#sage;genesis;meme

[babyitsmagic]

what are your muse's biggest red flags when it comes to dating?

how would you describe your muse's interior design style?

is your muse hiding something serious from those around them? why?

for Wilder, Yin, aaaaand Sage

Wilder:

"Fucking everything. I don't communicate. I lash out. I'm not even fucking baseline nice. I don't think I have any goddamn green flags, aside from being a good lay." Which had only caused more problems, really. "I have no interior design style. I keep a mountain of books in the house, I never have enough shelves, and I pile shit all over the floor. And at this point? No. I don't think there's anything I haven't had to share whether I liked it or not."

Yin:

"Absolutely none. I'm a flawless partner," he answered, smirking, before adding, "But honestly? Frank conversation isn't my strong suit and for someone not always great at monogamy, I can be quite jealous." Not a good look. "For interior design? Expensive and oh, what's the nice word for it? Maximalist, I suppose? I like nice things and I like having lots of them."

He shrugged. "My secrets are numerous. I'm old. But Cordae knows about Viola and Robert knows about Calla, so I don't think there's anything I'm intentionally hiding at this point."

Sage:

"I'm possessive, controlling, and manipulative. I learned everything I know from Azazel, who's a walking red flag. I try to make sure my apartment isn't a red flag. I don't care what it looks like, but I know an empty, undecorated place is unsettling to most people, so I've got some art work and a couple posters up. Most of my furniture is re-sale shit, which is exactly what someone my age should have." She rolled her eyes. "I'm hiding lots of things all the time. Demon, remember?"

[telomeke-bbs]

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you-meme!

Got tagged by @tiistirtipii at this post here and @inventedfangirling at this post here. Thanks for tagging me! 🥰 (And sorry I've taken so long to respond. 🤦‍♂️)

name and whatever you want to share about yourself

You can call me Tel. I love writing, languages, linguistics, and learning about different cuisines and cultures. I live right in the middle of Southeast Asia.

when did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom?

I started watching Bad Buddy almost from the start, after a friend told me Ohm had a new series out. I went into it pretty blind, not knowing anything at all about its history or genesis. I'd liked Ohm's work in He's Coming to Me and was open to more from him, not thinking the series would be anything more than your run-of-the-mill BL. And was I ever wrong! I think BBS sort of grew slowly on me for the first few episodes, but it really took hold after Nanon's single tear at the end of Ep.4. And I lost it after The Kiss at the end of Ep.5, of course. The no-holds barred obsession really set in after I realized this wasn't any ordinary BL; it works on so many levels and the intelligence with which it was crafted is formidable.

Favourite ship/s

PatPran does it for me.

Favourite character/s

Love them all, but introvert Pran with his protective walls, defensive rituals and surreptitious signposting of his emotional state with doodles and symbols really struck a chord. Pre-Ep.10 Pran was like an extreme version of younger me, I sometimes think.

Favourite episode/s

Episode 11 – I love everything about the beach, and the two of them alone by the sea was like my idea of paradise. But I nodded sagely along when BBS gently pointed out that their beachside idyll was just a temporary respite and that paradise doesn't exist on Earth.

Favourite scene/s

Oof. So many. My all-time favorite is the opening scene of Episode 5 (see this link here for why) because it was layered so deep with meaning and messaging, beneath the happy surface theatrics. I sometimes think of BBS as one giant and intricate puzzle, and if you find and fit together the right puzzle pieces it reveals so much more to you. The amazing thing is that it kept doing this over and over again. Like how many themes and allegories can this one series have? But if you want to disregard all of that and just enjoy it as a well-crafted BL with stellar acting, you can too. And that is also part of its magic.

Some other scenes that still give me the chills:

Deeply-pining Pran looking on at an oblivious Pat sleeping peacefully in Ep.4 [4/4]; I've been there and I know exactly how his heart must have been rent in two at that moment.

The Kiss in Ep.5 of course.

Pat finding out in Ep.10 that Ming wasn't the unimpeachable hero that he thought he was.

Pran missing Dissaya in Ep.11 (this is because I still miss my late mom with all my heart; the grief is going to be a forever guest there I fear – you just learn to pack it away in a box and put it away in a quiet room in your heart, but it breaks free every now and then, just to stare at me silently with its unknowable face).

When Our Song plays in Ep.11 (especially when Uncle Tong does his voiceover and the soaring guitar solo kicks in, and then we see Pat and Pran back in front of their houses, bracing themselves to face their families again).

Ah that award-winning scene on the balconies in Ep.12, when Pat and Pran indulge in a joyful, all-smiles tin-can conversation for old times' sake, play-acting at being strangers, and then dastardly Director Aof toys with our hearts once again and has the music crescendo as he morphs them back into their kiddie selves dressed in the same clothes to show us that the bond between the two scamps had always been there, forged since childhood, and that they were never really enemies throughout it all. And amidst the nostalgia we're suddenly engulfed in a wave of bittersweet emotions imagining all the what-ifs and if-onlys and what-might-have-beens had those poor little tykes not been forced into that meaningless rivalry by their warring parents. But as the camera pans away we hear their young voices piping in the night, still innocent and so full of hope, reminding us that when those two little boys grew up they still managed to find a way to triumph over all the pitiless hurt imposed on them. And how privileged we were to have been able to share in the story of their journey.

One thing you would change about the show if you could

I've thought so much about this show, it's not just one thing. And don't get me wrong; I'm not tearing it down or hurling brickbats at this series I love so much. It just irks the Perfectionist Pran side of me that something so beautiful, deep, intelligent and heartfelt also has its little flaws here and there.

I think they could have done a better job helping us understand how and why PatPran's competitive dynamic launched them so suddenly into the madcap bet in Ep.7. The cinematography was inconsistent in a lot of parts. The English subtitling (especially of Ep.5) could have clarified some things, but instead made them more confusing. And Pat getting shot may have been necessary on an intellectual level, to nod at some trope, theme or other literary preoccupation perhaps. But the narrative didn't really need that moment of conflict and I felt BBS tipped over into unnecessary melodrama at that point.

what are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people?

I adore the analysis, meta and backgrounding of BBS that you can find on Tumblr. So many intelligent, creative people looking at this show, but those that spring to mind:

@airenyah @bengiyo @chickenstrangers @dribs-and-drabbles @dudeyuri @grapejuicegay @inventedfangirling @kenmakaashi @lovelyghostv @lurkingshan @lurkingteapot @miscellar @neuroticbookworm @pandasmagorica @ranchthoughts @recentadultburnout @waitmyturtles

Fan art also by @hereforlou and @kit-teung. 😍

I've probably forgotten so many others, please forgive me if I have; if I've liked and reblogged your work it means that you've touched me with your intelligence and output and I'm automatically a fan.

What are your favourite fanworks you've made?

I mostly post observations and findings from research about the show, so they're not works of fiction or visual art, just essays really. They're all special to me in different ways, but I lean most to the one that talks about the etymology of Pat and Pran's chue lens, what they mean semantically and what they mean for the series (write-up linked here):

My post about the Ep.1 scene in front of Khun Noppharnach's Pharmacy (linked here) was another one where the pieces of the BBS logic puzzle fell into place in a way that satisfied my gameplaying side:

I'm also chuffed about my location posts (linked here; have identified almost all of them, such is the power of the Internet), finding out that the jeep in khanom jeep dumplings also means to court (linked here), and tracking down Baseball Mom (linked here).

‌

A song that makes you think of BBS (not in the show)

My obsessive mind can't let go of this song (I've written about it several times now) but Never (ไม่เคย) by 25Hours devastatingly captures the quiet grief over losing that special someone in your life (and tells us what Pat must have been going through post-separation from Pran in high school). Pat mentions it at Ep.5 [3I4] 0.35 but it isn't played in the show. I've got it on repeat now, and am well on my way to memorizing the lyrics.

Onward tagging:

@airenyah @bengiyo @chickenstrangers @dribs-and-drabbles @dudeyuri @grapejuicegay @hereforlou @inventedfangirling @kenmakaashi @kit-teung @lovelyghostv @lurkingshan @lurkingteapot @miscellar @neuroticbookworm @pandasmagorica @ranchthoughts @recentadultburnout @waitmyturtles

No pressure to play if you don't want to, or have already done it. But do tag and let the rest of the BBS fandom know if you have responses for us to read! 😍

‌

[beevean]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BmDo__ROJAM

https://archive.org/details/neon-genesis-evangelion-1x-16-splitting-of-the-breast-1080px-265bk (9:35)

Now if they had actually gone all in with giving Sage Rei’s personality instead of just stopping at the surface level stuff we might have had some good meme material at the very least!

Reply: if Sage spent the entirety of Frontiers roasting everybody the story would have been a 10/10 :(

But seriously, while I plan to watch NGE, the more I learn about Rei the more I regret comparing Sage to her. Yes, Sage has the same hairstyle (lol), voice actresses, and the general concept of “emotionless artificial person grappling with her emotions”, but other than that, she has nothing on Rei’s existential crisis or actual personality under her apparently flat demeanor. Her character development is “yay my creator is now my daddy”.

Also (from what I’ve gathered) a huge part of Rei’s angst comes from the fact that she’s replaceable, so she doesn’t value herself or her life. Sage gets immediately reprogrammed by Eggman in the best ending, and it makes her whole sacrifice cheap. Absolutely not the same, and I doubt the next Sonic game would explore the theme of how easily Sage can be recreated, or even if Eggman would keep her character development. Why bother, really.

[linesofmagic]

Because I am terrible, Genesis and Sage

@ofviolentdeath || send me a pair name and I’ll tell you what I think it would be like if they had a child.

Name: Xialing Morgan-Masters

Gender: female (she/her)

General Appearance: runs a little more masc in clothing, usually shops the men’s section. very casual and comfy.

Personality: trouble. it’s in her nature. she couldn’t help it even if she wanted to and she doesn’t want to.

Special Talents: part hulijing, part demon. her mom was half hulijing, her dad was full demon.

Who they like better: oh genesis. genesis makes sense to her.

Who they take after more: also genesis tbh. xialing is a wild child. not as masochistic as genesis but still very reckless. loves causing problems for other people.

Personal Headcanon: sage got her through a deal with her dad! which she’s always taken as a sign that her dad should not have been a parent.

she’s very physically affectionate, especially with genesis when she was little but even as an adult she’ll still snuggle up with her moms. more gen tho. sage is not cuddly by nature.

Face Claim: amanda zh.ou

[jolieeason]

WWW Wednesday: September 21st, 2022

WWW Wednesday: September 21st, 2022

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next? Personal: This has been a week and this personal section might get a little long. So feel free to skip…lol Miss R was out sick from school last week. She got so stressed over the beginning of…

[blazehedgehog]

I know you've talked a little about P-06 before, but now that all the Sonic stages are out, what are your thoughts on the full experience now?

I’ve kind of poked fun at P-06 in the past, because at this point it’s like, the fifth “Sonic 2006 PC Remake” project we’ve had. There was:

My own Sonic 2006 2D Project

Baddog(?)’s Sonic 2006 2D Project

Genesis of the Azure Wind for Halo Custom Edition (debatable if this was a Sonic 2006 remake, but it was definitely heavily inspired by it)

Brianuuu’s STH2006 Project for Sonic Generations

Sonic NEXT for Unity

Sonic P-06

(I feel like there was at least one more that I’m forgetting about, too.)

And something shared by all of them is they take various measures to “fix” Sonic 2006. And, well, to put it lightly... all of them are made by amateurs, making amateur decisions.

Sonic NEXT, for example, is way too heavy and fiddly with its controls. It takes a lot of getting used to, even compared to official Sonic games. It also focuses heavily on the beautification of Sonic 2006, and especially in the Crisis City demo, that feels like it takes center stage to actually making a game that controls well. It is still super easy to break the game or to die accidentally. It’s faithful to Sonic 2006 in all the wrong ways.

And then you have STH2006 Project, which I’d liken to porting Mario Kart to the Gran Turismo engine. You can do it, and maybe it’ll even be fun eventually, but it just doesn’t make sense to me.

None of this is to say I think these guys should stop what they’re doing or whatever. If they feel fulfilled by these projects, more power to them. Sometimes you get itches like that and you just have to scratch them. And these sorts of projects can be extremely important in the process of learning what makes a good game -- it’s sort of like how people start learning how to draw by tracing someone else’s work (a real, acceptable learning practice).

But there’s no changing the fact that these are amateur, rough, inelegant works. It could be argued they don’t fix anything at all.

P-06, though, is different. They not only polish everything up in a way that feels right, but they add smart new features, like a homing attack crosshair. The lights in Flame Core now have a trail effect that leads you to the next light. They add little boost rings during the surfing sections of Wave Ocean so you aren’t just watching Sonic surf. It’s much easier to aim bombs when playing as Tails. The energy meter works.

And when they get something wrong, they move quickly to fix it. The controls in the 1.0 demo were too sluggish and weird, so they released demo 1.5 that tightened everything up and made it feel more like the original Sonic Adventure. Flame Core was too dark in demo 2.0, so they released demo 2.5 that brightened up the level and tweaked some other things. And usually these updates follow only a few months after the main release.

And like I said during my stream, I’ve been starting to feel kind of starved for a new Sonic game, so I’ve actually been replaying Demo 2.5 of P-06 for a week or two now. And it’s... kind of won me over. A lot.

There are still levels that are stinkers, but that has less to do with this remake project and more to do with the original game. I don’t think you can fix a level like Tropical Jungle without completely rebuilding the entire level from scratch to be something different. It’s always going to be bad, even if you fix the controls and sand down the rougher edges. The same applies, to a lesser extent, to Dusty Desert, Flame Core, and Aquatic Base. Those are difficult, hazardous, weirdly laid out levels, and there’s only so much you can do with that while still preserving their core essence.

But, overall, taken as a whole, I’m very impressed with the level of speed this project was completed under, and the quality of changes and improvements they’ve made. This is about as close to an ideal overhaul as this game will ever get. It’ll never be perfect, because it’s still Sonic 2006 at its core, and parts of that core will always be a little rotten, but... to cozy up to an ugly meme, I would consider paying money for the completed version of this. It’s certainly better than Sonic Forces or Sonic Lost World, that’s for sure.

I hope they do a 3.5 demo at SAGE, though. The snowboarding section at White Acropolis feels a little chaotic because you’re moving so fast and the path down the mountain is so dense with enemies and things. The camera and stuff feels a little jittery, too.

I also feel like I take way more accidental damage now. It really cannot be understated how it feels like enemies fire on you almost INSTANTLY, the MOMENT they appear, which has the side effect of you taking damage any time you go in to strike. I don’t like the idea that you need to give enemies space for a second or two before hitting them. The player should always come out on top for pressing the first-hit advantage, especially in a Sonic game where the point is going fast.

Still, good on them for making this project, and I’m paying close attention for future releases. They’re basically the furthest along as anyone ever has been for these things -- the only one to get any further than this was Baddog’s Sonic 2006 2D, which also had all of Sonic’s boss fights.

[isolaradiale]

Lost in Space #36

Howdy, Isolans! We have conducted an activity check for the month of October!

If your character isn’t on this list, make sure to check this page to see how many stars that character has earned this month! Stars can be used for purchases at the marketplace.

The blogs that were removed from the Isola Radiale masterlist are under the cut. Note that both blogs with broken links and deactivated accounts will be included both at the top of this list and in their proper categories.

If you were removed in error, please simply send a re-application message. Several different people work on the activity checks, so it’s possible there are mistakes! If this happens to you, you will be able to keep everything you previously had, you just may be placed in a different residence.

Our general activity rules regarding checks are as follows:

Make at least two in-character posts during a calendar month (for instance, if the activity check is for January, have two in-character posts between the 1st and 31st of January).

Only one meme response of 300+ words counts as activity.

One-liners or minis not tagged #isola mini also do not count.

Please Note: If you are removed during two consecutive activity checks, you will not be allowed to re-apply as that character for two calendar months.

Additionally, anyone removed during the activity check will have a 12-hour window from the time of posting to re-claim their character. Any character not reclaimed during that period will be open to the community at large.

Please send in your reapplications from the account of the character that was removed.

Broken URLs

Ayaka Kamisato (TOWNHOUSE 210) [Broken Link]

AI:THE SOMNIUM FILES

Aiba (HOUSE 127)

AVATAR

Toph Beifong (CONDO 419)

BORDERLANDS

Gaige the Mechromancer (HOUSE 122)

CRASH BANDICOOT

Crash Bandicoot (TOWNHOUSE 216)

DESTINY

Mithrax (APARTMENT 307)

DISNEY

Prince Edward (CONDO 408)

FATE

Rider (Medb) (Medb’s castle (Mistwood))

FINAL FANTASY

Haurchefant Greystone (HOUSE 134)

Warrior of Light (Bard - Webeta Snabeta) (HOUSE 119)

GENSHIN IMPACT

Ayaka Kamisato (TOWNHOUSE 210) [Broken Link]

Xiao (CONDO 401)

GOLDEN KAMUY

Hyakunsosuke Ogata ( Wildcat's Perch (Mistwood))

HELLBOY

Hellboy (TOWNHOUSE 232)

HOLLOW KNIGHT

Broken Vessel (CONDO 409)

Hollow Knight (HOUSE 133)

IDENTITY V

Emma Woods (The Gardener) (HOUSE 113)

LIBRARY OF RUINA

Jae-Heon (APARTMENT 318)

MEGA MAN

Bass (HOUSE 129)

Roll Light (TOWNHOUSE 202)

MY HERO ACADEMIA (BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA)

Shigaraki Tomura (The League of Villains’ Mansion (Cotes))

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

Misato Katsuragi (HOUSE 105)

NIER

Rion (APARTMENT 318)

ORIGINAL CHARACTER

Amos Crane (TOWNHOUSE 228)

Beau Wilder Cinderwhite (APARTMENT 308)

Gabriel VaRossa (APARTMENT 315)

Meizhen (HOUSE 103)

Phatonus (APARTMENT 320)

Riku Haruna (APARTMENT 326)

THE OWL HOUSE

Eda Clawthorne (HOUSE 101)

Lilith Clawthorne (CONDO 416)

POKEMON

Ambertwo (CONDO 410)

Hilda (APARTMENT 326)

Mewtwo (Respite (The City of Glass))

RWBY

Roman Torchwick (CONDO 425)

SAINTS ROW

The Boss (The Boss’ Penthouse (Golden))

SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER

Adora (TOWNHOUSE 212)

Catra (CONDO 415)

Entrapta (CONDO 420)

SHOVEL KNIGHT

Specter Knight (HOUSE 104)

STEVEN UNIVERSE

Jasper (HOUSE 109)

TALES OF

Genis Sage (Raine’s House (Cotes))

Milla Maxwell (APARTMENT 307)

Mithos Yggdrasill (APARTMENT 312)

TEAM FORTRESS

Medic (APARTMENT 311)

TOUHOU

Rinnosuke Morichika (Kourindou (Mistwood))

TWISTED WONDERLAND

Deuce Spade (TOWNHOUSE 211)

Yuu (The Prefect) (HOUSE 112)

VINCENT: THE SECRET OF MYERS

Draco Edgeworth (HOUSE 110)

[proserpoet]

Mga Tradisyon sa Holy week at Sugat

Anlaking Lunes Santo at nagkasugat ako.

Tuwing hapon, sinasabayan ko sina Mama at Papa sa pag-stroll ng mga aso upang makapagbawas. Palagi nila itong hinihintay. Apat silang makukulit na aso. Sila na mismo ang nangungulit. Kung kami ay nakahiga, agad na nilulundagan. Umuungol at animo’y umiiyak kung hindi pa nailalabas. Madalas sila na mismo ang kumukuha ng kanilang ‘bra’ para ipasuot sa kanila. Matatalino rin sila. Tila ba, pinatutunayan nila ‘yong eksperimento ni Pavlov tungkol sa classical conditioning.

Habang naglalakad sila, dahan-dahan ko namang pinagugulong ang bisekleta nang sa ganoon makapag-ehersisyo naman. Panay Netflix at couch surfing lang ang aking ginagawa. Kailangan ko ring gumalaw-galaw.

Target ko sanang magkapag-ikot ng 20 beses na may tig-da-dalawang sets. Mga 500 metro rin naman ang haba ng di tapos na kalsada sa loob ng subdivision. Doon ko pinagugulong ang bisekleta. Nasa pang-walong set na ako nang biglang tumagilid ang sinasakyan kong bisekleta. Nadiskaril kasi ang kadena nito at iyon, natumba at nadaganan ang binti ko.

Galos, pasa at sugat lang naman ang mga natamo. Biglang nanlabo ang mga mata nang makitang unti-unti nang nahuhulma ang kulay pula sa aking binti. Dugo na unti-unting lumalabas sa hiwa. Sa katulad kong hemaphobic, nakapanghihina ang dugo. Di pa magawang masakyan ang bisekleta kasi nga di na umiikot ang pedal. Dala na rin ng takot, binitbit na lang ito papauwi sa amin.

Agad akong inalalayan ni Mama kasi alam niyang hinihimatay talaga ako kapag may dugo. Dito na pumasok ang mga alaala ng kabataan kung saan ito’y binalikan. Habang nililinis ni Mama ang sugat, ginambala ako ng kuwentong pantakot noong kabataan. Bawal magkasugat sa panahon ng kwaresma.

Sa tuwing sasapit ang pagpasok ng kwaresma, nakaugalian na ng pamilya na gawin ang karaniwang ginagawa ng mga katoliko.

Ewan, subalit sa tuwing sasapit ang linggong ito, nagsisimula nang maging tahimik ang lahat. Pakiramdam ko nagiging mabigat ang hangin, marahil dulot na rin na ang karamihan ay nagtitika at nag-aayuno. Ang mga pinapalabas sa telebisyon kung hindi man replay ay mga palabas na may kinalaman sa pagsubok sa iyong pananampalataya.

Tandang-tanda ko pa, linggo, alas-3 nang umaga, naghahanda na kami ni Mama upang magsimba bitbit ang palapas para salubungin ang lingo ng palaspas. Para sa aming mag-anak, hudyat ito ng pagsisimula ng 'pag-aayuno' sa pagpasok ng kwaresma. Hindi kami bumibili ng palaspas na may bendisyon dahil hindi ito tama. Paulit-ulit na paalala ng mga pari sa simbahan. Kami mismo ang dapat lumalahok sa seremonya at pabasbasan ito.

Wala kaming ibang ginagawa sa linggong ito kundi, mangumpisal (kung di mahaba ang pila), lumahok sa mga prusisyon at making sa salita ng Diyos.

Tuwing Huwebes, alas-2 pa lang ng hapon ay na sa simbahan na ang mag-anak para lumahok sa Last Supper Mass and Washing of feet. Kahit na alas-5 pa ng hapon ito mangyayari, gusto ni Mama nang maaga dahil ayaw niyang walang maupuan. Blockbuster kasi ang simbahan. Dito mo makikita ang maraming tao. Mga dati at bagong mukha na iyong makikita. Mga kasabayan na katulad mo ay malalaki na at ang iba ay may sarili ng pamilya. Sa loob ng isang taon, malaki ang pinagbago ng mga dating nakasalamuha subalit ganoon pa rin, naglalaan ng panahon para sa Panginoon.

Matagal na matapos ang misang ito kasi huling misa na ito. Wala nang susunod. Mahaba kasi laman nito ang buong kaganapan sa buhay ni Hesus at huling gabi niya kasama ang kanyang mga apostoles. Sa pagkakaalala ko, buong Sorrowful mysteries ang laman nito. Tapos, ipaparada ang Holy Grail patungo sa lalagyan nito at ito ang magiging hudyat na tapos na ang misa. Walang final blessing dahil mangyayari na ito sa pasko ng pagkabuhay o Easter Sunday. Tuloy-tuloy na ang vigil hanggang mag-umaga para sa via crucis na susunda ng veneration of the cross at siyete palabras.

Sa Sabado de Gloria naman, alas-5 pa lang, nandoon na kami sa simbahan. Ang misa ay alas-7:30 pa at matatapos ng bandang alas-11 ng gabi. Oo, mahaba ang misa. Minsan, nababagot ako. Parang ayaw ko na nga lang umattend kaso obligasyon din namin ito bilang katoliko. Tsaka, sa ganitong paraan ko/namin pinapakita ang pagpapahalaga sa paggunita sa ginawang pagpapasakit at kamatayan ni Hesus. Maliban sa bibinyagan ang apoy at tubig, babasahin din ang salaysay sa pagkakabuo ng daigdig na nakatala sa aklat ni Genesis hanggang sa pagkabuhay muli ni Hesuskristo. Kumbaga, anticipated mass na ito for Easter Sunday.

Sa labas ng mga gawain sa loob ng simbahang katolika, tuloy naman ang patalbugan ng mga Nanay sa pagluluto ng kanilang especialty tuwing kuwaresma. Mga pinaghalo-halong sahog ng kamote, saging, ube, gabi, landing, sago, na niluto sa gata ng niyog at maraming asukal. Binignit ang tawag naming dito. Marami ngang klase ng pagbabaybay nito subalit isa lang ang tinutukoy. Sa katunayan, ginagawan na ito ng iba’t ibang memes online na sa tingin ko tayong mga Bisaya lang ang nagkakaintindihan; na sa kabila ng hirap ng buhay, kahit walang budget, basta makapaghain ng binignit, kompleto na ang kuwaresma.

Nariyan din ang biko na gawa sa malagkit na bigas, gata ng niyog at sandamakmak na asukal. Masarap sapagkat ubog ng tamis subalit nakakaumay kung mapaparami ka ng kain. Hindi naman ito basta-bastang napapanis lalo na kapag inilagay sa loob ng ref. sa katunayan, lalo pa itong sumasarap.

Maliban sa mga pagkaing ito, nakasanayan na ring hindi kumain ng karne ng baboy. May pagkakataon na, kumakain kami ng karne kasi nga, ayaw ng mga utol ko. May isda mangilan-ngilan lang at mahal pa. Madalas, hindi na kami nagluluto. Bumibili na lamang kami ng inihaw na isda o kaya lechon manok.

Tanda ko rin na bawal ang maligo kapag lagpas alas-3 ng hapon kasi, wala na ang Panginoon. Nakakawalang-galang ito sa Kanya at ang ginawang pagpapapakamatay para sa ating mga kasalanan. Kayabago pa man mag-a-alas-3, nakaligo na ang lahat. Bawal kumanta, magsasasayaw at gumawa ng anomang ingay. Pinakikiramdaman ng bawat isa ang pagluluksa ng buongsimbahang katolika ang kamatayan ni Hesus.

Dagdag pa dito, diumano, naglalabasan ang mga mangkululam at mambabarang dahil lumalakas ang kanilang kapangyarihan sa panahong ito. Nagre-recharge sila upang makabawi sa mg lumipas na buwan. Isang beses lamang sa isang taon ito nangyayari. Sabi pa nga ng Yaya Borja ko, sa ilalim ng kanilang tahanan ay may kuwebang nakahimlay na hindi bukas sa tao. Tanging mga manggagamot lamang ang nakakapasok dito minsan sa isang taon, at tuwing Biyernes Santo ito nangyayari at sa paglabas nila, may dala ng boteng naglalaman ng langis at iba pang gamit sa panghihilot at panggagamot. Hindi rin basta-bastang pasukin ito dahil pinangangalaagan ito ng malalaking ahas.

Kapag ikaw ay nagkasugat, naku, tiyak matagal itong maghihilom dahil wala na si Hesus. Nagluluksa ang lahat. Kaya iniiwasan na magkasugat kasi lalabas diumano ang ulo ng isang pari kasabay ng walang humpay na paglabas ng dugo.

Natatakot na natatawa ako dahil Lunes Santo at may sugat ako. Natatakot ako nab aka matagal maghihilom ang sugat. Mahihirapan ako nitong maglakad. Natatawa naman ako sa kuwentong baka may ulo ng pari ang lalabas mula rito.

Ilan lamang sa mga naaalala ko habang nililinisan ni Mama ang sugat sa’king paa. Maliban pa dito, hindi ko maaalala na lingo ng pagninilaynilay na pala. Pero, iba ngayon. Iba sapagkat, mag-iisang buwan na kaming tila nag-aayuno. Mga replay ang pinapalabas sa telebisyon. Maagang naging tahimik ang mga lansangan. Walang ingay ng pagpupunyagi ang maririnig. Lahat ay tila nagtitika. Mabigat ang pakiramdam. Marami ang namamatay.

Hindi ito linggong ng pagtitika o pag-aayuno. Ito ang katotohanang aming kinakaharap. Sinusubok hindi lamang ang aming pananampalataya kundi maging ang aming paniniwala—sa sarili, sa isa’t isa. Maraming pamilya ang nagkahihiwa-hiwalay, bawal yumakap at humalik. Bawal nang malapitang pakikisalamuha. Tila ito ang naging 'new normal' sa pagtama ng covid-19 sa bansa.

Sa pagtama ng pandemya sa bansa, mahirap na mahinuha ang tunay na nararamdaman ng bawat isa. Tila sinusubok ang katatagan naming bilang tao at bilang Pilipino. Walang ibang paraan upang mapangalagaan ang sarili sa nakamamamatay na sakit na ito kundi lumayo sa ibang tao at manatili sa tahanan. Hindi lamang ang Pilipinas ang humaharap sa pagsubok na ito kundi ang buong mundo.

Itong sugat sa aking binti, alam kong ito ay maghihilom. Oo, nag-iiwan ng peklat subalit ang sugat sa loob ng puso dulot ng walang humpay na pangungulila ay kailanma'y nag-iiwan ng labis na kapighatian. Kaya, wala akong Karapatan na mag-inarte dahil sa sakit na nararamdaman datapwa’y kinakailangan akong magpakatatag dahil sa panahon ngayon, marami sa amin ang sinusubok, walang puwang ang kaunting galos sa mundong naghihikahos at nababalot ng takot.

Ganoon pa man, ang linggong ito ay nakalaan para higit lalong pagbigkisin ang paniniwala natin. Kaya, alam kong ang gasgas sap aa ko ay mawawala subalit ang pananalig ko sa Kanya ay hindi kailanman manghihina, may pandemya man o wala.

[forever-dreaming-cullen]

First Lines

Again, sorry for taking so long to do these. I was tagged by the lovely and just wedded @princessvicky01 — congratulations! — to copy the opening lines of my last ten fics, look for patterns, and then tag 10 of my favorite authors. Thank you so much for thinking of me!

Ok, counting back from the latest: Some are NSFW, so be aware of that. :)

White Noise - Dark!Cullen smut where he uses sex to cope with his issues.

Finally, it’s night time, and he can shed his armor and the façade of the controlled and ever-proper Commander.  He undresses with economical movements and slips a short silk robe over his naked body. The fabric sighs across his skin, making him purr. It’s  a welcome change from the rough fabrics and leathers he usually wears.  He belts it loosely around his slim waist and crosses to his nightstand.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme - Multi-chaptered Cullen romance featuring an original non-inquisitor character

The Commander’s tent was slightly larger than the other tents in the army’s camp and set off a little from the rows of those housing the troops. Healer Eala Arnal brushed her clammy hands along the sides of her skirts as she walked up to the tent’s entrance.

In the Heat of Summer - Second person narrative written for Cullen Appreciation Week 2017 featuring a sparring shirtless Cullen and an ambiguous female inquisitor

The summer sun high in the sky greets you as you exit the Great Hall, trying to escape the endless prattle and demands of the simpering nobles your position forces you to deal with. As the cool breeze fluttering through the tree branches ghosts over your hot skin, you sigh in relief, happy to be free of the stifling air inside the keep.

One Night in Skyhold - Cullen smut written for DA Kink Meme wherein our Commander has enough of waiting for his Inquisitor and takes what he wants from her.

It’s late. He should be sleeping; that’s what he keeps telling himself, but his legs won’t carry him back to his tower and his lonely bed.   Instead, he stands in front of the door to the Inquisitor’s private chambers, debating with himself about whether he should go up.

The Girl Can’t Help It - Written in response to a comment to an earlier story, this one-shot features the protagonist of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, and is the genesis for it.

Eala hurried along the battlements, the chill evening wind lifting her hair from her shoulders. If she didn’t hurry, she would be late, and even though he wouldn’t scold her for it, she would feel bad about making him wait for her. She remembered the first time she had attended him as if it were yesterday. She had been so intimidated by his very presence that she could do little but respond to him in squeaked “yes, Sers” and no, Sers.”

One Good Turn Deserves Another (Or Cullen Repays the Inquisitor) - Written based on a couple of comments on another fic, this is just Cullen smut wherein Cullen does what he’s apparently really good at, based on the fact that it’s its own tag on AO3!

He looked at Evelyn standing before him, that soft smile on her face that made him want to kiss her until they both passed out from lack of air.

Oakmoss and Elderflower - A fic based on a headcanon related to a snippet of multi-player dialog about how Cullen smells.

Perrine watched her Commander as he shifted in his seat for the tenth time in as many minutes.  He was still paying attention to the discussion around the War Table, but she could tell he was struggling. The lines on his forehead and between his eyebrows were scored more deeply than usual, and purple shadows bloomed like bruises beneath his honey-colored eyes.

Oil and Fantasy - Cullen smut featuring the Commander and his hand

Cullen sighed as he stretched out naked on his bed. His day was done, he’d had his bath, and his doors were locked. Perhaps he should just go to sleep; his limbs were heavy as were his eyelids. He ran a hand over his face, his stubble rasping against his palm. It had been a long day, full of meetings, reports, and training recruits that seemed to get younger and more clueless every day. He rolled his shoulders, listening to them pop and crackle in the silence of his loft. Maker, he was exhausted.

Learning to Please Him - Oh, Maker, more Cullen smut! The Inquisitor pleasures her Commander with her mouth,

Evelyn sits on her bed, sketchbook in hand, doodling while she waits for Cullen to arrive. She has already bathed and washed her hair, which she has gathered at her nape in a loose queue, her curls tumbling down her back, except for the few ringlets that have escaped capture and are dangling around her face.

Treading the Path of Nightmares - Features angsty Knight-Captain Cullen exercising out his demons. Look, it’s not smut!

He’s curled up in a ball of misery in one corner of a glowing blue cage, alone now. How many days has it been since the last of his friends were taken? Two? Five? Ten? He can’t count them anymore.

Notes: Apparently I write a lot of Cullen smut, first of all. And I tend to start in the characters’ heads and describing the setting.

As for tagging, I tag @ekoorb03,  @x-elfled-x, @kaoruyogi, @kauriart, @kagetsukai, @fereldenpeach, @alleiradayne @melaena @slothquisitor and @novamm66

As always , no pressure, and if you don’t have time or don’t want to, you don’t need to do this.

[babyitsmagic]

@ofviolentdeath sent: ❛ do you like it when i bleed for you? ❜ Genesis to Sage (yes, I am a monster)

"Yes," she hissed. "Is that really a question you needed to ask?"

[babyitsmagic]

" Who am I to you? " Sage and Genesis

@ofviolentdeath

"...more important than I was expecting. Not that I'd be completely wrecked if something happened to her, but I've grown more fond than I ever really thought I would. I like Gen. She's fun. And not just in the bedroom. I'd rather not get any more attached, though. Azazel will absolutely try using her against me if he thinks it'll work."

[babyitsmagic]

truth serum: Sage, do you care if Genesis lives or dies?

@ofviolentdeath || truth serum meme (still accepting!)

“This feels like an overestimation of our interactions. I mean, I have no desire to be the reason she gets killed – both because her family is fucking terrifying and I have no interest in crossing them, and I say that as a person who was raised by Azazel of all people. And also because I like her well-enough that I don’t wish her permanent harm. But I wouldn’t be emotionally destroyed if she died. I’d be both pissed off and more than a little terrified if Azazel decided to kill her to get to me, because I think her family would take that out on me, too. But if she just… died? I’d be a bit disappointed, but I don’t think I’d be terribly devastated by it.”

[babyitsmagic]

@ofviolentdeath sent: “Say you do not care for me. Tell me you feel nothing and I will walk away.” Okay but Genesis to Sage or Fulton to Howell? Or both, really, just fuck me up with that sweet, sweet angst.

"Will you? Will anything actually convince you that we can't keep doing this? Because I'm beginning to think nothing actually will."

[babyitsmagic]

❓ Sage from Genesis

@ofviolentdeath || Send ❓  and my muse will answer all questions honestly.    

Does my muse trust yours?   

"...huh. Interesting. As much as I trust anyone, I guess? Like it's not a flat no, but it's probably not the same amount of trust other people feel."

Does my muse dislike yours?

"Oh, I wouldn't keep coming back if I did. She's the masochist, not me."

Would my muse kill someone for yours?

"I think her family would handle it first, but like, yeah. This isn't even a difficult ask."

Would my muse kill your muse?

"Not unless she betrayed me first. ...maybe if Azazel insisted on it, but I think I could talk him down given the shitstorm that would bring down on both of us. Yeah, actually on second thought, I think I'd rather be on Azazel's shit list than on her family's. So no, not unless she betrayed me first."

Would my muse save yours? 

"I guess if she needed it? Or if it was my fault she was in trouble. I think that's what you're supposed to do."

Does my muse find your muse attractive? 

"This is a stupid fucking question. Of course I do."

Is my muse disgusted by yours? 

"Again, stupid question."

would my muse go on a date with your muse?  

"We don't really do dates. This is more of a hookup situation. I'm not romantic and I don't think she'd be into me if I were."

would my muse kiss yours?  

"And then some."

would my muse betray yours?   

"Again, not looking to get onto her family's shit list."

my muse’s favorite thing about yours is ____

"I think it's pretty clear that I'm into the masochism thing."

the thing my muse dislikes about yours is_____

"She's probably already too attached."

[babyitsmagic]

🐤 Sage about Genesis xD

@ofviolentdeath

[linesofmagic]

Genesis and Sage because why the fuck not

 @ofviolentdeath || send me a pair name and I’ll tell you what I think it would be like if they had a child.

Name: Ellery

Gender: male, but will respond to any pronouns

General Appearance: mostly t-shirts and jeans. sort of just whatever’s in style. not a picky dude. has his ears pierced and has gotten a couple of tattoos over the years

Personality: super chill. very good at rolling with whatever’s happening. got his parents’ terrible taste in dating.

Special Talents: a shifter! a red panda specifically.

Who they like better: oh genesis for SURE.

Who they take after more: i’d say he’s a pretty even mix? in good and bad ways.

Personal Head canon: azazel gave him to sage, which makes her nervous, because she knows it makes him both something to be used against her and that he probably has plans for him too.

Face Claim: arch.ie ren.aux