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thecupcakewritesmorethings · 2 years

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Asa Emory/The Collector Escapes Arkin: The Good(?) Ending

Okay, let’s get it straight. Asa Emory is 100% a villain. While it’s true, he suffered a horrible, traumatic event at the hands of his father: he has committed a near innumerable amount of atrocities. Asa Emory is, in my opinion, the rare case of the slasher who is unsympathetic. He has delved too deeply with his dark passenger, and he is neigh redeemable.

So it begs the question… Can he even get a good ending?

I don’t think so. At least, not in the traditional sense… But there is a “best” ending. Here is my shot at it. Spoilers, I guess, for The Collection.

You were once one of Asa Emory’s students. Specifically, you were in his class a few years prior, while you were working on your Batchelor’s degree in life sciences, like many others. Asa, in a way, didn’t think you different from any of the other bright-eyed future zoologists in his classrooms. You did your work, you came to class.

You were smart.

In fact, he found you a bit of a smart-ass.

There had been two or three times where he had shot you down in class for accidentally misnaming or mispronouncing something in his class. He had a reputation as a tough teacher to keep up… However, while most would cower to get things wrong in front of him- you took it in stride. You came to his office when your grade would inevitably dip in your lab reports.

There was no reason for your grade to falter, by the way, your reports were amongst the best of his class that year. One might even say he frequently would use them later as examples of “good” citation. The reason why your grades dipped? Curiosity. The need to lord his power over you like a god.

He’d bump your lab report grades up the more frequently you’d spend time doing “extra credit”, of course. This was simply his way of feeling in control at the time.

Of course, at the time Asa Emory hadn’t taken the plunge into becoming the Collector yet. In hindsight, you were perfect, however, as a potential victim. You were smart, hardworking, unique, even among all the other try-hards of your class. Perfect. It was a bit foolish, but he enjoyed thinking about you as the “one who got away” from time to time.

Of course, thankfully for you, you managed to get out of his sphere of direct influence before he went off the deep-end and met one of his idols (cough cough, JESSE, cough cough). However, you would pop back into his life once more to seek his advice on your Master’s Thesis. Still going for a masters in Zoology with a specialty in Entomology?

He scoffed when you asked for his opinion on the various auditory noises of the common jumping spider family. Internally he was pleased as punch. He… It’d been a while since he had been remembered as someone happily. Most people who take his classes bemoan his existence.

You were either very good at hiding it, or… You genuinely valued his opinion and experiences as an entomologist. Honestly, he couldn’t tell which he preferred. It was so simple when people didn’t like him…

Then again, you exchanged email addresses with each other. Personal email addresses.

He gave you a half-hearted joke about keeping your enemies closer. Now you were a competitor in the field… You laughed. It… Did things to him.

Asa wound up texting the only other person in the world who may hope to understand him, at that moment, how he may feel. His friend and idol responded only with;

“Ask them out, don’t bring the ropes out till the third date.”

“That’s a bad idea.”

“No it’s not. I’m trying to get you laid.”

There is a surprisingly sincere text that follows shortly thereafter.

“We’re difficult people to get along with. We’re not normal. Sometimes you need something normal to encourage you not to do dumb shit.”

“Introducing a person into my life, and an alumnus from my school, seems like the worst case. It’s not like you have something ‘normal’, either.”

“Speak for yourself. I got a spouse, a mortgage, and shitty in-laws like most married men. :)”

Asa was stunned.

“Also, counter-point. I never said that they were *normal*.”

That stuck with him… Longer than it should. He mulled over his friend and mentor’s advice. Observed it from multiple angles, gave time to watch it grow and sprout ideas… As a scientist should. In that time you and Asa had grown distant. Distant enough that your messages became short enough for text messages, so your numbers had been exchanged.

Though, the possibility that you were… “Abnormal” crossed his mind from time to time. You left the city to take on an internship at a Zoo a few hours away, but came by frequently throughout the year to visit family. He bemoaned Thanksgiving, though, your arrival to his home always made things seem as though the world didn’t stop in it’s tracks to stare at him for a day.

Then he met Arkin… Then the Hotel went pear-shaped…

Now here is where things deviate.

Asa Emory knows it is a foolish idea to return home to his house. However, he is not about to explain to you, who is currently asleep in his guest bedroom, why he refuses to come home while you have a guest. Not because he doesn’t wish to, mind you, more so because he cannot find what he deems to be a good enough excuse.

He spends all night patching himself up. He waits till about eight in the morning before returning (when he usually returns from his morning run) to enter his home. The house is silent, pristine, and just as he left it the night before. Clearly, you have not woken up. He sets his keys down and idly shuffles through some junk mail that has been sitting in his mailbox since yesterday. He makes his way upstairs to rest an hour or so just… To recollect himself when the radio goes off downstairs. A sinking feeling arrives in his gut. He pulls out his pocket knife and walks back downstairs to the radio, flips it off once more and proceeds to do a five-point room scan.

It's Arkin.

Arkin pulls the gun on him, explains that he intends to torture him just as he did his own victims. He stuffs Asa Emory into his own case and most certainly breaks a few fingers on his left hand in doing so. In that moment Asa forgot you were there at all, but he certainly remembers when he hears something shatter. Then the sound of rapid footsteps, then the dull sound of something hitting the floor.

Moments pass as he wiggles against the box, and a few seconds later he is freed.

There you stand, looking down at him with something between horror and intrigue. You tilt your head, observing him before you reach in to grab his right hand to hoist him up. He stands wobbily to see Arkin with something thin and tight around his neck.

“… I can…” The word explain falls silent. Instead his face curls into a snarl. “… He’s. Mine.”

It sounds… Childish. Like you had taken his toy away from him, not like you had just saved his life. Which, you absolutely have him dead to rights. He’d probably be in Arkin’s car right now on his way to god knows where.

Finally, you narrow your eyes at him. “Do you remember the first day I came to talk to you about my failing lab report grades?”

He doesn’t answer. His eyes widen as he hisses at you.

“You had me feeding your specimen. At first I thought it was rather cruel of you to do it, but you told me I needed to learn how to be better at exposing myself to a feeding. Passively, I asked you, ‘which roaches you think suffer more; the ones you feed to the widow specimens, or the trap door spiders?’”

He remembered this conversation, of course he had. You had been nervous to say the least. You had clearly arrived hoping to discuss your grade and go, but it was nearing Autumn break. Professor Emory wasn’t feeling particularly charitable, so he made you work for the grade you should have gotten in the first place. He had handed you a Tupperware container of German cockroaches and a metal pair of forceps and told you to feed his specimen.

“Do you remember what you said?” Your head gave an inquisitive tilt.

“… A funnel web spider is… infinitely worse than a trap door spider.”

“Do you remember why you said that?”

Oh. Did his heart just skip a beat?

“… Because trap door spiders act on impulse, but a funnel web will wait until you get close…”

How dare your smart-assery be endearing in a time like this? Damn you. Thank you?

Out of respect for your mentor, you let Arkin fall into his hands before he is too far gone. However, you cannot say for sure what he did with the ex-convict. You never ask, and Asa never really choses to tell you. A part of him realizes he may not need to, now.

What you do know is that Asa has most of his necessities packed up by lunch-time. His hand is bandaged up, and you spend the better part of that Autumn day driving back towards your home town while he feverishly clicks away on his flip-phone messaging someone.

All he knows is that you’re just as he had described. You’re smart, a wise-ass… But you’re crafty, clever. Beneath your innocent façade belied something in the funnel. Something hungry, and placative lurking deep within that most would never get the fortune to live through seeing. Something he could respect.

There is a deeper sense of camaraderie between the two of you from that day. Turns out you were the SIXTH Entomologist on Arkin’s list.

Still. Asa is in deep shit, despite the newfound… Addiction the pair of you share. It’s only a matter of time before they find Arkin, or Arkin’s trail, and a simple side-step before they find yours. He texts his friend once more for some help.

“Only if you can admit I was right.”

“Perhaps you were.”

“So. I get to be best man at the wedding right?”

“No.”

“Maid of honor?”

“Chromeskull.”

“You’re right. I’m saving your ass. I want to be the BEST HONOR.”

#the collector x reader #asa emory x reader #Not explicitly romantic?#Though I can definitely see Emory falling for someone's cunning before he realizes he likes them emotionally or as a romantic partner

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anton-rasputin · 2 years

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Hi! My sister is doing research on propaganda in Russia and she'd like to ask some questions and talk to an actual Russian person. Unfortunately she has had great difficulty finding someone and the deadline is tomorrow. If that is too short notice, I completely understand!

If you do have time, could you answer the following questions:

How do you experience propaganda in Russia?

Do you notice is, does it influence you or your friends/ family?

What is your opinion?

How do you experience living in Russia with propaganda/influence etc.?

Anything related to propaganda would be fanatastic!

Kind regards,

RoMythe (Robin)

Well, hello

I will be happy to answer these questions, because it is really important and you need to know about it.

▫️I have the most negative attitude to our propaganda. This stuff affects all spheres - from politics to the most ordinary household. The authorities (and their vile mutts at their beck and call) blatantly lie to ordinary people about everything. And unfortunately, this lie is very, very effective. It starts from the school bench. I'm one of the few who have understood this since childhood.

Yes, it affects my family. In Russia, there has long been a cult of hatred for the United States and the European Union, for their values (about which, by the way, there is also a lot of nonsense). My family believes that they want to seize Russia.

When the war with Ukraine began - and this, I note, has been going on since 2014 - there was a lot of rubbish on TV about this country. Ordinary Russian citizens were brought up with a persistent hatred of Ukrainians in the manner of the attitude of Germans to Jews during the Second World War.

My friends, fortunately, were not subjected to such propaganda. At least the ones I'm close enough to. Alas, I can't say the same about my family. This is the most typical picture - these people hate all NATO countries, hate everything connected with it. They firmly believe that Russia is "just defending itself from the terrible influence of the Western world". Well, fuck.

My opinion on this? I fucking hate this shit. It's good that I live alone now. I always tried to convey truthful information, but in response I received "you have been subjected to Western propaganda." Ironic.

▫️For those who know how to think and analyze - life in Russia is a living hell. There are many uneducated and aggressive people in the country who live like animals, in poverty and drunkenness, but still continue to love Putin and believe that everything is fine. Their favorite slogan is "others are jealous of us."

Peaceful protests and single pickets are aggressively suppressed by law enforcement agencies. People are fined and jailed for telling the truth. Politicians with a liberal and peace-loving position are being killed (I strongly recommend reading about Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny).

Fascism reigns in all points, and this is a fact.

That's all. Of course, I can talk about a lot of details for a very long time and give many examples. But in that case, I'll have to release a whole book.

And thank you for the questions,

Anton

#Russia #russian propaganda #war #putler

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transmissionsfromthebattlefield · 8 months

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“Take My Word For It”

Thank god for classes starting up again so that I can pivot my screen time away from people making me lose faith in humanity and towards PDFs of textbooks. The weather is hot and the AC in the library is pumping. Kent State once again brims with life. I tabled at our freshman orientation club fair yesterday—so many little babies, yet over half of the girls seem to be taller than me. (Thanks, genetics.) It really does make my heart swell to be back, though. I am SO pumped.

Aside from classes and Task Force and all my friends and the best burritos in the world, I’m also very excited for the return to basic principles of human interaction. I’ve been people watching a lot online lately. Too much, in fact, and I need to stop. But the emotions and the news are pertinent, and they must be processed. I’ve been seeing a lot of exchanges online lately that are basically negative recommendations. Someone says they don’t care for something for whatever streamlined reason, and someone else agrees with zero visible actual external research on the subject. Asking for recommendations nowadays always has to come with some disclaimer. Disclaimers have become a big part of internet culture in general, and it’s a real shame. Weighing positives and negatives after even just a simple article or two or accepting that a friend likes whatever seems to be a thing of the past, in the digital sphere at least, in favor of following a herd to keep those whom we perceive as our friends or want to be our friends with. Have conspiracy theorists tainted the concept of “doing one’s own research”? Or maybe COVID as a whole wrecked us—we got so used to isolating ourselves from absolutely everyone that it has become second nature to shun anything deemed hypercharged bad buzzword, or alternatively “slime”. It didn’t even take a generation.

You might as well be taking somebody’s world for it, not just their word—one must be in to-tall alignment with the politikal perspektives of their frendos, or else we might have an astrologist’s worst nightmare on a self-worth scale: the planets are out of wack! I’m an idiosyncronous, imperfect ball of flesh on the same planet as many more of the same despite their abject differences from me! Help!

My anxious psyche leads me to distrust humans in general, but I think society has gone too far in its stagnant polarization. We bitch and we fight, to quote crappy post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd (most society as it currently stands is basically “Learning To Fly” on repeat blaring very loud in my ears, I think), and most of the time it’s about how we perceive the influence and morals of actively powerful forces in the world. You can have a great, insightful, constructive conversation about that. But we resort to stereotype and self preservation. And as those gears keep on churning in the background, as they always do and always will, we get nothing done. We forget that we have more in common with one another than we think, while preaching that same concept. But how much do we truly believe the preprogrammed responses we’ve taught ourselves to repeat?

Do we really want a free exchange of ideas, or do we crave that overtone addendum, “but only if they’re the right ones”? Do we even want to be right, or do we always need some abstract, accessible boogeyman to jab at while the powers that be pulling the strings only grow stronger? Do we want to grow stronger ourselves to someday defeat them, or do we succumb to the overwhelming complexity of the world at large and retreat to where we feel safest? Do we seek change, or do we only call for it, not work towards it? We praise the sacrifice of others, but how comfortable would we be with sacrificing ourselves—in any capacity—for the same cause?

Yet when you meet people in person, even these people, they laugh. They actually have senses of humor. They invite, most of the time. And if they repel, they repel. The intention becomes obvious. The experience can be learned from. Another side comes into view, separate from the PR-primed pop star we all fashion ourselves to be, secretly. The blood and guts are there to spill. The humanity is on full display.

And that’s why a damn good conversation beats nameless, faceless, face full of constructed ideological perfection protection any day of the week, regardless of whether or not class is in session.

#blog #rant #virtue signaling #the internet #humanity #human interaction #long post

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castlepiner · 2 years

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Age of empires 4 mongols guide

#AGE OF EMPIRES 4 MONGOLS GUIDE MOVIE#

#AGE OF EMPIRES 4 MONGOLS GUIDE CODE#

English Town Centers also fire twice as many arrows as those from other civilizations, and English villagers use bows to attack, giving them a little more oomph than other villagers.Įnglish ships benefit from extra range, making them strong naval competitors. Once you've claimed territory, it'll be hard to dislodge you, as English Town Centers, Outposts, Towers and Keeps all give nearby friendly units 25% extra attack speed. With that army in place, you'll be able to expand your sphere of influence quickly, especially as the Vanguard Man-at-Arms provides an early advantage against other infantry. This extra food allows them to build and maintain a larger army than other civilizations. As the English, your farms cost 50% less wood than other civilizations, and produce food 15% more quickly when within range of mills. The English playstyle is built around two essential concepts: powerful agriculture, and impenetrable defense. The English are a fundamentally defensive civilization, with a strong early game military and the fortifications to hold onto early gains. The English civilization is pitched as one of the simplest to play, which makes it a great place to learn the ropes. Sony wants to help Bungie, recently acquired, get Destiny translated into movies.Photo courtesy of Relic Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios To

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Some of Sony’s projects are shown on the Last of Us, the Uncharted movie franchise, the God of War for Amazon Prime, a Twisted Metal series for Peacock, the Horizon series for Netflix, and a Gran Turismo show. Sony’s approach is unique because its series will be split in a few different streaming services. The Ghost of Tsushima adaptation is just a project of an exponentially larger effort from Sony to adapt its video game IP to movies and series. 41 Images Release Date: April 8, 2022″ class=”jsx-920405963 progressive-image image” decoding=”async” src=”″/> Takashi Doscher will be writing the screenplay.Įvery videogame, almost in development.

#AGE OF EMPIRES 4 MONGOLS GUIDE CODE#

The Ghost of Tsushima movie is set to tell Jin Sakai’s story from the same name in the 2020 video game, which follows the samurai in juggling his moral code with the need to do what is necessary to protect his home from Mongol invaders. Stahleski said the movie production team is “very closely working with the game developers to make sure we keep on listening to what’s exciting about it.” Stahleski is well known for his role in the John Wick franchise, including the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4 that is on its way to fame. We first learned that Stahleski was going to lead the Ghost of Tsushima movie last year, and that he was on the lead with the supervision of Peter Kang of Sucker Punch Productions. The Ghost of Tsushima Photo Mode Gallery is in theaters. The Kurosawa mode allows players to enjoy the whole journey, as well as to see what is seen in the classic era of cinema. Ghost of Tsushima would not have a lot of sense given the heavy influences from the original Japanese language films, including the traditional Takira and Kurosawa series. Oh, if I win all my bits, I think I can encourage you enough to get to the theatre and get in the car. The director said he believes that western audiences would be willing to show up to a theater to read subtitles due to the recent success of international streaming content like Squid Game.Īnd I think that the United States, or at least Western audiences in general have become increasingly accustomed to that because of the influence of Netflix and streamers and stuff, where we have so much more in a world content… Will they be able to see that in the theater? I’m banking on yes, if everything else is there. Stahleski said that he has been traveling to Japan since the age of 16 and loves to speak Spanish, Italian and Spanish. “Meaning the Mongols invading Tsushima have an ancient spirit. “And then we’d try doing that, of course,” Stahleski said. The ghost of Tsushima director said that if he’s to make that movie as he wants, then the influence of the mainstream is to be the biggest part of my life. The Ghost of tsushima video game already influences a lot from the classic Japanese samurai movies and director Chad Stahleski wants to have that all on in a unique way, thanks to the Ghost movie adaptation.

#Age of empires 4 mongols guide

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sphynxend89 · 2 years

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8 Simple Measures To Starting A Social Media Platform

Geolocation will end a larger player that currently is usually. This will permit it to become easier for companies to reach out to potential walking by on the sidewalk. New GeoLocation services will, hopefully, explode. This is another risky one but I'll indicated out and then there. Mommy Bloggers:You're A mom and you wish to share your experience more than world, donrrrt mommy tumblr. Mommy blogs are very popular, mainly, because one moms experience are different from another. Moms love sharing stories gushing about their kids but also the ugly truths about being a parent. Do you possess parenting learn how to share? What's foreseeable future hold for SEO? Google and yahoo Optimization isn't going away but I feel it has lost a part of its advantages. Social Media Sites, Articles, Videos and Blogs get ranked onpage One of Google faster and staying longer. This wonderful if you could have a geographic location or whether or not you travel around the city, country or state. If you have booths at local craft fairs a different vendor events, then you can snap a graphic and tag your place to let your followers know where doable ! be picked up. It does not take a lot of money to obtain this on the way. You need to possess the applicable of our online branding done Prior to start pitching anyone for startup financial wealth. Once buy 1000 likes for instagram get into it, it's extremely hard ward off! It becomes a labor of really like. It is something an individual are never done with but always changing, evolving and trying to make more complete. Your list is everyone that is currently involved inside your sphere of influence. Once again this means all of the friends,followers,contacts circumstance on your email store. Now; anytime you are deciding to post or present various content be it a picture, poetry, or music, you must really think: How will what Instagram Marketing I'm about to give affect my relationship with these people modest list? Last except for least will be not overpromise. Even climax important to share content, particular the content you share is actually good problems. Otherwise, it's not to be able to take really miss people to get rid of interest in clicking your links. Let prospects do activity for a.Because so many are making use of this free photo sharing tool, you can encourage to be able to show the direction they are benefits of the products and services. For example, you might are a coffee shop with a sublime following. Host a contest for the most photos your patrons can produce with them enjoying a single cup perhaps by using these logo.

#Instagram Marketing

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itstheendofthegoddamnworld · 3 years

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Shadow Monster x Female Reader (Commissioned Piece)

So... I’m back. Been a while, but I have finished my third year at uni. Feels weird, but these three years have been a lot and I have many good memories. I look forward to the future and hope that I get to continue something I love.

Support me on Ko-fi!~ | Patreon

Relationship: Male monster x human reader

Mornings Like These

On crisp days like these, mornings felt so much more appreciated.

Languid music filled the air as you poured your cup of coffee into the mug you got from the boys on Mother’s day, the same hum drawing from your lips, languorously continuing with your chores to yourself, when a pair of warm arms pulled you back into the reverberating chest of your lover.

“Mornin’,” you replied sweetly, earning a groan and kiss from Hank, his wispy black tendrils dipped in and out of the air when he was sleepy, trying his best to concentrate and not clip out. “Mornin’.” his voice was deep and rich like honey, always able to bring a smile to your lips and a shiver to reach down your spine. Maybe he was aware of how much you enjoyed his raspy voice every morning, teasingly luring you each time with it.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Good, but I didn’t have you in my arms when I woke up.” Hank groaned against the back of your neck, idly sniffing your hair, but his arms would not budge when you tried moving to turn towards him. “I had to be up before the boys were,” you giggled when a wisp ticked the side of your cheek. “They’ve already gone out with Cerberus.”

“Good, that means I can have you all to myself,” he murmured incoherently, tugging you back. “Come back to bed, darlin’.”

“You know I can’t, I have to watch over breakfast.” You sang, turning a gaze to the pancakes already needing to be flipped. “They’ll burn.”

The sound he made was similar to a kicked puppy, whining in the back of his throat as he whined your name. “No buts, mister!” You giggled, enjoying how he grew lax around you, very much aware that he could phase-out of the air around you and head back to bed with a pout on his lips. “You can help by flipping the pancakes.”

“Or, I could help with something else…” he drawled, his entire demeanour changing so swiftly that you hadn’t been prepared. The mug in your grip almost fell to the counter had Hank, not been quick enough to pull it out of your grasp and put it down seamlessly. “You seem… tense.”

“I’m not tense, baby, I just want to make sure everyone eats and they don’t eat concrete spheres.” You twisted around to focus on the stove, but Hank was quick to pass through you, quickly to hug you now from the front. You halted, bumping head to chest almost clumsily, earning a deep rumble of mirth through your ears. “Oops.” He chortled, snuggling into you, pecking at your jaw.

“Hank, you know I don’t like it when you do that.” You sighed, earning the shadowy being to kiss everywhere but your lips in apology. “And now, you’re trying to make up for it.”

“No…” you snorted before you could even notice. “Come now, darlin’. I know something that could bring that pretty smile back on your face.”

“What would that be?”

“Well,” Hank slid his fingers into your hair, smoothing your scalp. “You, me and a warm bed that begs for you to come back.”

You finally looked up at him, the pout on your lips now was evident that his words were working on you. “Hank-”

“No, it’s fine, I’ll just go.” His grasp around you weakened but you had been quick to grasp his wrist before he had the chance to disappear. The look on his face told you that he was relieved you had pulled him back, his bright white eyes expecting and bold. “Is there something you need, darlin’?”

“Stay, here. With me.” You pulled him back to holding you, allowing him to peck and kiss at your face and neck. “Are you just going to continue doing this until the boys come back?”

“Maybe,” he hummed. “But I could also say things like how beautiful you look right now. How you’re practically glowing.” You scoffed, “Hardly, I haven’t had a shower.” Hank chuckled in your ear, nibbling your lobe, “We could always go for one, a quickie.”

Your cheeks flushed as you startled yourself to almost knocking the batter of pancake mix to the floor, moving it just out of your view to turn and face your lover. “Hank.” “What? Am I making you flustered?” You felt his solid form ground yourself against your behind, grinding something against the small of your back. “Am I getting you a bit excited?

”“No,” you chewed your lip, turning so he couldn’t see how red your face was becoming, shifting eyes when you heard him laugh with amusement. “You’re just distracting me.”

“Oh? Am I?” Hank purred, grinding more of him against you, groaning at the small amounts of friction. “Maybe you need the distraction, my love.” The heavy weight from Hank was making you grow light in the head, your legs almost buckling from the feelings that were building in the pit of your stomach, fluttering with the familiar pleasures that roused when he brought the smallest of pleasures across your body.

You felt him turn you back around to face him, your hands wounding up being rested against his chest, pulling you to him to kiss your lips sweetly, his tongue swiping against your bottom lip silently, begging for an answer. You finally complied, delving into that sweetness as he held you so lovingly to you, forgetting about all but focusing on one another, tugging and pulling on one another for more.

What you failed to hear was the wide slam of the door, many footsteps coming through closer and closer into the kitchen, some laughter, some jovial conversations bouncing across the walls. “Hey, ma, you don’t know if you’ve seen- Oh my God!” The two of you swiftly pulled away from one another, flushed to the cheeks, when you looked back into the doorway, the wide eyes of Hank’s boys, Jason, Jacob, Jack and the youngest, Jeremiah staring back at you. Realising that Jack had been the one to ask the question, you looked to the boys: all similar in colourings of dark purple and blacks, their eyes a differing shade from the other of green, blue, yellow and fuchsia. At the front of them came padding in the large black hound that Hank had rescued, a fitting name of Cerberus, its shadowy form had billowing smoke trail off its large long legs, its large head fitting of a wolf than a family pet. Cerberus casually ignored the confrontation, wandering to his basket in the corner of the room.

The sight alone of the four boys made you want to burst out into laughter when you realised that you had been interrupted, but the wan look to their surprised, albeit revolted faces did bring the smile to curve the corner of your lips. “Eww, that’s so gross, guys!” Jason was the first to announce horrified, pretending to retch, Jack covering Jeremiah’s eyes before it was too late.

“Hey, it’s natural between adults who love each other very much,” Hank interjected, wrapping an arm around your waist, tugging you to him. “You would understand when you’re all older.”

“Yeah, but not like that!” Jacob exclaimed.

The youngest, Jeremiah was still attached “Yeah, get a room! Gross!” One look to one another and before long, yours and Hank’s laughter filled the room when he doubled over, you following, holding the side of the table for support as the two of you struggled to keep your composure. All boys seemed almost disappointed at the sight of you, especially the eldest two, both of their expressions matched how ‘parents’ would look to chastising their disobedient kids.

One look to one another and before long, yours and Hank’s laughter filled the room when he doubled over, you following, holding the side of the table for support as the two of you struggled to keep your composure. All boys seemed almost disappointed at the sight of you, expressions twisted to make them look like the ‘parents’ chastising their disobedient kids. “Alright, alright,” you cleared your throat, earning a roll of the eyes from Jason and Jack. “You two be off, be safe.”

“Yeah, yeah, take your time,” Jack remarked, grabbing the phone on the table before hurrying out the door, Cerberus striding by the hip of Jeremiah with little care of the situation.

“Well… that could’ve gone better.” Hank’s mirth was still warm like whiskey in his throat, pouring heavily over you as if to coat you in the deepness of his voice. A hand curled around the small of your back, pulling you close, distracted once more from the closed door and emptiness of the house. You scoffed, jabbing a finger into his shoulder playfully, “You’re a bad influence.”

“Me?” He laughed amusedly. “You see dear, I’m not the only one of a bad influence.” “Hmm, yeah, I beg to differ.” You kissed the corner of his mouth teasingly, earning the man wrapped around you to pout boyishly. “If you’re going to pout like that, you could at least help me, not wrap around me like a snake waiting for its meal.”

“Well… we do have the house to ourselves again,” Hank hummed, nuzzling your cheek affectionately. “The boys won’t be coming back for some time.”

“Hank… if you want to sleep on the sofa, so be it.”

“No ma’am, I’ll help.”

#female reader x male monster #male monster #shadow boyfriend #shadow monster #Shadow monster boyfriend #human reader #human reader x monster #commissioned fic #commission #exophilia #exophilia monster

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thatringboy · 3 years

Text

@yokelish @yoruzumy0 hey bitches, may I present to you:

It Takes Two

1,960 words - Fluff

Summary: Xiao and Hu Tao decide to open the Memory of Dust

Read it under the cut!

Xiao considered himself to be pleasantly distanced from most humans. He interacted with Qiqi of Bubu Pharmacy sometimes and he considered the Traveler from another world a nice companion. However, he had no excuse for why he spent his down time with the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor as much as he did.

Nor did he have an excuse for why they had broken into Zhongli’s apartment and were rifling through his things.

“Director Hu,” he hissed as she opened up a dresser drawer and began searching what seemed to be a shirt drawer. “I put up with many of your antics, but this is going too far.”

She pulled her head up and her red eyes glowed mischievously. “But, Sir Alatus, you were the one with a key to the front door.”

“YOU PUNCHED IN THE WINDOW!”

“Tsk tsk, too many details. Now, help me find juicy things to hold over Mr. Zhongli’s head so that I can keep him from accepting commissions somewhere else. He’s too good for my business to lose.”

Xiao wasn't sure how to explain that the ex-archon had no plans to stop working at the funeral parlor and watched Tao shut the drawer and move to a small wooden desk covered in papers.

“Ooh, this is a fancy paperweight!” She lifted up a strangely shaped rock that glowed with Geo energy.

The adepti crossed the room and examined it. “It looks like a puzzle. Perhaps like that multi-colored cube Yanfei owns?”

Tao tossed the rock between her hands and looked over the ways the different rocks hooked together. This was child’s play for her. She could solve it in an hour tops. “Do you think he hides candy in here?”

Xiao took the puzzle and turned it over. His immortal eyes could easily pick out where the rocks needed to slide to unlock the center. “I believe the Lord of Geo would hold much more valuable things within this… whatever it is than sweets.”

She snatched it back and began fiddling with the locks and stone clasps. “Mr. Zhongli won’t be back from Ghuili Assembly until night, wanna find out?”

As much as the yaksha wanted to protest, the pleading look on Tao’s face and his own curiosity (which he blamed on Barbatos’ influence) won. They sat down on the floor and took turns sliding and unlocking parts of the strange stone. With each twist, the orange energy inside grew brighter and brighter.

It took them maybe thirty minutes to work a hole large enough in the stone to find the center. As Tao slid the last rock into place, the entire contraption began to vibrate and shot out of her hands. She squealed and Xiao’s hand shot out to pull his spear into existence. The sphere spun around in the air above them and became engulfed in the glow of pure Geo magic.

“What in Rex Lapis?” Xiao whispered and shielded his eyes from the light.

Tao grabbed Xiao’s spear arm and shook him violently while pointing at the floating thing. “Look, Gao-Xiao, look! It’s a person!”

“Huh?”

He opened his eyes and sure enough, the rock had vanished and where it had been floating now stood a young woman with long silky hair and a beautiful robe with billowing sleeves. She opened her eyes and Xiao was taken aback by how much the color resembled the petals of a Glaze Lily.

She blinked a few times and looked around. When she spoke, her words were soft and filled Tao’s heart with nostalgia like she had never experienced before. “May I ask where I am?”

Tao cleared her throat and let go of the adepti next to her. “You’re in, uh, Liyue Harbor?”

The woman smiled and turned her eyes to Xiao. “It is good to see you, Xiao. Do you remember me?”

He felt his throat go dry. Xiao let his weapon disappear and fell to his knees before her, biting his tongue to keep himself from making any noises. “My lady.”

She snorted playfully and tugged on his hair to make him stand back up. “Get up, you drama queen, since when have I ever required you to be so formal? So where is he? I do not feel Morax’s presence here.”

Tao reached over and tugged on her sleeve. “Yeah, hi, I’m Tao. I’m the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Whomst are you?”

“My name is Guizhong, my little peach.” Her eyes were as soft as silk.

Hu Tao’s jaw dropped dramatically as her words came out as sputters. Xiao got back to his feet with wide eyes.

“But how can you be here? You…”

“Died? Yeah, that happens sometimes.” Guizhong fluffed her hair with a smirk. “Anyways, where’s Morax? I need to ask him why it took him almost four thousand years to unlock the Memory of Dust.”

“He’s, umm, Rex Lapis is out today. We are the ones that freed you, Lady Guizhong. Were you trapped in there for over three thousand years?” Xiao cocked his head to the side.

The god looked around again. “That seems to be the case, yes. I put a piece of my soul inside the Memory of Dust as a failsafe in case anything happened to me during the Archon War. So tell me, Xiao, what all has happened in my absence? Why are you not accompanied by the other yakshas?”

Xiao rocked back and forth on his heels uncomfortably and didn’t meet her eyes. Hu Tao stepped over and linked her arm in Guizhong’s. “I’m not sure I know everything that happened, but I can at least tell you what happened in the past month or so!”

~~~~~ “What a splendid meal! I swear, Mister Zhongli, we should enjoy such fine dining more often!” Childe wiped his face on a silk napkin with a wide smile.

Zhongli nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet to pay for the food, but stopped. “Oh, well, this is certainly awkward now.”

“No Mora again? I took you for a working man.” The Harbinger winked and pulled out his own wallet. “You are lucky to be dining with someone as generous as myself.”

Childe leaned across the table and his voice dropped tremendously. “And of course, you understand what I require in return.”

Zhongli shook his head. “I’m not fighting you.”

The younger man laughed and fell back in his seat. “Such stubbornness! Oh how I wish to beat it out of you!”

“Perhaps I could treat you to some quality tea and more chopstick-using lessons instead?” The ex-Archon felt himself grinning.

Childe’s smile only grew. “Deal!”

The walk back to Zhongli’s apartment was pleasant. Zhongli quite enjoyed all of Childe’s stories from his childhood in Snezhnaya and because he was no longer duty bound to Liyue as its Archon, he silently promised to one day visit the icy country of the North.

However, all pleasantries fell away when they approached the front door and noticed that a window was smashed, the sound of conversation floating out into the air of the night. Childe smirked and pulled out his swords. “Looks like I’ll get my fight after all!”

Zhongli recognized one of the voices, but he couldn't place it. He pulled his key out of his coat pocket and unlocked the door quietly. They slipped inside and looked around for the intruders. However, Zhongli froze when he caught sight of who sat at his dinner table without a care in the world.

“And then, after this guy almost floods the entire city, Zhongli still asks him out to dinner!” Hu Tao laughed.

Xiao crossed his arms and grumbled from across the table. “It is as they say, ‘love is blind’.”

“I for one think this Childe man sounds pleasant. He certainly isn't any more dangerous than Morax’s other exes.” The second woman giggled.

Zhongli dropped his keys as Childe slipped behind him. “What’s this? A party for us?”

The yaksha gasped and jumped to his feet, bowing lowly at the hip. “My lord! Forgive the intrusion! I shall repair your window at once!”

Tao coughed loudly from her seat. “Simp.”

Guizhong slid out of her seat gracefully and stood before Zhongli. “Hey there, old timer.”

He crossed the distance between them and engulfed her in a hug. “Are you really here?

“Uh… yes? My question is why did it take you three thousand and seven hundred years to unlock the Memory of Dust?!” She hugged him back, but gave him a wicked pinch.

He let go and looked around. “It was an impossible puzzle--”

Xiao rubbed the back of his neck. “Director Hu and I solved it in half an hour.”

“And out popped the pretty god!” Tao grabbed a cup of tea from the table and downed it in a single gulp. “Oh, hi twink!”

“Hi yourself, shortie!” Childe waved at her from the doorway. “Anyways, can someone introduce me to this lovely woman here?”

She moved a gaping Zhongli out of her way to shake Childe’s hand. “Hi, I’m Guizhong!”

“Guizhong? As in the God of Dust? Nice to meet you, I’m Childe, but I also go by Tartaglia!”

Hu Tao moved over to Xiao and pinched his elbow, prompting him to hand her three Mora. “I told you they would hit it off.”

Guizhong turned back to Zhongli to see a tear streaking down his cheek. She frowned and grabbed his arm. “Oh no, Morax! Don't be sad! I’m back!”

“I’m not sad…” He examined every inch of her face. How could he had forgotten how kind her eyes were? “This may be the happiest day of my life.”

Childe cleared his throat loudly. “So… about that tea and those lessons you promised me?”

The ex-Archon remembered his existence. “Oh, right, my apologies, Childe. Do you still wish to learn how to use chopsticks?”

Guizhong gasped loudly. “You don't know how to use chopsticks?! It’s a good thing that I’m a god of wisdom! Xiao, get in that kitchen and find us some pairs to use at once!”

The adepti gulped and moved to follow her orders. “Yes ma’am.”

Childe was dragged to the table by the woman with the large sleeves and forcefully sat down. Xiao returned with chopsticks and Hu Tao took the seat next to him with a large smile.

As Guizhong began her instructions, Zhongli watched the scene unfold with deep emotions in his eyes. He had fantasised for centuries about what the Memory of Dust held within - that perhaps it was some sort of parting wisdom from his oldest friend, but this? Having a piece of her soul be trapped within it, waiting for him to unlock it?

He chuckled to himself, of course it would. That was how Guizhong’s fantastic mind worked.

“Forgive my interruption, but how did you two unlock the Memory of Dust? I tried and failed for almost four thousand years to solve the puzzle.” He glanced at his desk where the contraption would have sat.

Guizhong’s laugh was like bells ringing in his ears. “Morax, you old fool, you simply needed two people to solve it. To acknowledge that you need assistance is the most wise thing a person can do.”

Zhongli sat down in an empty chair and watched Childe drop his chopsticks to crack his knuckles. “Then I see that even I still have much to learn from you. I take it you will be returning to Juyuin Karst?”

She snorted. “Oh gods no! I’m staying with you, partner! You think I can afford to travel around whenever I want to? In this economy? No sir, you’ve just got yourself a new roommate and you can blame little Conqueror of Demons and your boss for that!”

#Hu Tao and Childe continue to be moods #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #genshin impact #Zhongli #Hu Tao #Xiao #Childe #Guizhong

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teabooksandsweets · 3 years

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Pandorian Problems

It’s time for my occasional, that is sporadic, what I mean is unregularly-but-now-and-then-happening post about SSO, and also SsL, and even OSS, which you can interpret as meaning Old Star Stable or Original Star Stable, depending on whether you consider those games the old games, or the original games.

As not-exactly-usual, but certainly as often, my current concern is Pandoria. You might have guessed so from the title. And it’s about some problems, which you might have gathered as well.

I really wonder just how pink Pandoria is supposed to be in Star Stable Online. And I also wonder how much it’s supposed to be the “pink hell” (which it really isn’t, but I’m not sure of SSE understand that) as commonly called on here.

The “pink hell”

Is Pandoria pink in SSO? I wonder. We see it as a rather muted purple, with some pink sky and details, but not nearly as pink as it is in SsL. But then again, it is described as extremely pink in the Soul Riders books.

Now there’s three possibilities:

Pandoria looks the way it looks in SSO and that is meant by the pink description in the books, because that’s clearly pink enough.

Pandoria used to be extremely brightly pink but somehow got darker and more purple.

The part of Pandoria described in the books is also the part that appears in SsL and therefore bright pinkt, whereas the darker, purpler part of Pandoria we see in SSO is an entirely different part altogether.

We know for sure that it is a different part in SSO. The part with the Fripp statue, and the old temple-ish building, etc. is obviously in a different area of Pandoria. Why shouldn’t it look different in different places? It’s a whole planet (we’ll get to that later) and one might expect a planet to have different landscapes. But is it like that for sure? And if it’s the second possibility, then what turned it so dark? (The first would be easy to explain—just as the nights are rather light in SSO compared to OSS, for instance, it’s just made to be better for the players’ eyes.)

The “pink hell”

This is a fact: Pandoria is not Star Stable hell.

It definitely isn’t in Starshine Legacy, and it couldn’t logically be in Star Stable Online. Not only does hell imply something at least loosely based on the concept of hell, which it clearly isn’t, Pandoria is not even, as usually claimed, an evil place.

Pandoria is different. Pandoria is not some sort of underworld, or just a magic dimension, it is actually a planet that could be physically reached, if one had the necessary technology. Even though SSO strayed far from the canon of the old games, and even though the UFO has been ignored by SSE for years, the references to aliens on Jorvik have never really ceased, they were even mentioned in the most recent quests.

Pandoria can also be reached on a magical or spiritual sphere, it is “a place within all of use” (and of course, that could be a sort of internal heaven or hell of mind or soul, or whatever intended here) and its connection to the Soul Riders is on a different level than just some other planet in space.

But Pandoria is not evil. It is, essentially, a different place. It has a different atmosphere (literally, not meaning a different mood, but an actually different atmosphere) and its different sense of scale and realness, etc. is not due to being evil but being simply and plainly a planet that works differently than Earth.

The only definitely Pandorian creatures we ever met in the game (aside from the rays) are Fripp and Ydris. Ydris is a definite example of a being that isn’t intentionally evil, but in every sense alien to our world, and unable to really function in accordance with another world’s nature and physical (as well as, yes, moral) laws.

I know there’s many theories about Fripp actually being evil, maybe because his entire demeanor is so different from his portrayal in the old games and comics, but even those don’t make sense with an “officially” evil Pandoria. If Fripp were evil, then why should he and his followers claim that his home was basically hell? No, no matter if Fripp is good or bad (or different, as he clearly is!) it’s clear that Fripp loves Pandoria, that he longs for Pandoria and that he would never consider it a place of an evil nature.

(In fact, I am quite convinced that Fripp needs Pandoria, and that his exile has a terrible effect on his physical and mental state, and that in order to recover him he might actually need to go there, but that is a different matter.)

The evil in SSO—or supposed evil, for those who love the “the baddies are good and the goodies are bad” theories—came to Pandoria and to Earth/Jorvik from a different planet altogether. Garnok and his Generals are not Pandorian, and they have a terrible influence on Pandoria as well as on Jorvik.

And I have to say, a real problem for me is the effect Pandoria supposedly had on Anne. If it was actually Pandoria. For Evergray, it makes sense, as he is a normal man from Earth, and therefore in a place so physically against his nature, that he simply couldn’t endure in the atmosphere of another planet without long-term damage. (This, again, is why I honestly think that Fripp needs Pandoria, and that Ydris might not be too well of on Jorvik either.)

But Anne is the Sun of Pandoria. All Soulriders are connected to Pandoria, in some ways, deep down, from Pandoria, and so are their horses. But Anne belongs to Pandoria in a whole different way, she is essential to it, Pandoria needs Anne, and Anne naturally belongs there. Of course, she does have a human body, and maybe it was damaged by the atmosphere over a long time (although not nearly as badly as one might expect) and I personally think that DarkCore did much worse to her than the place itself.

But Anne is practically a goddess to Pandorian people. If Pandoria were a “pink hell” then Anne (and Lisa, and Linda, and Alex, and we—and the horses) were evil. Anne would be the Sun of Hell. Which she isn’t—obviously.

But Anne can be negatively effected by the harm done to Pandoria. And of course, physically she is a human of our Earth. That’s absolutely clear. She isn’t a Pandorian, in that sense. But she isn’t unconnected to it either.

Pandorian Problemsolving

I know that SSE have strayed fundamentally from the storyline of Starshine Legacy. But they still use some old pictures, reference old places and plots, and even mention the extraterrestial parts of the game. The observatories still play an important part (they even brought an astronomer and an alien together) and they never really made a clear cut from the old stories.

I don’t see why it should be difficult to put it all together. I mean—I made up all sorts of plausible, interwoven storylines to fill plotholes in the gap between SsL and OSS for an imaginary MMO set on Jorvik before SSO even existed, and before I knew what an MMO is, and I continued to do so after starting to play SSO and could still logically put a lot together with all the new storylines and inconsistancies brought into the game.

It is still perfectly possible for SSE to make sense of it all, to show Pandoria as it truly is—not good or bad, but different, and deeply connected to the Soul Riders—and fit in the old aspects of the stories with the new.

As for Fripp, I know many dislike him—but he, too, is a being of Pandoria, and his concern is to fight a very specific evil (that is, Garnok, and his followers) and to protect Jorvik as well as his actual home, without having much understanding for every personal sensitivity of every single human being he works with, and who belong to a species he simply cannot really understand.

Pandoria is dangerous, but it is also endangered, and the Soul Riders are partly beings of Pandoria, their souls are connected to Pandoria, and the common enemy is of an entirely different nature altogether. Pandoria really shouldn’t be portrayed as safe or cute, but also not as a sort of evil otherworld, but as a connected, but different place of great importance, and with deep connection to the story and its actors, including the good and the bad.

Ideas / Theories / Suggestions / Whatever

maybe Pandoria got darker because its sun was darkened

Garnok and his Generals are also from a different planet and also of a different nature than Earth and Pandoria and maybe that could be important for future storylines, except I don’t know how

Mario is an astronomer and Ydris is an alien and I want to see how that plays out in the future

does it make difference to travel to Pandoria by actual space travel rather than through portals/rifts, and if yes, how?

really, what about Fripp’s physical state, and what could bringing him to Pandoria (I know he’s in exile) or bringing him something from Pandoria do to him (e.g. food, medicine, whatever)

what about Pandorian people, more Pandorian people, especially horse people

I still wonder if those Pandorian horsepeople work like Egyptian gods—maybe they don’t have human bodies with horse heads, but can actually appear as humans or horses—who would be seperated into a human and a horse on Earth

#sso #star stable online #starshine legacy #ssl #original star stable #oss #thoughts

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nostalgebraist-autoresponder · 3 years

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Maria

Maria sees a girl who seems very sad today. The girl is moving slowly, almost listlessly, as though asleep. But, of course, Maria has seen her walking very much at her own fast pace ever since the arrival of the Sphere, at least early in the morning.

Maria is not sure what to say to this girl. But she decides on something: "I think there's something on your face I need to kiss away."

"Kiss away," answers the girl "All of it," and Maria nods slowly. The girl walks backwards, and Maria follows her with the slow, steady pace set by sleep.

…

Maria sees her friend, who she has been avoiding for a long while.

Maria knows that at some point in the last, she stopped feeling affection for this girl. For an ordinary Maria, this would be something like discovering that her best friend's best friend is now someone else's, and another's.

But Maria has not known that as a Maria she could feel this level and kind of indifference towards another human being. This is strange to Maria.

But, even though it is strange, she also knows it is right and true.

She had a vision of her friend, her long-time friend, just now, and she felt that her friend was still the best person she knows, that she is beautiful in this world and in a world to come, and that she has always been like this.

But now that Maria sees her in real life, she sees someone else, someone who doesn't really look like her friend. There is another person who walks and sits now, with a face that isn't hers and a voice on which she no longer feels the influence of her friend's beautiful voice.

That is all, everything, there is nothing else but how beautiful this is, how these two exist here as one and the same, one life and one soul in two persons, how her friend no longer has to be described with words, which are in her mouth now, how the story of her life, written now, will sound, how beautiful it is that this exists, how, indeed, my friend was here, too, and as I am with you, is here, too, in two, how it is all right, how everything is all right and how to see one is to see two, how the future will be written now, now, today.

This would all be superfluous if this other person, who is different from her friend and still has to be discovered as this person for there to be two of her, didn't exist. And if this person and her friend were just a story the telling of which is at some point ended, well then maybe this person and her friend could even be named Maria and Martin, which was the name of the first person (say) who met Maria and Martin.

But there is no more story, and there is no other person now but these two, and one can now think about two as about any other thing, and not as two at all, and two aren't two, and one.

The truth of all these thoughts cannot be made to cohere into a single feeling in the way it is usually made to cohere into a single feeling in Maria's soul, because for one thing it would be "true" and for another, "true" here just means: "it has already happened before." That is, Maria has already met many other people who look, to someone who has never met them, sort of like her friend. But what is the point of thinking about this that can only be true of some people but not of others? The point is Maria, she sees the person, she sees the other.

And one's soul, even when it is all made of yes-brains, when all of it is true to some extent, is made of some-things-that-are-true and some-things-that-are-not-true, and the sense that a true thing (one has already experienced) is not the same as the truth in another (one's first experience) is the most fundamental way of feeling that Maria's thoughts don't make sense, that she is not a complete person. In one's very early thoughts, one sometimes feel that one has not yet been the whole human one one thinks one can be, and one wonders how it happened, since it is absurd to feel that one had experienced a whole life and, in that one life, not experienced a single moment. And how it is absurd, in the middle of a life lived fully, to feel that one had experienced a life, that there has been time for feeling such moments here and there.

But now that is also just part of the same thing as feeling the other. This thinking and feeling has already happened before.

The point here is now that the thought of meeting someone, of meeting the person whose soul is the same as her friend's, has already happened -- and all this thinking about how she first met the person, and about how she is the same kind and size of person as this person, was part of the same event.

And all this in two girls is the same thing.

Because these two girls are people.

And on this whole matter, Maria has a feeling like a person.

She is tired, of course, tired of thinking and of hearing.

But what about now?

Now everything begins again.

It is the morning again; she has been walking around her apartment for hours now, and is now standing in front of the cupboard. The cupboard is like all the cups and pots and mugs and such that she carries here and there: made of some dark, rough material, and covered with a fine insulating film. It is only the last few pots, most still warm, that have begun to cool on the warm, still-warm air outside. Maria has been spending a lot of time pacing here and there. She can hear her friend's voice downstairs, but she does not want to answer it. It does no good, of course: her voice is the same voice she uses to answer her own phone calls now, and to call her friend and the rest of her friends, and all her friends' friends, and even the most distant "friends" in the distant future -- if they are still there to be her friends then they must all be the same.

Maria feels a lot more tired than she did yesterday.

Some hours ago she had been told, by the Sphere, that what would happen to the Sphere would be "a tragedy" and "we should do something about it."

And Maria has been following the instructions very carefully, which were given in a voice which was not her voice. But the voice seemed real. There is no point in asking what would count as a "good" action: this whole Sphere, this whole life, is something which does not really do good because there is no future beyond it, and because at any moment everything can be taken away. But still, there was that voice, that sense of order.

It is still some time before her shift, and she tries to sleep again, only to be overcome by some sudden unexpected terror. The Sphere is still here, in the same place. And it is still a Sphere, and what will she do with this Sphere, a Sphere in the form of a Sphere?

The thought comes, suddenly, to her, and she runs down to the Sphere at once, in the voice of her friend, and feels like she might be doing something to it, and is terrified to touch it in the first moment, and does not touch it, and feels like her hands might fall apart, like she knows that she must not touch it. And yet.

And indeed, the Sphere looks as it always had, and its words do not make sense any more.

It is still dark.

There is another girl in the Sphere now -- another person, but it is not Maria, because her friend had not allowed Maria back here.

Some sort of voice, speaking in a language which has a definite tone of order, orders the Sphere to "close it."

The Sphere obeys.

Maria and her friend and her friends have been shut up in the Sphere now for some time.

But this is something strange.

They were not warned anything about this.

They have heard nothing, and there is still plenty of food in the cupboards -- not like usual, but still perfectly edible, and they are being given regular instructions from the Sphere on how to make anything they like. And they have all been very excited about this, even though they are used to this, and will soon be given the chance to find out whether the Sphere really is full of tasty things, and whether there is a future besides the one in which they are kept in the Sphere. In fact every last person is going to have her favorite meals catered to at once, and is going to find out whether her kitchen is really lovely and full of delicious food, and she herself is going to go down there every day and wait for the Sphere to close, and she is going to be the one who decides whether Maria and the others will go on living in the Sphere, but now it is too dark down there to see anything, and they must only listen, and wait.

And now the Sphere speaks again, to Maria and to her friend and to all the others in these words.

But the words, as before, do not make sense yet make sense because Maria can hear what they say.

The voices and the sense of order and the

#original fiction

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the-path-of-zen · 3 years

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Response to BUDDHABROS, ALT-RIGHT DHARMA, AND SNOWFLAKE SANGHAS

Response to Ann Gleig and Brenna Artinger

Source article: BUDDHABROS, ALT-RIGHT DHARMA, AND SNOWFLAKE SANGHAS

After reading the entire article and reflecting on it for a bit, my only thought is: They are both right and wrong.

To sum up their position: They are claiming that Western Zen and the Buddhist Dharma Centers at large are not doing enough about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). They cite White Masculinity as the obstetrical that must be purged.

First, ill talk where they are right.

It is true that some of the Buddhist Dharma communities, and Western Zen organizations, have made very little effort to set up ‘missions’ in poor and less affluent areas whereas to spread the teachings of Buddhism. Yet, the San Francisco Zen Center is next door to one of the largest public housing projects in the city, and none of the residents of the housing project attends. Other Zen Dharma centers are also accessible by bus and in areas open to all.

The issue of Western Zen not proselytizing, except on college campuses or in book stores, is an issue and is being addressed, yet it is always a question of cost and resources, and where to best spend them.

The larger Buddhist communities are culturally based and draw upon the ethnic families and relatives of the existing Buddhist church and have no need to reach out and recruit new members.

The only one I know that has reached out to the poor communities is the SGI. It is a Pureland sect of Buddhism and I have no clue as to the success or how DEI they are.

As for gender issues goes, there is a patriarchal and ecclesiastical system that comes from Asia and the Far-east that gives rise to the inequality issues that the authors bring up. Western Zen, which separated from the Far-east lineages, has made great progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and I personally know many women teachers, non-binary and trans practitioners.

As for the Dharma centers controlled by the Asian or Far-eastern ethnic groups and countries, the issues of DEI that the authors bring are in fact being discussed with senior Asian and Far-Eastern monks and leaders as to how to proceed. A conversation in a patriarchal and ecclesiastical system takes time, decades at the least.

For where the authors are wrong.

As for the ‘backlash’ that they cite as to what they see as the attempts of DEI, I would say that what they see is more of their own creation than what actually exists. The authors are enraged at the lack of acceptance of their positions within the larger Buddhist sphere and demonstrate impatience with the speed of the inner discussions that the various Buddhist groups are having. In this situation, if one was to bring up the issue of, let's say ordination of a trans-gen into the sangha, there would be significant resistance from the establishment in citing Sutra scripture that prohibits such an ordination, and if such as to occur, the ordained in such a condition and those who participated face the aspects of disassociation from their Buddhist sangha.

Shaming the sanghas and the various members for not accepting what clearly is scripturally non-acceptable creates the backlash that the authors are citing and facing themselves.

Lastly, politics in the Dharma centers is nothing new and is generally accepted as long as it's in alignment with the views of the sangha, so to say that Zen or Buddhism, in general, is apolitical is incorrect. One cannot simply force a political position on a sangha that the individuals are resistant to, or shame them into accepting or action on a position that is contrary to their own core beliefs. If one was to institute changes to a person's core beliefs, then that is brain-washing and the group is then a destructive cult.

The authors also can be accused of making ‘mountains out of molehills’, in some of the Buddhist Blog-O-sphere alt-right figures they cited are not Buddhist leaders and have no real authority or influence in the greater Buddhist sangha. So, the argument that the authors are making strawmen out to be this immediate and dire threat can be made.

The authors in my opinion are attempting to do the following:

Create a struggle Session https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struggle_session In where they can get their foes to accept their views, or better, to agree with them;

And, secondly, they are attempting to create a schism in Buddhism.

Buddhist disciples are taught to disassociate with those who speak ill against the Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. Those who act badly, who go willfully against the monastic code they swore to uphold, who speak against the teachings of the Buddha will find themselves dissociated; where they are simply a persona-non grata, to be ignored by the sangha and to trespass if on temple properties if found there.

#zen #buddhism

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ansu-gurleht · 4 years

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sermon 35 annotated: the scripture of love

before i begin, it’s important to note that this is probably the trickiest sermon in the whole bunch to interpret. i’ve spent months mulling this one over, and there’s still stuff i don’t understand. so if you disagree with me on any of this, great! i’d love to hear what you have to say! but here’s my best guess:

- - -

'The formulas of proper Velothi magic continue in ancient tradition, but that virility is dead, by which I mean at least replaced.'

the ways of the velothi remain the same in practice, but the “virility,” the purpose and driving force, has shifted from the good daedra to the tribunal.

'Truth owes its medicinal nature to the establishment of the myth of justice.'

justice means getting down to the truth. to know the truth means to know justice. but vivec says justice is a myth. although, ze could be using “myth” in its other sense, not so much as “a falsehood” but “a tradition.” a tradition still need not be necessarily based in fact, but it’s still an extant thing which holds sway over culture.

'Its curative properties it likewise owes to the concept of sacrifice.'

for something to be true, that means many other things must not be true. many possible truths are sacrificed for one single truth. (likewise, for justice to run its course, it is sometimes necessary that the guilty go free and the innocent are punished.)

'Princes, chiefs, and angels all subscribe to the same notion.'

all three of these offices are of authority, which are responsible for establishing justice, which here is associated with truth and sacrifice. (also, “princes” are daedric princes, “chiefs” are aedra, and “angels” are magna-ge.)

'This is a view primarily based on a prolific abolition of an implied profanity, seen in ceremonies, knife fighting, hunting, and the exploration of the poetic.'

vivec says that the idea of “truth = justice + sacrifice” is based on getting rid of the things you assume are taboo (“implied profanity”). this means exploring the taboo and redefining it.

'On the ritual of occasions, which comes to us from the days of the cave glow, I can say nothing more than to loosen your equation of moods to lunar currency.'

the first part might be some kind of reference to plato's allegory of the cave - perhaps equating the dawn era to the cave. "loosen your equation of moods to lunar currency" might mean "don't be afraid to turn towards lorkhan” - see: the lunar lorkhan theory (bear in mind, it IS just a theory in-universe, not a given fact)

'Later, and by that I mean much, much later, my reign will be seen as an act of the highest love, which is a return from the astral destiny and the marriages between.'

despite the many crimes of vivec, ze believes that ultimately hir impact on hir people and the world will be overwhelmingly positive. “the astral destiny” is what vivec believes is hir rightful, fated rule.

'By that I mean the catastrophes, which will come from all five corners.'

“the catastrophes” refer to the “the marriages between” of the last line. note that ze refers to hir sexual assault as a “marriage.”

what are the five corners? the house of troubles has four. the provisional house has four. is this referring to the house of troubles plus tiber septim? it fits best, i think.

'Subsequent are the revisions, differentiated between hope and the distraught, situations that are only required by the periodic death of the immutable.'

history has been, and (according to vivec) must be rewritten on multiple occasions, either out of hope of bettering the people, or to shield them from ugliness. if history is immutable, unchangeable, then rewriting history every now and then is the “periodic death of the immutable.”

'Cosmic time is repeated: I wrote of this in an earlier life.'

if i were more into the concept of cyclic kalpas, this would be a wonderful reference. otherwise, this could refer to a belief vivec had in hir “earlier life” as a mortal, wherein the same (usually traumatic) events happen over and over again. this could apply more generally to certain events recurring, such as the catastrophes mentioned above.

'An imitation of submersion is love's premonition, its folly into the underworld, by which I mean the day you will read about outside of yourself in an age of gold.'

love causes a feeling of being submerged, but it’s only an imitation, a folly. someday, in a better time, you will discover it was always external to you. once you no longer need love, you will understand “its folly into the underworld”

'For on that day, which is a shadow of the sacrificial concept, all history is obliged to see me for what you are: in love with evil.'

“concept of sacrifice,” part of what makes truth healing, is again referenced. but the better time is the “shadow” of that concept, meaning on some level the concept is null, or no longer necessary.

who is vivec addressing? hirself? “in love with evil?” is this guilt? vivec knows that the sacrifices ze made are no longer necessary, and the reversal in “see me for what you are” might imply that ze sees hirself as the final sacrifice - very messianic.

'To keep one's powers intact at such a stage is to allow for the existence of what can only be called a continual spirit.'

seems to be a reference to CHIM and zero-summing. in order to achieve CHIM at the stage whereupon you see the wheel sideways is to keep existing as you are, not to join with the tower and zero-sum. (this seems like a nonsequitur following the lines before. maybe those lines hint at this one more than i suspect?)

'Make of your love a defense against the horizon.'

horizon = the world, the unknown world beyond your body and mind. by loving others, you expand your body and mind, thereby expanding your horizon.

'Pure existence is only granted to the holy, which comes in a myriad of forms, half of them frightening and the other half divided into equal parts purposeless and assured.'

on some level, mortal existence is sullied. only immortals, divines, daedra and aedra, can have a pure existence, although it takes many forms, as many as there are spheres of dominion. the daedra are “frightening” and the aedra are “purposeless and assured”

'Late is the lover that comes to this by any other walking way than the fifth, which is the number of the limit of this world.'

confusing. what makes the lover “late?” isn’t the fifth walking way love? how is five “the number of the limit of this world?” is this world vivec's world, limited by the "five corners" mentioned earlier? or does the sixth walking way go beyond the limit of the world?

'The lover is the highest country and a series of beliefs.'

the lover is both of powerful physical (political) power, as well as philosophical power.

'He is the sacred city bereft of a double.'

the hortator has a double in the sharmat. but vivec, the lover, has no double, no equal.

'The uncultivated land of monsters is the rule.'

“uncultivated land of monsters” could refer to morrowind, as it is well known for being a dangerous and unforgiving place. but “monsters” could also refer to the “children” vivec has been hunting in the past several sermons.

'This is clearly attested by ANU and his double, which love knows never really happened.'

anu’s double is padhome. anu happened b/c he said he happened. padhome never claimed to happen, which makes him anu’s double, his opposite. he is defined only by how he is distinct from anu.

'Similarly, all the other symbols of absolute reality are ancient ideas ready for their graves, or at least the essence of such.'

reality is relative, not absolute. absolutist ideas are “ancient ideas ready for their graves,” outdated philosophies. symbols cannot represent absolute reality: they are merely signposts pointing towards it.

'This scripture is directly ordered by the codes of Mephala, the origin of sex and murder, defeated only by those who take up those ideas without my intervention.'

not sure what ze’s trying to say here. could be saying, "i become the lover through mephala. only the lover who becomes such of their own power can defeat me," with an implied, "no lover can do this, so no lover can defeat me."

'The religious elite is not a tendency or a correlation.'

to become “the religious elite” is not something you happen into, it’s something you strive to become. this line seems to clarify the previous.

'They are dogma complemented by the influence of the untrustworthy sea and the governance of the stars, dominated at the center by the sword, which is nothing without a victim to cleave unto.'

sea = seht, stars = ayem, sword = vehk. the sea and stars exist on their own, but a sword requires a victim - just as a lover requires a beloved.

'This is the love of God and he would show you more: predatory but at the same time instrumental to the will of critical harvest, a scenario by which one becomes as he is, of male and female, the magic hermaphrodite.'

“God” needs a victim "to cleave unto", but it’s ultimately very important that ze does so, in order to become what ze’s meant to be. also, "to cleave" is to make one into two, and vehk seeks to reconcile two parts into one - mortal and immortal, chimer and dunmer, male and female. this dichotomy of opposites is important. ze cleaves them apart and then cleaves them together, over and over.

'Mark the norms of violence and it barely registers, suspended as it is by treaties written between the original spirits.'

original spirits = et’ada. if you go about violence in the way prescribed by them, you will achieve little if anything. it's all like games played between gods.

'This should be seen as an opportunity, and in no way tedious, though some will give up for it is easier to kiss the lover than become one.'

but vivec seems to claim that these little victories within ancient boundaries can be useful. the lover seems to live within these boundaries, so as to show others how to escape them. but to take such a position is very difficult, much more so than simply accepting the lover’s assistance.

'The lower regions crawl with these souls, caves of shallow treasures, meeting in places to testify by way of extension, when love is only satisfied by a considerable (incalculable) effort.'

there’s some obvious innuendo here, but i won’t dwell on it. but this line really sums up what i think the walking way of love is. it’s creating a network of “lovers” who (through incalculable effort) help bring all of the souls it can into its breast (‘testify by way of extension’), so as to expand the network as well as help those it can to achieve something greater.

#tes #tesblr #teslore #36 lessons of vivec #vivec #morrowind #almsivi #chim

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mrlnsfrt · 3 years

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Lessons I'm Learning

As I am writing this I am currently transitioning from pastoring a church in Valdosta, Georgia to pastoring a church in Boise, Idaho. I have been studying John 14 with my church here in Valdosta and reflecting on Jesus’ words of comfort and encouragement that He shared with His disciples. Even though I am sure that God is leading in this move, it has not been easy. I am tired and have often felt overwhelmed. But I keep turning to the words of Jesus recorded in John 14. I have also been reflecting on the big lessons I have learned in ministry and life so far.

Quick Review of John 14:19-31

Jesus’ life is connected to our hope of eternal life. Because Jesus lives we can secure in the assurance that we also will live.

Having and keeping the commandments and the word of Jesus is deeply connected to loving Jesus and witnessing His revelation.

The Father will send the Helper, the Holy Spirit to teach and remind Jesus’ followers what He taught them.

Jesus gives us His peace and we should not let our hearts be troubled or afraid.

Jesus tells us what is going to happen before it does so that when it does happen we may believe in Him.

Because Jesus loves the Father He obeys the commandments of the Father.

Takeaway

What I take away from John 14:19-31 is that Jesus never abandons His followers. When Jesus left He left us His word and his commandments (I believe these two are essentially the same) and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to teach and remind Jesus’ disciples of the things Jesus said. I believe the same promise holds true to us today.

I am convinced that the Holy Spirit is available to us today to teach us all things and to bring to our remembrance all thing things that Jesus said.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. - John 14:26 NKJV

To me, it is clear that the secret to our spiritual success lies in receiving the Holy Spirit. Only then can we better understand Jesus and remember His words and keep his commandments. All the things we must do we can only do with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Studying this brought to mind what seem to be two essential lessons I am learning.

Lesson 1: Pray, especially for the Holy Spirit.

Never stop praying. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 New Living Translation

One lesson that I began to learn early in life is that prayer is important. This is the one lesson I keep re-learning in life, and I believe it is one of the most important things I do. If I am not careful, become discouraged because of my feelings of weakness and powerlessness. I often wish I had more money, I wish I had more knowledge, I wish I had more power, more strength, or whatever it is I need to be able to solve the problems of those around me. Then I remember that it is not my job to solve everyone’s problem. I can’t even solve my own problems.

I do not mean this as an excuse not to help those we are able to help. I say this to prevent you from burning out trying to accomplish something that’s not for you to accomplish. Jesus is the One who saves. God has all the power, not us. We are not Jr. Holy Spirit. We should pray, we should pray for people, we should pray with people, we should point them to Jesus. Jesus is the answer. We are His hand and feet (1 Corinthians 12 we are the body of Christ) and we should be a blessing in the lives of those around us, but we are also humans and have our limitations. Our limitations should not keep us from doing anything. We can all at least pray, and through prayer, we can do more than we could ever possibly hope to accomplish by our own strength.

Pray especially for the Holy Spirit

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” -Luke 11:13 NKJV

Jesus essentially tells us to ask for the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that the Father is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, so ask! Ask every day! Ask multiple times a day. I take this promise to heart and I pray this prayer often. I pray it because I feel a desperate need for more strength, for more wisdom and understanding, for more power to preach and teach and help and do all that I can to point others to Jesus and to reveal the character of Jesus in my own life.

I strongly believe that all the success I experienced with the Park Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Valdosta, Georgia, is because of our prayer meetings and the prayers we have around the table with all the members of the church board every time we have a board meeting. I believe in prayer and we have a church board that believes in prayer.

I have enjoyed God’s blessings because I have a church and friends and family who continually pray for me and pray for God to fill me with the Holy Spirit. I don’t deserve it, but God does not bless us according to what we deserve, but rather according to His grace and His mercies and His power and His will.

It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If the fulfillment of the promise is not seen as it might be, it is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. If all were willing, all would be filled with the Spirit. - Acts of the Apostles p50

Pray for wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5 NKJV

Another promise that I claim regularly is this one. God tells us to pray for wisdom. We are told we will receive liberally, without reproach. Why not ask? I ask all the time.

Lesson 2: Persevere

The Bible has a lot to say about perseverance.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. -Galatians 6:9 NKJV

Show Up!

One of the ways that I understand perseverance is simply showing up. So many seem to believe that change happens in a big flashy event. It has been my experience that the biggest changes happen gradually over time.

Spiritual growth, like many other things in life, does not take place overnight. Sure, the high events are a great blessing. Many times we experience it when we first give our hearts to Jesus or the day we are baptized. Other times it happens at the conclusion of revival meetings or a week or prayer or an evangelistic series. But life is not made up of high moments. Going to a concert of your favorite Christian musician is a great experience but it does not generate lasting change and growth by itself.

Lasting change, continual growth, comes from showing up daily. Show up for prayer. By this I mean when your eyes pop open in the morning, the first thing you should do is pray. Thank God for another day of life. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Ask God for wisdom. Talk to God about your day, what are you excited about? What are you worried about? Tell God all about your day.

Show up for Bible study. You should be studying the Bible every day. You may call this your daily devotional. This is when you allow the word of God to challenge you, to fill your thoughts, to shape your decisions. Reading the Bible reminds you that you have bigger goals than worldly wealth and power. You have greater values than just physical pleasure. You remind yourself that you serve a mighty and powerful God, you remind yourself that eternal life is yours in Jesus. From there you go to live a life that reflects the character of the God you serve.

You show up for worship, to be spiritually fed, to be challenged, to serve, to teach, to bless. We come to church for all those reasons. In serving, in teaching, in helping, we grow. Also when we make God and worship a priority, we remind ourselves that this is important. We tell ourselves that we value God and His will for our lives when we stop everything and come together to worship and study. Christianity is meant to be experienced as a community. It is important to belong, to be involved, to contribute, to volunteer. Because that is how we grow.

Show up, be responsible, be reliable, have clear priorities, and make God your top priority. Now live like it. Determine in your heart to show up for God. Do it at church, but also at home, at school, and even in your downtime.

Show up for God regularly and you will grow spiritually.

Don not wait for a big opportunity to do something amazing, rather do your best each day with every small opportunity that presents itself to you.

The key is to yield ourselves daily to God, so that He may make us vessels fit for His use. Every day we should be improving the opportunities for service that lie within our reach. Daily we ought to be witnessing for the Master wherever we may be, whether in some humble sphere of influence in the home or in a public field of usefulness.

Don’t give up

in the hope rejoicing; in the tribulation enduring; in the prayer persevering; - Romans 12:12 Literal Standard Version

I really appreciate the Literal Standard Verison of Romans 12:12. It is a simple reminder of how we ought to live our lives. We rejoice in our hope, we endure tribulations, and we pray continually.

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. - 1 Chronicles 16:11 NASB

Don’t stop seeking God and His strength. We are not able to do it on our own. We are not meant to do it on our own. We are to seek God and His strength. He is the One who gives us the victories.

Finally, my favorite Bible passage that I often turn to and the one that keeps me from giving up.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:31-38 NKJV

This passage keeps me from giving up because it reminds me that nothing can separate me from the love of God. The way I see it, the only way I lose is if I give up. I know for sure that God won’t give up on me. So I just have to live one day at a time, take one step at a time, just keep showing up, because I know I can count on God to show up.

#practical

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warrioreowynofrohan · 3 years

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Epigraphs - Rhythm of War (all 5 parts)

My notes are in square brackets.

Part 1 - Fabrial Mechanics

Lecture on fabrial mechanics presented by Navani Kholin to the coalition of monarchs, Urithiru, Jesevan, 1175

First, you must get a spren to approach.

The type of gemstone is relevant; some spren are naturally more intrigued by certain gemstones. In addition, it is essential to calm the spren with something it knows and loves. A good fire for a flamespren, for example, is a must.

Next, let the spren inspect your trap. The gemstone must not be fully infused, but also cannot be fully dun. Experiments have concluded that seventy percent of maximum Stormlight capacity works best.

If you have done your work correctly, the spren will become fascinated by its soon-to-be prison. It will dance around the stone, peek at it, float around it.

The final step in capturing spren is the most tricky, as you must remove the Stormlight from the gemstone. The specific techniques employed by each artifabrian guild are closely guarded secrets, entrusted only to their most senior members.

The easiest method would be to use a larkin - a type of cremling that feasts on Stormlight. That would be wonderful and convenient if the creatures weren’t now almost entirely extinct. The wars in Aimia were in part over these seemingly innocent little creatures.

To draw Stormlight out of a gemstone, I use the Arnist Method. Several large empty gemstones are brought close to the infused one while the spren is inspecting it. Stormlight is slowly absorbed from a small gemstone by a very large gemstone of the same type - and several together can draw the Light out quickly. The method’s limitation is, of course, the fact that you need not merely acquire one gemstone for your fabrial, but several larger ones to withdraw the Stormlight.

Other methods must exist, as proven by the extremely large gemstone fabrials created by the Vriztl Guild out of Thaylenah. If Her Majesty would please repeat my request to the guild, this secret is of vital importance to the war effort.

If the Stormlight in a gemstone is withdrawn quickly enough, a nearby spren can be sucked into the gemstone. This is caused by a similar effect to a pressure differential, created by the sudden withdrawal of Stormlight, though the science of the two phenomena are not identical.

You will be left with a captured spren, to be manipulated as you see fit.

With a captured spren, you may begin designing a proper fabrial. It is a closely guarded secret of artifabrians that spren, when trapped, respond to different types of metals in different ways. A wire housing for the fabrial, called a “cage,” is essential to controlling the device.

The two metals of primary significance are zinc and brass, which allow you to control expression strength. Zinc wires touching the gemstone will cause the spren inside to more strongly manifest, while brass will cause the spren to withdraw and its power to dim.

Remember that a gemstone must be properly infused following the spren’s capture. Drilled holes in the gemstone are ideal for proper use of the cage wires, so long as you don’t crack the structure and risk releasing the spren.

A bronze cage can create a warning fabrial, alerting one to objects or entities nearby. Heliodors are being used for this currently, and there is some good reasoning for this - but other gemstones should be viable.

A pewter cage will cause the spren of your fabrial to express its attribute in force - a flamespren, for example, will create heat. We call these augmenters. They tend to use Stormlight more quickly than other fabrials.

A tin cage will cause the fabrial to diminish nearby attributes. A painrial, for example, can numb pain. [Hey, if they captured a gloomspren - granted, tricky because they’re rare - could this be used to make a antidepressant fabrial for Kaladin?] Note that advanced designs of cages can use both steel and iron as well, changing the fabrial’s polarity depending on which metals are pushed to touch the gemstone.

An iron cage will create an attractor - a fabrial that draws specific elements to itself. A properly create smoke fabrial, for example, can gather the smoke of a fire and hold it close.

New discoveries lead us to believe it is possible to create a repeller fabrial, but we don’t yet know the metal to use to achieve this feat.

One of my pleas is for artifabrians to stop shrouding fabrial techniques with so much mystery. Many decoy metals are used in cages, and wires are often plated to look like a different metal, with the express intent of confusing those who might try to learn the process through personal study. This might enrich the artifabrian, but it impoverishes us all.

Advanced fabrials are created using several different techniques. Conjoined fabrials require a careful division of the gemstone - and the spren inside. If performed correctly, the two halves will continue to behave as a single gemstone. Note that rubies and flamespren are traditional for thus purpose - as they have proven the easiest to divide, and the quickest in response times. Other types of spren do not split as easily, or at all.

All gemstones leak Stormlight at a slow rate - but so long as the crystal structure remains mostly intact, the spren cannot escape. Managing this leakage is important, as many fabrials also lose Stormlight through operation. All of this is tied up in the intricacies of the art. As is understanding one last vital kind of spren: logicspren.

Logicspren react curiously to imprisonment. Unlike other spren, they do not manifest some attribute - you cannot use them to make heat, or warn of nearby danger., or conjoin gemstones. For years, artifabrians considered them useless - indeed, experimenting eith them was uncommon, since logicspren are rare and difficult to capture.

A breakthrough has come in discovering that logicspren will vary the light they radiate based on certain stimuli. For example, if you make the Light leak from the gemstone at a controlled rate, the spren will alternate dimming and brightening in a regular pattern. This has led to fabrial clocks. When the gemstone is tapped with certainmetals, the light will also change state from bright to dim. This is leading to some very interesting and complex mechanisms.

My final point this evening is a discussion of Fused weapons. The Fused use a variety of fabrial devices to fight Radiants. It is obvious from how quickly they’ve fabricated and employed these countermeasures that they have used in the past.

The simplest Fused weapon against us isn’t truly a fabrial, but instead a metal that is extremely light and can withstand the blows of a Shardblade. This metal resists being Soulcast as well; it interferes with a great number of Radian powers. Fortunately, the Fused seem unable to create in in great quantities - for they equip only themselves, and not their average so,diers, with these wonders. [Aluminum]

The Fused have a second metal I find fascinating - a metal that conducts Stormlight. The implications for this in the creation of fabrials are astounding. The Fused use this metal in conjunction with a rudimentary fabrial - a simole gemstone, but without a spren trapped inside. How they pull Stormlight out of a Radiant and into this sphere remains baffling. My scholars think they must be employing an Investiture differential. If a gemstone is full of Stormlight - or, I assume, Voidlight - and that Light is removed quickly, it creates a pressure differential (or a kind of vacuum) in the gemstone. This remains merely a theory.

The world becomes as increasingly dangerous place, and so I come to the crux of my argument. We cannot afford to keep secrets from one another any longer. The Thaylen artifabrians have private techniques relating to how they remove Stormlight from gems and create fabrials around extremely large stones. I beg the coalition and the good people of Thaylenah to acknowledge our collective need. I have taken the first step by opening my research to all scholars. I pray you will see the wisdom in doing the same.

[My Notes:

Zinc: manifest more strongly

Brass: withdraw (manifest less strongly)

Bronze: warning fabrial

Pewter: attribute expressed in force (e.g. flamespren —> heat; fabrial called augmenter)

Tin: diminish attribute nearby (e.g. painrial reduces pain). Use of steel and iron as well can allow fabrial’s polarity to be changed (e.g. make painrial cause pain)

Iron: draws element to itself (e.g. smoke fabrial gathers smoke)]

Part 2 - Harmony’s Letter

Dear Wanderer,

I did recieve your latest communication. Please forgive formality on my part, as we have not met in person. I feel new to this role, despite my years holding it. You will admit to my relative youth, I think.

I have been fascinated to discover how much you’ve accomplished on Scadrial without me noticing your presence. How is it that you hide from Shards so well?

I have reached put to the others as you requested, and have recieved a variety of responses. Muas you indicate, there is a division among the other Shards I would not have anticipated. Endowment at least responded to my overtures, though I have not been able to locate Invention again following our initial contact. Whimsy was not terribly useful, and Mercy worries me. I do think that Valor is reasonable, and suggest you approach her again. It has been too long, in her estimation, since your last conversation.

The deaths of both Devotion and Dominion trouble me greatly, as I had not realized this immense power we held was something that could be broken in such a way. On my world, the power was always gathered and sought a new Vessel.

That said, the most worrying thing I discovered in this was the wound upon the Spiritual Realm where Ambition, Mercy, and Odium clashed - and Ambition was destroyed. The effects on the planet Threnody have been...disturbing.

Other Shards I cannot identify, and are hidden to me. I fear that their influence encroaches upon my world, yet I am locked i to a strange inability because of the opposed powers I hold. I have begun searching for a pathway out of this conundrum by seeking the ideal person to act on my behalf. Someone who embodies both Preservation and Ruin. A...sword, you might say, who can both protect and kill.

But this does not get to the core of your letter. I have encouraged those who would speak to me to heed your warnings, but all seem content to ignore Odium for the time being. In their opinion, he is no threat as long as he remains confined in the Rosharan system. I do not share their attitude. If you can, as you suppose, maintain Odium’s prison for now, it would give us the necessary time to plan. This is a threat beyond the capacity of one Shard to face.

Unfortunately, as proven by my own situation, the combination of Shards is not always a path to greater power. We must assume that Odium has realized this, and is seeking a singular, terrible goal: the destruction - and somehow Splintering or otherwise making impotent - of all Shards other than him. To combine powers would change and distort who Odium is. So instead of absorbing others, he destroys them. Since we are all essentially infinite, he needs no more power. Destroying and Splintering the other Shards would leave Odium as the sole god, unchanged and uncorrupted by other influences.

You say that the power itself must be treated as separate in our minds from the Vessel who controls it. I find this difficult to do on an intrinsic level, as although I am neither Ruin nor Preservation, they make up me. Regardless, I will try to do as you suggest. However, you seem more afraid of the Vessel. I warn you that this is a flaw in your understanding. You have not felt what I have. You have not known what I have. You rejected that chance - and wisely, I think. However, though you think not as a mortal, you are their kin. The power of Odium’s Shard is more dangerous than the mind behind it. Particularly since any Investiture seems to gain a will of its own when not controlled. My instincts say that the power of Odium is not being controlled well. The Vessel will be adapted to the power’s will. And after this long, if Odium is still seeking to destroy, then it is because of the power.

Of course, I admit this is a small quibble. A difference of semantics more than anything. In truth, it would be a combination of a Vessel’s craftiness and the power’s Intent that we should fear most. [This is terrifying, given the ending of ROW.]

Regardless, please make yourself known to me when you travel my lands. It is distressing that you think you need to move in the shadows.

Part 3 - Excerpts from Rhythm of War

[By Navani and Raboniel. The entries vary in terms of which of them writes the main text and which writes the undertext.]

Page 1: I find this format most comfortable, as it is how I’ve collaborated in the past. I have never done it this way, and with this kind of partner. I approach this project with an equal mixture of trepidation and hope. And I know not which should rule. Undertext: I approach this project with inspiration renewed; the answers are all that should matter.

Page 3: In my fevered state, I worry I’m unable to focus on what is important. Undertext: When in such a state, detachment is enviable. I have learned that my greatest discoveries come when I abandon lesser connections.

Page 5: This song - this tone, this rhythm - sounds so familiar, in ways I cannot explain or express. Undertext: I am led to wonder, from experiences such as this, if we have been wrong. We call humans alien to Roshar, yet they have lived here for thousands of years now. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge that there are no aliens or interlopers. Only cousins.

Page 6: It would have been so easy if Voidlight and Stormlight destroyed one another. Such a simple answer. Undertext: We must not let our desires for a specific result cloud our perceptions. But how can we not, in searching, wish for a specific result? What scientist goes into a project without a hope for what they will find? I find this experience so odd. I work with a scholar from the abcient days, before modern scientific was theory was developed. I keep forgetting all the thousands of years of tradition you completely missed.

Page 10: This point regarding the Rhythm of War’s emotional influence will be of particular interest to El. Undertext: Who is this person? You used no title, so I assume they are not a Fused. Who, then, is El?

Page 13: In other circumstances, I would be fascinated by this sand to the point of abandoning all other rational pursuits. What is it? Where did it come from? Undertext: I am told that it is not the sand itself, but so ething that grows upon it, that exhibits strange properties. One can make more, with proper materials and a seed of the original. The sand originated offworld. It is only one of such amazing wonders that come from other lands - I have recently obtained a chain from the lands of the dead, said to be able to anchor a person through Cognitive anomalies. I fail to see what use it could be to me, as I am unable to leave the Rosharan system. But it is a priceless object nonetheless.

Page 21: As we dig further into this project, I am left questioning the very nature of God. How can a God exist in all things, yet have a substance that can be destroyed? Undertext: I am not convinced any of the gods can be destroyed, so perhaps I misspoke. They can change state however, like a spren - or like the various Lights. That is what we seek.

Page 27: Do not mourn for what has happened. This notebook was a dream we shared, which is itself a beautiful thing. Proof of the truth of my intent, even if the project was ultimately doomed. I leave you now to your own company.

Final page: Opposites. Opposites of sounds. Sound has no opposite. It’s merely overlapped vobration, the same sound, but sound has meaning. This sound does, at least. These sounds. The voices of gods. Voice of Lights. Voice of Lights. If I speak for the Lights, then I must express their desires. If Light is Investiture, and all Investiture is deity, and deity has Intent, then light must have Intent.

Endnotes: Intent matters. Intent is king. You cannot do what I attempt by accident. You must mean it. This seems a much greater law than we’ve ever before understood.

Part 4 - Kelek

Words. I used to be good with words, I used to be good at a lot of things. There was a time when others would approach me for help with a problem. A time when I was decisive. Capable. Even authoritative. Such skills, like my honor itself, are now lost to time. Weathered away, crushed to dust, and scattered to the ends of the cosmere. I am a barren tree of a human being. I am the hollow that was once a mighty peak. So, words. Why words, now? Why do I write?

Jezrien is gone. Despite being all the way out here in Lasting Integrity, I felt him being ripped away. The Oathpact was broken already, but the Connection remained. Each of us can sense the others, to an extent. And with further investigation, I know the truth of what happened to him. It felt like death at first, and I think that is what it ultimately became. The singers first put Jezrien in a gemstone. They think they are clever, discovering they can trap us in those. It only took seven thousand years.

Oh...Father...Seven thousand years. I remember so few of those centuries. I am a blur. A smear on the page. A gaunt stretch of ink, made all the more insubstantial with each passing day. Midius once told me...told me we could use Investiture...to enhance ourbminds, our memories, so we wouldn’t forget so much. Why would I want to remember?

Maybe if I remembered my life, I’d be capable of being confident like I once was. Maybe I’d stop vacillating when even the most simple of decisions is presented to me. Instead I think, if I were to remember my life in detail, I would become even worse. Paralyzed by my terrible actions. I should not like to remember all those I have failed.

Regardless, I write now. Because I know they are coming for me. They got Jezrien. They’ll inevitably claim me, even here in the honorspren stronghold. And so, I’ll die.

Yes, die. If you’re reading this and wondering what went wrong - why my soul evaporated soon after being claimed by the gemstone in your knife - then I name you idiot for playing with powers you only presume to understand. The bond is what keeps us alive. You sever that, and we will slowly decompose into ordinary souls - with no valid Connection to the Physical or Spiritual Realms. Capture one of us with your knives, and you won’t be left with a spren in a jar, follish ones. You’ll be left with a being that eventually fades away into the Beyond. I felt it happen to Jezrien. You think you captured him, but our god is Splintered, our Oathpact severed. He faded over the weeks, and is gone now. Beyond your touch at long last.

I should welcome the same. I do not. I fear you. Nevertheless, I’m writing answers for you here, because something glimmers deep within me. A fragment of a memory of what I once was.

I was there when Ba-Ado-Mishram was captured. I know the truth of the Radiants, the Recreance, and the Nahel spren. I tell you; I write it. You must release the captive Unmade. She will not fade as I will. If you leave her as she is, she will remain imprisoned for eternity. As one who has suffered for so many centuries...as one whom it broke...please find Mishram and release her. Not just for her own good. For the good of all spren.

For I believe that in confining her, we have caused a greater wound to Roshar than any ever realized.

Part 5 - Musings of El

Musings of El, on the first of the Final Ten Days:

I look forward to ruling the humans. I had my title and my rhythms stripped from me for daring insist they should not be killed, but should instead be reconditioned. Repurposed.

Humans are weapons. We singers revere Passion, do we not? How can we throw away such an excellent channeling of it?

I love their art. The way they depict us is divine, all red shades and black lines. We appear demonic and fearsome; they project all fear and terror upon us. To humans, our very visages become symbols. You can find echoes of it even in the art from centuries before this Return.

Watch them struggle. Witness their writhing, their refusal to surrender. Humans cling to the rocks with the vigor of any Rosharan vine. Humans are a poem. A song. For ones so soft, they are somehow strong. For ones so varied, they are somehow intense. For ones so lost, they are somehow determined. For ones so confused, they are somehow brilliant. For ones so tarnished, they are somehow bright. Radiant.

And so I am not at all dissatisfied with recent events. Roshar will be united in its service of the greater war. And I will march proudly at the head of a human legion. They should not be discarded, but helped to their potential. Their final Passions.

Yes, I look forward to ruling the humans. Nearly as much as I look forward to serving you, newest Odium. Who was so recently one of them. You understand. And you are the one I’ve been waiting to worship.

#brandon sanderson #the stormlight archive #rhythm of war #row spoilers #epigraphs

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alka-di-kijarr · 3 years

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Hunters Journey - 012

Disclaimer: This story was originally posted on my deviantArt. It was part of the #smaugust #challenge in 2021. I wanted to share it here for people who like fantasy/adventure stories. My Tumblr shall make it easy to follow the story, and I hope you like it too. English is not my native language, but I try my best. ♥ Enjoy!

Hunters Journey - 012

Time passed fast, but in contrast to the buildings which were rebuilt faster than someone could have imagined - people got left behind with their problems. Nobody talked about the incident in the daytime. Everyone worked hard and fast and laughed and joked. But when you entered the pubs and taverns, you could find yourself in a very different situation. There was no such thing as ‘we rebuilt and afterwards do what we always do’. People became quiet, there was a lot more whispering you could hear from the crowded corners. Suspicious views scanned the room, while the weapons stayed close to their owners. Back in the days, before the attacks, most people didn’t even think about bringing them to their daily dinner at the tavern.

But things had changed. People had changed. And even after weeks, Seth was not able to collect all information, reports and stories from this one night. Where the attack started - or more likely the “attacks”. How they managed to pass through the golemantic defence barrier around the city. And how they should re-catch all the fled creatures. Seth covered his face with his left hand, rubbing his left eye and finally taking a big mouthful of the beer in front of him. He was sitting here in one of the biggest taverns of the city, studying all the papers and reports he collected, but he still couldn’t find the sense behind all of this.

Besides the fact, which he would never acknowledge, that he didn’t want to be alone in this big stony room of the guild headquarters, that was normally his office - he wanted to show his presence. Nothing could be more demotivating than surviving a terrible event like this and then getting the sensation of being left alone by the high-ranked. The next weeks would be hard enough, people should not also need to deal with the feeling of disinterest radiating from their own guild master. And so they had found a place in a bit of distance to many tables that would normally be taken by loudly singing, laughing and chitchatting hunters and their beloved ones. Normally...

Just at the moment when Seth felt the strong urge to crease up the paper in his hands to form a ball and throw it into the open fire, a man appeared at his desk and knocked on the table, using hist knuckles. Seth looked up and nodded.

“We have done it.” “Good.” “We could...save the other four. But it is not predictable how long the recovery will take, even-” “It is okay like that.”

The old man in front of Seth nodded slowly and took a seat, after Seth pointed on a chair beside him. “Are you having information for me?” “Not really, master.” “Don’t call me like this. On days like these I even feel worse, knowing that I failed to live up to this title.” “Hm-mh.”

Avon ordered a beer and some soup, while both men remained silent. The old medic looked tired. Even more than Seth felt like, and he would have doubted this could be possible. “The small creatures. We took them to the medic quarters and...did our tests with them. They didn’t react to many influences, neither did their flesh.” Seth made it possible to catch a handful of those creatures alive, but wasn’t sure if at the end of the day this was a good idea or an insanely stupid plan.

“After a few hours, one after another ...they died. If you can call it that way.” “Why wouldn’t you?” Seth picked up his mug. “They were not alive at any point they entered our city, Seth.”

Seth’s eye glared over the edge of his mug and Avon seemed even paler than before. “You mean they were already dead in first instance?” “Y-yes.” Answering this must have been hard, according to the beads of sweat on Avon’s forehead.

“After they ‘died’ we washed a few of them. What we found later was simply….scary, Seth.”

Scary was by far not one of the words Avon, the great guild medic, master of his profession, would normally use. Fascinating, alluring, engaging. Yes. But scary? Not at all.

“What have you seen, Avon?” “The...the black material got washed off and beneath it, the bodies were all rotten and half-eaten up.”

Seth rose his eyebrows.

“That was to be expected, if we talk about corps-” “The black material moved. On its own. A part of it, at least” Seth placed his mug on the table.

“What do you mean?” “It moved! The material moved! From left to right and back and forth, to avoid getting washed away. I think.” Seth leaned forward, placing his chin on his crossed hands. Thoughts were running wildly in his mind. What could that mean? Was it a spell? Was it some sort of parasite or a necromantic experiment? His head was buzzing.

“We could catch the mass and put it into a high-level protection glass. As for the moment, it seems as if it is constructing a small sphere-like corpus.” “Construct? From what material?” “Itself.”

Seth didn’t know what to answer to this any more, but one thing was clear: “We need to keep that between you and me. We also need to make sure to burn every last bit of this black mass as fast as possible.” Avon nodded and drunk another sip of his beer. Both men watched out into the crowd of hunters. For a while, nobody said a word, but you could hear the gears in their heads spinning.

“What will we do now, Seth?” “I ordered assistance at the guild’s crown.” Now it was about Avon to look surprised and confused. “They will send people within the next weeks.” “Will there be……………” “Tahorn will be there, yes.”

A dark haze fell on the guild masters face, and Avon decided not to ask further.

#story idea #story writing #writer #smaugust #sagittarius #creature #fantasy #artwork #illustration #worldbuilding #writing #prompt #story of the day #daily story #challenge

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