#and Jesus Christ was more human than any of us has ever been

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 407: Wait Why Are You Running Away

Previously on BnHA: Kacchan figured out how to control his quirk upgrade and was totally chill and normal about it. Definitely not terrifying at all. He actually spent the entire chapter smiling and laughing like the wholesome little boy he is. I don’t know why Kid For One is so freaked out about it. He even politely introduced himself using his childhood nickname. Clearly he just wants to be friends with you, KFO!

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “sorry to keep you waiting, here’s the AFO and Yoichi flashback you ordered at long last” and proceeds to serve a nightmarish stew of HUMAN MISERY and RATS and STABBING and CARNAGE and SO MUCH MURDER and THE SINGLE MOST FUCKED-UP CASE OF CODEPENDENCY ANYONE HAS EVER WRITTEN. I was not even remotely prepared for any of this, and if anyone else claims that they were, I will call you a liar to your face. If this chapter had a mouth it would scream. Or just sob, ceaselessly and uncontrollably. I’m really glad Horikoshi is on break next week because that man needs to take a fucking nap. My god.

okay WOW

anyone else read the first two words and just immediately say to themselves, “oh okay, so it’s gonna be one of those chapters”? I mean, I guess we were due for a darker chapter after last week’s Kacchan Comedy Tour. but idk, I just wasn’t expecting “homeless sick prostitute with a drinking problem” levels of dark

AND SHE’S PREGNANT?!

what exactly is this manga rated again? doesn’t this backstory seem just a little bit raw for the impressionable kiddos??

has anyone actually checked in on Horikoshi recently? you know, just to make sure he is okay??

what a fun and wholesome manga this is

the lil baby arm covered in blood with the AFO hole on the palm. lying next to the dead mom hand. what an image to sear into our minds. I guess it’s been a while since he killed any dogs. gotta keep us on our toes somehow

also wasn’t expecting AFO and Yoichi to be twins! that puts an interesting spin on their relationship, because it’s usually a closer bond than even regular siblings. especially with all of that delightful shared trauma from a young age!!

yes, exactly

ohhhh this chapter is gonna hurt me, isn’t it. okay. ooooooookay. let’s do this

OH I’M SORRY, THERE’S MORE?!

Horikoshi my dude. you do realize that their mom dying in childbirth and the two of them just barely surviving and growing up as street orphans would have already been MORE than tragic enough, backstory-wise. you did not have to turn this into a freaking horror show with RATS TRYING TO EAT THEIR NEWBORN SELVES jesus christ

and THAT’S where you chose to put a one year timeskip?!

what the fuck am I reading here, you guys. no please tell me, I am actually desperate to understand

so the narrator is saying that some of the quirks manifested later in life, in “pubescent and pre-pubescent stages”, which is interesting because it’s the first time I can recall hearing about someone actually manifesting a quirk that late. maybe Deku’s old OFA cover story was more plausible than I realized

anyway so eventually it occurred to everyone that they should maybe freaking study this shit, idk. and eventually the researchers concluded that the superpowers came from a new gene that apparently isn’t human. and upon hearing that, society apparently lost its freaking mind. which is fascinating to me because it implies that the turning point wasn’t actually the superpowers themselves, but the realization of what it meant

like, so they were apparently fine with it when they thought it was a “mysterious disease”, but somehow it hit different when they learned it wasn’t actually a sickness at all, but instead the Next Step in Evolution. and it became an “us vs them” thing, as opposed to a “we have to cure these poor people” thing. damn

anyway so now Japan is a dystopia and we’re cutting to a big crowd of merc-looking dudes who are getting ready to attack some “meta freaks”, how lovely

but who is this figure in the shadows

I ask politely, as if it wasn’t already beyond obvious that this is AFO about to wreck some people’s shit

ohhhhh my god lmao

hopefully Katsuki and Deku can take the present day AFO out before he winds up looking like this. because this little fella is clearly demonic and idk if anyone can stop him

you all don’t understand. you need to run the fuck away right now

oh shit it’s already too late for them

it’s too late for any of us. it’s over. it’s all fucking over

((((；゜Д゜)))

AFO I am putting the manga down. I am backing away slowly with my hands in the air. I mean you no harm. please for the love of god have mercy

holy

“you see, we told you he wasn’t human” okay Scientific Research Group, you know what?? you win this round I guess

“HE WAS LITERALLY EVIL FROM BIRTH” HORIKOSHI SERIOUSLY ARE YOU OKAY??

HE WAS BORN AN ARROGANT BABY is literally the most terrifying sentence I have ever read

what the entire fuck

it’s a gorgeous sunny mid-November afternoon outside my window. but no matter how hard it tries, the light cannot reach this place

what kind of moron would throw a can of soda at him. officially the stupidest person we have ever seen in this manga

OH MY GOD OF COURSE IT’S HIM LMAO

(ETA: how come baby Yoichi has clothes that fit him perfectly but baby AFO is just stomping around wearing a tablecloth.)

BABY YOICHI. OH MY GOD. HOW THE HELL DID YOU GROW UP TO BE SANE AND KIND AND GOOD. THAT’S MY QUESTION THAT I NEED ANSWERED RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE LITERALLY A MIRACLE. YOU ARE AN IMPOSSIBILITY, DO YOU KNOW THAT

small and weak, but also so, so cute. all of the cuteness genes went straight to him. no wonder AFO was jealous

(ETA: just want to press pause for a second to speculate about what type of twins AFO and Yoichi are, since it has some relevance to the story, and especially to the OFA/AFO quirk lore. so! at first glance the two of them would appear to be fraternal twins, just based on the fact that they have very different appearances, and also the fact that Yoichi doesn’t have the AFO quirk – no holes in his hands, etc. identical twins are born from the same fertilized egg, so in theory they would both have the same sequence of DNA, which means Yoichi would have had the same quirk as AFO. but that doesn’t appear to be the case. so all of that points to them being fraternal, not identical.

on the other hand, there is one piece of evidence in this chapter that does support them being identical twins, and that’s the fact that per the narration, AFO absorbed most of the nutrients from their mother. a few minutes of google fu informed me that this condition is relatively rare, and only happens in cases where two twins share a placenta, which typically is only the case for identical twins. HOWEVER, for what it’s worth, there have also been rare instances where two fraternal twin placentas fuse together and become a single placenta. AND this apparently also increases the chances of one of the twins gaining more of the nutrients and causing the other twin to have a lower birth weight.

so based on the evidence here, my conclusion is that the two of them are most likely fraternal twins with a case of placental fusion. besides, you can’t tell me that stealing his baby brother’s placenta while the two of them are literally still in the womb doesn’t sound like exactly the type of BS that fetus!AFO would pull, lol.)

HEY!?!

okay?!?!?! well to be fair he did throw that soda at him

oh my god this is so fucked up. in like the best and worst way possible

I genuinely couldn’t ask for a better AFO backstory. it’s so incredibly twisted, and you actually do feel sorry for him. or at least I do. but it’s also beyond clear that this kid was FUCKED UP BEYOND ALL REASON right from the get go. zero goodness in him. literally doesn’t see other people as people. sees them as possessions only. things to rule over. not other thinking, feeling human beings. and that includes his own little brother

but. even if it’s not actually what I would call love, there’s still... attachment, there. it’s the closest he can get to actually caring about someone. guh. just, somehow they have both managed to humanize him, and at the same time made him less human than ever. this manga, man. this fucking manga, though

lmao and here we go. Captain Hero

you know, all those times that I made fun of AFO for not knowing how to read, I never suspected that the twist in his backstory would be that he LITERALLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO READ dfksjdlfkjslkdf

but seriously though. because Yoichi appears to be self-taught, and I can’t see AFO having the patience for that, and CLEARLY no one else was around to teach him, sooooo...

oh my goodness it’s actually getting wholesome up in here

what a good fucking boy. poor AFO. fuck me, I can’t help it. it’s not your fault you’re the world’s greatest monster you poor bastard

now we’re cutting to THREE YEARS LATER. okay

is he going to declare war on the glowing baby

typical teenager concerned about nothing but likes and view counts. AFO you would be so much happier if you stopped worrying about all of that and just focused on your own growth

oh, lol. well that was quick

(ETA: r.i.p. Damien.)

“this guy had more instagram followers than me. so I killed him” honey. sweetie pie. you need therapy

omfg

all this time I was wondering who AFO’s middle school lit teacher was who had failed so spectacularly at teaching him reading comprehension. and it was YOICHI ALL ALONG. omg

“and, presumably, that’s how it always was and always will be.” dude. can you imagine listening to AFO’s oral book report on A Tale of Two Cities. “ahem. it was the Best of Times. the end” buddy noooooooo

it was at that moment when Yoichi knew, etc. etc.

oh my GOD I scrolled down to the next panel right after this one and I just IMMEDIATELY DIED LAUGHING

“WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID” ffffffffffffffff I fucking can’t omfg

NOW THIS HUSSY IS STEALING HIS BROTHER AWAY FROM HIM NOOOOOOO

HE’S HIS!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! THAT’S NOT ALLOWED!!!

oh my god the hands. so wait, is this just the standard symbolic BnHA handholding, or are there More Levels To This. when exactly did Yoichi pass OFA on to Kudou. like is that why the sudden close-up and all that? omg

WHAT!!!!

OH THAT’S THE END, HUH? THAT’S THE END RIGHT THERE, AND THAT’S JUST HOW IT IS. I SEE. OKAY THEN. EXCUSE ME WHILE I PUT MY LAPTOP DOWN AND GO INTO THE NEXT ROOM AND SCREAM INTO A PILLOW

oh my god. and break next week too. this is what you guys have been dealing with this entire time huh. I understand your feelings now. godfuckingdammit lmao

#bnha 407 #all for one #shigaraki yoichi #ofa the first #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

[sparklingsora]

Hi. I would like to know many things about your roleswap au bc I love it very much but I have no idea what to ask I just want to know many things bc my brain has been consumed already

uhhhhh I guess can you lore dump a little bit on backstories? Idk I just wanna know everything about this au

I will be back in your ask box for this au several times most likely

-Spaghetti Brain Anon

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK!!! i am SO glad that i could get this au to live in someone else's brain rent free too. all i could ever ask for in life tbh i guess i'll infodump about character backstories, dynamics, character arcs, all that juicy stuff putting it under cut because HO BOY THIS IS GONNA GET LONG

as a heads up, take the timeframes i give you with a grain of salt, because i still havent completely figured out the timeline so first of all, vox!! he's a sinner, died in the 1950s, as per canon. he's a businessman, but less stable than in canon. he's always jumping from job to job, business to business, which results in him having a lot of connections with various people around hell. soon after arriving in hell, he met and became friends with alastor. cut to, i'd say around 7-10 years before the events of the story? alastor disappears without a trace during an extermination and vox assumes him dead. having now been personally touched by the effects of the extermination, the idea to try and solve overpopulation another way is planted in his head, but wont come to fruition until much later. in the meantime he meets velvette - finds her bleeding out in an alleyway after getting too cocky and trying to fight back to an exorcist (bad idea). he nurses her back to health, they become friends and eventually start dating, yada yada yada. one day vox and velvette find a funky little cat (keekee). keekee takes a liking to them and leads them to the old ruins of a building up on the hill on the edge of pentagram city. they figure out that the cat turns into a keyblade that can be used to magically build shit (only the hotel though, as keekee is the spirit of the hotel or??? whatever the hell the canon lore is idk???) vox finally decides to realize his idea to try and solve overpopulation more humanely - through redeeming sinners! his reasoning is, if angels can fall (as proven by lute and charlie), then demons can surely ascend, right? though he's not as sure or idealistic about it as charlie is in canon. he simply thinks it has a chance of working, and opening up a hotel means a bigger sample size than if he were to just try and get into heaven himself or something like that. besides, he wouldnt wanna go to heaven, he likes it here. also, im not sure where this is situated in the timeline yet, but he was in a band with adam, lute and possibly eve at some point? the band is called brimstone eden, as mentioned in the comic i posted. im not sure yet whether he was in the band prior to eve's disappearance or after it (eve disappears 7 years before the story starts to mirror canon lilith). swap!vox, like his canon counterpart, is a very reactive person. he follows trends, he's extremely go-with-the-flow to a fault. he never really had any strong beliefs until the hotel - his character arc mainly involves him gaining something to believe in and learning to fight for that belief, 'ready for this' being more or less the culmination of his arc. jesus christ i cant believe i wrote that much JUST on vox. *slaps the top of his head* this boy can fit so much lore in him

now, velvette... she's how you'd expect her to be. same old brave, arrogant velvette. she's a fashion designer and seamstress and runs a moderately sized business which she promotes on sinstagram. she's mutuals with val there, which is how he finds out about the hotel. there's not much to write home about when it comes to val - it's insane how similar angel and him are. like literally barely anything changes when you swap them, it's very clean. he's a prn star, sold his soul to angel dust, yada yada. though a bit on his dynamic with vox - vox is very good at reading people, and doesn't like being lied to (he's a bit of a hypocrite in that regard - he puts on a facade all the time when in professional settings). he can clearly tell val isnt doing as good as he pretends he is, and wants to help him really badly, but val just sees it as vox pitying him and rejects his help (its what they fight about in ep 4, as a counterpart to the whole "charlie going to the studio" thing bc vox wouldnt do that) and now here's the fun part - ALASTOR! oh, alastor, you beautiful stuck up bitch! so turns out, he's not so dead after all! he ALMOST died in that fateful extermination, but husk found him and offered him a "give me your soul right now or bleed out in this alleyway" type deal. of course alastor chose the former, but boy he's not happy about it. he's extremely ashamed of how far he's fallen. so ashamed, in fact, that he hid from the world for those 7-10 years! yeah! he's only pulled out of hiding when husk summons him to be the bartender for the hotel. vox is of course, extremely bewildered and demands answers. alastor doesnt give them and avoids him instead. it takes a sincere conversation with valentino in ep 4 for alastor to finally talk to vox again and explain himself. alastor is basically in extremely deep denial of just how fucked his life is. he clings onto his radio demon persona like a lifeline bc its the last thing that can help him feel some semblance of control over his situation. his tension with valentino is twofold - first they butt heads because of opposing personalities, and second because they both see the other's bullshittery. it's a clusterfuck it eventually bubbles over in ep 4, they both admit how absolutely fucked they are and are friends now. wish i could say more on al & val bc i love them very much but it seems ive run out of eloquency for now. though i know i'll draw some comics of them eventually so maybe it'll come across better in comic form. anyway as mentioned above ive run out of eloquency and im honestly not sure how coherent this whole thing is so you'll have to come back for the other characters some other time, dear anon! until then, thank you so much for the ask once again, and have a nice day/night :)

#askbox #veeswap au

[queerprayers]

Today is (for many of us) the feast of Christ the King, and I wanted to take a moment to honor that. I was baptized on this feast, and I've always been drawn to it. Originally instituted by the pope in 1925 as a response to growing nationalism and secularism, making it the newest element of the liturgical year, most Lutherans and other liturgical Protestants also honor this day.

I have differing opinions on secular rule/the separation of church and state (and evangelism, for that matter) than the founders of this feast did, but I can appreciate the yearning for more world leaders/political groups/religious groups to recognize our true callings as human beings--to each other, to Love. And I love the concept of combating nationalism with allegiance to a higher power!

"King" has a lot of political implications, and mostly negative associations for anyone like me, so I wanted to point out how the original encyclical describes this title of Jesus's, by quoting Cyril of Alexandria: "Christ," he says, "has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature." Today is the reason I'm not a monarchist--there is no earthly ruler that has my allegiance. There is no earthly rule established without force. My allegiance is to Christ, the ruler of the only valid kingdom; to God's house, the only state without lines on a map; to Love which is the universe, the only empire that includes people by embracing them rather than conquering them.

We can only understand so much of who God is. We separate out God's roles; we can only focus on one tiny piece of the universe at once. (This is why we have holidays--to honor pieces of our religion in human time.) The king we are called to serve is only called "king" because that's one of the closest words we have in our language to describe what we're talking about--the old-fashioned meaning of king, one born for the role and called to die for the role. A romanticized meaning perhaps, one that has never been true in any society, one that has caused so much harm, but nonetheless one used throughout centuries to get across one of the ways we approach God--along with "father" and "friend" and "bridegroom" and "creator."

We pray for God's kingdom to come because that's an idea we can understand--we can logically process that a new kingdom coming, a new empire conquering, means everything changes, the rules are turned upside down. We hold this language while acknowledging there is so much more to it. If you can't stomach using these words, if they are filled with violence for you, I encourage you to sit with that truth, consider what it would be like to take earthly ideas and fill them with Love, and also acknowledge you do not have to use this language. We try to hold God with our words and fail over and over. We come to God from our culture and language and time and we squint at the universe. We see in a mirror dimly, for now.

As we encounter earthly nationalism and imperialism and colonialism and warmongering, as we see people claim that their nation-state is chosen by God, we honor power turning on its head today. We see Jesus revealing what kingship, what ruling, what power is when Love is the center of the universe. Jesus, who had more power than any human, fed the hungry, hung out with the oppressed and misunderstood, threatened the powerful without violence, was killed by earthly empire, and conquered death with life.

May we, as members of God's kingdom, under Jesus's rule--by choosing this as our practice--serve the only king who has ever deserved our allegiance. We work to bring our communities and religious groups and, yes, our nation-states, closer to the image God has set for us, but ultimately we know we are creating and navigating human-made borders between things that will one day be one.

You already know what God has asked of you. It's not a democracy but neither is it a monarchy, really--it's something else. Something you have to opt in to, but don't really get a choice in. Something you can run from but never escape. Something that once you see clearly, you'll never be satisfied without. You are technically free to abandon the work, but you would be abandoning the only thing that will make us whole. Call your government representative. Go to a protest. Give money to the person by the side of the road. Read a book. Hug your lover. Feed the birds. Denounce your country in favor of your community and every single human being. You are a citizen of the universe, which is God, which is love. Christ the King, the reign of Christ, means what rules us is Life.

(We look down the road to Advent--to new year, rebirth, apocalypse. "Apocalypse" meaning unveiling, revelation, disclosure. We see in a mirror dimly, and then--thy kingdom come--we see face to face. All at once, awfully, blindingly, daylight after years of darkness. Christ the King says, what if New Year's Eve was a surrender to time and power? What if before you even remembered Christmas exists, you were confronted with the reality of your calling? This is the feast of victory to our God. Alleluia!)

#having a lot of thoughts!

[lewisinho]

a rant about the media narratives surrounding lewis, fernando and max

ok so ever since well, bahrain testing 2023 and the discovery that aston martin do indeed have a fast car (and more importantly, one which is faster than merc), the media have created the alonso ‘hype-train’, saying that this man is basically the third-coming-of-christ (let us not forget about the ‘great white hope’ himself who is the only one standing between nando and jesus himself, but i digress); example are aplenty, as the majority of formula 1’s posts on instagram, twitter etc. being about fernando and even sky making a cute little montage reminding people (who most probably have not watched nando’s glory days) that nando is in fact a two-time world champion, went through nearly all teams on the grid like a hot knife through butter, leaving a fire behind him Every. Single. Time. (you gotta respect the man at least for his ability to cause drama everywhere) and that this is not the first time he is not in a back-marker team.

And you can understand the hype to a certain extent...jeez, dude’s forty-one and races brilliantly with as much as fire as before; (disclaimer: as much as i can dislike the man, i can still recognise as a great racing driver, because you really would have to be blind not to see it); but there is a limit to it which i think has been crossed and it’s about deserving something…deserving a better team, deserving a third world championship, deserving to win races…

“(...) can fernando bring home a third and much-deserved title this year?”

pray tell how exactly this third title ‘much-deserved’? and i fully understand media tactics, content creation, boosting engagement, clicks, likes etc. etc., it’s all part of the game, i know…but why is it that fernando is the one who ‘deserves’ it? Why is the media suddenly capable of using the narrative of ‘deserving’ in relation to someone like fernando alonso?

And why that narrative can never be present in relation to one lewis hamilton? The answer’s pretty easy, no? But it runs deeper…because the media don’t want to like lewis hamilton. they didn’t want him to win in 2021, that much is obvious if you rewatch literally any race from that season and listen to the narrative around him and max…the ‘dethroning’, the ‘young-pretender’ etc. the elements where all there, they were ready, waiting impatiently for the new champion, their new ‘face of f1’ (how’s that working out for them eh?) and when ad21 came about…which was even better for the show because the stakes were all that higher with the two of them on equal points…until of course, lap 57, it was all going slightly against the script, wasn’t it? But then they did their little rule-breaking, ‘human error’, whatever you want to call it and so what? max verstappen champion of the world.

lewis hamilton couldn’t afford to say anything. he couldn't because of who he is. And the media knew it. They would swallow him up like wolves. They would pounce on him, rip him up, mix him with dirt; and if they don’t do that (because he disappeared for a few months) they will sickly glorify his composure, his class, monetise his trauma etc. And we see it to this day…his silence was glorified; last year, sky f1 knew perfectly well what strategy to take; they’ve got their new champion; there’s no asterisk to that title- martin brundle (ironic you had to clarify that bud), or better yet say ‘move on’,‘it wasn’t that bad, just a mistake’, ‘you can’t change it’’, yeah because you wouldn’t like it to be changed, would you? You never wanted a black man to break that record, did you?

oh and also thank god lewis came back to the sport, and oh how amazing it is that merc built a shitbox of a car, so we can now again talk about how ‘he still hasn’t recovered from ad21’, let’s again use his trauma, say he’s finished, that he’s struggling, let’s make a mockery out of it all, yeah…and max, oh you know, he drives like a champion, he deserved that title, you win it over a season- martin brundle, again (it’s always the same suspects, isn’t it?)

He deserved it, here it is again. max verstappen deserved his titles (rule-breaking and cost cap breaches under the carpet); he’s a pure racer, you know. All he cares about is racing. He’s pure talent and passionate.

fernando alonso deserves his third title, apparently. He works hard. He empowers his team. He works well with his new, young teammate. He’s got the experience, the maturity and the talent. He’s the oldest driver on the grid, but he’s driving better than ever.

Lewis won’t get that because he’s alone as the only black man in this sport, which will continue to isolate him, belittle him, but also will use him. Lewis won’t ever get the alonso treatment. He won’t be willed on, cheered on, no. No, never.

Same old. Same old.

#f1 #lewis hamilton

[fellthemarvelous]

Let's talk about Maggie and Aziraphale

Once again, I am just screenshotting my tweets and posting them here because I have more to say and Twitter's platform doesn't let me talk long enough uninterrupted.

Make way for more unhinged meta!

I cannot get this idea out of my head, and before you tell me that I'm crazy, just listen. Okay?

I think Aziraphale looks at Edinburgh as his Greatest Failure™️ because humanity and Crowley both paid the price for Aziraphale's mistake. It was a night that shook Aziraphale's confidence in himself, and it was a clear turning point for his understanding of shades of grey. He learned a valuable lesson at a horrific cost.

There is no possible way he has forgiven himself for Edinburgh.

When you are supposed to be the epitome of good, every single failure that carries any sort of weight sticks with you for the rest of your life because of the overwhelming guilt that comes with it. As someone who struggles with Catholic guilt...

Trust me. I know what I'm talking about.

Why does Maggie have a connection to a pub called the Resurrectionist, located in Edinburgh not far from the Gabriel statue in the cemetery where Wee Morag died and Crowley was sucked down into Hell? The Resurrectionist representing both Jesus Christ and Mr. Dalrymple.

Why does Aziraphale insist on taking the Bentley to Edinburgh with him?

He's scared to go back, and he's not risking Crowley's life again by bringing him along, but he takes the Bentley because it's an extension of Crowley, it makes him feel safe, and neither Heaven or Hell care for material objects and won't end up separating them again. It's a lifeline to Crowley while he's doing something without him and ensuring that Crowley won't be able to jump in and save him at the last minute if things go wrong.

He's scared to go back but he was getting extra copies of Every Day from one particular location nowhere near his bookshop before he even heard Jim singing it in the bookshop. And all of this ended up bringing him back to the statue of Gabriel where it all went wrong the first time Aziraphale and Crowley went to that cemetery together.

But I think the connection to Maggie is Elspeth. I keep going back and forth between her and Wee Morag, but Elspeth currently makes the most sense to me. I briefly wrote about the idea of lost souls and second chances here, but I'm still on the fence about it.

We don't know what Elspeth did with Aziraphale's money, but we know it was enough to turn her life around. We don't know who Maggie's great-great-grandmother is, but she has been keeping a little corner of the bookshop to "sell records" for Mr. Fell since the 1920s.

But if you look at the record art for Maggie's bookshop, some of them include all their tracks on the cover and they are telling actual stories. I've talked about Maggie's record shop before on this post. I'm still not sure what I believe, but the idea of it being Aziraphale's personal records keeps sticking with me. He's been around for a long time and there is a lot to keep up with.

Why is it so important to him that Maggie gets to dance with Nina? He told Nina he threw the ball so she would see that Maggie is in love with her, the same way he was going to use it to tell Crowley he loved him, but he was so delighted to see Maggie and Nina dance together.

And Aziraphale's love for Maggie isn't one-sided because she stays behind to help him even though she's up against something more powerful than herself. She refuses to leave him alone. She might be annoyed that he was interfering in her love life, but he's always been good to her and is probably the closest thing to family she has (we only ever see Crowley, Aziraphale and Nina talk to her).

She said she "had" brothers. Past tense. She stands up to Shax because she's no longer scared of...something. Nina tells Shax that Maggie is the bravest person she knows. Maggie comes up with the idea to spray the demons with the fire extinguishers. It might have been silly but it proves that humans are ready to fight back using whatever tools we have at our disposal.

Why didn't we know of her existence in season 1? We saw Maggie's chattering nun die onscreen. Was she one of Adam's additions to Aziraphale's bookshop? Where did she come from? Does Adam remember her face from when he was an infant? Sister Mary Loquacious (formerly) told Aziraphale and Crowley that the nuns had been very good at keeping records, but they all burned in the fire.

But Adam got a very good look at the faces of Sister Mary Loquacious and Sister Theresa Garrulous. He was an infant but he was still the son of Satan.

So is Maggie an Adam creation? Is she somehow related to Elspeth's existence? Why is she so important to Aziraphale?

#good omens #good omens meta #crowley #aziraphale #maggie and nina #elspeth and wee morag #chattering nuns

[topazy]

Tomorrow's promise

Paring: Shane Walsh × reader, Rick Grimes × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood and guts

Chapter: 2.04

A sharp cry cuts through the room as you enter the kitchen. “I know, I know. It's been a long night.”

You kiss the top of Jace’s head, rocking him gently in your arms. You walk out onto the front porch, where it’s empty, and feed Jace while looking out into the field, which was bare aside from a few horses. A few years ago, this would have been Shane’s dream house to raise a family in.

“Morning,” Maggie says, standing beside you. “How did you sleep?”

“I didn’t… Did you?”

She shakes her head and gives you a sad smile. You notice she has a glass of juice in each hand and offers one to you. “You gotta stay hydrated and keep your strength up.”

“Thank you.” You take the drink from her. “And not just for this, but for letting us into your home. I don’t think we could ever thank your dad enough for saving Carl.”

“You don’t need to thank us; kindness is what keeps us human.”

A pit began to form in the pit of your stomach. The Greene family were good people, and Shane... you didn’t have any proof, but your gut told you that he was lying about Otis' death. He told you a different version of the story he told Rick the night before; he told you Otis fell behind and he was too slow to notice, but if he had, he could have saved him. You didn’t believe him.

You both stayed outside in a comfortable silence, and just as you finished feeding Jace, Glenn and Shane joined you on the porch.

Glenn blushes as he notices the brunette standing beside you. “Morning Maggie,” he waved at her nervously before gushing over your son, tickling his cheek with your finger. “Hey, little man.”

Hearing the sounds of traffic nearby, you all turn to watch as the rest of your people arrive at the farm.

—

You feel physically sick as you look at Shane wearing Otis clothes as they hang off his body.

Otis’s friends and family laid stones for him at a small memorial not far from the farm house while Hershel read from the Bible. “Blessed be God, farther or out lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character. Otis, who gave his life to save a child, is now more than ever our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace.”

Your heart speeds up when Hershel turns to Shane, who says, “Shane, will you speak for Otis?”

He struggles to find a reason not to. “I’m not good at it. I’m sorry.”

Otis' wife Patricia lets out a sob, “You were the last one with him. You shared his final moments, please. I need to hear this. I need to know his death had meaning.”

Reluctantly, he agrees, handing Jace over to you with tears building in his eyes. Probably from guilt. He clears his throat and looks down at the ground, saying, “We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping; it was bad. ankle all swollen up. ‘We’ve got to save the boy.’ See, that’s what he said. He gave me his backpack, and he shoved me ahead. ‘Run,’ he said. He said, ‘I’ll take the rear, and I'll cover you.’ And when I looked back…” Shane pauses, searching for everyone’s reactions to his story. He limps forward and places a stone on the memorial. “If not for Otis, I’d have never made it out alive, and that goes for Carl too. It was Otis; he saved us both. If any death ever had meaning, it was his.”

You and Shane exchange an intense look while the others make their way back to the farm house. You wanted to yell at him, demanding for him to tell you the truth, but you had a feeling he wouldn’t admit to whatever he did so easily. You only look away from him when you feel a hand on your shoulder. Andrea gives you a serious look and says, “What I said that day... when we were looking for Sophia…”

You cut her off, patting her hand, and you say, “Water under the bridge.”

“Thank you.”

Inside, you were still pissed off that she referred to your son as a ticking time bomb, but now wasn’t the time for any arguments or grudges you might have had in the world before. Almost losing Carl made you realize you needed to let go of the hurt and pain you’d been holding onto, and this was a good way to start.

—

A group of you crowd around a map of the local area to plan the search parties for Sophia, which so far have been derailed. Hershel says neither you nor Rick were safe to search after giving so much blood to Carl, and with Shane’s ankle swollen, he wouldn’t get far on foot, leaving Daryl to search alone for the remainder of the day.

“If we are going to do this right, it means we can’t have our people out there with just knives,” Shane points out. “They need the gun training we’ve been promising them.”

“I’d prefer you not carry a gun on my property,” Hershel says. “We’ve managed so far without turning this into an armed camp.”

“With all due respect, you get rid of those things wandering in here.”

Rick interrupts him before he can finish his sentence. “Look, we’re guests here. This is your property, and we will respect that.”

You watch Shane screw his face up as Rick sits his gun down on top of the map. You place yours down beside it and chime in before Shane causes an argument. “Rick’s right. The training can be done off the farm, but while we’re here, we hand our guns over. It's only fair.”

You nod in agreement before continuing, “First things first, set camp, find Sophia.”

Shame bites on his bottom lip, looking deep in thought, before suddenly snapping out of it. “I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody’s got to. What happens if we find her and she’s bit? I think we should all be clear on how we handle that.”

Rick gulps down, “You do what has to be done.”

“And her mother? What do you tell her?” Maggie asks, looking horrified by the suggestion.

“The truth.”

When Jace begins to whine, you step back, not wanting to distract them.

—

You sit on the grass outside beside your brother, as he gently rocks Jace to sleep while telling you about Carl’s slow recovery. Every time you’d gone to see your nephew, he’d been asleep, so you hadn’t been able to talk to him since he’s pulled through.

You spot Daryl walking by with his crossbow slung over his shoulder and jump to your feet; it's getting dark, and you don’t like the idea of him being out alone at night. “Daryl?” He turns back to face you and asks, “Will you be okay out there on your own?”

He looks amused by your question until Rick stands beside you and his face hardens. He starts to walk away, saying, “I’m better on my own. I’ll be back before dark.”

Rick hands you Jace and calls after him, “Hey. We've got a base. We can get this search properly organized now.”

“You got a point, or are we just chatting?”

“My point is that it lets you off the hook. You don’t owe us anything.”

Daryl quickly turns his back, walking away while answering. “My other plans fell through.”

You swat at Rick’s chest with your hand and say, “You're such a jackass at times.”

—

You stand a good distance back from the others, shaking your head as Glenn is lowered into a well that has a walker trapped at the bottom of it. This was a terrible idea. What if the rope snapped?

You stare at the farm house for a few seconds, deciding if you should go check on Jace. You’d only put him down for a nap roughly ten minutes prior, but felt guilty for leaving him, despite knowing he was in the same room Carl was, with Patricia and Beth watching over them both. Hearing Glenn scream for help, you look over at the well to see the rope falling. You run over as T-Dog, Shane, Lori, Maggie, Andrea, and Dale all struggle to pull Glenn up. You get as close as you can to the well and start pulling at the rope.

“Get me out of here!”

As soon as you see his head, you and Shane both reach for him, grab an arm each, and pull him up onto the ground. When he’s caught his breath, Glenn hands Dale the other rope, which he had managed to secure around the trapped walker.

“Oh my god, I can smell it from here.” You scrunch up your nose as the walker gets closer and closer to the surface of the well; the smell could only be described as rotten seafood and death mixed together.

Just as the bloated walker reaches the top of the well, its body splits in half. Its bottom half drops back into the water, leaving its still-moving head on top, while the walkers' blood and guts spilled out onto the ground.

Maggie claps at her mouth, looking visibly distressed, and walks off. You want to go after her but decide against it when you see Glenn going to check on her.

Shaking your head you stare Shane down, “that was reckless. Glenn could have died.”

“Nobody had any complaints before hands,” he scoffs.

“I did! I told you it was a bad idea and as normal you ignored me,” you snap. Noticing everyone else was staring you smooth your scrunched up top out, “excuse me, I’m going to check on our son.”

—

Your one-sided conversation with Jace is interrupted when Shane comes into the room: “You talk so much to that boy, I’m surprised his ears aren’t bleeding. His first words will be telling you to shut up at this rate.”

You stare at him blankly.

“It’s a joke,” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed. Originally, you were going to sleep inside the RV, but Maggie insisted that you take her room and she bunk with her sister. She said it would help her sleep knowing Jace was safe in the house and not outside. “What have you got there?”

You hold up the small baby gown in your hand and say, “Patrica found baby clothes in the attic; she gave them to me for Jace.”

“They must be pretty old, huh?”

“Once I stitch up these holes, these clothes will be good as new.”

He watches you continue sowing, only looking down at Jace when he begins to babble, “He looks just like me.”

“That’s because he’s your son,” you say dryly. You squeeze your eyes shut, knowing you weren’t helping by being passive-aggressive. “How did Andrea’s training go? Is she a natural?”

He lets out a deep sigh and falls back onto the bed. “She’s still got a lot to learn. I keep telling her there’s a difference between shooting a target and the real thing, but I still don’t think she’s got it.”

When Jace’s babbling turns to a gurgling noise, you put the clothes down and pick him up, saying, “I’m going to take him outside for some fresh air before putting him down for the night.”

“Want me to join you?”

“No, it’s fine.” Trying to break the tension, you place a soft kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

—

“You don’t think I talk too much, do you? And you're not going to start talking and tell me to shut up,” you say in a silly baby voice, unaware anyone else is listening until you hear the creak of footsteps behind you.

Looking over your shoulder, you’re surprised to see Daryl frowning. “Why would the kid tell you to shut up when he’s older?”

“Oh, it was just a joke, Shane said.” You look down, watching as Jace’s heavy eyes start to close and smile. The words you’d said seconds before are forgotten until you raise your head again and meet Daryl’s glare.

“That’s a bullshit thing to say. You have one of those voices, you know.”

Not knowing what he means, you let out a soft laugh and say, “Uh, no, not really.”

“You have a radio voice,” he shrugs. “Like when folks go on road trips and choose to listen to someone talk rather than playing music. The type of voice that sticks in your head.”

“That’s the strangest compliment I’ve ever had, but thank you.” You smile at each other until he looks away. “I saw the flower you gave Carol; that was a lovely thing to do.”

He grunts in response, “It was nothin'.”

“You might fool them with your bad boy exterior, but you don’t fool me. I know you care,” you say teasingly.

He fights the urge to smirk and rolls his eyes: “Yeah, yeah. I'm all love and rainbows.”

“Goodnight Daryl.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He looks over his shoulder as you enter the house and says, “Goodnight.”

#the walking dead #shane walsh x reader #shane walsh x you #Shane Walsh #the walking dead fandom #fear the walking dead fanfiction #TWD #twd fanfiction #shane walsh/reader #shane walsh/you #the walking dead x reader #rick grimes sister #rick grimes x sister reader #rick grimes

[cuprohastes]

Hills to die on

If it's a JPEG or PNG it's not HDR. It's just tone mapping.

JPEG needs taking out back and euthanising. There are better formats and have been for like 15 years.

In any situation where there is a clearly better option, someone will contrive a way to fuck the situation up so massively that everyone will just keep using the shitty scenario. That someone is usually Sony.

GIMP and people who promote GIMP to unsuspecting would-be artists has done more to harm digital art than the cost of buying all the hardware.

Discord sucks ass. It won't ever not suck.

It doesn't matter what Android can do or how customisable it is, if you e.g. get a Samsung it's going to be so larded down with crap and cruft that any benefits over iOS will be lost.

Windows is not better than MacOS.

MacOS is not better than Windows.

Both are better than any Linux install that isn't running on a tablet.

For drawing, sketching, painting and generally enjoying things, an iPad with a ludicrously overpriced stylus is way better than a full PC with a Wacom...

... and the tablet's a better way to enjoy media.

Customer service agents are not paid enough

Customer service agents should be allowed to say "Jesus fucking Christ I asked what the problem is, not 'Tell me about your day' Shut. The. Fuck . Up. Now what is the problem. 6 words or less, or I'm hanging up and blocking your number".

CSATs and NPS are astrology anti-vax conspiracy theories for middle management. They're deeply flawed, harmful to everyone involved, a huge pain in the ass, and nobody wants to deal with them... apart from some middle manager who firmly believes they can boil down a human being and their entire job to two numbers every month.

Billionaires and politicians should be tried every year and if found guilty of being utter shits, be wired up for life support and encased in amber, and displayed to the public along with a list of the bad shit they've done. I firmly believe that these dinguses will see their comerades frozen mid scream in a big block of resin, while a machine keeps them alive in permanent hellish torture and still do the stupid things they do.

Nobody likes soft mozarella as much as block mozarella.

UBI and free cheese would probably solve almost all problems.

Nestlé are now so evil they're just doing it to see how far they can push things before anyone actually does something other than tut-tutting.

Most politicians should be guillotined.

#shitposting

[childofchrist1983]

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. - 1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV

Have you been treated unfairly? Have you ever been treated unjustly because of your Christian faith? If so, take heart! The Holy Bible reminds us that as Christians, we will be persecuted. It also reminds us that Jesus Christ also suffered unjustly. He was sinless and blameless, yet He suffered because of our sins. He did not simply suffer – He died for our sins. He did this so that we might come to know God and be saved. Yet, in the death of His human flesh, He was still triumphant! This act of mercy and grace is more than we can comprehend, but we are eternally grateful for it. When we suffer for Christ's sake, may we be reminded of Him, who suffered infinitely more than we ever will in order to draw people to God and be gifted eternal salvation and eternal life in Heaven. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ help us to share the Gospel Truth of His death and resurrection with the world. And when we are treated unfairly because of our faith and spiritual rebirth in Him, may we continue to press on, because we know that He also suffered and He loves us beyond measure and all we endure will be worth it in the end.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible by J.R. Miller

Jesus at Jacob's Well (John 4:4-15)

The record tells us that Jesus in His journey, “ must need go through Samaria.” There was no other way unless He had gone far around it. But we may believe that there was another “ must need” for His passing that way there was this woman at Samaria who needed Him. It was worthwhile to go a long distance out of His way to carry the water of life to a thirsty soul. If He had not gone through Samaria, this wonderful chapter in John’s gospel would never have been written, and the New Testament would have been less rich. It is worth our while to think of the way God is always directing our movements, so as to bring us to the places at which He wants us to be and to the people He wants us to touch and to help. There are no ’ chance’ meetings in this world. Jesus met the woman at the well, at the right moment. When we are doing God’s will He guides our movements, orders our steps, and there is a sacred meaning in our crossing of other’s paths.

A well of water in the East, was of great importance, and this well, no doubt, was especially valuable. People came from far and near to draw water from it, and weary passers-by were refreshed as they drank of the pure, wholesome spring. It is interesting to think of how many people along the centuries, were helped by the water they drew from its cold depths. It is not longer of value, however it is now only a useless excavation, a mere relic of the past, choked by rubbish.

There are some people like this old well. Once they were full of life, with kindness flowing from them wherever they went, a blessing to all who came near to them. Now the well of love in them flows no more, or only intermittently; it has been choked up by the worldliness or by worldly care. We should keep our heart-wells ever open and the water flowing fresh and pure in them as long as we live. Christian love never should cease to pour forth its streams of kindness .

The picture of Jesus being wearied with His journey, sitting down by the well-curb, is very suggestive. He had come a long distance and was tired after His hot journey. Such incidents as this help us to realize the humanness and the human-heartedness of Christ. He has not forgotten, now in heaven His experiences of earth. He remembers in his glory this day at the old well, how tired He was after His long journey, and how the rest and the water refreshed Him. We need not be ashamed to grow weary, since our Master Himself was weary. We are sure of His sympathy with us, for He understands, too, when we are exhausted by our toils or struggles; and He is glad to comfort and strengthen us.

When the woman of Samaria left her home that morning, to go to the well, she did not know what unusual thing would happen to her before she returned. She did not know that she would meet a Stranger who would bring her a new meaning of life and set her feet in new paths. We never know when we set out, on any day what the hours may bring to us, whom we shall meet, and what new friend, whose influence that day shall change all our future course. We do not know what may happen any common day which will make all our life different ever after. We should go forth every morning with our hand in Christ’s that He may guide us in the best way, so that we may not reject the good that is offered to us.

Jesus began His conversation with the woman by asking a little favor of her. He said, “Will you give me a drink?” This was better in the beginning of the conversation, than if He had offered to do something for her. This was the way to gain the woman’s attention. Though so weary that He could not journey farther with His disciples, He was not too weary to be interested in this woman’s life. This was a bit of Christ’s wayside ministry. He was always ready to do a kindness, even in His resting ours.

Much of our life’s best work is produced in wayside ministries; things we did not plan to do when we set out in the morning: little helpfulnesses which we render as we pass on the way; words of cheer which we speak as we move along the common paths. Often these bits of wayside service mean more than the things in our lives which seem greater, which we plan for with care.

Jesus asked this woman for a little kindness a drink of water. Who of us would not be glad any day to give our Master a cup of cold water? We say we cannot do anything like this for Him now, for He comes no more to our gate or along our way a weary man needing our kindness. But He has told us how we may always have this privilege. In the least of His little ones who need our help He Himself comes, appealing to love’s ministry (see Matthew 25:40). We must be careful always, lest in our neglecting to show a kindness to some human being we thrust Christ Himself away!

The woman was surprised to have this Stranger speak to her. It was not considered proper in those days, in that country, for a man to speak to a woman in public. Especially was it not customary for a Jew to speak to a Samaritan. The Jews and Samaritans were not in cordial relations. So she answered Him with a question, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” The answer which Jesus gave to her flippant question hints at His own character and mission. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

She saw only a weary, dust - covered Jew sitting there by the well, asking for a drink of water. She saw nothing unusual in Him. She did not know that this footsore Man was the Messiah, the Son of God, who had all life and all good in Him, and all things to bestow! He had asked only for a drink of common water but He would give to her the water of life. Really, she was the famishing one not He! And if only she would ask, He would give her infinite blessing. It is always the same. We go about with our great needs, our hungering hearts, our unrest, our consciousness of guilt not knowing that close beside us stands the Christ, with all we need in His hands, ready and eager to supply our every want. We go on, meanwhile, chattering about the trivialities of life, and the unsatisfactory vanities of earth, not knowing what infinitely great blessings are within our reach, to be had simply for the asking!

The woman was impressed by what the Stranger said but she did not yet comprehend His meaning. So she talked to him about the difficulty of getting water out of that deep well, and asked Him if He were greater than Jacob. Jesus replied again, using the water of the well as a symbol of earthly blessing. “Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again.” These words tell the whole story of the thirsts of human life. Men turn everywhere to satisfy themselves but at best they find only temporary satisfaction, followed by still deeper thirst .

There is said to be a strange plant in South America which finds a moist place and rests there for a while, sending its roots down and becoming green. When this bit of earth dries up, the plant draws itself together and is blown along by the wind until it finds another moist spot, where it repeats the same story. On and on it rolls, stopping wherever it finds a little water, and staying until the water is exhausted. But after all its journeyings, it is nothing but a bundle of dead roots and leaves. The life of this plant, tells the story of those who drink only at this world’s springs. They go from spring to spring, and at the last, at the end of the longest life they are nothing but bundles of unsatisfied desires and burning thirsts .

In contrast, Jesus here tells also of the heavenly water which He gives to those who believe on Him. “Whoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst.” In Christ, all the soul’s cravings are met. There is no lack or desire in our nature, which cannot in Him find perfect satisfaction. One of the Beatitudes reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” Noah’s dove flew from the ark and went on weary wing everywhere but found only a waste of desolate waters, with no place to alight. Then she flew back to the ark and was gently drawn within, where she found warmth, safety and rest. This story of the dove, illustrates the history of every soul that, having wandered everywhere in search of rest at last returns to God and finds rest in Him!

The saying of Jesus about the well of water in the heart, is very suggestive. “The water that I shall give him… shall be in him a well of water.” Thus every Christian becomes a fountain of blessing in this world. As from the great Fountain, Christ, all the streams of life flow so from the little fountain in the heart of each believer, flows a stream of the water of life to give drink to those who are thirsty. Blessed ourselves, our thirst quenched, our life stratified we become in turn centers or sources of blessing to others. Are we indeed wells of water at which others quench their thirst? Does our life make us a blessing to all who come near to us? Do we give forth kindness, patience thoughtfulness, gentleness and all helpful influences? Or do we pour out bitterness, impatience, angry words, ill temper, selfishness, and thoughtlessness?

The answer which Jesus made deeply impressed the woman, and she cried, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” She did not understand the meaning of Christ’s words, and yet her pathetic appeal is full of meaning. The first desire of our hearts should be to receive the grace of Christ, that we many no longer be dependent upon the world’s pleasures and comforts. It is a weary life which those live who have no source of good, save the little springs of earth which soon dry up.

[kapanbenernya]

Back 4 Blood -- It is Now Literally Left for Dead

As I have touched in this post, this is one of the games I still play, and for good reason. It has huge replayability, it's easy to pick up, it can fit all of my friends, and most importantly: it's fun. Yes you heard it right here folks, I like Back 4 Blood despite being aware of all it's faults and imperfections because it's still fun. And because of that, I will spend what free time I have to talk about this game and what I appreciate from it.

First, let's talk about the apocalypse

As we all know from the Left 4 Dead comparisons everyone throws around, the setting to Back 4 Blood is a plague apocalypse. Notice that I use the word "plague" instead of the straight "zombie" apocalypse because there are almost no zombie apocalypse in mass media anymore. Ever since the year 2010-something everyone just shied away from it like last month's fast fashion.

"LOOK AT HIM STILL USING CONVENTIONAL UNDEAD ZOMBIES! LOOK AT HOW MUCH OF A SIMPLETON HE IS!"

And with the traditional undead zombies declining in popularity, rose the new hotness that I can only describe as scientifically induced zombiefication, in which the "zombie" is caused by a scientific phenomenon like fungus, virus, bacterial infection, etc. Popular examples including 28 Days Later, The Walking Dead, and of course, Left 4 Dead. In the world of Back 4 Blood, the cause of the zombie mutations is an entity called the Worm which is said to proliferate in the waters and could mutate human flesh into all sorts of malformed abominations. And it's up to us, the cleaners of Fort Hope to thin their numbers and save the future. Or at least our group's future

But who is our group? And what are the Cleaners?

As mentioned before, we play as Cleaners. Essentially a ragtag group of survivors from Fort Hope sent out to execute missions such as community outreach, resupplying, and more often than not, blowing shit up. The characters available to us ranges from a soldier, a doctor, a delinquent, a prepper, two war veterans, and two nutjobs each with their own unique craziness. The variation is more than just salad dressing mind you, as each character comes with their own character and party skills. Such as the doctor that affects how well you can heal and how resistant the party is to long-term health damage, The prepper that can somehow turn the zombies into pinatas of ammo and grenades, and a young man whose only purpose is to annoy me every time he opens his fucking mouth.

"No seriously, Jesus Christ, just shut the fuck up Evangelo"

On top of the skills that comes with each unique character, you also have to build your own personal skill with the Skill Card system. It's essentially buffs in the form of cards that you form into a 15-card deck filled with multiple buffs and/or debuffs that will combine to fill a certain role within the team. The cards are unlocked via an in-game currency called copper (boy am I glad they didn't charge us micro-transactions for those) and you earn copper by playing the game. The system sounds pretty okay on paper, since you unlock your skills quite organically and slowly build yourself up as you play. But as you know things that sounds alright on paper might just be fairy farts in the real world, and the skill card system is no exception. The downside is that the skill cards are unlocked via packs that will randomly spawn on the shop. So if you're in a hurry to unlock certain cards, you can take a cactus up the arse and get fucked.

Wait. We've veered too much into gameplay territory now. Let me actually switch the topic to gameplay

It's no secret that the gameplay is very much similar to Left 4 Dead, so any attempt to explain the gameplay is a waste of time because everyone knows Left 4 Dead at this point. Its simple formula of "move from the starting point to the finish zone while dodging obstacles in the form of zombies" has been tried and tested for so many years now that it can almost vote. Attentive readers might have realized that I didn't put the words "killing zombies" in there because it wasn't really the main objective in L4D. They're more nuisance in the form of very bitey assholes, not unlike a teething baby that just learned to run.

"Yeah, not so tough now are you?"

Aside from them however there also the special infected that are so famous that they don't need an introduction. What I need to emphasize however is how good their designs are. I'm talking about each of them are so visually and audibly distinct, and how their roles are so synergistic with each other that they are still downright terrifying to face even with a tight 4 man group.

As the self-proclaimed "spiritual successor" of Left 4 Dead, and how the tagline for the game is "From the creators of Left 4 Dead", one would rightly assume that the game would at least maintain such quality. A thing that they unfortunately, did not manage to do with this game. Dishonorable mention goes to the special infected that can be very hard to discern unless the game spells it out for me. Not to mention that their roles aren't very distinct from one another that they all just blur out into "collective nuisance" for me. Overall, such a letdown from the people that made L4D.

Before we go to the final say, let me list the good things I really like from this game

Oh my god, it's the weapon system. The way the weapons handle, the customizations, the brutal melee weapons, the satisfying OOMPH some of the weapons have, and aiming down the sights? Good lord killing zombies haven't been this cathartic since COD Zombies. This is one of the reason why I think this game is still fun despite all it's shortcomings. The other reason? Nothing else except the fact that it's very much competent. It already has a satisfying gameplay loop that could carry the game by itself. All we need it just for the devs to keep this putrid ball of cadaver rolling.

And as we are now in the current future of 2024, we know that the Developers have pulled out like a couple of teenagers fucking on a risky day. This post by the Developers (almost exactly a year ago, by the way) has cemented the death of this game. The lack of community modding means that the game will stay the same as it was until the servers inevitably close. It truly has been the final nail in the undead coffin. The devs did say that they were gonna "be Back, bigger, bolder and better than ever!", but seeing how they treated this promising IP? Might as well get the phone ready to call CPS

In Brief

I'd still play it. No matter how much shit the community says about this game, I'd still play it given the chance. I still truly believe it's a competent game that just need a few fixes. I dare the developers to get off their ass and actually put community modding and/or map maker to the game. If that happens, I'm willing to bet one of my testicles that the game will re-flourish and we're going to start seeing a lot of new fan-made content and fixes it sorely needed.

But we will not get it of course. Not because the devs are lazy or incompetent, but I'm thinking it's because there is no money to be made in implementing it. We still remember the backlash about "Paid mods" back in 2015 so monetization is a very tricky issue. Apart from that, the devs will just look greedy by doing so. And trust me, Turtle Rock Studios cannot afford to tarnish their reputation any more than this. Not after Evolve

22/02/2024

#left 4 dead #left 4 dead 2 #l4d2 #back 4 blood #pc games #xboxone #ps5games

[greater-than-the-sword]

Now laying aside all that business about AI, I do want to say something about this:

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV

Which apparently is being used now as a proof text of the idea that humans are tripartite beings... certainly not a matter of salvation, but treated with a strange dogmatism in some circles.

I find it interesting that this verse is cited as though the point of the verse were to provide a logical metaphysical numerical summary of the non-overlapping parts of a human being.

Strange, eh? There is no reason to assume these are nonoverlapping terms just because they're listed sequentially- otherwise I'll do you one better, mankind is a four-part being.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30 NKJV

So, obviously, "heart", "soul", "mind", and "strength" (application of the physical body, perhaps?) are the four parts of a human being?

Isn't this getting to be a bit too much?

How did we go for almost 2,000 years and virtually no one had come up with the idea that man was a tripartite being and that "soul" and "spirit" were two totally separate nonphysical parts of man, until just now?

Right up until (and this is the important part) somebody needed a metaphor for the Trinity... "you know, humans are three-part beings too!"

Well you know what they say about metaphors for the Trinity.

stop

This one doesn't work any more than the egg. No one has ever been able to explain to me the difference between a soul and a spirit (except for The Bible Project, whose explanation is very sound and aligns with my own view)

It really strikes me as a brand new pop theology thing that was invented strictly for the bad Trinity analogy and is now treated as dogma when the Bible does not state such a thing clearly if at all.

#christianity

[tariah23]

Thoughts on JJK lately? Especially with them running through nearly every character one by one? Got inspired after seeing the hydrogen bomb (Sukuna) vs Coughing baby (Babyboyblorboman)

*looks away*

Gege……… he needs to take FOREVER OFF lmfao. I’m still enjoying the story because the characters are what’s keeping it entertaining for me but you can tell that Gege just wants to hurry up and be through with JJK, too. This is the final stretch!!! The protagonists are facing off with the big bad! It’s almost over! But at what cost………

I’ve talked about this in even greater lengths before but the quality of Gege’s pacing and story telling has been extremely noticeable over the span of the last two years of its serialization. Literally everything from the flow to the pacing and build up of major moments and plot points within the story had all been *chefs kiss* beginning from JJK 0 all the way up to the end of Shibuya. Gege was definitely feeling himself, especially after writing two of some of the best arcs that I’ve ever read in a shounen back to back? I was like

All while reading the shit, I am so SERIOUS!!! Not even glazing JJK, the arcs were just that fantastic!

Unfortunately, shortly after this amazing run, Gege had started to take hiatus after hiatus (I felt so bad… the fans were being assholes about it of course because they’re entitled and ugly, but his health was more important so I was glad that he decided to take a month long break. Now, Gege goes on breaks all of the time and I’m happy for him but at this point, I just wished that JJK became a monthly release instead because Jesus Christ, JJK used to be written SO much better than what we’re getting now. If he had more time to work on his story, I feel like both his health and story would drastically improve for sure. The fans would just have to learn how to be patient. I hate that Gege is just rushing through JJK like water out of a faucet right now. Because as a long time reader, I know that it used to be written better than this.

The stakes are always so high… (I get it since they’re fighting Sukuna after all, but man), the characters don’t have a moment to even breath, and the cast of characters are being treated like background fodder instead of the amazing characters that they are. It’s all just… “my turn!” *dies horribly* “my turn!” *dies horribly* “my turn!” *dies horribly* “my turn!” *dies horribly* “my turn-“ over and over and over again. Like, what the fuck?

It sucks. There’s little to no exposition and development involved in the story and it’s characters anymore. Thank god that most of them already had their own character development arcs already because Gege doesn’t focus on that at all anymore. Everything’s just so fast paced and erratic. Things are just “happening,” now instead of building up to these big moments and a lot of the character deaths of the major players have just felt like they were written purely for shock value and or to simply, “get them out of the picture so that Gege could move on-“ *coughs* Gojo *choking up blood*

Even the whole thing with Gojo was… it’s like, I just didn’t enjoy how it all ENDED with him passing on and not ever being able to evolve on an emotional level? Him being able to get over being “the strongest,” would’ve been such an incredible breakthrough for his character. His trauma and complex of being essentially, this deified monster instead of the human being that was, and never being able to fully connect with anyone that understood that about him. That would’ve been GREAT. He deserved it! Even the people who loved and cared about him only really saw him as this all mighty thing instead of the person who he was deep down (it wasn’t their faults… and Gojo’s never made it any easier for others to get close enough to “get,” him anyway so 😭…)

I can see JJK ending in at least 20 more chapters or so. Maybe 30. I do remember back in December where vol. 25’s cover had first been revealed, that the seiyu’s for both Gojo and Sukuna, acted out some of the future content from the manga right before their big fight and how Gege had announced that JJK would be ending this year but that guy said the same shit last year/ or back in 2022 so lmfao.

#tkf replies #chevo-balyad #uhhh sorry for rambling 😵‍💫

[queerprayers]

Hi! I'd like to ask you a question if that's okay with you:) what do you think about the promised eternal life? Like what do you think it's really about? Because I've been thinking about how Jesus promises the eternal life for everyone who believes him and how death isn't the end but honestly. I'm not sure if I want that. I want to love Christ but I'd also like to just, have eternal sleep when I die. No happiness, no sadness, just pure bliss and final rest

Such a great question, beloved!

Okay, I'm not trying to get out of answering this, and I will write more, but my first instinct is to say: I genuinely don't know, don't want to know, and don't think it's something we're able to know/comprehend! It's like that quote about how if we fully knew God, we'd be God—if I knew what eternal life was, I'd have died already.

That said, here are some thoughts:

When Jesus and the writers of the Bible tell us of the afterlife, they're using human language. They're talking to various different people throughout times/cultures. What is considered paradise to some is hell to others. I try to look through the literal meaning and attempt to find what they're trying to convey: What is God trying to tell us?

The Bible gives us many things: we have disjointed images, of cities and singing—but more than that we have promises, that it's what we desire, that we will be happy. I think these are many facets of an experience that can't be put into words, and reading too literally into any of it is dangerous. If John says he saw people in heaven wearing white robes, our first response should not be, "So we'll have a physical form? Why will we need clothes? Why robes? Do they have to be white?" I instead ask myself what John is communicating—and I hear holiness, and communion with God and each other.

Trust factors into this. We have to trust that it all comes down to love, that God knows our hearts as much as and better than we do, that while They try to communicate these ideas the best way our language allows, there is more and it is beautiful.

I hear you contrasting eternal life with pure bliss and final rest, but I don't think those are opposites at all. You've given a lovely description of what many believe Heaven to be. Again, I don't think there are words in any language that could contain something so beyond our comprehension, and we all find different words to describe our imagined future, and none of us know, and what you've said is incomplete, yes, but not incorrect.

We use the word "life" scientifically—physical growth, reproduction, metabolism—and we use it as humans experiencing the world—breathing, sleeping, pissing, hunger, pain—but that doesn't mean God uses it that way. When we hear "eternal life," it's not as in more of being a human on Earth, but as in: we will not be lost or cease to exist. "Death is not the end" doesn't mean you have to keep doing what you're doing forever and ever—it means there's a future for us, after we've done our life's work, that doesn't hurt. In some ways, death is the end, of the known. But God knows more.

"Death" is used in the Bible not just as an action, as something we will do, but to name an evil. Death is described as an enemy that Jesus came to destroy. We have to remember that "Death" used in this way is not a scientific or even literal death—it is a separation from God, it is a loss.

We only have death and life, in our understanding of existence—those are the two ways of being. (I'm not saying there's not nuance/debate, but generally that's how it goes—people are either alive or dead. You get me.) But God tells us there is another way of being. It's after what we call death, but it is not capital-D Death. Because we are not separated; we lose nothing. Death has lost its sting.

Live now, live fully. Whether we desire death or resurrection, they will both come for us. You want to love Christ. You want to be with him when you die. You want to rest. I can promise you all those things. (Well, it's not me promising, but you know what I mean.) You don't have to want the things other people say are in Heaven, and you don't have to be able to imagine a Heaven you would want. A new heaven, a new earth, a new imagination, a new capacity to desire. For now, you see as in a mirror dimly, but in the future, you will see face to face. Now you know only in part, but then, you will know fully, as you are fully known by God.

<3 Johanna

#asks #count the run-on sentences <3 #edit: yes always ok to rb unless i specify!

[kolbietheaggrievedwriter]

Someone has written their own take on a BrOC (which you should check out!), and it reminded me of my first iteration of jumpstart, where I initially thrust our OC into Bro eight years before canon. I prefer the current plot, especially bc I absolutely do not know how to write a 5 year old. But it's a fun little idea.

-

You allow your head to thunk onto the counter. The pain barely registers through your panic. You've been denying the possibility the moment you woke up and discovered that you had switched both locations and bodies overnight, but it's been half an hour. Nothing's changed. It's not a dream. Your name is (probably) Dirk Strider, and you are absolutely, undeniably fucked.

"Bro?" And that's a kid calling out to you, jesus christ.

You don't want to look up. You don't want to acknowledge the reality of your situation. But there's a kid involved, and you could never put your own discomfort above the wellbeing of a child. Besides, you have a pretty good idea who that kid is, and he definitely doesn't deserve to have his (probable) guardian ignore him.

You lift your head and get your first good look at the real life version of Dave motherfucking Strider. He's tiny, is your first thought. Itty bitty. He can't be older than four or five. He's also wearing tiny duplicates of the cringe shades you haven't had the courage to actually put on your face without dying of embarrassment, and he's fucking adorable. What the hell. Why can a kid pull off those dumbass shades better than you?

Probably because kids can make anything look cute, but a grown ass man would just look like some weeaboo dipshit.

"Sup, li'l man," is what comes out when you open your mouth to answer him. What the fuck. Is Bro, like…still inside you? Well, he can just get fucked then. You're in charge now. 

Dave approaches you slowly, cautiously, like he's going to get in trouble if he gets too close. "Sup," he says, pushing his shades back up when they slide down. 

"How old are you now?" You ask, monotone, which is weird as fuck because you're not particularly trying to not emote, but you figure this body has been programmed to do this shit for, what - twenty something years now? People say habits are hard to break for a reason. 

Dave apparently doesn't think anything of your question because he doesn't hesitate to answer. "I'm five," he says, drifting closer to you almost like he can't help himself, even despite his wariness. "It's my birthday," he adds, aiming for the same monotone shtick you've got going on but missing by a mile. He's obviously hoping for something, and you bet those big eyes are shining with fragile expectation behind the mini shades.

"Five," you say, contemplative, as an idea strikes. You're not going to abuse a small child, so sticking to the script is a no go. Might as well go completely off the rails and do things your way. "That's a big milestone for a li'l dude. Now that you've made it five whole years, I think it's about time you were officially designated as my li'l bro."

"Li'l bro?" Dave parrots, curious but trying not to seem so. The shades slip again. He pushes them back up.

"Yup. You're my bro now, so things between us are gonna change a bit. No more acting like we're too cool for school around each other, alright? That shit's for other people. We don't front in front of each other.  Striders stick together," you give him a bullshit explanation and hope he buys it. Otherwise, you're not sure how to explain your abrupt change in behavior. "You good with that?" You ask, making sure it's actually a question.

"I'm good," Dave says, though he looks confused. This is probably the most he's ever heard his "Bro" speak, and you are being pretty vague.

You turn, crouch, and open your arms. "First things first: hugs. Bros hug any time they feel like, but they get a special one on their birthday. It's tradition." Or it will be, anyway. Humans need physical affection and kids even more so. You, for your part, fucking love hugs. You're not about to let your kid (Oh fuck, he's your kid!!!) be deprived of such a pivotal human experience any longer.

Dave looks surprised, and he takes his sweet time walking over and getting up in your space, pausing every now and then like he's waiting for you to change your mind - or more likely, say it was a "test" and that Dave had failed or something. But you maintain your position, and your intent expression lets him know you are dead serious about this.

#my fic #jumpstart #brOC #homestuck #also the abrupt change is probably way too unnatural for lil dave to just #accept it #but you can hardly blame me (or brOC) for wanting to give the kid a hug can you????

[uweiy]

Psalm - The Devil Judge (Gahan)

Yohan visits Korea 6 months after the events of the show

___

A simple Kimchi Stew would have to do.

Gaon gets well-fermented kimchi he keeps in a container in the fridge, some meat, and sets them onto the cutting board next to the other ingredients. He wouldn't normally use Samgyeopsal, three layered-pork belly for stew but well. Yohan paid for it. Gaon can ask him to buy some more before he leaves.

He goes through the steps on autopilot.

It's how he does most things these days. Press conference after press conference, with a meeting in between. He wakes up, goes to work, waters his plants, goes to sleep.

He spends his weekends at the Mansion, cleaning, trying to work his way through the books of the library and not memorizing any of them. Sometimes he works from there too.

Gaon sets the squared meat up to boil with some salted shrimp.

He knows very well why he's here. He can't leave, grasping at the ghost of what they had for a little while. A family. And what he and Yohan never had, monstruous and enorm between them, if they had let it. But they hadn't.

The timing had never been quite right.

And so he remains despite knowing that, it's not the location that matters, but the people he had wedged himself in between.

The stew has already reduced, so Gaon adds a little water, and lets it simmer on low, watching the pieces of meat being tossed around in the swirls of bubbling water. His hands remember he's supposed to chop the green onions and green chili peppers, so he sets to it.

Some hero he is. He's been holding Kang Yohan's position for… a little more than six months now, and he is already falling apart.

"You did well."

Did he really?

In any case, he doesn't know if he can do any more.

He adds the kimchi, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic and soup-soy sauce to the stew and quickly whips an omelet together as a side dish, while the stew continues bubbling.

For the first time, maybe, in Yohan's life, Yohan had been able to make a decision for himself. Not driven by the fire that would not leave him in peace, nor the demons that haunted him at night. And his decision, as a free man, had been to leave.

Gaon could respect that. Really, he could. If he just, kept, his distance, his frayed edges, his thrumming ribcage, and the warmth of laughter into an attic far away.

 

He could console himself, knowing that Yohan and Elijah were safe and sound, somewhere in the world.

Even if it was somewhere without him.

His hands shake as he finally adds the green onions on top, instantly making the red of the stew stand out and the dish look put together.

"It looks good."

Gaon almost has a heart attack. "Jesus Christ."

Yohan is bent over, peeking over his shoulder. "Mmmh. Kimchi Stew. Yours smells nicer."

"It… all depends on the quality of the ingredients. And you need to boil it well. If you don't boil it well, it will taste bad. And not good."

Gaon grabs the pot and flees towards the table. Once he has served the stew into both their bowls, he looks back and smiles at Yohan.

He can't help it. It's like no matter what happens the rest of the day, the moment of the meal is when they can set it aside.

"Food is ready. Come eat."

___

Yohan inhales his food as if he's eaten nothing all day. He probably hasn't.

"How's Switzerland?"

Yohan, doesn't stop chewing, and barely looks up. "Cold. Green. Rich and powerful people who are not my problem."

"You like it there?"

"Yes."

"That's good." It seems the earlier scare has pulled Gaon out of his own head. He observes Yohan. "No... Bleak analysis about the nature of humanity?"

Yohan lets out a surprised-slash-amused huff. He sets down his metal chopsticks and wipes his mouth with a paper napkin.

Gaon's lips pull upwards into a smile. "How's Elijah," he asks, softly.

Yohan, ever so slightly, smiles back and tells him.

___

They do the dishes in relative silence.

Gaon is… quite relieved actually to see that Yohan hasn't changed all that much. And now he's here and next to Gaon and it felt like it should always be like that. Gaon wants to…

"Where do you put that?" Yohan asks.

... Gaon didn't want him to leave. He wanted to hold on to him and never let go.

"Kim Gaon."

 

Just like that, the meal is over, and it all comes crashing down on him. His heart is suddenly alive again, just like the first time he had seen Kang Yohan in months and he had been chained up and bloody and about to die, and if he had well– Gaon doesn't even realize his shoulders start to shake, his knuckles turning white, cramped around the kitchen knife so tight he might cut himself on the edge of the blade.

In one step Yohan is behind him. He pries the knife out of Gaon's clenched fingers and sets it aside. He turns Gaon's head towards him, assessing and Gaon is still, not frozen no, but in stupor.

And then Gaon breaks. Breaks down in tears, a steady stream of them.

Yohan pulls him against his chest and it must hurt but Gaon doesn't care, doesn't care whether he deserves it or not, whether it's what Yohan needs right now or not. He buries his head into Kang Yohan, and holds on for dear life.

"It's not— better without you." Gaon hears himself say, and he hadn't intended to but he means it, he does. "I'm not better without you. I'm not. It's so hard." He deflates. "It's so hard."

Yohan holds him as he threatens to break apart. Utterly silent.

Why isn't he saying anything. Gaon needs to know. He needs to know if – he needs

Gaon tilts his head upwards, snakes one hand on the back of Yohan's neck, and kisses Yohan on the lips.

 

He withdraws just as quickly.

"I– I'm sorry. I–" he gathers the fragmented pieces of his spirits, looking anywhere but at Yohan as awareness returns to him. "I was out of line."

He doesn't bow formally as he walks out the room, but it's not far from it.

He makes it all the way to his room before his legs give out. He sinks against the wall, knees shaking, and puts his head in his hands.

___________

 

The halls of the mansions are quiet and dark, not even the occasional scream of a bird, or rustle of wings to be heard.

Gaon's steps too are silent, soundless, as if he was still chasing an elusive creature, sleep that would not come. In its stead, only the darkness of thoughts and worries stretched, growing, nestling in his restless limbs until it had forced him out of his bedroom.

He pushes the door to Yohan's open, hopes it does not creak, and exhales with relief when he finds him there, asleep.

Moonlight falls on his face, on his chest, on the sheets coiling around him like treacherous, white snakes. His breathing is ragged, and his inhales seem painful, and as if surrounded by danger, his features are not relaxed.

Gaon reaches out, his fingertips hovering for a brief instant over– he had never been able to keep his distance. And so he smoothes Yohan's creased forehead.

"You're safe," he whispers. "Breathe."

Yohan's breathing comes to a halt, before it evens out.

The rise and fall of his chest, calms Gaon down too. He rests his head on the side of the bed, on his elbows, and watches it. He stays, until the first rays of sunlight pierce through the curtains.

He's gone before Yohan wakes up.

___

Full fic on AO3(wip, heed the warnings)

#kim gaon #kang yohan #gahan #the devil judge #tdj

[hurgablurg]

Pinned

* Update Aug. 2023: Damn, existential conflict has hands. Jesus Christ. Search the “right wing degeneracy” tag on this here blog to see more of this shit, if you can stomach it for the sake of education and fuelling your rage. It’s called what it is because right wingers have degenerated so far from the human condition and it’s most basic tenets of empathy and compassion that they barely qualify as human. And that is an objective fact.

- - - - -

There’s so much shit going on, it can be impossible to focus on and be angry about it all. Hopefully this personal archive/list of previous pinned stuff can help feed fuel to the fire. If you can, take action.

“Actionable” and “Complainable” are within the context of the sphere of influence of an average North American. Awareness is merely step one.

Actionable:

Petition e-4286 - Canadian proposal to give asylum to transgender people threatened by violence in their country of residence. Canada, for all it’s own cruelties, has previously been a comparatively safe-haven for marginalized people, and can be once again. So called “western democracies” fall to the degeneracy of fascism and right-wing politics, and there are vulnerable people to evacuate. The petition is accepting signatures until May 26, 2023, at 9:33 a.m. (EDT). The form won’t accept my email for some ungodly reason, so the best I can do is share and promote it before the deadline.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4268

Oklahoma Antitrans Bills - Oklahoma is putting forward a bill that would force anyone under age 26 to “medically detransition” as well as banning and felonizing the act of providing gender affirming medical care, along with a back-up bill calling for the same, but targettign anyone under the age of 21 . This is not for any observable purpose beyond causing pain and suffering. The people responsible for this bill and others like it have names and home addresses.

https://legiscan.com/OK/bill/SB129/2023 | https://legiscan.com/OK/bill/HB1011/2023

Other US States are also trying this bullshit, Texas is just going full hog on banning care for anyone.

https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB1029/2023 

https://19thnews.org/2023/01/trans-health-care-bills-2023-legislative-session-lgbtq/

PLUS the distilled shit in Florida - https://www.tumblr.com/socialistexan/710890023939096576/i-feel-like-us-conservatives-went-from-a-34-to-7?source=share

AND Texas’s proposed Bill to classify anyone with a Y chromosome as “male”, which takes biological existentialism past even it’s own already-insane limits. https://www.tumblr.com/spacelazarwolf/709351697217175552/reminder-that-the-sex-on-your-birth-certificate?source=share

AND Florida is just trying to straight up let the state kidnap your children. I don’t know what they’ll do with them, but considering that a LOT of Floridan politicians were good friends with Epstein...

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/254

Stop Cop City - Pigs and a bunch of corporate allies are trying to build a city-sized training facility for cops with the explicit intention of teaching them how to wage urban warfare against protesters and, I predict, “undesirables”, destroying an entire forest to do so, like some kind of cartoon villain. They’ve already killed someone, a forest defender named Tortuguita, claiming he shot one of the officers despite evidence contradicting that narrative, showing that it was friendly fire, and the buddyfuckers have refused to publish secondary body cam footage of what happened (not that it’s ever led to consequences for them before), let alone punish themselves. While the best and most effective action is to paint the streets with their blood until they acquiesce and turn tail, one not far behind that more people would be comfortable with is too scare their corporate cocksuckers enough that they pull out of the project, inflicting financial damage. Cowardly maybe, but I’d like activists be alive rather than not, though we all might not have any choice soon.

https://www.tumblr.com/effectiveresistance/709715348803452928

Update: Scratch the peaceful part - brick a cop, save lives.

https://www.tumblr.com/effectiveresistance/711200228209049600?source=share

And if you can, and if they try to bulldoze it, make some noise.

Don’t Say Gay Bill and Successor Attempts - You know it, you hate it, it’s the right wing trying to erase even the VERBIAGE of non-cishet people existing, this time in Indiana!

https://www.tumblr.com/pinelo/709805436447129600/reblog-if-you-see-this?source=share | https://action.aclu.org/send-message/in-dont-say-gay

If you can’t sign the petition, look for one more local! Or throw a brick into the back of the head of a rightoid. Every little bit helps.

Arizona Hotline Counterattack - Arizona has recently set up a hotline and email where “concerned parents” can report “critical race theory” and “gender expression” in the classroom. Makes them suffer! It’s free and easy to do!

Libraries at risk! Digital archivism is in danger. The Internet Archive is being sued by digital publishers to set a standard for digital rights and the avilability of knowledge. Digital publishers are baby-rage levels of mad at local, physical libraries for digitizing their already-paid-for collections and bypassing rental fees from said digital publishers, but know that suing a public library would be a PR nightmare, so they have instead joined together to sue an “acceptable” target - the Internet Archive in this case - intending to use the case to establish laws that affect all libraries and public institutions of the archival sort. The courts have decided, but the internet Archive has submitted an appeal to a higher court, and with support and enough noise, can have that ruling overturned in favour of the public. Give the petition a sign!

Jackson Mississippi is being held hostage. The city MUST be liberated, water restored, and the state’s control of them usurped.

Iowa and Mississippi Propose Bills to Ban Gay Marriage. It’s painful to remember that some leftists really thought the conservatives would only stop at “one kind” of “degenerate”, and that they were somehow safe from further persecution, as if the Maginot Line could ever fail once it was built, as if battle lines could only ever move forward or stay still.

Iowa and Mississippi (<- links to the individual bills and their authors) have both had republican politicians cosign and propose bills that would take human rights in their states back by years, citing “nature’s god” and other tin-foil-wearing hokery as their justification. Protest them, bombard them, threaten them, beat them, end them, whatever needs to be done to keep these rightoid, regressive degenerates from doing more harm.

Mi’kmaq Land Claim - The Mi’kmaq people of the east coast have put forth a land claim to a large chunk of New Brunswick, not to assert dominion or supplant current residents or governments (no change like that can even happen these days) but to secure the sanctity and security of both their unceded land (which currently sits in the hands of the government as crown land) and the ways in which that land is to be used. Show them some support!

Texas Is No Longer Trying to Hide the Swastikas - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB20/2023 . Texas republicans are aligning to make it legal for “citizen militias” to police the border for “immigrants”, with the secret inclusion of also allowing them to police POLLING STATIONS. They aren’t even being subtle about it, they are just having armed brownshirt degenerates waving guns in peoples faces to keep them from voting. Americans, if you can, either bomb these senator’s phones, or bomb their houses. They have names and addresses.

Do Not Let The Evangelicals Win. Do Not Give Them An Inch

29/04/23 The fucking Earn It Act is back, and once again we need to beat this hydra’s head with a burning club.

Complainable:

Iran Protests - Human rights and freedom of expression are at risk in Iran, and people are sick of it! The people rise up and protest, first back in September, and intermittently since, most recently from writing, this February 19th weekend. As heroes clash with fascist and theocrats, the “government” still holds tens of thousands captive, suffering rape and torture, and at threat of execution. There are 227 politicians to “hold accountable” for this abuse.

https://www.tumblr.com/hurgablurg/700422628522049536/what-does-it-fucking-matter-if-my-finances-are-a?source=share

- - -

The war on humanity is one of attrition, a war upon the soul, seeking to break spirit and inspire hopelessly, waged against us by ghoulish old men and sycophantic hypocrites. Only through action can we break their stranglehold and put an end to their abuse. Showing these fiends mercy is tolerating intolerance itself.

Rip Tortuguita.

RIP Brianna Ghey

RIP Ajike Owens

Health to Ralph Yarl.

RIP Nahel

#right wing degeneracy #human rights #trans rights #jina amini #cop city #tortuguita #iran #canada #united states #atlanta georgia #indiana #dont say gay bill #texas #intersex rights #florida #florida wants to abduct children #libraries #digitalrightsforlibraries #jackson mississippi #iowa #mississippi #mi'kmaq #evangelicals #new brunswick #earn it act #lgbtqa+ rights #digital privacy #war on humanity