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magaprima · 4 years

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Lilith Origin Headcanon Part 2

Note; Just as a reminder, these posts are my origin story headcanons for specifically CAOS, compliantly entirely with what they have shown us so far. I will be writing a concise origin headcanon for my generic mythology verses at a later date

After healing Lucifer, enough that his wounds stopped bleeding, though the scars there show that they’ll never completely heal, introductions are made between the fallen angel and Lilith and Stolas. The witch and the raven are able to explain who and what they are. Stolas explains that is a raven sent by the Goddess Hecate herself to serve as teacher and friend to Lilith, to help her grow as a witch. Lucifer learns that although Stolas may look like a raven, as any creature that walks the earth, he is something else entirely, that his appearance is an illusion that hides the power he comes, that he was created by a Goddess in the same way Lucifer was created by a God, as something with power in their own right. The only difference is Stolas has never been commanded or punished or denied his freedom and Lucifer feels the smallest spark of jealousy and resentment over this.

Lilith explains that she originally came from the Garden and that she became a witch, came into the very powers that had healed him, when she defied her own Creator and his rules. Lucifer is immediately entranced by the idea of another who had questioned and challenged his Father. He says he remembers God making her (and Adam), but he had never seen her, and confesses he never imagined she would be this beautiful or this fiery and interesting. He tells her he has seen Eve and the Garden and Adam and that he knows now that Lilith is var too unique and powerful and fascinating for something as limiting and ordinary as Eden, that she deserves a much more impressive kingdom. Lilith is, undeniably, flattered by the flirtatious compliments and finds herself attracted to Lucifer in a way she never was to Adam. She is also drawn in by the idea of someone seeing her this way, of someone seeing her as powerful and fascinating and deserving of better.

Lilith admits she sometimes still thinks about the Garden and Adam and what could have been, even though she knows now that he never wanted an equal, and she knows that a witch could never be in paradise, that the angels told her so. And she’d much rather be a witch in the wastelands than a mortal in paradise. In that moment Lucifer realises they are of like minds, kindred spirits, and that he might have found someone who is his equal.

But he doesn’t want anyone else to have her. He immediately begins to think that the False God or Adam will take her back, that they’ll come for her and she’ll accept their offer. After all, she admitted she thinks of the Garden sometimes, the fact Adam treated her so foully might mean nothing in the face of an offer of paradise. After all, she’s only human. So Lucifer starts sowing discord, whispering in her ear, telling her that Adam has been saying that she kills children, that she eats them, that she’s a clawed foot winged beast. Lilith is understandably offended and horrified, and worries that Eve will believe the things Adam says. They’d only spoken a couple of times, but it was enough for Lilith to feel a bond to her, a sister of sorts. Lilith wants to clear her name, but Lucifer convinces her not to return to the Garden and confront them, he convinces her that all that matters is that they know the truth, all that matters is each other.

Over their time together in each other’s company, Lilith continues to use her magic (learning more from Stolas’ mentorship), but now Lucifer provides her with his own teachings, showing her his own gifts and joining them with hers, and, with the help of Stolas, the three begin to thrive in their own little Kingdom, and Lilith begins to think that this is what she was meant for, that this is the world she was seeking when she left the Garden. She grows curious about Lucifer’s magics and wishes to learn more, to add his powers to her own that she has from Hecate’s teachings and gifts. Stolas questions this, but Lilith reasons that all magic is magic regardless of it’s origin and she loves all of it and yearns for all of it. The power is something she thrives on. She reasons that while Hecate made her a witch, gifted her, she was created by the same God that created Lucifer, so shouldn’t she also harness those magics too?

Lucifer encourages Lilith to show him more of her Hecate magic, and she shows him her mastery of elements, her healing gifts (of which he already knew), the way fire doesn’t touch her, the way water can bend for her, the way food grows for her, with a single touch, how her own voice can lull creatures to her, even Lucifer himself finds himself entranced by what Stolas calls her ‘siren song’ (he’s only partly joking). His susceptibility to Lilith’s magics, essentially making him feel less than what he is, makes him want to discourage her in his own subtle way. He compliments her magics, but in such a condescending way as to make Lilith feel self-conscious, as if her magic is perhaps embarrassing or too simple, something not to boast about.

Yet, Stolas, her truest friend and companion, reassures and builds her confidence, sweeping away any insecurities Lucifer inadvertently caused with a kind, supportive word and the touch of a wing. Stolas reminds Lilith that her magic, her witchcraft comes from a source much more ancient and powerful than a fallen angel, that she should never forget how powerful that is, no matter how young she might be, and how new to the craft.

Lucifer realises how close Lilith and Stolas, how tight their bond is, and how she will never be fully reliant on him, fully loyal to him, as long as she also has Stolas, and wonders if she loves the bird more than him. That night, as they lay in each other’s arms after making love beneath the starlit sky as always, Lucifer decides that he loves her and tells her so, and asks her if she loves him too. Lilith says that she does, but he finds that isn’t enough. He wants her all for himself, he wants her love to be for him and him alone.

So, he begins to talk to her of Kingdoms, of new realms, of a realm entirely for them. He talks to her of crowns and thrones, of new worlds, where woman and man are equal, where she could rule by his side as his Queen. Lilith is entranced by the idea, almost intoxicated by it, this idea of a realm that didn’t have God’s rules or Adam’s beliefs, where any woman could be equal to any man, where she could rule at the side of Lucifer rather than submit as his servant as Adam wished. Lucifer encourages her dreams and hopes and is pleased to see how happy she is at the idea, how attached she is....but it still isn’t enough. So he decides he can only be certain of her love if there is no other to distract her. He says, casually, in a throwaway comment, that ‘while Stolas might not think you should be a Queen, I certainly do’. When Lilith questions this, Lucifer dismisses it, claiming Stolas didn’t mean it in that way, only that she’s a witch, not a Queen, that he’s stuck in his old world views,’he can’t see the future as we can, Lilith’.

Lucifer is so apologetic and innocent when he confesses he never meant for it to come out like that, that he would never want her to think ill of Stolas, that Lilith is sated, accepting this, and assures the Morningstar that it’s fine, that she knows what Stolas must have meant, and she knows that Lucifer meant no harm by his comment.

Yet, the first hints of distance between the once inseparable Lilith and Stolas begin to grow.

#lilith origin story #origin part 2 #as i said before my whole caos backstory is so long that it has to be in parts #once i've written these all up #then i'll do my full stolas post #headcanons

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shouter-to-dead-parrots · 3 years

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Not so short story - “Wingman”

“Doctor, your four o'clock is here," came the receptionists voice through the intercom. The man behind the desk closed the file folder, stood up, and stretched. The last patient of the day, finally, he thought. Deal with this guy and it's off to the Bahamas for a week.

Day after day people discontented with the lot Nature gave them came to him to be made perfect. Tighter faces, larger breasts, a smaller butt.

Alex McNally MD had a good reputation and amassed a considerable fortune remaking the vain and beautiful. Early on he enjoyed the challenge of improving upon beauty, but that had soon lost its appeal. Now he ran a mechanical operation, an assembly line of body parts to be cut and stitched

This particular month was a rough one. He had reached the point of not caring and having to be careful not to mistreat his patients. He was good, but not so good that he could afford to be an asshole. Some plastic surgeons were assholes but were also so skilled that people put up with them. He was not yet in that category.

"Send him in," he spoke into the intercom, then rose wearily from the desk to greet his appointment. Within a few seconds the door opened and in walked the patient.

This is the most beautiful man I have ever seen. The face and body of a Greek god, with hair the color of sunshine and a skin tone which bespoke of Mediterranean ancestry.

"What can I do for you mister" he looked at the patient information form in front of him. "Merioplios", the man replied. "It's from an ancient Greek dialect. I come from a very old family."

This small talk continued for another couple of minutes, then the doctor again asked "What can I do for you?"

"I need reconstructive surgery."

“I haven’t done that for some time.”

"Yet you are highly competent and experienced in that area."

"Yes, but it is not my emphasis in this practice. I specialize in cosmetic surgery."

"Improving on God's work?" the man asked.

He nearly blushed. That motto had been chosen by his advertising agency. He didn't think much of it at first, but he had grown to like it and sometimes feel a bit boastful. He did improve upon what God, or Nature, had given people.

"A bit of advertising hyperbole, but it does attract patients." he replied.

"Your ads in LA Style do not speak of subtlety or modesty," the man said. "But on to business. I have need of some reconstructive surgery and will remunerate you well for the work. There are some growths on my body that I wish to have removed."

"How large are these growths?"

"Substantial."

McNally felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. He felt mild rush of what - anxiety, excitement, fear? “I will have to see before I can tell you anything. If you will follow me”, motioning towards the examination room.

McNally expected the man to start disrobing, but instead he just stood there. The room filled with a soft white glow, temporarily blinding him. When the light subsided, Mr. Merioplios was transformed.

His skin glowed from within. But all that paled in comparison to the wings that sprouted from his back.

Even folded, they dominated the room. They were covered with delicate feathers. Each one was a distinctive color but every one of them was absolutely white.

He had heard that the Intuits have a thousand names for snow. He always thought that a clever saying but indicative of people with too much time on their hands. Now he understood. In a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Can you help me?" said the man.

"Help you?" McNally stammered. “You have wings,” he said and immediately regretted stating the obvious. “What are you?”

“I am of the body of Cherebum,” the man replied.

“You are … an angel?” The man nodded in assent. The doctor stood transfixed for what seemed an hour, staring blankly. When his voice returned, McNally whispered “May I touch them?"’

"You may do better than that, Doctor" the angel replied. "I wish you to remove them."

McNally was stunned. "Remove your wings? You want me to ... chop them off?" His voice quavered.

"To remove unwanted growths," the angel replied.

"Are they damaged or diseased?"

"They are in excellent condition, as am I. My reasons are personal."

An angel was sitting in his exam room asking to have his wings removed. "They don't cover this in medical school," he thought. "Why do you want your wings off?"

"That is none of your concern", the angel said. "Suffice it to say that I am willing and able to provide proper compensation for your services."

"I am not an expert in angel wings, but they look perfect. Why are you unsatisfied?” asked McNally.

"Ten minutes ago you were wondering just that about your patients. You questioned why you have a good business at making perfect people better. You are ashamed of what you do sometimes, taking lots of money from the beautiful to feed their egos and extend their careers. Part of you longs to return to reconstructing children's clef palates and trying to make burn victims look human again."

McNally was silent. That is exactly what he had been thinking just before the angel arrived. How could he know?

"'Improving on God's work', is that not your credo? Taking what God has made and remaking it to tastes of the customer? What I want is no different than the facelift you did for that young lady singer last week. You did good work, improving a face that was nearly perfect to begin with. I ask no more for myself."

"But wings! They are so big! Not like a nose job or tummy tuck. Those are ... adjustments. I don't do amputations."

"I have full confidence in your skills", the angel said.

"I don't know anything about your physiology. I wouldn't know what to cut where. I can't do it."

"I will give you instructions and provide the necessary instruments."

"But I couldn't... God, they are so ... "

"Perfect? A work of God that you can't improve on? Come now doctor, don't you believe in your own reputation?"

McNally sat silent for what seemed an eternity. The only sound in the room was that of his breathing. Breathing, he noticed. The angel was standing there still, not even breathing. His curiosity and bewilderment were giving way to fear.

"But wouldn't He be angry with me if I cut off your wings?" asked McNally.

"Him? You mean God?"

"I guess so. Whoever gave you your wings. Wouldn't He get mad if I destroyed them?"

"'Improving on Gods work'?"

"Stop throwing that at me", McNally snapped. "It's just an advertising slogan. I don't mean anything by it."

"But you chose it. Do you now not mean it? Have you changed your mind?"

"I'm not sure."

"Mortals rarely are when confronted with the reality their choices lead them to."

"Why do you want your wings removed?"

"Why do your other patients want their noses changed, their breasts enlarged or wrinkles removed? You only ask them if they have insurance coverage and which makeover package they want. Why I want this is beyond your comprehension. Beyond any mortals' comprehension. I assure you that I am capable of providing reasonable compensation, either monetary or metaphysical."

"Why did you come to me?"

"I saw your billboard. I liked your slogan and hoped you would live up to it."

"And if I refuse you?"

"I will go on my way and you will remember nothing of this."

"Maybe that would be for the better," McNally said.

"That will be for you to decide" replied the angel.

"I've got a 7 o'clock flight to catch. It must be nearly five by now."

"You have all the time in the world," he said gesturing at McNally’s watch. The doctor looked at the Rolex on his wrist and saw that the second hand was no longer moving. He shook his wrist and tapped the crystal "Damn, must have let the battery run down again."

"I assure you your watch is working perfectly. It is time which is in abeyance. So, you have all the time you need to make a decision."

"Let's step back into my office" McNally said, motioning out of the exam room. They returned to his office, and he dropped into his chair.

"Would you find me less intimidating if I sat down?" the angel asked.

"That would be more comfortable for me, yes."

"Then I shall have a seat" and planted himself in the overstuffed chair on the opposite side of the desk.

Minutes passed in silence, then the doctor asked “I need to know only one thing of you before I decide.”

"As you wish.”

"I need to know why."

"About what?"

"Why you don’t want your wings."

Meriopolis' eyes narrowed. McNally saw a flash of anger cross the angelic face. Oh God, I've pissed off an angel, he thought. This could be bad.

"Very well. I will tell you why I want my wings removed. I warn you that my story will be disturbing. Some may call it blasphemy. Do you believe in the soul?"

"I never thought a lot about it."

"Yes, you did. Between 12 and 13 you spent a lot of time wondering about God and whether you had a soul and if that mattered. You decided that God did not matter and souls did not exist. You mother nearly fainted when you told her that you were not going to confirmation."

The angel continued "Some of us were born on the eve of creation. The first inhabitants of the Universe were the most powerful creatures except for the Creator. Later they created more such, of a lesser standing and power. I am one of those.”

"From the Creation. The Big Bang and all that? Are you fifteen billion years old?"

"Time is very different in my realm and yours. Suffice it to say that I am much older than Mankind."

"But you appear human."

"You need us to be in your image."

"Or we in yours."

"That is also possible." the angel smiled.

"Life in the higher realm is unlike anything of this existence. The Universe passed cycles and eons, time had little meaning. Then came your people and everything changed."

"Changed? How?"

"The Presence took an interest in your people and sent some of the Host to watch over you. I was one of them."

"How long ago?" McNally asked. This was getting weird. He could not believe what he was hearing but he knew it was all true. What am I getting involved in?

"By your standards, I have been here for five hundred thousand years, give or take a century or two."

The angel stood, walked to the window and stared out as if looking for something well beyond the horizon. "When your race was a few bands of primitives, the Presence decided that you were destined for greatness. The most trusted and powerful of us was sent to watch you but not interfere.

“For a thousand generations, he did just that. What he saw broke his heart. While your race held the spark of greatness, he also saw in you the embers of self-destruction. The very passions which make humans capable of glory also make you quite capable of horrors.”

He turned from the window, as if he had not found whatever he was looking for. "The angel returned home and petitioned the Presence for permission to help. His plea was presented with an impassioned oratory that we still remember. We were sure that the Host would agree. How could He not? Man needed some help else he would be gone in the blink of His eye, and all that potential would be lost.”

"But He did agree, right?" said McNally. "We're still here, so we must have had help."

"The Host refused the petition and chastised the angel who delivered it."

"What happened?"

"He fled in anger, renouncing his allegiance to the Host and in defiance he drew a flaming sword and severed his own wings. In the deep hours of the morning, I can still hear his screams of pain and terror. He was no longer one of us."

"Did this angel have a name?"

He smiled. "Your people have called him by many names since that day. He was called the Lightbringer, herald of the morning star. ... You may know him as Lucifer."

"Wasn't he cast out for the sin of pride - something about loving himself more than he loved God?"

"That is the official story. It sounds better than admitting that one of the heavenly hosts stomped out in anger and told the Almighty to get stuffed."

"Was he punished?"

"Your kind blame him for all the evil of this world and beyond. Being reviled by most and sycophantically worshipped by a few lunatics. Cast down from the guardian of Mankind to be the pariah of Heaven. Pretty strong punishment, don't you think? Thousands of years of a ruined reputation.

"I was selected to take his place in your world. I did not feel adequate to the task. The light bringer was ... is a much better mentor than I."

"Where is he now?"

"Everywhere. He returned to be unofficial guardian of Humankind, but the dispute with the Almighty embittered him. He is not the ... man he used to be. His cause is to help humanity advance by misfortune and challenge. He believes that all must learn by triumph and failure, peaceful evolution and violent revolution, good ... and evil."

"So, is he the Devil?"

"Yes and No. The evil Man does comes from your own hearts. No demons are whispering in your ear, despite what Grandma Hattie told you."

"If I do remove your wings, what happens to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe I just walk out that door and lose myself in the happy-hour crowd. Maybe I cease to exist. Maybe nothing happens."

He's lying, McNally thought. He knows damn well that something bad will happen and is looking forward to it.

"What will happen to me?" McNally asked. "I would damage the body of the Host. Wouldn't he be mad at me?"

"You said you didn't believe in God."

"I said that I wasn't sure, and when in doubt, I chose the stance of the skeptic. Until now. I don't know if I believe your claim to be an angel. But I know what my senses tell me.

"Maybe I am wrong about God. Maybe you are an angel. If what you tell me is true, I'm scared."

Silence held for a few seconds. The angel said "You are scared. Good. Finally, you are asking the right questions."

"But what are the answers?"

"That," said the angel, "remains for you to see."

"Would the ... removal hurt you?"

"More than any mortal could conceive. My wings are not appendages like your arms and legs, they are the very essence of my being. Losing a single feather hurts like you breaking your arm."

McNally stared out the window. It was already near sunset and he had a spectacular view to the west as the sun sank into the brown haze that nearly obscured the spires of the downtown skyscrapers.

I can't do it, he thought. He is too perfect. I would be destroying something holy. I am a corrector of Nature's mistakes. But this is not of Nature. I cannot do it. McNally turned to face the angel and tell him. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. In that instant McNally saw the angels' life. From a distant moment when his spirit was conjured from the primordial ylem and made into form, through his long eons of waiting and watching, to his time with Man, seeing the parade of history pass by but unable to alter its tragic path. McNally saw a reflection of the heavens, the ebb and flow of life and death, destruction and rebirth. Most of all he saw exhaustion. This emissary of the Power of the Universe, was tired and more than anything, wanted his journey to end.

The gaze lasted only an instant, but McNally had in that half-tick of the clock more than he had in his entire life, and maybe in past lives also.

“When I was 10 years old, my best friend Jimmy Kellor was in a car accident. He lived but was badly burned. He didn’t want anyone visiting him in the hospital. I begged to see him, even for a minute. I had to know he was still Jimmy. His parents thought it was okay, but said that Jimmy was adamant about not being visited.

“I begged, I cried, I cursed God that my best friend would get hurt. After Jimmy came home, he never came out, starting being home schooled. For two months I must have called or tried to visit nearly every day and always Jimmy wouldn’t even talk to me. Then I just gave up.

“Rumor was that Jimmy had been burned so badly he didn’t look human. There were some really gross stories going around school about how he looked. Then one day when I was home sick, I saw Jimmy and his mother get in their car, off to rehabilitation. I got one look at his face and wished more than anything that I was a plastic surgeon who could fix his face and bring back my friend.

“His family moved to the other side of town soon after, to be closer to the hospital. A few months later I overheard my mother telling my dad that she saw Jimmy’s name in the newspaper. It was in the obituaries. He killed himself, but of course that is never listed as the cause of death.

“I know that my best friend killed himself because he could not stand what he looked like. I wanted him to be the same Jimmy that I had always known, but he’s not. I was depressed for weeks.

“So, you decided to become a plastic surgeon in the memory of your dear friend.” Said the angel, again with a sliver of irony.

“Yes”, McNally laughed. “As corny as that sounds, that is just what I did. I changed from nearly flunking out of school to honor roll in one term. I vowed to make it to medical school and become a plastic surgeon. I wanted to be the person who could fix damaged people.”

“But something diverted you from that altruistic path.”

“Graduating with $120,000 of school loans to repay. There isn’t much money in rebuilding the faces of burn victims – at least not enough to pay off that debt in anything less than a lifetime. I became a junior doctor in a cosmetic surgery practice. It was only for a few years to pay my bills and get some experience.

“I found out I had a great skill for face lifts and tummy tucks. I could do them easily and they paid well, usually in cash so there were no troublesome insurance hassles between the practice and the patients. Well to do people came in, looked at the catalog, pointed out what they wanted and were sent to my knife. In five years, I fixed hundreds of nearly perfect people, and had paid off my debts. It was easy money. I was seduced.

“You forgot about Jimmy and his scarred face” said the angel.

“I … forgot”, replied McNally. “Yes, I forgot why I went to medical school in the first place. Forgot the desire to make people whole again. I lived in a world where the nearly perfect wanted to be made better and were willing to pay what it cost. I was all too willing to take their money and give them their illusion – after all what do they say about a fool and his money?

“You are no fool, Doctor McNally. You are blessed with a great talent, and beneath your professionally detached demeanor, a kind heart. Though you would not grant yourself that honor.” Replied the angel.

“Fifteen years of helping people lie about their appearance can wear anyone down. I wouldn’t give this up for anything but I’m so tired of it.”

The angel held out his hand and there appeared something akin to a short sword or very long knife. It glowed a soft white, which reminded McNally of glacier ice. An involuntary shiver ran up his spine. “I don’t want to touch this thing,” he thought. It looks like death. A bubble of bile surged up his esophagus, and it took considerable effort to force it back down. It left a stale smell in his nostrils.

“This … thing can cut off your wings?” asked McNally.

“It is sufficient for the task,” replied the angel, holding the handle towards McNally. “If you please,” and he spread his wings, filling the room with luminescence. McNally looked at the implement proffered by the angel. He tried to reach for it but his muscles failed to expedite his desire. He stood frozen there, trapped by the force of his own indecision.

For McNally minutes passed, then he slowly reached out and accepted the instrument from the angels’ hand. It was cold as ice and heavy as a millstone, he was surprised that he could even hold it.

“At your discretion, doctor”, said the angel, who then closed his eyes and assumed a stance of what McNally assumed was prayer.

Time slowed to nothing. An eternity passed while McNally stood with the strange implement in hand, looking at the wings, finding himself mesmerized in the endless vista of white feathers. The sword handle froze and burned his hands. He heard a dissonant chorus in his head, pleading for him to strike and begging him to stay.

After a seeming eternity, McNally said “No. “I cannot do this. I will not do it.” He offered the sword back to the angel by the handle.

The angel looked up and stared at the blade as if loathe to handle it again. A look of surprise and disappointment crossed his perfect face, but only for a fleeting moment.

McNally continued “It would have destroyed us both. You knew that but didn’t tell me. Were you ready to sacrifice me as well as yourself? Doesn’t seem like the behavior I would expect from an angel.”

The angel was silent, holding the sword before him, eyes fixed on the blade of cold fire.

McNally dropped onto the couch, feeling like a marionette whose strings have been severed. He was exhausted but serene, more than he had been for years.

“I had this patient years ago. I was just out of medical school and working my first job in at a that practice. She was trying to be an actress but her career was going nowhere, so her agent said “Go get a nose job.” I thought there was nothing wrong with her nose and told her so. She agreed, but explained that her agent told her that unless she got her nose ‘fixed’, she could not expect the good roles.”

“I tried to talk her out of it, and finally succeeded. I hoped she would go back to her agent and give him the what-for. Later I heard that her agent had made an angry phone call to a senior partner of the practice, complaining of my disrespect towards his charge, and a solemn vow to direct as much business away from us as possible. The senior doctor tore me a new asshole and damn near fired me on the spot. I learned that the patient is always right, even when they aren’t.”

“What of the woman?” asked the angel.

“The senior surgeon did it himself and docked my pay to cover the cost. I didn’t think her face looked any different, but. now she gets $20 million per picture. And someone else got the credit for her face.”

“Do you regret turning her down?”

“I regret the shit I got, but no, I don’t regret telling her the truth. She didn’t need a nose job - I knew it and she knew it. But her feelings didn’t matter. Logic didn’t matter. Truth didn’t matter. But I never said no to a patient again. Until now.”

“Then you will not honor my request?” said the angel.

“No.” replied McNally. “I can’t do it. I don’t know why, but I can’t.”

The angel stared past McNally, eyes focused at something over the horizon. McNally stood, feeling strangely calm inside. I should be terrified, he thought. I’ve just pissed off a being of unknown power and dubious attitude. I could be toast any second now.

“There is hope for you yet, dear doctor.” said the angel. “There is hope for you yet.” He turned towards the door. The sword and his wings vanished. He once again looked human. He opened the door, “Good day Doctor McNally”, and headed out the door.

“I have one more question,” called McNally as the angel was about to step through the doorway. The angel half turned to face him, a wry look upon his face.

“What would have happened to you – and me – if I had removed your wings? You said you didn’t know. That’s not true, is it?”

The angel mused for a second, and replied “That would have depended upon you, my friend. Now I must be going.” He walked through the door, closing it behind. McNally heard him say goodbye to the receptionist, and listened as his footsteps left the foyer.

McNally sat in his chair for a long time, looking at nothing. The beep of his intercom startled him back into reality. His receptionist was leaving for the weekend. Mechanically McNally acknowledged the call, then noticed something on his desk.

There sat a single white feather. McNally picked it up gently, looking at it as if it were some alien artifact dropped from the sky. As he examined the feather, it appeared to slightly twinkle, just enough to notice if you were careful. Payment, he thought.

Alex McNally MD sat in his chair looking at his angel feather for a long, long time.

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healthnotion · 5 years

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Books So Good I’ve Read Them 2X (Or More!)

Given the fact that there are over 130 million books in existence, it’s easy to despair of ever having the chance to read even the smallest fraction of them. And given how little headway you’ll ultimately make on that number, even if you’re a regular reader and live to a ripe old age, it can be hard to justify reading the same book, not just once, but twice (and even multiple times!).

But I think there are several good reasons to do so.

The first is that each time you read the same book, you come away with new insights. You get different things out of a book when you read it at 36 than you did at 16 (and you’ll find different things at age 76, too).

Second, even when you’ve learned and affirmed the principles of a personal development or philosophical-type book, you have to revisit them regularly to keep them at the forefront of your mind. Humans are slothful, forgetful creatures; even when a book’s insights initially made your spirit soar and unlocked a new dimension in your thinking, without regular reminders, you’ll be taking them for granted in a very short time!

Third, sometimes re-reading the same book can become a special tradition (e.g., you look forward to re-reading A Christmas Carol every December), and even a cathartic ritual (see my note about The Road below). When you read the same thing on a cyclical basis, you find that rather than suffering “the horror of the Same Old Thing,” the practice can actually help you overcome it.

Finally, favorite fiction books become like old friends. When you open one up, you feel like you’re reconnecting with a beloved cast of characters who you’ve missed and are glad to be reacquainted with all over again.

Plus, few of the millions of books you could be reading for the first time are any good — and it can be more beneficial to re-read quality than to read mediocre slop anew! (I read 125+ new books a year in addition to my perennial favorites, so it’s not an either/or equation; as I know someone will ask, I have to read so many books for my work on the Art of Manliness, but you can read, or re-read more books too, using the tips I’ve outlined here.)

Below you’ll find a list of some of the books I’ve re-read at least twice, and often many times more. While I read books for both work and pleasure, and many of the books below I’ve read for both, I only re-read the books that have provided fodder for articles, that have also given me personal enjoyment.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

I first read The Seven Habits of Highly of Effective People back in high school and was blown away by Covey’s ability to create fresh, compelling angles on common sense principles — put first things first; begin with the end in mind — and show how they can be implemented to create a flourishing life. Since then, I’ve re-read The Seven Habits every few years to remind myself of these important fundamentals that I already know, but that are so easy to lose sight of.

For my distillation and take on the 7 habits, read this series that covers each one.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The first time I read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great American Novel, I was a sophomore in high school. But it didn’t really resonate with me then. That changed when I took a class in college called “American History Through the American Novel” with Professor Danney Goble. He made that book come alive for me by subtly illuminating its rich metaphors and highlighting Fitzgerald’s superb style. Since then, while I haven’t read The Great Gatsby as many times as literary critic Maureen Corrigan (who’s read it 67 times; you can listen to my podcast interview with her about that here), I have re-read it so many times I’ve lost count of the number. And every time I re-read it, I uncover a new symbol or metaphor that I never noticed before, and welcome the chance the re-contemplate the theme of wanting vs. liking. This book never gets old.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road has been called by some a love story between father and son, and nothing could better describe it. The book powerfully puts the beauty and sorrow of fatherhood in stark perspective, revealing paternal love intensely close to the bone.

The first time I started it, I read it all in a single flight coming home from a vacation. While I didn’t have kids at the time, and was surrounded by strangers, I was blubbering like a baby by the time the wheels hit the tarmac in Tulsa.

When Gus was born, I decided to re-read The Road again since I figured it would have more meaning now that I was a dad. Indeed, it made me cry even harder the second time. Since then, I’ve made it a personal tradition to read The Road once a year. It’s a cathartic ritual: I read it, cry as my heart gets squeezed in a vise of emotion, and then hug and kiss my kids while they wonder what’s wrong with Dad.

The Road makes me re-evaluate how I’m doing as a father. It forces me to ask if I’m preparing my kids so they can survive without me — not only physically, but spiritually.

It forces me to ask myself “Am I teaching my children to carry the fire?”

As the answer is always, “I could do a little better,” it’s a question worth reflecting on annually.

After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre

In After Virtue, Scottish philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre argues that we’ve lost the idea of having a telos — an ultimate aim — as well as the language needed to talk about the virtues required to achieve it. One of the results is that our discourse on morality has become increasingly shrill.

After Virtue is a really hard book to read and fully understand, but it’s the enjoyable kind of hard. When you put in the effort to grasp what MacIntyre is arguing, you’re rewarded with fresh insights about our current age. And because he’s writing about such a broad and deep topic, every time I read After Virtue, I walk away with some new idea to contemplate.

The Odyssey by Homer

I’ve read Homer’s The Iliad multiple times, but I did so for school and work. It’s mighty good, but it doesn’t grasp me by the heartstrings. It’s a different, ahem, story with The Odyssey, which I’ve read dozens of times for pure pleasure. There are a couple of reasons I turn to one of these ancient tales much more than the other.

First, The Odyssey is just a grade A adventure story. Just a plain fun book to read.

Second, and more importantly, the character of Odysseus is a lot more relatable than Achilles. Achilles is a demigod; Odysseus is fully mortal. Achilles doesn’t seem to miss his family, of whom we learn little about; Odysseus just wants to get back to his family — in fact, he gives up spending eternity with an ageless sex nymph so he can return to his mortal wife Penelope. Achilles only wants glory; Odysseus wants that too, but he wants to survive and make it back home more.

A mortal dude who’s just trying to survive in a crazy, topsy-turvy world so he can spend time with his family? I can relate to that.

The book has taken on different meanings for me when I read it after getting married, after having kids, and now that I’m approaching middle age.

Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a former trader and current intellectual provocateur (see his Twitter and Medium accounts) who writes about philosophy and probability. He’s the guy that popularized the idea of “Black Swan” events in history. Wikipedia succinctly describes a Black Swan event as one “that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.” The Great Depression. The Great Recession. Both World Wars. These are examples of Black Swan events.

In his book Antifragile, Taleb offers heuristics for businesses and individuals on how to not only survive a Black Swan, but thrive in it.

I’ve read all of Taleb’s books and they’re all great, but Antifragile is the one that I go back to over and over again. Taleb’s ideas are often counterintuitive and iconoclastic, but he makes great cases for them. I think the biggest reason I keep re-reading Antifragile, though, is that it’s just so damn fun to read. Taleb’s pugnacious and doesn’t suffer fools. The literary punches he throws at those he deems “imbeciles” not only crack me up, but the way he presents his ideas as a debate between a street smart spokesman (Fat Tony) and his traditionally smart, yet clueless rival (Dr. John), helps make the ideas more understandable. I also enjoy the occasional digressions he takes throughout the book. They’re fun, and always illuminating.

Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

Thanks to famous entrepreneurs and digital influencers, Stoicism has become the ancient philosophy of choice for many young people today. But there’s an ancient philosophy that I think is even more useful and life affirming than Stoicism: Aristotelian virtue ethics. I think part of the reason Stoicism is seen as the “cool” philosophy and Aristotelian virtue gets overlooked is that Aristotle’s writing doesn’t really have any pithy, quotable maxims like the writing of the Stoics does. But it’s richly rewarding for those who dig into it.

Aristotle’s answer to the question how to live a good life is “it depends.” In his Nicomachean Ethics, he lays out how to live a life of eudaimonia, or flourishing. It requires a person to use their practical wisdom to figure out what the right thing to do is in whatever situation they find themselves in. There are no iron-clad rules, which makes deciding how to act more challenging, but I think more wise.

Should you get angry at a business rival who copied your idea? The Stoics would say “Don’t get angry because that disrupts tranquility and could lead to poor decisions.” Aristotle would say “Well, maybe you should get angry because it’s just to do so, it will spur you to take action, and if the rival is directly confronted, he’ll back down. Or maybe in this particular instance, direct confrontation will end up damaging you and it’s better to hide your emotions and quietly best the rival from behind the scenes. Use your judgement.”

I love Aristotle because he understood that life is complex and there is no one right answer for the situations we find ourselves in. His Nicomachean Ethics provides a flexible framework for navigating these complexities, which is why I’ve re-read it multiple times.

Roman Honor by Carlin Barton

Roman Honor is a book quite unlike any other I’ve read. It’s one part history, one part philosophy, and one part insight into the modern age. Altogether it adds up to quite possibly the most interesting and incisive book I’ve come across. Even the footnotes are utterly fascinating.

Barton traces the way Rome’s honor culture dissolved as it moved from a Republic to an Empire, and how its original definition of dishonor transformed into the new definition of honor along the way. That is, whereas Rome’s traditional honor culture elevated being fiery, passionate, thin-skinned, and competitive, and disdained being independent, immovable, and callous — someone who didn’t care what anyone else thought and was literally shameless — honor in the Empire became the exact reverse, where only personal integrity mattered, having a rock-like disposition was celebrated, and the philosophy of Stoicism rose in popularity. It’s a fascinating lens by which to see how the same factors that led to the dissolution of traditional honor and the rise of Stoicism in Rome, have led to parallel trends in our own time.

The book has greatly influenced my perspective on the world, and I’ve re-read it multiple times both for pleasure and for work; I’ve gotten more than half a dozen article ideas from it, and as we’ve only covered a couple so far, look out for more in the years to come!

The Way of Men by Jack Donovan

I’ve read a lot of books about the anthropology, psychology, and biology of manhood written by top rate experts in their field. The Way of Men by Jack Donovan distills all of that into a highly potent and highly readable ode to sweaty, muscular masculinity. Do I entirely agree with the philosophy of manhood laid out in the book? Nope, which is why I like re-reading it so much. The Way of Men challenges your assumptions and makes you think hard about what it means to be a man.

While media pundits, and academics, and pop culture influencers debate and endlessly dither on about what it really means to be a man, and a hundred disparate definitions of manhood get thrown around, this book cuts through the noise to locate the central core of masculinity.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Just because I’m not all-in on Stoicism and have some critiques of the philosophy, certainly doesn’t mean that I find nothing redeemable or useful about it. While I don’t think the philosophy is one you should center your whole life around (I think Aristotelianism is better suited to that purpose), I do think it is extremely useful, and even indispensable, when strategically employed as a tool in certain situations. I see Stoicism as proto-cognitive behavioral therapy — a way to challenge incorrect, detrimental thinking about the world, and to find peace in circumstances you truly can’t control.

My favorite book of Stoic philosophy is Meditations by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s short so it lends itself well to re-reading, and it’s packed with pithy maxims you can use as practical heuristics in navigating life. And because the book is basically Aurelius’ private journal, Meditations gives you a firsthand look at a prominent figure in history trying his damndest to be stoic and grappling with the tensions that come with seeking to mold your life to an ideal.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

I read Man’s Search for Meaning after seeing a reference to it in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I was 16 or 17 years old. This book blew me away the first time I read it and was my gateway into existential philosophy. I printed off quotes from this book, framed them, and gave them as gifts to friends.

The big takeaway from Man’s Search for Meaning is arguably life’s most important lesson: there is one freedom that no one can ever take away from you, and that’s the freedom to choose how to respond in any given circumstance. If a man can choose to be happy while imprisoned in a concentration camp, as Frankl did and was, then a man can choose to be happy in any situation. This radical autonomy is what makes us human.

I’ll re-read this book whenever I feel helpless and need a reminder that I do in fact have control over my life.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Lonesome Dove is the greatest cowboy story ever told, and my hands-down favorite book of all time. It’s the American Odyssey. The story follows two long-time friends on a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana. Along the way they encounter outlaws, Indians, and old flames. I love this book so much, I even named my son Gus after one of the protagonists, Gus McCrae.

Despite being over 700 pages long, I’ve read this book four times in the past 10 years or so. It never gets old. Each time I start it again, it feels like I’m catching up with old friends. I still laugh out loud and cry at the same parts.

Are there lessons on life from Lonesome Dove? Sure, but I can’t say I re-read it for them. I read it over and over again because I like it. A whole heck of a lot.

Click here for more of AoM’s book lists and reading recommendations.

The post Books So Good I’ve Read Them 2X (Or More!) appeared first on The Art of Manliness.

Books So Good I’ve Read Them 2X (Or More!) published first on https://mensproblem.tumblr.com

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inloveandwords · 6 years

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This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story).

It works like this Go to your goodreads to-read shelf. Order on ascending date added. Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books Read the synopsis of the books Decide: keep it or should it go?

When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1) by Alexandra Ivy

It’s been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she’s survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a vampire she both desires and fears.

For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago. Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death.

A terrifying plan has been set in motion, one that will plunge Dante and Abby into an epic battle between good and evil – and a desperate race to save their love…

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Keep

Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away;if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Keep

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler

You’ve either done it or know someone who has: the one-night stand, the familiar outcome of a night spent at a bar, sometimes the sole payoff for your friend’s irritating wedding, or the only relief from a disastrous vacation. Often embarrassing and uncomfortable, occasionally outlandish, but most times just a necessary and irresistible evil, the one-night stand is a social rite as old as sex itself and as common as a bar stool. Enter Chelsea Handler. Gorgeous, sharp, and anything but shy, Chelsea loves men and lots of them. My Horizontal Life chronicles her romp through the different bedrooms of a variety of suitors, a no-holds-barred account of what can happen between a man and a sometimes very intoxicated, outgoing woman during one night of passion. From her short fling with a Vegas stripper to her even shorter dalliance with a well-endowed little person, from her uncomfortable tryst with a cruise ship performer to her misguided rebound with a man who likes to play leather dress-up, Chelsea recalls the highs and lows of her one-night stands with hilarious honesty. Encouraged by her motley collection of friends (aka: her partners in crime) but challenged by her family members (who at times find themselves a surprise part of the encounter), Chelsea hits bottom and bounces back, unafraid to share the gritty details. My Horizontal Life is one guilty pleasure you won’t be ashamed to talk about in the morning.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Keep

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Keep

Shadow Hills (Shadow Hills #1) by Anastasia Hopcus

After her sister Athena’s tragic death, it’s obvious that grief-stricken Persephone “Phe” Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister’s sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA — a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills’ history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach — the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after — seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister’s untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch

Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne

“Sometimes you do not truly observe something until you study it in reverse,” writes Karim Issar upon arrival to New York City from Qatar in 1999. Fluent in numbers, logic, and business jargon yet often baffled by human connection, the young financial wizard soon creates a computer program named Kapitoil that predicts oil futures and reaps record profits for his company.

At first an introspective loner adrift in New York’s social scenes, he anchors himself to his legendary boss Derek Schrub and Rebecca, a sensitive, disillusioned colleague who may understand him better than he does himself. Her influence, and his father’s disapproval of Karim’s Americanization, cause him to question the moral implications of Kapitoil, moving him toward a decision that will determine his future, his firm’s, and to whom—and where—his loyalties lie.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower

Viking marauders descend on a much-plundered island, hoping some mayhem will shake off the winter blahs. A man is booted out of his home after his wife discovers that the print of a bare foot on the inside of his car’s windshield doesn’t match her own. Teenage cousins, drugged by summer, meet with a reckoning in the woods. A boy runs off to the carnival after his stepfather bites him in a brawl. Wells Tower’s version of America is touched with the seamy splendor of the dropout, the misfit: failed inventors, boozy dreamers, hapless fathers, wayward sons. With electric prose and savage wit, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned is a profound new collection of stories.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch

Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald

When doctors told Art Buchwald that his kidneys were kaput, the renowned humorist declined dialysis and checked into a Washington, D.C., hospice to live out his final days. Months later, “The Man Who Wouldn’t Die” was still there, feeling good, holding court in a nonstop “salon” for his family and dozens of famous friends, and confronting things you usually don’t talk about before you die; he even jokes about them. Here Buchwald shares not only his remarkable experience–as dozens of old pals from Ethel Kennedy to John Glenn to the Queen of Swaziland join the party–but also his whole wonderful life: his first love, an early brush with death in a foxhole on Eniwetok Atoll, his fourteen champagne years in Paris, fame as a columnist syndicated in hundreds of newspapers, and his incarnation as hospice superstar. Buchwald also shares his sorrows: coping with an absent mother, childhood in a foster home, and separation from his wife, Ann. He plans his funeral (with a priest, a rabbi, and Billy Graham, to cover all the bases) and strategizes how to land a big obituary in The New York Times (“Make sure no head of state or Nobel Prize winner dies on the same day”). He describes how he and a few of his famous friends finagled cut-rate burial plots on Martha’s Vineyard and how he acquired a Picasso drawing without really trying.

What we have here is a national treasure, the complete Buchwald, uncertain of where the next days or weeks may take him but unfazed by the inevitable, living life to the fullest, with frankness, dignity, and humor.

“[Art Buchwald] has given his friends, their families, and his audiences so many laughs and so much joy through the years that that alone would be an enduring legacy. But Art has never been just about the quick laugh. His humor is a road map to essential truths and insights that might otherwise have eluded us.” –Tom Brokaw

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They’re even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation. Then Jordan dumps Courtney — for a girl he met on the Internet.

It’s too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney’s heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la — this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he’s got a secret or two that he’s not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can’t get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Keep

Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (Bloom’s Guides) by Harold Bloom

– Comprehensive reading and study guides for some of the world’s most important literary masterpieces – Concise critical excerpts provide a scholarly overview of each work – “The Story Behind the Story” details the conditions under which the work was written – Each book includes a biographical sketch of the author, a descriptive list of characters, an extensive summary and analysis, and an annotated bibliography

Date Added to TBR: Sep 02, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Pretty sure this was supposed to be the actual book by Tim O’Brien LOL!

Here are the stats

Starting Total TBR Count: 1760 Previous Total TBR Count: 1762 Total Marked TBR ASAP: 133 Updated Total TBR Count: 1763

Bye-Bye Books: Decluttering my TBR #3 This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story…

#TBR

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forceofbill · 6 years

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July 7th & 14th League Night!

I know, I know! I’ve fallen behind, There’s been a lot to keep up with and luckily Johnathan and people are giving me info on their games so I can update and actually let people know what happened in other games.

For July the 7th, since I have the memory of a Guppy, here’s the points and the commanders played!

2x Captain Sisay

2x Firesong and Sunspeaker

1x Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

2x Jodah, Archmage Eternal

2x Kaervek the Merciless

2x Karametra, God of Harvests

2x Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix

2x Maga, Traitor to Mortals

1x Nath of the Gilt-Leaf

4x Sliver Overlord

1x Surrak Dragonclaw

2x Thrasios, Triton Hero

2x Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire

POINTS:

Rachel - 10 Points Johnathan - 10 Points Steven - 9 Points Dustin - 9 Points Justin - 8 Points Billy - 8 Points Patrick - 8 Points Kevin - 7 Points Artie - 7 Points Mike - 6 Points Jack - 6 Points Charles - 4 Points (Only got one game in)

July 14th League Night!

SHOWDOWN FOR THE TROPHY NIGHT!

But before we begin the Summer RED League trophy will be:

SUMMER SPLIT HYPE!

Talk about spicy!

Now to this past weeks games! :)

2 The Mimeoplasm 2 Oloro, Ageless Ascetic 2 The Locust God 2 Surrak Dragonclaw 2 Karametra, God of Harvests 2 Captain Sisay 2 Atraxa, Praetors' Voice 2 Gishath, Sun's Avatar 2 Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix // Thrasios, Triton Hero 1 Purphoros, God of the Forge 1 Firesong and Sunspeaker 1 Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire 1 Arcanis the Omnipotent 1 Nath of the Gilt Leaf

Color Wheel:

27.12% Green 25.42% Blue 18.64% White 15.25% Red 13.56% Black

Oh yeah, those Gimp skills REALLY paying off. HAHA!

Pod 1 Game 1

Justin - The Mimeoplasm Dominic - Oloro, Ageless Ascetic Dustin - Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire Steven - Surrak Dragonclaw

HUGEEEEEEEEEEE War of attrition. We were getting the final match for the league trophy in after they finished their game, but honestly I think their game lasted about an hour. Justin was put out first and then the three control based decks kind of duked it out for another 20 minutes or so until Steven ended up winning the match.

Pod 2 Game 1

James - Karametra, God of Harvests Johnathan - Captain Sisay Patrick - Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix // Thrasios, Triton Hero

Johnathan wrote me up a play by play and I think I will now refer to Sisay as Captain Crunch as he is.

The early game is ramp for everyone like normal but Kara begins to outpace us and plays Nevermore to stop Sisay and lots of tax cards to slow us all down.

James struggles to recover card advantage and Sisay starts loading the field with creatures and mana thanks to good draws from Lifecrafter’s Bestiary.

We move through a couple turns but Sisay has ramped enough to play Elesh Norn and Overrun on the same turn.

Mono-Green Surrak gives Norn haste and Sisay is able to swing in for 41, 35 gets through due to blocks.

Patrick Cyclonic Rifts then puts Kara to 1 with weenies.

James replays some enchantments. I work to replay Surrak to win but James stops him by removing the Instill Energy I had placed on him. James dies to Patrick aggro the turn that he also plays Pila-Pala and Grand Architect. I have 4 card types in graveyard so I play Emrakul for cheap(er) targeting Patrick. My turn as Patrick draws a Commander’s Sphere, I play it, sac it to draw a card, that card is Enter The Infinite. I cast using infinite mana, then cause Patrick to draw 3 cards and lose.

SPICY!

Pod 3 Game 1

Billy - Firesong and Sunspeaker Artie - Atraxa, Praetors' Voice Rachel - Gishath, Sun's Avatar

HEAVY aggro game. It was inevitable I was going to die to commander damage, it was just a matter of whom would do it. In the end Rachel killed me and then overran Artie with a TON of dinos after whiffing several times earlier on with Gishath.

Pod 1 Game 2

Justin - The Mimeoplasm Dominic - Oloro, Ageless Ascetic Jonathan - Captain Sisay Artie - Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

Transcript by Johnathan:

This was a slow game.

Everyone played mana rocks for a few turns until Artie had Forgotten Ancient and Festercreep which he was using to -1/-1 each creature several times per turn.

Dominic kills Forgotten Ancient.

Now that the board isn’t being wiped every turn, Jon is able to replay Sisay and move in for the kill.

It takes a few turns but I’m able to get Avacyn out and swing for lethal at Artie who revealed he had Merciless Eviction in hand.

Dominic and Justin try to confront my board state but I’m able to outlast it.

I was having problems with my mana rocks so I tutor for Kozilek and draw 6 cards providing a remedy to my situation with Basal Monolith and another Mana Rock I can’t remember.

I go to kill Justin AND Dominic but forget about Dom’s Exquisite Bond which buys him another turn after I resolve my Emrakul turn.

It’s a whiff and Dominic concedes when he regains control.

Pod 2 Game 2

Patrick - Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix // Thrasios, Triton Hero Rachel - Gishath, Sun's Avatar James - Karametra, God of Harvests Ricky - Purphoros, God of the Forge

CO-CO-CO- COMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Patrick steals this with some combo powers his deck carries a lot of!

Pod 3 Game 2

We made this our league game AND the game for the trophy!

Steven - Surrak Dragonclaw Dustin - Arcanis the Omnipotent Kevin - The Locust God Billy - Nath of the Gilt Leaf

Nath had a HUGE lead in this game despite 3 other decks with numerous counterspells. Carpet of flowers is the SHIT!

Dustin was getting land flooded big time and Kevin was drawing no wheel effect for Locust God.

Steven was mana screwed for half the game. I managed to get him down to 19 and Kevin hit him once more from there.

After that it was pretty much down hill for us all. Steven got a red mana he needed, he top decked an O-stone eliminating Billy from the game and his huge lead, and basically just managed to work his way back into the lead.

Dustin dug for numerous answers, finding some, and then in the end, it not mattering. Kevin died first as he was the bigger threat once Nath was neutered. Dustin followed shortly after and although I held a Stunning Reversal to hopefully by myself another turn to live and possibly do something, Steven had like 4 counterspell options in his hand.

The victory and the trophy go to Steven for the year!!! I’ll have to take a picture of it in the store so everyone can see it!

Congrats Steven!

POINTS:

Johnathan - 10 Points Steven - 10 Points Patrick - 9 Points Rachel - 9 Points Dustin - 7 Points Billy - 7 Points Dominic - 7 Points James - 7 Points Kevin - 7 Points Artie - 6 Points Justin - 5 Points (Welcome to the league!) Ricky - 4 Points (Only played one game) Welcome to the league!

OVERALL POINTS:

Johnathan - 20 Points Rachel - 19 Points Steven - 19 Points Patrick - 17 Points Dustin - 16 Points Billy - 15 Points Kevin - 14 Points Artie - 13 Points Justin (Sliver Bro) - 13 Points (Missed weekend Clause) Mike - 11 Points (Missed weekend Clause) Jack - 11 Points (Missed weekend Clause) Charles - 9 Points (Missed weekend Clause) Dominic - 7 Points James - 7 Points Ricky - 4 Points

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