block, make new posts on your blog if you must talk, reblog folks who are making points that resonate with you. You don’t have to convince the world of what you know or how wrong they are. You don’t have to engage in activism here. Just block and move on. Getting yourself caught up in arguments with people who aren’t disposed to hearing you will only cause more stress and harm to you. Some people can constantly engage in discourse without losing themselves in anger and aggression, but I’m not one of them, and I suspect you’re like me in this regard. Our activism is healthiest for us when directed into community building and validation, not fighting those who won’t listen.

Likewise, you can prepare for any self-care you need should the above fail. Have go-to media like books, films and music you need to distract yourself. Have a list of activities you enjoy that you know that calm you and work through them. If you have a friend or two you can trust to talk with you or distract you, contact them. If this is in your ability, go outside, go for a walk, go to the shops--away from your computer or phone. Watch a YouTube craft video and attempt to follow it. Play games. Write unrelated fanfiction. Keep a list of Calming Things You Can Do by your desk and on your phone, and work to develop a habit of reaching for that list when even slightly overwhelmed or stressed. Again, this is an area where a mental health professional will help you in identifying and using the interests and tools you already have to cope, particularly in working with your own interests and needs, so if you can’t put this into action on your own, this is another sign that you need a psychologist or therapist on Team You.

It’d be irresponsible of me not to suggest that you, and any other aro-spec who feels this way, seek professional support. That you’re turning towards me says you’re not currently getting what it is you need elsewhere, offline and off. That’s not a criticism on you: you deserve to be supported. It’s in no way a crime to want someone to help shore you up in the face of dismissal, erasure, antagonism and hate; it’s in no way a crime to want support from a fellow community member in the face of the antagonism we are so often dealt.

But right now, I do believe–again, as a person with severe anxiety myself–that you’re in need of professional support to cope with the things you’re finding difficult, much more support than I am ethically able to provide. I know first-hand that finding good mental health care is far from easy for many of us, but if anything is available to you, I hope you’ll consider seeking it out.

[smilesthroughfandoms]

Ok but

Am I the only one who thinks a Star vs. the Forces of Evil and a Milo Murphy’s Law crossover would be the best thing ever. I mean, there’s tons of potential plot points to explore, like:

Milo and Star get along like fire and gasoline and it does not help Marco, Zack, or Melissa’s heartrates at all

Murphy’s Law somehow being responsible for Star messing up about 53% of her spells and the gang trying to put everything back to normal.

Marco being a huge nerd for Dr. Zone (like it’s a close second to Mackie Hand)

Star confusing Murphy’s Law for an Evil Wizard’s curse and her trying to fix it and MIlo and Sara telling her to just chill for a second and let them explain

Milo takes one look at Ludo and his army and like a tree falls on them or something.

Star’s spells misfiring and accidentally destroys Cavendish and Dakota’s Pistachio Cart.

Star and Marco join Milo, Melissa, and Zack on all their misadventures and vice versa

Star finding out Zack used to be in a boy band and insisting on having him perform for her (it’s through threat of a Narwhal Blast that he finally does, and Melissa gets it all on tape)

Ponyhead not hating Milo or any of them as much as she does Marco but you know she is Star’s first bestie so...

Milo, Melissa, and Zack acting as protective younger siblings to Star whenever Tom shows up (Melissa in particular will fight the demon prince if it keeps Star safe)

Kelly and Tad think Milo, Melissa, and Zack are pretty cool and they always try and hang-out when they can

Cavendish and Dakota (mostly Cavendish) thinking Star and Milo are out to sabotage their missions (and Dakota’s just trying to figure out where these’s sparkly narwhals are coming from because they are not near and ocean at all!)

Murphy’s Law and Butterfly magic either helps, hinders, or cancels the other out. It depends on the situation.

Melissa coins the Term “Murphy-Butterfly Theorem” in an attempt to explain it. BY the time 2175 role around it’s a common phrase

Only Cavendish and Dakota know how it originally started but no one believes them, and honestly they’re not sure if they believe it.

Imagine Missing Milo with Star traveling with Milo and the Pistachio Protectors and Narwhal blasting King Pistachion like “Fight me demon plant!”

And while Dakota and Cavendish both bond with them, Dakota takes a particular shine to Milo, Cavendish takes one to Star because he’s always been a fan of fantasy magic novels growing up but he won’t admit it

Likewise, Star and Milo like them both but Star subconsciously prefers Cavendish because his uptight but well-meaning attitude reminds Star unconsciously reminds Star of her mom and she thiks his mustache is “Pretty Neat”

When Toffee shows up he tips off the Burea of Time Travelers and Block sends in Brick and Savannah and Star just annilates them (Dakoat and Cavendish are not-so-secretly amused that the “Syrup-Tsunami-Shockwave is what did the two of them in)

Murphy’s Law is what helps Star break the crystal prison in Storm the Castle

One cleaved wand+Murphy’s Law=Disaster most of the time

Cavendish and Dakota helping to fight back Ludo and his Bird and Spider whenever they attack Star and Milo and their friends

Both of them being slightly concerned (read: a bit terrfied) when Star almost gets sucked into the portal in Bon Bon

“Don’t worry, Milo and Star almost get sucked into menacing portals every other week.” “That’s not reassuring!”

Sara kicking but like “How dare you attack my little brother and his friends!” and utterly dominating in a fight

Star helping to set-up MIlo and Amanda and her squee-ing like a fangirl when it finally happens

Milo, Melissa, and Zack comforting Star about the whole Jarco thing

Janna adoring Milo because she thinks it’s cool that he has a “curse” on him. He doesn’t have the heart to argue with her so he lets her believe what she wants.

Jackie and Melissa being two chill girls who are two cool for you.

Melissa swindling Ferguson and Alphonso because you knwo she would do that

Star and Marco joing Just Getting Started and each playing Keys and Drums

Zack helping Star talk to Oskar, y’know musician to musician.

Melissa getting her own pair of dimensional scissors because why not?

Heckapoo and her get along like fire and gasoline too and it worries Marco and Zack just a bit.

Milo befriending Rhombulous after he froze him in crystal

Milo doesn’t blame him and helps Rhombulous understand Murphy’s Law better

During Battle of Mewni, Star carries around Marco’s hoodie and refuses to let Moon heal a scar she got from a Murphy’s Law incident

Because that’s her favorite scar, obviously

Moon and River adoring Milo, Melissa, and Zack and Moon hopes this added experience will help Star grow as a person

They’re just shell-shocked to meet royalty

Also Milo and Sara join Marco in his little spot during Battle for Mewni and they join “La Resistence!”

Cavendish and Dakota breaking the freaking laws of fundamnetal physics and helping Melissa, Zack, and Diogee to Mewni to help fight Toffee in Battle for Mewni

Them getting they’re just in time to see River levitato-d and them pieceing together just what Toffee wants and tipping off Moon and Buff Frog

Buff Frog adoring Milo, Melissa, Zack, Cavendish, and Dakota. The babies love them and vice versa all around

Before Marco litteraly punches Toffee’s heart out, Zack breaks his neck and through the power of random bs from the backpack, Milo and Melissa put a few holes in his chest and Sarah just throws a big rock at his head

Milo, Marco, Melissa, and Zack staying on Mewni for the summer with Cavendish and Dakota being like their guardians/nannies because they can handle the chatic weirdness and let’s face it those kids need protecting

Diogee and the laser puppies get along fabulously

No one lets the laser-puppies near Milo for obvious reasons

Cavendish and Dakota quit the Burea after the Battle for Mewni to protect the kids full time and since no one knows who to trust, Cavendish says they’ve been hired to “Protect Precious Pistachios” and Block, Brick, and Savannah find that kinda suscpicious

They have pistachios on Mewni but they’re not edible. Like, you can eat them if you want but they’re to tough to chew so you either make a drink out of it or not at all. Instead it’s used in Mewni like oak wood is used hear. For like furniture and stuff.

Cavendish and Dakota are big fans of Skywynne’s chapter of the book and Father Time’s Dimension

They all still time travel because why wouldn’t they

Alertnatively, Block finds out by accident about the Murphy’s and having Brick and Savannah investigate and it turns out that Eclipsa is somehow responsible for the creation of Murphy’s Law don’t ask I can just see it.

Eclipsa goes from being a loving granny to all the kids to secretly plotting they’re demise

She loves Star and Milo and all the kids fear and admire her in equal measures but sometimes they look up to her more than they should

Cavendish and Dakota going through the Butterfly family history to help Star and the kids learn more about how to make certain histories repeat themselves

Doing this leads them to gain a respect for Eclipsa but they are intimdated by her and try to avoid her interacting with them and the kids as much as possible

Star invents a lot of Pistachio related spells like “Pistachio-Power Punch!” Cavendish and Dakota are flattered and amused.

You’ve heard of the Llama Incident? How about the Warnicorn Incident?

Cavendish and Dakota are both equally annoyed by Glossaryck. Glossaryck is neutral about them and everything (he likes Milo a lot though, like, he finds his hijinks entertaining)

The rest of the Burea (namely Brick and Savannah) try to take out the Butterfly’s and Murphy’s only for Cavendish and Dakota to drop some knowledge on their ignorant and hasty butts.

Alternatively, the Burea makes a deal with Eclipsa (again don’t ask) and it back fires and the Kids and Cavendish and Dakota have to save them.

Cavendish in particular sassing them out like “Her title is The Queen of Darkness and that didn’t clue you in?!”

Star and Milo and the rest of them (mostly Star) shipping Dakvendish

In turn, Cavendish and Dakota have they’re own little betting pool about the kids relationships, Melissa obviously helps them. 

They’ll take that secret to their graves though

Milo and Star being unstoppable forces of the Universe and woe to all who challenge them.

Theirs Princess Marco and Princess Melissa... Heinous hates them both and Gemini has both their dolls.

Cavendish and Dakota being 100% done with all the lizard-monsters who try to kill the kids. They’re worried of course, bu mostly done

“How many lizard-like-monsters are after you kids?” “We have no clue but maybe more?” “Work with us here, kiddos.”

Melissa is not afraid of Rasticore or Toffee or any force of evil like fight her

This does not help anyones heart rates

When Brick and Savannah finally figure out what Cavendish and Dakota do they’re 8% impressed and 92% horrified like “This is what you two idiots do on a day to day basis?” “It’s not that bad once you get used to it.” “Get used to what, almost dying?!” “I mean if you want to look at it like that...”

Imagine a Star vs, Milo Murphy’s Law, and Phineas ‘n’ Ferb crossover

Star adores Perry

All the animals get along and the laser puppies become honary agents

Phineas and Ferb making they’re own version of Star’s wand and using it to have the best day ever.

Star and Isabella getting along swimmingly.

JUst imagine all of this for a minute and tell me it’s not glorious

Has anyone besides me thought about this?

Because I have

A lot

[white-queen-lacus]

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.” Jacqueline Carey: “Love as thou wilt”

@abybweisse Yes, definitely JC knew something about Thelema too.    You know, when you tagged me in your amazing post, I’ve begun to think about it, and after re-reading some things I noticed that there were interesting parallels. I don’t know if you’ve been still reading KL but I want to give a try (KL version). :)

Well, what I’ve always found fascinating is the fact that Kushielverse mythology is rich and very articulated. JC made several kinds of research (history, society, art, religion, language, fashion, etc) in order to create a perfect fantasy alternate version of the world, but her most interesting choice was the origin of this world, Terre d’Ange. She took the whole basis of Christianity subverting it by telling that a child was born from Yeshua (Christ)’s blood and Magdalene’s tears (The Da Vinci Code clicks “hello”), Elua, a child who was half human, not accepted by his “Grandfather” the One God. In order to protect him, eight angels “deserted” and descended on Earth, traveling the world with Elua until they stop in Terre d’Ange: Azza (ruler of Azzalle, the angel of Navigation), Anael (ruler of L’Agnace, the angel of agriculture and husbandry, also called the Star of Love… and I wonder if Aniel and Anielle were named after him), Camael (ruler of Camlach, angel of martial knowledge), Cassiel (no land chosen, worshiped by the Cassiline Brotherhood, known as the Perfect Companion), Shemhazai (ruler of Siovale, angel of knowledge, learning, science, literacy), Eishet (ruler of Eisande, angel of healing, art and motherhood), Kushiel (ruler of Kushet, the angel judge of dead and punishment) Naamah (ruler of Namarre, angel of divine sexuality, worshiped by the Night Court, whose adepts are courtesans who serve the royal House and then, the nobles). All of them protect Elua, whose only precept is “Love as thou wilt”. The precept is more than a philosophy: it’s the supreme Law of Terre d’Ange and going against it is the synonym of catastrophe (Imriel and Sidonie are the living proof of it). Now, I read this excerpt from the Thelema page on Wikipedia:

“ True Will: According to Crowley, every individual has a True Will, to be distinguished from the ordinary wants and desires of the ego. The True Will is essentially one’s “calling” or “purpose” in life. Some later magicians have taken this to include the goal of attaining self-realization by one’s own efforts, without the aid of God or other divine authority. This brings them close to the position that Crowley held just prior to 1904.[48] Others follow later works such as Liber II, saying that one’s own will in pure form is nothing other than the divine will.[49]Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law for Crowley refers not to hedonism, fulfilling everyday desires, but to acting in response to that calling. The Thelemite is a mystic.[48] According to Lon Milo DuQuette, a Thelemite is anyone who bases their actions on striving to discover and accomplish their true will,[50] when a person does their True Will, it is like an orbit, their niche in the universal order, and the universe assists them.[51] In order for the individual to be able to follow their True Will, the everyday self’s socially-instilled inhibitions may have to be overcome via deconditioning.[52][53] Crowley believed that in order to discover the True Will, one had to free the desires of the subconscious mind from the control of the conscious mind, especially the restrictions placed on sexual expression, which he associated with the power of divine creation.[54] He identified the True Will of each individual with the Holy Guardian Angel, a daimon unique to each individual.[55] The spiritual quest to find what you are meant to do and do it is also known in Thelema as the Great Work.[56]” In Kushiel’s Legacy, d’Angeline people are always inspired by the divine will. Being descendants of the angels themselves, they often are sensitive to it. In particular, Phèdre, being Kushiel’s Chosen and Naamah’s Servant, often can feel the presence of her deities in her actions. This happens strongly in Kushiel’s Avatar, which is the most important and darkest book of the first trilogy. The Drujan and Darsanga chapters are the most difficult part to read, since everything that Phédre had had to endure before the months she spent at the Mahrkagir’s seraglio is nothing compared to them. Slavery in Skaldia, Waldemar Selig, then Melisande’s treason, La Dolorosa, are only the beginning. At the beginning of Kushiel’s Avatar, Phèdre, ten years after the events of Chosen, is living peacefully with Joscelin in Montrève. Thanks to her efforts, the household regained importance and glory. Phèdre stated that her ten years of peace ended when she dreamt of a child calling her name. The child, whom she dreamt few times during the book, is a mix between Imriel and Hyacinthe, the first being Melisande’s son ad the second being her childhood friend trapped in an endless curse (by the angel Raziel):

“That night, I had another dream. This time, it was different. I did not dream of the ship and the isle, but of Canopic Street, flat and bright washed in the midday sun, dust lying heavy on the flagstones. A lone figure knelt in the center of it, a boy, his head bowed. A collar of iron weighted his neck, outsized and cruel, and his hair fell in black curls over his shoulders. “Skotophagotis!” said a voice I knew to be Nesmut’s. I took a step forward, my feet as heavy as lead. A black shadow fell across the kneeling boy. He lifted his head. A black bar of shadow lay over his face, cast by an unseen staff. He knelt unmoving, and I saw that a chain ran from the iron collar to his shacked wrists. Above the staff-shadow, his eyes were blue as sapphires. “Lypiphera”, he said to me, in Hyacinthe’s voice.”

 From that moment, her actions are inspired by both Elua and Kushiel. From Elua, Phèdre was inspired by love. From Kushiel, she was inspired by justice. Kushiel’s Avatar takes the story to a new level, because the “justice” is administered through Imriel, who was merely ten years old during the events of the books (lately 11). Melisande, who was the greatest traitor of Terre d’Ange, nemesis and the greatest enemy of Queen Ysandre, bore Imriel in order to grant Terre d’Ange a pureblood heir. She was inspired by a very personal way to interpret Elua’s precept herself, even if it would mean destroy the blood monarchy and giving birth to a new monarchy based on intelligence (Melisande herself, at that time, was a member of the Unseen Guild, whose members secretly pulled the strings of affairs and politics). This was seen by Phèdre as a challenge to Kushiel (whom Melisande was a descendant) who decided to re-establish the balance of events by punishing Melisande. So, Imriel, who, in the meanwhile, had grown up in a sanctuary, completely unaware of his heritage, real identity, and blood, is kidnapped by Carthaginian slave traders along with two other children (Agnette and Sebastien) and sent in Menekhet (Egypt, another place in which Crowley was interested). While in the beginning, Phèdre thinks this happened because somebody found out Imriel’s identity, the truth is that nobody knows who the child really is: he is kidnapped because of his perfection. In fact, Imriel is the spitting image of his mother, who is known for being a lethal beauty and one of the most beautiful and desired women in Terre d’Ange. In Kushiel’s Scion, Imriel explains why he was kidnapped:

“Of course, that was before the slave-traders took me. Then I had ample opportunity to hear myself described. In the country of Drujan, they were looking for perfect, unblemished sacrifices. I was sold to one of the bone-priests who served the Mahrkagir, the ruler of all Drujan. The Mahrkagir was cruel, ruthless and utterly mad. And I was bought for his foul harem, the zenana in the palace of Daršanga. Beauty is a scant comfort on a descent into hell.” Darsanga is the capital of Drujan, also known as the kingdom that died and lives . The original religion was the Zoroastrianism, and the god Ahura Mazda was worshiped. After the massacre occurred when the Mahrkagir (the new, insane ruler) was only a child, the official religion is the cult of Angra Mainyu, the spirit of destruction and the archetype of Lucifer. Phèdre, once in the Darsanga palace, immediately feels the presence of an obscure and demonic presence. Also, the only precept, which is a subversion of Elua’s “Love as thou wilt” is “Ill thoughts, ill words, ill actions”. This mantra is introduced to Phèdre by the Mahrkagir, who also adds that in his place, nothing that can give life is allowed. In Darsanga, both Phèdre and Imriel (and Joscelin, from a certain point of view, since he is forced to wait and see what his beloved and the child have to endure) pass through a living hell. While Phèdre is “blessed/cursed” with Kushiel’s gift, so she can respond to violence with her resilience, Imriel, even if he is Kushiel’s Scion, goes under months of torture, physical (he’s abused/whipped/branded with a burning iron by the warlord Jagun to “remember him forever”) and psychological (in his trilogy he finally finds the strength to tell Eamonn, Sidonie and Maslin episodes from that time, but nightmares accompany him until his adulthood as well as his way to relate to his Shahrizai heritage, dark desires and obviously, sexuality). Moreover, Imriel is the perfect sacrifice for the summoning ritual. In fact, the Skotophagotis (bone priests) lured the Mahrkagir in order to summon Angra Mainyu. The condition is that the sacrifice has to be made by killing the most “loved” one. Imriel (who is slowly losing his faith, hates Phèdre and Joscelin, thinks that everything he had always believed in was a lie, Elua first) says in Scion “But the nights are different. At night, I remember. I remember [….] the things he did to me, and the things he made me do. I remember his voice, whispering joyous promises of agonies to come. I remember the others, the warlords who made a plaything of me. I remember the lash against my skin and the agonizing sizzle of a branding iron, the stink of my own seared flesh. At times I dream and wake myself screaming”. “Luckily” for him, Phèdre succeeds in becoming the Mahrkagir’s mistress, being able to take Imriel’s place in the sacrifice ritual and killing the Mahrkagir before he does the same with her. But this is not enough, since in the endless night of madness in Darsanga, Angra Mainyu is almost awakened and it’s thanks to Joscelin, who is inspired by Cassiel, that the ritual fails and Darsanga falls, restoring the original cult, saving the survivors and more than all, saving Imriel from death/desperation/hell.  So, in Kushiel’s Avatar the True Will inspiration is strong, since we have Elua/Kushiel/Cassiel “using” their “avatars” to fight against an ancient and powerful demonic force and restoring the balance of events. Other events occur in the book, but at the end of KA, the precept is stronger than ever, since Phèdre and Joscelin find a way to come back home and save themselves too, but they are able to save Imriel and helping him to recover, a process that will influence the events of the second trilogy too, where Imriel and Sidonie go against the precept of Elua and pay the price of their actions… but this is another story! :3  

[romeo-being-extra]

Romeo as Roommates? :D - Curious Anonymous

*rolls up sleeves*↓↓ y'all in for a treat tonight so keep reading down below ↓↓

Seunghwan: Probably messy, but not a bad kind of messy; he knows where his stuff is and makes sure he doesn’t misplace any of yours either. He’s totally ok with sharing too, and probably will treat you like a younger sibling. Not only is he logical about school work, he’s also really efficient with all house chores too - he’ll also help you out with any work to do with math because he’s really good at that! You’ll see him hanging out at the house more often than with friends, but when he is, he’s usually walking around downtown with them. Be prepared for late night snacks and hanging out on the couch watching tv shows for the longest time - and also cuddles, because he will die without them.

Yunsung: He’s really formal and makes sure you’re comfortable so both of you won’t feel awkward, and he’s super responsible. When you’re studying or doing work in your house, he’ll leave you alone, but as soon as you’re free, he’ll pester you to go outside and get some fresh air. He’ll drag you out to a park to hang out with his countless other friends. Even though he’s a social butterfly, he also enjoys a little more quieter moments with a smaller group of friends, including you, and visit new restaurants and convenience stores to try new foods. He also can lighten even the darkest of moods just by smiling, and everyone appreciates him.

Milo: He gets treated like a baby by everyone, so he has a billion stuffed animals pillows - which means pillow fights and slumber parties of course! You guys share interests because whenever he finds a new choreographer or music artist he likes, you’re the first to know. He’ll also help you with your homework because he enjoys it. You’ll probably constantly trip over a stool in the kitchen - he’s short, so he needs it to reach the top shelves! Also - cleaning, he’s holds himself responsible for keeping the house spotless, and he always teaches you new tips and tricks on doing different household chores.

Minsung: Late night movies are a must, no exceptions! You’ll often see him enacting scenes from dramas or movies in the living room and then get horribly flustered when he sees you watching. He probably comes home at the weirdest of times and you have no idea what he does or where he goes, but all you know is that he pays all the rent. He’s not so sentimental, but he has a couple pictures of you and other friends hanging on his wall. His room is also really neat for someone who acts high 24/7, but you’ve probably learned not to question much when it concerns him. Despite looking manly, he constantly needs someone to take care of him because he’s so clumsy and spaces out a lot, and as his roommate, it’s only fair the task is put on you lol.

Kyle: Everything thing he does is vague and questionable, and he sleeps a lot. Sometimes he’s so sleepy, he’ll throw himself on your bed or just lie on the floor with a backpack as a pillow instead of dragging himself to his own room. He gets away with it too - no one with a heart would want to wake him up because he looks so peaceful and adorable when he’s sleeping. Like said, he never makes it to his bed; in fact, his room is super neat and tidy because he rarely even reaches his room before he passes out for a 5 hour nap. He buys you whatever you like in order to compensate for the lack of chores done by him - which is very often. He also enjoys watching anime at 2am at high volume, so you may often question your choice in roommates.

Hyunkyung: He’s an amazing cook - but you have to question his methods sometimes (like trying to cook a sausage in hot water). Often you’ll find him in the kitchen cooking up something only to realize that the two of you have already eaten, so you invite friends over to eat up his creation. You get along fine, despite the fact that he sometimes zones out and gets moody occasionally. The saddest thing is that he doesn’t fit on his bed or the sofa; he’s too tall - and sometimes you’re forced to sit on the floor when watching tv together. You’ll often see him lifting weights or doing other forms of exercise in order to get rid of stress, but he’ll never burden you with his abstract thoughts.

Kangmin: You can’t even be classified as roommates - more like a babysitter. He nags you to help him with his homework, but then dozes off when you try to explain something. Occasionally he’ll say he wants to buy something for a friend, but ends up making you pay for 8 shirts he wants to buy for himself. He’s popular and always manages to sweet talk or bribe teachers, older people; and even you - and there’s little you can do besides give in. He often will try to make it up to you by acting cute or trying to do chores, but he ends up making a fool out of himself, leaving you with second hand embarrassment. His room’s a mess and his wall is covered with polaroids of mostly himself and a few friends, including you.

[nothingman]

For years, Reddit’s r/TheRedPill forum has been one of the worst corners of the internet. It’s the home of the pickup artist movement, it gave Milo Yiannapolis a fawning fanbase, and it’s the hub of the perceived “manosphere”–a community built around the “men’s rights” philosophy that feminism is a sham built to oppress men.

Reddit is deliberately designed to protect anonymity. But that doesn’t mean users don’t also have to work to protect themselves–something that someone probably should have told Robert Fisher of New Hampshire, who has just been outed by The Daily Beast, via a trail of usernames and custom URLs with ties to Fisher’s email address, as the creator of the misogynistic forum.

Fisher, by the way, also happens to be a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, not that the connection is very surprising. If I had to name the two communities most vocal in their loathing of women, I’d probably go with Red Pill dudes and the GOP.

In addition to Red Pill, Fisher’s reported aliases had also written and published a pickup artist site, a blog attempting to “Explain God,” and one site titled “Existential Vortex.” He also was or maybe still is a singer-songwriter and kazooist in an “indieelectronic” band. Basically, he sounds like exactly the sort of bro-ish college kid, straight off a few frat party rejections and his first philosophy class, whom you would expect to found a misogynistic Reddit forum with a name referencing The Matrix. (Except Fisher had, at the time of Red Pill’s creation, aged out of the follies of youth excuse. He’s 31 now.)

Fisher’s reported “Pk_atheist” alias started the subreddit in October 2012, just before he lost his first election—one he ran as a Democrat. He won his seat in November of 2014, by which time the subreddit had grown to 83,000 members. He had already stepped down as a moderator in early 2013, but continued to be active in the community.

The Daily Beast writes that “within hours of contacting Rep. Fisher, and after delivering by email a summary of his apparent connections to The Red Pill kingpin, his two primary Reddit usernames had been wiped, and four blogs connected to him were deleted or made private.”

[Update: His own colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, are already calling for his resignation. Fisher responded with a statement asserting he is “not disappearing,” adding, “I will continue to stand strong for men’s rights and the rights of all.”]

But the internet doesn’t let you hide from your awfulness that easily. Through archived posts and comment threads, we have way too clear a window into this man’s mind and his motivations for starting this giant sexism feeding ground. Here are just a few direct quotes.

Content warning for, well, for everything Red Pill is about. (Misogyny and rape denial abound.)

–If you want the short version of his views on women: “I find women’s personalities in general to be lackluster and boring, serving little purpose in my day to day life. So I usually only compare body types.”

–“Because when I told myself I thought they were smart, I really had the footnote in the back of my head … smart … for a woman.”

–“I don’t hate women. I just understand what use they are to me. Stimulating conversation is not one of them.”

–“Understand that in the old days, women were not brought up the way they are today. Before feminism, there was less freedom, and therefore it was not necessary to teach women consequence. Consequence was strictly a man’s game.”

–“Women are not oppressed- they’re literally free from a lot of the responsibilities men are- to the extent where women have no need for the functioning every-day knowledge that most men have by the age of 18 … If you took the conversation skills, the sub-par intelligence, the lack of curiosity and put it in a man’s body- would you hang out with that guy? No! Would he be successful? Hell no! Those things are useless without a woman’s body attached.”

–In a post with “seduction” advice, he proposes “There’s a good girl voice inside each woman telling her that she needs to make sure to be proper and avoid being a slut.” He follows up with a lot of tips on how to invade the “good girl’s” personal space and trick her into letting out the “slut.”

–In response to a question about the Free the Nipple movement: “Hot women are a cartel, and they will continue to keep prices as high as possible. Anybody “freeing” their nipples will either be low-quality, or they will have a smear campaign against them to make them seem low-quality, despite the equality implications supposedly working for the cartel.”

–He defended being sexually attracted to teenage girls. “15 year old girls have boobs. Puberty doesnt strike at 18 overnight. Secondly, not creepy- 15 year old girls and guys are commonly sexually active. Its just illegal.”

–In one of his many comments alleging women frequently falsely accuse men of rape, he says he has a video camera in his room, presumably to record his exploits for proof of innocence.

It’s bad enough that someone could hold all of these beliefs, let alone feel confident to enough to put them out in public (even if anonymously so). Add to that the fact that there are, as of now, nearly 200,000 subscribers to the subreddit.

But nothing is scarier than knowing that this is what at least some (and some is too many) of the men who make our country’s laws think about women. And if you think Fisher’s purported Reddit persona is all talk, it’s not. It’s clear that his misogyny infects his platform.

Taking a quick look at Fisher’s terrible, stock-photo-filled campaign website, you can see the threads. In the site’s “Family” section (complete with a stock picture of what I assume is a random family of strangers, so you know he really cares), he says he wants to “strengthen the family.” But all that seems to mean to him is something about the family court legal system. He writes, “It is long over-due to bring oversight and accountability to our family courts. Every parent deserves justice in our courts regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or orientation.”

This obsession with family courts looks to date back to 2012, when his colleague and fellow men’s rights activist Joshua Youssef began publicly decrying the “feminist judicial tyranny” over a custody battle with his ex-wife. A reddit username the Daily Beast attributes to Youssef posted a lengthy rant about the “corruption, deception, greed, lawlessness, and feminist entitlement-mindedness, of the family court” to /theredpill, with Fisher in the comments defending him.

Remember that comment about “low quality” women exposing their nipples? Another one of New Hampshire’s Reps, Al Baldasaro, insulted the physical appearance of a female legislator who was fighting a bill, written by an all-male team, which would have outlawed breastfeeding in public.

Just four days after the 2014 election that put him in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, with only 100 subscribers, Pk_atheist wrote a manifesto of sorts, explaining the point of the, as of then, two-week-old forum.

“Our culture has become a feminist culture,” he wrote. “A president cannot be elected today without succumbing to the feminist narrative and paying them tribute. How many times has Obama given credit for his manhood to his wife? How many times has the debate hinged on women’s pay gap – which is a myth that gets lip service because if you don’t you’re a misogynist!”

Yet he maintained, “It’s too easy to blame feminism for our troubles.” He’s all for equal rights, he says, although he takes care to specify, “Equal rights are something I strongly am in support of. For men and women.” As opposed to unequal equality, I suppose.

His big message is that feminism has led not to equal rights, but to female domination. Women, as he puts it, control the conversation. “I am here to say, for better or for worse, the frame around public discourse is a feminist frame, and we’ve lost our identity because of it.”

Therefore men, he proclaims, need to take back this role of central dominance from women. The Red Pill is “men’s sexual strategy,” designed to counter feminism, which is, apparently, nothing more than a sexual strategy itself.

This, through the Daily Beast’s sleuthing, appears to be Robert Fisher’s worldview. This is a man who gave a space to hundreds of thousands of others looking to blame and conquer women, while simultaneously being elected into public office, where he has the ability to affect real policy.

Here’s the kicker, and keep this in mind the next time you think your vote doesn’t matter: In Fisher’s small New Hampshire district, he won his re-election by only 700 votes. He won his first election in 2014 by 276 votes. Squashing the internet’s rampant misogyny is a challenge too big for any one of us, but if you’re eligible to vote, you can do your part to keep immature, idiotic monsters like this one out of office.

  (via Daily Beast, image: Shutterstock)

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via The Mary Sue

[captianfaerietrash]

Raythe Reign Gift Exchange: Hug in a Mug

I know it has been quite some time since I posted anything, but this is such an exciting moment, since I have been working on this for over a month. I really hope my giftee ( @mangaworm ) likes it! (even though it does not seem to let me tag them in this! Darn you tumblr *shakes fist*)

I’d like to thank the @raythereignfans​ for setting this up for the second year in a row, and of course Raythe herself for making all of these wonderful creations possible~

Title: Hug in a Mug - A Date a Vampire.com fanfic

Prompt: “Milo introduces Lucien to coffee”

As the sun finally dips below the Winter Haven skyline, Milo practically trips over himself in order to get to his computer as soon as possible. Luckily, for the sake of his skin and the steaming cup of coffee in hand, he doesn’t actually trip, but catches himself right before sitting down in his computer chair. He sighs in relief as the mug ultimately sits undamaged on the desk beside the keyboard. With that minor wave of anxiety quickly passing, the college student hurries to log on to what has quickly  become his favorite website: dateavampire.com, constantly glancing at the clock in the corner of his computer screen. Hopefully he’ll make it on before-- ah-ha! As promised, exactly 20 minutes after sundown, a window appears, alerting him to someone attempting to contact him through the website. Of course, Milo clicks the “ok” button and beams brightly as the always lovely sight of the handsome blonde male appears before him. Aaah, Lucian… simply spotting the supposed vampire on his screen sends his heart fluttering in his rib cage and brings a goofy smile to his face. He waves while Lucian fumbles with the device, mumbling something about no sound coming through. Right as Milo moves his hands towards the keyboard, the “vampire” gasps in pleasant surprise when he finally figures it out. The college student couldn’t help but smile and hum in amusement.

“Hi there, did you sleep well?” He asks, tilting his head curiously to the side with that somewhat silly smile at the corner of his lips. Regardless whether he believed Lucien to really be a vampire or not, Milo can tell that the gorgeous man before him just woke up not too long ago: his movements are slightly lethargic and he occasionally yawns. Plus, the “viscount’s” typically picture perfect golden locks look ever so slightly disheveled, which is definitely noticeable when compared to the usual perfection. If Milo attempted a call merely 20 minutes after waking up, someone might mistake him for a monstrous creature of the night.. He cannot help but feel a little jealous, but not that much. Upon hearing Milo’s question, Lucien’s lips curl up into a heart-melting smile as he nods his head slightly in response.

“I did indeed. Although, I do wish I could have woken from my slumber earlier so that we may talk longer. You only have a few hours until you must retire for sleep, no?” He smiles somewhat sadly now: the corners of his mouth drop subtly, as if the thought of not being able to talk to Milo for long upset him. Much to his surprise, the young man suddenly chuckles and shakes his head, which only confuses the blonde male beyond the screen.

“Not tonight. I’ve gotta upload my photos onto my computer and start on an assignment due Monday. Although, I doubt I’ll be concentrating too much on that part.” Milo cuts himself off with a nervous chuckle in order to keep himself from babbling on more than he already did. Lucien raises both brows in surprise, certainly not expecting this kind of behavior from the young man he has acquainted himself with.

“How do you plan on staying awake longer than you do already? You look absolutely exhausted at the end of our conversations most nights.” His lifted brows now furrow in concern. While he has not been human in quite some time, he is still certain that humans need a decent amount of sleep. However, Milo seems to not share these same concerns as he reaches off-screen and returns with a cup in his hand; the words ‘World’s Biggest Nerd’ face Lucien, but he has absolutely no idea what that means.

“Waaaaaaaaaay ahead of you. I made some coffee. So, I can actually stay awake this time.” Milo grins, obviously quite proud of his own plan and takes a drink from the coffee mug. A content sigh escapes him as he sets the ceramic cup back down once more. When he turns his gaze back to the computer, he spots Lucien simply blinking in confusion. Could it be… has Lucien never heard of coffee before? Damn, Milo has to admit: Lucien must be a talented actor for sure if he can fake not knowing what coffee is! That, or Lucien was born and raised under a rock and completely deprived of the caffeinated life blood known as coffee, which should be a crime in and of itself! Whatever the case may be, Milo decides to just go along with it, his eyes widening in horror at the thought of someone never trying coffee before in their whole life. “You…. you do know what coffee is… right?” Milo still asks, holding the mug out for Lucien to see inside. Perhaps it would jog his memory. Still very much confused, the “viscount” shakes his head.

“Not to my current knowledge, I am afraid…” Lucien scowls for a moment but ultimately smiles at Milo’s shocked expression. It was too precious, but he was not about to say that out loud. “Although, it seems to be something you enjoy, and is quite popular, considering your reaction and questions…” He observes, providing a starting point for the young man to begin his inevitable explanation. While Milo seems quite determined to learn as much as he could about Lucien, that much obvious to the blond from the insistence of the young man’s questions in their previous conversations, the viscount finds himself delighted by Milo’s plethora of expressions and animated explanations about things the college student probably thought mundane or normal. Could anyone truly blame Lucien for jumping on the opportunity when it presented itself? Besides, he truly wishes to know more about not only this “modern” world, but, right now, specifically this miracle liquid that Milo alluded to helping the young man stay awake rather than falling asleep around his usual time. It sounds more like some sort of medicinal draught than a pleasant beverage. Yet, the student before him seems to be doing just that: contently sipping away at the drink, which he barely catches a glance at, aside from that first look Milo gave him. It almost appears to be the same color of the photographer’s hair, perhaps a little darker? Certainly not a color that Lucien typically associates with beverages.

To the vampire’s relief and mild excitement, Milo lights up and laughs that beautiful, melodious laugh so unique to the young man. English, unfortunately, lacks the words to truly describe it in its entirety. “Well, you’re definitely not wrong, on either account. It just so happens to be the lifeblood of every college student ever…” Milo pauses and suddenly laughs again, as if only now catching onto his particular word choice. “Not literally, of course! But, we drink enough of it that it very well may be true! From all of the late night and all night studying, it’s practically a necessity. It’s got lots of caffeine which keeps us alert and wide awake. Plus, I think it actually tastes good, given enough cream and sugar.” He chuckles and looks at the cup again with a warm smile. “TT also calls it a ‘hug in a mug,’ especially if you’re just enjoying it rather than needing the coffee to stay conscious…” He trails off and spontaneously blushes faintly, setting the mug down and chuckling awkwardly out of embarrassment. “I kinda rambled a little bit there… Sorry about that…”

Lucien hums and smiles in mild amusement with a shake of his head. “No need to apologize, Milo. I was enjoying your explanation, especially when you called it… oh, what was it… something about a hug in the cup?”

“Hug in a mug, but really? You don’t mind it?” “Mind it? I told you before, Milo: you don’t have to hide anything or change how you act around me. Just be yourself.” Lucien reassures the young man with a stunning smile. However, the vampire begins to pout, somewhat, even without realizing it, his bottom lip becoming subtly more noticeable to Milo as the viscount slumps his shoulders. “Even so, I highly doubt that anyone here knows how to make coffee. Some are even older than I, and the rest are far too busy with their modern lives.” Lucien sighs softly. “So, it seems I will not be able to partake of this warm embrace in a cup anytime soon… how unfortunate.” The viscount tilts his head slightly with the sad pout only increasing.

Really? No one where Lucien lived knew how to make coffee? Milo almost couldn’t believe it! Then again, most people his age don’t make their own either; they simply go to the nearest coffee shop and have it made for--

Ah ha! That’s it! A coffee shop!

Lucien still has some hesitations about his ‘ability to adapt to the modern world,’ (which Milo suspected simply meant that Lucien wasn’t allowed to go to “clients’” homes, or he simply didn’t feel ready to go to Milo’s apartment) so the college student doesn’t want to push that issue or even bring it up. However, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t make an offer for a compromise of sorts. It couldn’t hurt to ask, anyway, right?

“You are thinking rather intently on something… Is everything alright?” The velvety voice pulls Milo back from his waffling thoughts. Returning to the present moment of reality, the young man blinks rapidly as a sheepish grin curls at the edges of his lips and an embarrassed chuckle escapes his throat. He reaches up to scratch the back of his head.

“Well, I don’t know if I would say anything is wrong, but… I suppose you could say that I am… debating something, but I don’t know if I should ask. I… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.” “Uncomfortable? Sweet Milo, I doubt that your words in any form could make me uncomfortable, save for you telling me that you do not wish to speak with me any longer… Although, that would trouble me more than make me--”

“No! No… that’s not it at all, not in the slightest!” Milo panics and shakes his head while his hands flail about. After the momentary freak out, Milo sighs with defeat. “Well… I was going to ask if… if you heard of the historical district? If you have ever been there? I… I know you said you don’t get out because of the--”

“Is there something in this ‘historical district’ that you wish to show me?” Lucien tilts his head slightly with a charming heart-melting smile. How could Milo possibly withstand such an expression? It is impossible!

“Sort of… Kind of… okay, yeah…” Milo finally admits with a bashful smile and flushed cheeks. “There’s… there’s a small coffee shop that opened not too long ago right on the edge of the district… I know, it’s a stupid idea. I shouldn’t have even brought it up. Forget I said anything.”

“Nonsense. I think it is a lovely idea. Do you think they are open late?”

Milo stares at the screen for a moment after the “vampire” finishes his question. Lucien… was he actually considering this? Going to a coffee shop… going on a coffee date with Milo? “O-Oh! Yeah, it’s near the campus. Well, close enough that students go from time to time, so it’s open all night, actually.” The young man chuckles, practically giddy at this point. To think that Lucien might actually want to go on a date… with him! That he would actually venture outside… to go to a coffee shop with Milo of all people! Those same thoughts of disbelief whirl about in a continuous cycle, over and over. If he didn’t know better, he might think that he was actually dreaming.

“Great. I do not suppose you could… erm… I assume there is a way to… the address for the coffee shop in question?” Lucien falters, trying to find the words of this modern world he currently lacked. “I am sure Gregoire-- a dear friend of mine-- could assist me with getting there, once I have a location.” He ultimately explains, hoping that would clear up the confusion currently knitting the young man’s brows before him. Fortunately, realization dawns on Milo and the college student quickly types away at the keyboard.

“If Gregoire is the friend that helped you set up your profile on the website, then I’m sure he could help you with this. Of course, there’s always the option of me coming to pick you up from--”

“Trust me, Milo. This is not a place you wish to be. Not all here are as kind and… civilized as Gregoire and myself. Please…” Lucien implores with a sad smile and… something that the college student can only describe as smoldering… puppy eyes. How was Milo supposed to say no to that?

“Oh, alright, but only because you asked nicely.” Milo teases with a soft chuckle before hitting the Enter key. A soft ping pipes up on the blond male’s side soon after, much to the young man’s delight and relief. “Well, that sound tells me you got it, so… when should I expect to see you there? I’m pretty much free every night this week… if you’re not busy. We could always wait until next week if that’s--”

“Milo. It’s okay. If you have no qualms, we could go tomorrow?” Lucien raises a brow, but simply smiles: no expectations or impatience, just a content smile. Milo raises his brows in surprise, certainly not expecting this kind of… immediate response from Lucien.

“T-Tomorrow? Tomorrow would be great! I can work with that. What time do you want to meet up? I know right after sunset wouldn’t be ideal, so how about 8, or 9? Would that work better?” Milo cuts himself short before he could allow himself to continue rambling on. However, Lucien doesn’t seem to mind, or notice the college student’s slight nervous tendencies as he hums thoughtfully, contemplating the young man’s question.

“How about we go with 9, just to ‘be on the safe side,’ no?” He smiles, somewhat proud of attempt at a colloquialism he heard Milo use before. “Nine o’clock it is then. Tell Gregoire not to make you late.”

With the coffee shop being somewhat close to his apartment, Milo simply walks through the historical district, his heart fluttering higher in his chest with every step until it feels lodged in his throat from both the nerves and excitement. Can anyone honestly blame him though? He’s finally going on a date (albeit just a coffee date, but still! It totally counts!) with Lucien! He actually pinches himself a couple of times to make sure this isn’t some kind of elaborate dream as he makes his way over to the edge of the district. The moment he reaches the coffee shop, and holds his hand out to open the door, he hears the engine of an expensive sports car revving right before it speeds off, causing the curious college student to turn away from the door, towards the source of the sound. As he does, his mind goes completely blank at the sight before him: those gorgeous amethyst eyes, that fair skin that nearly looks porcelain beneath the streetlights, accompanied by long flowing locks spun out of gold, or platinum, maybe both, and those lips… those smooth perfect lips now curl up in a bright, but also amused, smile. Milo swears his heart stops right then and there as he lays eyes on the man he has been talking to for months, in the flesh rather than simply through the computer screen: Lucien. If it was somehow possible, he looks even more amazing in person.

He notices Lucien’s lips moving, but it actually takes him a moment to catch what was being said to him: “I hope you were not waiting long. I know we agreed on nine, but it seems we were both too impatient.” He hums with amusement, as if realizing Milo’s elongated pause was because of him. The college student flushes bright red but smiles widely while nodding in agreement.

“I guess you’re right.” He responds with a sheepish grin before turning back towards the door. “C’mon, might as well head in before it gets too crowded.” Milo holds the door open and looks back at the beautiful man behind him. “Might as well.” Lucien repeats the college student and reaches into his pocket to pull out a pair of sunglasses, earning a quizzical look from the young man before him. “Although it is not daylight, artificial light can become an annoyance, from what Gregoire has said. So, I took this pair of reflective oculars he offered to assist with… potential unpleasantries.” Lucien explains while placing the sunglasses on his face and walking through the opened door. Although Milo stares for a moment, as if uncertain what all to believe in that, he ultimately smiles and nods.

“I guess headaches and stuff would make it difficult to be in a place like this.” The student rationalizes and follows Lucien inside, soon taking the lead towards the front where the menu board sits behind the counter covered with towers of coffee cups next to pots of freshly brewed coffee, and the registers staffed with overly friendly baristas.

“The aroma in here is odd, but intriguing and mostly pleasant. Is that from the coffee?” Lucien inhales as he turns to ask Milo his query. A couple of people wait in line ahead of them, so surely this would be a proper time to converse about it. The earthiness… with the subtlest notes of spices and smoke and… perhaps a touch of chocolate as well? It is quite complex with so many other varying notes, that he has some difficulty identifying all of the distinct fragrances. Some of them he has no name for, because he never smelled them before in his entire life. Milo looks up at him with a curious smile and nods.

“Yeah, that’s probably from the coffee. I bet they get the whole roasted beans sent here, and they grind them on site before brewing. Would explain why the smell is so strong, and possibly why you find it so odd.” He explains, doing his best to give Lucien the benefit of the doubt that the gorgeous blond man never truly experienced coffee before, as mind-blowing a concept as that is.

“They are beans? That are roasted and ground?” Lucien repeats, genuinely intrigued and curious. That certainly explains the subtle smoke, but perhaps the other intricacies are simply part of the coffee’s inherent characteristics? “And… brewed? Like tea, perhaps?” He recognizes the concept, but does not know how that is applied to coffee. Sounds plausible, at least to the ancient viscount anyway, but what did he know? Milo hums thoughtfully before laying his hand flat horizontally midair and teetering it back and forth.

“Somewhat, but rather than a pouch of the ground beans going into the cup, a filter full of the grounds is suspended over the cup, or pitcher in the case of the coffee house, and hot water is slowly poured into the filter. The flavored water steeped with coffee trickles out of the filter with none of the ground beans.” He tries his best to explain and slumps his shoulders in relief when Lucien finally nods in understanding. At last, they make their way to the counter, where Milo orders two simple lattes, something easy, not too crazy, and quick for the baristas to whip up. In a matter of moments, the college student leads them both to a somewhat dimmer table away from the majority of the light and sound. Lucien seems to relax a little as he sits down across from Milo, now curiously inspecting the cup placed before him. He watches Milo take a sip from the plastic lid atop the cup and sighs contently. “Not too bad, if I do say so myself.” Milo remarks. While he prefers to make it himself at home with his specific coffee and cream, he still enjoys the simple warm latte in his hands.

Only after hearing Milo’s comment does Lucien finally decide to try it for himself. He mimicks the same motions that he saw and soon tastes something very similar to the wonderful aroma around them, with a little bit of cow’s milk to lighten up the bitterness. Lucien hums thoughtfully with his brows raised in pleasant surprise. However, after a few quiet moments, the blond glances down at the cup in mild confusion. A slight perplexed frown curls his lips downward as his brows then furrow to further express this lack of understanding.

“Is something wrong? Do you not like it?” Milo asks, absently reaching over to place his hand atop Lucien’s. His warm fingertips brush against shockingly cold knuckles before the “vampire” looks over to him and actually registers the question. Lucien smiles apologetically and shakes his head.

“That is not it, Milo. I enjoy it, more so than I initially anticipated I would. However, I do not feel that… feel what you called it last night…” He glances back down at the cup with another confused and disappointed frown. Milo stares dumbfounded for a moment. Was Lucien upset that he didn’t feel the “hug in a mug” that Milo jokingly referred to the previous night? Although he really meant it in jest, the only time Milo feels anything remotely like that is when he makes it himself… and shares it with someone else, like TT or maybe--

“I’m sorry that it doesn’t live up to the expectations I might have accidentally set with my words.” Milo chuckles sheepishly and scratches the back of his head right as a thought dawns on him. “How about I make it up to you tomorrow night, if you’re still free? I have an idea about how to get you your hug in a mug~” Milo beams brightly, actually somewhat proud of this new plan, despite having come up with it less than two minutes ago.

“You do not have to ‘make it up to me,’ Milo. I told you I am enjoying this. But if you still wish to do so, yes, I am ‘free’ tomorrow for whatever you may be scheming.” Lucien responds with a bemused hum as he takes another sip of his coffee.

“Great! It’s a date then, again.” Milo chuckles with a wide grin as he, too, resumes drinking his latte.

Time ticks by slowly as Milo stands near the entrance to the large, well kept, city park: half commonplace park with benches, sparse trees, and a playground, and half partially tamed forest for those who appreciated the wilderness but seldom traveled far enough to actually see it otherwise. Lucien once told him that shapeshifters and werewolves felt more at home there, but Milo doubts that, much like the whole ‘vampire’ thing. Speaking of Lucien, where is that French speaking--

Right as the college student looks around, a vaguely familiar fancy sports car pulls up right next to the curb. The passenger’s side opens, and out steps that drop dead gorgeous man who inexplicably agreed to not one, but two dates with Milo. The young man beams brightly and waves, walking closer to the blond beauty as soon as the car peels off back down the road.

“I apologize for my tardiness… I had to wait for Gregoire to finish a business meeting. I did not wish to inconvenience him more than I probably do.” Lucien explains with an apologetic smile as Milo finally reaches him, although the college student blinks a couple times in confusion before looking down at his watch. A minute. Lucien was upset about being one minute late? It takes everything within Milo not to laugh, considering how sincere Lucien felt about his apology.

“It is alright Lucien, I haven’t been waiting long at all. Shall we?” Milo beans and starts walking toward the park entrance again, but not before something icy envelops his hand. He blinks in confusion as he looks down to find Lucien’s fingers intertwined with his own. His cheeks spontaneously radiate head, and probably turn a nice shade of pink or red by now. However, he says nothing about it and simply gives the “vampire’s” hand a light squeeze before searching for the perfect spot for an impromptu nighttime coffee picnic. It doesn’t take long for him to find a nice clear patch with an amazing view of the stars overhead. Only then does he slide the duffel bag from his shoulder, and unzips it to pull out a simple quilted blanket given to him several christmases ago, by some relative or another. He lays it out flat and sits down, patting the spot next to him to encourage the very confused Lucien to sit down. After he does this, Milo pulls out the other items in his bag: two coffee cups and a tall steel insulated thermos. He hands one of the cups to Lucien and sets the other in his own lap for the moment while opening up the thermos.

“I think I might have it all figured out: it wasn’t made by someone you care for, and who cares for you in return. I made this one, so hopefully this will do the trick.” Milo beams while carefully pouring the steaming hot liquid into Lucien’s mug. He moves on to pour his own as he spots the older man sniffing the contents of the cup and humming thoughtfully. Milo cannot contain the soft chuckle escaping his lips while he recaps the thermos. “Go ahead, it’s not going to bite or anything.” Milo urges with a light tease and another laugh, cradling his much in both hands.

“I never said that it would. I was merely waiting for you, that is all.” Lucien smiles gently before finally bringing the rim of the cup to his lips. He takes a sip and his eyes widen with surprise and delight. As he pulls the cup back, an elated smile brightens his face and the ‘viscount’ nods to himself. “Yes, this is it. This must be what you were referring to: so warm, but not painfully hot. It is… comforting. About the only thing that could compare is an actual hug, no?” He turns towards Milo, who was all smiles and flushed cheeks. The college student carefully sets his coffee up down with a thoughtful hum.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out~” ~End~

[butter-ff]

Child's Play...

Porter: My belly is ready to pop! Milo is about a few days past due and he's still just chilling in there. Today is Valentines Day... my first one with Aubrey! I woke up because I had to pee really bad and I was expecting Aubrey but got an empty space. "Happy Birthday BabyGirl!" Aubrey came in with a huge smile on his face. Oh yea today is my birthday... I know I know I'm a valentines baby. People always joked that my parents really must have been in love to have a valentine baby! "Thanks baby!!!" I smiled as he sat a tray on the bed in front of me with a deformed ass heart which I think is a pancake, and fruit. "I did my best, it's not how yours would look..." I smiled and watched him as he started to ramble. I kissed his lips and giggled. "It's perfect baby thank you!" He winked and rubbed my belly. "You ready to meet the world or what Milo?" He asked his son, and at that very moment my water broke. I mean c'mon I have to share a birthday with my kid!? "Baby my water just broke..." I said calmly. "Huh I didn't catch that see it sounded like you said..." I shut him up by getting up so he could look at the spot I left on the bed. "Shit ok P breathe!" I wanted to laugh at the face he was making as his brain started to process everything we needed to get out of the house, but the contractions were interesting. "I am breathing babe, but yours sounds a little off." I answered pacing slowly as one passed. Once he got up and started moving around I ate some fruit and cleared the sheets off the bed before heading to the laundry room. "So you wanna share a birthday with mommy huh Lil man?" I cooed at my belly. I can't wait to finally see our little person. I could hear Aubrey making calls and shuffling around upstairs as I came back up to change and do my hair. He has my mom on speaker. On Phone: Mom: what is she doing Aubrey? Aubs: she's literally walking around like it's a normal day! He said it so exasperated and I laughed as I gave myself two braids. Mom: that's good it means her contractions aren't very close so y'all have a little time. Get her dressed and yourself and grab the hospital bag we packed last week and by the time y'all get to the hospital your mother and I will be there ok!? Aubs: yes ma'am see you in a little bit. Mom: oh and Aubrey? I heard the smirk in her voice. Aubs: ma'am? Mom: get your shit together she's fine, you'll be a daddy in a few hours! He smiled hella big as they hung up. He called E next. E: hey shouldn't you be catering to my sister on her birth... Aubs: Porter's water broke, we're going to head to the hospital in a few can you call all of the God parents please!? E: awwww on her birthday!!!! And yea I can do that see y'all there! End phone: I was tempted to put on make up but decided against it. I was ready to go minus shoes as Aubrey finally got dressed. "Baby I can't see my feet!" I said with a pout. He studied my outfit and disappeared into his closet grabbing a pair of my shoes and putting them on for me. "Thank you Papi!" I said pecking his lips. "Mmhmm chill out with that this morning, I can't do nothing!!" He gave me a serious look and I laughed before instantly stopping when another contraction hit. "Yup let's go!" He said helping me up and down the stairs. He situated me in the car and made sure we had everything before driving to the hospital. "How you feeling mommy?" I smiled stroking his hand that was rubbing my belly. "Excited... a little anxious, and eye roll worthy that he just has to come on my birthday!" I said the last part jokingly. Aubrey chuckled. "Say don't be jealous mommy I just want to share my day with me and daddy's favorite girl!" The way he spoke for Milo made my heart flutter and nothing could knock the smile off my face. "I hope he looks just like you!" I said staring at Aubrey as he drove. "I just want him to have ten fingers and ten toes mommy!" He said as we pulled up to the hospital. He got out helping me out and our moms were waiting for us along with the entire crew of people we call family. I was taken to my room and my doctor came in with a big smile. " Well Ms. Porter happy birthday... looks like you'll be sharing it with your mini!" I smiled back and thanked her. "How long we in for doc?" Aubrey asked and my mother laughed at how anxious he is. "Her contractions are about fifteen minutes apart so I would say another couple of hours." She answered him. "Thanks, I can't wait to meet him!" Aubrey spoke and my mother nodded her agreement. "And I'm sure he's just as excited to hear his daddy's voice in real time and not through mommy's belly!" She winked at Aubrey and he chuckled. She always found it cute how much he talks to my belly. "You hear that Milo? You get to hear me in real time soon!" I giggled as he kissed my stomach and of course my mom was being like the freaking paparazzi. "Alright well I'll be back soon to check on you, before you know it you'll be holding your baby boy!" She left and Aubrey pulled a gift out of his pocket. "What's this baby?" I asked eyeing him. "Open it and see." Was his only response. I opened it to see a charm bracelet with three charms. One was an angel with a pink heart, the other two was an engraved heart with a little football and one with an owl. "Aubs..." I said breathlessly. "You'll always have my heart and Milo's!" I pulled his face down to mine and gave him a sweet kiss. "Thanks baby I love it!" I said as he put it on. "I figure for every major milestone in our life I can get you a charm to fill up your bracelet." I smiled at how thoughtful he truly is. "That's such a sweet gift Aubrey!" My mother remarked. "Yea you might need more than one bracelet though cause I plan to get you pregnant with a basketball team!" I rolled my eyes and playfully punched him. "Right and what are you expecting them to come out of huh? Not my uterus!!!" My mother snorted at my words causing us to laugh! "See all this slick talk is mute when I'm putting it on you how you like!" My mouth dropped at his words and I grabbed his ear as my mother laughed at us. "My mother is here!" I warned. "She knows you're a freak Porter just give up the good girl act already. She may not know exactly how Milo was conceived but she knows what it took!" He winked at me and I'm too done right now. "Ooh boy you get on my nerves!" I said. "Man baby, I am your man!" He pecked my lips and I mushed his head. "Y'all are something else!" My mother side smiling at us. "Seriously though baby Milo is going to want a playmate!" Aubrey spoke. "He has Mani!" I stated. "Yea but I never had siblings and it's something I've always wanted for my kids!" I just looked at him... like who negotiates children when their fiancé is in labor with their child! "Is this really the time for negotiations Drake!?" I asked. "Oh she pulled out the middle name!! Why yes Sophia this is really the time so while we're at it I'm thinking twins and then one more after that!" I squeezed his hand hard as shit when a contraction hit I could tell because his hand was super red and so was his face. "Yup that's a no from Milo!" I said. "Not even woman, that's your body trying to get him out!" He poked my breast and I wanted to pop him. "I think twins would be nice!" My mother spoke and I glared at her as another contraction hit. "That's great mother are you going to carry them?" I asked oh so serious. "Chile please, the devil is a good lie. You were enough for me!" I shook my head and Aubrey laughed. "Just think of all the good sex baby!" He whispered in my ear and I softly head butted him. "Go on somewhere I'm over you right now!" I said pushing him away. "I can fix that soon just wait on it baby!" My mother full out laughed at that. "Ok Aubrey leave her alone... you two I swear!" She smiled shaking her head. "I'm done!" He held up his hands in surrender. I shook my head as the contractions grew closer. Not too long later it was time to push. "Alright Porter Emilio is ready to make his entrance into the world!" Aubrey softly squeezed my hand kissing my forehead. "You got this baby!" I smiled at him as the doctor told me to push. It literally took all of my strength, and a couple of tries. But Aubrey was so perfect through it all and I couldn't wait to see it back in my mother's recording. When I heard the cry of my baby my own dam burst and I was crying too. "It's a healthy baby boy, 8 pounds 10ounces!" Our doctor announced and Aubrey's smile was the cutest as he left me long enough to cut the umbilical chord. "Oh my god Porter he's precious!" My mother said as they laid him on my chest. I can't even describe how beautiful he is. I saw so much of Aubrey in his face it was crazy! I kissed his little eyes as Aubrey wiped some of my tears. "Welcome to the world Emilio Steven Graham!" Aubrey spoke choked up. We both just stared at our perfect little creation before looking at each other. "He looks like you!" I said with a smile. Aubrey pecked my lips as we wiped each other's tears. "He's perfect, thanks baby!" I nodded as we kissed again and my mother cooed. "Look at those Pier eyes!" She gushed. Aubrey and I looked to see that he got light brown eyes like my dad and I. "Oh you're so perfect Milo!" I cooed at him. I gave him to his glam mother who I knew was anxious to hold him. And she fawned all over him before giving him to the nurses to go do what they needed to do. "You did so good baby, I'll never forget this day!" Aubrey spoke and I smiled. "Thanks daddy I couldn't have done it without you!" And I meant every word. "And I got every precious moment of it!!" My mother beamed. "Oh Porter he's everything!!!" She was beside herself I could tell. "Congrats Glam Ma!!" I said as she hugged me. "Same to you new mommy and Happy Birthday sweetheart!" Aubrey gave us our moment and went to grab the crew. They piled in with Birthday balloons and all types of gifts and teddy bears. The nurses brought Milo back in and everyone sang Happy Birthday to us. The grandmothers took turns holding him first and my Grams wanted to hold him hostage, but reluctantly gave him up to Steez and Bam. When Erin got him she gushed the whole time. Aubrey's best friends had the cutest moment with him where they swore to always protect him and to my dismay teach him how to get and keep the ladies... When Celeste got him we all laughed. "Milo daddy pissed your mommy off, because you are the spitting image honey!" She spoke. "Thanks for that Celeste!" Aubrey said. "Yea no problem really!" She replied giving him to Julian. "Hi there little guy, I'm god dad Julian I've been waiting to meet my partner in crimes little person. I just hope you're not a loser like her! Maybe soon I can give you a God sibling huh would you like that?" We all looked at Celeste as Ju spoke and she just smirked... let me find out! Julian gave him to Remy and he clutched her finger with his little hand. "Hey, you know my voice huh Milo... huh I'm TiTi Remy, I'm your favorite! I'm going to spoil you and love you and cherish you just like your mommy did me growing up. And I promise to always be there for you and protect you!" We we're both crying as she sat on the edge of my bed holding him. And honestly I Don't think there was a dry eye in the room. She handed him back to me and he let out quite the wail. "Someone is hungry!" The nurse spoke with a smile and everyone cleared out except my mom and Aubrey. "Your first titty my man!" Mark said out the door and I wanted to throw something at his silly ass. "Your moms got some nice ones son and you made them even better!" Aubrey said as I rolled my eyes and my mom helped me with getting him to latch on. It was painful and I almost wanted to cry but Milo seemed to be content just sucking away. "Lucky kid!" Aubrey said and my mother laughed. "This is good bonding for you guys, feeding time, and burping time which Aubrey can do since he falls short in the boob department." I nodded taking in her advice. "You will have to share those though Milo, daddy likes them too!" I popped Aubrey with my free hand and he laughed. "Just saying!" He chuckled. That man is a loser. Milo got what he wanted and I gave him to Aubrey to burp. I found myself dozing off, tired from all the work my body just did. I posted a pick of me looking at Milo and Aubrey kissing my forehead and thanked God for my baby and another birthday before going to sleep. PG_13: Thanking the lord for another birthday... oh and for Emilio Steven Graham as well 👶🏽❤️ Champagnepapi: Happy Birthday to the love of my life and our son... best Valentines Day I've ever had. 👶🏽💙😍😘🎂 YouloveRemy: Happy Birthday to my big sister and my heart baby Milo, you are the most perfect thing TiTi Remy has ever seen!! 😩👶🏽💙😍🎂🎉 StephanoEmilio: Happy Birthday to my little sister and my nephew. I will always protect you two!! 💙✊🏽👊🏽👶🏽❤️️👑 #prouduncle BamBam: Happy Birthday best friend and welcome to the world to the most perfect god son!! 👶🏽😍😘🎂 PrettEmama: Happy Birthday my love 😍 and Emilio welcome to the world baby boy you are so precious and so perfect! 👶🏽🎂 #manihasacousin AEgames: My baby had a baby on her birthday lol Happy Valentine's Day and blessing y'all it's a wonderful day in my extended family!! ❤️👶🏽🎂 #loveislight It'sJu: My partner in crime had my godson today... and yes I am his favorite! 😉👶🏽 Happy Birthday Princess P and Prince Milo 👑❤️️ Only1Celeste: The most perfect baby for the most amazing boss, Happy Birthday y'all!! 👶🏽😍🎉🎂 #valentinebabies Chubbsview: Welcome to the world baby Graham, and Happy Birthday P!! 👶🏽🎂 Ovo40: My man had the best Valentine's Day in history 😂👶🏽🎂 Happy Birthday Porter! Ovomark: Uncle Mark got you Milo always! 👌🏽👶🏽💙 oh yea and Happy Birthday stink!! 💁🏽 It's short but this next and last one will hopefully be long and the perfect closure... It's been a ride!!! 😩😂

[woodworkingpastor]

Sunday, July 19, 2020 -- All things work together for good -- Romans 8:28-30

One of our family’s favorite stories is The Phantom Tollbooth. This book by Norman Juster tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who arrives home from school one day—completely and utterly unmotivated by anything he’d encountered there—to find a large package waiting for him in his bedroom. Opening the package, he finds a car big enough for him to drive, a tollbooth, and a map. Deciding he has nothing better to do, Milo drives the toy car through the tollbooth where he is instantly transported to the Kingdom of Wisdom, a Kingdom that had once been prosperous but has recently fallen on hard times. It seems that the Princesses Rhyme and Reason have been captured and taken into exile in the Castle in the Air. Without rhyme or reason, nothing functioned as it should.

Driving along the roads of the Kingdom of Wisdom, Milo is joined by a watchdog named Tock and a large beetle named the Humbug. Together they set out to explore the cities of Dictionopolis—where all the words are made; and Digitopolis—where all the numbers are mined out of the earth. They visit the orchestra conducted by Chroma, whose music is responsible for the sunrise and sunset each day. They even take an unexpected detour to the island of Conclusions—and if you wonder how to get to the Island of Conclusions, well, you jump there! But eventually they are able to rescue the princesses and restore rhyme and reason to the Kingdom of Wisdom, learning lots of lessons about life and realizing the great benefits of curiosity all along the way.

We have been slowly walking our way through Romans chapter 8 in recent weeks; it is a section of Scripture that I had originally intended for the Sundays after Easter. But other texts kept coming to the forefront of my discernment, as if they were jumping up and down saying, “Preach from me!” So I did, and it seems clearer now why that was; in these times it seems a bit hard to say,

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

It’s kind of like when we were kids and our parents made us eat our vegetables because, “They’re good for you.” Yeah.

Paul’s letter to the Romans—like all of his letters—was written with a purpose in mind. These Christians were struggling with difficult issues both inside and outside the congregation; issues that were so significant that Paul has already told them that their present sufferings are not worth comparing to the coming glory. He’s told them that creation is also groaning, as in “labor pains,” and that we all “wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”

Thinking about our times, we recognize that not much has changed over 2000 years. Mired in the challenges of Covid-19 (a virus) and Covid-1619 (coming to terms with a legacy of racism), even a statement like “Isn’t the sky a pretty shade of blue today” has the potential to ignite political controversy. And yet we continue to live out the claim God has on our lives in a world that is fallen and cannot understand it.

I’ll confess to you, it’s been hard lately. I always knew that I needed all of you—in the conversations in the hallways before and after (and sometimes during!) church events; hearing your voices in unison joining in our spoken liturgy; hearing your voices in four parts as we lift our voices in song; praying the Lord’s Prayer together. But being apart has made me realize how much I need you. It’s been a bit more difficult to be hopeful that God really is working out all things for good because we haven’t been together to affirm these things, to wrestle with Scripture and with how we’re dealing with our times.

It might be harder for us too, because our faith tradition has always been so very clear about faith being lived out in our daily lives. We know that God did not call us to be Christians in isolation. I am thankful that we have learned to livestream our services; it has given all of us a chance to maintain a connection. But we Brethren know that the authenticity of our faith is measured by New Testament.

How do we demonstrate our love for God? By keeping God’s commandments. By loving one another. By following Jesus’ example of washing feet. In these verses, Paul points us toward the ways we live out our faith, saying

those whom [God] predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 8:30).

One of the expressions of God’s amazing grace in our lives is that God has had plans for us since before the foundation of the world. One of the expressions of our love for God is in the taking up of these plans, these good works, and living out our faith in the midst of whatever times we find ourselves.

We Brethren also know that taking up these good works, accepting God’s invitation and being both missionary and apostolic will bring times of difficulty. We’re not unlike Milo in The Phantom Tollbooth. Their journey to rescue the Princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air was fraught with uncertainty, challenge, and setback. But they persevered because they understood what was at stake. They understood their place in the plan.

We know that giving witness for Jesus and the Kingdom of God will bring difficulty. Just consider how hard it can be to convince people that wearing a mask helps prevent the spread of Covid-19. I think about the great difficulty married couples face when they seem to be at the end of the love and respect for the one they promised to marry “until death do we part.” Or notice the how hard it is even in 2020 for society to admit that black and brown people are fully citizens, fully equal, fully made in the image of God. But here we are.

Following Jesus will bring sufferings and difficulty; we are obedient to a different Lord. But in that faithful following we have the chance to reaffirm that all things work together for good for those who love God.

And so even though I’ve found the four months since we have been able to worship together in any form to be a struggle, I am also beginning to find some reasons for hope, that maybe we are moving in the direction of the Kingdom of God.

I’m hopeful because we are having difficult conversations in the United States, and that the voices of people that have been overlooked for far too long are finally being heard. Just because there is turmoil and discord doesn’t mean we aren’t moving toward the truth.

I’m hopeful as I go to public events in Roanoke and I learn that there are faithful pastors, faithful Christians, and faithful congregations proclaiming the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, inviting people to repent of their sin and come, follow Jesus who are also working hard at racial reconciliation. We don’t have many congregations in Roanoke that are significantly integrated, but we do have some. They are changing the conversation in a way that draws attention to social issues, but also draws attention to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and lifts high his name.

I’m also hopeful because of what the church represents. When you stop and think about it, we are a rather odd association of people. We don’t seek out membership based on gender, or political affiliation, or special interests. We don’t divide ourselves into the categories we see in the world. We don’t ask people to align themselves into groups of a “like mind.” All we ask is for people to come, give their lives to Jesus, submit to the waters of baptism and the waters of footwashing, and follow Jesus with us. Be part of a family that is being shaped by the Gospel to resemble Jesus. We don’t have all the details worked out, but what makes us family, what makes this group of people “our” people, is the shared faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

One of the fun parts of The Phantom Tollbooth is that Milo, Tock the watchdog, and the Humbug are such unlikely traveling companions. But together, they struggle through the challenges of their journey to restore rhyme and reason to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

If we’re honest, we are unlikely traveling companions, too. But we are not alone. God has given us his Holy Spirit to intercede in prayers on our behalf; God has given us the Scripture as our rule of faith and practice; God has given us one another for support and love and challenge and even rebuke. When you became part of our church family, you found your people.

[templified]

Best WordPress Minimalist Themes TopNotch Themes | Templified

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Best WordPress Minimalist Themes TopNotch Themes

    Amadeus

  Theme Isle’s Amadeus Pro WP theme allows your blog to be compatible with all major internet browsers, be it on desktop or mobile. This is important so that your readers can access your work from anywhere and from any time they wish. This also makes it easy for you to make your own posts since you do not have to worry about formatting.

The other main features of Amadeus Pro are simplicity and style. For the former, you can edit the theme’s code easily and with no problem since it was written neatly and efficiently. You also don’t have to worry about widgets and other add-ins. The relevant sliders are already incorporated into the theme. For the latter, you can customize the theme depending on your taste. There is an unlimited amount of possible colors, or you can pick out ready-made color schemes. The theme makes sure that your blog always looks at its best according to the owner’s discretion.

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Cre8or

Cre8or is a simple, clean, fast loading theme with a beautiful grid layout style.  Create amazing stuff with style, energy and fun.  That’s what Cre8or is all about.

Tesla Themes has crafted another awesome theme for WordPress, this one is called Cre8or.  This minimalist portfolio template is full of white space.  (Is that actually possible?)  Cre8or is a portfolio theme that’s got tons of features and allows display of your products and projects in a professional grid layout that’s as impressive to look at as it is easy to use.  Tesla Themes is rightly proud of this template and this is what they have to say about what Cre8or has to offer creatives of all kinds.

Creative and fun, Cre8or has five different post styles to choose from, each one highlighting your content in a slightly different way.  Cre8or makes sure whatever you want, you can have it.  Within reason, of course.  Cre8or makes it very simple to adjust colors and fonts, providing the fabric of a website that you can really adapt and mold to what you envision.

Are you currently in the outsourcing business? Cre8or is a portfolio WordPress theme, which allows users to show their work at a gorgeous layout online. By building a site with Cre8or, you’ll have a private space which you can design based on your intended customers’ tastes. It’s perfect for businesses that have visually appealing products like bakeries, photography studios and site design. Because it is 100% responsive, you can easily show it to customers using your telephone or your tablet computer during encounters. Prospective customers looking at your site will not have any trouble viewing your page since it’s intended to operate with any browser. The theme designers out of Tesla Themes also made certain that the theme is optimized to load quickly even with slow connection speed.

Upon activation, the theme produces a theme options part in your WordPress sidebar so you just have to go to one place for all of the theme attributes. You can begin by selecting from the five available portfolio layouts. In these layouts, your clients will instantly find the images and videos that you share in your website. The attention to detail inside this theme can be seen in the innovative but fast loading animation features. Every page transition, by way of example, is revived to create your site more memorable. Clients looking for creative forms will certainly enjoy their experience in the website. All of the customization you want are accessible from the themes choices. The theme designers also included an visual composer for those that don’t want to get HTML codes. Whatever you share in your portfolio could be shared to your various social media accounts since the theme is incorporated with social networking sharing.

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Milo

This is Milo, a simple minimalist WordPress theme for blogs and portfolios, it’s a professional grade theme with clean code, a beautiful left hand menu and great typography.  I think you’ll find it has enough features to keep you happily blogging for years, since the code is crystal clear, bug-free and it helps your site to load quickly, even if you have sizable images.  If you’d like to see more minimalist themes, check out our big collection.  You’re nearly guaranteed to find something you really like.

The Milo WordPress portfolio theme gives you a convenient, minimalist and simple WordPress framework, as well as an elegant layout, for either people or companies who want to create a simple, mdoern and easily accessible website to build a business.  This theme most definitely powerful for people that want to showcase a graphic work portfolio of their photographic work to shoppers or individuals, because the simple and minimal style doesn’t get in the way of the content.  That’s exactly as it should be.  No matter how sizable or little the completed website is, Milo gives the flexibility, utility and versatility to manage it.  Easily adjust any setting you can imagine, from colors to typography.  The flexibility is there to create the site you have in mind.

All aspects of this amazing, responsive theme concentrates on displaying skills and your outstanding skills and if you’re curious about starting a website that has the ability to sell products on-line, the WooCommerce integration gives you a massive headstart to doing just that.  WooCommerce is simple to set up and it’s practically infinitely extendable with a ton of add-on modules to help make it even more powerful.  Digital products, brick and mortal style products, it doesn’t matter.  Either will fly off the shelves with Milo.

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No Sidebar Pro

If you want to remove everything possible to help keep your website slim and trim, who not consider removing the sidebar entirely?  I mean, that’s one option for sure.  This theme, creatively named ‘No Sidebar Pro’ has done just that and I think it results in an incredibly clean, simple and easy to manage website.  It doesn’t hurt that this theme is a Genesis Framework child theme, which makes it one of the fastest loading themes around.  This theme has removed everything that wasn’t absolutely essential to the success of the theme and this is the result, a professional and minimalist design that’s got plenty of features left to make it a great choice for all kinds of bloggers and businesses alike.

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Monochrome Pro

Monochrome Pro is a true, simple Masterpiece. This theme, built on the Genesis framework, give you an incredibly simple looking platform for any sort of written and visual content. Monochrome Pro uses a clean, black and white color scheme to really focus your readers attention on what it is that you put on the page. Created by studiopress, this is a substantial but simple template, it has an incredibly sleep design with lots of white space and an Easy-to-Read typography set up. This is a visually strong theme, giving you an amazing online presents and an easy to use and easy to customized back end. There are plenty of theme options to choose from, getting started with this theme is fast and easy, the header is completely customizable, there are four different widget areas to add custom features to your site, monochrome Pro is eCommerce ready and mobile friendly as well. This theme really does seem to be the total package, ideal for any sort of blog or online

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Monument Valley

Here we go, this is Monument Valley, an incredibly simple, beginner friendly WordPress theme that offers bigtime features, a GPL license and tons of simple to use tools to help make your website look and feel just like you want it to be.  This theme was coded to conform perfectly to the WordPress.org codex, following all of the latest best practices.  That can help it to feel familiar and highly usable.  It also does a great job of SEO, which isn’t surprising, because this theme is fast loading and lightweight.  With Monument Valley, you’ll have the ability to use any of the popular drag and drop page builders to help extend your website’s flexibility.  No coding is required when using any of these drag and drop page builders, they’re very intuitive to use and make it fun to make your website.  There are multiple demos, video support and plenty more.  Well with checking out this simple, functional theme.

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Maav

For agencies and creatives who want a super-simple way to present all of their creative work, a modern and minimalist platform for expressing that inner creativity, allowing said creative work to burst forth to the world, impressing everyone who lays eyes on those incredible creations, Maav might be a great choice.  This unique theme has it all, from ease of use to a massive amount of flexibility and I know a lot of folks really love it.  In fact, Maav has a perfect 5.0 rating on ThemeForest at the moment, though that could change at any moment.

Made by mThemesNet, Maav is a totally unique theme, Maav is fun, Maav is great for all sorts of projects, creative and otherwise.  I love the subtle curve to the front page image or video, it’s a nice little touch that helps differentiate the Maav theme from many others on the market.  Not everybody will agree, but it does give the site a slight different look than many others out there.

Maav offers one click setup, so you can begin the process of customization within moments of installing the theme.  There are three basic home layouts included, a minimal portfolio, a video header design and a basic agency site.  All three are outstanding ways to get your creative works out there for the world to enjoy.   There’s even a page builder to add tons of flexibility to your design layouts.  So whatever your website’s needs, they’re sure to be addressed by Maav.

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Simply Pro

Simple clean WordPress themes like Simply Pro won’t overshadow your posts or pages. The style is beautiful and understated.  Simply Pro is a modern, minimalist and attractive WordPress theme, great for bloggers and with the kind of simple, clean and crisp design that Simply Pro provides, your content will look amazing.  What should you look for in a great minimalist WordPress theme?  Design is certainly one.  And since Simply Pro has some of the best design around, your posts, your images, they’re going to look absolutely amazing.  Simply Pro isn’t just a pretty face, this Genesis Framework child theme makes your site work perfectly on all devices with fluid, mobile ready and responsive layouts that are constantly updated to work with the latest and greatest version of WordPress.  That’s one of the real advantages of a Genesis child theme, the fact that it will never fall behind the constant updates to WordPress.  Always a good idea.  Simply Pro is one of my favorite Genesis child themes, because it’s so minimalist and yet, the style is a little different than many other themes.  It’s a nice combo.

Simply Pro is also a theme with just a hint of bold, feminine style.  you may be interested in these great feminine WordPress themes.  Simply Pro is a modern theme for bloggers who want a trendy and attractive, powerful and simple to use theme. With Simply Pro, you get a minimal style for your blog, the content is practically going to jump off the screen. Colors and fonts can be switched out with ease and the Genesis framework is what powers this theme, so it’s rock steady and stable, not to mention perfectly responsive.

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Dorsey

Dorsey is one of the best minimalist WordPress themes around today, simple and easy to use.  Why should you pick a simple WordPress theme like Dorsey here?  Well, if you aim to offer up the cleanest reading experience around, you could do a lot worse than a slick, simple, clean and crystal clear theme like this one.  The best WordPress minimalist themes all have a few things in common, beautiful, clean layouts with plenty of white space and not a lot of extra embellishments in the design.  Dorsey is no exception.  This WooCommerce ready blog and portfolio theme is bursting with simple, easy to navigate content.  Dorsey is very simple to set up, simple to customize and simple to use for both front and back end users.  Everybody can be happy with that experience.  Any kind of blog looks great on this responsive, retina ready theme and I think you’re going to love it.  Dorsey may be pretty simple to look at, but it’s got a lot going for it. This WooCommerce ready theme is great for blogging as well as showcasing your portfolio, which is a nice combination if you want to sell some products on the side. Whether you’re selling digital downloads or tangible goods, Dorsey can help achieve a look you like with the features you need. The price is a little higher than some themes at $100, but if this theme has the look you want, I suppose it’s worth the price, considering how solid the support and features are.

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Mona

Mona is a lovely looking, simply designed women’s WordPress blog theme with very clean, attractive typography that’s going to really wow your audience and a lot of features that make it look different than other feminine WP templates.  Whatever you’re blogging about, a mommy blog, women’s fashion, news or just your own personal experiences, Mona is a really slickly designed and popular theme for women.  Friendly, fun and professional, that’s how I’d describe this theme.  Mona is easy to customize, completely responsive and it’s even retina display ready, so you can rest assured that this theme will look fantastic on any size screen resolution or on any device.  Cool!  Mona includes 3 main layouts for your brand new front page.  Two of these designs are grid layouts, and then there’s the design pictured above, the classic layout.  I prefer that one, but the grid designs are cool too.  If you’re a beginner, Mona is there for you.  User experience and ease of use are at the forefront, so your personal blog page, magazine or online journal will look amazing with easy to customize style.

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Beautiful Pro

Beautiful Pro is a minimalist theme for writers of all kinds, travel and lifestyle, personal and professional.  Beautiful Pro is a great looking, minimalist personal blog theme for WordPress, with ultra-clean lines, a well balanced layout and great typography.  That’s undoubtedly going to make for a wonderful user experience and it’s going to help readers to engage with your content, no matter the subject matter and no matter  whether it’s written material or images and videos.  This gorgeous child theme for the Genesis Framework is ultimately flexible, you can add custom features to give it nearly any functionality that you want it to have.  Responsive themes like Beautiful Pro make for great user experience on all devices too, since these responsive themes fluidly respond to the screen on which they’re being viewed.  That’s nice.  Oh yeah, since Genesis professional child themes are updated from the inside out, you’ll never have to worry about WordPress updates making your site look weird.  It’s all taken care of without even thinking about it, which means you can spend a lot more time creating content for your site, which is what blogging is all about.

Beautiful Pro is a stylish and attractive blog theme with a great style, clean layout, attractive typography and more. With Beautiful Pro, you get a rock solid framework to build the kind of website that attracts tons of attention. There are no extra embellishments to get in the way, the bright and sparkling style is plenty to help draw attention to your posts and pages, the canvas that is created with Beautiful Pro alows you to build a wonderful site that looks and behaves the way you want it to.

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Eclecticon

All the modern features of WordPress but with a clean, simple style that doesn’t attract unwanted attention to your site’s design.  Looking for a simple, minimal and modern WordPress theme with all the features of more intricately designed themes?  Then have a look at Eclecticon, a blog theme from CSSIgniter.  Eclecticon is a responsive theme that focuses the reader’s attention on your work, whether it’s images or blog posts, not on the theme’s design itself.  That helps to make a great first impression.  The Eclecticon theme has a minimalistic layout and it’s completely responsive, loads up lightning fast and it’s SEO optimized too.  You’ll have complete control over all design aspects of your site with dozens of different options available in the theme customizer and it’s incredibly easy to use.  For a minimalist portfolio, you should definitely consider Eclecticon.

Eclecticon is a thoughtfully designed, simple and modern looking WordPress blog and portfolio theme. Built by CSSIgniter, this theme offers a bold black and white palette with clean navigation that really makes a wonderful first impression on your potential clients. The design, which is minimal in style, leaves the focus squarely on your images and text, so your viewers will really know what your site is about the first time they set eyes on it. The elements in this theme let the images and typography speak for themselves and as a responsive theme, it loads quickly and looks fantastic on each and every device we tried it on. CSSIgniter is known for their SEO optimized templates and this one is no exception. You have ultimate control over tweaking this theme to look exactly how you want it to look, with a lot of options for beginners and advanced users alike.

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Hardy

This simple, clean one column WordPress theme has a style that doesn’t distract from your posts and pages, which is what minimalist design is all about.  This is Hardy, from ThemeTrust, and it’s one of my favorite one column themes around.  Simple doesn’t mean this theme scrimps on features though, it’s easy to create a website that looks precisely like you want it to look.  For blogs or portfolios, this one is a real winner.  If you’d like a bigger selection of personal WordPress blog themes, check out our full collection.

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Ariva

Ariva is a simple, modern text based theme that’s just come on the market and I thought I’d pop it into our collection here.  While I’m not sure it’s completely minimal in style, a lot of people have asked me about text based ‘typography driven’ themes and so, here’s a great example of that.  Why do I say it’s not truly minimalist?  Well, it’s got a little hint of a shadow behind the text, which means it’s more of a material design theme.  (A full collection of those can be found here.)  Either way, Ariva is a theme with over a hundred different layouts included, there are nine featured sections, half a dozen simple header styles, and seven post layouts.  That gives you a lot of flexibility in designing your website.  Fast, fast, fast, that’s one of the benefits of a text based theme but it’s true that it won’t work for everyone out there.  Simple, stylish and professional, what more could you want?

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Flexible

A theme that is perfect for minimalists, Flexible is filled with the kind of features that you need to help your readers get to know more about your brand while still being able to protect your business. With a fully responsive design that works for both web and mobile browsers, it allows you to design your site with CSS and HTML without the fear that it wouldn’t look right in certain browsers or so. More so, Flexible also has the ePanel options panel that gives you better control of your website—or even websites, if you need more than one, and this would automatically appear once you decide to use this theme.

Flexible also offers various page templates that you can use to customize your website, examples of which are contacts, blog page, search page, sitemap, and the like. It also has built-in shortcodes that you can use to customize your site even if you are not knowledgeable in code! Plus, with complete localization, an easy-to-sort Ajax gallery, and unparalleled support—plus free access to updates, this theme has everything you need to complete your site and make it work. If simplicity and manageability are your priorities, then Flexible is the theme for you to try!

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Minicon

Minicon is a clean, basic and simple WordPress theme that is a creative solution to the problem of finding a theme that perfectly blends form and function.  Minicon is a creative theme with single page and multipage layouts available to you.  With this theme, you can rapidly set up a fantastic homepage for creative agencies, studios, portfolios and other sorts of creative sites.  Minicon was coded with the absolute freshest Bootstrap code for fast loading times and great display on all browsers and all screen sizes.  Minicon is simple to use and simple to customize.

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Base

Base is a WordPress theme that is minimal in design, meaning the content is what matters most, the actual styling of the theme is quite simple and to the point. But that simple, modern style has a very important purpose, to make sure your readers are able to full concentrate on your content without distractions. That makes it easy for you to blog about what you want to and give a wonderful first impression on every single page or post on your site. Base includes an application Framework, a powerful and robust theme options framework and a boatload of options to help you customize your website.

Base is responsive, meaning it looks amazing on each and every device it was tested on, the images and layout seamlessly adapt to the screen size of your reader. That’s a nice effect and it’s almost mandatory to offer these days, with the prevalence of handheld devices like iPhones and Androids. Responsive websites tend to outrank similar sites that only offer fixed width layouts, all other factors being equal, so if you switch to a responsive them, you may actually see a ranking increase.  Custom widget areas, post formats and simply customized headers, text blocks, backgrounds and more, mean this theme is simple to use, powerful enough for any application and a smart way to help grow your business online.

Base was designed to be simple to customize via the use of child themes, so it will look incredible even if WordPress decides to change their code, it won’t break your site. That’s a wonderful features to help give you peace of mind.  All in all, Base is a great theme to use if you value creative flexibility and a wide range of easily customized features.

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Tabor

Tabor is a WordPress theme that pushes the envelope of minimalism with it’s design.  This theme is absolutely stripped of anything that isn’t completely essential to running a blog.  You’ll find absolutely no fat in this theme and the typography and images really pop because of that.  Tabor is a theme built for content marketers, for professional writers and bloggers.  This theme supports all the makor plugins you might want to use to help drive traffic to your site, plugins like Yoast, Schema, OptinMonster and lots more.  Tabor is a Gutenberg friendly theme too, so you can make use of the latest tools for editing your posts, making sure the layout and content is exactly as you want it to be.  Rich Tabor, the designer behind this theme, decided to get ahead of the curve and make this theme perfectly, 100% ready to support the WordPress block editor.  It’s the wave of the future.  As Rich Tabor says in the description, with Tabor and Gutenberg, WordPress is finally fun again.

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Marcell

Marcell is a clean and minimalist WordPress theme that is great for personal blogs and online magazines using WordPress. It should not be confused with Marcel the monkey from the television show Friends. Remember that cute little guy, ah, so cute. I was actually never much of a fan of Friends, I was more of a Seinfeld guy myself, but I can see why people enjoyed it. It was sort of the first Gen-X sitcom to come around and some of the characters were funny at times. But, whatever, I’m getting sidetracked when I should be telling you about this clean and simple WordPress theme.

Let’s take a look at one of the home pages for Marcell. Oh, before I forget, I’ve been using a really cool website to build these preview images, it’s called browserframe.com, and it allows you to upload a little screencap and it automatically puts the browser frame image around it. I think it’s a cool look, what do you think? Hopefully it’s adding a little bit of extra value to each of these posts that I am creating.

Hey, why not, here’s one more look at one of the 20 different unique homepage demo styles that are included with your download. You get all of this for a low introductory rate of $29. I think Theme Rex will probably up that price relatively quickly, but if you get it right away, you could get a premium theme for probably under under half of what it will end up costing down the road.  The look, it sort of reminds me of Medium.com, don’t you think?

This theme has an ultra fast load time, thanks to its clean design and lightweight code. I’ve already shown you a handful of the 20 different design styles that are possible with Marcell, and each one of them can be installed with just a single click. You can import demo data and have your site set up almost immediately. It’s a real time-saver and it’s really helpful to know precisely what you’re going to get for your website. Sometimes, themes are more difficult to set up and customize to look like you wanted to look, so it’s really nice when I seen offers that feature.

Marcell gives you the ability to set up an online shop and sell products with WooCommerce, that’s perhaps not necessary for all personal blog or lifestyle blog sites, but if you want to sell stuff, it certainly future you’re going to need. I mean, that makes sense, right?

If you’d like to take a look at more options for building a classic personal blog website, or full theme collection is a great resource to help save you time and energy. We’ve added dozens of the finest WordPress themes that we could find and hopefully you find one in that collection that works perfectly for you. I’m not going to add this theme to that collection just yet, but I am going to keep my eye on it, because I think that it is a great looking minimalist blog. As the steam accrues more reviews, I may take a second look at it and add to the collection. Considering the fact that it was only updated in September of 2018, it just hasn’t had enough time to proved itself to be a very high quality and popular, not to mention well-reviewed, WordPress template.

I just went back and looked at Marcel, it’s still rated absolutely perfect with over 100 sales.  Great work by the developer.

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Nouveau

Most modern companies, if they’ve got a level of taste,  are going to truly appreciate the flexibility and elegant sophistication or the minimal, modern, sleek and stylized Nouveau WordPress theme, which is one of the best designed simple theme we’ve seen in quite some time.  What makes it so great, you ask?  Well, the responsive, Retina display for graphics is a start, this theme looks incredible on each and every device we’ve tried it on.

Simply stunning in resolution, Nouveau is a really nice take on a traditional blog theme, with bold parallax style.  Simple enough that you get the point across, just enough style to look incredible to a wide audience.  This theme fits so many niches, activities, genres, industries and hobbies, it’s a wonderful solution to a wide range of problems.  With stylish retina-ready visual capabilities and a vast multitude of structured, well designed layouts, Nouveau can certainly be counted on to work for a wide variety of uses.  Creative professionals, from graphic artists to photographers and even interior designers or fashion designers will find a lot of utility in this theme.  It’s a fully responsive theme, page creation is snappy and fun, since the interface is totally intuitive. Have a header only layout, if that’s what you want.

Or, put the menu on the left side for highlighting your content with a little bit of spice.  The structure of the individual pages can be rapidly edited and you don’t have to have a degree from ITT Tech to make that happen.  Thank goodness, right?  Non-developers rejoice!  The responsive design that Nouveau offers, the popular color schemes and layouts, the perfect looking theme, the high class features…these things and more are what set Nouveau apart and what makes it such a fantastic theme.  Create a website that defines you and defines your career.

WordPress Gallery Themes, Image Galleries for Photos

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Zoa

This gorgeous WordPress team is called Zoa. So it was built with the elementary page builder plug-in and it’s a modern and minimalist eCommerce name that’s great for clothing stores for men and women, furniture stores, watch shops, jewelry stores, handbags, accessories and probably plenty more too.

Zoa Works hand-in-hand with WooCommerce as well as it’s many plugins and built-in features, so provides a mini cart, custom widgets, unattractive slider and smooth transition effects. There are unlimited color schemes, a menu with multiple columns Styles and plenty of widgets with Advanced features two. You can control the same and customize it anyway you want, making your store user-friendly for all.  For more WordPress WooCommerce themes, check this collection out.

Zoa has a very clean, flat and minimalist Style. That makes your products look great. With Zoa’s SEO optimization, your website loads fast and looks great on all devices thanks to a fluid and responsive design. If you never use the Elementor page builder it’s definitely one of the best out there. There’s almost no layout you can imagine that you can’t create with ease. This flat, minimal Shop theme is certainly one of the best come along in 2018.

This men’s shop demo looks great, I love a flat, simple and clean look.  This theme looks to really open up the possibilities for branding.

And this is the basic, flat shop that first attracted me to this theme.  I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen in 2018.

Zoa is completely responsive, WPML ready, has extensive documentation and is very well supported by the themes developer. You can build any sort of website thanks to the Elementor page builder. With regard to the shop you get a built-in quick view feature, color and image swatches are built-in, there are different product Styles, there multiple shop cat categories and layouts. All Things Considered this is definitely one of the best eCommerce WordPress themes around.

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