She was never awake. When she came down into this little body, this just-forming little body, it was asleep, so all she ever knew was dreaming. She only ever dreamed. She didn't even have a name. And then in her sleep, that perfect little spirit just lifted up. Because God didn't send her to suffer through life on Earth. No. This one? This special little soul... God just sent her down here to sleep. Just a little nap. A quick dream.  And then He called her back, He wanted her back. And so she went back.  Same as she floated down, she rose up above the Earth. Past all the souls in the atmosphere and all the stars in the sky and then into a light so bright... And then, for the first time, she starts to wake up. She's wrapped in a feeling of love. Just pure, amazing love. Of course she is. She's pure.  She has never sinned. She never hurt a single living thing, not even an ant.  And she's not alone, she's home. There are people there, she doesn't know it, but they're her family, her grandfather and her great-grandfather, and they love her. And they name her.  And when God reaches down and kisses her head and the second He says her name, she grows up. In a blink. And she's perfect. Her body as it would have been on her best day on Earth. Her perfect age. The peak of herself.  And they tell her about her mom down here on Earth, and how I'll be there soon enough.  And she's happy. And nothing but joy for all eternity. And she's loved. And she isn't alone.  And that's what we mean when we say heaven. No mansions, no rivers of diamonds, or fluffy clouds or angel wings. You are loved. And you aren't alone. That is God. That is Heaven. That's why we endure all that we endure on this... big, blue, sad, rock.  I'll be there soon enough. And I'll see my father. And my grandmother. And I'll see my little girl, and she will be happy and safe. And I will be so glad to meet her.

Midnight Mass, S1E4 “Book IV: Lamentations”

i really like that hua cheng never once conceals his bitchiness like from the get go xie lian sees how mean that mf really is (to everyone around them not to xl ofc) and xie lian just liked him more for it. bitch4bitch couple

Every day I yearn more to have even the slightest bit of tgcf through Hua Cheng’s perspective. One chapter with his internal dialogue would cure me

I've mentioned before I have zero chill about Heaven Sent and do not want to hear anyone's objectively wrong negative opinions about it, but I honestly have to stay in the Whouffaldi bubble even as far as analysis and praise. At least people have to be accepting of the idea or possibility of the ship, not dismissive of it. Not because I need everyone to ship it, but because not realising the love story exists inevitably creates terrible takes on S9 and those people usually shit on Hell Bent and say it ruins the three parter.

The ship is canon and it's woven extremely deeply into the fabric of the story, so much so that if you're oblivious to the romance you will erroneously conclude that the story wasn't coherent. I constantly see people say Hell Bent undoes everything from Face the Raven and Heaven Sent or renders them pointless. And that's because they don't understand what was actually happening. There's still a disturbingly large number of people who say we never found out what the Hybrid was.

It's the single most consistent thing about people being unfair to Hell Bent, even more so than the ones who are just angry it isn't a story about Gallifrey. They're mad because they thought Heaven Sent was about getting over Clara's death and moving on, therefore Hell Bent was a big narrative backtrack. A lot of people say this, totally unwilling to consider that maybe it's not that this one episode radically departs from the thematic impetus of the entire series and is randomly exempt from the heavy, heavy foreshadowing in every other episode, maybe- actually- they missed something.

Snowbird Ann here: x_x I have Fennel growing in my front yard. That stuff...it tastes like black licorice and it's stringy like celery. But when it goes dormant, it leaves stalks that would be great building materials. Med cat/builders could get a fresh stalk, soak it in water to make it bendy and shape it into whatever. If I remember I'll go out and snap a picture of the dormant Fennel tomorrow.

Fennel is actually suuuuuuuuper useful for dozens of reasons. It's related to parsley and has been naturalized all over the world because humans find it so useful.

The cats could use it for:

-Funerals This herb can be STINKY. This could absolutely be one of the funeral herbs that elders rub onto the deceased, especially since it's non-toxic.

-Cooking It's full of fiber meaning it can be a good supplement even for cats, if not consumed in excess. It's also got potassium, manganese, calcium... They can't taste sweet but that licorice-y flavor would come across just fine. It's actually used in sausages a lot.

-Alcohol If your Warriors drink responsibly. And know how to distill. Mead made from honey would still be easier but fennel was used for health tonics in the middle ages... and then eventually got used to make absinthe.

-Insect repellent This one's actually huge because the OTHER big bad bug buster is mint... and all mint is toxic to cats. This is a really good non-toxic insect repellent for warriors next to lavender.

-"Toothpaste" Not like, a PASTE but, a sort of... sticky mouthwash poultice. Fennel's actually super good for oral health, eliminates bad breath, and fights plaque buildup; and remember, Our Friends Mint & Co is toxic to cats. You can make it into an oil and help a warrior with a gum problem. It's especially good at fighting streptococcus, which is one of the most common infectious bacteria in wild cats.

-General medicinal purposes Helping clean eye infections is just one medicinal use, fennel is useful for all sorts of ailments. It's anti-inflammatory, it's antibacterial (but not as good as honey), can help with digestion...

Historically it's also been associated with helping to treat colic in babies and estrogen-related issues like menopause and milk production, which is actually NOT proven with modern studies... but I think the idea is just cool enough to hand wave the science away, I would use it just to have an herb for colicky kits. It's weird that colic has never shown up in canonical kits before!

But...

Building use?

Probably not. You've noticed it's stringy-- that's actually where fennel gets its name. Fennel = Foenum = Latin for Hay. It's more like hay in consistency than twine and would be too soft to build with.

For strong material, you're just gonna want plain old wood. Twigs, branches, anywhere you can find fennel you're also going to find bushes or trees that'll make better beams.

For twine? Skip the fennel entirely with its short stalks and just get some tall grass. Or, if you've got long-haired cats, they can make yarn out of shed fur if they collect enough of it. Better yet, if you've got access to flax? Then you're REALLY cooking with fire, that bad boy can be made into fabric, rope, clothing... Don't even get me STARTED on industrial hemp, you could weave reality itself out of that popstar. Paper, clothes, canvas, shampoo, lamp oil, rope, bombs, you want it? It's YOURS my friend--

Anyway

TL;DR stick to the herbal uses for fennel. You're better letting dormant fennel re-grow because it's better in the paws of your medcats than your warriors.

so like was gabriel just down there practicing that fucking monologue or like did he have to kill anything

"What’s a cannibal’s favorite game?"

"Swallow the leader. HA-HA!" @voodoodaaddy

'Blowjobs with a cannibal must be intense and either full of so much trust or the definition of nihilism.'

"....was that a double entendre?"

If it’s one thing Winter and Jacin would be after the war or in like any AU is just INSUFFERABLY SWEET WITH COMPLIMENTING EACH OTHER IN PUBLIC.

Like you’re just walking past this random couple and you hear “Jacin, you are the completion of my soul the very substance that makes up my spirit and blood that keeps me alive.” And then “Winter, you are the very apex of perfection in every way shape and form and you are my entire reason for being and without you I’d be like a tether drifting into the void.” Then they just walk into Costco yk

Like they’d be horrible to be around especially as like someone who is single and that’s why I love them like they’re concocting epic poetry on the daily cuz that’s how they feel about each other while you cry into an empty ice cream pan-

Goes wildly insane over Catherine depicting her love for Heathcliff.

"I cannot express it; but surely you and every body else have a notion that there is, or should be, an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here? My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn to a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees - my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath - a source of little visual delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff - he's always, always in my mind - not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself - but, as my own being - so, don't talk of our separation again - it is impracticable; and-"

"I do not worship gods."

"I am god"

Alright, Xie Lian... pop off! 😳

me: yeah, i like this character a lot, especially their monologues

also me whenever that character opens their mouth: shut up. shut the fuck up. who asked

I've only known Viola-Cesario for five minutes but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then myself

'No I, couldn't live without your love' sings Petula Clarke, today's radio birthday girl ... another day, another tour of the neighbourhood on the trail of another parcel delivered to a neighbour's house instead of ours ... the flies carry out their little courtship dance beneath the lightshade, don't they know it's November? ... the rooks are here this morning, waiting to see what cat food they can steal ...

Do you think God knows?

You've been sneaking out of Heaven

Like were his eyes closed

Cause there's no way he's just letting you

Fall from the stars

Oh god

They mild-mannered my non-gray Heather