#or happy hannukah to other folks

[nerizys]

"For the last time, I'm not telling you where the dragon is" Akasha sighed, making her annoyance known. Her cafe has become something like a safe space to socialize and exchange information, exposing her to more... interesting customers as of late.

And that's okay! Most of it. Early in life she had realized being too popular isn't good, but she wants to pay her staff well. (God bless them, they're so precious and kind) Normally it would be Ganymede providing info to their customers, or Io when someone is too extroverted, but this person, who claims to be a 'dragon slayer', doesn't deserve Ganymede's politeness, nor Io's sunshine nature. Oh no, he needs a reality check

A little while ago, she heard about the news of a dragon coming to town. An Eastern dragon at that. They're known to wise, beautiful, elegant, all the good adjectives, etc... As opposed to Western dragons. Why it's here? Nobody knows, but they're not going to pry and risk a dragon's wrath.

There's one person who didn't get the memo though, and they're right in front of her.

"I'm telling you, that dragon is dangerous! And you're just letting it be?" She rolled her eyes

"What do you think our cafe can do about it?"

"You have the Jupiter sisters here with you. Tell them to slay it!"

"So you do have a brain. Now only if you use it to study some mythology, you'll know Eastern dragons are essentially harmless until provoked. Of course there are malevolent ones, but clearly not this one"

"Not this one? Can't you see how strong the wind has become? How snow blocks your every path?"

"That's because it's winter di- Mister. Our weather is stronger due to some special supernatural activities" It's true. This place is a lot more special than just some town. There's a reason why whatever governing body hasn't tried further urbanisation. They preferred the terrors not wreaking havoc everywhere.

"So this is how it is. You've all become brainwashed and desensitized to this danger around you. Fine then, I'll do it myself!" The slayer stood up and walked away. After he left, everything fell into a silence, save the sound of blowing wind, a silence that she soon recognizes.

Familiar colors of black and gold enters the cafe, a black cloak made of black feathers and decorated by gold lines.

"Edita! There you are" she smiled, feeling her irritation slowly disappear. To others, she's the monsters you fear in the darkness, to Akasha, she's a calm night full of stars.

"Greetings to you too Akasha. Was your previous mood due to a reckless flame heading towards the eye of the storm?" The woman asked. Perceptive as ever

"Yeah that's what happened. Tried to tell him to stop. Whatever happens to him is happening, not my problem now" She sees how Edita's lips quirked into a minuscule smile, full of amusement.

"I see" Oh boy.

The day went by uneventfully, aside from many customers complaining of an obnoxious self proclaimed 'dragon slayer'. Seems like he's been busy, preparing himself for an ultimate battle, that's probably just going to result in a slightly worse in Christmas for everyone. Hopefully Eastern dragons are as benevolent as they say. She already heard words being exchanged about the upcoming battle.

When she made her way out from the kitchen though, the cafe owner didn't expect to see her customers, her staff all so focused, staring at a projected screen. Even Edita was watching from the counter!

"Ah! Manager! Cesare got a few drones on the dragon slayer dude, so we're watching him fight" Callisto helpfully told her. The projected screen was showing the slayer trying to rile up the dragon in front of him. They were indeed a beautiful dragon, but looks can be deceiving. Even through a screen, she could already feel the rising faux tension, and everyone's getting really into it.

If there's one thing she learnt about working with all things strange and mystical, that they all have a personality beyond the limited stories humans have. Their excitement and amused would have reminded her of kids watching a movie, if it wasn't excitement to see a guy get mauled, or whatever dragons do.

Can't blame them though, she wants to see it too.

"What do you think Manager?"

"Hm? Think of what Ganymede?"

"This place, the cafe you made for yourself"

"Technically I bought it from the previous guy, but... It's nice. This is all very nice"

"But the atmosphere, the people, were all of your work. You built it up from a broken shell" She heard Edita say. Creating a safe haven when you're just a normal human at the beginning was difficult. If it wasn't for Edita protecting her, if it wasn't for...

"You should give yourself more credit Manager" Ganymede sighed

"You have broken from the systematic machine and ventured into the unknown. Surely you have the courage to enjoy the fruits of your labor?"

Right, she's no longer the old her, just another gear in the system, scared to speak her voice. She was lucky, too lucky, and that's why she was scared to get attached to happiness. Now that she looked at it, that was a dumb way of thinking. If Akasha isn't attached, she won't have a will to protect it.

The wind got stronger, as she took in a breath, as the dragon's anger reaches it's peak. The weather sure is sensitive to a dragon's feelings.

"Okay everyone. Who wants hot cocoa? It's on the house tonight!" Some yes and nods

"And eggnog" Now this got them going. She sticks by not serving any alchohol, so this is alchohol free. With her skills though, she'll make sure it tastes delicious.

The rest of the evening was spent like watching movies at your friend's house, as everyone point and laughed at the poor sap. Akasha was holding her own cup of hot cocoa, snuggling up with Edita. Edita herself was most fond of tea, so she had brewed some special Holiday Spiced Tea just for her. She's glad the other woman liked it. No one can judge unless they want to be split in half.

The next morning, unexpectedly, the dragon himself came to the cafe, tossing the human it had defeated to the floor. How he is not dead Akasha doesn't care. She just had Ganymede drop him into a clinic.

Turns out the dragon was there for a vacation. And this experience kinda the mood. As an apology and business opportunity, she offered a cup of hot cocoa. Hopefully this does enough to ease the dragon so he'll come back some time. He was a nice guy.

[pixeljade]

The more and more i convert to Judaism the more and more I realize that christians, and the agnostics and atheists and pagans who still celebrate christmas anyways, genuinely view "happy holidays" as a magic inclusivity wand that makes all other things they do to exclude non-Christians okay

Like. The number of times I've had people say "happy holidays, whatever you celebrate!" To me this week, when Hannukah this year ended over a week ago, is absurd. I get it from people whose supposed job is in equity and inclusion. Same with putting up "holiday decorations" which consist of a Christmas Tree and maybe some traditionally-christmas-colored other stuff. Candy canes and santa hats arent non-denominational, no matter how much you divorce Christmas from Christianity in your own mind, its still his name on the fucking box! Calling them "holiday decorations" doesnt change that either, it genuinely just feels like another form of cultural homogenization to me. You might as well openly say you view Christmas as the default holiday in this season!

And this may seem silly when I'm not even fully converted yet (Hebrew classes are expensive), it still very much annoys me because "happy holidays" isnt even inclusivity. Its the bare minimum. It is simply deciding to admit that other religions exist. You havent done the work to learn what Hannukah is about, let alone that it changes dates year to year because its based off a different calendar, let alone what to say to people celebrating Hannukah. I know what true inclusivity looks like because I've experienced it within certain spaces for trans identities, when you ask peoples pronouns and preferred names; its POSSIBLE, it just takes a bit more effort. And I dont think I've ever seen it towards Jewish folks, or even any of the other dozens of religions outside Christianity! We need to do better!

[critterfloozy]

Festivals of Light - Holiday Commentary

So each of the chapters of Festivals of Light is about a holiday that's based on a real life holiday. It wouldn't make much sense to use Hannukah for all of them and I didn't want to use US-style Christmas just because it's the default, so I branched out. (I did consider trying to do it with different Jewish holidays being assigned to different people, but it felt weird to pretend that they aren't in dialogue with each other).

So, the explanation of what is somewhat accurate (as far as I can tell) and what I changed under the cut:

Chapter 1 - Hannukah

So this was about Hannukah, but in reality, I did my best to veer away from mentioning many Hannukah traditions, and most of the references are more about being Jewish. I didn’t want to set the bar for authenticity too high in the first chapter, considering that the rest of them aren’t my traditions, and wanted the introduction to be more about the ‘complication’ than the set dressing.

The complication here being that feel when you’re the only person in the room who celebrates your holiday, and your well meaning friends want to celebrate it with you, and you’re happy to share it with them - but then you have to explain everything and you just wish they’d understand.

Also, you killed your parents, but that’s a little more niche.

Anyway, the stuff that was accurate:

Sufganiot (pronounced soof-goan-ee-oat) - powdered doughnuts with a fruit filling. Jester’s comment about them being similar to something they have in Nicodranas is a reference to the fact that Polish paczi are extremely similar, so you can have at least two Eastern European religious holiday pastries.

Latkes - I sort of assume that folks know what these are, but they’re fried potato pancakes, like a fritter. Typically served with applesauce or sour cream.

Brisket is sort of traditional, but like for one of the days, not for all of them. That’s like a week of brisket. People forgetting about vegetarians on a meat day is pretty damn accurate, which is why Caduceus commandeers the veggie plate for himself.

Crickets are maybe kosher, but three people who don’t keep kosher arguing over kosher rules on a holiday is definitely Jewish (though more of a Passover thing)

As is debating over the details of the holiday’s stories, though also more of a Passover thing. With Hannukah it’s more people forgetting who the Maccabees were fighting and why.

The Blumentrio interrupting each other is intentional - there’s some studies to show that there’s an interrupting Ashkenazi Jewish style of conversation, it can be difficult to unlearn.

I’m kind of cracking myself up at the fact that I mentioned ‘No Decorations!’ twice. Look, you can have Christmas-like decorations for your Hannukah celebration, or just keep on getting menorahs (I had a roommate that had eight?). But I’m in the ‘better to add a Jewish flair to Christmas than make Hannukah Christmas-lite camp. This is a personal preference.

“Scroll of Protection on the Gingerbread House” - A Mezuzah is a small scroll placed near the entrance to a home with the Sh’ma inscribed on it, often thought as a method of protection. The Zemnian version would be a miniature scroll of protection, because wizards. (This was something I did as a kid, we’d use either a mini M&M or a twizzler)

What I changed: 

This is a one day celebration that doesn’t involve a menorah, and involves lighting then immediately extinguishing a ring of candles instead of lighting a candle day by day. The story was also obviously altered, though the Zemnians and the Maccabees aren’t that dissimilar (the Maccabees did forced conversion, not exactly a great time.

Chapter 2 -  Santa Lucia

I’m in the upper midwest US, so most of the people I know who celebrated Santa Lucia day did so as kids in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Which I assume is going to be different than how Scandanavians would celebrate it today (I also watched a couple youtube documentaries on the rest of the holidays, but I tried to use firsthand accounts when I could).

In general, the themes I picked up were that there were two camps: people who hadn’t been a Santa Lucia girl and thought it was the best thing ever, and people who had, who seemed to treat it like ‘and here my eldest daughter troubles began’.

So I thought it’d be a good thematic fit for Beau’s complication - what do you do when you hate a holiday, but your kid loves it?

The stuff that was supposed to be accurate:

The child in white robes with a red sash and a wreath with candles delivering pastries and coffee for breakfast one of the traditional ways of celebrating. Typically it would be the eldest daughter (why Beau considers it a girly thing), but I didn’t want the fight to be over whether their kid was too femme and wouldn’t think that Beau and Yasha would care too much about gender norms. Nowadays putting fire that close to your child’s head is frowned upon, so people usually use LED candles. But I do know some people who wore real candle wreaths back in the early 80’s.

Santa Lucia day processions are also a thing, where girls can be elected to be the main Santa Lucia girls and the other ones get only one candle and no red sash. Boys can also be part of the procession, wearing a cone cap with stars and only one candle (they’re called ‘star boys’).

Saffron buns, also known as lussekatter (pretty much pronounced the way you’d expect), are S shaped yellow buns - the recipes (at least the ones in English) typically give cardamom as optional, but they do typically have two raisins in the curves of the S. Like every other food mentioned here, it’s very tasty.

The origins of Santa Lucia seem pretty darn Pagan and were just retrofitted to fit Christianity, a little like how the Fire Princesses were originally honoring Desirat, but the actual meaning was dropped before the practice (not saying the real life Pagan practices were the equivalent of worshipping evil goth phoenixes)

The last part I’m going to mention is actually Yasha’s celebrations - it was something I ran into when brainstorming Inventory; it’s common for at least some semi-nomadic groups (IIRC some Mongolians, didn’t write down the specifics) to have holidays celebrated less based on specific days, and more for occasions. Especially the idea that you have a giant feast before you go on the move - you use up all the stores so you don’t have to carry them with you. This part I’m a little more shaky on, but I wanted to at least introduce the concept of having holidays not on a specific day.

The stuff I deliberately changed:

Not much! I wanted to leave as much wiggle room as possible for when I got stuff wrong. Again, typically Santa Lucia girls aren’t boys, and I changed Anri from having a tray to having a basket because I thought I was stretching credulity to have him successfully carry a dozen pastries on a tray. I also have no reason to believe that the Santa Lucia girl elections would be based on who could be the girliest.

Chapter 3: Sailor’s Holidays

So Fjord seemed like a good choice for the complication of ‘I didn’t grow up celebrating anything so every celebration feels fake and weird’. Which means there’s not much in this section. There is a reference to Sailor’s Holidays - the idea of throwing a party when they cross the equator for the first time, for example. But I ran out of time to do research, so it was mostly taken from Master and Commander.

The chapter’s title, ‘For the Rest of Us’, is a reference to Festivus; a satirical holiday.

Chapter 4: Puerto Rican Christmas/Las Parrandas

I did Las Parrandas for Veth because my husband’s Nuyorican and Nott/Veth is his favorite character. A lot of the stuff mentioned is more 

Veth seemed like a the right character to choose for the complication of ‘I feel like I have an obligation to spend some time with my just kind of shitty family during the holidays’, given that she says that her parents were great, very loving, but shows not desire to let any of her family know that she’s alive through the entire campaign - even once she’s back to being a halfling. The thing was that I didn’t want her family to be kind of shitty because they were Puerto Rican-coded. I actually like my in-laws. I don’t know how successful I was at that, but there was an attempt.

I did like what this recontextualization did to Yeza - he’s not fitting in with the rest of the Felderwin folk any better than Veth does, but for different reasons.

What’s supposed to be accurate:

In Felderwin Heart and Hearth lasts until the New Year; it’s a little old-fashioned (I think), but you can find people still celebrating the entire Christmas season - from Christmas Eve until Epiphany.

I don’t think the ‘stopping the car so that they can pick fresh fruit off the side of the road’ is necessarily Puerto Rican, it’s more likely to be somewhere between ‘just my mother-in-law’ and ‘growing up in a rural area’. In her defense, the mangoes are fucking delicious and like $2.50 apiece at Cub up here. (I am definitely Fjord in this scenario, thinking the cops are going to jump out of the bushes).

The party taking place in the cartport is a nod to the Puerto Rican habit of using a carport for everything except the act of storing a car, especially holding dance parties there.

Dominoes are prevalent throughout Latin America, and stereotypically played by the same types of old guys who you’d see playing chess elsewhere.

Coquito is sometimes referred to as ‘Puerto Rican eggnog’, and has rum, coconut milk, evaporated milk, delicious spices, and more rum. I’ve been assured that the proper way to store and serve coquito is from a two liter sprite bottle with the label ripped off. Alas, sprite doesn’t exist in Exandria, so I decided the apothecary would also sell sweetened carbonated water, and they could rip the labels off that. (Carbonated water really came about in the 18th century, but whatever, this is a fantasy).

Revvetha Ardi (Veth Ardi) and Dawn Coo’s competition is a reference to the fact that Bacardi is more popular in the north half of Puerto Rico - their distillery is in San Juan - and Don Q is more popular in the south half of Puerto Rico. The billboards change a little after Caguas, but don’t quote me on that as the official divider.

I had an existential crisis over whether or not they’d eat Mofongo in Felderwin - I decided that canonically, Felderwin could easily be subtropical (and have winter orange groves), but would they have plantains? So if you’re wondering what the fried food Fjord is smelling is, probably some Exandrian mofongo.

Jester refers to the three wise guys - that’s the three kings/wise men. The one thing that I was told I needed to include was either them or an equivalent, and decided that it would take too much holiday-building to first create a story about Heart and Hearth to then create some secondary characters that nobody but Felderwin cares about. I think I decided that they were just some wise men that visited Felderwin when it was originally being settled post-Calamity, giving gifts of essential oils, perfume, and gold.

Las Parrandas - The tradition among Puerto Ricans is essentially to party, move your party to outside your neighbor’s house in the middle of the night, sing loudly (with accompaniment) until the neighbors invite you in, you party for a bit and then everyone moves to the next house. This usually happens between 10pm and dawn, so they’re getting an early-ish start in Felderwin.

The stuff I deliberately changed

The main thing is the lack of overt Christianity, but otherwise, this was another one where I changed as little as possible to make up for whatever mistakes I’d make otherwise.

Chapter Five - Diwali

This is the one where I was thinking of stripping the real world holiday’s trappings out entirely. Partially because it’s not really a winter holiday (It’s typically late October/early November), and partially because my first-hand sources were mostly my coworkers, and I’m a lot more limited in the amount that I’m willing to ask them for a fanfic instead of my husband or my friends. Also, for chapters two and four, I deliberately had an outsider POV of the holiday, because that’s my POV. That wouldn’t work for Essek’s complication: the idea of returning home as an atheist and remembering both the love for the holiday and that your love meant that maybe you took a closer look at what was going on than others and that destroyed your faith.

But Diwali is a celebration of the victory of light and knowledge over darkness and ignorance, which felt very Luxon-themed, and the story of an exile returning (albeit a very different story of an exile returning), which seemed appropriate for Essek. It’s the Festival of Lights. And at some point, the fear of cultural appropriation crosses the line into a fear of interacting with other cultures. I did a good amount of research, there’s not really a publisher involved to act as a gatekeeper, I’m not exactly a BNF in the fandom that could prevent other people from telling their own version, and explicitly did not name any of the holidays in question in the fic itself to try to prevent anyone from taking it as a point of reference without reading this first. It’s not an ideal solution, but it’s the best balance I could come up with.

Anyway, what’s supposed to be accurate:

Diwali’s sometimes a one day festival, sometimes a five day festival - depending on region, how devout the family is, whether they’re working for a US corporation that only gives them a single day off, ect. The third day of the five day festival is considered the most important (and the one day people tend to celebrate). What happens on the other days (if anything) depends on the region, but usually involves shopping for items that signify wealth, cleaning/washing or ritual purification, and visiting family. Which is why the Nein show up on the third day, and Essek is thinking of the logistics of displays of wealth and the consecuted visiting their former families.

A ghazal is a type of poem, often about romantic love and separation.You can find the modern version in older bollywood films.

Rangoli are patterns of colored sand made on the floor, typically found in front of homes to welcome visitors. I feel like people know what these are, but just in case. 

I figure folks know about the diyas (the little lamps), but generally other small-things-on-fire-for light are part of it - candles, lanterns, sparklers, lots of fireworks. So many fireworks the air gets hazy, apparently.

Pakoda are deep fried flat pieces of flour, that’s a pretty tasty snack.

The day that Essek asks Verin to visit is Bhai Duj; typically the day when brothers would visit their sisters. I figure the Kryn probably have a looser idea of gender.

What I deliberately changed: 

There’s not really a public celebration day for Diwali the same way that I portrayed the Light Day Ceremony - the third day is the day people are more likely to go to the temples to worship, but in general it’s a family affair.

Also, Diwali celebrations take place mostly at night - which doesn’t really work with the sunlight worship of the Kryn. In short, pretty much nothing from the Bright Queen’s presentation would be considered accurate for Diwali. (That also means that prisms and glass chimes aren’t accurate)

Shops are typically closed to allow the families to observe. The shop stalls that were open were supposed to be foreigners that come in for the Light Day Celebration tourism, but that’s only alluded to by Verin.

[tacticalgrandma]

Don’t get me wrong given the cultural landscape I appreciate a good “happy holidays” but it’s also like... no one says “happy holidays” around the High Holidays or Ramadan or whenever. And when you’re saying “happy holidays” on Dec. 25 after Hannukah’s ended and before Kwanzaa’s begun, to people you’ll see again before New Year’s, the sentiment’s still kind of the same, you know?

[celticjewish]

I’m so angry.

I recently discovered that a Chr*stian Church of God not far from where I live is appropriating Jewish holidays. 

I first noticed they would have “Happy Hannukah” on their sign in December and I just thought they were doing that to be inclusive. But today I passed by and it said “Passover Seder” with a date and time. So I went on their facebook page and

They have a “Purim celebration”.

They have sermons for Sukkot with a sukkah beside the altar and Hannukah with a menorah lighting.

In autumn they have a fucking shofar sitting on their altar next to a cross.

All the while they are singing and praising J*sus as God and I don’t know if they think they have a right to this because of the whole “J*sus was Jewish” or because “Chr*stianity came from Judaism” or whatever but it’s making my blood boil that they are posting their sermons and taking shit that isn’t theirs and it’s so close to home. I just never thought I’d see this in rural-as-hell fucking southeast Georgia. 

I’ve just been studying so hard and working and recently had a break down crying after my class had a session focusing on antisemitism, and to see all of these things I’ve been looking forward to participating in but not doing so because I want to be as respectful as possible until my conversion is official, and this whole congregation of people is just taking it and twisting it however they please and having it along side their blatant Chr*stian teachings and practices without a second thought. 

It feels like someone spitting right in your face and smiling as if everything is cool.

I know this is nothing new and it’s something I have to get used to seeing. I know this is sadly not a super rare thing.

But how do y’all deal with your feelings about this? I genuinely would like to hear from both Jewish folks and conversion students. How do you approach your feelings on this kind of thing when there’s probably nothing you can do about the situation?

I was so tempted to comment on their page but it obviously isn’t my place since I am still just a student and I also know it’s probably pointless. 

But I would just like to hear from others since I know this is something I will see again moving forward.

Any advice?

[365days365movies]

February 15, 2021: Call Me by Your Name (Part 2)

I’m back! OK, now, where were we? Ah, yes, the inevitable first kiss! Let us continue. First part of the Recap is right here!

Recap (2/2)

So, about that kiss. Oliver indulges that (and some similarly forward moves by Elio), but does note that they can’t embrace those feelings any further. However, that’s not really going to stop much, it would seem.

See, they drive back, and some family members are over at the Professor’s place, arguing about something. This is accompanied by a spontaneous nosebleed of Elio’s, which he’s apparently prone to, and he runs into the house to get some ice. He’s followed by Oliver, who gives him a foot massage to calm him down. Not helping with the whole “we can’t be together” thing, Oliver, my Lord.

After this Chiara and Marzia come over, and the group go to a local pool which is...VERY green. Like, concerningly so. But anyway, Elio returns home, where his mother asks if she like Oliver (and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t mean as a friend), and she notes that Oliver likes him in return. Damn, progressive mom for the 1980s, but that may also be because she’s French, to be fair.

For the rest of the day, Elio waits around for Oliver, and when he does return home, he chooses not to talk with Elio, who labels him a “traitor.” Time for the falling out phase of their relationship, before their relationship truly begins.

The next night, Elio goes on a date with Marzia, and the two have sex, which Elio seems to enjoy quite a bit. It’s weirdly charming, also? Not sure how to explain that, you’ve gotta watch it. It just has this very real nuance to it that I appreciate. But afterwards, Elio writes a message to Oliver, whom he’s tired of getting the silent treatment from.

However, the next day, the Professor and Oliver are looking at new images from their archaeological site, and the entire conversation is VERY obviously laced with homoerotic dialogue and innuendo, which the Professor seems to be TOTALLY aware of, for the record. Elio finds that Oliver’s left a note for him, telling him that they’ll meet at midnight.

But before midnight, Elio and Marzia have a little rendezvous once again, if you know what I mean. This is followed by a visit from a relative (not sure the relation, didn’t catch that, sorry), and his male partner. Which, yeah, is neat to see. Looks like the Perlmans are quite progressive, especially given the time period. Honestly, that’s a welcome break from Brokeback Mountain.

But, uh, here’s the thing...it’s midnight now. And Elio and Oliver hve been checking their watches for the entire day. And, uh...let’s just say that the sequence is detailed in its elicitness. This movie’s rated R for a reason, after all. Well, eventually, anyway. It’s awkward at first, and takes them a bit to, uh, get started. And when they get started...they get STARTED.

But during the process, Oliver asks that they swap names. In other words:

Call me by your name, and I’ll call you by mine.

OK...but why? I guess we’ll eventually find that out. But it’s definitely an interesting request. Anyway, the next morning comes, after a night of guys bein’ dudes. That Vine reference comes from my girlfriend. Say hello, girlfriend.

She says hi. That next day, the two go biking, they go swimming in a lake, and things seem...tense. Smething about what had happened last night is eating away at Elio, and Oliver asks if he’s going to hold it against him. Looks like it’s Elio’s turn to provide the silent treatment for...whatever reason. The GF seems to think that somebody didn’t, uh...finish, and their interaction seems to confirm that.

However, they get past these initial awkwardness, and head into town to do errands together, where Oliver reveals that he’s happy the previous night happened, and that he was worried that he’d mess Elio up, psychologically and emotionally. But it doesn’t seem the case, and they start to actively embrace their relationship. 

 But things aren’t...perfect for Elio, from a sexual standpoint. Whatever happened the previous night may have him feeling a bit unsatisfied. Enter...the peach. Possibly literally.

Yeah, so Elio picks this peach, and is initially about to eat it, going straight for the pit. And then, the peach goes away from the mouth...downwards...into the pants. And can I just say..that’s gonna be SO sticky. And, uh, not in the sexual way, I mean LITERALLY that’s gotta be so sticky. Also, do you want ants? Because that’s how you get ants. Quote from the GF, that one.

Later on, Oliver finds the fruit and chides him about it. Elio asks whether he’s sick. And I say, no. You’re 17. Lot of hormones in there at 17. I mean, did I ever give the sexy eyes to a drupe at any point in my teenage years? I mean no, admittedly I did not. But, y’know, it’s 17. He’s still figuring shit out.

Anyway, stupid jokes aside, this chiding kinda FUCKS Elio up for a sec, as he’s legitimately ashamed of that action. Oliver comforts him, and the two have a heart-to-heart about what little time they actually have left. Oliver admits that he didn’t act on his feelings earlier because he was afraid of it being perceived as a form of molestation. And...yeah, fair, even I pointed that out earlier.

The next morning, who should show up but Marzia, who has heard from him at all in three days! WHOOF. She’s understandably heartbroken, as she’s trying to understand their relationship, and Elio’s COMPLETELY cut her off of that. Which, fuckin’ OW. Kids. Accidental cruelty runs par with the course sometimes.

Time grows short for the two, and Elio’s folks encourage him to go on a small trip with Oliver to the city of Bergamo. They’re DEFNITELY aware of their relationship, and super-supportive. And that’s honestly pretty goddamn sweet, I think. Elio goes on the trip, and they have a legit vacation together in a very nice locale.

The two go out one night, and Elio vomits for...some reason, I’m not entirely sure why. But it is enforcing my beliefs that Chalamet is just a sickly Victorian boy slowly dying of consumption, who was somehow transported into the future I WILL PROVE THIS THEORY IF IT KILLS HIM. BY THE CONSUMPTION

Well, the two spend three days together, and then...it’s over. Oliver leaves to go back home to the USA, and they say goodbye at the train station. And Elio’s kind of...broken. He calls his mom to pick him up, and she agrees. On the way home, he breaks down in the car, clearly heartbroken by the departure of Oliver.

When they get back to their village, Marzia greets him, and says that she understands how he feels, and that she forgives him. I like Marzia a lot, honestly. The two agree to be friends for life. It’s very sweet.

But sadly, it’s inevitably little comfort for Elio, who’s deep deep DEEEEEEP in depression over a love departed too soon. His father talks to him, and notes that the two had a nice friendship. However, it’s quite quickly revealed that he understands exactly what their relationship was in full. In fact, it’s implied that he had a relationship VERY much like Elio had in his youth. And this speech that he gives...FUCK ME, man I DREAM of eing a father this understanding and supportive! Hopefullly one day I can be, but I don’t think it’ll measure up to this.

Summer turns to fall turns to winter, and Hannukah is here! Oliver calls the house, and Elio answers the phone. However, while the initial greeting is happy, it’s quickly tempered by another set of news: Oliver’s engaged. To a woman with whom he;s been in an off-and-on relationship for 3 years.

And I was ALL SET to be pissed off by YET MORE INFIDELITY...but it seems like they might have been off at the time, so I’ll let this one slide with HOPEFUL THOUGHTS THAT OLIVER WASN’T CHEATING ON HER. Anyway, Elio whispers his own name into the phone, to which Oliver responds with his name, acknowledging and affirming their summer love. They get off the phone and Elio stares into the fireplace and cries, remembering the love they felt for each other.

And that...is Call Me By Your Name. Also, I want to note that he’s staring into the fireplace over the ENTIRE CREDIT SEQUENCE, followed by his smile and staring directly into the camera. Goddamn, people, I get it! I get why you all love Chalamet so goddamn much, he’s amazing. But, of course...I’ll get to that in the Review. See you there!

[cypric-rat-hyperfixation]

Theres a post that goblins didnt originate as antisemitic caricatures, but instead came from other folklore and the association with Jewish people came later (kinda like how rats definitely existed before the association came into being). So goblins are not inherently antisemitic. However, they certainly can be used as such. Personally, I don't quite get the association between goblins and rats to be used in the tags like that, but I assume most are intended as benign. Happy Hannukah!

Oh, okay. I’m gonna have to look into all this some more, obviously! ygvbhujk The association comes from the sections of overlap between ratcore and g*blincore, such as the “I’m just a stinky little gremlin creecher” energies.

I think corvidcore is the same as g*blincore except without the “g*blin” part for the sake of Jewish folks, but? I’m not sure. I’m not in either “-core” so I don’t know that much about them

[felix-loves-albert-and-ralb-blog]

Hannukah Present For Sparks!!

@i-got-personality

okay so quick ramble before your present: to be completely honest i was super nervous when i found out i had to make something for you. you have such a cool blog and you’re really popular and i was so afraid i would mess up. you are such an amazing person, and i am so glad i had the opportunity to write this for you. i hope you have the best holiday season ever! :) <3 -Felix

Of Pancakes And True Love

“David!” Crutchie called from the couch. “Are you awake?” “Yeah, why?” Davey walked into the living room of their shared apartment, shirtless and wearing baggy sweatpants, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Can you make me pancakes?” Crutchie asked sweetly. “Why can’t you?” Davey complained, picking up a shirt from the floor. “Because I don’t want to miss a single second of Disney Channel’s High School Musical marathon.” “Fair enough.” Davey sighed, pulling the shirt over his head. “Isn’t that mine?” Crutchie asked, peering over the edge of the couch to get a closer look at his boyfriend. “Is it?” Davey asked sarcastically, looking down at the bright orange shirt that proclaimed “Road work ahead? Uh yeah, I sure hope it does!” “It is! Race got that for me!” “I’m making you pancakes, and I’m not making them shirtless.” “Point taken.” “Blueberry or chocolate?” Davey asked from the kitchenette. “Blueberry!” “Ok.” “No! Wait! Chocolate!” “Ok.” “No, wait! Blueberry! Chocolate?” “How about I make blueberry chocolate?” “Davey, you’re amazing.” “Not as amazing as you.” Davey blushed. “Love you!” Crutchie called. “Love you more!” Davey called back. Crutchie couldn’t just sit on the couch watching Troy and Gabriella when his boyfriend was making pancakes for him. “I love you”s were meant for breaths between kisses and looking into each other’s eyes. Crutchie clipped one of his crutches onto his right arm and crossed the room to the kitchenette, where Davey was mixing batter in a bowl. Crutchie snatched a blueberry from the dish on the counter and popped it in his mouth, smiling at the sweet taste. “You always make the best pancakes, babe.” He said admiringly, watching Davey work. “Thanks. Y’know, I first learned how to make these in seventh grade? I wanted to impress you.” “Really? 12 years ago?” Crutchie giggled. “Really.” Davey confirmed, placing a small dot of pancake batter on Crutchie’s nose. The two boys giggled, joy overcoming exhaustion. They both looked at each other for a moment, just looking into each other’s eyes. In the world of Crutchie Morris and David Jacobs, everything was perfect. “We’re soaring, flying, there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach.” Zac Efron’s voice sounded from the other room. “You know the world can see us,” Crutchie sang, intertwining his fingers with Davey’s. “In a way that’s different than who we are.” “Creating space between us.” Davey chorused, smiling and pulling his boyfriend in closer. “Til we’re separate hearts.” Crutchie let his crutch drop to the floor, putting his hand on Davey’s shoulder. As the song played, Crutchie and Davey glided through their small apartment together, moving in time with the song. Davey twirled Crutchie around, watching his sandy blonde hair flow into his face. “We’re soaring,” Davey sang. “Flying,” Crutchie joined. “There’s a not a star in heaven that we can’t reach.” Their voices mixed together, and they both leaned in at the same time to punctuate the song with a kiss. They pulled away slowly, letting the moment surround them. “I wanna spend my life with you.” Crutchie said softly. “Me too.” “Let’s do it. Let’s get married.” “Yeah?” “Yeah. We’ll eat our pancakes and then go out and buy rings. Tell our folks.” “Okay.” Davey smiled. “I love you so much.” Crutchie said, stroking his fingers through Davey’s hair, letting his hand fall comfortably on his shoulder. “I love you more.” “I love you the most.”

i really hope you like this!! happy Hannukah!!!

(also i just realized how short this is i’m really sorry it’s not longer)

[jackcowboyhero]

"Jack? I'm glad you're here."

Look, I ain’t sayin’ Sarah didn’t mean it when she said that, but she was also halfway through gettin’ a big-headed baby outta her and into the world, and that prob’ly makes ya say crazy things.

I mean, I hope she was glad I was there.  But I ain’t sure I was all that helpful.

I guess I ain’t said much about Danny’s arrival yet (besides complainin’ that he took his sweet time), and apparently birth stories are like women’s versions o’ dime novels.  So, now that I got half a second (at least, until His Highness decides it’s time to get another diaper dirty), I figured I’d tell ya what happened.

(I ain’t givin’ out too many details, though.  Let’s just say things are a lot more….intense than a horse birth when the parties involved can actually talk to ya.  Also, Sarah didn’t hide out in a field and come back with a long-legged kid by her side like the mares do half the time.)

Anyway, my first clue that September 16, 1904 was gonna be a big deal was when I was walkin’ the horses up from the field after work, and Sarah showed up at the barn and said she could feel somethin’.  That’s when I sent Johnny Appleseed to get Red’s wife Becky, Skipper to town for Mrs. Halloran (an old lady who’s delivered half the kids in the county), and Boxcar to get the horses unharnessed and fed so I could walk Sarah back to the house.

It’s also when Sarah first told me to “CALM DOWN, I’M FINE.”

Well, if ya read the updates, you’ll remember that Danny Kid took FOREVER to show up.  At first, Sarah was doin’ okay, so we took a walk around the orchard (which is when Nell ate her soup), helped clean up the supper dishes (can you believe that?!  Sarah’s words were, “I AIN’T SO FAR ALONG I CAN’T HELP”), sat on the porch for a while, and eventually moved inside when things started pickin’ up.  At that point, besides thinkin’ it was takin’ a long time, I wasn’t too worried ‘bout stuff.

But lemme tell ya, that changed awful quick.

If you’ve ever been someplace where you were scared to death (like maybe the Refuge) but had to fake like you weren’t so you wouldn’t spook somebody else, you’ll kinda know how I felt for the longest night o’ my life.  But Sarah was braver’n I was, and I don’t even think she was fakin’ it.

Pop always said girls were stronger’n boys, and if I hadn’t believed it before, I sure woulda after seein’ all that.

Point is, it weren’t as sudden an’ dramatic as I’d been led to believe.  But it was the craziest, best thing I ever saw.  And even if Sarah could tell it was makin’ me nervous (wouldn’t you be, if havin’ kids is what killed your own ma?), I hope it helped some that I got to be there.

And I, for one, am real glad I got to see Danny take his first breath…which, o’ course, sounded kinda like “wwrrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!”

He was not happy to be born.

But he’s settled down now (even though he don’t hesitate to tell ya if he’s hungry, not hungry, wet, too dry, wants attention, don’t want attention, or just wants to make noise), and he’s a pretty good kid, I think.  (Not that I got nothin’ to compare him to.)  But he didn’t cry when he met Nell for the first time (she gave him an approvin’ sniff and didn’t try eatin’ him, which I think Sarah was kinda concerned about), and he likes goin’ for rides in the wagon (Sarah won’t let me ride around with him on Nell yet–all we can do is stand there), and he don’t cry any more when the boys pick him up than he does when I try it.  (He better get used to havin’ a ton o’ uncles lookin’ out for him.)

I drew a couple good pictures for Sarah’s folks and for Pop, but it took me two weeks to get ‘em done ‘cause it’s hard snatchin’ time when he’s sleepin’, so I’m gonna give ya an abridged picture for now:

Mostly Sarah keeps him wrapped up in a blanket (Hana was awful smart makin’ us one that could get washed easy), but every once in a while his hands pop out like an award-winnin’ boxer’s, and she keeps him outfitted in these tiny hats she and her ma can crochet in about half a minute.  (I told her she should look into makin’ him a cowboy hat next time, and she said she’d see what she could do.)  If you’re wonderin’ ‘bout the smile–well, I thought it was just ‘cause he was happy, but Mrs. Jacobs busted that thought by explainin’ that when a baby’s this young, he only smiles ‘cause he’s gotta burp.  (But she says he’ll start smilin’ for real before too long, so I guess we got that to look forward to.)

Mrs. Jacobs came up from Manhattan for a month or so (with a whole pile o’ piecework she’s been sendin’ back as she gets it done, in between helpin’ with laundry an’ cleanin’ an’ a million other things–women are amazin’.) and Dave and Les and Mr. Jacobs are hopin’ to meet Danny soon–maybe not ‘til Hannukah, but I know Dave’s searchin’ for stories to chase up this way.  We’re gonna bring him to meet Pop as soon as we can, and when we make it down to Manhattan the boys’ll all meet him, and overall, things are goin’ pretty good.

–Or, they were, ‘til just now, ‘cause Danny’s decided Things Ain’t Good At All.  So I’m gonna go see what he wants, and if you’ve got any baby advice, send it my way.  I ain’t gonna throw in the towel, but I need all the help I can get.

[talinthas]

Gideon

it’s insane that there are people who don’t think Gideon is the embodiment of white. He believes 100% in that which is greater than him- his irregulars, the gatewatch, the boros army, the allies on zendikar, the gods- and fully believes that without the unity and structure of the whole there is no path forward. Gids has been adrift since losing his faith in Theros and getting his spark, and everything he’s done in the story since then has been towards the end of finding and rebuilding that belief in the greater. He’s maybe the perfect essence of White.

And really, i’m tired of listening to folks disparage the idea of being lawful good paladin protector or whatever. it’s tough to give of yourself so much, to put yourself out for little to no reward, simply for the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone else. Gids resonates with me because of his legit selflessness and desire to be the best support structure there is. He’s extroverted, vulnerable (emotionally, not physically), and willing to go to any length in order to make sure the group is happy.

This leads into yesterday’s magic story and a little personal context.

I read a review from a friend who saw the entire thing in an incredibly negative light, but to me as a believer, Gid’s experience with Oketra rang absolutely true. The review called it mind control, but in religious traditions, ceding control to the divine is the whole point. “Let Jesus take the wheel” as it were. But beyond that, it’s not just capitulation and mind control, it’s giving in to the force greater than yourself. it’s allowing yourself to feel awe in the presence of the primordial force of creation.

So let me tell you a personal story for a moment. In my early teens I was deeply ambivalent about religion, even atheistic if i’m totally honest. Being a minority religion in the states means that if you aren’t taught at home, you aren’t gonna learn it anywhere else. My parents came from India, so they were used to hinduism just permeating the atmosphere like background noise. There was no need to teach or learn because it was just absorbed into your psyche via cultural osmosis. In america, they kept that same laid back attitude, which doesn’t work because the background noise here is secular christianity. That means learning all about easter and hannukah and judeo-christian tropes and metaphors, and almost nothing about anyone else. Being a minority religion meant having to constantly reinforce your own beliefs, build logical defenses and find a way to survive in a strange milieu. My parents, and frankly my community, weren’t prepared for that, and didn’t do anything, so Hinduism was just a weird thing we did at home once in a while.

We went to India a lot in my youth, and one of the trips we took we went on a pilgrimage to a number of sacred shrines to Shiva, the jyotirlinga temples. The first one we went to was Somnath, in the far west of Gujarat. In many ways, its considered the most important of the jyotirlinga temples, and is home to a gigantic idol of the lord, and a bunch of other sacred sites.

As I mentioned, I was deeply indifferent towards religion, but I still enjoyed going to the temples and things to just see them. But as we got closer and closer to the site, i felt really strange. All i could think about was that temple, and the god inside. the closer we got, the more compelled i felt, the more i felt like a magnetic force was taking hold of me. We made our way over, and as we entered the precincts, my family stopped to take off their shoes and whatever, and i didn’t even bother. I tossed my shoes off behind me (which is a good way to ensure you’ll never see them again, frankly) and just took off towards the sanctum. I was like 13, and going off on your own in india, even in a temple area, is pretty stupid. I ran forwards, and somehow, this temple, which is one of the most popular and busiest, was strangely empty at that moment. I went through the outer courtyard, into the temple walls, through the inner courtyard, past the priests and pilgrims, and through the empty lines leading to the sanctum sanctorum deep in the heart of the temple. The crowds parted before me and i made it to the railing where the Shiva lingam was covered in a beautiful silver mask depicting the lord’s face. It was the first time i felt the real meaning of ‘awe’, the overwhelming reverence and power of the sublime force before me. The mask straight opened its eyes and stared into me, and i stood there for about five minutes entranced before my family finally caught up to me and the priests ushered me away. From then, i was a changed man, given over completely to the worship of this god, who wasn’t even my family’s god. We’re vaishnavs from a tradition that favors Krishna, and the worship of Shiva is completely different and primal in comparison. My parents were really confused, because while they were believers, their trip to this temple was more about seeing the sights than engaging in worship, the way Protestants might enjoy looking at a Russian Orthodox church without wanting to participate in the rites.

So when Gids saw Oketra, and she said to him, “You're one of mine, Kytheon Iora," i knew *exactly* what that felt like, what she meant, and what he went through. It wasn’t mind control, it wasn’t an evil presence taking over his agency, it was an acknowledgement that this divinity had chosen you, and flowed through you, and guided you. In that paragraph alone, i felt whisked back to the most profound experience of my life, and i knew immediately that the author *got it*.  Some go their whole lives without ever feeling that awe, or that calling, and that’s totally cool. But for me, as a believer, as a fan of gideon and lawful good paladins and everything that white mana represents, this sang out to me like the tolling of a harmonically pure bell. This is what Gideon spent his life searching for, and he found it, just as I did.

[checkmate-cherik]

Because this prompt by @cherik-inspiration is too good not to attempt:

Erik set his laptop down on the counter and began pulling out ingredients.

He’d gone shopping specially for today. His coworkers were coming over for the holidays; it wasn’t for Christmas, though Azazel was a new Christian, and it wasn’t for Hannukah, though Erik was still Jewish. It was just that they were all tired of the “holiday cheer”, hated their families (if they had any), and needed a place to gather and complain without anyone calling the cops.

Erik finished setting out his ingredients and clicked ‘play’ on the Youtube video.

“Hello, everyone!” Erik adjusted the volume on his laptop, making it a little louder, and gazed at the cheerful blue eyes and ruddy-mouthed smile of the man in the video. “It’s Charles again, and I have a new recipe to try. Here to help me is my sister Raven.” Erik shook his head a little, as he always did when Raven, the pretty blond woman, slid into view and smiled shyly at the camera. “We’re going to make a cake our great-grandmother wrote down. It turned out pretty delicious when we first tried it. Don’t forget that you can adjust the flavor however you like. Alright, let’s get to it!”

Erik followed the instructions faithfully, using his powers to move and mix things while he kept his intense gaze on the video. He’d already made this cake several times, but he wanted to get it exactly right. It had always turned out well, so he was fairly sure he could make it correctly… But he liked having the instructions in front of him. He liked hearing instructions, rather than having to read them.

No. He’ll admit it. He liked watching and hearing Charles.

Charles--or ProfessorXavier, if you went by his channel name--didn’t just cook and bake. He did educational videos, too, that were actually quite popular. But while it was soothing to listen to him lecture about English classics and biology and genetics and how mutants weren’t any different than non-mutants, it was his cooking show that really drew Erik in. The way he smiled, the way he spoke… he was comfortable in the kitchen as he never was in front of his smartboard. Not that he wasn’t comfortable lecturing as well, but he always seemed slightly stiffer than he was in his kitchen.

Erik absently dropped a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter, watching Charles’ graceful hands do the same while Raven held the bowl. Erik’s bowl--like all his kitchen utensils and paraphernalia--was metal, and therefore did not slip as the metal whisk briskly worked the batter.

When the batter was poured, Erik paused the video to pick up the cake pan and slide it into the oven. The oven was electric, so he was wary of using his powers on it. Then he turned back to the video, turning it on and feeling a small smile tilt the corners of his mouth as Charles laughed at something Raven said. His laugh was rich and deeper than expected, and it made Erik less annoyed.

He watched the video to the end, watching them make icing, Raven making pretty patterns and Charles botching a simple squiggle. Then came the tasting. Raven scrunched her nose, and Charles rolled his eyes heavenward.

“Too sweet,” Raven said.

“Just right,” Charles replied smugly. Then he smiled at the camera. “And that’s all folks! See you next week!”

Erik clicked the searchbar and typed in ProfessorXavier stuffing recipe. Many videos popped up, but he selected the top one and gathered ingredients while Charles went through his usual cheerful greeting.

Raven did not help with this one. It was just Charles, his voice soothing as he explained his process. Erik set his knives to chopping and slowly shredded day-old homemade bread with his fingers, as Charles had done. The bread was Erik’s mother’s recipe. He would never do any other, not even Charles’.

Charles smiled at the camera and Erik smiled too.

Azazel was the first to arrive, just appearing to lounge on Erik’s sofa, tucking his linked hands behind his head. Erik didn’t even notice him at first, too busy leaning on the kitchen island and watching the newest cooking video (a “fake lasagna” made with ravioli instead of noodles). When he did, he jabbed pause and slapped the laptop shut. Azazel smirked.

“More of that charming professor?” Azazel asked, his accent barely changed despite his many years stateside.

“No,” Erik replied stiffly, going to check on the stuffing. It was done; time to let it cool. “When are the others coming?”

“They’ll be here in a few minutes,” Azazel drawled, making himself more comfortable.

“Good.”

Emma and Angel, the newest addition to the group, arrived together. Emma had a key to Erik’s apartment and waltzed right in, Angel following a little more slowly. The former set a covered dish of assorted cooked chicken (grilled, fried, and baked) down on the dining table, since Erik didn’t eat ham, and the latter two bottles of Michigan cherry wine.

“Budge up,” Emma ordered Azazel, and he glared but sat up, swinging his feet to the floor. “Thanks, ‘Zel.” Emma sat primly on the middle cushion as Azazel scooted over to the side, and patted the empty cushion beside her. Angel sat, gazing around with interest.

Erik’s flat didn’t seem very personal unless you knew him. Everything was stark black and white, and shades of grey and silver. The furniture was comfortable and clean, the floors honey-colored wood or white tile. He had some medieval weapons on the walls, all of which he knew how to use, and all polished and sharpened to mirror-brightness. In his bedroom he had four bookshelves stuffed with books; out in the living room, only two bookshelves, holding a paltry assortment, but proudly displaying various metal sculptures he’d made himself. They didn’t look like anything; they weren’t supposed to. He’d just liked the shapes. In his office he had more books, and a glass and brushed steel desk upon which sat his Mac and precious iPad Pro. He was a Mac person in his personal life, though he liked PCs for work. And the kitchen was a wonderland of metal.

The less said about the state of his bathroom the better.

Janos arrived with the salad, since he was a vegetarian. It was excellent salad, none of the disgusting bitter leaves or the empty white bits of iceberg lettuce. There were walnuts and cherries on it, too.

Azazel said grace over his meal while everyone else tucked in. No one minded about what the others did; religion was too trivial to the atheists, too important to the spiritual, to be mocked, belittled, or scorned. Everyone pretended not to hear as Erik muttered in Yiddish around his first mouthful of bread, knowing it was his own version of grace and he did not like it when people said anything about it.

After everyone had a few bites in them, the Great Complaining began.

Emma kicked it off. “Shaw is disgusting,” she snorted, picking at her chicken.

“What’d he do this time?” Erik grunted.

“Grabbed my butt. Again. Then told me to get him some ice. Honestly, I’m the secretary, not the maid.”

Angel nibbled a walnut and looked uncomfortable. Erik met her eyes. “What’d he do?” he repeated, this time to her.

“Threatened my friends,” she murmured, lowering her gaze, “Because I wouldn’t let him grope my boobs.”

Emma wrapped her arm around Angel’s shoulders. “He won’t hurt them,” she assured her younger friend confidently. “He hasn’t done anything himself in years.”

“And there are ways of lying to him,” Azazel added, sticking his forked tongue out at Angel, which always made her feel better. She had said it reminded her of her older brother, who’d been distinctly snake-looking when he came into his powers.

They complained about Shaw, then they moved on to their coworkers. Emma was The Secretary of whom all the administrative staff were terrified, Janos was the bodyguard and in charge of transport, and Azazel was the one who did all the arm-breaking and throat-slitting. Erik made sure everything balanced; the company, the personal life, and the mob connections. Angel was Emma’s new assistant, and swiftly proving herself among the underlings as one to be wary of. Her temper was quiet, but damn, it was fierce. And if you weren’t nice to her or didn’t do something she told you to… well, enjoy life with half a left foot when she delicately spit acid on it.

Shaw was growing very fond of Angel, despite Emma’s best efforts to shield her.

After dinner, Erik brought out the cake. Azazel jeered at him about where he learned to bake, but shut up when Erik said coldly, “I guess you don’t get any.” Everyone who’d ever tried anything he’d baked said it was The Best and did everything in their power to convince him to make more for them. Azazel included.

Janos got vegan cupcakes because Erik respected his dietary restrictions. The others were happy with cake.

They sat around and drank wine until it was gone. Angel got giggly and tipsy, so Azazel took her home, returning in three minutes with the announcement, “She’s asleep now.”

“Poor kid,” Emma murmured, running her finger along the rim of the glass. “You know, she told me she stopped talking to her friends when she joined the company? Except her friend Raven. They talk on the phone every night.”

Raven? Erik frowned and undid his shirt’s top button. He was too warm. But it surely couldn’t be Raven from the videos. No, that was just too much of a coincidence. He dismissed the notion. Surely there were plenty of other people named Raven. And Emma hadn’t even said if Angel’s Raven was female or otherwise.

Erik kicked them all out at midnight and collapsed into bed. He dreamed of cherry-red lips and laughing blue eyes.

[angelsandcelestials]

Messages from your Angels & Guides~December 2-9, 2018

December's Theme ~ Joy

Affirm: " I am Joy! My life is an eternal celebration of my joy!"

November has breezed by and here we are approaching the start of the holidays.  Whether you celebrate Hannukah, Kwaanza, Yule, or Christmas. Or if you don't celebrate anything at all.  I hope you find joy in your life. I know that for some the holidays may seem stressful due to family issues, money woes. Then there is also the changing of the season which due to shorter daylight hours, you may feel sad. I am aware that some folks just are not feeling this time of the year. Especially, when you are bombarded by commercials and holidays songs. I recognize that, know that I hear you and I feel you and I just want to say to you that you matter. You are special and you deserve joy in your life.

Choose which message you would like to receive for this week. Your choices are Animal Totem, Crystal Tarot or Chakra Wisdom.

If you chose Crystal Tarot~ Your message is Ace of Wands. 

 This week will be lit with possibilities. Fire energy abounds (especially for Aries, Leo & Sagittarius). New beginnings, new starts. Passions activated. An unexpected event such as love or romance, a gift or opportunity will ignite the flow of your emotions in any direction. Express feelings and find love in all you do. If you allow emotional blocks to affect you now then you are stopping any new possibilities or relationships from developing. You may do this because of past experiences. But the message here is to leave the past where it belongs...the past. Remember, yesterday was history, the future is a mystery and the gift right now is the present. Working with Aventurine can help you with releasing the past. It will also make you aware of present opportunities. Be aware that there are more than 5 senses at work.  A sixth sense beckons. Trust feelings and impressions. Find new ways to connect with Spirit.

The time frame for this Ace is usually within one day or one week.

If you chose Animal Totem~ Your message is Eagle.

When you live your life according to Spiritual Law, Spirit's intent expresses through your personality easily and fluidly. Your light will shine only if you let it. Your job is to listen to and heed Spirit's directives, and your life will flow quite easily and naturally.  Your conscious mind is the receiver and the transmitter of these urgings, translating the information sent from Spirit through pure awareness into the physical realm and decipherable communication. Eagles bring messages from Heaven and Spirit to you.

Birds represent the air element. The element of Air is attached to the signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. This element is the marker for intellectuals,

If the eagle has appeared, it bestows freedom and courage to look ahead.

Keywords: Vision, Courage, Universality.

Absorbing Negativity 

With the days growing shorter and the nights growing longer, it’s easy to slip into a bit of a funk at this time of year. Time to do a little SAD first aid. SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is a mild depression that happens as a result of the lessened levels of sunlight and the resultant lower levels of vitamin D produced within the human body.

Meditate this morning, sitting quietly for ten minutes before your day starts. Close your eyes. Breathe in, pause, then exhale. Envision yourself surrounded by white light. Breathe the light into your chest. Pause and feel it travel into your head. Exhale it out the top of your head and cascade it around you. With each breath, feel the light warm and brighten you internally.

When you feel calm and centered, move on with your day. Resolve to buy vitamin D and supplement your diet.  

Finally, if you chose Chakra Wisdom~ Your message here is... surprise, surprise... Joy! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that your Angels and Guides really want you to feel and live with joy. To me  Sunflowers figure significantly all over this card.  

Sunflower Meanings~ *Because of the myth of Clytie and Apollo, the sunflower most commonly means adoration and loyalty. However, sunflower meanings can vary across cultures. *In China, people associate sunflowers with a long life, good fortune, and vitality. *To Native American groups, sunflowers represented harvest, bounty, and provision because they provided seeds, pigment, and more.

Sunflower Symbolism & Colors

The sunflower’s yellow color symbolizes vitality, intelligence, and happiness. The color yellow also traditionally symbolizes friendship.

Sunflowers also symbolize worship and faithfulness in various religions because of their resemblance to the sun, which is associated with spiritual knowledge and the desire to seek light and truth.

The Incas used sunflowers to symbolize the Sun God and brought them to temples for worship. The priestesses also wore sunflowers on their garments and as crowns.

Authors and other influential figures have used sunflower symbolism to inspire them too, causing them to write encouraging words like:

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It’s what the sunflowers do. – Helen Keller

Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also. He attracts and follows. – Jean Paul

      Light-enchanted sunflower, thou/ Who gazest ever true and tender/ On the sun’s revolving splendor. – Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Yellow also represents the Solar Plexus(along with the stomach and digestive organs) chakra. Visualize a beam of sunlike yellow light to activate this chakra.

This vibrational energy is walking on air. A pure essence of joy comes through detachment. Yellow brings you joy but does not experience it. Its purpose is to radiate what is inside. This powerful energy moves your projects forward. It is too detached to be creative but will draw in assistance when necessary to further your goals.

Ok... so that is all for this week.

My son is stopping by to take me out to eat for my birthday, so I need to get ready. Have a wonderfully blissful day! And a magical week!  

This week's messages are brought you courtesy of The Crystal Tarot, The Power Animal and The Chakra Wisdom Oracles.

I do hope that this week’s messages resonated with you. If it hasn’t at first glance, then feel free to re-read them. There may be a deeper or hidden message specifically for you from your angels and/or guides. These messages may also apply to several people and/or the collective. That’s how Spirit works..lol Let me know though I would love to hear from you. Also, please share, reblog, and like. This way you will be paying it forward for others to receive this guidance. Follow Angels & Celestials on Instagram And on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AngelsandCelestials111/

[jaeame-blog]

'Twas the night before a Giants Christmas | Twas the Night Before Christmas

What we really love, though, is hearing the traditions that others share with their families. This column has led with that famous line many times but rarely on Christmas Eve. One of the traditions I recall as a child was a poem Grandma Sue liked to read every year around the Christmas season. The words that are at the center of one of my most precious Christmas memories are not solely mine.

Tots and toddlers lined nearly out the door of the Lewiston Center Mall to give their final gift suggestions to Santa on Saturday. It is Christmas time in Dallas, therefore it is time to make a Mavs version of the famous poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' Dallas. Not a fan was stirring, not even a mouse.I will have all day Sunday to do the wrapping, and Christmas Eve should be very relaxed and special. We're going to bed at 9 pm in this part of the world because the sun sets at 4:30 pm and it's pitch dark at 5:30.

A couple of years ago I took on the challenge of re-writing Clement Clark Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas," making it into a New York Giants version of the classic Christmas poem. Merry Christmas Eve, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and a belated Happy Hannukah and Happy Solstice.As parents, the stress ends on Christmas Eve. NOTE: The following story has appeared in the Tribune for several years as a yuletide special. Irma M. Walker was the reference librarian at the North Hibbing Library. And for those who believe brevity is the soul of something, Happy Holidays. Saint Nick spent several hours at the mall tallying up last-minute present ideas and getting photos with the kids.

[jaeame-blog]

'Twas the night before a Giants Christmas | Twas the Night Before Christmas

Grandma Sue was a collector of nominally racist folk literature. Irma M. Walker was the reference librarian at the North Hibbing Library. Not a fan was stirring, not even a mouse. NOTE: The following story has appeared in the Tribune for several years as a yuletide special.

She liked to write articles about daily living in story form. One of the traditions I recall as a child was a poem Grandma Sue liked to read every year around the Christmas season. It's the week before Christmas and all through the forest it's cold, wet and dark at 5 am when I awaken.We're going to bed at 9 pm in this part of the world because the sun sets at 4:30 pm and it's pitch dark at 5:30. It is Christmas time in Dallas, therefore it is time to make a Mavs version of the famous poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' Dallas.

I will have all day Sunday to do the wrapping, and Christmas Eve should be very relaxed and special. The words that are at the center of one of my most precious Christmas memories are not solely mine.Tots and toddlers lined nearly out the door of the Lewiston Center Mall to give their final gift suggestions to Santa on Saturday. A couple of years ago I took on the challenge of re-writing Clement Clark Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas," making it into a New York Giants version of the classic Christmas poem. This column has led with that famous line many times but rarely on Christmas Eve. And for those who believe brevity is the soul of something, Happy Holidays. Saint Nick spent several hours at the mall tallying up last-minute present ideas and getting photos with the kids.