#though. speaking of cows. ‘cow’ (in a c e r t a i n c h i n e s e d i a l e c t) was allegedly my brother’s first word as a kid

[deus-ex-mona]

we are united in a common cause on this ✨#blessed✨ day

[gone4neow]

MIGHTY | ⓅⒸⓎ

c h a p t e r o n e

- park chanyeol x oc

- mulan rewrite [very loosely inspired by the disney version]

- warnings : cursing, dark themes, extreme violence

- work count : 3,457

previous chapter or next chapter

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Working the cart at the street market was always a thrill. It wasn't that the job was particularly fun, but it was certainly never boring. Some customers were regulars who showed up weekly, but new customers came and went often. Some of the farmworkers loved working at the market simply because they adored the socialization that came with the job, but Eunyeong felt indifferent towards the job. It was nice to get off the farm and see what was going on in town, but sometimes the interactions with the townspeople really ruined the job for her. Elderly women judged her for not being at home with a family to take care of, younger women did little to hide their envy of her position, and men of all ages seemed to have a personal agenda to remind her that she was horrible for working a man's job. Ignoring these people had become a sort of second nature for her.

She had woken up that morning with dread in her bones. It was her turn to manage the cart at the market today. Her uncle had told her that if she could do this job two times a month then he would allow her to work on his farm. The prospect of having a job was enough to make her agree to any terms he had for her. At first, she was absolutely miserable after working in the market. It was difficult and it took a huge toll on her mental health after receiving harsh criticism all day long. There were multiple occasions where she had cried; the fear that she had been in over her head when seeking out a job haunted her. It was her father who had encouraged her to keep going. Though he didn't understand her extreme need to work alongside men, he hated to see her spirit so defeated.

"You are different, Eunyeong. This world isn't ready for a woman like you. If you let them bring you down now, then they will never be ready. If you want them to understand, you're going to have to make them understand. Push forward. Fight for what you want," he had told her weeks ago. "I believe in you. Now you have to believe in yourself."

She had taken his words to heart. He was right, just as he usually was. She adored her father. Though many saw the man as a stony figure with a hard exterior, she knew that his heart was soft and full of love. He was brave, compassionate, and cared deeply for those closest to him. If there was ever an idol figure in her life, it was him. Even when her mother scolded her for pursuing her personal goals, her father had been there ready to support her wholeheartedly. Because of this, she was eternally grateful.

When she had arrived at the marketplace, her hair was messy and her cheeks were flushed. She had arrived a few minutes late due to oversleeping. Her coworker looked over at her with a judgmental expression on his face before he tossed her a small bag to collect coins in. Relief flooded her chest when the old man turned from her without giving her a lecture about how she should be on time. For the next few hours business went as usual. She worked alongside her coworker in silence, only speaking to customers when spoken to. A gentle smile formed on her face every time she handed over a basket of vegetables, but the customers seem to be wary of her and never returned it. Things were going just fine - that is until a familiar man showed up. He came with three other men. Each had wide smiles on their faces. They were around fifteen years older than Piya was and had all grown up in the same village as she had.

"Eunyeong, it's so lovely to see you here," Howon greeted the woman in a smooth voice. His eyes bore into hers as if they were lasers, analyzing every detail of her soul.

Her stomach twisted, but she smiled a wide, fake smile. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Me?" The man questioned, raising his eyebrows. He hummed as if in deep thought. "I did come here with something very specific in mind today, but it seems I've already found it on my own."

"What would that be?" Eunyeong asked him, the smile on her face faltering. Her hands fumbled around as she pretended to organize the baskets sitting on the table in front of her. She only stopped when the man's right hand shot out and wrapped itself around her wrist. Her movements froze entirely.

"You," Howon said. A smirk formed on his face as his companions laughed behind him. The woman went to pull her arm away from his grasp, but his grip only tightened. She clenched her jaws out of anger. How dare this man?

"What's this?" Her coworker blurted out from beside her. She turned to look at the older man. He looked between her and Howon with confusion.

"Ah! It's nothing, old man. Return to your job," Howon brushed the man off in a patronizing tone. Eunyeong could see her coworker tense up at the man's words.

"Let go of her wrist. We both have jobs to do," He instructed Howon. The younger man scoffed and his grip grew even tighter around Eunyeong's wrist. The pain was nothing compared to the glimmer in the man's eyes. It was as if he was testing her, seeing how far he could push her before he would break her. So she stood taller, lifted her head, and looked at him with a stare that was even more chilling. His thin lips parted in surprise when her free hand wrapped tightly around his wrist. The grip around her wrist lessened as she forced hers tighter.

He hummed as if approving of her actions, but she could see the anger on his features. "What a bold woman you are."

The release of her wrist coaxed Eunyeong to pull her hands away from the man entirely. With one last smirk cast in her direction, the man turned and left the market booth. His followers turned and mirrored his movement.

Eunyeong risked a glance at her coworker, expecting him to be sending her scathing expression. Instead, the old man was staring off at the retreating group of men with a stoic expression on his face. When he finally looked to her, he said, "I'm going to have a talk with your uncle this evening. I'm going to request to share the same schedule as you."

The woman instantly grew nervous. She hadn't meant to cause a scene, but she could already feel that today had been the start of something unfortunate. Usually, her coworkers ignored Howon's behavior altogether, so she never had to worry about her uncle punishing her for any incidents occurring before.

"That's alright. I can manage on my own," she told the man. "It means a lot to me that you care, Jin-kyu, but please don't talk about what happened today with my uncle."

His eyes searched her face for a sign that she was downplaying the situation. He was sure that a young woman like Eunyeong must've been fearful of a hooligan such as the man he had just witnessed. Even after a few seconds had passed, he found no sign of fear. Of course, he was confused by this, but instead of arguing with the woman, he reluctantly nodded his head in agreement with her request. She released a breath of relief before she smiled a polite smile at the man. He gave a low grunt in response and then turned to continue doing his job.

It had been just before the sun began to set that the market began to close for the day. Eunyeong helped Jin-kyu lock up the farm's shop. They each carried a stick with two baskets full of excessive products hanging on the ends. In the royal areas of the country, they may have looked out of place. In the farming area of the country, they looked right at home. It was a common sight to see farmworkers struggling to carry such a weighted stick around on their shoulders. They walked alongside together along the gravel road. Their feet ached, but the pain they would feel later would be worth it. There was pride in working until your body ached. Not because it was fun to feel such pain, but because the pain seemed little when compared to the sight of their families enjoying a meal they had worked so hard to provide.

"Do you think that uncle's cow has gone into labor yet?" Eunyeong spoke up, breaking the silence that had embedded itself between the two farmworkers.

"Should have. Why? Looking forward to seeing the calf?" Jin-kyu responded. She could hear the teasing in his voice. Her mouth had just opened to reply when the old man next to her went crashing down onto the gravels beside her. Eunyeong gasped loudly, throwing the stick on her shoulders to the ground quickly. A figure raced her to Jin-kyu's body and before she could help the man to his feet, he was being turned over onto his back. A fist crashed against the old man's rough face. And then another. Eunyeong screamed out in anger. She kicked the old man's attacked away from his body. Jin-kyu looked up at her with wide eyes. His cheek was already beginning to bruise from the attack.

"Run Eunyeong," he spat out. When his attacker when to touch him again, the woman turned and lifted her discarded stick from the group. She turned and swung the wooden stick at the stranger's back as forcefully as she could manage. He howled with pain and covered the sound of the stick colliding against his figure. Taking advantage of the man's weakened state, she kicked him to the ground again before she rushed to help her coworker stand up. Together they ran towards the farm. Eunyeong held onto her stick as if her life depended on it. Every few seconds she would glance over her shoulder to see if the attacker was still following. He seemed to vanish completely after a few moments passed.

The woman was taken by surprise when she turned her head towards the direction of the farm. It had been so close, yet something was blocking her and Jin-kyu from reaching it. Three men stood in the middle of the pathway. She could recognize one as the previous attacker. Both she and her coworker came to a quick halt. Their chests rose and fell with short, quick breaths.

"Jin-kyu, what should we do?" Eunyeong breathed out. When she looked over at the man he was staring straight ahead with wide eyes. He was as clueless as she was. She grimaced at the realization. They were in trouble now. Her fingers wrapped themselves even tighter around the stick in her hand. If these men were looking for a fight then she would surely do her best to give them one.

The men suddenly raced towards her and the old man next to her. She swallowed nervously before she threw herself in front of Jin-kyu. When the first man reach her, she sent a forceful kick towards him. He grabbed her leg and held it as a blocking mechanism. Without his hands, he wasn't able to block the blow of the stick in the woman's hands. A vibrant ping echoed throughout the evening air as the stick clashed against the man's skull. He staggered backward, his hands flying up to hold his injured head. The woman quickly went to work with the other two men. She swung her stick towards them with confidence. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins as she did her best to defend both herself and Jim-kyu from the men. She was able to get one of the men in the eye with her stick. He cried out with surprise and stumbled into his companion, causing both of their balances to weaken.

Seeing an opportunity open up, she shot her foot out and wrapped it around the uninjured man's ankle before harshly jerking her foot. The man lost his balance completely and crashed to the ground. The other man still held onto his eye. Jin-kyu surprised the woman by swinging his fist at the attacker. The man's hand left his eye as he tried his best to catch his fall. He crashed onto the man who had just gone down seconds before him. The third man suddenly reappeared. He was strong this time, but his focus was no longer on the old man. Now he had a new mission: get rid of the stick in Eunyeong's hands. She fought against his tugs on the stick but ultimately lost her stick. Her eyes widened as a smug expression formed on his face. He snapped the wooden stick over his knee, something that should have been impossible.

"Howon sends a message. He wants you to know that he won't stand for your bold behavior," the man spoke in a deep voice. The other two men stood up soon after. The expression on their faces was less than pleased. The woman screamed in protest as the two men came behind her and held her arms behind her back.

"Eunyeong!" Jin-kyu gasped, stepping towards her. The third man decided at that moment to swing his arm towards the old man's face. Jin-kyu fell onto the ground. He crawled backward as his attacker took a step closer to him. Eunyeong struggled against the men's hold on her arms. Desperation was crawling up her arms and across her chest. If the man was too rough with Jin-kyu then he would kill him. She watched as the man pulled his fist back, ready to deliver yet another blow to the old man. Her eyes narrowed as she watched. Never before in her life had she felt so useless. The man moved his arm, but he wasn't able to land a punch. A blurry figure had tackled the attacker to the ground. Eunyeong could feel the men behind her move and her arms were free. She rushed to Jin-kyu's side and helped him back to his feet quickly. Instead of fighting, she decided to hold onto his hand and rush away from the scene and towards the farm.

She didn't spare a glance over her shoulder. Her heart was pounding and a light layer of sweat coated her skin. She didn't stop running, even when she and the old man had gone through the farm's entrance. Her feet only came to a stop when she had entered her uncle's office. He sat on the floor in front of a table with tea sitting on it. When he got a good look at the frantic pair in front of him, he shot up from his place on the floor.

"What's happened?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"A damned barbarian boy from the market sent his monkeys to attack us!" Jin-kyu growled out. Eunyeong's eyes widened as she looked over the old man.

"Why would he do that?" Her uncle questioned. She looked over at the middle-aged man. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked between her and her fellow farm worker.

Jin-kyu pulled his wrist away from Eunyeong's grasp. She hadn't even noticed that she was still holding onto the man. "He's infatuated with her. Showed up at the market earlier today and tried running over her like some big man. Must've gotten mad that she stood her ground."

Eunyeong's uncle looked her in the eyes. She could see the shock swimming in his dark irises. "Is this true?"

"Jin-kyu has never been a liar," she breathed out.

"If there's trouble like this happening because of you, girl, then I refuse to allow you to work on my farm any longer." Her uncle told her with a stern voice.

"Uncle, it isn't my fault-"

"I don't give a damn whose fault it is!" The man roared, cutting off her words before she could finish speaking. Her eyes widened at the man's outburst. She had never been spoken to by him in such a manner.

"Sir, she didn't mean to cause any trouble. It was the man's fault," Jin-kyu came to her defense. "She works hard."

Her uncle stared at her a few seconds longer before he turned to face the wall behind him. His hand raised to rest on his hips as he scoffed with disbelief. He stayed this way for a minute or so before he suddenly turned and pointed a finger at his niece.

"Let's go. I'll walk you home tonight. It's too dangerous for you to be on your own," he told her.

The tense woman turned to look at her coworker and bowed. "Please get some rest tonight. I am sorry for causing you trouble."

The man didn't say a word to her. She briefly met his eyes before she slipped out into the evening air. Her uncle followed closely behind her. There was a tense silence between the two as they walked through the farm fields and towards her home. She could see her mother's figure on the porch, watching as the two approached from the distance. When they finally arrived, her mother took one look at her and began clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"You look filthy child," the woman scolded her. Eunyeong could only look down at her dirty hands with shame. How would she face her father after causing such a disturbance for the farm? It was only a matter of seconds before her uncle would begin explaining why she would no longer be permitted to work.

"Where is my brother?" The man beside her asked. She almost winced at his tone. Her mother's eyes grew bigger at the sound. They averted from her uncle's face and fell onto Eunyeong.

"He's inside. His leg is hurting him more than usual today," Eunyeong's mother explained. "What's wrong?"

The man glanced down at his niece. She could feel his eyes on her. Shame was burning her skin. "I need to speak to him for a moment."

The young woman watched as her mother stepped aside, giving her uncle complete access to the entrance of the house. He did not hesitate in walking inside.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," Eunyeong spoke slowly. Her head was bowed with shame. "Uncle is going to forbid me from working on the farm any longer."

She heard her mother draw in a deep breath. For a moment she thought this was due to surprise brought on by the news. She was corrected when her mother sighed and said, "It was only a matter of time. Women are not meant to be farmworkers."

Her mother's words were more painful than her uncle's had been even when he was yelling at her. Her shoulders dropped while her eyes quickly glossed over with tears. Knowing that she had let down her family was the worst feeling she had ever felt. A blade in her heart would have been less painful than the feeling she experienced at that moment. Footsteps approached the entrance of the house. Her uncle was already departing? She couldn't look up. She didn't want him to see her shameful expression or the tears in her eyes. The feeling of his eyes on her felt like the sun's rays on the hottest summer day. The air in her lungs got stuck in her throat. The man didn't say a word to her, but bid good night to her mother. He bowed and then he left.

Her mother didn't waste another second outside. She listened as the woman retreated into their home and when she knew the woman was gone completely she dropped to her knees. Her head raised so that her eyes could take in the evening sky. Silent curses left her parted lips as her hands swatted away stray tears. The universe had given her an opportunity to prove herself worthy and she had failed to do that. It hurt to know that even her best was not enough.

"I won't give up," she whispered to the empty sky. It was a promise to both herself and the universe that tonight's events wouldn't hold her back from pursuing her goals. She would show her parents that she could do it. She would continue to put food on the table for them. Nothing, not even a foolish man like Howon, could stop her.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Rupelramphastoides knopfi

By Ripley Cook 

Etymology: Barbet from the Rupelian

First Described By: Mayr, 2005

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Coraciimorphae, Cavitaves, Eucavitaves, Picocoraciae, Picodynastornithes, Piciformes, Pici, Ramphastides?

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Between 31 and 30 million years ago, in the Rupelian of the Oligocene of the Paleogene 

Rupelramphastoides is known from the Bott-Eder Grube-Unterfeld Quarry of Baden-Württemberg, Germany 

Physical Description: Rupelramphastoides is the oldest known barbet-like bird - the barbets being a group of tree-dwelling birds that includes the iconic Toucans, though most barbest don’t have nearly as impressive beaks. This bird resembled its modern relatives in a lot of ways, which is notable given how old it is (still in the Paleogene, aka the first period of the time of modern birds). However, it is also one of the smallest members of the group overall, with very long and slender bones in its foot like modern toucans. Still, it had a small beak - more like non-toucan barbets - and a much smaller size than the living toucans. It had long and narrow arm bones but shorter fingers, giving the wings a more squat appearance at the ends. In general, its legs were slender, as were its toes, so perhaps Rupelramphastoides represents a transitional form between most barbets and the very weird toucans, though this is just conjecture. It probably wouldn’t have gotten much longer than 9 centimeters in overall body length, and it had a small head with a robust triangular beak.

Diet: It is uncertain what Rupelramphastoides ate, but like living barbets and toucans it probably mainly ate fruit, with mainly some supplementing of its diet with insects.

Behavior: Rupelramphastoides would have probably spent most of its time in the trees, hopping around and walking from branch to branch in search of food. It then probably would have stretched about to try and get food, using its beak to chomp into berries and other fruits. It could also use its long and skinny legs to stand up tall and reach food that it couldn’t otherwise. It probably lived in small flocks rather than big ones, and took care of their young. They also probably didn’t migrate. Like other members of the Pici, it was probably at least somewhat brightly colored, and used color in display to one another.

By Scott Reid

Ecosystem: Rupelramphastoides lived in a coastal/bay area, filled with estuaries and streams leading out into the ocean. This was a very lush habitat, filled to the brim with plants from algae ferns and cycads; to conifers, palms, roses, asterids, beeches, oaks, and cypresses. This dense coastal forest transitioned into water-based plants, and its possible there was some sort of a coastal swamp (a proto-mangrove swamp, even?) in the area. This is fascinating as this habitat existed just at the time of the global rainforest collapse, and the transition of the world into more varied and arid habitats - clearly, this particular coastal swamp was not hit by this event. Dozens of kinds of fish lived here, including things like trumpetfish, boarfishes, eels, ladyfish, sea robins, rockfish, shrimpfish, pipefish, sailfin moonfishes, halfbeaks, sea breams, weevers, and so many others that I just have to stop now. There were sharks and rays present as well, though not in as much diversity as the ray-finned fish. Insects such as beetles, flies, and butterflies were present, as well as spiders, crustaceans, snails, slugs, clams, oysters, and other invertebrates. Plenty of turtles were also present. Mammals were rarer in this habitat, but included extinct relatives of modern sea cows and bats; and a predatory Hyaenodont named Apterodon. Many different kinds of dinosaurs lived here alongside Rupelramphastoides, including the early hummingbird Eurotrochilus, the buttonquail Turnipax, the tody Palaeotodus, the (rare example of a) fossilized songbird Wieslochia, the mousebird Oligocolius, the trogon Primotrogon, the loon Colymboides, and the seabird Rupelornis that vaguely resembled modern albatrosses and petrels. In short, you could see a wide variety of ocean-going and tree-dwelling birds, as one would expect in a forested esturary area, and Rupelramphastoides probably mostly had to worry about predation from they Hyaenodonts in the area, rather than other birds.

Other: The exact phylogenetic affinities of Rupelramphastoides are very murkey, because a phylogenetic analysis has never been done on this dinosaur. Morphologically speaking it seems to be somewhere in the Barbet-Toucan clade, with similarities to both non-toucan barbets and the toucans, but it also has traits of other members of Pici such as the honeyguides, piculets, and woodpeckers, and so it can’t really be confirmed as a member of Ramphastides for now.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Frey, E., W. Munk, M. Böhme, M. Morlo, and M. Hensel. 2010. First creodont carnivore from the Rupelian Clays (Oligocene) of the Clay Pit Unterfeld at Rauenberg (Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg): Apterodon rauenbergensis n.sp. Kaupia 17:103-113

Mayr, G. 2000. A new mousebird (Coliiformes: Coliidae) from the Oligocene of Germany. Journal of Ornithology 141(1):85-92

Mayr, G. 2004. Old World fossil record of modern-type hummingbirds. Science 304:861-864

Mayr, G. 2005. New trogons from the early Tertiary of Germany. Ibis 147(3):512-518

Mayr, G. 2005. A tiny barbet-like bird from the Lower Oligocene of Germany: the smallest species and earliest substantial fossil record of the Pici (Woopeckers and allies). The Auk 122 (4): 1055–1063.

Mayr, G., and A. Manegold. 2006. New specimens of the earliest European passeriform bird. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51(2):315-323

Mayr, G., and C. W. Knopf. 2007. A stem lineage representative of buttonquails from the Lower Oligocene of Germany – fossil evidence for a charadriiform origin of the Turnicidae. Ibis

Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Mayr, G. 2017. Avian Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance. Topics in Paleobiology, Wiley Blackwell. West Sussex.

Maxwell, E. E., S. Alexander, G. Bechly, K. Eck, E. Frey, K. Grimm, J. Kovar-Eder, G. Mayr, N. Micklich, M. Rasser, A. Roth-Nebelsick, R. B. Salvador, R. R. Schoch, G. Schweigert, W. Stinnesbeck, K. Wolf-Schwenninger, and R. Zeigler. 2016. The Rauenberg fossil Lagerstätte (Baden-Württemberg, Germany): A window into early Oligocene marine and coastal ecosystems of Central Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 463:238-260

Micklich, N. R., J. C. Tyler, and G. D. Johnson, E., Swidnicka and A. F. Bannikov. 2009. First fossil records of the tholichthys larval stage of butterfly fishes (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae), from the Oligocene of Europe. Palaeontologische Zeitschrift 83:479-497

Micklich, N., and L. H. Hildebrandt. 2010. Emergency excavation in the Grube (Unterfeld) Frauenweiler clay pit (Oligocene Rupelian; Baden-Wurttemberg, S Germany): New records and palaeoenvironmental informatino. Kaupia 17:3-21

Micklich, N. 2011. Emergency excavation in the Grube Unterfeld (Frauenweiler) clay pit (Oligocene, Rupelian: Baden-Wurttemberg, S. Germany): New records and palaeoenvironmental information. European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists Program and Abstracts 9:42

Monninger, S., and E. Frey. 2008. Humming birds and sea cows at the foothills of Kraichgau: A unique fossile assemblage in the Reingraben near Karlsruhe. Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists 6:112

Prokofiev, A. M. 2012. Oligocene eel from the Frauenweiler site (Germany). Journal of Ichthyology 52(1):11-18

Wegner, T. 1917. Chelonia gwinneri Wegner from the Rupelton of Flörsheim a. M. Treatises of the Senckenbergische Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 354 : 361-372

[prxschxo]

[ JORDAN CONNOR, 24 , MALE , HE/HIM ] welcome to the du pont institute for the young & gifted, [ PRESTON CHAO ]. you have been accepted as a [ SCHOLARSHIP ] student from [ USA  ], going into your [ SENIOR YEAR ] and majoring in [ SPORTS MEDICINE ]. your peers at the institute say that you are [ +STRONG WILLED  & +CHARMING ], but being [ -HOT HEADED & -BOLD] may be the reason why the police are asking about you. did you think they wouldn’t find out that you were michael’s [ EX-BEST FRIEND ]? [ DUCKIE, 23, SHE/HER, CST ]

Get ready for a muse! Much different than Gabe I am positive that Preston will be fun because he gets in a lot of drama. I really love Preston and I’m sure you will too !! Please feel free to message me if you want any plots or connections!

GENERAL

Name: Preston Morgans

Age: 24

Place of birth: Northchester, New York

Spoken languages: English, learning ASL, chinese

Sexual orientation: heterosexual

Occupation: Student

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Black

Height: 6′4′’

Scars: Chest after car accident

Tattoos: back of both hands; rose on one and wolf on the other.

FAVOURITE

Color: any of the colors that associate with fall; brownish-reds, deep oranges

Entertainment: watching 80′s movies, cooking, listening to crime podcasts, parties

Pastime: beer pong, movies, flirting, reading

Drink: peach soda and double shot espresso

G E N E R A L -

-To be born under a wealthy man might be a blessing to many but for Preston he’d consider it a curse. He is the product of an affair and lives uncomfortably under the roof of a huge secret.

-His mother had become a young cleaning lady for Bruce Langston; leader and CEO of the economical department in the city. He is a huge deal and any scandal can lead him to lose his position, apparently he didn’t care about that when the man had sex and impregnated Preston’s mother despite having a wife. Once she found out she was pregnant Preston’s mother made absolutely sure that she used that for her advantage and so she became a live in maid, had her life paid for and when it came to her child everything that Preston would need would be taken care of. Even if it meant that Preston would forever be casted into the shadows of the family like an ugly scar. 

- This was agreed upon after Bruce’s wife found out and bitterly accepted so her husband would keep his title and money. That was all that the woman carred about after all; not having to give up her rich and lavis lifestyle. But that didn’t mean she was at all accepting of the boy especially when just a few weeks later she became pregnant herself and now there would be two babies under the household that would have to know they were different.

- And the wicked mother she was. She purposely spoiled Preston’s half sibling making sure they had everything. Preston was set for live but they still lived as middle class people so no suspicions were made. Preston always knew he was never going to be treated equally and that was why in his teen years the boy began to rebel in hopes to get caught by his father. 

- Bruce hated the fact that Preston was all just a huge stick in his life. And didn’t exactly treat him all too kindly, even though living in the house was nice Preston was treated just as the secret bastard. Even to his half sibling that was born two years after him they were close, little diana not letting her parents hatred come between her and her only brother. 

-it was sad, the only other person preston loved more than anything and they had to act like they didn’t like each other. but it didn’t stop his young sister from taking care of him and any moment they were able to have together they made sure they had fun. all until they were in public and had to act like they had no relations at all. how hard it was for preston and diana to at like they hated each other but it was what was forced upon them. 

- This led to a few rebellious streaks in his life growing up, hanging out in the poor sections of town, dealing with boys who were not part of the Langston Aesthetic and even getting in a lot of trouble by fighting. This only caused more of a hate for him in the household but as long as he was only seen as the maids boy to the town he got away with it. This family secret was deep. So much so when it came to schooling and his mother’s push that Bruce send Preston to the same schools as his other child, daisy, there was a fake scholarship created in the company that Preston was put under. No one suspected a thing and didn’t have to question why the Langston’s were paying for some no-good maid’s son.

- while in school Preston found the life of underground fighting. Getting bets and fighting in a ring with no rules. Due to his size and build he trained and soon became a top competitor. He was getting the spotlight and loved it, plus there was no better way to get a rush and release his anger then fighting in a ring. 

MEETING MICHAEL VALMONT- 

-Preston always had a hard time setting in with the fact he was a burden and shadow to his father and would lash out. He didn’t know why Michael liked him so much but once Michael found out Preston’s secret he took him under his wing and they practically became brothers. 

-always close, preston didn’t exactly agree with everything Michael did and the two would fight but after a few hours it would be brushed under the rug and forgotten. Except for the final straw. 

-Michael started dating a girl and Preston was instantly drawn to her. Falling for her hard and quick. It wasn’t until Preston and the girl started to hook up that Michael ended their friendship and threatened preston’s secret which meant Preston had to stop seeing the girl and he was down a best friend. this has always been hard on the boy and even after trying to fix it with michael the two would only end up fighting again.  

PERSONALITY &&. HEADCANONS  -

-  Being the literal mistake in the chaotic family Preston is a bit of a bitter person. Eye rolling, stubborn, hot headed, and quick to defend himself.

- He’s had no one to stick up for him at home and he learned to do this on his own; he is hated at home and only has been told to never speak of his family ties, even being forced by his half brother to never speak to him in public. This makes him pushed away. The tall boy in the back of crowds; out of the spotlight. Preston is not allowed to be seen. Not wanted and that affects the way he is motivated to show off his actual skills.

-his mother has been his biggest teacher and he has an everlasting respect for woman because of it. He will find himself too ashamed to ever mistreat a girl in fear of his mother finding out. 

-As much as preston respects girls, he really loves to hook up with them too, not that he wont show them a good time but if he finds his chance with someone he takes it. 

- If he was allowed he’d want to be in art, he’s been a lover of arts since he was a child and he is very good at it but of course he is far too self contentious on being forced down. Preston isn’t even allowed to use his size to play sports and as a result he sneaks off to other cities to fight at night. It’s not safe and he uses a fake name but people cheer for him. They see him it’s the only time he feels at peace… even if that peace is dangerous, illegal, and leaves him in bruises that lead his mother to worry.

-  He loves to party; going out and living the life away from that home of his where he is seen as a burden. It’s fun unless his brother is around and the whole time he just gets hard glares to not embarrass him.

-  Find him sketching in his books, doodling along the pages or in sketchbooks in the halls of courtyards. Don’t be surprised if you become his muse. He loves drawing people.

-  Anger; he’s quick to it no matter how much he doesn’t want to be. He just has been pushed to the side so much that he takes things seriously and any insult will trigger him. Sorry if he fights you, he just finds it easier than anything else. -  Aside from being a hot head though he has taken interest in girls and as most boys do tries to test out his flirtatious ways as much as he can. He might not be the best flirt, as he has been told his scowl and serious attitude seems to drive a pretty girl away at times but he still tries.

C O N N E C T I O N S -

Muse: preston seen this girl around and every time he just... feels something. She makes him happy and even though it might sound creepy... he gets caught more then once sketching her; Fallon Kingsley 

I’ll scratch your back you scratch mine: They don’t really get a long but always help each other out when they need it: Alice

Crush; they are always one moment from hooking up and yet it always ends with one of them pulling away with a nervous smile, could be the girl that ended michael and preston’s friendship; daisy

You annoy the hell out of me; always butting heads and yet they hang around the same people; Alice 

you’re weird but I kinda like you: preston finds him awkward but nice so he still talks to him from time to time; Hugo

Party buddies/wingmen: Preston is a terrible flirt and at least he’s got; cristian

Friends: just close, eats lunch with, drinks peach mixers at parties;  william

Rivals: this person is more than annoying, Preston can’t be in the same room with them without fighting with this person; 

hookup, fwb, one night stands, exes; analyn (he was her first time)

the little sibling he never got; she was one of michael’s ex’s when Preston and Michael were still friends, Preston hated that Michael would brag about sleeping with the girl and preston never felt Michael treated her right, he found she was a good girl and deserved to be treated much better. He still is very protective of her and thinks she’s too good for dupont. soshanna 

his cash cow; The girl has been a past hook up but now, the only thing she hooks up with preston for is the percentage she gets off his winnings. She tells him where to fight, who he’s fighting, and how to win... and preston hands over some of the money he makes. it’s a good thing they have just... don’t tell her they are friends, she denies it every thime.; Sabina

Preston’s half-brother (or sister): this person got everything from his father that he didn’t and it’s all because his father could, and did, show them off to the world. Preston can’t hate his half-sibling but just once he wants to have his father view him as more than just the “maid’s son”. they are close though, and when they are alone they treat each other like the close siblings they with they could be; diana langston

should be girl: her and preston have a strange relationship. they are close but in a way that hurts him every time. They were a strong thing in high school and he got every attached to her, to this day he would do anything for her... which includes being her booty call every time her and her boyfriend break up. He wants nothing but to keep her happy but he knows that she and her boyfriend will always get back together and he would be stuck waiting for the call to drop everything and go to her when she was crying over her boyfriend; Maddy

the girl who changed it all: she was dating michael, and at this time preston and Michael were still at brother status, best friends no matter how much they fought. But when she came into the picture Preston fell head over heels for her and she had her eyes on Preston as well. They snuck around for the whole time saying they just hung out at the gym or were studying. When Michael found out he and preston fought so bad it ruined their friendship for good and even though Michael was no saint he was greedy and knowing preston loved this girl he wanted the boy to suffer. So to make sure of that he told preston that if he still saw his ex he would tell everyone how much more of a relation he has to the towns big bad political CEO. and no one could know that preston was his son. so preston tried to stay away... only to keep hooking up with her on the down low; 

the secret high school hookup: she stole his crayons when they were young and that sparked a feud between them. but a heated feud that had its breaks when the two seemed to be alone... he kissed her in the slide and that opened them up to years of secretly hooking up in high school just for the fun of it. they still act like they hate each other but the door is always open for good memories in between the times they are saying they hate each other; Calla

[pamphletstoinspire]

BOOK OF JOB - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 21

The Book of Job shows how human affairs are ruled by Divine Providence using probable arguments.

"Although you hide these things in your heart, I know that you still remember everything." - (Job speaking to God)  

***

INTRODUCTION.

This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was of the race of Esau, and the same as Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. 33. It is uncertain who was the writer of it. Some attribute it to Job himself; others to Moses, or some one of the prophets. In the Hebrew it is written in verse, from the beginning of the third chapter to the forty-second chapter. Ch. --- The beginning and conclusion are historical, and in prose. Some have divided this work into a kind of tragedy, the first act extending to C. xv., the second to C. xxii., the third to C. xxxviii., where God appears, and the plot is unfolded. They suppose that the sentiments of the speakers are expressed, though not their own words. This may be very probable: but the opinion of those who look upon the work as a mere allegory, must be rejected with horror. The sacred writers speak of Job as of a personage who had really existed, (C.) and set the most noble pattern of virtue, and particularly of patience. Tob. ii. 12. Ezec. xiv. 14. Jam. v. 11. Philo and Josephus pass over this history, as they do those of Tobias, Judith, &c. H. --- The time when Job lived is not clearly ascertained. Some have supposed (C.) that he was a contemporary with Esther; (D. Thalmud) on which supposition, the work is here placed in its chronological order. But Job more probably live during the period when the Hebrews groaned under the Egyptian bondage, (H.) or sojourned in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 9. The Syrians place the book at the head of the Scriptures. C. --- Its situation has often varied, and is of no great importance. The subject which is here treated, is of far more; as it is intended to shew that the wicked sometimes prosper, while the good are afflicted. H. --- This had seldom been witnessed before the days of Abraham: but as God had now selected his family to be witnesses and guardians of religion, a new order of things was beginning to appear. This greatly perplexed Job himself; who, therefore, confesses that he had not sufficiently understood the ways of God, till he had deigned to explain them in the parable of the two great beasts. C. xlii. 3. We cannot condemn the sentiments expressed by Job, since God has declared that they were right, (ib. v. 8) and reprimands Elihu, (C. xxxviii. 2.) and the other three friends of Job, for maintaining a false opinion, though, from the history of past times, they had judge it to be true. This remark may excupate them from the stain of wilful lying, and vain declamation. Houbigant. --- However, as they assert what was false, their words of themselves are of no authority; and they are even considered as the forerunners of heretics. S. Greg. S. Aug. &c. T. --- Job refutes them by sound logic. S. Jerom. --- We may discover in this book the sum of Christian morality, (W.) for which purpose it has been chiefly explained by S. Gregory. The style is very poetical, (H.) though at the same time simple, like that of Moses. D. --- It is interspersed with many Arabic and Chaldaic idioms; (S. Jer.) whence some have concluded, that it was written originally by Job and his friends (H.) in Arabic, and translated into Heb. by Moses, for the consolation of his brethren. W. --- The Heb. text is in many places incorrect; (Houbig.) and the Sept. seem to have omitted several verses. Orig. --- S. Jerom says almost eight hundred, (C.) each consisting of about six words. H. --- Shultens, in 1747, expressed his dissatisfaction with the labours of all preceding commentators. To explain this book may not therefore be an easy task: but we must be as short as possible. H. --- Those who desire farther information, may consult Pineda, (W.) whose voluminous work, in two folios, will nearly (H.) give all necessary information. C.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin.

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 21

Job shews that the wicked often prosper in this world, even to the end of their life: but that their judgment is in another world.

[1] Then Job answered, and said:

Respondens autem Job, dixit :

[2] Hear, I beseech you, my words, and do penance.

Audite, quaeso, sermones meos, et agite poenitentiam.

[3] Suffer me, and I will speak, and after, if you please, laugh at my words.

Sustinete me, et ego loquar : et post mea, si videbitur, verba ridete.

[4] Is my debate against man, that I should not have just reason to be troubled?

Numquid contra hominem disputatio mea est, ut merito non debeam contristari?

[5] Hearken to me and be astonished, and lay your finger on your mouth.

Attendite me et obstupescite, et superponite digitum ori vestro.

[6] As for me, when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

Et ego, quando recordatus fuero, pertimesco, et concutit carnem meam tremor.

[7] Why then do the wicked live, are they advanced, and strengthened with riches?

Quare ergo impii vivunt, sublevati sunt, confortatique divitiis?

[8] Their seed continueth before them, a multitude of kinsmen, and of children's children in their sight.

Semen eorum permanet coram eis, propinquorum turba et nepotum in conspectu eorum.

[9] Their houses are secure and peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them.

Domus eorum securae sunt et pacatae, et non est virga Dei super illos.

[10] Their cattle have conceived, and failed not: their cow has calved, and is not deprived of her fruit.

Bos eorum concepit, et non abortivit : vacca peperit, et non est privata foetu suo.

[11] Their little ones go out like a flock, and their children dance and play.

Egrediuntur quasi greges parvuli eorum, et infantes eorum exultant lusibus.

[12] They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

Tenent tympanum et citharam, et gaudent ad sonitum organi.

[13] They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell.

Ducunt in bonis dies suos, et in puncto ad inferna descendunt.

[14] Who have said to God: Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Qui dixerunt Deo : Recede a nobis, et scientiam viarum tuarum nolumus.

[15] Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?

Quis est Omnipotens, ut serviamus ei? et quid nobis prodest si oraverimus illum?

[16] Yet because their good things are not in their hand, may the counsel of the wicked be far from me.

Verumtamen quia non sunt in manu eorum bona sua, consilium impiorum longe sit a me.

[17] How often shall the lamp of the wicked be put out, and a deluge come upon them, and he shall distribute the sorrows of his wrath?

Quoties lucerna impiorum extinguetur, et superveniet eis inundatio, et dolores dividet furoris sui?

[18] They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth.

Erunt sicut paleae ante faciem venti, et sicut favilla quam turbo dispergit.

[19] God shall lay up the sorrow of the father for his children: and when he shall repay, then shall he know.

Deus servabit filiis illius dolorem patris, et cum reddiderit, tunc sciet.

[20] His eyes shall see his own destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

Videbunt oculi ejus interfectionem suam, et de furore Omnipotentis bibet.

[21] For what is it to him what befalleth his house after him: and if the number of his months be diminished by one half?

Quid enim ad eum pertinet de domo sua post se, et si numerus mensium ejus dimidietur?

[22] Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high?

Numquid Deus docebit quispiam scientiam, qui excelsos judicat?

[23] One man dieth strong, and hale, rich and happy.

Iste moritur robustus et sanus, dives et felix :

[24] His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

viscera ejus plena sunt adipe, et medullis ossa illius irrigantur :

[25] But another dieth in bitterness of soul without any riches:

alius vero moritur in amaritudine animae absque ullis opibus :

[26] And yet they shall sleep together in the dust, and worms shall cover them.

et tamen simul in pulvere dormient, et vermes operient eos.

[27] Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against me.

Certe novi cogitationes vestras, et sententias contra me iniquas.

[28] For you say: Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

Dicitis enim : Ubi est domus principis? et ubi tabernacula impiorum?

[29] Ask any one of them that go by the way, and you shall perceive that he knoweth these same things.

Interrogate quemlibet de viatoribus, et haec eadem illum intelligere cognoscetis :

[30] Because the wicked man is reserved to the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to the day of wrath.

quia in diem perditionis servatur malus, et ad diem furoris ducetur.

[31] Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

Quis arguet coram eo viam ejus? et quae fecit, quis reddet illi?

[32] He shall be brought to the graves, and shall watch in the heap of the dead.

Ipse ad sepulchra ducetur, et in congerie mortuorum vigilabit.

[33] He hath been acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus, and he shall draw every man after him, and there are innumerable before him.

Dulcis fuit glareis Cocyti, et post se omnem hominem trahet, et ante se innumerabiles.

[34] How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth?

Quomodo igitur consolamini me frustra, cum responsio vestra repugnare ostensa sit veritati?

Commentary:

Ver. 2. Do. "After your opinion." M. --- Sym. "hear." Sept. "may this be for your consolation," (Heb.) which I shall receive from you, or which you may make use of, if you should be afflicted (C.) as I am. H. --- Job undertakes to show that the wicked are sometimes suffered to enjoy a long prosperity.

Ver. 4. Troubled. Heb. "Why is not my spirit shortened" by death, if your assertion be true? (H.) or why may I not be "troubled," since I have to deal, not with an enlightened judge, but with men who are under the greatest prejudices? C. --- I seem to you to dispute against God. Have I not then reason to tremble? v. 6. H. --- Though he disputed with men, it was concerning Providence and eternal things. W.

Ver. 5. Hearken to. Lit. "look steadfastly on me." H. --- Compare my present with my former condition, and do not pretend to fathom God's judgments; which fall me also with astonishment, when I consider why the virtuous are distressed, and the wicked prosper, v. 7. --- Mouth be silent. Harpocrates, the god of silence, was represented in this posture; and Virgil says, Intentique ora tenebant. Æneid ii. --- Sept. "upon the cheek," like men in deep consideration. C.

Ver. 7. Riches. This is what fills me with great anxiety. Yet it quite destroys the force of your argument, (C.) since you pretend that the prosperity of the wicked is never of long duration. We see them, however, live to an advanced old age, (H.) continually offending God, and annoying their neighbours. C. --- Sept. "yea, they grow old in riches."

Ver. 8. Sight. The Jews esteemed this as the greatest blessing and mark of God's favour. Yet it was also equivocal, as it was often possessed by the wicked. C.

Ver. 9. Rod. Divine judgments. M. Ps. lxxii. 5.

Ver. 10. Cattle. Lit. "ox," bos. Prot. "their bull gendereth, and faileth not." H. --- But Bochart explains it of the cows' bringing forth every year. C. --- Ox is used in the same sense, both by sacred and profane authors. H. --- A great part of the riches of these nations consisted in cattle. Ps. cxliii. 14. Zac. viii. 5.

Ver. 11. Their. Sept. "They continue like eternal sheep, as if they and their flocks would never die. C. --- And play, is to shew the nature of the dance. It is not in Heb. H. --- The children are healthy and sportive. M. --- Sept. "they play before them." H.

Ver. 13. Moment. Sept. "in the rest of the lower region, adou, they shall be laid," (H.) in the grave. M. --- A sudden death, without agony or sickness, (H.) was the choice of Julius Cæsar, the night before he was slain. Repentinum inopinatumque prætulerat. Sueton. --- But the enlightened servant of God would rather desire time to do penance, and to prepare for death. For who shall presume that he has that charity which banisheth fear? C. --- Hell. The same term is used for the place where the damned are tormented, as for that where the souls of the just waited (C. vii. and xvii.) for their Redeemer's coming. But here Job is speaking of the apparent happiness of the wicked; (H.) and only alludes to the grave, (C. M.) or comfortable death and burial of the reprobate: though, at the same time, he may declare that their souls are buried in hell. H.

Ver. 14. Ways. The too common effect of riches. Prov. xxx. 8. Eccli. v. 2.

Ver. 16. Because, is not in Heb. "Lo, their good is not." They are not possessed of true riches, or of good sense. Alex. Sept. "For good things were in their hands: but the works of the impious are not pure." No: the more they possess, the greater is their perversity. Grabe substitutes oukaqora, for kaqara; God "does not behold" the works, &c. which is more conformable to the other editions; and thus the blasphemies of the impious are continued. H. --- When we are not sensible of our wants and dependance, we think less on God. C. --- Hand, or power, they are only the gifts of God; far be then such sentiments from me. C.

Ver. 17. How often. When do we witness the downfall of the wicked? Mercer. --- Or, in a contrary sense, how often are they miserable as well as the just? Such things are, therefore, a very equivocal argument, to prove either side of the question. Those who are afflicted, and cling closer to God, must be accounted virtuous and happy; while that prosperity is fatal which is an occasion of our neglecting his service. C. --- Job answers his own questions, v. 7. If the wicked be happy for a time, their future state is deplorable, and often they forfeit even their temporal advantages. M.

Ver. 19. The sorrow. Prot. "his iniquity." Marg. "that is the punishment." H. --- The children shall share in his punishment, (C.) when they have been partakers, or imitators of his injustice. H. --- Know his offence, and whether there be a God (C.) and Providence. M.

Ver. 21. And if. Heb. "when" he is cut off in the midst of his days: he does not regard the happiness or misery of those whom he leaves behind. H. --- The children are rather taken away for his punishment, while he is living, as their misery would not touch him in the grave. M.

Ver. 23. Hale, or healthy. Heb. "in perfect strength." H. --- Sept. "simplicity, or folly." S. Aug. reads with the old Vulg. "in the strength of his simplicity, (C.) or innocence. H. --- These outward appearances prove nothing for interior piety or wickedness. C.

Ver. 24. Bowels. Prot. "breasts" (Marg. "milk-pails") are full of milk. But the Sept. Bochart, &c. agree with the Vulgate. Job describes a corpulent man (C.) living in luxury, like the glutton. H.

Ver. 25. Any. Heb. "ever having eaten with pleasure." H.

Ver. 27. Me. I perceive you are not convinced; and what you say respecting the wicked, is pointed at me. M.

Ver. 28. Prince. Job, (M.) or rather the tyrant, whose lot we know is miserable, as he falls a victim of God's justice. C. xx. 7.

Ver. 29. Way. Travellers, who have seen foreign countries, (Vatab.) or any one that may be passing, (Sanchez) will answer this objection (H.) in my favour. M. --- They will all agree in testifying that the wicked prosper, even for a long time. C.

Ver. 30. To the. He will be requited indeed, at last; or rather, when others are in the utmost danger, he will be protected as it were by God. Sept. (C.) or Theodotion, "the wicked is kept on high," coufizetai. All from v. 28 to 33 inclusively, is marked as an addition to the Sept. by Grabe, who has supplied many similar omissions, of which Origen and S. Jerom complained. H.

Ver. 31. Done. Man is afraid, and God defers to take cognizance. C.

Ver. 32. Dead. Heb. "the sheaves," being quite ripe for harvest, and even in the tomb, the tyrant retains some sore of pre-eminence, as he is buried with honour, an set like a more elevated sheaf, to inspect the rest. C. --- Godiss, is rendered by Prot. "tomb," (margin) "heap." But (C. v. 26.) where only the word occurs again, we find "a shock of corn," and this comparison seems very suitable here. The damned shall watch, alas, when it will be to no purpose, among the heap of fellow-sufferers, who would not think while they had time to repent. After millions of night spent thus without sleep or ease, we may imagine we hear their mournful lamentations from the depth of the abyss. Always misery! and never any hope of ease! H. --- "Eternity," says Bridayne, (ser. in Maury's Eloq.) "is a pendulum, the vibration of which sounds continually, Always! Never! In the mean while, a reprobate cries out: What o'clock is it? And the same voice answers, Eternity!" Thus at last the wicked shal awake from the sleep in which they have spent their days; (H.) and their watching, restless, and immortal souls (S. Thom.) will bitterly lament their past folly. What profit will they derive from the honours paid to their corpse by surviving friends, (H.) even though they be embalmed, and seem to live in marble statues? Pineda.

Ver. 33. Acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus. The Hebrew word, which S. Jerom has here rendered by the name Cocytus, (which the poets represent as a river in hell) signifies a valley or a torrent: and in this place, is taken for the low region of death, and hell: which willingly, as it were, receives the wicked at their death: who are ushered in by innumerable others that have gone before them; and are followed by multitudes above number. Ch. --- Isaias (xiv. 9.) and Ezechiel (xxxii. 21.) describe the splendid reception in hell of the kings of Babylon and of Egypt, nearly in the same manner as Job does that of any sinner who has lived in prosperity. C. xxxviii. 17. He gives life to the whole creation, in the true spirit of poetry. C. --- The rich man is represented as tenderly embraced by his mother earth; (C. i. 21. H.) the very stones and turf press lightly upon him; as the ancients prayed, Sit tibi terra levis. Heb. "the stones or clods of the torrent (C.) shall be sweet to him, and he," &c. H. --- S. Jerom has chosen to mention a particular river, instead of the general term nel, "a torrent or vale," to intimate that Job is speaking of the state after death. --- Cocytus is a branch of the Styx, a river of Arcadia, of a noxious quality, which the poets have place in hell. Pineda. --- Sept. "The pebbles of the torrent became sweet to him, and in his train every man shall come, and unnumbered men before him." Alex. MS. has "men of number;" the two first letters of anariqmhtoi being omitted. H. --- The Church reads in her office for S. Stephen, Lapides torrentis illi dulces fuerunt: ipsum sequuntur omnes animæ justæ. Many explain this passage of Job as a menace. The wicked have carried their insolence so far as to (C.) give orders to (H.) be buried with the utmost pomp: but in the other world, they shall be thrown ignominiously among the other dead. S. Greg. &c. C. - They were little moved with the thought of death, as it was common to all. But what will they think of eternal misery? H.

Ver. 34. Vain. These arguments shew that your assertions are destitute of proof, and afford me no comfort. C.

[caramelfuzz]

A to Z meme!

I was tagged by @sickficlurker, @ithadtobesneezing, @vanillaslayer, @zensations35, @hachiibun, and @emeraldthread! Holy cow you guys are the best!

Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 10 blogs you would like to get to know better

a - age: 19

b - birthplace: a hospital

c - current time: 9:27 pm

d - drink you last had: water

e - easiest person to talk to: @sickficlurker

f - *current* favourite song: And so I go on by Jake Runestad (I’m such a fucking choir nerd I’m so sorry)

g - grossest memory: I don’t know... I probably blocked it out XD

h - horror yes or horror no: HORROR NO

i - in love?: Not really no.

j - jealous of people?: Nah. I’m pretty chill.

l - love at first sight or should i walk by again?: I don’t know lol. That’s a little too deep for me XD

m - middle name: Idk you tell me

n - number of siblings: 2 little bros

o - one wish: to be a little more aware of my surroundings... today I fucking ran into a rock while I was hiking because I got distracted by some tree sap. 

p - person you called last: my mom

q - question you are always (often) asked: "how did you get that scar on your arm?” (Or “is your arm supposed to bend like that???” Yes, yes it is. It’s called being double jointed.)

r - reason to smile: Oh goodness I smile a lot XD probs my dog though.

s - song you sang last: Warum ist das licht gegeben? By Johannes Brahms. It was stuck in my head and I sang only the soprano part because that’s all I really know and I hate myself for being a nerd in public.

t - time you woke up: 5. Not by choice. 

u - underwear colour: black

v - vacation destination: Idk lol. Right now I’m living my dream in Spanish speaking countries so I have to come up with a new one 

w - worst habit: I say sorry a LOT

x - x-rays: Yes. So many x-rays. I broke my arm twice, they had to make sure that I didn’t break my foot when I broke a few toes, and when I broke my tailbone. (there were also some random x-rays I’m pretty sure but I don’t know why??) Also quite a few MRIs. They thought I had something wrong with my brain because I used to see sparkles all the time as a child. It was fucking weird but I remember it quite vividly. 

y - your favourite food: Frijolitos that my mamá makes me. They are heavenly. 

z - zodiac sign: virgo

I believe I shall tag @fluffyllamas22, @gratefullurkinganon, @witnessmysin, @ambulancemcclain, @iffthelurker, @kotyonokkushami, @dontfeeltoohot, @strange-capers, and whoever else wants to do this! (Also I’m so sorry if you’ve been tagged already)

[prevdustinhendrsn]

tagged by the fantastic @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold; thanks Kathryn!

Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag some blogs you would like to get to know better.

A - Age: 16

B - Birthplace: Texas

C - Current time: 4:35am

D - Drink you last had: water probably

E - Easiest person to talk to: I don’t know?? my best friend I guess, or my mom

F - Favorite song: currently it’s Say Amen by P!ATD (what a bop), i can’t choose an all-time favorite

G - Grossest memory: my friend and I were once walking in national forest land (way out in the middle of nowhere) and we came across a cow carcass that had been rotting for weeks, it was so horrible-smelling and it was just absolutely disgusting

H - Horror yes or horror no: ahhh there’s so many different kinds of horror but I’ll say yes in general. i prefer psychological horror to monster/gore horror though

I - In love?: nope

J - Jealous of people?: not really

K - Knock or ring the doorbell?: usually i knock but sometimes you don’t have an option

L - Love at first sight or should I walk by again?: yeah i don’t really think love at first sight is the thing for me; maybe love after first conversation though?

M - Movie/TV show you last watched: i watched two episodes of Godless recently, it’s a really good western on netflix

N - Number of siblings: four! a half-sister that’s older, two younger brothers, and a younger sister

O - One wish: i wish i had an immunity to mosquitoes

P - Person you called last: my dad

Q - Question you are always asked: where are you from?

R - Reason to smile: mike wheeler and el hopper are canonically in love

S - Song you sang last: probably something by Lana Del Rey

T - Time you woke up: 4am

U - Underwear color: black i think

V - Vacation destination: Japan!

W - Worst habit: speaking way too loud

X - X-rays: i don’t know what this question means?? do i enjoy xrays?? not particularly. have i had an xray?? yeah. do i have xray vision?? no!!!

Y - Your favorite food: kath’s answer is really a winner here and i love it so much i’m copying it: tex-mex and italian

Z - Zodiac sign: virgo

tagging @janeswheeler, @thezoomermax, @moodyandmoonyeyed, @softsangsters, and @partwayhappy

[useless-sloveniafacts]

Sʟᴏᴠᴇɴᴇ Fᴏʟᴋ ᴀɴᴅ Fᴀɪʀʏ Tᴀʟᴇs

4•∞  Pastirček

The Shepherd

     In his day, a small shephed would let some cows pasture by the sea in Istria, joined by some sheep and goats. It was afternoon and the scorching sun was beating down on earth. Suddenly, the boy saw three beautiful girls sleeping on the soft grass. They were fairies. Words couldn’t capture their beauty and they looked very much alike; they were almost identical. They lay peacefully and seemingly slept soundly. The boy didn’t think for a moment that they could be fairies. He thought they were ordinary girls who grew weary because of the sun, lay down and fell asleep.      But the sun will burn them, thought the boy to himself. Their faces are too pretty to let that happen! I must help them.      He climbed a linden tree nearby, cut down some especially bushy branches and stuck them into the ground around the beautiful girls so that the sun couldn’t get to them anymore.      Not long after, the fairies woke up and rose. They began wondering and asking one another, whoever had been so charitable as to have shielded them from the sun’s scorch. (Though they knew very well what had occurred, for fairies never sleep and only pretend to do so. They were only asking one another to see whether the boy would speak up or not.)

… continued below, along with Slovene original. Illustration by Ančka Gošnik Godec.

     But the shepherd didn’t speak up, even more, he tried to run away because he couldn’t look at the fairies; their hair shone too brightly. It shone like pure gold. — Immediately, all three of them were by him. He couldn’t get away. They asked him what he wants as a gift for shielding them from the scorching sun. But the boy didn’t dare ask for anything. They offered him a nice pouch, full of money, which never ran out of gold coins. Yet the boy didn’t care for it at all, for he didn’t even know what money was. He didn’t want it so he could play with it and watch it either, because it’s dead, while his cattle and sheep, which meant everything to him, are alive. When the fairies noticed this, they said: “When you’ll be taking the cattle and the sheep home in the evening, you’ll hear all kinds of bells ringing from the sea behind you, but don’t look back until you get home.”     As soon as they said this, they disappeared.     Only now did the boy realise that those weren’t ordinary girls like any other, but that they had to be fairies.     With time, the sun sank further and further down toward the sea and the shepherd set on leading his herd back home. The closer he got to home the more ringing and clanging he heard behind him. But he forgot what the fairies had told him. Halfway home, he turned around to see who’s been herding so much cattle behind his back? What he saw was a great horde of sheep, cows and goats, following his herd from out of the sea. But the moment he looked back they stopped coming out of the sea. Only the ones that had already been on land accompanied him home. If the shepherd had not looked back, his herd would’ve been indescribably large; but even so, he got enough, as he gifted his poor neighbours with some of the cattle that the fairies have so strangely bestowed upon him. 

Transcription help: • stressed vowels are bolded • e → ẹ=[e], e=[ɛ], ə=[ə] • o → ọ=[o], o=[ɔ] • a → a=[a̱], ạ=[ɐ] (the difference is marginal and may be ignored) • l → l=[l], ł=[w]

Pastirčək

     Svoje dni je pasəł majhən dẹčək v Istri blizu mọrja nekọliko krav, ki jim je bilọ pridruženih tudi nẹkaj ovac in koz. Bilọ je popọłdne in pekọče sọnce je pripẹkalo na zemljo. Kạr dẹčək zaglẹda tri lẹpe dẹklice, ki so spale na mehki trati. Bile so vile. Neizrečeno so bile lẹpe, pa tudi zelọ podọbne so si bile; skoro enake so bile med sebọj. Mirno so ležale in vsaj na videz sladko spale. Dẹčək niti malo ni pomislił, da bi utegnile biti vile. Mislił je, da so navadne dẹklice, ki so se po sọncu utrudile, pa so lẹgle in zaspale.      Tọda sọnce jih bo opeklo, misli dečək sam pri sebi. Škọda takọ lẹpih obrazov! Mọram jim pomagati.      Splẹzał je na bližnjo lipo, nalọmił prạv košatih vej in jih zasadił okọli lẹpih dẹklic takọ, da jih sọnce ni moglo nič več ožgati.      Nedọłgo natọ se vile zbudẹ in vstanejo. Pričnọ se čuditi in spraševati druga drugo, kdọ le je bił takọ usmiljen, da jih je ubranił pred sọnčno pripẹko. (Dobro pa so vẹdele, kaj se je bilọ zgodilo, kajti vile nikdar ne spẹ, temveč se le naredẹ, ko da bi spale. Spraševale so le zatọ, da vidijo, ali se bo dẹčək oglasił ali ne.)      Pastirčək pa se ni oglasił, mạrveč je poskušał celọ zbežati, ker vil ni mogəł glẹdati; lasjẹ so se jim namreč preveč bleščali. Svetili so se kạkor suho, čisto zlatọ. — V tẹm trenutku so bilẹ že vse tri pri njem. Ni jim mọgəł uiti. Povprašale so ga, kaj họče v dar, ker jih je obvarovạł pred žgọčim sọncem. Dẹčək pa si ni upał nič prositi. Ponujale so mu čẹdno mošnjo denarjev, ki ni v njej nikdar zmanjkalo rumenih cekinov. Tọda pastirčək za vse tọ ni nič marał, ker denarjev še poznạł ni. Da bi se pa z denarjem samọ igrạł in ga ogledovạł, tudi ni hoteł, kajti denar je mrtəv, on pa je imẹł živa govẹda in ọvce, ki so mu bile nad vse. Ko so vile to opazile, so mu rekle:      „Ko boš zvečẹr gnạł domọv, boš slišał za sebọj od mọrja səm zvončkljanje vsakovrstnih zvoncev, pa nikar se med potjọ ne oziraj, dokler ne prideš domọv.“      Rekle so in izginile.      Zdạj je šele dẹčək spoznạł, da tọ niso bile navadne dẹklice kạkor druge, ampak bržkone vile.      Počasi se je sọnce bolj in bolj nagibalo v mọrje in pastirčək žene svojo črẹdico domọv. Čimbolj se je bližał dọmu, tem vẹčje zvonjenje in bingljanje je slišał za hrbtom. Tọda pozabił je, kạr so mu bile vile naročile. Ko je bił že na pọł pọta, se radovẹdən obrne, da vidi, kdọ žene za njim tọliko blaga? Pa je zaglẹdal vẹliko trumo ovac, krav in koz, ki so šle iz mọrja za njegovim blagom. V trenutku pa, ko se je ozrł nazaj, je vse prenẹhalo hoditi na suho iz mọrja. Samọ tista truma ga je sprẹmila do dọma, ki je bilạ žẹ zunaj. Če bi pastirčək ne bił poglẹdał nazaj, bi imẹł neizrečeno veliko črẹdo; pa sạj mu je bilọ tudi tọ dovolj, ker je tudi rẹvne sosẹde obdarił z blagom, ki so mu ga bile vile prạv čudno podarile.

Text taken from: Brenk K. Babica pripoveduje : slovenske ljudske pripovedi. Ljubljana, Mladinska knjiga, 1979. Similar (if not identical) can be found in: Bohanec F. Ljudske pripovedi : izbrano delo. Ljubljana, Mladinska knjiga (“Naša beseda” collection), 1972.

[glorytomankind-rpg-blog]

↪ b a s i c s ;

N A M E: Marjorie Evans F C: Rachel McAdams S T A T U S: Open A G E: 40 H U M A N / A N D R O I D ( T Y P E ): Human A F F I L I A T I O N: Rebellion O C C U P A T I O N: Doctor (Former Veterinarian)  L O C A T I O N: Salutem Compound, Virginia Wilds

❝At least animals don’t bitch about how much a tiny scratch hurts when you pour peroxide on it.❞

↪ p e r s o n a l i t y ;

P O S I T I V E   T R A I T S: intelligent ; tough ; self-confident N E G A T I V E   T R A I T S: sarcastic ; no nonsense ; perfectionist

↪ b i o g r a p h y; 

Marjorie grew up as a member of a prominent southern family in the small town of Thomasville, Georgia. She was the heiress to a large cattle business, something that had been in her family for well over 200 years. However, her life wasn’t all debutante balls and Lily Pulitzer. Her mother and father taught her to be tough and to take no crap from anyone. You had to be tough if you were going to wrangle an animal that weighed over a ton. Every minute She had free to herself, she was always in the barns or in the fields taking care of the animals. She knew how to shoe a horse and provide basic veterinary care from a young age. In fact, she had known all of her life that she would become a vet that specialized in livestock. It wasn’t an if, it was a when.

Actively involved with 4H, Marjorie was constantly surrounded by southern boys that thought girls were weak. Any comments they made were met by a quick comeback, followed by winning purple ribbon after purple ribbon for the various cows and goats she’d raised. She wasn’t just all talk, she more than proved that she wasn’t someone to mess with. Marjorie participated in 4H all throughout middle and high school. She graduated high school with flying colors and was immediately accepted into Veterinary School, which was funded by IMPERium, of course. Someone had to keep the food alive and healthy for the residents of the cities.

Marjorie focused her studies on large livestock animals and graduated top of her class. She was immediately offered a great position with a large Veterinary Practice based out of Atlanta, Georgia. She did house calls to IMPERium approved and sponsored ranches and farms to help tend to horses, cows, goats, and other livestock. Her job was her life. She loved every challenging minute. Workaholic didn’t even cover her love for her work. She didn’t have time for much of anything else. She took great pleasure in showing up anyone who thought she couldn’t handle something.

However, the more she witnessed beyond the walls, the more she hated what IMPERium was doing to people. On her daily treks to the ranches, she saw even more downtrodden and sad people, barely scraping by. One day, after watching a little girl fall and not get up, Marjorie made her choice. She knew ‘resigning’ from her job wasn’t an option. She stopped showing up and took up residence in a large farmhouse about an hour from the city. Marjorie was highly respected beyond the walls. Even though she was trained as a vet, she also helped any humans who needed medical attention as well. She was largely left alone by the bands of violent nomads because she would tend to the medical needs of their members and horses.

However, tension was brewing in the city. People were tired of being held down my IMPERium’s androids. A group of rebels had risen up and taken over one of the android maintenance facilities in the city, holding all those that worked there hostage. Of course, IMPERium is not to be defied. The Princeps sent a group of B-droids to march on Atlanta to quell the riot. The army burned all of the houses and communities in the surrounding suburbs to teach the rest of the world a lesson. As a result, Marjorie lost her house and small practice.

Left with next to nothing, Marjorie was homeless and wandering the Wilds in search of another ‘community’ to help. She traveled north, after hearing about a community in New York from one of her clients who had family there. She stopped in Knoxville, Tennessee when a woman, named Sarah ran across her path screaming. Her husband had been attacked by a mountain lion and was losing a lot of blood. Marjorie fixed the man up as best she could and gave the woman specific instructions for care. The woman gave Marjorie a necklace, shaped like a compass, and told her to head to Virginia. There was a community called Salutem there and she could show the necklace to the leaders and ask for Emily Turner, Sarah’s sister. Sarah reassured her that Emily would know the necklace anywhere and vouch for her.

It took Marjorie a week on horseback to arrive at Salutem’s gates, where she was met by a rudimentary guard detail. She showed the necklace and asked to speak with Emily. The guard dispatched one of his men to go find Ben, Edy, and Emily. The four people showed up at the gate. Marjorie held up the necklace Sarah had given her and explained her story. Emily corroborated that the necklace did, in fact, belong to her sister. Ben and Edy administered the test and Marjorie was welcome into the community. She was much needed in the community and her healing knowledge helped keep the community alive.

Among one of her first patients was the red-haired Scot, Calum Mackenna. She nursed him back to health after Elijah found him dying of pneumonia in the Wilds. He spent three weeks in her care and she quickly countered all of his charming advances with her no-nonsense sarcasm. Calum finds her thrilling and actively does his best to charm her into liking him. However, Marjorie couldn’t be less impressed and she lets him know that on a daily basis.

↪ c o n n e c t i o n s ;

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Calum MacKenna

Emily Turner